Matthew Johnstone

THERE NO HEALTH WITHOUT MENTAL HEALTH

Approximately one in five people struggle with mental health issues each year. The collateral damage from this is adversely affected relationships, difficulty with work, productivity, self esteem, drug and alcohol problems to name a few. It’s not only tough for the sufferer but can severely impact significant others such as partners, children, friends, colleagues, business and even the economy. Sadly we only fully appreciate our mental or physical health after we lose it. So I have created talks around what it means to be ‘mentally healthy’. These talks are created to inspire a positive and productive conversation about mental health, recognising the signs when things get wobbly, how to have a conversation with others, help seeking and many tips on how to get back to path of living well. These talks are by no means depressing, they simply reflect the fragility of being human but with pathos, hope and humour. Talks covered are: I Had a Black Dog (my personal journey of going through, coming out of and what I learnt from experiencing depression), Living with a Black Dog (a mental health guide guide for carers, parents and employers).

GOING FROM NOWHERE TO NOW-HERE

There are many misconceptions about what mindfulness is and in a nut shell it’s simply about paying attention to where you are, what you’re doing, how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking. It’s about observing situations, thoughts, feelings without engaging, chasing, changing or fighting them. So much of how we see life is driven by how we feel, how we think and how we react. Mindfulness allows us to respond rather than react. It helps us step out of the status quo and see things for what they really are. This uplifting talk uses the metaphor of photography to explain mindfulness. If a camera could speak it would ask ‘What can you see that no one else can?’ ‘What can you capture that will never happen again?’ ‘What speaks to your heart and soul for reasons you can’t explain?’ Participants will come away knowing how to engage with their senses, tips on slowing down, how to engage the breath; all while being more appreciative and aware of their surroundings, thoughts and situation. Capturing Mindfulness is a lateral, creative approach to something that is very accessible to us all. No photographic experience required.

DISCOVERING IDEAS AROUND MEANING, AUTHENTICITY AND PURPOSE

So many of us hurtle through our time on earth, ‘doing life’ as opposed to ‘living it’. Promising ourselves “I’ll do this, when I’ve done that … when I get that, I’ll become this” and on it goes.

Matthew Johnstone’s path hasn’t been without numerous potholes; some of them deep, but within those potholes he has discovered nuggets of gold. Collectively these nuggets have become a road map on how he lives his life now. Matthew will share a lateral view around time and ageing. How we are not the sum total of what we do or what we’ve done. How our trials and tribulations can be gift, if we’re prepared to learn from them. Then he’ll wrap up with his 1o favourite ‘nuggets’ on how to live life fully with meaning, authenticity and purpose.

IF YOUR SOUL ACHES TAKE A MOMENT

I’ve never been to an ashram, I don’t know the chakras, I can’t sit in the yogi position on the floor, I don’t know the meaning to life but what I do know is that when I practice meditation, life is so much better. Meditation is one of the greatest ways we can give our overly worked grey matter bit of a break and buffer from everyday life. Meditation doesn’t solve the worlds problems but it can certainly help decrease stress, lower blood pressure, improve sleep, ease pain, improve metabolism. Not only that but it can make us calmer, happier, feel more engaged, more productive and it helps us be more present.

This is a no nonsense, non cosmic, easy to understand guide which is accompanied with some lovely calming visuals. OMWARDs & UPWARDs!

SOME SWEET IDEAS ON HOW TO BRING SOME CALM INTO YOUR LIFE

In ye-olden days when we were fur wearing, hunter gatherers; stress was vital for survival, it helped us to fight off an invading tribe or a hungry carnivore. It was simply a matter life or death or fight or flight. In todays society we don’t have as many ‘life threats’ and in truth a little stress helps us stay focused, do a good job, turn up and be careful. Sadly being constantly stressed or super busy has become a modern badge of honour. This becomes a monumental burden on our mental and physical wellbeing and can lead to burn out. We can’t stop relationship, work, financial, health or emotional stress-ors but we can certainly change how we respond and deal with the triggers that fire us up.

This is an amusing, inspiring, research/evidence based talk put together with the help of clinical psychologist Dr Michael Player on how we can cool our jets and make stress an ally.

THE A TO ZEN OF LIFE

A is for Adventure. B is for Balance. C is for Compassion. D is for Daring … or A is for Anger. B is for Boredom. C is for Criticism and D is for Depression. This is an enchanting and enriching, Ying and Yang journey through the upside and the downside of what it means to be human. Reflecting on our hopes and our fears, our strength and our weakness, our highs and our lows.

This beautifully uplifting talk on how we can get the most out of life while discovering who we are and what our core purpose is. It shows how to maintain the positive, how to acknowledge and embrace the challenging but with prescriptive answers and strategies. E is for Enjoy!

THE ART OF BUILDING RESILIENCE

It’s fair to say that we all set out in life with the hopeful expectation that everything will turn out OK, but life doesn’t always play fair or go to plan. It’s not to say that we should look at life with a sense of endless foreboding but more; we should greet each day as an opportunity. It’s about owning problems, not your problems owning you. It’s about acknowledging and accepting what may not be working in your life while putting your energies into what is.

Do we stay down or do we get up again? Are we a victim or a survivor? Do we become stuck or do we grow and learn from an experience. The upbeat messages and imagery will resonate long after the talk is over.