“Why moving out of London might be the best thing for your career and your life” my opinion piece in Metro

Best. Thing. Ever. (Picture: Getty/Metro)

As someone who works in the media, and made the move from London to Stoke-on-Trent in 2009, I don’t think you need to be based in London to ‘make it’.

You can work outside the capital and still flourish.

‘There is a wealth of talent right across our country that all too often gets overlooked and Stoke-on-Trent is a prime example. We have a rich cultural heritage, a fantastic local workforce and we’re located right in the heart of the country,’ says Stoke-on-Trent North MP Ruth Smeeth.

Is this really what you want from life? (Picture: Metro)

Since leaving the capital, I’ve been at the helm of a medical journal, written for most national newspapers as well as the Lancet, paid off my debt, bought a house with my partner and I am currently writing my first book.

Opportunity knocks on doors across the country.

John Lees, a careers expert and author of How To Get A Job You Love, tells me: ‘Jobs increasingly exist outside London, and often cost a great deal less in terms of housing, travel, and the wear and tear of commuting.

‘New technology is one key reason for this growing number of opportunities as we can now frequently work anywhere.

‘While these jobs can sometimes be harder to spot, for some, the rewards of finding the right role in a calmer and saner part of the country can be immense.’

I concur.

And there are thousands of success stories from people who have never lived in London.

Could you be a digital nomad? (Picture: Getty)

Matt Timmins, CEO of Simply Biz, is one such example.

According to him: ‘Success in life depends on the journey you take and not the city in which you reside.

‘Personally, I never considered that I would need to move to London to ‘make it’ and I have no desire to live there.
‘My success allows me a happy and fulfilled life with my wife, daughter and our dog on a six bedroomed farmhouse set in 15 acres and we regularly enjoy sunshine breaks to our villa in Spain.’

The office (Picture: Getty)

Some people find success after struggling in London and then moving elsewhere.

Jemima Lord lived in London in her 20s, working in fashion journalism.

The competitive nature of the industry meant she worked long hours, and the pay was restrictive, so she needed the financial support of her husband to be able to stay in the job.

They moved to the South of France when she was 30, and now live in a rural village near Uzes, a medieval town in Languedoc-Rousillon.

She said: ‘I now run my own business, Lord Vintage, creating handbags and jewellery using locally sourced vintage and antique materials.

‘I’ve also been able to take time out to train as a yoga instructor, and now teach several weekly classes.

‘Moving somewhere far less expensive than London meant that my husband and I could afford to buy a property and we were able to create work spaces for us both, including my atelier as well as a yoga studio.

‘Being somewhere quieter than London has also been perfect for bringing up our children, and our work-life balance is so much healthier than before.’

Maybe the perfect life for you is in a rural village abroad (Picture: Getty)

Sarah Twyman, an account director for a PR agency in Manchester did the same.

She explained: ‘I’m originally from Kent but I’ve lived in London on and off since I graduated in 2001.

‘In 2010 I met my boyfriend on a night out in Manchester and after doing the long distance thing for around nine months, I took the plunge and decided to make the move north when I was 31. It’s not a cliche that the people are friendlier.

‘I’ve since bought a flat in the Northern Quarter and had a baby.

‘The fact that I can still walk to work means that I get home in time to give Lily her dinner at 6pm and put her to bed.’

Personally, I think the notion of success being the reserve of ‘perfume bottle cities’ should be put to bed too.

Read it on Metro UK now and see what others had to say!

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Sure of you: book review in the Lancet

 

If home is where the heart is, it makes sense that Pretend Friends is set in a home with a verdant garden, furnished with a picket fence, where conversations take place. It’s a book born of love by author Alice Hoyle and illustrator Lauren Reis. Collaborators include Katy Gray, who has schizophrenia and has consulted on the book. Sale proceeds go to the Rethink Mental Illness campaign to help with their work in reducing stigma and raising awareness of disorders such as schizophrenia among people of all ages. The power of metaphor is used to describe the schizophrenia experienced by Big Jay, an adult, and the imaginary friends of Little Bea, a child. Little Bea wants to make her pretend friends big so Big Jay’s pretend friends—that is to say, distressing hallucinations and delusions—can’t hurt or scare him anymore.

As someone with schizophrenia, who is an auntie to two-year-old Archie, I wonder if he’s old enough to understand the story when he reaches four. Yet a children’s book using metaphor to introduce them to the different experiences people have is a worthwhile concept. It’s been observed that Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh has symptoms of depression, yet his friends still love him irrespective. That’s a very important message to drive home for children. Pretend Friends projects AA Milne’s philosophy further, and says that Big Jay needs “special medication” for his pretend friends. But in my own childhood, the very notion of this as a reality for a loved one would have been terrifying. However, there’s a section for adults at the back of the book that address any fears a child might have. It gives example questions about Big Jay with thoughtful responses that foster greater understanding and compassion. Causation and cure (or lack of it) are all covered, and the message is conveyed that, with the right help and support, Big Jay is going to be okay. It’s also stated that psychosis is no-one’s fault and not the child’s responsibility.

Conversations such as this one are very important. Once over dinner with two adults and their 15-year-old son, I brought up my schizophrenia and the 15-year-old laughed in my face. It illustrates how we must tackle misconceptions early and bring such a stigmatised illness in the open, rather than pretending that it doesn’t exist. Regarding my relationship with Archie, I’m keeping the book to give him when he’s just about tall enough to have a conversation over the beautifully illustrated brown picket fence.

Published source: Lancet Psychiatry online