Its Mental.
Yeah, Trek The Trak is mental. Looking at it you will see blokes and bikes and camping and the great outback and covering of great distances of rough terrain in short time frames. Secondratepictures make a movie from footage that we capture that is a fantastic representation of what we do in completing our Treks. Going to Maralinga, conquering Goog’s Track, reaching Voakes Hill. So there is a very big physical, logistical and mechanical component to what we do. What you might not see a lot of on the web or Facebook or the movie is the mental stuff. The trek tests you and should strengthen you mentally as well.
Men’s mental health and looking after your mental health is a growing concept within our culture and our communities. Physical health has always been a priority and well catered for and now mental health is a growing focus. Organisations and concepts such as Beyond Blue and R U OK Day are raising awareness of the impact of mental health issues in the community and also how people can get help to care for their mental health or care for others. One rapidly growing and effective support program for men is the Men’s Shed concept, where men get together and spend time together working on projects, talking, engaging. We acknowledge and applaud this group because in many ways TTT is a mobile men’s shed.
Practical examples.
Riding motorbikes in sand is an interesting mental exercise. When you hit the sand your natural instinct is to slow down and use caution. This is the exact opposite of what you should do. When you hit the sand you have to twist the throttle open and give it more power to keep up momentum. So to be a good sand rider you have to have the mental strength to supress a fundamental self-preservation mechanism and do the opposite of what your brain is telling you. This takes significant mental strength.
Problem solving is always on the go with TTT. If you have followed us then you will have seen the breakages we have, the challenges that we have faced. Most men are natural problem solvers and like to do stuff with their hands. The lesson from TTT is that if men are idle, nothing to do, then this can impact on their mental health. Blokes need stuff to do.
Stepping off is never a good thing for your physical health, but what about the stuff going on in your head? A hit that you survive or a near miss can start the ‘what ifs?’ in your head. Unchallenged, this can lead to anxiety and concern the next time you get on. Particular circumstances such as hitting a kangaroo or the track type can start the demons in your head. In the real world we take all sorts of hits and knocks; loss of loved ones, loss of financial security, loss of a job, loss of health, relationship issues. To use the TTT analogy, good mental health and mental processes can help you get back on the bike and go again. If the ‘worry thoughts’ start eating in then it can lead to a range of mental health issues starting at basic anxiety and running up into depression and PTSD can occur. Good support mechanisms such as friendships, talking about what’s going on with a trusted confidant or seeking professional support can assist.
Co-habitation. We all have environments of co-habitation with others; families, at work, friends. TTT is an interesting experiment in that it throws a group of people into close quarters in demanding and sometimes intense circumstances for a number of days. On this trek it will be a nearly a month. Depending on how you view things this can be an opportunity to get some honest feedback on how others view you and your character and behaviour. Over the years and indeed on this trek some feedback has been very honest (Hey XXX, get f_____d). One management/psychology concept to think about here is Johari’s window. This concept is of four window panes, reflecting four things about you: what you know about yourself and no one else does, what you and others know about you, what others know about you but you don’t, and what no-one knows about you. Co-habitation can bring some of these views open to you to reflect on. How you take it on is up to you. I am sure that some people just wander through blissfully ignorant of how they co-habitate with others and if they do it effectively; hopefully TTT makes them think.
Maintaining good mental health is up to you. Think about the time you spend thinking about diet, about injuries and disease, seeing the doctor or reading up on remedies. If you’re a bloke it's really probably not a lot of time, which is anther bloke issue (not getting or seeking help when needed) How much time do you give to your mental health then? Why don’t you grab a handful of throttle and let the clutch out. The TTT guys have.
Yeah, Trek The Trak is mental. Looking at it you will see blokes and bikes and camping and the great outback and covering of great distances of rough terrain in short time frames. Secondratepictures make a movie from footage that we capture that is a fantastic representation of what we do in completing our Treks. Going to Maralinga, conquering Goog’s Track, reaching Voakes Hill. So there is a very big physical, logistical and mechanical component to what we do. What you might not see a lot of on the web or Facebook or the movie is the mental stuff. The trek tests you and should strengthen you mentally as well.
Men’s mental health and looking after your mental health is a growing concept within our culture and our communities. Physical health has always been a priority and well catered for and now mental health is a growing focus. Organisations and concepts such as Beyond Blue and R U OK Day are raising awareness of the impact of mental health issues in the community and also how people can get help to care for their mental health or care for others. One rapidly growing and effective support program for men is the Men’s Shed concept, where men get together and spend time together working on projects, talking, engaging. We acknowledge and applaud this group because in many ways TTT is a mobile men’s shed.
Practical examples.
Riding motorbikes in sand is an interesting mental exercise. When you hit the sand your natural instinct is to slow down and use caution. This is the exact opposite of what you should do. When you hit the sand you have to twist the throttle open and give it more power to keep up momentum. So to be a good sand rider you have to have the mental strength to supress a fundamental self-preservation mechanism and do the opposite of what your brain is telling you. This takes significant mental strength.
Problem solving is always on the go with TTT. If you have followed us then you will have seen the breakages we have, the challenges that we have faced. Most men are natural problem solvers and like to do stuff with their hands. The lesson from TTT is that if men are idle, nothing to do, then this can impact on their mental health. Blokes need stuff to do.
Stepping off is never a good thing for your physical health, but what about the stuff going on in your head? A hit that you survive or a near miss can start the ‘what ifs?’ in your head. Unchallenged, this can lead to anxiety and concern the next time you get on. Particular circumstances such as hitting a kangaroo or the track type can start the demons in your head. In the real world we take all sorts of hits and knocks; loss of loved ones, loss of financial security, loss of a job, loss of health, relationship issues. To use the TTT analogy, good mental health and mental processes can help you get back on the bike and go again. If the ‘worry thoughts’ start eating in then it can lead to a range of mental health issues starting at basic anxiety and running up into depression and PTSD can occur. Good support mechanisms such as friendships, talking about what’s going on with a trusted confidant or seeking professional support can assist.
Co-habitation. We all have environments of co-habitation with others; families, at work, friends. TTT is an interesting experiment in that it throws a group of people into close quarters in demanding and sometimes intense circumstances for a number of days. On this trek it will be a nearly a month. Depending on how you view things this can be an opportunity to get some honest feedback on how others view you and your character and behaviour. Over the years and indeed on this trek some feedback has been very honest (Hey XXX, get f_____d). One management/psychology concept to think about here is Johari’s window. This concept is of four window panes, reflecting four things about you: what you know about yourself and no one else does, what you and others know about you, what others know about you but you don’t, and what no-one knows about you. Co-habitation can bring some of these views open to you to reflect on. How you take it on is up to you. I am sure that some people just wander through blissfully ignorant of how they co-habitate with others and if they do it effectively; hopefully TTT makes them think.
Maintaining good mental health is up to you. Think about the time you spend thinking about diet, about injuries and disease, seeing the doctor or reading up on remedies. If you’re a bloke it's really probably not a lot of time, which is anther bloke issue (not getting or seeking help when needed) How much time do you give to your mental health then? Why don’t you grab a handful of throttle and let the clutch out. The TTT guys have.
