The importance of raising mental health awareness with Roger Cruickshank

Today’s episode of the podcast is an interview with the lovely Roger Cruickshank who was in the Royal Air Force alongside my husband as a fighter pilot. Roger also skied in the REF ski team and went on to actually ski in the winter Olympics! We talk all about mental health, the importance of speaking about it and raising awareness, and combating the stigma attached to mental health. KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST ·     Everything happens for a reason, you just have to let it go and accept it.·     Acceptance is part of healing.·     If you don’t really feel it, you will never accept it.·     We learn more from storytelling and remember information better.·     Having a clear vision of where you are going and what you are doing, keeps your mind focused on the end goal.·     We need to set our goals and visions to know where we’re going, otherwise we’re just going to flounder.·     The mind is very fragile and we have to work hard to understand it.·     It is so important to normalise conversations surrounding mental health and the way we feel.·     Creating an environment for everyone where people can speak openly and honestly about their feelings and emotions is so important.·     We need to speak about mental illness in the same way we talk about physical illness.·     We all have mental health issues – it is on a sliding Grey scale, sometimes good and sometimes bad.·     Mental health changes on a daily/hourly rate, the same as our physical health.·     We need to get better at the language surrounding mental health.·     You can still hold your own, but tell someone if you are having a bad day and the reasons for that.·     Need help? Text SHOUT to 85258 for immediate support or give Samaritans a call. THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE… Don’t be afraid to speak out about how you are feeling and ask how other people are feeling. Everyone is fighting a battle and the more open and honest we are, the more people we can save. HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN’T MISS ·     Roger’s journey so far 05:11·     Resilience – getting back up when you get knocked down 12:40·     Being Recognised for an award 29:32·     The stigma of mental health 33:47·     Losing a loved one to suicide 41:05·     Acceptance with mental health 42:39·     Raising awareness for mental health 44:37·     The importance of setting goals 47:42·     Speaking out about mental health 48:52·     Supporting mental health 1:03:08 LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE Speed of sound, sound of mind bookHeadfit.org

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