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Christmas is just around the corner, and if you are one of those organised few that have started shopping for Christmas presents, or maybe you need inspiration, Argos has plenty. 

Argos has revealed the most popular brands and the ‘It’ products that shoppers are lusting after as part of its curated A-List. 

The best part is Argos has plenty of shipping options, including Fast Track same day as well as next day delivery options, which are available every day of the week so long as you place your order before 5pm. 

Argos also offers shoppers the chance to get free delivery on items over £100, while there is also Click & Collect from Sainsbury’s stores. This means shopping the essentials you, a relative, friend, partner or children are desperately after could be with you in the blink of an eye. It’s also great to know when it comes to Christmas shopping, especially if you have left it to the last minute. 

Whether you are a wellness guru, fitness fanatic, or gadget admirer, there are smart watches and wearable tech devices to shop from Argos. If beauty is more your bag, Argos stocks Shark tools, including salon worthy hair tech that have garnered glowing reviews. While gamers, or children, will be able to shop PlayStation essentials or Tonies box. 

Here are the most popular buys at Argos to shop now, next month, or December, though we can’t promise you stock will last. 

Oura Ring 4

If you, or someone you know, is keen to track their sleep, mood, menstrual cycle, and overall health and fitness, an Oura Ring is the popular product. This smart tech has been made from durable materials that will withstand the elements and the most gruelling workouts. The Oura Ring looks ultra chic on your finger, and is a discreet smart wearable.

BUY NOW FOR £349

Huawei Watch GT6 Pro 46mm

We have tested Huawei’s new launch, the GT6 watch, for a number of weeks, so we know first hand how elite this wearable is. The wide screen features a bezel edge, a crown controller and side button to adjust the settings and flick through the programmes, which you can also do using the touchscreen. This watch not only tells the time, takes photos, screenshots, plays music, sends messages, makes calls, but measures your heart rate, workout, tracks your route, sleep cycle and everything in between.

BUY NOW FOR £329.99

Shark Glam Straight & Waves Multi-Styler

We have used and loved the Shark FlexStyler for years, but the Straight and Waves Multi-Styler is a level up of the original tool. It functions to dry and style your hair, whether you are creating sleek straight styles, waves or curls. The best part is it uses powerful air flow rather than extreme heat to prevent damaging your locks.

BUY NOW FOR £339.99

Xbox X/S & One Heart Breaker SE Wireless Controller

The gamer in your life will appreciate this Wireless Controller. It is super easy to pair with and play on, no matter the device. The ergonomic handle features rubberised grips that are comfortable to hold for hours of play.

BUY NOW FOR £74.99

Lenovo Slim 3x 15.3in Snapdragon 16GB 512GB Laptop Bundle

With an eight-core processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, this lightweight and slimline laptop is ideal for those working from home, or on the go, or are a student at school, sixth form, college or university. Whether you are studying, working, or streaming, this device is the multifunctional tool you can rely on for everything you need.

BUY NOW FOR £479

Bose QC Ultra Over Ear Wireless Headphones 2nd Gen

These Bose Headphones feature noise cancellation, as well as immersive audio, for a crystal clear sound, whether you are listening to a podcast, song, phone call or film. These headphones feature cloud-like headphones for optimum comfort.

BUY NOW FOR £449.95

Tonies Red Toniebox 2 Starter Set & Creative Tonie

The Toniebox 2 is a life saver for parents because children love this gadget. Fit any Tonie to the top for stories or songs to play out of the speaker to keep your child entertained. The box is a durable design as it is cushioned to withstand fumbling little hands. Plus, it is interactive so you can rotate or tap to change the tracks.

BUY NOW FOR £100

Carrera Hybrid AI-Integrated Car Racing Game

For those who are fans of sports cars, racing and games, this is ideal. The race track can be pieced together for you and family or friends to have a friendly competition on. It’s an OG game to keep your kids off devices.

BUY NOW FOR £160

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When Hannah Richards noticed she’d put on weight in 2023, she put it down to her comfortable lifestyle with her boyfriend, Nathan Baker.

The ‘happy and content’ pair had been enjoying date nights and cheeky takeaways together since meeting the year before. Really, a few extra pounds were no big deal.

