Back pain, Burnout and Bananas

How I lost myself (and found my spark again!), although I have a long way to go!

You all know that art and animals are my passion but did you know that my other love is fitness?  Since I ran my first half marathon in 2014, I’ve been “that annoying person” — early morning workouts, big on nutrition, the works. Last year, however, I had a bit of a hiccup: I injured my back and it really threw a spanner in the works.

What started as a necessary break from the gym turned into a bit of a spiral — not dramatic or disastrous, just a slow drift. I kept walking the dog (thankfully!), but the regular exercise stopped, and my diet took a massive hit. Less veg, more quick fixes. More sugar, less water. That kind of thing.

The weirdest part? I didn’t even really feel like I was struggling. Life kept moving, I kept painting, I was functioning fine. But something felt… duller (or is it just that my jeans felt much tighter?!). Less spark, maybe? I didn’t realise how off I was feeling until very recently when I decided enough was enough and started getting back to the old routines.

The change was instant — shockingly so. Within just a few days of eating clean(ish), drinking water like it’s my full-time job, and dragging myself back to the gym, it was like someone switched the lights back on in my head.

Mentally, I just feel lighter. My general mood, my energy — it’s all lifted. Getting back into that rhythm reminded me how much of a connection there is between our physical health and mental wellbeing.

The recent dose of sunshine has been a game-changer too. I walk the dog every day anyway so I know how grounding it is to just be outside — but a little bit of sunshine on your skin AND some greenery around you; well that really does do something magic.

And of course, art is always my anchor. Sitting down to sketch, paint, get lost in furry faces and stories — it’s like hitting a reset button for my brain. I don’t even need to “make something amazing” — just the act of creating is enough to clear the noise so getting back into it after being ill has helped too.

If you’ve been feeling a little off lately without quite knowing why, maybe take a little look at the basics. It doesn’t need to be a huge overhaul — even just drinking more water, going for a walk, cooking something fresh, or stepping into your creative zone can make a massive difference.

I’d love to know — what do you do when you need to give your mental health a boost? Is it something physical? Creative? Spiritual? Silly? All of the above? Drop a comment — I’m always up for borrowing new ideas 💬

Much love as always ,

VB 🐾