Why We Started
My name is Josh, and like many men, I've always struggled with that inner voice telling me negative feedback: "You're not doing good enough", "he's better than you" and just self-doubt as a whole. Social media only made this worse, but like everyone else, I kept scrolling through, filling those tiny gaps of boredom in the day.
I made a decision 4 years ago, before my son was born, to come off all social media. I could tell it wasn't good for my mental wellbeing. Someone told me 'To get rid of a bad habit, you need to replace it with a good one'. This inspired me to start reading books on mindfulness - something I hadn't done since school.
Fast forward 2 years, and after developing a daily mindfulness practice, I still found certain aspects of life were putting me under pressure. Even with a super supportive wife and family, I felt that sharing my worries with other men who might relate could help. This was the start of Mentality.
When I couldn't find a men's support group in Rayleigh, I reached out to my friends. Nathan called me straight away, loved the idea, and offered his mum's dance studio. We brainstormed, planned, and eventually brought Sean on board. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Journey
From personal struggle to community support