Those among you who don’t follow showbiz gossip might have missed an important story recently. The story is about former X-Factor contestant turned TV presenter Rylan Clark-Neal, who has just returned to work after taking a break ‘for the good of his mental health’.

Whatever you think of Rylan isn’t relevant. The fact he’s talking about mental health and took a break for his ‘head, body and peace of mind’ is. Publicly talking about his mental health struggles is a positive, and some would say brave, thing to do as having a high-profile celebrity helps brings the issue sharply into focus.

Rylan has also gone on to talk about it further on TV and in the papers and admitted he faced a bit of a backlash on social media, with people labelling him ‘delicate’ and others saying they’d like to just be able to take a break after years of working.

Whether you share Rylan’s view or that of his detractors, he is right about a break from things being good for your mental health and wellbeing. It doesn’t have to be a few months like Rylan’s, but anything that gets you away from the pressures of work and increasingly busy family lives for a short time can have positive results.

Even a walk with the dog, going out for a meal, or reading a magazine for 10 minutes can help, especially if you’re feeling a bit low. Too many of us focus on our careers and thinking about other peoples’ lives (particularly those of us […]