029 Mental Health

EP29 Talking about Mental Health Welcome to episode 29 of the Fail Forward podcast.   In this episode I am talking about mental health and vulnerability. Suicide affects men and women but, in the UK, is the biggest killer of men in certain age groups. To me, the thought that anyone thinks they have no alternative but to end their own life is heartbreaking.   As men we grow up hearing male adjectives like; tough; strong; macho; manning up. We hide our feelings and can believe it’s weak to show our vulnerability.   None of that is true.   If you’ve listened to past episodes of this podcast you’ll know that when my business failed I went through some dark times myself. I suffered extreme anxiety, I had dark thoughts and I allowed myself to fall into negative addiction patterns, eating and drinking too much to try and forget what was happening in my life.    But one thing I did well was talking about things. I talked to my wife, friends and family. And here’s what I learned.    Talking lightens the load.    The other thing I’ve learned is we need to limit our exposure to things that make us feel bad. Mainstream media, social media, negative people - maybe even watching our favourite sports team!   Listen now to hear my thoughts on the power of talking, why we have two ears and one mouth for a reason and the importance of checking in on people beyond a comment on social media or an occasional text.   It’s OK not to be OK and to talk to people about what you’re going through.   Please join me to help even just one person who is going through a hard time and show them that there is an alternative.    Please listen, share and start the conversation today.    If you’re enjoying the Fail Forward podcasts, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn for all the latest on my mission to help business owners Fail Forward.    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/failforwardhenri LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-ghijben-539132101/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@failforward12 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/henrighijben/