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Untamed Advice’s Holistic Mental and Emotional Health & Wellness Guide 2024.

A round up of our best content from 2023 to support your wellness as we move into 2024. Untamed Advice is an online counselling service that also provides a lot of free online content to support the mental health of anyone seeking help. Untamed Advice also provides a range of content to support in the form of online courses, live events, digital downloads and wellness merchandise to nurture your inner landscape, and help you to thrive regardless of the challenges you may face. This simple guide is a collection of helpful content from our website in 2023, and we plan to keep uploading fresh content here and we'll as supporting this website and preserve freedom of information. Stress and Anxiety Help, Anger Management, Abuse Support, Grief, Live Off Grid, Men's Work, Spirituality Support, For Healers, Survival Skills Jamie C. Goodwin

A round up of our best content from 2023 to support your wellness as we move into 2024. Untamed Advice is an online counselling service that also provides a lot of free online content to support the mental health of anyone seeking help.

Untamed Advice also provides a range of content to support in the form of online courses, live events, digital downloads and wellness merchandise to nurture your inner landscape, and help you to thrive regardless of the challenges you may face.

This simple guide is a collection of helpful content from our website in 2023, and we plan to keep uploading fresh content here and we'll as supporting this website and preserve freedom of information.

Stress and Anxiety Help, Anger Management, Abuse Support, Grief, Live Off Grid, Men's Work, Spirituality Support, For Healers, Survival Skills

Jamie C. Goodwin

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2024

HOLISTIC

MENTAL &

EMOTIONAL

WELLNESS

GUIDE

By Jamie C. Goodwin.

It's your time to thrive.

2024+ © Untamed Advice & Publishing All Rights Reserved


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Wellness in 2024

Hello friend. Welcome to this 2024 guide for mental and emotional health & wellness. As we

move into 2024 and beyond, feeling OK, good, or even, dare I say it, happy has proved

increasingly challenging for many. With the world in an increasing state of flux, it can be

difficult to mitigate stress, anxiety, anger, depression, grief or other issues that can compromise

an individual's wellness.

Despite the state of things, there are causes to celebrate and reasons to be joyful. One of those

reasons is the accessibility of wellness information, allowing everyday people to take charge of

their mental landscape.

The rising focus on wellness has gained steam, and many, including myself, can provide

guidance, counsel, and support for sufferers worldwide.

Nature is also making a comeback. This resurgence in the natural world is a massive boon for

the wildlife and the mental health of each of us in our enjoyment of the wilds.

So, there are reasons not to give up and keep working towards a bright future where we can

cultivate peace and prosperity and thrive both externally and internally.

Who Am I?

My name's Jamie C Goodwin. I'm a certified counsellor, wellness coach, and writer of Untamed

Advice. My mission in life is to provide rock-solid well-being to as many people as possible

while reuniting humanity with the natural world.

Wellness has been a monumental journey for me. I've fallen off the deep end of stress, anger

and anxiety many times. Been sucked into depression via trauma and lost loved ones, along

with almost everything in my life, more times than I can remember.

Throughout each adventure, I had fortunate exposure to high-level scientific data, ancient

philosophical teachings, and practical, down-to-earth, real-world experience, transforming

almost all catastrophes into growth opportunities.

I now live in the wilderness, supporting people worldwide to take charge of their lives and

thrive, regardless of what they face.

2023 Highlights

2023 was a challenging year for many of us. Though focusing on some highlights, I can

undoubtedly say I have no regrets. Here are some key insights I can share.

1. You never have to agree to play a role that doesn't serve you.

2. It's OK to say no.

3. You are the main character of your life; there is no need to supplicate your energy with

those who don't give you the same respect.

4. Expectations usually lead to disappointment, as do assumptions.

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5. Wellness isn't about not having negative thoughts. It's more about being OK regardless

of how your thoughts look.

6. Judgements are overrated. The more open-hearted you are, the better your life becomes.

7. Trying to prove yourself only tangles you in knots.

8. Emotions, regardless of their flavour, are natural. Our responses, however, define our

experience.

2024 Message

For 2024, the key thing I'd recommend focusing on is resilience. Resilience is the crucial skill

that gets us through everything. With a world drenched in continued aggression, your innate

resilience shines like a beacon, first within you, then through your actions.

Trust yourself, and be resilient to change. You will make it. It's your time to thrive.

Curated Content From Untamed Advice

Here are some pivotal insights created on our website in 2023 to support you moving forward

in 2024.

In 2023, I posted all content on https://untamedadvice.com, where you can read full articles,

watch videos and more.

