The Vulnerability Project

The topic of spirituality is controversial and the word '"woke" tends to be thrown around everywhere you go nowadays. There are a lot of opinions and everyone has a different story to tell. In this episode, I speak to my old family friend Dre about the traumatic event that changed his life forever, what presence and mindfulness means to him, and the link between mental health and enlightenment.

DUDES & DOGSVisit the Dudes & Dogs website here.Follow Dudes & Dogs on Facebook here.Join the Dudes & Dogs online community here.Download the Dudes & Dogs Military Man Down suicide prevention app here.THE VULNERABILITY PROJECTFollow me on Facebook here.Follow me on Instagram here.Visit my website here.

In this episode, I had the joy of talking to my good mate Toby about his journey from teenagehood to adulthood and the adversities that he endured dealing with the pain and isolation of depression, anxiety and external societal pressures of being a man in the 21st century. This is an eye-opening, thought-provoking conversation with a phenomenal, inspiring man. I have no doubts that you will gain something from this episode and I hope it provides you with some food for thought and encouragement to make a positive change in your own life.

The festive season is well and truly upon us. This is a wonderful time of year filled with family, friends, food and love. But for many, this time of year can be especially hard. This can be due to various things, but regardless, I would like to see society allowing for a bit more kindness and gentleness towards those that find Christmas time difficult. In this short, unclipped episode I speak a bit about Christmas and what it used to mean to me, and what it means now. And I hope that if anyone listening to this finds this time of year particularly hard, that you will remember that you are not alone. Whether its due to bereavement, broken families or maybe reasons less impactful, you aren't alone in how you feel. And for those who may not be able to relate so much, I hope this gives you some food for thought and encourages a bit of empathy and understanding. 

For me, find me on social media:FacebookInstagramIn this week's episode, I speak to my good friend Christian Williams in about a very important topic, something we all have to deal with on a daily basis – mental health in the workplace.We spend most of our time at work – so learning how to look after our minds in our professional lives is of the utmost importance.Christian is a business owner in Wales who's struggled with anxiety and burnout, and throughout our conversation, he bravely shares his story and touches on some really important points that I know we can all relate to including how this pandemic has affected all of our lives personally, and also professionally. To find out more about Christian's story and how he learned to manage his mental health at work, as well as the mental health of his staff, listen to this episode. An absolutely brilliant dude, I admire his honesty and transparency and am sure that you will gain from his story.

Today I was lucky enough to sit with a good friend of mine, Michael Seaborne, to discuss the power of community, dancing and breaking stereotypes. Michael is part of a fantastic group called Outta Puff Daddys. Outta Puff Daddys is a dad's only dance crew based in Brighton. Michael talks candidly about the group and how they encourage each other to prioritise their mental health through reaching out, talking about what's on their mind, and of course, dancing. It truly is a fantastic group and such a joy to watch these talented dads do what they love, and do it well for that matter!Michael also shares his personal journey with his mental health as a man in modern-day society and touches on really important topics. A truly gentle soul, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to what Michael had to say and I encourage you all to listen to this episode with an open mind and an open heart.Find Outta Puff Daddys here.

This is my story as an individual that fell victim to the wellness industry and all its digital health know-it-all’s; fad diets and phoney facts. As a guy, this has been an especially tough battle as it is not common, maybe shameful, for men to suffer from disordered eating. I hope my story will help lift that stigma and turn judgement into awareness. This episode includes excerpts from a book I had started to write years ago when I was trying to make sense of my battle with food, my body and my mind. My symptoms never quite aligned with the traditional starvation/purge behaviours that we all know are common. I hope this can provide some insight into the grey area of the world of eating disorders. 

I was incredibly lucky to have sat down with No. 1 best selling author and comedian Dave Chawner, who has written a phenomenal book called Weight Expectations, One Man's Recovery from Anorexia. I read his book a few years ago just as I started my healing journey with my own eating disorder. It was the first time I had come across a man speak so openly about this terrible disorder. So to be able to speak to him personally was a huge honour. Support Dave by getting his brilliant, best selling book here.If you are struggling with an eating disorder, you are not alone. I hope that this conversation can give act as a reminder of that. There are several resources you can reach out to if you are struggling with anorexia or any other type of eating disorder:Beat - https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/recovery-information/help-treatmentMind - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Eating%20disorder%20support/LocationSearch/341

Losing a loved one is one of the, if not the most traumatic things anyone can go through. Nothing in this world can prepare you for it. But I believe that losing a parent at a young age is a very different experience to losing a parent later on in life. And I don't think enough is said about it. So I wanted to share my own experience of losing my mother. Hopefully it can provide some solace to anyone experiencing the same thing. Instagram: @thevulnerabilityprojectukFacebook: The Vulnerability ProjectImportant links:Cruse Bereavement Care: cruse.org.ukSamaritans: samaritans.org

TRIGGER WARNING: SuicideRoyal Marine veteran Tony Phipps joined me for an eye-opening conversation about his experience in the forces, how it took its toll on his mental health driving him to contemplate suicide, and how he picked himself up again. An inspiring story of hope and courage.

In this powerful interview with Australian-based mental health advocate, Kieran from Breaking Barriers, we talk explicitly about important topics such as addiction, loneliness, meditation and more. Kieran is a phenomenal guy with a wealth of experience and knowledge on the world of mental health. You can find him on Instagram at @BreakingBarriersAus

Hi everyone my name is Mike and this is The Vulnerability Project.My mission is to get men talking. The power of vulnerability is not to be underestimated. When done in the right environment with the right people, talking about what’s getting your struggles and hardships can potentially be life changing.I have experienced the potential that vulnerability holds first hand. I’ve had some pretty tough experiences in my life and if I didn’t speak up and seek support I don’t know where I would be. From friends, family, professionals, and even strangers – the help is out there.My aim is to encourage you to tap into your vulnerability and find that safe space that allows you to feel heard, by bearing my own vulnerability and telling my own story with the goal of joining the men’s mental health awareness movement.I believe that vulnerability should be seen as a superpower and not a weakness. Together we can raise the stigma and help better the mental health of our fellow man.