Introduced By Amber Hall

Hello readers! We’re starting a new theme this month: ‘Mindset’. I’ve been thinking about mindset shifts alongside the issue of systems, and how we can get caught up in the idea that a simple change of mindset is all we need.

Of course, I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t be optimistic about what can happen; anything can happen, after all. But I do think there’s a lot of toxic discourse around the idea that we can simply think our way out of whatever situation we might be in; particularly when it comes to modes of oppression.

Systemic oppression thrives on the (I think) false idea that meritocracy exists; that hard work is all you need to make your way in the world, to climb up whatever proverbial ladder you so choose. It’s why power hasn’t shifted in all these years. It’s why we’re still asking questions about who has access to what, and wondering why we don’t all have equal access.

I think much of our mindset is shaped by our experiences, too. So much of it relates to our lens or worldview, and this is undoubtedly influenced by our individual cultures. If this is the case, how easy is it for us to change? So many of the barriers that exist have nothing to do with us, unfortunately, and that’s something we can either deny or come to terms with and try, on a much broader scale, to change. We can only do that collectively, though, and it’s something that has come to define my work as a writer and associate editor at Write On!*

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The pieces I’ve chosen for my page this month explore the idea of mindset shifts and systemic change. There are some deeply personal reflections that I’m grateful to have received, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.

First, we have a prose piece by Kirsty Hood, who writes candidly about her health issues and the challenges she’s had in receiving care.

My Chronic Mindset

My health issues began in 2014. My legs locked out of nowhere and I couldn’t use them. It was late and I remember having to be physically laid down on my sofa and crying myself to sleep – terrified I wouldn’t walk again, because it happened so suddenly. One moment I was fine, the next I couldn’t use my legs. The next day it was like it never happened and if there wasn’t a witness, I’d have sworn it was a dream. I booked a doctor’s appointment, but I didn’t look sick, so I wasn’t taken seriously.

During the next seven years, I found myself plagued by fatigue. I was constantly exhausted, my muscles and joints ached and swelled and I suffered migraines, bowel and skin problems. I was a size 10-12, but as my health decreased, my mobility decreased. I barely went out due to being unwell and I was just living to survive. Consequently, I gained weight due to inactivity and often being too unwell to cook, forcing me to order takeaways when I wouldn’t usually have done so.

It took me seven years to get diagnosed and I had to go through my health insurance from work to get there. But in 2021, I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia. Although awful, I was relieved to have some answers and not think I was the hypochondriac I was made out to be. I was hopeful I might get my life back, but it got worse.

I was prescribed anxiety meds, anti-inflammatories, painkillers, anti-depressants, muscle relaxers, steroids, etc. Most of the medication either made me feel worse or affected my brain function and/or performance at work. I was contracting infections constantly, too, which continued for years.

I saw numerous specialists looking for answers, privately and via the NHS. However, now a size 16, many doctors attributed my pain to being heavier – completely ignorant as to what had contributed to my weight. I was patronised with nonsense such as: “Change your diet” “Your medication causes stomach problems” “Lose weight” and my favourite: “Toughen up a bit.” I was given physiotherapy, actual therapy, told to meditate and exercise. They said my symptoms were psychosomatic, meaning my brain’s reaction to stress, which implied I was making myself sick. I told them the medication appeared to worsen my condition, but nobody listened, so I just stopped taking it.

During October 2023, I broke down at work. I couldn’t cope with everything: being ill, working, being ignored, having no medication or support, and being judged for things outside of my control. Work insisted I see a doctor, where I was referred and later diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (IBD). I also discovered one of my previous medications aggravates IBD, which is why I had felt worse.

I have the right medication now, which I inject myself with every fortnight, and I’m enjoying life again. I’m still unwell, but it’s more manageable. Also, at least I know neither me nor my mindset was to blame for my conditions. If anything, it’s my mindset and perseverance that has helped me to get here.

© Kirsty Hood, 2025

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Next, we have a poem from Kirsty. I love the rhythm and honesty of this piece, which ends on an emboldened note.

