We all deal with stress; modern life is rife with it. While it’s one of the deadliest parts of life today, we encounter it in every aspect of our day.
This is especially true for those who have taken demanding executive positions. Michael Weston was one of these people, having worked for 20 years in the Western Australia mining industry.
This all came to a crashing halt in 2013, however, when one of Michael’s neighbours found him unconscious and not breathing in his driveway. It was a freak scenario, and Michael and his wife spent the next two years figuring out what led to the accident — and how it has affected Michael’s ability to live even now.
For years he had trouble working and his family was nearly brought to financial ruin. Michael would go to work each day and have trouble handling simple motor functions. Even taking batteries out of a radio became an hour-long task.
Before long, Michael was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that stemmed from overworking himself and neglecting his own health, as well as his families. The resulting incident caused a severe lack of oxygen to his brain, causing permanent damage that Michael is still dealing with today.
It’s a terrifying idea, everything imploding right before your eyes. But it should also serve as a stern warning to those — and there are plenty of us in the mining industry — who neglect the needs of their bodies and minds to keep their company functioning as efficiently as possible.
“Always go by your gut,” Michael said on the latest episode of Full Production. While there were physical and mental symptoms screaming out at him for a long time before his incident. When he told people that he was forgetting things, his friends and family told him not to worry, that we all have bad memories the older we get. Michael knew that something was seriously wrong, he knew his body’s warning systems were telling him that something was wrong very wrong. So he listened and sought help for the problems he was having – which ultimately saved his life.
Michael now spends his time writing and working to advocate for mental health for people from all walks of life. While miners are particularly susceptible to being overworked in Australia, the truth is that all of us need to monitor our mental health and take time out for ourselves and our loved ones whenever we have the opportunity.
Michael was kind enough to share his story on the latest episode of the Full Production podcast. I urge all of you, no matter what walk of life you’re in, to give this episode a listen. It’s absolutely life-changing and could even save your life.
Listen to my entire conversation with Michael here.