“Once your mind and body is healthy, it creates a freedom that helps you enjoy life.” Milind Soman

Vinnie Jones is an actor, presenter and former professional footballer. He had a reputation as a footballer for being a bit of a hard man and tough competitive opponent. I have enjoyed watching his tv series Vinnie Jones Life in the Country. It follows his life establishing a new life in rural Sussex after moving back from living in the USA.

Vinnie has purchased around 2000 acres of West Sussex countryside and the show features his ambitious farm renovation and environmental projects. During the series, Vinnie talks about own mental health struggles following the death of his wife Tanya in 2019, after a 6-year battle with skin cancer. They had been married 25 years.

One of the programmes sees Vinnie donate a handmade hedgehog walking stick to a charity auction at Blenheim Palace. The proceeds from the auction went to a mental health and suicide prevention charity for people in the farming and countryside community.

Prior to the bidding starting Vinnie talks to the potential bidders about mental health and the impact the loss of his wife had on him. He said that he found it useful to talk to friends and to keep them close. He also said that we should all be available to talk and put an arm around friends and family in times of need.

The lady who bought the walking stick for £1000 had a good reason for doing so. She explained that the issue of mental health was close to her heart. Sadly, she had lost her daughter to suicide 12 years ago. She explained that when she sees people pushing the boat out to get awareness out there, she wanted to buy the walking stick to help support this.

Many people came up to Vinnie at the conclusion of the auction to thank him for helping to raise awareness and to educate people about the mental health challenges faced by some.

Sadly, there is still a mental health stigma around. As a result, some people feel they have to be brave and not discuss their feelings. I believe that people need to be encouraged to speak openly about how they are feeling. My belief is that if people talk about their mental health challenges, their emotions and what they are going through it isn’t a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.

We all suffer setbacks, challenges and disappointments in our life. In such challenging times, it’s vital that we have people that we can talk to that won’t judge us and will help us navigate a path to a more settled and smoother life experience. If people don’t have someone close to talk to, it’s important that they reach out and get some professional support or help from a mental health charity.

In the 1990’s there was an advert for British Telecom and it included the slogan “it’s good to talk.” How true that is when you are feeling under pressure, anxious or a bit down in the dumps. It’s far better than bottling up feelings. As the old saying goes “a problem shared is a problem halved.” Sharing how you feel helps to put things into perspective and problems can seem less overwhelming and easier to manage.

This week, why not pause for a few moments to reflect. Consider if you need to talk to someone about something that is troubling you. Alternatively, do you need to reach out to a friend or family member that has had a challenging time recently to check that they are ok and to see if they need a chat.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk