Gem Hill @SelfCare Backpack
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carebackpack.bsky.social
Gem Hill @SelfCare Backpack
@carebackpack.bsky.social
240 followers 190 following 180 posts
Helping people build relationships with themselves | Mental Health | Self Care | Therapist in training | they/them

https://selfcarebackpack.com/links
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carebackpack.bsky.social
Had my annual hair taming 😍
a selfie. I have jaw length curly hair in a sort of bob.
November 7, 2025 at 2:42 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
What could possibly have happened between 2019 and now that had led to so many more people being unable to work due to ill health? A mystery for the ages
A screenshot from a BBC article. The text reads There were 800,000 more people out of work now than in 2019 due to health conditions, costing employers £85bn a year, according to the review by former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield.
November 5, 2025 at 7:42 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Sometimes I make cross stitch based on pub toilet graffiti
A photo of a wooden wall. The words Love. Hope. Dream are written on the wall. Underneath, in a different handwriting, is the word Cum A photo of a finished cross stitch. The words Love. Hope. Dream. Cum are written in black text, one under the other. In the top right hand corner and the bpytem left hand corner are cross stitch flowers, purple with a yellow middle. There are two tone green leaves around the flowers
September 6, 2025 at 9:21 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
There was an issue where a sniper is paid to take Clark out while he's having food with a reporter, and the bullets bounce off him into his salad, and he just eats them to hide them

64.media.tumblr.com/b3c36f790aa6...
September 2, 2025 at 6:56 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
If you've not seen it before, the Mankoski Pain scale is something I find really useful to conceptualise my pain both to myself and others. I find the normal 1-10, where 10 is the worst pain you can imagine so stressful, and this really helps me think about how my pain is affecting me
0 – Pain free 1 – Very minor annoyance – occasional minor twinges. No medication needed. 2 – Minor annoyance – occasional strong twinges. No medication needed. 3 – Annoying enough to be distracting. Mild painkillers are effective (aspirin, ibuprofen) 4 – Can be ignored if you are really involved in your work, but still distracting. Mild painkillers relieve pain for 3-4 hours. 5 – Can't be ignored for more than 30 minutes. Mild painkillers reduce pain for 3-4 hours. 6 – Can't be ignored for any length of time, but you can still go to work and participate in social activities. Stronger painkillers (codeine, acetaminophen-hydrocodone) reduce pain for 3-4 hours. 7 – Makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with sleep. You can still function with effort. Stronger painkillers are only partially effective. Strongest painkillers relieve pain (extended-release form of oxycodone, morphine) 8 – Physical activity severely limited. You can read and converse with effort. Nausea and dizziness set in as factors of pain. Strongest painkillers reduce pain for 3-4 hours. 9 – Unable to speak. Crying out or moaning uncontrollably – near delirium. Strongest painkillers are only partially effective. 10 – Unconscious. Pain makes you pass out. Strongest painkillers are only partially effective.
August 27, 2025 at 3:47 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
This week's newsletter is continuing on the theme of my past few newsletters, one of being with myself fully.

buttondown.com/SelfCareBack...
August 7, 2025 at 1:04 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Trying to wrangle my mornings into something approaching useful - getting out of bed quickly rather than doomscrolling, eating breakfast, reading, etc. First morning was today and I'd give myself 6/10. didn't avoid scrolling entirely but did read and managed to finish At The Existentialist Cafe
A photo of the paperback version of at The Existentialist Cafe: freedom, being, and apricot cocktails, by Sarah Bakewell
August 4, 2025 at 10:01 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
This week's free newsletter is about the power of curiosity in self care.

"It's reminding myself that it's safe to do so, and that I can handle whatever it is I'm feeling.I have to be able to trust myself, and trusting myself with my own feelings is the first step."

buttondown.com/SelfCareBack...
The goal is to get to know myself, with couage and curiosity
July 31, 2025 at 10:22 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Every couple of months, I remove the paywall from one of my posts. This is one of those posts (you can get weekly writing from me from as little as £5 a month!).

This post is all about self-sabotage and assumptions.

buttondown.com/SelfCareBackpack/archive/self-sabotage-2336
I’ve made the assumption (from experience) that, for lack of a better phrase, I’m the problem. I’m not cut out for the work of marketing and building an audience, and I essentially have to force myself in the least worst way possible.
June 19, 2025 at 10:14 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
This week's newsletter is a follow up to last week's post on potatoes and learning to be yourself. This one is about growth and how it can look and feel different when you're going through it.

#CPTSD #TherapistInTraining

buttondown.com/SelfCareBack...
Sometimes [growth is] holding yourself in place as you learn to be comfortable being in a different kind of way.
June 12, 2025 at 10:08 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
The thing about reflection, or journaling, or meditating, is that spending the time is the point.

buttondown.com/SelfCareBack...
It’s a joy, to spend time with myself and learn who I am and how I tick, and spending that time is an act of self-love.
May 23, 2025 at 10:14 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
This week's newsletter is about planning as avoidance of feelings.

I am a planner, it's my default (sometimes those plans even get executed!). The problem is when planning is used as a way to solve my feelings, as opposed to me spending time processing my feelings.

buttondown.com/SelfCareBack...
Here’s the thing, you get to move through your life with yourself, and that means through all of it, and all of you. Sitting with yourself and letting yourself feel all of your feelings is part of the journey.
May 15, 2025 at 4:41 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
This week's newsletter is related to my last one on self sabotage. This is about the power in trusting yourself, especially when entering situations where you don't have full control. Like when you're in a counselling session.
buttondown.com/SelfCareBack...
Everything is a work in progress, but I can trust in how far I've come, and take my power from that.
May 7, 2025 at 10:02 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
This week's newsletter is about self sabotage, and the sneaky ways it can appear in your work AKA I am the problem, but not in the way I thought

buttondown.com/SelfCareBack...
maybe my pattern isn't one of (just) being uncomfortable with content creation or marketing myself, complicated by chronic illness
May 2, 2025 at 8:30 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Started this tradition in lockdown. Missed last year, glad to be back on the cheesecake-in-an-Easter-egg train once more

#food #dessert
A photo of half a chocolate Easter egg. There's a cold set cheesecake inside (you can only see the filling part, not the base). The cheesecake is topped with caramel, munchies (cuboid chocolates that have a caramel and biscuit filling), and Cadbury mini eggs.
April 20, 2025 at 4:46 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Back at the cinema for the first time in ages. Nothing like an early Saturday horror film #Sinners
A photo of a cinema screen. The lights are up as I'm early. The screen shows 'Odeon, we make movies better'
April 19, 2025 at 10:48 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
A milestone! (I was planning on legally changing my name to Gem before registering but then surgery happened 🤷🏻)
A screenshot of an email that says 'Dear Gemma, Congratulations, you're now a BACP student member'
November 18, 2024 at 1:50 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Wednesday: reading, but this time in hospital post-surgery. Day case so should be home later this afternoon.
a copy of Dean Koontz's False Memory. A toke of a thriller at just over 800 pages
November 6, 2024 at 1:17 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Having an early night with a book. Will be up bright and early tomorrow to get to the hospital for 7am 😴😴
A photo of the book False Memory by Dean Koontz
November 5, 2024 at 8:27 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Making a deliberate effort to be here more often. Busy week this week, starting off at MCR Tech Fest leadership day, where I'm giving a talk on empathy
A photo of an attendee badge. It has Manchester Tech Festival at the top, with my name, my role (founder) and my business name (SelfCare Backpack)
November 4, 2024 at 10:05 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Launch day! I'm so excited to share The Mental Workload podcast with you all! The first episode is out now and it's on community building and glue work. Find it everywhere podcasts are and find transcripts and links at selfcarebackpack.com/thementalwor...
September 19, 2024 at 10:30 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
This is the week! The Mental Workload podcast launches on Thursday! Season one is 10 episodes chock full of tips and stories all about wellbeing at work.

You can find TMWL anywhere you find podcasts, and there's a teaser ep available now :D
Community and glue work, Rachel Kibler
September 16, 2024 at 9:12 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
I'm launching a podcast!

The Mental Workload podcast is a twice a month podcast all about wellbeing at work. It can be found wherever you find podcasts and there's a teaser episode out now!
The mental workload podcast, coming 19th September
August 14, 2024 at 12:05 PM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Exciting Secret Project announcement coming next week 👀👀
A photo of me in a booth. There is blue padding on the walls behind me I'm wearing a pair of headphones, and have a rode mic in front of me. You might say I'm gearing up to record a podcast
August 9, 2024 at 9:36 AM
carebackpack.bsky.social
Last night in Romania. The balcony with my hotel room is covered so am currently sitting outside in the thunderstorm, reading, with tea. Absolute vibes 💜
A photo of thunderclouds over white apartment buildings
June 13, 2024 at 5:08 PM