The Mindful Men Podcast

Trigger warning: Spinal Cord Injury

Welcome to Episode 109 – Adapting to disability with Nathan Stapleton

Nathan Stapleton grew up playing the game he loved, rugby league. He went on to play National Rugby League (NRL) for the Cronulla Sharks, before heading over to the UK to play for the London Broncos. Rugby opened up the world to Nathan and his family, but it also took everything away from him. In 2022 he sustained a spinal cord injury playing country footy, acquiring quadriplegia. He was pronounced dead for 16 minutes, and was lucky there was a registered nurse at the game who saved his life. 

Nathan shares his story of adapting to life with disability. From being a footy star, to needing 24/7 disability support to survive, he bravely shares how disability has taken almost everything away from him. Nathan draws strength from being a loving father or two, and highlights the importance of getting back to work; but also the support of his family, friends and footy community. 

Key points

In this episode Nathan shares: 

Quotes

"It was grim mate. Not gonna lie, it was the worst day of my life.”

"You don't ever want your kid to look at you like "what's wrong?”

Connect with Nathan:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathan_stapleton_/

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Trigger warning: Mental Health, Suicide

Welcome to Episode 108 – Mentoring Men with Simon Jarvis

Australia is in a mental health and crisis, and men are struggling big time. But unlike women and children, men have limited options available to them; The health system is female-orientated, and wait lists for mental health support are extending to 6-9 months in some cases. Unfortuantely this pushes many men over the edge, with high rates of reported family and domestic violence and suicide.

If we’re to change the stats, we need to change our approach. And this is what Mentoring Men is doing – providing a free mentoring service for men Australia wide. It’s not about replacing therapists, but about complementing them with boots on the ground support to overcome life’s challenges. 

And joining me to share the Mentoring Men story is CEO Simon Jarvis. Simon shares his journey into Mentoring Men, and the valuable work their mentors do for men in need. He also leaves us with some wonderful insights into his own fatherhood journey, including his love for everyone’s favourite TV show, Bluey. 

In this episode, Simon shares:

Key Quotes:

"It is hard to open up. And it is hard to even just go to a GP or go to a doctor and ask.”

"Providing that opportunity to use language men resonate with really gives us a better insight into what’s going on.”

"Our mentors get out of it as much as our mentees."

Connect with Simon:

Website: www.mentoringmen.org.au

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Trigger warning: Addiction, Childhood Abuse, Trauma, Suicide

Welcome to Episode 107 – Stories of Hope with Kerrie Atherton

Losing hope can have us feeling like we’ve got nothing left to give the world. We can feel as though we’re broken, unwanted, unlovable and unworthy of being alive. Our lives can spiral out of control; impacting our mental health, relationships, careers and more. 

But amidst the chaos, it’s important to know that we can regain our hope. Life has a way of presenting lightbulb moments that can guide is in new directions. And this week’s episode offers that through Stories of Hope. 

Kerrie Atherton is the Founder of Stories of Hope Australia/Worldwide, and Empower Life Solutions. She is also an author and Trauma and Addictions Recovery Counsellor – providing much needed support for those struggling and without hope. Kerrie bravely shares her story of childhood trauma, mental health, suicide and addiction with the hope that it inspires you to face your fears and reach out for support if you need it.  

In this episode, Kerrie shares:

Key Quotes: 

"For a recovering alcoholic or addict life is like an unsolved jigsaw puzzle. One that you cannot put the pieces back together again. But you can make a new puzzle.”

"For many people that feel like they're so hopeless that they want to end their life, they don't actually want to die, they just don't know how to live anymore.”

“My dad taught me to fear everything, so I was born into fear."

Connect with Kerrie:

Website: www.storiesofhope.com.auWebsite: www.empowerlifesolutions.com.au

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Welcome to Episode 106 – Starting the new year with clearer focus 

So you’ve woken up after new years and you’ve had a lightbulb moment. You want to get sober, or lose weight, or kick big goals in 2024. You start a list of new year’s resolutions… but deep down inside you know that you’ll probably give up by the end of January.

But what if I told you that you could make that resolution actually stick? 

Join me this week as I talk you through how to start your year with clearer focus. We’ll combine your end of year reflections with your core values and SMART goals to kickstart 2024 and achieve great things.

But before you hit play – make sure you listen to 104 and 105 because they give you some background to this episode. 

In this episode, I share:

Key Quotes:

“We’ve all been there and gone I want to lose 10 kilos in the first month and losing 10 kg of weight is really hard.”

“SMART goals are specific, they're measurable, they're achievable, they're relevant, and they're time based”

“The reason we set goals is because we want to move forward. We want to achieve something”

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Welcome to Episode 104 – Mindful about Christmas and New Years

It’s the holiday season and a time of reflection. Whether it’s about how we’re going right now, or how we’ve gone over the past year, we can experience good, bad and ugly emotions during the Christmas and New Years period.

This week I sit down to give you some tips on navigating Christmas and New Years. From reflecting on the year, and recognising our growth – to identifying and connecting in with the supports we need to be well this holiday season. 

I’m also inviting you to join the Mindful Men Community group on Facebook. It’s free and can help you to connect with mindful men from all over the world.  

