Nananell has arrived

Well hi everyone. I am Nananell and I only really began learning about social media and digital anything in the last month or so. Don’t get me wrong, I had Facebook and apparently I had a twitter account but I had no idea of the opportunities that Social Media has for artists, creators, business people or anyone else in the world.

So what could I possibly write about for anyone reading this? As my name suggests, I am a Nana. My 3 children; daughter 31; and two sons aged 25 and 19. And my daughter has given me two beautiful grandchildren, an 11 year old granddaughter and 9 month old grandson. Not that amazing unless you know tha I was told at the age of 15 that I would never have kids because I lived with endometriosis. Although I was surprised when I fell pregnant at 17, my mother was horrified.

I also live with a number of mental health issues including ADHD; Bipolar II Disorder; PTSD; OCD; Anxiety, Major Depressive Disorder, Restless Legs and I am sure there are another 1 or 2 that I am forgetting. I am very open about my mental health issues, I have co-founded two non-profit organisations, I have spoken to over 1500 secondary students about mental illness and maintaining good mental health, I have spoken at the THMS Conference twice, in Canberra and Auckland, New Zealand and my husband and I have spoken on websites and DVD’s about mental illness.

I am very proactive in my own journey with mental illness. I was first diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety and depression when I was 25 years old and it would take another 7 years to get a more “accurate” diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder. I have had to learn what I like, what I enjoy, what can I do for ME? And I have learnt that I am able to learn new skills, I can carve names, words and shapes into wood, I can draw something, convert it to a 3D printer, print, make a silicone mould and then create resin items that I use when I make sun catchers, bracelets, necklaces, key rings etc.

I honestly thought I would struggle to write an introductory story but it has been very cathartic and relaxing and I do hope that if you are reading this, you are still awake, and you may find something of interest. I do enjoy answering questions and if I do not know the answer, I will let people know. After all, I may be 49 years young, be a wife, mother, Aunty, grandmother, but there is so much that I am still learning and I would really like to share my “self-discovery journey” with you. I will warn you, sometimes my journey can get very bumpy and I aim to share those times as well as the good. The reason I plan to share the bad times as well is to let you, the reader, know that it is ok to not be ok. I will share my coping strategies as well. For example, the photo below is a reminder to myself to know the difference between self-care and self-development FOR ME.

Well I think I have shared enough for a first timer, I am really looking forward to writing my next story very soon.

Stay safe and well

Nananell