My Brain And Its Groove

My brain within its groove
Is a rarity rarer than rare
And it would, if it could,
Argue it don’t belong there
It does as it should
And refutes being typical
It wages war upon itself,
The magnitude is biblical
I’ve tried everything myself
Contain it,
Restrain it,
Ignore it,
Implore it,
Fob it off,
Close it off,
Shut it up forever
Shut it out, I endeavour
I do my best at conforming,
I’m inevitably performing
Normal life, Normal job,
Same old story, same old sob,
It’s no use, like a train off track
My stifled brain, won’t go back
Life as I must certainly improve
Now I accept my brain abandoned its groove.

© Kirsty Hood, 2025

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We have another poem now; this time by Danny Baxter. It explores the idea of accountability and serves as a reminder that we must make our way through the world with empathy.

Don’t Blame Me

I don’t want to blame you for something you didn’t do.
I don’t want to be blamed for something I couldn’t avoid.
I can take responsibility for that which I did not cause.
I can seek to rectify that which I did not disturb.
So, when you see me front facing in a position of responsibility, though you may hold me to account for a fault or grievance…
Don’t take that as a license to vilify or demonise me.
To dehumanise or deride me, without knowing the full story.

I don’t want to blame you for something you couldn’t foresee.
I don’t want to be blamed for something I couldn’t prepare for.
Life can be tough. Adversity can strike and take one by surprise.
One can invest time and resources in something that doesn’t play out in one’s benefit.
And all there is to show for those sacrifices is loss and regret.
So, just because your fortune was better and things ended up going your way,

Don’t look down on those whose outcome was less favourable because their circumstances were less fortunate.
Don’t hold into contempt those who achieved less than you who tried harder than you.

I don’t want to hold you to promises you can’t keep.
I don’t want to be held to expectations I can’t reach.
Not everyone will be upfront with the challenges they’ve faced.
Not everyone will be comfortable with sharing what handicaps they’ve developed.
Often, we use the regulation of the system as an excuse to level penalty against people who offend us,
Where the system itself may allow leeway for us instead to treat people with patience, dignity and grace.
But bear in mind that some may struggle with burdens that we ourselves haven’t yet carried.
And maybe take the responsibility to accommodate the load they could be carrying rather than allowing our indignation to make it heavier.

© Danny Baxter, 2025

Connect with Danny on Instagram: @dan_lbbd.

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In this final poem, Palak Tewary lyrically explores the idea of systemic injustice and the historical context of how systems took shape. With a final call to action, we’re reminded of our collective power.

The Shape Of A Thought

Change your mind – believe it, claim it, manifest it, they say. But do
steel bars melt under sheer will. And with hope, do empty hands fill?
Thoughts shift – like rivers around ruin and rock. Thoughts provoke and shock.
A thought may open a door, a perspective may widen the space but
will it create a ladder out of misty, thin air? Or will it, after all, find the door shut?
Will the walls that have stood for centuries, unwrite with only mindset?
Will pure thoughts give rise to the status quo being upset?
What of the ones who shaped their minds with swords,
only to find that the battle was meant to be fought with hordes?
The mind is a lantern, but the world still decides where the doors are locked
So let us sharpen our thoughts, yes – but also our hands. To unblock the blocked
– build, rebuild, unmake, resist, act. Unburden the belief. You are not broken
for struggling in a world not built for you. Just – don’t let thoughts remain unspoken.

© Palak Tewary, 2025

 Connect with Palak on X and Instagram: @palaktewary and find out more about her work here: palaktewary.com.

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Issue 24, featuring John Marrs, is out now. You will find it in libraries and other outlets. Alternatively, all current and previous editions can be found on our magazines page here.

You can hear great new ideas, creative work and writing tips on Write On! Audio. Find us on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Google Podcasts and Spotify. Type Pen to Print into your browser and look for our logo, or find us on Podcasters.Spotify.com.

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