As Mental Health Week starts, it feels like a great time to share more of my story, explaining what inspired me to create the Flypp positive idea suggestions app and how it helped me to deal with some of my own mental health issues.
About me
Let’s start with a little about me. None of my friends or acquaintances are likely to describe me as shy or reserved, far from it, but my sometimes loud nature hides a nagging angst.
Since I can remember, I have been a deep thinker and ponderer. Those thoughts have often turned negative and circular, and although I've never been diagnosed with clinical depression, I’ve often gone through lengthy periods of sadness or anxiety.
In the past, I’d dealt with it by doing things to block out the feelings, like drinking too much, playing computer games compulsively, watching TV until late into the night or even sometimes working.
Seeking help
By 2019, though, I had started to get more serious anxiety and was having panic attacks, which, after a visit to my doctor, led to a course on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).
Whilst I found the course well run and personally helpful, it was clear some other attendees were not always comfortable being asked to share their feelings.
I picked up that a few didn’t feel they needed that sort of help. I stuck out the course, but by the end, there were only a couple of us left. Nevertheless, the CBT definitely did help me by teaching me how to control my worst bouts of anxiety.
However, I was left with an urge to do something more enduring, not just for me but for others, too.
How building Flypp helped
A few years later, after my wife and I had encountered some personal grief, I finally decided to do something more constructive to help people with general positivity and low mood issues.
Working a four-day week, I had a little spare time. By including many weekends and late nights, and with a little help from some kind collaborators, I was able to build and launch the Flypp positive ideas suggestion app and community.
The app aims to give people genuine, inspirational ideas for living a more meaningful life. It is hoped it will build people’s personal fulfilment and also allow people to socially encourage others but in a totally safe space.
In researching, building and promoting Flypp, I’ve had the opportunity to speak to people from a variety of backgrounds about positivity, personal inspiration and social media habits.
In those chats, I’ve been personally touched by the heartfelt messages of support and encouragement I’ve received. These moments have helped me stay focused.
It has become clear that the idea of positivity and building healthy digital and non-digital habits strikes a chord with many. With Flypp, I hope to contribute positively to that quest.
How might Flypp help you?
By seeing daily positive ideas for things to do in the app, I hope that people, and maybe you, may find new joy and interest in life.
With the app’s built-in reminders, you can build better habits and perhaps avoid falling into patterns like mine of the past.
Although initially launched locally just in Brighton, I’m delighted to be able to now welcome new members from across the UK. The community is growing by the day, and by being able to safely add comments, people have even more opportunities to encourage each other.
With one-click sign-up also now available for Apple and Google, I am keen to welcome many more new members soon.
Looking forward, I’m really excited to see what new, inspiring ideas you all might create and share. How the community grows and the app develops from here will be largely in all your hands.
Thanks for listening
Ben Nightingale - Founder - flypp.life
P.S. If you haven’t already, why not give it a try? You can sign up for free here.
Cover photograph by Sophie Sheinwald