Try not to panic - 10 tips for overcoming mental health challenges

November 9, 2020

Can you believe it - our 40th episode!

There are a lot of people facing trials and challenges at this time, the governments are doing the best they can but I believe there is not enough emphasis being placed on the invisible scourge of mental sickness being proliferated through isolation.

Someone who has walked through some very difficult times himself and come out the other side is my long-time friend, Mark Glover.

Mark has had a colourful journey - travelled 12 years in England, enjoyed multiple career paths, came back to Australia and rediscovered a path he'd previously avoided - as a teacher.

Mark and I had plenty to catch up on and even with an edit we've had to split this this episode into 2. I didn't want you to miss out on the many gems of wisdom Mark shares - insights that can only be gleaned through time in the trenches.

Mark touches on several important concepts: vulnerability, authenticity, the positive purpose of pain, the healing powers of creativity, time in nature; and of course, what you focus on matters! Some of these may sound cliché but Mark's journey shows that they absolutely work.

Let's jump into Mark's story...

Here's the highlights:

[05:49] In my years spent on different career paths, I realised that learning is really on the job. A lot of the knowledge is picked up as you go.
[08:16] You just have to remould the script for yourself. You can have a full life in different ways. By anyone's definition, my life was kinda different. But it was the same goal: happiness. And what I'm about was trying to learn from everyone.
[10:13] I've suffered anxiety and depression for practically my entire life. But having people who are reliable and out there to help me was just transformative.
[15:57] Talking to a lot of people about mental health is part of my safety mechanism. I just made myself available for people who want to talk because I felt lucky to have a person when I was undergoing something, so I want to be that person for others.
[17:45] We obviously got to have some boundaries but, at the same time, it's important to come to the table with some vulnerability. But when it comes to involving your child, it's different. It's a situation you just can't and don't want to remove yourself from and become cynical about.
[21:50] We adapt as humans. It's one of the most fundamental traits that we have.
[23:34] No generation has ever had as many opportunities as the generation now with technology at their fingertips. Yet they face the worst possible scenario, with climate change, Covid, etc. But we're adaptable, so trust that they'll find a way through and survive.
[24:34] Nature is a great teacher. It doesn't care what isn't there; it gives lots but doesn't ask for anything. You just take it in. What you invest is what you get back.
[30:55] It's the little successes that build the success you want to achieve. The hard thing is when you have a breakdown, you think, 'I can't go wrong' and 'It's not gonna get better'. When you're stuck in that rut, it's even harder to get out of it.