Saturday 20th June 2026
This month marks one year since I decided to share my story and start this blog. Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself reflecting on what that decision has meant for me, and how much both my mindset and my life have changed in the last twelve months.
The truth is, I’d thought about sharing my story for a long time before I actually created Mostly Kate. But for a while, it felt too scary, too vulnerable, too exposing. Those familiar thoughts kept creeping in. “What if people think I’m crazy or weird or attention seeking?”. And those thoughts didn’t magically disappear when I started the blog. In fact, every now and then they still pop up. That anxious way of thinking can be difficult to shake completely.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last year, it’s the importance of acceptance.
In order to start this blog and share my experiences, I first had to accept that what I was going through was real. I had to accept that it was something I was living with, accept that it might not simply disappear one day. At the same time, I had to remain open to the possibility that talking about it could help, not just me, but other people too.
Acceptance has become one of the most valuable lessons this journey has taught me. We so often hear people (influencers, therapists, even friends and family) telling us that we need to learn to love ourselves. And whilst I absolutely believe self-love is important, I don’t think it’s always the be-all and end-all. For me, acceptance has felt like a much lighter load to carry than the pressure of loving myself unconditionally. Loving yourself wholeheartedly can feel impossible at times. We live in a world where everything we do, every decision we make, and every part of who we are can feel analysed and critiqued until we learn to mould ourselves into whatever society deems acceptable. The reality is that most of us are somewhere in the middle.
On the whole, I feel positively about myself. I can acknowledge my good qualities, recognise how much I’ve grown and how far I’ve come. But I also have insecurities and flaws. I have days where I doubt myself, and that’s okay. I’ve learned that I don’t need to love every single thing about myself in order to accept who I am.
One of the biggest joys of starting Mostly Kate has been the conversations it’s opened up. I’ve had some incredibly honest, insightful discussions about mental health, DPDR, anxiety, and the way our minds work. Time and time again I’ve been reminded just how many people are carrying things silently, often believing they’re alone in what they’re experiencing.
One of the moments I’m most proud of came from a conversation with a friend who was studying for his psychology degree. We met up and spent ages talking about the brain, DPDR, and our own life experiences. Afterwards, he told me he’d gone away and shared what we’d discussed with his classmates, who then spent time researching and talking about DPDR themselves.
That might sound like a small thing, but to me it felt huge. That’s a group of possible future professionals who may never have come across DPDR otherwise. A group of people who now have a better understanding of the very real impact it can have on someone’s life.
From the very beginning, that has been one of my hopes for this blog: spreading awareness and opening people’s eyes. Not just doctors, therapists, and healthcare professionals, but everyday people too. People who may be experiencing these things themselves, people who may know someone who is, people who simply want to understand. If Mostly Kate has helped even one person feel a little less alone, then every vulnerable post has been worth it.
Writing itself has also become something of a lifeline. There’s something strangely comforting about turning a messy thought into a finished piece of writing. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it helps untangle it. It creates order from chaos and allows me to step back and make sense of things that often feel overwhelming when they’re trapped inside my own head.
In many ways, I started this blog to share my experiences with others. What I didn’t expect was how much it would help me understand myself too.
As for what’s next? Honestly, I’m still figuring that out. I want to keep writing, sharing and being honest. I want to explore new topics, challenge myself creatively, and continue building Mostly Kate into something that feels useful, comforting, and real. I don’t have a grand five-year plan for the blog. What I do know is that a year ago, I took a chance on an idea that scared me, and I’m incredibly glad I did.
So whether you’ve been reading since the beginning, stumbled across a post last week, or quietly followed along without ever commenting, thank you.
Thank you for reading, thank you for listening. And thank you for giving my words somewhere to land.
Here’s to year two.
Kate x
Mostly Kate 