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At the start of lockdown in 2020, Laura Schmidt, founder of Lovendu, started journalling to improve her mental health.

Laura began to feel the benefits of her new hobby, and created Lovendu with just £10 to share that experience (lovendu.co.uk)

Here, she shares the story behind Lovendu and her love of journalling.

What made you start journalling?

I’ve always struggled with my mental health, but during the start of 2020, I was at rock bottom. I think a lot of people in their 20s go through a stage of feeling completely lost, left behind, or not knowing what their purpose is.

I was going through a dark time, so I decided to start journalling about my feelings, and just wrote whatever was going on in my head on paper.

How did you start?

I bought myself a cute pink notebook and started writing down everything that I felt. It started off as pages and pages. We were in lockdown, so all I was doing was either journalling or watching Tiktok.

I fell in love with the process of journalling, so I knew I wanted to integrate it into my daily routine.

I’ve journalled every day since!

What positive effects did you notice?

Before I started journalling, I struggled with insomnia quite frequently.

However, once I started journalling, this happened more and more rarely.

It’s hard to explain, but I felt like my head was getting clearer. I had more control over my thoughts and my head wasn’t ‘foggy’ anymore.

Journalling helped me off-load some of my negative thoughts and helped me see a clearer picture.

What made you start Lovendu?

Once I realised how much journalling had helped me, I wanted to share it with others.

I had the knowledge and experience to create a guided journalling experience specifically for mental health – I have a degree in Psychology and masters in Forensic Mental Health. I’ve also suffered from chronic mental health issues.

I felt like I could merge this all and create gorgeous products that really helped people.

What is your aim with Lovendu?

I am trying to become the best version of myself I can be.

I want Lovendu to become the ultimate brand for wellness and mental health. I want to help women find their purpose, be happy and feel good!