
I still remember my very first public speaking event at the Time To Change Story Camp in London and I called my Mum as a hysterical, anxious mess and told her there was no way that I could do it! But of course, I ended up giving the speech and it wasn’t such a total disaster that I didn’t say ‘no’ to all future invitations to do some public speaking! And in continuing to give talks and speeches, I’ve learnt a few things that I thought I’d share because I’d like to encourage you all to share your own experiences publicly because I’ve seen how beneficial it can be for others.

Don’t over-prepare

So, I sort of ‘winged it!’ In the end, it actually meant more to me that I managed to give the talk without my notes because it helped stabilize my thoughts on what I am most passionate about; it reminded me that there’s something I want to do with my life because there are still times when I wonder what I’m doing with my life! Wonder why I should fight against the suicidal thoughts.
Use your passion as courage
Since my first speech, I’ve always said that I find it easier to talk about my blog than about myself. That probably sounds odd because I pour my heart out on I’m NOT Disordered and you all probably think that I tell you absolutely everything there is to know about me but that is so much easier when I’m telling you from the comfort of my own home and we’re not face to face. When I’m writing a blog post, I never imagine how many people will read it or think of how people will respond and what they’ll think of me when they do see it.
Something I don’t struggle to talk about in person, though, is social media and blogging and the benefits it can have on your mental health. It’s kind of a round-a-bout way of me talking about myself because to help you understand the impact my blog has had on my mental health; I’d need to say a little about my own journey. This is a lot easier to do though when I can hang on to my passion for promoting that everyone should use social media or try blogging. I think that bearing in mind the positives me pouring my heart out can have on others is so helpful in motivating me to find the courage and bravery to give a public speech.
All of the Twitter links:
Paul Nicol - https://twitter.com/0lderpreb0re
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust - https://twitter.com/CNTWNHS
Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland - https://twitter.com/RapeCrisisTN
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - https://twitter.com/NorthumbriaNHS
Alan
Campbell MP - https://twitter.com/alancampbellmp
Martin Baker
- https://twitter.com/GumOnMyShoeBook
Barnardos
- https://twitter.com/barnardos
North
Tyneside Mayor, Norma Redfearn - https://twitter.com/NormaRedfearn
LEAPS
- https://twitter.com/leapsonline
Recovery
College - https://twitter.com/RecoveryCoCo
Launchpad
North Tyneside - https://twitter.com/LaunchpadNT
For more info on the event: