49: Ava's Journey - Battling Neuroblastoma (interview)

49: Ava's Journey - Battling Neuroblastoma (interview)

Ava is a two year old girl who is receiving treatment for Stage 4 high risk Neuroblastoma. This is a very aggressive form of cancer, with a survival rate of 40%. If Ava's chemotherapy treatments are successful, she faces a 75% chance of relapse with in 6 months - unless she receives a trial vaccine…

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47: The Different Mental Illness Identities

47: The Different Mental Illness Identities

Balancing mental illness with your identity can be quite hard - how much of yourself should you share?

The impact of stigma, judgement and the chance for a fall back into a mental health crisis all impact how you respond when someone asks if you are okay …

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46: Managing Life As An Introvert

46: Managing Life As An Introvert

I’m an introvert. That means I prefer quieter social gatherings and work places, and fewer but deeper connections.

In this episode I talk about how I ensure that I remain social and guard my mental state, as well as offer advice to people to find their ideal job doing something they love, rather than forcing themselves to work doing something they despise …

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45: Upgrade - Part 1

45: Upgrade - Part 1

In this episode I share part 1 of my second book ‘Upgrade’.

"Enter a dystopic future where integration with technology may cost us our humanity. A bleak prediction of a world where consumerism and technological advancement has been taken to the extreme."

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44: Guard Your Mental State At All Costs

44: Guard Your Mental State At All Costs

It is vital to first notice the warning signs of a mental illness coming on and then take action to best guard your mental state.

In this episode share the ups and downs of this week - talking about how I manage my mental state, both in the short and long term.

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42: The Importance Of Seeking Help

42: The Importance Of Seeking Help

In this episode, I talk about my experiences with mental illness, recovery, psychologists, medication and overcoming the embarrassment of seeking help. 
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If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, self harm or suicidal thoughts, please seek help - there are support services and treatments options that work, as well as people that care. You just need to take that first step …

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41: Overcoming Addiction

41: Overcoming Addiction

It is a real challenge to overcome addiction - it involves far more than simply ‘not using’. In this episode, I elaborate on that challenge as well as provide some advice for those who want to quit (or make any positive change in their life)

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39: Guard Your Mental State At All Costs

39: Guard Your Mental State At All Costs

Take action to first determine how different life events impact your mental state, then work to add more of the positive impacts and cut as much of the negative impacts as possible.

Listen Now!

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36: What I Learnt Grappling for 24 Hours Straight

36: What I Learnt Grappling for 24 Hours Straight

I have just completed a 24 hour Grapple-A-Thon, which is 24 hours of continuous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and I want to share the lessons that I have learnt from this experience.

03:40 - General Takeaways
06:50 - BJJ Specific Takeaways
11:48 - Mindset
17:30 - Nutrition and Recovery

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35: The Dystopian Nature Of Social Media

35: The Dystopian Nature Of Social Media

We rarely consider it, but each social media platform is in fact a business competing for our attention. Thus it is in their best interests to ensure that we are as engaged as possible. They accomplish this by matching the content in our feeds, with our prior online habits and demographic details.

Thus the content is highly individualised and narrowly focused. Which sounds great, until you look into the implications: it creates an echo-chamber, ideological isolation and does not regard our best interests (or mental health ) at all.

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34: The Importance Of Self Care (short thought)

34: The Importance Of Self Care (short thought)

The importance of self care cannot be understated. There is no point in working yourself so hard that you have a break down. In this episode, Zachary shares his recent experience of overworking himself to the point of break down, as well as the lessons that he has learnt from the experience.

QOTD: How do you practice self care?

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33: Finding the balance between work and relaxation

33: Finding the balance between work and relaxation

Finding the balance between work and relaxation is vital for both mental health and productivity. Work too much, and you run the risk of becoming run down. Relax too much and your dreams will forever stay as dreams. 

In this episode I discuss my continuing journey to finding a balance between these two aspects of life. 

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31: On Writing Therapy For Mental Health

31: On Writing Therapy For Mental Health

Writing therapy is one of the core components of my ongoing mental health plan. When I feel a build of of mental pressure - I write!

The page listens and does not judge, and therefore you can tell it anything without fear. Writing enables me to collect, organise and express my thoughts. By writing them down, I am able to detach from them and let them go.

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30: The Importance Of Assertiveness

30: The Importance Of Assertiveness

Developing assertiveness is key to ensuring a stable mental state. By actively addressing issues as they arise, you cut them off before they can fester and derail you into bouts of rumination.

In addition, assertiveness easily overcomes bouts of indecision that can plague groups, individuals or businesses. If it is ultimately of little importance, take the initiative and choose

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