But when the 28-year-old hit three-stone heavier and a healthcare worker told her she had a puffy ‘moon face’, the Norfolk local began feeling really ‘horrendous’.

Unable to stop the spiralling changes in her body, she saught help.

In March this year, Hannah was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease – a rare condition that can cause weight gain -and doctors suspect a benign brain tumour is the cause.

‘When they diagnosed me, I cried. I didn’t feel upset or shocked, I just felt really relieved,’ Hannah says.

‘It’s been going on for so long and I was like “I finally have answers and I know what’s happening to my body now”. I wasn’t just going crazy.’

Cushing’s is a rare condition caused by having too much cortisol hormone in your body and can lead to increased body fat and mood changes.

When Hannah first met Nathan, 33, everything had been going well. ‘During the early stages we were having more takeaways and doing nice things together,’ she explains.

‘You know when you get into a new relationship and you go out for food a lot and get takeaways a lot and you get comfortable.’

As she began to get a little heavier, people told her it was ‘comfort weight gain’ from being in a comfortable and loving relationship, but any attempts at losing it were futile.

‘I went back to the gym and ate healthier but nothing was helping, I just kept gaining,’ Hannah, a healthcare assistant, explains. ‘I started swimming. No matter what I was doing I wasn’t losing the weight.

‘It got to the point where I’d look back at old photos and I looked completely different. If I put that online on a dating app people would probably think I’m like a catfish.

‘I looked in the mirror and I’d get really teary, depressed and upset thinking “it’s just not who I am anymore”?’

She adds that her hormones were all over the place and she felt like she was going through menopause and all the changes that come along with it.

‘Everything changed, my body, my mental health and my personality. It’s really tough,’ she adds.

‘I started to get quite a lot of breathlessness and heart palpitations,’ she says.

She felt like she was gaining all her weight on her chest and belly, and got stretch marks between her thighs, as well as other symptoms.

‘I had a lot of hair growth on my arms and side burns, they come through quite dark. My knuckles get quite dark and swollen, too. I get a lot of dark circles under my armpits and round the back of my neck,’ she says.

Hannah even shares how she had what a medical colleague referred to as a ‘moon face’, referencing the weight gain in her face, and her ‘buffalo bump’ where she gained weight in her upper back.

It was this colleague who pushed Hannah, from Cromer, to get checked.

‘One of my colleagues actually said to me “have you heard of Cushing’s syndrome?” I was completely oblivious to it,’ Hannah recalls.

‘She said “I’m not being rude but your face has got puffier and you’re tiny from the back but from the front you’re on the larger scale. You should go to your GP”.’

It was then her GP referred her to an endocrinologist, and she was finally diagnosed with Cushing’s disease. Doctors suspect a benign tumour in her brain is to blame, and Hannah is awaiting an MRI scan to see if it’s in her pituitary or adrenal gland.

‘It turns out my pituitary gland is sending signals to my kidneys and it’s producing too many steroids, which affects your cortisol levels and your body and your hormones,’ Hannah explains.

‘They need to take a blood sample from [my pituitary gland] to just confirm it’s 100% Cushing’s. They need to confirm it’s from my pituitary gland and not my adrenal gland.’

Once this is confirmed, the healthcare worker will have to have brain surgery to remove the pituitary gland from her brain, and following that, she’ll have to be on steroids for the rest of her life.

‘After that, I’ll never get Cushing’s again, which is a really good thing,’ she says. ‘Even now I feel horrendous considering what I was before. I used to be quite petite and fit and active.’

This diagnosis hasn’t affected her relationship though, with her and Nathan now getting married in September 2026, after meeting back in 2022 on Tinder.

Hannah now wants to spread awareness about Cushing’s disease and believes it ‘needs to be talked about a lot more’ to encourage others to get themselves checked out.

‘There’s so many things people are unaware of. It’s quite scary really,’ she adds. ‘You wouldn’t have thought something so small in your brain can change your body so much. It’s so important that people know about it.

‘Even if you do have the symptoms and you don’t have Cushing’s it could lead to something else you never thought it would be.

‘Get checked out because it’s your body you know what’s right and wrong. Don’t let anybody tell you differently because they are not in your body and they don’t know what’s normal to you.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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I may not be a marathon runner, or a Hyrox hun, but I try to work out every now and again and track my steps on a daily walk.

Admittedly, when it comes to wearable tech I typically lean towards gadgets that can offer me health insights around my sleep and menstrual cycle. But, I have found a gadget that can do all the above, and more – it’s the Huawei GT6 watch. 

Over the last few weeks I swapped my Amazfit smart watch for Huawei’s new GT6 watch, which started with a trip to the Huawei’s flagship store in Paris, followed by a cycle around the French capital. 

The first thing I learnt about Huawei is it is the leading brand for wearable tech around the world, which is a bold statement to make. So, how does it fair, and does the GT6 live up to the claims?

Let’s start with the design features. The GT6 watch is available in two sizes the 46mm or 41mm, and I opted for the latter, which looked more versatile for casual wear as well as when working out. 

And even though the watch has only recently launched for £229.99, which we think is a reasonable sum – it’s set to be reduced to £176.99 using the discount code HUAWEIUK10 ahead of Amazon’s Prime Day. Better yet? You’ll also get a £30 voucher at the checkout too!

The watch has been crafted from stainless steel for extra durability, but it is ultra lightweight on the wrist. There are five straps to switch between, and while the chain iteration looks ultra chic for day and night, the fluoroelastomer is arguably most suitable for sweaty workouts as it is comfortable and breathable against the skin for hours of wear. In the past I have had smart watches break my skin out into a rash, or flake, because the fabric isn’t breathable or moisture wicking and the skin gets clammy after a workout, but Huawei’s design hasn’t done that after a month of wear – bonus!  

The round watch face features a bezel detail, a button and wheel ‘Crown’ to manoeuvre around the watch face, as well as a lower button, though you can swipe the touch screen to select your settings. It is also fitted with two loops, which the detachable straps fasten onto. The straps are easy to interchange simply flick a very small switch to detach and clip another watch strap on – it really couldn’t be easier. 

While I opted for the smaller face, let me reassure you it is not a super small face like some female watches. Trust me! I actually prefer masculine watches and larger faces because I think they look really chic, it’s easier to tell the time, and I simply love accessorising. The 41mm watch face fits my wrist perfectly, it doesn’t swivel around my wrist or get caught on my clothes because it’s too cumbersome, nor does it get swallowed up by my arm. 

The 1.47 inch AMOLED display is crystal clear and bright, which is a detail Huawei has modified in the new design to ensure it is easy to see the screen in outdoor sunlight. 

HUAWEI WATCH GT 6 41 mm

Crafted from stainless steel, this watch is extra durable, lightweight and ultra chic.

The watch face is attached to two loops to fix the interchangeable straps too. The 1.47inch AMOLED screen provides a clear and bright picture. The touch screen is easy to alternate between settings, alternatively utilise the button and scroll “crown” on the side.

It features numerous health and wellbeing features to monitor your workout, heart rate, pace, route, as well as sleep, menstrual cycle and emotions.

You can receive messages, calls, play music, take photos as well as tell the time, and much more.

The 41mm watch is compatible with five coloured straps, including black, white leather strap, lilac fluoroelastomer, brown composite leather and gold milanese to suit your style preference.

Buy Now for £229.99 (use code HUAWEI10 TO BUY FOR £176.99 – and a £30 coupon applied at checkout)

While the design is one factor that impressed me, as the GT6 bridges the gap between a functional wearable and chic fashion accessory to complement your day or night outfit, it boasts a number of other useful functions. 

Yes, the GT6 tells the time, and as it connects to your smart phone – whether it’s iOS or Android – it syncs to the time zone you’re in automatically, which was helpful for me because I am always paranoid I’ll miss my alarm especially when I’m in another country. 

You can also sync your watch to connect to your messages, Whatsapp, calls, emails and social accounts, if you want to stay in the know all the time. But I tailored this so I’m not constantly distracted by emails trickling through. Not only can you read, answer and respond on your watch, but you can also play music through the device, take photos, screenshots, and voice record memos, which is extremely handy for my overactive brain that tries to store hundreds of mental to-do lists that fly out of my head quicker than I can say ‘boo’.

The GT6 has top quality health and fitness features, which we can’t forget to mention. 

