Exercise helps woman recover from partying life

Exercise helps woman recover from partying lifeImage caption, Meg Hamon says she hopes her story might help others who struggle with excessive drinking and partyingByChris CraddockJersey communities reporterMeg Hamon was struggling with her self-confidence after she began to rely on partying and drinking to get by.The problems began to develop during the Covid-19 pandemic and then continued until the start of this year when Hamon decided a change was needed as she was going to turn 30, she said.Since then, she had focused on exercising through activities such as gym workouts and running, as well as going to therapy to improve her wellbeing, she added.Hamon said: "Exercise has helped me massively with my confidence... If I'm ever feeling low, a good gym session will always help."'I was struggling'Hamon felt her problems had been growing for some time before she decided to take action to make a change in her life.She said: "I think my lowest was Covid. I think that was like a struggle for everyone and I just had gone through quite a bad breakup."I was struggling with that and I just think I'd never really processed my emotion."I really neglected myself mentally and physically... but I just never really noticed how unhappy I was until I started to make a change."Hamon said she had felt the benefits on focusing on her physical and mental wellbeing since making lifestyle changes.She said: "Even if I had just done the therapy – it would be incredible... but I think the exercise side has just helped me massively with my confidence."Hamon has been sharing her experiences on social media as well, adding : "If it inspires one person to make a change, then I think it's really important to do that as well."If you get stuck in the same cycle... I just think you can find so many other things to do than going out and just drinking excessively."Image caption, Therapist Sally Agathangelou says younger people are more open to getting supportHamon has been going to therapist Sally Agathangelou as part of her work to improve her wellbeing.Agathangelou said: "It could be various issues, it can be drinking, it can be gambling, it can be drugs, it can be self-harm - but it's all bridges for coping.""I'm really quite proud of this generation because they are very open to therapy," she added."I'm very, very proud of them because I can support, but it's down to them at the end of the day to make that change."Follow BBC Jersey on X, external, Facebook, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk, external.More on this story