Acknowledging and working through your mental health is a tough ask. It’s daunting to dig deeper and understand where your triggers are coming from. Learning to have a relationship with yourself, and most importantly, loving yourself, is key when wanting to understand and improve your mental health.

Jamie Clements, the host of the Man Down podcast, joins us this week to discuss his mental health journey. After his parents split up, he started noticing a change in his behaviour and outlook on life. Your childhood and upbringing set you up for your adult life. Often we don’t realise the severity of this impact until it’s too late. Jamie explains how his adult relationships have been impacted by a fear of abandonment, and how he has come to accepting and improving this. 

Investing in his mental health, Jamie has spent the last two years learning breathwork. It now forms part of his mental health toolkit. Sharing the origins and techniques with us, it might be exactly what you need to calm and connect to your inner self.

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Sometimes a switch can go in your mind, out of the blue, and your reality changes within seconds. Psychosis is a mental illness that is rarely spoken about when discussing mental health, and affects less than 1 in 100 adults in the UK.

As we continue raising awareness of the different types of mental health disorders, this week we discuss psychosis with alice wright. Alice Wright’s world changed within hours. Following an incredible high, she fell into her first psychosis whilst on holiday. Voices, hallucinations and heightened emotions - a scary but very real feeling. Having experienced two psychotic episodes in the last 5 years, alice is able to share most of her memories from the episodes. The medical treatment she received during and after her episodes, highlight the intricacy of psychosis and how important the support from loved ones is. Throughout it all, self-care and kindness were key. Perhaps we should all take a page out of her book?

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Mental health can often be overlooked when receiving a physical health diagnosis. Changes to your physical health can have a strong impact on both body and mind, and should both be treated as equally important. 

For the first time on sidekick stories, we are talking about the impact your physical health can have on your mental health. In this episode, Sam Coles shares with us how her diagnosis with Ankylosing Spondylitis impacted her mental wellbeing. Together with the decision to have a double mastectomy, Sam found herself facing a tough period in her life. Impacting her outlook on life, as well as her relationships with friends and family. Routine became a key part of her day, to ensure she stays on top of her health. However, as with everything it’s about striking the right balance between enjoyment and taking care of yourself.

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Between World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, and World Mental Health Awareness Day on October 10th, we’re encouraging open and honest conversations about the difficult and prevalent topic of suicide. Helping to raise awareness and helping to prevent people from acting on suicidal thoughts.

Opening up about his mental health journey in this episode, Rhys Jones introduces us to the impact depression had on his life. Rhys shares his history of unhealthy coping mechanisms, self-harm, hitting rock bottom, and ultimately the road to recovery with healthier coping mechanisms. A story of self-acceptance and the importance of talking to friends and family. A powerful and honest view on a topic that many shy away from, but ultimately a topic that could save a life.

If you’ve been affected by any of the topics covered in this episode, please don’t suffer alone and reach out to the Samaritans on 116 123. #WeAllKnowAnAlex

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When you struggle with mental health, you know the challenges and emotions that come paired with it. You learn to recognise triggers and you do your best to take care of yourself. But what happens when you’re the one on the outside, watching the unwanted guest join your family?

Following our conversation with Kate Wallace on the previous episode (https://youtu.be/2hpCnE1N9UE), in which we learnt about postnatal depression - this week her husband Richard joins us. He shares his experience of watching postnatal depression take a place at their table. Being a new parent is incredibly daunting, and comes with challenges of its own without the added concerns of mental health. We speak to Richard about his experiences of first realising something wasn’t quite right, how he was able to support his wife through her postnatal depression, his views on how as a society we need to change, and finally, the positive changes medication made to their lives.

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Becoming a parent is sold to us as a bubble of happiness, excitement and a lack of sleep. However, there is a side to becoming a mother that many don’t speak about.

In this week’s episode, Kate Wallace shares her mental health journey which started when she became a mother. Something changed that had a profound effect on her for over two years. Through friends and family Kate was able to find help, try different therapies and medication all in aid of supporting her struggle with postnatal depression. An open and honest conversation about a side of motherhood many shy away from - it’s time to change the stigma and encourage seeking help. 

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sidekick. Boost your mental wellbeing.

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It’s ok if you haven’t done anything yet. There is too much guilt around “should have”. Forget that, it’s ok not to do anything today, and tomorrow, and next week. When you’re ready, you’ll know.