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Stress & Anxiety Help

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Originally Published on: 31 August 2023 at 17:19 Here: https://untamedadvice.com/free/stressand-anxiety-help/

Statistics on Stress and Anxiety

• Prevalence: According to the American Psychological Association, as of 2020, approximately

40 million adults in the United States are affected by anxiety disorders, making it the most

common mental health disorder in the country (APA, 2020).

• Age Groups: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among young adults. A survey from 2019

indicated that 63% of U.S. college students reported experiencing overwhelming anxiety in

the past year (ACHA, 2019).

• Impact on Work: Stress is also a significant workplace issue. The World Health Organisation

reported that work-related stress costs businesses in the United States up to $300 billion

annually (WHO, 2019).

• COVID-19 Impact: The pandemic has significantly impacted stress and anxiety levels.

According to a survey, almost 42% of respondents reported experiencing high anxiety levels

due to the pandemic (CDC, 2020).

Proven Techniques to Manage Stress & Anxiety

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Techniques For

Stress and Anxiety

• Thought Records: This involves identifying negative thought patterns and challenging them

to create more balanced and less anxious thoughts (Beck, 2011).

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation: A technique involving tensing and relaxing muscles

sequentially to reduce physical symptoms of anxiety (Jacobson, 1938).

Mindfulness Techniques For Stress and Anxiety

• Mindfulness Meditation: Regular mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce

symptoms of stress and anxiety (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

• Deep Breathing Exercises: Techniques like the 4-7-8 method activate the body's relaxation

response (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005).

Personal Experience with Stress and Anxiety

"Now that's clear, I want to share with you some of my personal stress and anxiety lessons.

Due to my adventurous life, I've had to deal with many problems. Some almost took that life

from me. During those times, particularly in my early 20s, my stress and anxiety levels hit alltime

highs. Throughout each situation, life blessed me with a powerful lesson. Below are some

of the core life lessons I've learnt. I hope they help you."

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10 Stress and Anxiety Life Lessons

1. Take care of yourself first. You can handle things more if you’ve slept adequately, eaten

well, are warm, and hydrated.

2. Never base who you are on the fear of how others see you.

3. Most of the time, we catastrophes over absolute fantasies. Ask yourself, how much of your

fear comes from proven fact?

4. Break insurmountable challenges into easily digestible & achievable micro-goals. Log your

progress as you go. That momentum changes “I can’t” to “I am.”

5. Rest in your awareness. The chaos around you never harms awareness.

6. Never take anything personally. Believing everything is a personal attack is the poison that

eats away your resilience to stress & anxiety.

7. Learn to let go as a reflex to pressure. This modality often means letting go of desire as well

as resistance.

8. Meditation helps a lot. Don’t skip meditation. Put in the work.

9. Everything occurs in the mind first. Even if it’s a reaction to the external situation, it starts in

your mind and then feeds into the body. Thus, if you learn to steer your mind as you

perceive challenges, then stress & anxiety lose power over you.

10. Believe in your ability to conquer challenges. You’ll be surprised in yourself. It is possible to

get past this obstacle even if seemingly impossible. The worst thing you can do is let it

defeat you, and that occurs first in the mind. Be open to unseen solutions.

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Anger Management

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Originally 1 September 2023 at 10:48 Here: https://untamedadvice.com/free/angermanagement/

Statistics on Anger Management

• Prevalence: A 2006 study estimated that approximately 7.8% of people in the United States

admit to experiencing frequent, intense, poorly controlled anger (Kessler et al., 2006).

• Impact on Relationships: A study in 2000 found Unmanaged anger is a significant factor in

22% of divorces (Gottman & Levenson, 2000).

• Workplace Impact: A 2018 study revealed that more than 40% of workers say that

workplace stress increases their bouts of anger (APA, 2018).

• Health Risks: A 2000 study linked prolonged, intense anger to health issues such as

hypertension and heart disease (Williams et al., 2000).

Proven Techniques for Anger Management

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Techniques For

Anger Management

• Cognitive Reappraisal: This technique involves changing your thought patterns around a

triggering situation to reduce your emotional response (Beck, 2011).

• Relaxation Techniques: Simple relaxation tools, like deep breathing and visualisation, can

help soothe angry feelings (Novaco, 1975).

Mindfulness Techniques For Anger Management

Mindful Observation: Focusing your attention on your emotional and physical state during

moments of anger can create distance from the emotion (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

Pause and Reflect: Taking a moment to pause and reflect before reacting can reduce impulsivity

and provide room for a more thoughtful response (Siegel, 2010).

