It was me, my younger bro (who is 2 years younger), my mum and dad. My dad made many mistakes that impacted the family greatly. I got into drink, drugs and had run-ins with the police from an early age and developed poor mental health (mainly anxiety and depression). Something had to change and I started reading, researching and studying. I discovered some techniques that worked really well for me and life started to get easier and I started to feel happier and more able. Since those times, I have developed a drum teaching business, co-managed and been on international tours with bands as a drummer and created The Daily Happiness Program. I have recently got the job of Emotional Health & Wellbeing Advisor for Exeter College and feel inspired to share skills for emotional wellbeing. I have a fairly good level of emotional (and physical) wellbeing these days and that's not to say that I don't have days where I freak out or want to punch a wall, because I do, but I have learnt (literally by breaking my hand on a wall) that walls are hard, unless it's a soft wall, in which case it's probably a bit of foam or a cushion that looks like a wall. There is so much that influences our emotional wellbeing, some that we have control over and some that we don’t. For example, our genetics and childhood experiences play a huge role and we didn’t choose those. Uncontrollable life circumstances (like losing a loved or getting promoted) also affect us greatly. We do however have control over a large portion of our own wellbeing and I think this is empowering to know. This is backed up by the work of researchers such as Dr Sonja Lyubomirsky, senior lecturer of psychology at The University Of California. I highly recommend checking out her resources. I like to share a diverse range of resources and tips for emotional health & wellbeing, as we are all different and will take to different things, what works for one person may not work for another and so on. I will be sharing many great influencers, researchers and thinkers. I'll share the odd music video too - I derive a huge sense of purpose and meaning through working on my music and drumming. I believe that we can fulfil many of our psychological needs through developing a central hobby or passion. See my TEDx talk on this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbut5P_ztqw
Best wishes,
Jake
Disclaimer: Any content shared via me is based on my own experience and may not suit your specific circumstances. I am not liable for any potential damages that may be incurred from this information. Please always consult a licensed professional for serious psychiatric or medical conditions.
TEDx Speaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbut5P_ztqw Drummer. Creator of The Daily Happiness Program as featured on TEDx and BBC