Yes, most smart watches measure your heart rate, step count, calories burned, and distance, but the GT6 has levelled up its health functions beyond other wearables. Huawei has modified its Sunflower Positioning System to improve the positioning accuracy through its GNSS algorithms, which means when you walk, run, cycle, it detects your workout instantly, pauses when you stop, and measures the route accurately. This watch marks your route as close to the perimeter of buildings to get a more accurate reading of your route and distance, which is critical if you are trying to amp up the mileage in training.

An innovative feature I loved is you can download a route before working out, and the watch will keep you on track, even if you are off the beaten track or lose signal. This function was set up before my cycle around Paris, and the directions were played aloud so I didn’t have to keep stopping to look at maps on my phone, which makes for a seamless workout. Genius!

The watch also features pre-programmed workouts, such as indoor or outdoor cycling, indoor or outdoor running, skipping, and much more. When it came to the bike ride it gave me the option to select the style and weight of the bike to better track my workout, which is a feature I have never come across before. 

While the GT6 functions as a watch, item of jewellery, phone, and laptop, it also doubles up as your personal trainer as it measures your key health metrics and can suggest plans or programmes to help achieve your fitness goal. 

The standout feature in my books is Huawei’s Multi-Dimensional Emotional Wellbeing functions, which takes wellness tracking in the wearable tech space to new heights. I have an Oura ring to track my sleep cycle, body temperature and wellbeing, but the metrics are not as in-depth as Huawei’s GT6. Yes, the GT6 does the same, as it tracks my heart rate, menstrual cycle, blood oxygen levels, sleep stages, as well as wake up rate and respiratory rate, which allows me to understand the contributing factors to a restless night sleep and ways to improve it. But this watch goes one step further. 

The GT6 is fitted with some sort of sorcery that divides your emotions into 12 categories, unpleasant, pleasant and neutral moods, and within that are four levels, relaxed, satisfied, confident, excited, calm, peaceful, focussed, surprised, or discouraged, upset, worried, and anxious. The ability to detect 12 emotions is impressive, and unlike anything I have seen in rival products. Depending on your mood you can select breathing exercises to relax your mind and body, or take stock of what is triggering those feelings. Using the app you can monitor when those emotions show their head, and how to combat it. 

Alongside these health features is the Pulse Wave Arrhythmia Analysis, which can detect your heart health and is extremely useful for those with certain conditions. 

The 41mm GT6 promises 14 days of light use after one charge, or seven days of typical use. While it is super speedy to fully charge, I have noticed my battery life, even after moderate use doesn’t quite see me through the week. The 46mm offers a longer battery life spanning 21days of power with light use and 12 days of typical use. 

It’s safe to say there is little Huawei’s GT6 watch can’t do. It’s a therapist, doctor (almost), wellness guru, PT and PA in one, it’s a hybrid between a laptop, phone, watch, camera and numerous health devices in one.  

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For years we have been advised to walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day as a minimum to stay fit, but Simple App has revealed that is not necessarily the case.

While more steps, and movement in general, are beneficial, you don’t need to hit that specific number to see results. Phew! 

We don’t know about you, but we have fretted over reaching the five-figure step count for years, so much so we have found ourselves pacing up and down a room just to make up those few extra steps, especially on rainy days when we don’t want to step outside, or those days between our gym and pilates classes. But, stressing over exercise is counter productive. 

Yes, cardiovascular exercises are key to keeping us healthy, including walking, which is a low impact exercise that takes the pressure off of our joints, but it’s the number we can loosen the reins on.

In fact, Simple has claimed walking in Zone 1, which is a conversational pace, is not only more enjoyable, but more sustainable, and this type of consistent, mindful movement delivers real fat-burning results. In short, Simple invites you to walk smarter, not harder, which is an incentive we are very much on board with. 

The Simple App delivers a personalised plan to help you find the optimal number of steps suited to each individual, and your fitness or weight loss goals. 

The app, which has already exceeded 18 million downloads, not only creates a bespoke walking plan, but it also tweaks those weekly schedules based on your performance the week before, so it encourages you to reach a new PB and be your best self. 

The app also features a food tracker to analyse your meals, a hydration, fasting and movement tracker, as well as a progress recorder to ensure you reach your goals.  

Just in case that wasn’t enough, Avo – an AI-powered in-app coach – is on hand to answer any questions in real time, whether it’s advice on the best snacks or to help understand your plan. 

Simple users have already noticed major improvements in their health since signing up to the app. 

All you have to do is download the app, sign up, then complete the quiz to discover your optimal step count and what your body needs to lose weight. 

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If you struggle to switch off at night, there’s nothing like a good book to help lull you into a gentle slumber. Audiobooks offer the perfect hands-free experience, allowing you to get cosy, close your eyes, and unwind, as a soothing voice brings the story to life. 

And why not let the dulcet tones of Jamie Dornan’s Irish accent or the huskiness of Tom Hardy’s gravelly voice transport you into another world?

Audible is an Amazon service that lets you stream audiobooks, podcasts, and a wide range of spoken-word content.

If you’re a fan of Tom (and frankly, who isn’t), the actor is one of the many stars to narrate George Orwell’s iconic 1984 novel. As well as Tom, you can also listen to Andrew Garfield and Cynthia Erivo, as well as the incredible Andrew Scott – aka Hot Priest. We are kneeling…

Jamie Dornan is also the gift that keeps giving, as the 50 Shades star has recorded Sleep Sound with Jamie Dornan, which offers listeners the chance to be transported to a series of stunning locations, including a rainforest, desert or a beach. We’d go anywhere with you, Jamie…

Get Audible for just 99p – for THREE months!

Amazon’s running a cheeky Audible deal where you can grab select audiobooks for just 99p – yes, really.

It’s part of their limited-time promos, and it includes some cracking titles across genres.

Perfect if you fancy dipping into something new without committing to a full membership.

You can still do the free trial too, but this 99p offer is ideal for a one-off listen or a gift idea that won’t break the bank.

start your trial now

Still pining for Bridgerton’s Colin and Penelope? Why not listen to Romancing Mister Bridgerton and relive that steam carriage ride all over again?

From this month, Audible is offering new listeners the chance to subscribe to Audible Premium Plus for just £0.99 per month for their first three months. After that, the membership will automatically renew at the full membership price of £8.99 per month, but you can cancel at any time.

Audible is not just a place for a saucy, late-night tale, of course. There are plenty of genres to explore, such as comedy, sci-fi, history, and self-help.

Mel Robbins’ Let Them theory has become an incredible tool for coping with anxious thoughts, and the motivational speaker’s book of the same name is a powerful read. The perfect audio book for the walk into work or visit to the gym.

Wuthering Heights is set to hit cinemas next year, with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi taking on the iconic roles of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, so why not experience the novel before it hits the big screen?

You can also catch Kiera Knightley in the Netflix thriller The Woman in Cabin 10, released this month, but Ruth Ware’s original novel is also available to listen to if you fancy a preview.

The Audible offer is only available until December, so sign up now and discover what else is available.

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It’s so important to know who we are and where we come from. Our heritage connects us to the past, helps us understand our identity, and gives us confidence in where we’re going, rooted in generations before us.

But sometimes, there are blanks to fill in. Maybe you’re adopted or estranged from a parent. Perhaps you’ve always wondered about your ancestors or you’re looking to trace a lost relative.

MyHeritage DNA offers an easy and powerful way to explore your family history, and right now the DNA kit is over 50% off. So why not start your journey of discovery?

Usually costing £70, the kit is down to just £33. And it’s so easy to use. It contains a simple cheek swab, which takes two minutes to complete. When you’re done, pop it in the prepaid envelope and send it off to the MyHeritage DNA lab, with your results ready online in roughly four weeks.

MyHeritage DNA Testing Kit

The MyHeritage DNA Testing Kit is an easy-to-use home test that uses a cheek swab to analyse your ancestry and ethnicity across over 2,000 regions. Results arrive in about three to four weeks and include DNA matches to help you find relatives. It’s especially strong for European heritage and includes a free family tree builder.

Buy Now for £33 (was £79)

The results can uncover your origins across more than 2,100 geographic regions. You can start building a family tree and dig deeper into your family’s past. There’s even an app that can bring old family photos to life with the Deep Nostalgia™. 

MyHeritage DNA also helps connect long-lost family members, with 6.6 billion profiles and 58 million family trees available online. 

