In this episode you get to meet Rachel Kelly. Rachel has a boat load of experience in depression and finding her way out through multiple strategies, from good nutrition and "mood food" to writing, poetry and breathing practice. She is a bestselling author of four books, a public speaker and a mental health campaigner, working with charities such as Rethink Mental Illness and SANE.

Rachel has developed a vast knowledge of the science of depression and mental illness, from the role of our neuro transmitters to the powerful mind-body connection. She shares her unique and hard-fought methods for staying calm and mentally well as we talk about life during lockdown and what it’s meant for her. We travel back to 1997, when Rachel was knee-deep in a high-stress job in the newsroom of The Times, working all hours on deadline after deadline to please editors. We hear about her sudden depressive break, during which she felt so unwell that suicidal feelings crept into her mind and she was left screaming in pain. In the 90s, depression was a misunderstood stigma, and Rachel tells us what speaking up and accessing help was like, as well as the self-care strategies she has devised over the years to help manage stresses and triggers.

Rachel is a bright light of knowledge and sound, actionable advice for those working on staying mentally well. Her latest book ‘Singing in the Rain: An inspirational workbook’ could not be more relevant to the time of global crisis we're living through - go check it out.