MWB Podcast
The year is 2015. It is round 6 and I am about to take the field. I can’t remember the game plan, I don’t even really care who I’m playing all I know is that if I take a step on that field I’ll get a nice little bonus in my bank account. The next eighty minutes is a blur, I have a mare of a game and I find myself sitting in the locker room afterwards wondering what happened.
What I didn’t know then is that this would be the most important lesson I would learn in my career and would ultimately send me on a journey of self discovery and into the minds of athletes around the world.
Welcome to Open My Brain, a website dedicated to breaking down the stigma surrounding Mental Well-Being (MWB).
Mental health is a social issue that needs addressing. This is difficult as it is a subject that is easier to ignore than accept. The stigma surrounding MWB leaves a sour taste in our mouth. Why? Because mental well-being is commonly associated with things such as depression, anxiety and suicide. This is reinforced by psychiatrists who through no fault of their own are looking at why people are unhappy and depressed. What if we looked at people who are happy? Into a field known as positive psychology. What if?
The answer for me is in understanding. That is why I am here. I want to create a platform for people to comfortably explore MWB, not behind the closed doors of a shrinks office. MWB receives a fraction of the respect it deserves. Leading companies and sports teams alike are investing heavily into this field. It is the final frontier of performance based industry. Why? Its growth potential is intangible and infinite. To tap into and invest in this area can provide us with strategies to exceed in the modern environment of pressure, deadlines and hardships. Through a series of Vodcasts and interviews I will be jumping into the minds of elite sportspeople, CEO’s and your everyday Joe to share experiences, change perceptions and understand how individual mindsets deal with life’s pressures.
Tom
Tom is a professional rugby player based in Australia.
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Awesome stuff champion, keep it up, i can absolutely relate to dismissing the stigma surrounding mental health and those that suffer,
Cheers mate, Adrian
Thanks Adrian, I appreciate your support. The stigma surrounding mental well-being is half the reason we have recurring issues in this space. Understanding that mental well-being is something to be talked about is a huge step in the right direction.
Tom
Wonderful, Tom. Topics like this can never be spoken about too much; making mental health a natural discussion can only reduce the social stigma. As a former soldier and combat veteran who has lived with PTSD for 20 years, I applaud your effort to deep dive into this area. Cheers mate.
This is a great idea Tom. As someone with long term depression, you’re absolutely right to suggest it doesn’t get the respect as a foe that it deserves.
Really interested to see where you go with this.
Wow Tom what a time to be launching yourself on this journey. All at the Stockade must have MWB high on their agenda at present. I am looking forward to reading your interviews in the weeks ahead. Huge respect for you man.
Extremely happy to have found your site!!! I couldn’t agreee more!!! So happy to see more and more attention or focus being put out there!!!!!!
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!
There is a lot of good work being done in this area, particularly in schools. I’m sure your contribution will be fantastic and look forward to seeing what it brings. Well done sir.
Great stuff! Looking forward to reading more.
Love the concept and your approach to a very tricky subject. Can’t wait to see more.
So proud of you looking into this. As a parent with a son who is suffering and is now on meds it really needs to be addressed in the schools. I look forward to reading more, Kel
Tom…
This is awesome, as someone who is effected by this its great to see someone who is part of a team that I look up to breaking down the stigma!