Redefining Normal: A Journey from Anorexia to Advocacy

My guest this week is the remarkable Conor Nolan, a 26 year old from Co. Cavan in Ireland who was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa when he was just 12 years of age. Conor speaks so openly about how his interest in sport and exercise led him to comparing himself to older sports people and as a child believed if he worked harder, lost weight that he would feel or perform better. He shares how counselling helped him and he went on to later write his own story in detail - his book 'Normal' was published in 2020. He now is an advocate for mental health and speaks regularly to young people in schools and colleges about normal mental health wellbeing. Along with his business partier Tiernan Harris, they are co-funded by the European Commission through the European Solidarity Corps for a year long project during which they collect surveys from students to gather their outlooks on mental health both before and after their talks. Conor's story is one of lived experiences and he shares tips and tools that have worked for him in his recovery. Please check out his work through their website: www.normalmentalwellbeing.comYou can find Conor on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/conor_n7/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-nolan-a4946717a/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conor.nolan.3954YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@conor_n7This episode is brought to you by https://www.instagram.com/retreats_ireland/If you would like to be a guest on the show or sponsor an episode please contact Sharon direct through her website: https:www.sharonfitzmauricemindfulness.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonfitzmaurice.substack.com