In this episode, former Navy SEAL Jon Macaskill discusses his experience in Operation Red Wings and the impact it had on his career and mental health. He shares how he dealt with survivor's guilt and moral injury, and how mindfulness and meditation saved his life. John emphasizes the importance of opening up about mental health and building a supportive community. He also discusses the challenges faced by first responders and the need for mental fitness in society.

The conversation covers various topics related to mindfulness, mental health, and work-life balance. We'll explore themes such as podcasting, the impact of screen time on mental health, challenges and objections to mindfulness, the relationship between mindfulness and faith, the importance of downtime and decompression, the need for breaks and time blocking, playing offense with your calendar, and the fallacy of long work hours. We'll also discuss the challenges of getting into public speaking, the journey into speaking, and the future of Men Talking Mindfulness.

Show Links

Get 1-month of FREE access to the ⁠Vet Collective Community⁠ by using discount code: NLT1UQTI

Join us here:

⁠⁠https://www.collective.vet⁠⁠

Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.collective.vet⁠⁠

Follow us on LinkedIn: ⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/company/harder-not-smarter/

Episodes also available on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music.

Jon's Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmacaskill/

⁠https://frogmanmindfulness.com/⁠⁠Unleashing Inner Strength Book⁠⁠Men Talking Mindfulness Podcast⁠

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:55 Impact of Operation Red Wings

05:11 Dealing with Mental Health

07:17 Opening Up and Building a Supportive Community

09:26 Changing the Stigma Around Mental Health

12:26 Challenges Faced by First Responders

23:24 Approaching Mindfulness in Different Settings

29:15 Addressing Mental Health in Men

32:03 Working as a Duo in Podcasting

36:18 Scottish Heritage and Podcasting Experience

37:15 LinkedIn Top Voice and Screen Time

41:04 Challenges and Objections to Mindfulness

43:05 Mindfulness and Faith

44:08 The Importance of Downtime and Decompression

46:22 The Impact of Screen Time on Mental Health

49:10 The Need for Breaks and Time Blocking

52:27 Playing Offense with Your Calendar

55:31 The Negative Effects of Constant Connectivity

56:48 The Fallacy of Long Work Hours

57:33 Incentivizing People in Organizations

58:04 The 40-Hour Work Week and Benefits

59:09 Societal Standards and Non-Compensation Reasons

59:45 The Broken Healthcare System

01:00:57 Not Wanting to Be Involved in Politics

01:01:23 The Challenges of Getting into Speaking

01:02:43 The Journey into Speaking

01:05:09 The Process of Getting into Speaking

01:06:07 The Future of Men Talking Mindfulness

Takeaways

Survivor's guilt and moral injury can have a significant impact on mental health.

Mindfulness and meditation can be powerful tools for healing and improving mental health.

Opening up about mental health and building a supportive community is crucial for veterans and first responders.

Addressing mental health should be a priority in society, and mental fitness should be promoted proactively.

Working in a duo in podcasting can bring different perspectives and create engaging conversations.

Mindfulness can strengthen one's faith and provide emotional hygiene.

Constant screen time can lead to stress and burnout.

Taking breaks and scheduling downtime is essential for mental well-being.

Mindfulness and meditation can be practiced by people of all faiths.

Working long hours does not necessarily equate to productivity. Incentivize people in organizations to make them feel like they're contributing, not just being used as a metric mover.

Question the 40-hour work week and the connection between full-time work and benefits.

Understand the challenges of getting into speaking.

Embrace the journey of personal and professional growth in the speaking industry.