You don’t have to do anything big to be a success. Getting out of bed or eating a piece of fruit is and can be a big achievement. It may be small, but it’s not to be undermined, there is power in small actions. No matter how low you are feeling, reflect on your day and recognise your achievements - they are bigger than you realise.

Sharing insight from her personal experience with therapy, coping mechanisms and learnings from life, Hannah Miner allows us into her way of thinking and the strength of language. She is a strong believer of accessibility of mental health, both in services as well as terminology. The stigma and associations with mental health remain mostly negative, and changing your wording can change your views. Hannah prefers to speak about emotional wellbeing, bringing that all important positive spin on her journey in this space.

Putting yourself first can be a challenge, but if you do it for your physical health you should strive to do the same for your emotional wellbeing. Whatever you need to do to make yourself feel comfortable and confident - as Nike says, just do it. Never feel guilty for doing something that will make you feel good. Don’t you dare beat yourself up about it.

Hannah has given us a new life motto - do what you need to do to make yourself feel good, unapologetically. 

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Everything starts with a thought. And if everything starts with a thought, then essentially, you can achieve anything you wish to. Matthew Halstead wholeheartedly stands and believes in this, and by all means, we all should.

Matt runs his own consultancy, is a full-time husband and father, is studying a PhD in quantum chemistry and is the co-creator of sidekick. He’s got his hands full! From the outside, he is the confident, energetic, fun (but slightly crazy) friend we all wish we had (or even were!). But when you scratch the surface, you will soon find the insecurities that have driven his actions for over a decade. 

An unhealthy relationship with exercise - and therefore food - from the age of 13, has pushed Matt to do incredible, but very unhealthy things to his body. Running ultramarathons with little to no training, or eating a week’s worth of food in one day. Only in the last couple of years, has Matt started to see the patterns, and how his mental health has played a key part in this unhealthy relationship. 

In this episode, Matt shares his struggles of confidence, validation, and fears which showed itself through compulsive behaviours. Before sharing his personal mental health toolkit, he shines a light on the turning point in his health and ultimately his promise, that he has kept to this day. 

Make a promise to yourself today, don’t break it. Promise?

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In a really open and honest conversation, James Shrager lets us into his world of mental health struggles and how it has shaped who he is today. If you’ve ever experienced anxiety, you will feel heard and seen. If you haven’t, you will gain a real understanding of what anxiety feels like.

James is one of the co-creators of sidekick. When he’s not building the sidekick app, he’s a father, a husband and has a full-time job at an innovation and growth consultancy in London. In this episode we talk to James about his mental health journey, where it began, where it’s taken him and how far he has come today. 

Reflecting on his childhood and the impact this had on his mental health, James takes us on his journey of growth through university and into adulthood. Slowly beginning to understand and connect events that eventually contributed to his mental health struggles, we recall his first spells of anxiety and the toll it took on his daily routine and life. 

Finding a suitable therapy model can be really tricky, there’s no one size fits all. James tried and tested several options in the hope of finding a solution to his anxiety. He lets us in on the process and learnings he took from the different therapies. Providing great insight, James talks us through each piece of advice he was given and how it’s formed his current coping “toolkit”. If you’re struggling, please don’t suffer alone and reach out for help.

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We live in a society where you introduce yourself by way of name and career. Why do we allow our careers to define who we are, or indeed our worth? Chris Flanders shares his change of career and the importance of following your heart and interests.

Chris is a geography teacher, CrossFit instructor and yogi. He is passionate about standing in front of his students, educating, and inspiring with his enthusiasm. You can find him on Instagram doing deadlifts, practicing yoga with his cat, and generally reminding us how important physical health is.

Mental health issues come in different shapes and forms, and we are all susceptible. You don’t need to be formally diagnosed to face struggles. In this episode, Chris shares two key life experiences that have shaped him into the person he is today and reflect how he now stands in life.

It’s a well-known fact that men are less likely to speak up about their struggles and ask for help. The stigma that still surrounds men’s mental health is slowly easing but is still very much in place. In both his career change and relationship breakdown, Chris struggled to speak up. He shares why this is so difficult and relatable for a lot of people, plus his chosen coping mechanisms to not have to face the reality of the situation. 

It may seem to the outside world that somebody is carrying their situation well, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy. Check-in with your friends, help them carry the weight.

Listen and subscribe to the sidekick stories podcast on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

Download our free app, connect with us on Instagram and join the community. 

sidekick. boost your mental wellbeing. 

https://sidekick.org.uk/