Being on the road and away from loved ones is hard on most anyone. The phrase ‘traveling for work’ might be decidedly different for survivalist, adventurer, and tv host Bear Grylls, but the emotions are the same.
The 48-year-old is also a father of three, and a husband. While his exploits may take him to the remote corners of the Earth instead of Tulsa, he also needs reassurance and positive mental health. He posted on Twitter that human connections are vital to everyone.
“Loneliness affects us all,” his tweet began. “I’ve definitely had some moments of struggling with being lonely, especially in the early days of doing TV, away from my family. I often felt out of my depth and unsure about what I was doing.
“The lack of comms in remote places was also hard during those years, but little messages that my family used to write, sustained me so much. As did my faith. If you’re going through a lonely time, then be brave and reach out to someone. Anyone. People want to help.”
Loneliness affects us all. I’ve definitely had some moments of struggling with being lonely, especially in the early days of doing TV, away from my family. I often felt out of my depth and unsure about what I was doing.
— Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) December 9, 2022
Grylls has written a new book addressing the value of mental health.
He expands on the virtues of both human connection and the human condition. In Mind Fuel: Simple Ways to Build Mental Resilience Each Day he draws back on his survival experience to share a range of tips that he has used to overcome his fears. There are sections aimed to help break through the boundaries that limit everyone from finding success in their everyday life.
As he has continued to age he has also noticed that his specific segment of the population is often overlooked.
“There is also a shocking number of suicides in men ages 40 to 50,” he told iNews. “It is almost as if they are the generation that missed out on the mental health movement, and are suffering for it. They don’t have the tools because they were never taught them. Speaking from experience, they can be difficult to learn on your own.”
Grylls went from a celebrity in the UK to household name around the world in late 2006. His star beamed when his first major program, Man vs Wild, became popular. It is a period of time that put the young explorer into some of the most difficult places on Earth survive.
He did not know, at the time, that it would be more than just physically taxing. As he has grown into a global ambassador, he has also opened up about his struggles. And some of his solutions.
“Working on your mental health is especially hard because everyone is different,” he told iNews. “What works for me is getting outside as much as possible, immersion in cold water and a morning yoga session.
“We will all have to weather storms at some point in our lives, so it’s important to get on the front foot. Prepare ourselves for the ordeals to come, whatever they may be, and know that they won’t go on forever.”
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Mind Fuel: Simple Ways to Build Mental Resilience Each Day is available now, you can order it at this link.
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