Do you ever end a workday feeling inexplicably drained, uneasy, or fatigued?

If you work with young people—whether as a counsellor, social worker, youth worker, or educator—you’ve likely experienced this. Working in charged environments requires juggling multiple roles: building relationships, inspiring curiosity, sharing knowledge, and supporting growth.

First off, let me say loud and clear: I don’t believe that “a diagnosis is just an excuse.” But it’s something I’ve heard a few times from clients, and I think it’s worth exploring the nuances. Because, as with most things in life, the reality is rarely black and white.

Absolutes like this can be great for winning arguments—they’re bold, confident, and leave no room for debate. But in practice? They don’t hold up. People are complex. It’s rare for a group of people to all act in the same way or for the same reasons, especially when it comes to something as personal as a diagnosis.

I'm not a fan of new years resolutions for a few reasons; I've worked a lot of my life to an academic calendar, so September is the time for new stationery and making change, it's a cold dark month to go to the gym or deny yourself comfort food, it feels uncomfortable to be reaching for some form of perfection and often setting yourself up for failure. So I don't do one, but I do think of an idea to hold in mind. This year it is to include more non-fiction work books into my beloved fiction pile. No numbers, no measure of success, just an idea to hold in mind.

Last night, I found myself in the car park of an inner-city school, where at 6:30 pm, teachers were finally heading home. I know they had been there since at least 8 am, likely with no more than a couple of toilet breaks before 3 pm, and a hurried working lunch.

All these are symptoms and until we work with the actual problem, it won’t change. Usually if we ‘fix’ the symptom, then the person will symptom jump, and if they jump to something socially acceptable then they can get lost along, with their problem.

I have always been a perfectionist, the urge to be in control is strong. I was the 6 year old walking out of school with all my shirt buttons done up and my tie straight, I cried if I got a question wrong and my dolls house was immaculate. And in today's world we are continuously shown perfect outfits, perfect hair, perfect exercise routines, families, careers.

I have long felt uncomfortable when anyone mentioned that they felt they were being lazy. When we explored it more, it was never laziness—it was exhaustion, fear, avoidance, inability, or feeling deskilled, but never laziness. More recently, when I've felt comfortable expressing that I don’t believe in laziness, most people react with relief because "lazy" is really a way of trying to motivate someone, often yourself, through shame. Self identifying as lazy is damaging in itself, how demotivating and sad to think that you are inherently lazy as a person!

Summers as a child are usually often considered idyllic - no school, lie ins, playing in the garden, computer access, possibly holidays and definitely ice lollies. There are children who have a different experience for a variety of reasons; because they are young carers, live in homes with domestic abuse, poverty, isolation, illness. The polarity whilst incredibly sad is slightly less obvious in young childhood as children are less aware of comparison and have less access to their peers lives via social media. This disparity becomes more obvious the older young people get and certain summers come with a lot of pressure.

We are very aware that young people need to be educated on the dangers of the internet. This has become more prevalent and difficult as the online world develops. Back in the internet olden days of the naughties we could tell our young people; don’t share any personal details, don’t meet up with anyone in real life and above all assume anyone in a chat room is a ‘dirty old man’ and that pretty much covered it.

I was struck this week talking to a few different parents. These parents had children and teenagers who have additional needs and mental health concerns. I've been working with parents and young people for many years. Whilst I can offer much needed therapeutic support sometimes practical support is needed.

Grief is a complex and multifaceted experience, often felt as an overwhelming breadth of emotions that can be difficult to articulate even to yourself, let alone to others. This tumultuous state can make the grieving process isolating and confusing. However, when someone—be it a friend, family member, therapist or even a meme—helps articulate these emotions through words or images, it can feel like being thrown a life raft in a stormy sea.

The years of young adulthood are often characterised by relentless performance and comparison. It's a time when many feel the pressure to measure up to some elusive standard of academic success, social skills, beauty, or happiness. But who are they really comparing themselves to?

The years of young adulthood are often characterised by relentless performance and comparison. It's a time when many feel the pressure to measure up to some elusive standard of academic success, social skills, beauty, or happiness. But who are they really comparing themselves to?

The years of young adulthood are often characterised by relentless performance and comparison. It's a time when many feel the pressure to measure up to some elusive standard of academic success, social skills, beauty, or happiness. But who are they really comparing themselves to?

The years of young adulthood are often characterised by relentless performance and comparison. It's a time when many feel the pressure to measure up to some elusive standard of academic success, social skills, beauty, or happiness. But who are they really comparing themselves to?

It is easy to feel lost as a young adult, stuck in a transitional space surrounded by adults who make all the decisions. Often the possibility of change and moving forwards can get lost. Offering space to talk and sharing hope that things can change can be incredibly powerful.

The modern world can be defined by the vast presence and influence of social media. It's a world where almost every individual has a digital footprint, and individual, community and world life events are often broadcasted online in real-time. This constant stream of information can be overwhelming, especially for young adults who are still learning to navigate this complex digital landscape.