In my second year at university; bewildered, lonely and confused, I began to feel acutely uncertain of my future. How is it possible to stay grounded even as you feel lost and out of control?

Head vs heart. When both shout so loudly and refuse to budge, how do you simplify your thinking and use each appropriately?

How being thrown in at the deep end, managing loneliness and experiencing independence at university lit a path to my true self, in the most unexpected and unconventional way.

Examining a world both consciously and unwittingly fuelled by negativity. What are the alternatives, and how can society reject its magnetic appeal in favour of a healthy mindset of growth and self-assuredness?

I was probably always destined to live with the burden of health anxiety. Circumstances, family influence and disposition conspired to ensure it wholly took over my life, but I continue to find ways to keep it at bay.

Being a sensitive person in a crowded room can be disorientating and challenging. This is a real account of the self-talk I recall during a recent family gathering, how I felt, and why I believe it’s essential that social anxiety isn’t dismissed.

Rediscovering the emotional core I’d long buried took many years, but now, I can’t imagine life without it.

I am other; the son of an English mother, and an Iraqi father. I just don’t belong. As an outsider of dual heritage, it’s my mission to overcome real and perceived barriers in searching for a balanced, cohesive identity.