MY thoughts on mental health

Mental fitness for men isn’t about pushing harder or relying on willpower. This article explores how sustainable habits support resilience, regulation, and steadiness, especially at this time of year when motivation can waver and pressure starts to build in the background.

A reflective essay on completing 52 waterfalls in one year, exploring hope, despair, resilience, and what sustains men’s mental health when plans fall apart.

As the year winds down, stress can narrow perspective and pull men towards retreat. A personal reflection on the nervous system, connection, and finding balance through nature.

Why self-limiting beliefs show up during change, how they hold men back, and what helps us step forward with confidence and integrity.

This week’s blog is a write-up of my presentation at the Association for Outdoor Therapy Conference. It explores how Walk and Talk, Paddleboard Therapy, and other active approaches can create the right conditions for men to open up, reconnect, and heal.

Struggling with imposter syndrome? Discover how movement, nature, and Walk and Talk Therapy in the Lake District can help men find clarity and confidence.

Many men carry wounds that run deeper than they realise - old pain, shame, or loss that still shapes how they live. At Stand Tall Therapy in Cumbria, we explore how men can transform those emotional wounds into strength, purpose, and connection. Drawing on Robert Bly’s Iron John, this article looks at men’s healing, trauma recovery, and the power of nature-based therapy and men’s groups to turn pain into purpose.

Walking through the Valley of Desolation I was reminded how nature holds both the memory of the storm and the beauty of renewal. This reflection explores how the labels we carry - from diagnoses to the stories we tell ourselves - can shape, limit, or liberate us. Drawing on my own experience of PTSD recovery and my work in men’s mental health, I look at how we can honour our past without being defined by it, and how healing begins when we remember who we are beneath the word

Many men say they have no close friends. Discover why friendship gets harder with age, and how men’s groups help rebuild real connection.

Feeling overloaded? Stand tall by returning to the basics: sleep, movement, time outdoors, steady nutrition, boundaries, and good people around you.

Discover what overwhelm really is, the neuroscience behind it, signs to watch for, and practical tools men can use to manage it and protect their mental health.

Many men feel like they’re drifting through life. Discover how to realign with your values and start living a life that feels like yours.

I’ve followed The Hurt Locker Podcast from the beginning. It first came onto my radar during a period of personal uncertainty, and I was immediately struck by the honesty of the conversations, the diversity of guests, the humour, and the empathy behind Yinka’s style. So, when I was invited to take part, I said yes. I wanted to step into the Hurt Locker to open up about what it means to support men in moving from disconnection to presence in a way that’s grounded, compassionat

Discover how nature supports men’s mental health by regulating the nervous system, reducing stress, and offering space to reconnect. Learn why getting outside - even briefly - can be a powerful reset.

Spending time in Nature and green spaces reduces activity in the amygdala – the brain’s fear centre – and boosts areas associated with calm, empathy, and focus.

Have you ever noticed how men tend to open up more when they’re walking side by side with someone, rather than sitting across a table? Whether it’s during a walk; working on a car; or sitting together on a long drive, men often find it easier to talk when facing the world shoulder-to-shoulder. It’s not just anecdotal - there’s science behind it.

Discover a different approach to men's mental health. Learn how Walk and Talk Therapy creates space for men to heal, connect, and stand tall.

Adventure isn’t just about climbing mountains or jumping out of planes. It’s about stepping into the unknown.

Full-day walk & talk therapy sessions, offer physical space & blend the healing powers of nature, movement, and uninterrupted dialogue.

There’s something about the icy embrace of cold water that brings me into the present and resets everything.