Mental Health Awareness Week

British Cycling have released 5 tips to look after your mental wellbeing, in association with Lara Barrett from the English Institute of Sport.

First - stay connected... keep in touch with other Belles!

If you can, get out on the bike... but if not, at least take the dog for a walk!

If cycling is getting boring (surely not!) try something new... several members are runners and outdoor swimmers!

Stay active... however pants the weather and however exhausted you feel, exercise is a positive feedback loop, the more you do, the more energy you have to do more!

And finally, doing something for someone else can be even more rewarding than doing something for yourself...and maybe THEY are feeling low too but don't feel able to ask for help. Send a message to say 'hi' to someone you've not seen for a few weeks, see if someone wants to go for a ride - you could make all the difference!

You can find out more about the Mental Health Awareness Week campaign here

A final word from me. Be kind to yourself! We can't be superwoman ALL the time. Listen to your body, don't expect too much of yourself, and don't expect to have ALL the answers. You'd never have such high expectations of others, so don't expect it of yourself!