In this episode, I share:

Key Quotes:

"If nothing positive has happened but you're still here, you're still trying... that’s called resilience”

“this year I'm being very mindful and I'm not going to be drinking because previous years I would overdo it”

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Trigger warning: Divorce, religious cult or sect

Welcome to Episode 103 – Freedom from life in a cult/sect/family with Rosie Rasmussen

For millions around the world, religion provides a connection with the spiritual self. It brings communities together, and teaches ways to navigate life through shared principles and values. 

And whilst millions find freedom through religion, others have that freedom taken away. 

This week I sit down Rosie Rasmussen, a Mindfulness Mentor who in 2010 turned her back on the church with no name. As an outsider now, she sees it as a cult or sect, whilst acknowledging that those still within the church see it more as a family. And this is where we focus our discussion – the family – and how patriarchy showed within the church and took away her freedom.  

In this episode, Rosie shares:

Key Quotes:

"We weren't encouraged to be part of the world”

“Doing all these things to be the good woman but there is resentment underneath it, that just discounts all of it."

“Where am I? Here. What am I doing? This. What time is it? Now.”

Connect with Rosie:

Website: www.awakeawaremindful.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awakeawaremindful

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeawaremindful/

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Trigger warning: alcoholism, addiction

Welcome to Episode 102 – Grey Area Drinking with Sarah Rusbatch 

So many of us struggle with alcohol, but we refrain from admitting it through fear of being labelled an alcoholic. We don’t fit the image of a stereotypical “alcoholic” – the guy who has lost everything to his drinking, needs to drink to function, and is sitting on a park bench taking a swig from a bottle in a brown paper bag. 

This was the case for me; I didn’t fit the stereotype. But when I did drink, I didn’t have a STOP button. And drinking went from fun to self-medication.

But throughout 2023, I’ve found courage in hearing more and more people embrace a sober life. And then I heard of Grey Area Drinking: the grey area between being able to have the occasional drink and full blown alcoholism. It’s the spectrum between being ok with a couple of drinks, to creating rules to justify our drinking, to getting drunk way too often. 

Helping us unpack this topic is Grey Area Drinking coach Sarah Rusbatch. Sarah is an ex-Grey Area Drinker, and shares her story to inspire others out there to quit the booze and live their best life.

In this episode, Sarah shares:

Key Quotes:

"Did I think I had a problem with alcohol? No I had a problem and alcohol was my solution.”

"Alcohol is the only drug we have to justify not taking.”

"It's so hard in an alcohol centric society to take a break from alcohol”

"If we are taking alcohol out, what are we putting in?"

Connect with Sarah:

Website: www.sarahrusbatch.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahrusbatch/

Gray Area Drinking – Jolene Park

Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/jolene_park_gray_area_drinking

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Trigger warning: Infant death, Bereaved parents

Welcome to Episode 101 – Red Nose Dads with Chris Wood

As a family man, my wife and kids are my everything. I simply can’t imagine a world without them.

And this is why my chat with Chris Wood was particularly eye-opening. Chris is a loving husband and bereaved father to Liam who passed away a 1 day old due to complications in utero. Chris bravely shares his story of losing Liam, to help encourage more fathers to access support through agencies like Red Nose Australia.

Red Nose’s aim is to break the stigma around bereavement and loss, and provide support to those in grief through their free 24/7 Grief and Loss Support Line. Sadly, 3,000 little lives are lost suddenly and unexpectedly each year; and it is believed 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. 

But according to Red Nose, only 1 in 4 who access their Grief and Loss Support line are male. Our hope at Mindful Men is that Chris’ story inspires more men to reach out for support after hearing his family’s story. 

The Red Nose Grief and Loss Support Line is available 24/7 for anyone affected by miscarriage, stillbirth, baby or child death on 1300 308 307.

In this episode, Chris shares:

Key Quotes:

"Pregnancy is fucking hard for a lot of people”

“Probably one of the equal hardest  things we ever done was had to leave him there after he died.”

"For me I was back at work doing 6 days a week after 3 weeks and I fucking hated it."

Connect with Chris:

Liam's Legacy: https://www.instagram.com/liams_legacy11/

Red Nose Dads: https://www.instagram.com/red_nose_dads/

Petition: https://www.change.org/p/increase-in-government-payment-s-to-bereaved-parents-employed-self-employed  

Connect with Red Nose Australia:

Red Nose: https://rednose.org.au/

Fathers of Loss: https://rednosegriefandloss.org.au/fathers-of-loss

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon

Welcome to Episode 100 – What it means to be a mindful man

I first discovered mindfulness in my recovery from burnout in 2020. At first I thought it was a bit woo woo… a bit hippy… and certainly not manly!

But the more I dived into mindfulness, the more I discovered that it goes beyond meditation, gratitude and journaling. 

In this special 100th episode, I reflect on the various definitions of what it means to be a mindful man. This episode is inspired by the men who are part of the Mindful Men Community on Facebook. If you’re interested in joining this growing community, you can find the link below. 

Key Quotes:

“[mindfulness is] paying attention with openness, curiosity, flexibility and kindness” (Dr Russ Harris)

“[mindfulness is] The art of conscious living” (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

"Values can direct us when we’re lost, but they can also keep us on track when we’re good.”

“Recognise that our way of being and feeling isn’t the only way of being and feeling in the world."

Connect with Mindful Men

Website at www.mindful-men.com.au

Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2050441875316594

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindful.men.aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful.men.aus/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-rinne-246207247/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mindful.men.aus

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbXBNQmbj4ZQj3rzFAZALTA

***If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help***

Stay Mindful, Simon