The Dazzle #7

First week of January? Completed it, mate.

You deserve a medal

I wish that instead of sending you this newsletter, I could send you a medal for making it through the first week of January. It’s not that I have anything against this period of time, more the bombardment of advice from diet and fitness gurus on How To Be A Better Human (And Improve Your Gut Health In The Process). It always makes me laugh when, as a sober person, I am asked to contribute to some sort of article/radio/tv discussion about how to get through Dry January, because not once in my long and not-very-illustrious drinking career did I ever manage it. It was only after I was marched to rehab (in August) and given a proper programme which still requires daily attention that I completed my first ‘dry Jan’, and so I have immense sympathy for anyone struggling to get through this month of self-improvement (why does self-improvement so often feel like self-flagellation?) So whether you are dry, damp or wet this January, I hope you know that you are welcome here, however you feel like turning up.

Anyway, here are the things that have helped get me through this first week of 2024:

The fact that I am going on tour Like Madonna, or Taylor Swift, only with book signings instead of singing. And possibly fewer sequinned body suits, but you never know. My next book, Mad Woman, is out in February, and I am doing a whole load of dates to talk about it (it’s a memoir in which I explore OCD, Binge Eating Disorder and the effect of hormones on mental health). You can book tickets here and pre-order a copy here - pre-orders make all the difference for an author in terms of exposure and to say thanks I’m doing a little pre-order competition here, where you can win a lovely necklace which I will hand-deliver to you before taking you out for a movement session of your choice!

Weyward by Emilia Hart I devoured this book about witches in two evenings this week. It’s a magic mix of historical fiction and contemporary feminism and I absolutely loved it.

A lovely community thread about how brilliant we are It’s so easy to list what is wrong with ourselves, but how often do we sit and focus on what’s right? We’ve been doing the latter in the All is Well My Darling community this week, and it’s made my heart sing. Thanks all for contributing - we’ll be doing much more of this stuff going forward!

Meeting the incredible Ian Russell Ian’s daughter, Molly Rose, tragically took her own life in 2017. She was just 14. Afterwards, Molly’s family discovered that she had been viewing thousands of images on social media that promoted suicide and self-harm, and so they began a campaign to have the content removed. Molly’s dad, Ian, now fights tirelessly for internet safety, and the Molly Rose Foundation provides advice and support to people under 25 who are at risk of suicide. I met Ian this week in the green room of a breakfast show we were both appearing on, and was so impressed by what he is trying to do to protect other young people from what Molly experienced.

This beautiful quote from the late psychologist Carl Rogers I heard it this week and it landed straight in the centre of my heart: “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself, just as I am, then I can change.” Something to remember for anyone trying to shame themselves into becoming a ‘better’ human this new year.

Sending lots of love,

Bryony xx