Speaker: Simon Blake, CEO, MHFA England
Which activities or hobbies have had a positive impact on your mental health?
Simon Blake: The activities that I enjoy the most are always outside. I grew up in Cornwall, and I absolutely love spending time in the park, in the river, in the fields with the animals. It was just the thing that I've always loved the most. So I have a horse. and I absolutely adore it. It absolutely absolutely is the best thing for my mental health.
Are there any books, podcasts, or resources related to mental health that you've found valuable or insightful?
Simon Blake: so many different podcast books, resources that are really interesting. You know, all of them. The ones that I love the most are ones where we're hearing people's stories. So Fern cottons, the happy places are really big, obvious podcast that I would recommend everybody has a listen to, but also for me, things like Desert Island disc where you hear people's stories about the things that they have done, the things that they have experienced are just really, really phenomenal. So whether that's podcasts, whether that's a, autobiography, whether that's self penned stories that are self published, those are the things that I think are really insightful about mental health, resilience and support and that we can learn so much from what I learn so much from
Is there a particular person or support network that has played a significant role in supporting your mental health?
Simon Blake: when it comes to support networks. For me, it's all about my friends. I have got amazing friends who have been there to laugh with me, to laugh at me and to pick me up when I've needed picking up and to support and encourage me. And I hope that I have been able to be as instrumental and important and as much as support to them as they have to me.
What would you say to other people who are experiencing poor mental health?
Simon Blake: My mum always used to say to me that no issue is too big or small to talk about that, even if you worry, it may seem insignificant to others. Or even if you are so worried that it is so big that nobody would ever understand that once you say it out loud that it is really, really, um you know the impact, the size of it is reduced immediately. So I would say to anybody going through anything experiencing, you know, some of the worst challenges or experiencing really poor mental health that please talk about it. Please find somebody to help. Please know that there is hope. It is really, really important that we always always get the help and support that we need and know that there is always hope.
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