The worst of my fears are guaranteed to happen.

At some stage, all of my friends and family will die, and so will I. Nothing else is certain. Yet when I review my topics of rumination, I spend comparatively little time here.

This revelation was exceptionally freeing, I now know that I am free to follow my dreams - why? Because the worst will happen any way.

In this episode I explore this concept in depth.

Slow breathing relaxes the body which in turn relaxes the mind.

Being told to take ‘a slow deep breath’ is so cliche that it is often not even attempted. This is a shame, because it really does work …

Troy Fumo joins me to discuss his recent MMA championship victory.

We talk about overcoming anxiety, motivation and mental state, as well as his inspiring personal journey from being housebound with anxiety to risking it all in the cage in front of 1000’s.

One of the best ways to reduce the severity and duration of a panic attack (or anxiety in general) is to become present state aware.

This involves taking slow and deep breaths, while focusing your attention onto your senses. What can you see, hear, taste, touch and smell right now? Focus on that!

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 …

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.

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

"I am planning on taking a day off everything to just meditate. I want to see what my mind throws up at me, and what I am often striving to avoid. I will spend a day with out technology, talking, writing, reading or eating - with the sole focus of meditating and facing the demons of my mind" 

"For me, a lot of the symptoms of anxiety are physiological: shortness of breath, headache, coldness, and clumsyness. I get trapped in rumination, often overthinking everything. This has an impact on my ability to cope in social situations as there is a lot of stimulus to take in and process.

I find myself creating multiple potential futures for each outcome and simultaneously contemplating the worst of each. This causes my mental state to be focused on the worst possible outcomes for futures that never eventuate."

"Protect your mental state, that way you are in the best place to help others.

It is important to realise that your mental state is the lens in which you view the world, if it is compromised, so to is your ability to judge the people, events and actions of your life..."

Zachary reveals how he discovered his obsession with avoiding his own thoughts, the addictive pull of social media as well as how creativity can be stifled by too much external input.

"If you are always listening to other peoples words, you are always having an external person influence your thinking process ... by allowing for silence, you get to discover what you truly believe and feel about things."

"When somebody is in a down mental state there is a tendency for them to feel like they have always been in that state.

Personally, when I am going through a bout of anxiety, depression or disociation I feel like I have always been suffering from it. It taints every memory of my past and makes me feel like it will be there for each instance in my future.

To combat this, I have written a 'mental health check list' that outlines that things have and will get better (they always have). As well as lists the activities that have worked for me in the past . 
I leave this on my wall as a reminder and promise to myself that I will try to get better, even if it feels like I can't. 

In this episode I go in depth, explaining what I do to pull myself out of a down mental state..."
 

Social media is a highlight reel of life - not a true representation of reality. People only post the best and worst of their lives, not the mundane.

In this episode, Zachary Phillips discusses the impact that social media consumption has on our mental state.