The Fragility of Mental Health & How Embracing Vulnerability Is A Strength
Former extreme sports enthusiast Adam Bowcutt has had a colourful life, from numerous visits to the hospital with chronic depression, an honours degree in Psychology and Sociology from The University of Southampton, England, writing his first book, ‘Confide: The New Psychology of Confidence. How to Power Up after Experiencing Depression’, to eventually being diagnosed with bipolar. Adam has experienced many highs and lows to arrive at this point where he can now share his experiences with the world to help with their own mental health issues through vulnerability, support and hard work.
This episode is a powerful, open and emotional conversation that looks into the life of someone suffering from mental illness. Adam shares his ongoing journey to achieve ultimate balance, confidence and happiness, how he got here and where plans to go next. Currently writing his second book: WORK IS MENTAL: Rethinking Future Workplace Mental Health, Adam continues to work on his men’s groups to help build up strength and confidence, with a goal to help 100 people, especially in the workplace.
To hear more about Adams journey and seek additional advice you can visit his website here https://adambowcutt.com.au/
Adam has gifted our listeners an exclusive Wellness Warriors 18% discount for Digital Copy and Digital Audiobook copy of Confide book!
Simply enter code “WW18″ via the form at the bottom of his website.
Snownotes:
01:01 – At what age of your life did you start your extreme sports journey, most specifically with snowboarding?
His passion and ‘obsession’ with snowboarding begun at the age of 11. Adam shares how his journey progressed as he moved through the mountains.
04:19 – Do you think you were someone who was achieving at such a high level in sport and placed a lot of pressure on yourself to perform, achieve, and excel? And was that linked to how you got into deep dark depression?
Adam believes that although the pressure had allowed him to improve, he stretched himself to the point that it became unhealthy and unbalanced.
06:06 – Do you think we’ve come a long way to support the mental health of our elite sportspeople?
Adam shares his excitement seeing the significant increase in how sportspeople are being supported mentally compared to when he was heavily involved in the area.
07:53 – At what stage did you decide that you wanted to take up studying psychology and sociology? When did that become a passion for you?
Adam developed his fascination with understanding human behaviours from a very young age. He dived deep into sociology and psychology during his study. And that’s where the journey began.
10:37 – Did your knowledge from your study in sociology and psychology help you with your recovery through depression?
His knowledge allowed him to understand his challenges to a certain extent which did help him. However, Adam points out that, partly, it also became counter-productive in his healing process.
12:07 – Was there a specific moment in time that you can pinpoint that was the catalyst for your depression? How did that kind of roll out over time?
Adam shares his recent finding of the history of his depression. This new learning has majorly shifted his views on his past.
His journey in receiving help and giving support to others has played a huge role through his healing also.
18:10 – What did your support network look like outside the professional and hospital setting? And how did that help you with the healing process?
The support from his close friends and his sister had a powerful effect on his journey. Adam and Felicity discuss how a support system outside of medical help is critical and can save lives.
22:48 – At what point do you feel like you had gone through that transition of feeling as though your healing process was complete?
Adam explains that for him, it’s continuous progress. However, there was a certain point where he held as the standard of his balance in wellbeing.
25:52 – What are some of the techniques you’ve put into practice every day to keep you balanced? Did you change your diet?
Besides writing three gratitudes, Adam also embedded a holistic approach to the daily habits in all areas to help him be as close to his optimal self as possible each day.
31:04 – How do you feel that other men can connect with the mindful practices to achieve good health?
The stigma of the past of not being strong and manly has shifted dramatically. Adam shares the empowered stories of men, like himself, leading the way and re-imagining what it is to be a man and share who they are.
34:21 – Tell us about how you recently injured your elbow and ended up having the brace you’re wearing proudly now?
Adam tells how he first dislocated his elbow almost 20 years ago during a skateboarding competition. That injury has left weakness on his elbow. From just putting his shoes on too quickly, it had led him to another surgery.
37:30 – Where did your professional career start?
Adam takes us on a ride from his skateboarding career, and through many leaps of faith later, he’s now building impactful businesses of his own to help others.
41:45 – What do you see as being your greatest failure that’s helped drive success for you?
His greatest failure was not listening to himself sooner, not trusting himself sooner, not having self-awareness sooner. However, it was the right time for him to realise it in hindsight because he was ready to make that one decision now, Adam shares.
45:57 – What inspired the first book, what shaped the first book and how is that helping people here and now?
Adam has always been inspired by public speakers, something he’s aspired to be great at himself. Then, at a fateful event, a speaker reminded him of the power of writing, where he remembered how much he used to want to become an author too.
50:36 – Tell me what drew you to the Freemasons and what can you share with us with that secret community?
Adam shares with us as much as he can about his experience being a part of the so-called secret society. At first, he was only seeking ways to network his business without realising that this community would become one of the top three important things in his life.
58:44 – What does wellness mean to you?
To Adam, wellness means loving yourself and helping others to love themselves cells in a beautiful cycle of love, strength, and health. It’s all connected for me. Wellness is a continual cycle severe of strength and energy and beauty and love and all those good things.
