The non-self-help book: a candid and heartfelt collection of short memoirs from the COVID-19 pandemic that warm the soul and bear witness to the resilience of the human spirit.It's no secret that 2020/21 was unprecedented and unrelenting with the arrival, longevity and severity of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The enforced lockdowns implemented to tackle COVID-19 were an individual and collective source of pain and stress as we adapted to a completely new way of life. Collective trauma, alongside day to day life challenges, brought soaring levels of mental ill-health as we struggled through month after month of anxiety, social isolation and uncertainty. The concept of this book came about as I mindlessly scrolled through social media mid-pandemic and noticed that some people seemed to be flourishing whilst others were languishing - myself being one of them. As a policy researcher I was fascinated, sociologically and psychologically: Why did some people do well whilst others suffered? Was it because of who they were? Was it to do with their circumstances? What was it they were doing differently? And so this book was born. This is the first installment of the 'Life in Lockdown Duology'. This book examines the individual impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being through personal memoirs, focusing on how we can look after our mental health at a time widely anticipated to be the most significant mental health crisis in generations. The incredibly powerful accounts within these pages provide a solid foundation on how we can improve our mental health and well-being through healthy coping mechanisms, building resilience and cultivating positivity. This book is a collection of candidly honest and heartfelt memoirs from people of varying backgrounds, and of varying circumstances. Some loved lockdown, some hated it, some had a love/hate relationship with it. Regardless of their personal situations they all, without exception, reflect on the positive life lessons realised through their experience - and these are the simple things, things that we all have. At a time where the extent of the COVID-19 mental health crisis has yet to be realised, their ability to see the good in the bad will soothe and warm your soul.Ultimately, my hope is that if anyone feels isolated or is struggling with their mental health, that these first-hand stories will serve as a reminder of the small joys in life. These stories remind us that we are not alone, that we can get through difficult times, that it is okay to ask for help and that, even in the darkest of times, there is always something to be thankful for; there is always hope. The second in the 'Life in Lockdown Duology' contains an additional anthology of memoirs, with a focus on the collective impact of COVID-19. At a time of widening inequality it discusses the collective opportunities presented by COVID-19 and encourages us to confront the difficult questions about how we live, whether we want to return to pre-COVID 'normal' and about how we really want the post-COVID world to feel.