JK Rowling has said that when her own short-lived marriage imploded, leaving her an unemployed single parent, rock bottom became the foundation upon which she built her life: because her worst fears had been realised, she had nowhere to go but up. And it was all much more about ensuring that a reader could go along with it, rather than having to get the facts right to avoid doing an injustice to people with mental health.

Most of the day is taken up by other things, my husband goes to bed really early and I can't sleep until about 2am.It is her fantastic new crime novel that has catapulted Bella back into the spotlight however, with How to Kill Your Familyhitting shelves earlier this summer. My mind, accustomed to frightening me with endless “what if” thoughts, or happy to torment me with repeated flashbacks to my worst experiences, simply could not compete with the need to concentrate while moving fast. I went back to work, alternately crying in the toilets (my husband worked for the same company; that was fun) and sitting mute at my desk, listening to bagpipe music on my headphones in a strange attempt to find some mettle whenever I saw him walk by. Through her books, her columns, and her advocacy, Bella Mackie is showing the world that stories matter. On a more personal note - I too started running, back in April (after a particularly splendid panic attack in Australia that left me literally vomiting!

Therefore, tie your sneakers lace, and let go of your anxiety by allowing your body to fly down a – preferably nature-filled – path.She has said that she loves crafting stories that explore the inner lives of characters and that she hopes to help readers understand the complexity and messiness of life. By concentrating on the rhythm of my feet striking the pavement, I wasn’t obsessing over my breathing, or the crowds, or how far I was from home. Anxiety is complex and affects people in different ways, so it’s important to get professional help.