Bipolar Mum Journey

So, it’s 2026… and honestly, I didn’t see myself standing here feeling like this.

The last couple of years have been intense – messy, emotional, exhausting. If you’ve followed my journey for a while, you’ll know I’ve spent a lot of time calling out injustice, frustration, and everything that felt unfair. And at the time, I needed to do that. That was me surviving.

But something shifted.

I finally realised that I am only one person – and what I’m doing is enough.

The move from London to East Sussex nearly broke me. I was so wrapped up in stress and getting through each day that I stopped noticing the life happening around me. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t grateful. I was just trying to cope.

Then on Friday evening, everything slowed down.

I went to watch the sunset. The moon was already out; there was something quite exquisite about both the sun and moon being visible at the same time. My kids were nearby, taking photos, laughing, and searching for sea life like nothing else in the world mattered.

And in that moment, something in me snapped – in a good way.

I said to myself: enough now.

Enough noise.
Enough giving everything away.
Enough running on empty.

I’m choosing myself.

My time isn’t free anymore, because my energy has value. I’ve answered countless emails, supported so many people, and I don’t regret any of it – but I burnt out doing it. I didn’t notice until I was already there.

What I know now is this: I don’t want to chase numbers anymore. I thought success was my blue tick, big follower counts, podcasting and being seen. But that wasn’t achievement.

Peace is achievement.
A quiet mind is achievement.
Feeling okay in your own skin is achievement.

I feel stronger than ever before.

Now I want to help others build that same confidence – not the loud, fake kind, but the steady kind that comes from believing in yourself. That only happens when you invest in yourself, even when it’s uncomfortable.

So if you’re reading this and doubting yourself: trust me you don’t need to!

And if you feel like you’d benefit from talking things through with me, you’re very welcome to book a session via Premium Chat at Gemma Listens:
https://premium.chat/GemmaListens

Let’s stop just getting through the days.

Let’s grab 2026 and make it ours.

Lots of Love, Gemma 💜