Personal Experience with Anger Management

"With the above in mind, I'll share some personal anger management lessons from my life.

Anger has been a problem for me since an early age due to trauma I can't remember. Luckily, I

found healthy ways to navigate my anger in my 20s. These methods proved successful during

a week-long trip in 2023, where a narcissistic elder emotionally abused me.

I didn't lose my cool or have an outburst once, maintained my boundaries, and came out

stronger, overall enjoying the adventure regardless of mistreatment."

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10 Anger Management Life Lessons

1. Use logic to depersonalise the situation. Often, when it comes to anger, we misread the

circumstances. This crossed-wire communication comes from trauma. We end up

superimposing the past on the present because we have not yet fully processed our

personal history. Learn to ignore false negatives.

2. Relax your mind as best you can by stopping the thoughts. Doing so gives you space to cool

down. At the same time as cooling down, focus on feeling love. If it seems challenging to

conjure the emotion of love without an object, start by remembering the last time you felt it.

Doing so proves that you can generate love within yourself at will.

3. Whenever possible, remove yourself from the situation to relax your aggression. Get space,

walk in nature, and shift your focus to what inspires you. If it’s impossible, realise that you

are free again after this moment passes. All you have to do is overcome this obstacle for

freedom to emerge. Relax, you’re almost there.

4. Notice how your mind escalates things via your imagination. Sometimes, even after an

event, we still fantasise about arguing even if that person isn’t present. Instead of spiralling

into rage, guide yourself to the most positive description while letting go and remaining as

present as possible.

5. Have compassion for yourself. Self-compassion is crucial when examining your past and

previous outbursts. Nobody is perfect in their conduct. We all get tested. The true test is

forgiving and accepting yourself.

6. Anger rests in our urgency to defend our identity. In reality, that identity, was, and is, never a

solid entity in the first place. No one really has an identity. It’s a concept that shifts and

changes, like the wind. There is nothing to defend or protect.

7. Desire is often at the root of anger. Desire breeds frustration. Frustration spirals into anger.

Anger boils over into rage. While an attitude of gratitude beacons situational mastery.

8. Transform (transmute) the emotional energy of anger into love. It’s not the love of a person

you aim for, although that’s helpful to get you started. The pure energy of love fills your

entire being—the life force itself. You can generate it at will. Practice, you’ll surprise

yourself.

9. Learn to let go immediately. Letting go allows you to shift focus and enjoy the goodness

that permanently resides outside the situation. Don’t lose sight of the endless beauty

around you because a mosquito bites once.

10. Revenge, although seaming urgent, only damages you in the long run. The best revenge is

the downfall of those who seek to enrage you. This downswing is inevitable for abusers.

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Abuse Support

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Originally Published on: 1 September 2023 at 14:34 Here: https://untamedadvice.com/free/

abuse-support/

3 Types of Abuse

• Narcissistic Abuse: Characterised by a chronic form of emotional manipulation perpetrated

by individuals displaying narcissistic tendencies, sufferers often find themselves in a cycle

of abuse and manipulation, which includes tactics like gaslighting, emotional withdrawal,

and emotional blackmail (for example, guilt-tripping).

• Psychological Abuse: Involves behaviours that harm an individual's mental health or

emotional well-being. Tactics may include humiliation, intimidation, and control.

• Emotional Abuse: This abusive mistreatment entails any act, including confinement,

isolation, verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation, or any other personal injustice diminishing

the sense of identity, dignity, personal sovereignty and self-worth of the individual.

Abuse Support Statistics on Narcissistic,

Psychological, and Emotional Abuse

• Prevalence: Psychological abuse is quite pervasive, with approximately 20% of U.S. women

and 14% of U.S. men experiencing severe psychological aggression from a partner in their

lifetime (CDC, 2017).

• Impact on Mental Health: Emotional abuse has proven to lead to depression, anxiety, and

post-traumatic stress disorder in some cases (Follingstad et al., 1990).

• Narcissistic Abuse Roots: Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), often a root cause of

narcissistic abuse, affects about 6% of the population, though not all those with NPD are

abusive (Stinson et al., 2008).

Proven Techniques For Abuse Support

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Techniques For

Abuse Support

• Self-Compassion Training: Learning to replace self-critical thoughts with more

compassionate self-talk can benefit survivors (Neff & Germer, 2013). On a personal note, I've

noticed that post-abuse negative self-talk can occur, almost as if the abuser is still there with

you, telling you everything you do isn't good enough.

• Reality Testing: Verifying the truth and rationality of one's thoughts can be a way to

counteract the gaslighting commonly found in narcissistic abuse (Beck, 2011).

