After reading Bryony’s book – ‘Eat, Drink, Run’, Eleanor was inspired by the idea of Mental Health Mates. With a quick internet search, Eleanor found that the only Walk remotely close to her was thirty five minutes away. So with that, Eleanor decided to start her own and so Mental Health Mates Orpington was born! After successfully building the MHM Orpington community and in the spirit of moving forward, Eleanor is now passing on the torch to the next Orpington Walk Leader, Heather!
Eleanor, how has being a part of the Mental Health Mates Community helped you Move Forward?
For a long time I found mental illness isolating, especially as a teenager. But meeting different people on the walks and sharing our experiences has allowed me to build amazing connections. It has highlighted the strength of coming together and talking to alleviate some of the burden that you can shoulder alone. There is no justification, you can be present on the walks and feel accepted!
Favourite place to Walk?
Obviously our walk location, High Elms Country Park – because it now holds wonderful memories! But also Toys Hill in Sevenoaks – there is a mixture of landscapes and terrains which can be a good distraction for what is going on in your brain.
Words that stick with you?
Just take one day at a time.
You are passing the MHM Orpington torch onto a wonderful new Walk Leader, Heather. What advice would you give to Orpington’s next Walk Leader as the group moves forward?
Be brave and ask for help when you need it. I feel unbelievably lucky to have met some incredible people as part of MHM who are amazing sources of support for me, as much as I hope I am for them. It is daunting planning and holding walks, however you are rewarded by meeting great people. I always feel better after a MHM walk!
Top Mental Health Tip?
Say no when you need to, only face things when you feel ready and don’t be hard on yourself when things don’t go to plan.
Heather, welcome to MHM! How did you connect with MHM and Eleanor?
I met Eleanor after searching up my local MHM walks. My first meeting with Eleanor was on zoom, because I kept missing the in person walks because I had on line mindfulness courses at weekends! I did not meet Eleanor in person until May 21. When I did I got on with Eleanor and her partner James instantly!
After attending Walks as a member, how do you feel about becoming a Walk Leader?
I am grateful for this opportunity to facilitate others in their journey of recovery from mental health challenges, reviving and inspiring a new sense of health, self worth and goodness.
What are you looking forward to as you take the Orpington Walk over from Eleanor?
Going forward, my intention is to bring a gentle pace to our future walks both in terms of the physical steps we take and the rate at which we get to know one another. I encourage a sense of belonging in a group setting which helps us to regulate our nervous systems and feel good about ourselves – having come out, braced the fresh air and hopefully had a pleasant time!
