Bressies 1000 hours for mental fitness
‘My1000Hours’.
You mightn’t have heard the concept before, but you’re likely to hear it a lot more in the future.
It might be a friend undertaking to build up their physical fitness in a phased way. It might be your vow to yourself as you attempt to learn a new language, or to become proficient on a musical instrument, or in a new skill.
What Bressie (Niall Breslin) hopes – and he is the man behind the ‘my1000hours.com’ movement – is that whatever results it brings in terms of physical fitness, linguistic proficiency or musical adeptness, the real benefit will be in terms of improving what he terms “mental fitness”, and help normalise the conversation surrounding mental health in Ireland, where, he says, we still attach a stigma to such issues.
The Mullingar man, who is a coach on the Voice of Ireland, and a passionate mental health advocate, has just launched the website my1000hours.com, which is the portal to stories of hope, sources of help and advice, and as of last weekend, plans for phased progress towards a goal, and an online counselling service.
This first goal is, as it happens, a 5k/10k taking place in The Phoenix Park in March, (for the Irish Independent fit mag run seriesfitmagazine.ie/events/race/irish-independent-my1000hours-5k-10k) and the my1000hours site will help even those who have never run before take on a gently phased plan, over eight weeks, that will get them set to participate. But while that’s the first shared goal, the site will provide a structure for people aiming to take on their own personal goals, regardless of what field or skill that is in.
“It’s a lot more about emotional fitness and mental fitness rather than just ‘mental health’; giving people practical tips and practical ways, coping mechanisms,” explains Bressie, who has openly – and movingly – spoken of his own battles with anxiety and depression.
The concept is not just for those who have had, or who currently have, a mental health difficulty: it’s for everyone, because he believes strongly that we need to devote as much time to our “mental fitness” as to our physical wellbeing.
“No matter what you are doing, everyone can improve and the coping mechanisms are great for everyone mentally: everyone is going to go through some trauma in their lives, and if you don’t go through the coping mechanisms, it can be a huge effort, mentally. It’s about improving your mind, to get it fitter, and stronger,” he says.
As well as the running event in March, also on the horizon is a national cycling event he wants to hold in Mullingar in the autumn – again, with a focus on having non-cyclists get up on their bikes, and, using the My1000Hours incentive, getting themselves ready for at least the shortest of the three distances the event will cover.
They’re just some of the My1000Hours ideas: but Bressie won’t stop at that. He also wants the site to be the contact point for a 24/7 voluntary counselling service.
Behind the site are Bressie himself, and a long-time friend and sports agent, Derry McVeigh.
“It’s just me and Derry, a close friend, someone I have worked with on the sports side and he’s helped me put together the race,” he says.
Also lined up to come on board are lots of people with an expertise in coaching and in counselling.
“I had no background in technology or apps or blogs, and I need people who are passionate about what I’m trying to achieve,” he says.
“Just because of the work I do in mental health in Ireland, I have opened up a huge network of people, and can be a bridge for people now to really try and think, because changing attitudes in Ireland is one of the most difficult things you can do.
“I get 50/60 emails a day from people saying: ‘can I help out?’,” he says, going on to pay tribute to organisations such as Aware, Pieta House and others doing great work in the field of mental health.
The My1000Hours concept is based loosely on the point made by author Malcolm Gladwell in his book 2008 book, Outliers, that what marks out experts in any field, is 10,000 hours of practice – or 20 hours a week for 10 years.
“But it’s also about my own journey with discovering what worked best for my mental health. I had to be patient but more importantly, open and frank,” says Bressie.
It’s not that Bressie wants Ireland to become a nation of expert runners, musicians, linguists or cyclists – but he likes the idea of breaking down the phases of progress into manageable steps.
On the website, it says: “My1000hours will also serve as an online support blog for those hoping to challenge themselves and require some guidance. This can be anything from a 5k run to an Ironman, from learning guitar or a new language. The same tools and principles apply.”
However, Bressie stresses that running a race, taking up a new pursuit, won’t be a magic spell to make everything better, and that for every individual, the chase towards mental fitness, or the treatment for a mental health issue, will be different.
“The My1000Hours idea is only a start: you find the ultimate combination of things that make you feel good and that you can cope with.
“I wasn’t able to find that combination until everybody around me knew about my issues,” he says.
“If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, you don’t look for answers overnight. But if you are struggling, let your loved ones know, and let people close to you know,” he says.
“It’s virtually impossible to work with and deal with if you have to keep it to yourself. We want people to understand you don’t have to do that: as soon as you start seeking help, things can get a lot better.”
“Mental health issues are so complex. You can’t say: ‘if you get out and do runs, you’ll feel better’, and that is not what we’re saying at all. But for a lot of people, it’s about fighting back and learning their best way to deal and manage with their issues.
“If I was going through an acute depressive phase I wouldn’t be going out running: I could barely get out of bed,” he says, going on to add that in his own case, it was a case of medication and coping strategies that got him through initially.
Over time, the website will have guidance for those interested in embarking on triathlons; participants will have what he describes as “basically a personal trainer online”.
And such is his belief in the need in this country to open up the conversation about mental health, that the entire programme is free, although, as is usual in races or other competitive events, there will be an entrance fee to cover operational costs.
“In terms of using the site, the programmes that we will give you, that is all free, and we aim to keep it that way,” he says.
While people will be able to take up their own personal My1000Hours challenge at any time, it’s a particularly relevant topic at this time of the year, as people attempt to stick to their new year’s resolutions.
“You have to find your real motivation: why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to get fit? Do you want more confidence, or more self-esteem? My motivation is it’s a form of medication for me. That is what gets me out of bed.”
The Breslin family have come on board: they’re embarking on the training for the March 5/10k in The Phoenix Park – and then the focus will turn to his planned cycle event in Mullingar in the autumn.
“I cycle in Westmeath a lot. I think it’s one of the most beautiful counties and it hasn’t been shown off properly. I want to bring a couple of thousand people into town; I want people to get into town on a bike and get the amazing midland cycling and triathlon clubs involved.”