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You unlock your phone to reply to one message. Twenty minutes later, you are watching a video posted by somebody you have never met about something you never intended to search for. Sound familiar? Modern apps are incredibly good at holding our attention. Endless feeds, notifications, recommendations and short-form videos mean there is rarely a natural point at which your brain is told, "That's enough." That does not mean phones are evil or that everyone needs a dramatic digi

Phones have become part of almost every moment of modern life. We wake up and check notifications. We scroll while eating. We watch videos when we are bored. We message friends throughout the day and often end the evening looking at the same screen we started the morning with. Technology itself is not automatically bad for our mental health. It can help us communicate, learn, relax, find communities and access support. The problem can begin when being online starts replacing

Finding the right mental health support can feel overwhelming, especially when you are unsure which professional best suits your needs. VÕS HELP makes the process clearer by offering two separate support options: Level 4 counsellors for £20 per hour and experienced therapists or psychologists for £40 per hour. Both options provide valuable support, but they are designed for different needs, preferences and budgets. Level 4 Counsellors: £20 Per Hour VÕS HELP’s £20 option conne

Being a single mum in the workplace can mean performing two demanding roles with little room for error. Before the working day begins, there may already have been a battle with school uniforms, breakfast, childcare and the morning commute. After work comes another shift involving meals, homework, housework and emotional support. Single mothers do not need sympathy or lower professional expectations. They need fair workplace policies, genuine flexibility and managers who under

A healthy relationship should leave you feeling respected, supported and free to be yourself. Unfortunately, not every relationship offers this. Toxic relationships can gradually affect your confidence, emotional wellbeing and even your physical health, often without you realising how much they have changed you. Whether the relationship is with a partner, friend or family member, toxic behaviour can have lasting effects that reach far beyond the people directly involved. At V

Relationships should make us feel safe, respected and supported. However, possessive behaviour can slowly erode confidence, independence and emotional wellbeing. It often develops so gradually that many people do not realise they are experiencing unhealthy behaviour until it has already affected every area of their lives. At VÕS HELP, we regularly support individuals who have found themselves questioning whether their partner's behaviour is caring or controlling. Recognising

For many people, the worst part of bullying is not when it happens. It is what happens afterwards. The cruel comments may stop. The messages may disappear. The person responsible may leave your life altogether. Yet months or even years later, your heart still races when your phone vibrates. You replay conversations over and over again. You apologise when you've done nothing wrong. You hesitate before speaking up in meetings, avoid social situations or worry that people secret

Bullying is often thought of as something that happens in the playground, but for many people it continues well into adulthood. Whether it happens at work, online, within friendships or even inside families, bullying can have a lasting effect on mental health. The emotional wounds are often invisible, making them easy for others to overlook but incredibly difficult for the person experiencing them. At VÕS HELP, we believe nobody should suffer in silence. Mental health support

The workplace has changed but our minds haven't For many employees across Leeds, the working day no longer ends when they leave the office. Instead, work follows them home through emails, Microsoft Teams notifications, phone calls and instant messages. Even during evenings, weekends and annual leave, many people feel an unspoken pressure to remain available. While technology has undoubtedly improved communication and flexibility, it has also blurred the boundaries between wor

The hidden workplace mental health challenge affecting employees across Leeds When organisations think about mental health in the workplace, conversations often focus on stress, anxiety and burnout. While these are incredibly important topics, there is another issue quietly affecting workplaces across Leeds that often goes unnoticed decision fatigue. Every day, employees make hundreds of decisions before they even finish lunch. From prioritising workloads and responding to em

The Future of Great Workplaces Starts With Understanding People When businesses talk about attracting top talent, conversations often revolve around salaries, bonuses and career progression. Whilst these all matter, today's workforce is increasingly looking for something else employers who genuinely understand real life. For thousands of working single mothers across Leeds, every working day involves balancing responsibilities that extend far beyond the workplace. They aren't

Single Mothers Are Holding More Together Than Ever Behind every working single mum is an invisible workload that rarely appears on a CV or in a job description. School runs before work. Childcare arrangements that can change at a moment's notice. Financial pressures. Household responsibilities. Caring for children when they're unwell. Managing appointments, bills and emotional wellbeing all whilst trying to meet workplace expectations. For many HR professionals in Leeds, unde

Behind The Match Day Noise Football season is meant to be exciting. It brings people together in pubs, living rooms, fan zones and group chats. But for people living with domestic abuse, major matches can create fear rather than excitement. The issue is not football itself. The issue is abusive behaviour. When someone uses anger, alcohol, disappointment or celebration as a reason to hurt, control or frighten someone, that is abuse. Recent government-backed campaigns have cont

Football Should Never Become Fear Football can bring people together, but for some families, major match days can feel terrifying. When emotions run high, alcohol is involved, and tension builds around a result, the home can become unsafe for people already living with domestic abuse. It is important to say clearly: football does not cause domestic abuse. Abuse is always a choice made by the perpetrator. However, public services and prosecutors have warned that domestic abuse

Toxic Relationships Are Hiding in Plain Sight When people think about toxic relationships, they often picture dramatic arguments, obvious abuse, or relationships that are clearly unhealthy. The reality is often far more subtle. A toxic relationship can involve constant criticism, emotional manipulation, guilt tripping, controlling behaviour, or making someone feel responsible for another person's emotions. These behaviours can slowly chip away at someone's confidence without

Toxic Relationships Are More Common Than Many Realise When people hear the phrase "toxic relationship", they often imagine dramatic arguments, public fallouts, or extreme situations. In reality, toxic relationships can be much harder to spot. They can involve constant criticism, manipulation, emotional control, gaslighting, or a gradual erosion of someone's confidence over time. Across Leeds and the wider UK, increasing awareness of mental health has encouraged more people to

JAMES PRIESTLY ROWING FOR CHARITY On 3 October 2026, VÕS HELP founder James Priestley will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance rowed in 12 hours. The challenge will take place at Port d’Andratx Gym in Mallorca and aims to raise funds to provide 1,000 free mental health support calls for serving personnel, veterans, and military families from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force. While the challenge itself is physical, the mission

One thing people rarely talk about is this: When grief enters your life, it doesn’t just change your circumstances. It changes you. Whether you’ve lost someone you love, experienced heartbreak, lost a pet, or gone through a life changing event, there is often a moment where you realise something feels different. You are different. And that can be frightening. Missing More Than The Person When we lose someone, we often think we only miss them. But grief can also make us miss t

There is a moment after loss that nobody really prepares you for. Not the funeral. Not the flowers. Not the messages saying "I'm here if you need anything." It's the moment when life carries on and you're expected to somehow do the same. Grief is one of the most painful human experiences because it doesn't work to a schedule. It doesn't care whether it's been six weeks, six months, or six years. It can appear out of nowhere in the middle of a supermarket aisle, during your mo

Most conversations about workplace mental health focus on access to support. Far fewer discuss what happens when someone accesses support but leaves feeling misunderstood. Yet this experience can have a lasting impact on employee wellbeing and workplace performance. When Support Creates Doubt Imagine finally building the courage to speak to somebody about your mental health. You attend appointments, share personal experiences and hope to feel understood. Instead, you leave qu