The Journal #28
Mental. Programme. Dreams. Groceries.
01. NXT45 - Joe Gaunt
Our NXT45 Health Pillars - Pillar #2 - Mental
Mental health seems a much more accepted element of health within society these days (which is great) but from my perspective there is still lots of work to do within specific demographic groups..
At the extreme ends of the scale, I experience that men in particular still struggle in a lot of social situations to show vulnerability and seek help, with catastrophic outcomes at times. Equally, in seeking to support mental health it is my personal perspective and a common view amongst many health professionals that mental health diagnosis is hugely over-pathologised in many cases within society currently, particularly with adolescents and young adults.
That is to say those with temporary feelings of anxiety from a certain life experience don’t necessarily ‘have anxiety’ as viewed as a permanent condition (and I say this as a trained psychologist working with people with general anxiety as a current recurring condition). Like all pillars, we will have ups and downs and developing the ability to reflect on these moments, see them as moments and focus on elements we can control in the future often help.
A recent definition of mental health;
‘Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices’ (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023)
This speaks to interconnected nature of our 4 pillars and impact across our entire life, not just health behaviours.
Top tips to support mental health preventatively include a regular enjoyable physical activity, balanced diet, enriching social connections from positive influencers and a consistently good sleep routine.
Areas of positive psychology and a resilient mindset focus for further reading include;
Positive self talk
Setting realistic but achievable goals
Breathwork, mindfulness, creating lists and journaling in times of high stress or as a daily practice
Acts of kindness, including to ourselves.
Reframing a situation (see previous journal posts from me)
Investing in self development and personal growth
Playing to your strengths and being yourself
Seeking help when needed and not being ashamed to ask for support
If any of these points are unfamiliar, why not start that self development now and get some further reading or reach out to me on LinkedIn for a steer or further guidance.
02. FITNESS - Guest - Josh Taylor
This week’s guest fitness expert is coach Josh Taylor. We asked Josh what non-negotiable components are required to make up a holistic hybrid-athlete training programme.
Take a look at the list below. Does everything feature in your training programme each week?
Strength:
• Squat, hinge, single leg, vertical and horizontal push / pull, accessory exercises.
Conditioning:
• Erg machines (row, ski, bike), assault bike, treadmills, sleds, kettlebells etc
Running (or another cardiovascular exercise that you enjoy):
• Intervals – treadmill / track, longer duration running efforts 5km - ultra-marathon
Next week we will share some of Josh’s simple examples of programming to help you build upon your strengths and address your weaknesses.
03. MINDSET - Mike Bates
Dare to Dream
In The Journal issue #6 I shared my thoughts on the power and importance of writing a personal manifesto.
Writing down our dreams, aspirations and thoughts is a strong way to take what is in our head (not real thoughts) and organise it into reality on a page.
This is something I will be talking more about on stage at The Hundred 2024 (tickets are still available!).
Last week we all watched in amazement, and on the edges of our seats, as the GB Women’s Quadruple Skulls narrowly beat The Netherlands by 15/100 or 0.15 of a second in a gold medal winning time of 6:16.31.
They only led for the final metre in a 2000 metre race!
What you may not be aware of is the story behind Lola Anderson.
Lola Anderson was 14 in 2012 when the Olympics were last on home soil and she watched inspired by Helen Glover and Heather Stanning taking gold on the water.
Lola said that she was so overcome by a ‘huge wave of inspiration’ she instantly pulled out her pink Jack Wills notepad and wrote the following sentence.
"My name is Lola Anderson and I think it would be my biggest dream in life to go to the Olympics in rowing and if possible win a gold for GB."
Moments later embarrassment set in as she stared back at the scale of her unimaginable goal. So embarrassed in fact that she tore out the page and threw it in the bin.
Lola’s father Don Anderson, himself a rower, found the discarded pledge, rescued it from the bin and put it in his pocket.
7 years later upon discovering that he had cancer Don presented the note to Lola and told her that he wanted her to have it “as a reminder and a memento that even when you don't back yourself, your parents and loved ones always do".
Don died two months later.
Lola treasured the note for 5 years and it became a constant source of inspiration in the build up to the games.
A stark reminder of the power of setting big goals and committing them to paper in the form of a manifesto.
It’s also of course a reminder of the unconditional love and support we all have as parents in supporting the dreams of our children.
We will always be their biggest fans.
Dare to dream for yourself and those you love the most.
Write it all down.
P.s - Shout out to Andy MacDonald who is representing Great Britain in skateboarding at the 2024 Paris Olympics. MacDonald who qualified in Budapest on his final run will be 51 years of age at the time of competition. Andy is joined by two other GB teammates in Sky Brown and Lola Tambling, both aged 16.
04. QUOTE
"Age really is just a number."
Andy MacDonald - British Olympian (aged 51)
05. TIP
Finances feel tough at the moment. Business does too.
As you’ll read about in the coming weeks in Joe’s health series ‘Financial Health’ forms an important pillar in our overall health and happiness.
You might be surprised to know that the overall price of food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 25% between January 2022 and January 2024.
Here are a few tips to help manage and save on your weekly food bill.
- Replace fresh fish for frozen. Frozen salmon is around 55% cheaper than fresh fillets and you can cook them direct from the freezer (wrap them in a foil parcel to keep the moisture inside).
- In the winter bulk the meat out in stews and casseroles with less expensive proteins such as tinned chickpeas or lentils.
- Stock up on long lasting cupboard essentials such as tinned foods, dried pasta/rice and washing tablets if in the sale.
- When planning your weekly menu think about what leftovers you could also make to help you save more. My favourite is taking leftover stew (it always tastes better the following day) and topping it with pastry to make a mouthwatering midweek pie.
- Use cheaper cuts of meat like chicken legs rather than breasts. Often tastier and more moist when pulled from the bone. Tesco 2kg of chicken thighs costs £2.40/kg compared to their 650g of diced chicken breast priced at £7.62/kg.
- Don’t throw stuff away. It is estimated that in the U.K we discard 20% of edible food costing us on average £600 each year!
We believe that when men live happier, healthier & more fulfilled lives…everyone wins! - NXT45
The Journal by NXT45