The kit has led to life-changing discoveries for many, including Brigitta, who discovered the man she believed was her biological father was not. Her real father was actually Hans Husfeld, a composer who had worked on a production with both her mother and the father who raised her. This discovery also helped her connect with half-siblings and nieces.

Cathy took the DNA test alongside her mother and was stunned when it connected her to her late brother’s son. She said it felt like getting ‘a piece of my brother back,’ and her nephew Michael was able to meet his grandmother shortly before she passed away, something that wouldn’t have been possible without the MyHeritage DNA kit.

Rachel was abandoned as a baby in Hong Kong before being adopted and raised in the U.K. While she had a good life, she was always curious about her past. MyHeritage DNA helped connect her to a cousin, which led her to her birth mother and siblings. Rachel was able to travel to Hong Kong to meet them, discovering that her family had never stopped thinking about her.  

‘They wanted me all along,’ she revealed.

We’ve just ordered ours, so the review is pending…

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Summer might feel like a distant memory, but those crisp, cold nights don’t have to mean staying indoors. 

Outdoor lighting can really turn your space around or add some extra security measures, and BHS is offering 25% off its entire range, which is perfect for autumn evenings spent under the stars. Better yet? You can get an extra 10% off with the code: BHSMETRO10, which expires on 31/12/2025 11:59pm (BST).

Picture the scene. You’re wrapped in a cosy blanket, a glass in hand, the night sky above you, and soft, ambient lighting that really sets the mood. 

Whether you fancy a good giggle with your mates or a romantic date night with your other half, make your outdoor space feel just as inviting as your living room. 

There are plenty of stylish picks to choose from, including the Mika Outdoor Caged Round Bulkhead Wall Light that has an industrial feel, as well as an IP44 weatherproof rating that can stand up to the elements. 

If you prefer something with a more natural aesthetic, the Lesley Outdoor LED Leaf Style Wall Light has a rustic finish and offers a softer touch. The unique backlit leaf design doesn’t just light up your space, it adds a decorative statement too. 

And for a classic look that works anywhere, the Ferris Outdoor Adjustable Height Lamp Post Lantern has that timeless charm. It also has an adjustable height, which means it can fit your space perfectly and achieve the exact type of glow you’re after.

The Zeb Outdoor Up and Down Wall Light is a best-seller, offering a stylish design with light casting both upwards and downwards. Or pay a little extra for the Zeb Outdoor Up and Down Wall Light with PIR Sensor, which is the same modern design but with a PIR motion sensor for some added security measures.

The Lyra LED Rechargeable Outdoor Table Lamp is also perfect for cosy date nights. It has a minimalist feel, and the IP44 rating means it’s suitable for outdoor use, as well as high moisture rooms like the bathroom.

The colder months are a great excuse to turn up the temperature, so why not invest in an outdoor light that doubles as a heater?

The 1500 Watt Floor Standing Carbon Element Patio Heater is 180cm tall, so you can place it near seating areas or outdoor dining tables, and has a sleek silver finish. 

You can also go for a handing pendant design with the 1500 Watt Halogen Pendant Outdoor Heater, or this Floor Standing style with a dome shade. 

BHS is also a trusted retailer, and while it may not be on our high street anymore (don’t, it’s still too raw) customers can get free UK delivery on orders over £16 when they shop online. So let there be (outdoor) light!

And don’t forget that extra 10% off with the code: BHSMETRO10.

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TikTok told me that my ADHD was a superpower. And I believed it – but only for about five minutes.

Scrolling on the app after I was first diagnosed, I was desperate to find ‘my people’ – the ones who would make me feel seen. Less like a jigsaw puzzle that simply didn’t fit, and more like a person who simply thought differently.

My feed was suddenly inundated with people who were just like me: chaotic, creative, chatty, and crucially, late for everything.

But then, on countless podcasts and social media posts, I saw other neurodivergent people encouraging their fellow ADHDers to view their condition not as something to hold them back, but as a ‘superpower.’

For a fleeting moment, I wanted to believe it. Understanding my true self and unlocking the answers to questions I’d chased after for so long was liberating, but afterwards came a heavy realisation: I’d spent more than 20 years not understanding my own brain. I mourned that loss of time.

