Be kind to yourself. Learning to be kinder to yourself can help with how you feel in different situations. Try to take breaks in your day for things you enjoy. And reward yourself for your achievements, even if they seem small. You can do it on a therapist's couch and that's wonderful, there's also a raw healing power to sit around a campfire with a good friend and talk about the real stuff. Connection, friendship, humility, respect, helping each other. Being honest. You know, these, these, these are root core qualities of survival, survivalists. They're core qualities, whether you're into kayaking or running or whatever. And I've always at heart gravitated to adventure in the outdoors. I think because it's always felt a natural restorative place, and I love that. Bear: Well I don’t look at it like that. I look at it that I've made a career from adventure and the camera has just been an anxious inducing element to tolerate. Be clear with others about what you can take on. In some situations, it might not always be possible to say no to things, or tell people exactly how you feel. But if you can, let people know if their demands are unreasonable or unrealistic.

Try to identify when you have the most energy, such as in the morning or in the evening. If you can, do your most important tasks around that time of day, to help you concentrate better. In 2023, with all the wonders of the modern world, is knowing how to survive in the wild still relevant? You have a book full of ways to build mental resilience. Do you follow your own advice or do you sometimes need reminders yourself? When we fail, it’s vital to look at it as a rite of passage and a key stepping stone and marker on the way to success. After all, the good stuff lies on the other side of fear, pain, struggle and failure. Nothing that’s worth doing is easy, but when you get there it’ll be so sweet. Situations that come up often and that you worry about, such as paying a bill or attending an appointment.Bear Grylls: Mental strength accompanied by physical strength and with a clear spirituality is a winning combo that we can all develop. We can’t be truly strong if we are only strong physically. We are built for so much more. And the great survivors know the power of the mind and spirit working in tangent with the physical. It’s a life journey to get there. And I think it's the same with mental resilience. Let's put the good stuff in. Let's keep you on the front foot. Big journeys start with little steps, simple things that we can do that ultimately can change our life. You know, I've never met a strong person who has an easy past. It's why I wrote this book. You know, I wanted to be able to reach out to the regular people who kind of have been involved in some battles in life and they're clawing and fighting their way through it. I was never saying, ‘Look at me. I'm, I'm, you know, it's, uh, it's one man's quest against the world.’ Because that's a, first of all, it's an empty quest, and it's a lonely mountain.

It's like, let's just keep it simple. Let's just keep it small. Like maybe, maybe face to face is too hard. Maybe just, maybe a text, you know, that I've got you, You're amazing. You know, let's, let's, let's plan something. Let's maybe meet later in the week, you know, however, baby these steps are. We build strength. When I shared this with Bear, he told me that this was the kind of story that inspired him to write Mind Fuel.I need reminding every day. It’s why I still read both Soul Fuel [Grylls’s 2019 book] and Mind Fuel. Little things go a long way to helping us build inner strength. For me, this is why I love big adventures outside, like long runs and full days of skiing. They put me toe to toe with the voice in my head that tells me no, don't go, stop, quit. Develop your interests and hobbies. Spending time on things you enjoy could help distract you from a stressful situation. If stress is making you feel lonely or isolated, shared hobbies can also be a good way to meet new people. Taking care of your wellbeing can help you feel more able to manage stress. Different things will work for different people, but these are some ideas you could try: