As World Mental Health Day 2025 approaches this Friday, I’ve been taking a moment to pause and reflect on the small but deeply meaningful things that have supported me and our wonderful community, in the lead-up to this important day.

This year’s theme, “Access to Services –Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” feels especially close to my heart. It’s a reminder that mental health care isn’t something we turn to only when life is calm. It’s a lifeline, especially when the world feels uncertain, heavy, or out of control.

A Journey of Healing and Strength

My own journey through PTSD, anxiety, and depression taught me how vital compassionate and timely support truly is. In those early days, finding the right kind of help felt confusing and overwhelming. Services were difficult to navigate, waiting lists were long, and I often wondered if my pain was “serious enough” to matter.

If you’ve ever felt like that too, please know you’re not alone. You never were.

From those difficult times came the inspiration for Single Swan and a belief that clothing can do more than just cover us. It can comfort, empower, and help us reconnect with who we truly are.

That belief became the heartbeat behind one of our most meaningful designs: the Strong Sweatshirt.

The Story Behind the Strong Sweatshirt

The Strong Sweatshirt was created as a soft, wearable reminder of resilience and self-kindness. Made from premium cotton for ultimate comfort, it’s more than just a wardrobe staple, it’s a symbol of inner strength.

Born from my own recovery journey, it represents the quiet courage to keep going, the kind of strength that doesn’t shout, but whispers: You’ve got this.

On the days when confidence wavers or life feels overwhelming, slipping into your Strong Sweatshirt can be a small but powerful act of self-care, a way to feel grounded, comforted, and connected to your own light.

✨ Discover the Strong Sweatshirt — made to remind you of your quiet strength.

Finding Safe Spaces

Healing thrives in spaces where we can be truly seen and heard. Whether it’s therapy, a support group, or an honest chat with a trusted friend, these safe spaces become anchors in life’s storms, reminding us that we don’t have to carry everything alone.

I recently went on a Walk and Talk with Self Space and Hot Messers (founded by Angela Scanlon). The warm feeling I had from this warm community has stayed with me.

Embracing Small Rituals

Recovery isn’t about grand gestures, it’s about small, meaningful rituals. A morning walk, a few pages in a journal, or dressing in something that makes you feel calm and confident.

For me, dressing consciously has always been a quiet act of self-love. Pulling on something soft and affirming, like the Strong Sweatshirt, helps me show up with intention even when I don’t feel my strongest inside.

Reading a Donna Ashworth poem every morning, gentle exercise and wearing clothes that make me feel good are my go to habits.

Advocating for Access

Mental health care should be accessible to everyone, not hidden behind red tape or endless waiting lists. Whether the challenge is personal or global, support systems must be visible, inclusive, and compassionate.

This year’s theme is a call to action, to make sure care and kindness are the first things we strengthen, not the first to disappear.

 Some amazing charities that provide support.

Your Strength Still Shines

For those of us who’ve walked through darkness, our stories matter. By sharing them, we help break stigma, build connection, and remind others that asking for help is an act of strength, not weakness.

So, as World Mental Health Day approaches, take a moment for yourself. Breathe. Reach out. Reflect.

And remember: your strength isn’t measured by how much you carry, but by the kindness you offer yourself along the way.

Your mental health matters every single day. And even in the hardest moments, your light still shines. ✨

Besos

Alicia x

💛 Explore the Strong Sweatshirt — designed to remind you that you are stronger than you think.