The problem is that that version of ADHD doesn’t exist for me. I wanted to believe that I could sugarcoat this diagnosis – and that reframing it might somehow make it easier. I could let the subsequent grief destroy me, or I could take another spin on it.

Pretty quickly, though, I realised that it simply wasn’t going to work for me.

Looking at ADHD like some kind of Marvel origin story is toxic positivity at its finest, trying to force us to perennially see the ‘good’ in the condition while ignoring the difficulties that come with it.

It plays into the idea that, for people living with ADHD to be palatable, we exclusively need to play into our strengths – and ignore how debilitating living in a world designed by and for neurotypical people is. 

That’s why I believe that now is the time for us to stop perpetuating this rhetoric – because not only does it misrepresent ADHD as something that can and should predominantly be used to our advantage, but it also suggests that we can almost ‘girl boss’ our way out of the ableism that still oppresses neurodivergent people every single day. 

Trying to lean on my ‘strengths’ all the time is exhausting – and this mentality doesn’t solve the fact that this world wasn’t built for a brain like mine.

For as long as I can remember, I have perpetually run late (which was so common that my friends had developed a term for it: ‘Ellie time’); I’m so clumsy that I trip over my own feet; I leave virtually every task until the last possible minute, and I’ve always struggled with my mental health.

I vividly recall telling my mum at 15 that if a doctor were to look at my brain, the scan would light up in bright, colourful hues. I was convinced that I was hard-wired to process information differently and always felt that I experienced emotions on a deeper spectrum than the average person. 

Doctors thought I had anxiety and depression, and I was prescribed SSRIs, beta blockers, and recommended meditation and talking therapy. Nothing worked, because none of it addressed what was actually going on.

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Finally, in November 2021, aged 23 – after an assessment with a psychiatrist – I got a diagnosis of combined ADHD. There are three types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive, and combined, which means that I display elements of both hyperactivity and inattentiveness.

I have trouble focusing, but my mind can also be incredibly frenzied. I can be pretty disorganised at the best of times, but there’s equally a lot of energy passing through me: my leg is always jittering up and down, and I’m often fidgeting.

Hearing those words come out of his mouth was a complete relief, as though years of struggle had been validated in one fell swoop. It taught me that I wasn’t broken – my brain was just a little bit different. For the first time, everything made sense.

Don’t get me wrong: I completely see why someone – neurodivergent or otherwise – would try to focus on the many positives that living with ADHD can bring. 

It’s not a one-size-fits-all experience, but I personally know that I’m constantly overflowing with ideas, I can jump into action in a crisis, I’m highly creative, and I’m incredibly passionate. So much so that I can end up hyperfixated on my special interests for hours. 

But when I’m crying on my bedroom floor because my room’s a mess and I physically can’t tidy it up; I’ve forgotten to pay a bill, or my mind has been racing so much that sleep has been replaced by insomnia, these positives don’t always come to me. And in these low moments, I certainly don’t feel as though I have a superpower. 

All I can feel is frustration. It’s dark, and it can be lonely. These aren’t moments that trend on TikTok.

Calling ADHD a superpower might sound positive, but it glosses over the reality that living with it can be genuinely debilitating. It suggests we can turn our struggles into assets if we just try hard enough.

When we think about superheroes and special ‘powers,’ we might conjure up images of benevolent saviours in capes. In one way or another, they’re usually there to save the world.

I don’t see how I’m supposed to fit that trope. The reality is that ADHD still holds so much stigma and misunderstanding – and likening it to a ‘superpower’ completely downplays the reality that the estimated 3 million Brits living with it face every single day. 

In 2024, one study from pharmaceutical company Takeda found that 96% of people with ADHD said they were hesitant to tell their workplace about their diagnosis. 

Almost three-quarters attributed this towards fear of judgment, while around half worried that it could be used against them. 

Against that backdrop, we’re perpetually inundated with misleading headlines about our community: that ADHD is being ‘overdiagnosed’ now. In 2023, the BBC went as far as to send a reporter out to private ADHD clinics to see if he could obtain a diagnosis, despite not having the condition. 

In the aftermath, charity ADHD UK polled 2,203 people living with the condition and found that 90% believed that ADHD stigma increased in the aftermath of its airing, while 88% were concerned that it wasn’t fair in its representation. 

And so, this ADHD Awareness Month, the best thing that we as a community can do for ourselves is to leave behind this ‘superhero’ narrative. I wouldn’t change my diagnosis for the world; understanding who I am and how my brain works has forever changed my life. But ADHD doesn’t need a motivational spin or a cape; it just needs understanding.

To suggest that it’s not a completely disabling condition that so many continue to misjudge is, for me, a complete falsehood. Society owes us more than that.

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A ‘fit and healthy’ young man was forced to have both of his legs amputated just days before his 21st birthday — after his flu-like symptoms turned out to be sepsis.

Levi Dewy was left in an induced coma with just a 30% chance of survival after being struck down with the life-threatening condition.

In December 2022, the active 20-year-old, who loved playing football, first fell ill with flu-like symptoms and began taking over-the-counter medications.

However, mum Lara was concerned that his ‘breathing wasn’t right’, so took him to hospital after his condition failed to improve and ‘mother’s intuition’ raised red flags.

‘He was dosed up on cold and flu tablets but he had a high temperature that wasn’t cooling and he was really drowsy, with no appetite,’ she says. ‘He just wasn’t my Levi.’

Her suspicions were right, and former JCB welder Levi went into septic shock and suffered multiple organ failure at Royal Derby Hospital, where medics found he was suffering from pneumococcal pneumonia and sepsis.

After being transferred to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, he was put into the induced coma and given Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation treatment, where his blood was pumped into an artificial lung to be oxygenated and returned to his body.

But despite appearing to improve initially, his condition continued to deteriorate, and Levi’s mum and dad, Neil, were given a terrifying prognosis.

‘It all happened so quickly,’ Lara recalls. ‘We were told to get home and get some rest and then we got a phone call telling us we needed to get there quickly because he was deteriorating.

‘We rushed to be with him and that’s when they told us they didn’t know if he was going to make it through the night… It was horrific.’

Doctors then told the distraught parents their son would need surgery to amputate both legs below the knee, in a desperate effort to save him.

Thankfully it was a success and Levi recovered from the infection, but while he woke up feeling lucky to be alive, the now 23-year-old says ‘nothing could prepare him’ for how much his life would change.

Levi, of Willington, Derbyshire, says: ‘I woke up and Christmas had passed, it was like my life was flipped upside down.

‘I was relying on my family to tell me what had happened, it was such a blur.

‘It was really difficult because I nearly died and I am so grateful to be here but I had to wrap my head around spending the rest of my life without my legs.’

In the aftermath, Levi found it difficult to come to terms with his reduced mobility, saying his home ‘didn’t really feel like home’ because he now has to live in the front room.

He continues: ‘I couldn’t get changed by myself or even sit up and because I lost my feet I had to relearn how to drive again with my hands. It’s those things people can’t really understand.’

‘I am so lucky to have amazing support and I am so thankful that I am here, but getting sepsis has completely changed my life.’

Lara and Neil said they had very little knowledge of what sepsis was, and they were shocked to find out it meant Levi’s organs were shutting down.

‘We had no idea how bad it could be,’ Lara says.

‘I thought it was something that only affected older people, or something you got from a cut, so when I saw him in the hospital bed and he was a mottled colour and his legs were blue, you could see where the sepsis had got hold of him. I’d never seen anything like it in my life.’

Neil adds: ‘What we have learned is that sepsis affects younger people differently to older people.

‘With older people, because their immune systems are more vulnerable you can see the symptoms more easily, but because Levi was fit and healthy, his immune system was masking his symptoms until it got to a point where his body could no longer cope and he deteriorated rapidly.

‘Please familiarise yourself with the symptoms so you know what to look out for.’

Dr Alina Paunescu, emergency medicine consultant and trust sepsis clinical lead at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, explains that although sepsis affects people of all ages, very young children and elderly patients are more at risk after an infection due to a weakened immune system.

‘Sadly, Levi’s story is not unusual,’ she explains.

‘As sepsis is caused by a dysregulated response to infection, it is not rare for young patients to develop sepsis.

‘This may occur if they contract an aggressive virus or bacteria, they receive inappropriate antibiotics for what initially appears to be a minor infection, or have underlying conditions that compromise their immune system, so it is important to know what signs to look out for and when to seek medical help.’