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Mindfulness Techniques For Abuse Support

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Proven to reduce symptoms of chronic stress

and emotional turbulence, MBSR can be particularly beneficial for victims of emotional abuse

(Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

• Body Scan Meditation: Focusing on bodily sensations can divert attention from emotional

pain and reveal how emotional abuse may affect physical well-being (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

Personal Experience with Abuse Support

"With the above in mind, I want to share with you some of my personal abuse support life

lessons. Like so many of us, I've been through a tremendous amount of abuse during my

lifetime. From partners to family members and even friends and colleagues, they've pushed me

to limits I never knew existed. It sounds strange, though, in a way, I'm grateful because they

taught me to never accept abuse, along with several other life lessons. Below, I'll share ten

specific core lessons."

10 Abuse Support Life Lessons

1. Apologies and promises are meaningless if nothing changes.

2. Your gut knows. Never bypass your first impression of someone.

3. Cut off the validation supply by removing your attention. Narcissists can’t handle it. Then,

reward them for any act that isn’t abusive while planning your escape.

4. No gift or act of kindness is worth being abused for.

5. Never be fooled by the good feelings that come with an apology. Abusers can’t change;

instead, they get more skilful at hiding.

6. Remember that it will never be enough for them, no matter what you do or how hard you

try. It’s that perpetual hamster wheel that gives them control over you.

7. Never let them define who you are. Always resist and correct them, as the moment you

allow an abuser to describe yourself is the exact moment they’ll begin to manipulate your

worldview.

8. Narcissists hate themselves. That’s why they must rearrange the world to force others to

give them the love they lack internally.

9. Abusers will always play the victim card. They seem to always stand in the righteous

spotlight while using every angle they can to entrap you in more abuse.

10. Once you start to see the game, everything changes. Never let the abuser know you are

aware. Otherwise, they double down, and it’ll get dangerous. Instead, pretend and look for

escape roots till you find a clear path to put distance between you and your abuser. Be

skilful and stealthy.

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Grief

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Originally Published on: 1 September 2023 at 15:12 Here: https://untamedadvice.com/free/grief/

Statistics on Grief

• Prevalence: According to a report, approximately 1 in 5 Americans experience complicated

grief at some point in their lives (Shear et al., 2011).

• Duration: While the grieving process varies significantly among individuals, complicated grief

can last several years or even decades (Prigerson et al., 2009).

• Mental Health Impact: Grief can lead to mental health issues such as depression and

anxiety, with rates of depression doubling among the grieving population (Simon et al., 2007).

Proven Techniques For Grief

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Techniques For

Grief

• Cognitive Restructuring: Identifying and challenging distressing thoughts can help you

change your emotional response to loss (Boelen, van den Bout, & de Keijser, 2003).

• Behavioural Activation: Focusing on pleasurable or meaningful activities can counteract the

inertia and sadness commonly associated with grief (Cuijpers, van Straten, & Smit, 2007).

Mindfulness Techniques For Grief

• Mindfulness Meditation: Practicing being present can help individuals become more aware

of their thoughts and feelings, making it easier to cope with grief (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

• Self-Compassion Meditation: Compassionate focus towards oneself can mitigate feelings of

guilt or regret that often accompany grief (Neff & Germer, 2013).

Personal Experience with Grief

"Like everyone, I've had my fair share of grief. From losing family, partners, friends or pets, I've

gone through many different shades of grieving. Grief isn't always about death. Sometimes, we

mourn a breakup, moving from place to place, or even the loss of something we didn't enjoy.

It's not logical, and neither is your reaction to it. With a lifetime of adventure I've learnt some

things I'd love to share with you."

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7 Grief Life Lessons

1. Grief is never logical; don’t expect your behaviour to be either. Have compassion for yourself

and gratitude for your beloved.

2. Death is a process, not a finality, even after we process our loved ones in our hearts and

minds.

3. You can’t force acceptance. Grief is like water within a balloon. It needs release. Let it free

and relax as you do so.

4. Everything is ephemeral, especially human life, though our shared moments live on. Relax

in gratitude and cherish all the time spent.

5. As annoying as it seems, we don’t always grieve the person. Sometimes, it’s the loss of how

that person made us feel about ourselves, which means you can be as you were and, more

likely, even better.

6. When someone is dying, it’s crucial never to see them as the illness. Look at the beautiful

person and see them as their most incredible self. However, this doesn’t mean being false

or overly positive or optimistic. That applies more pressure. It means relaxing and loving

them as they’ve always been.

7. As hard as it feels, it’s essential not to put pressure on people at the end of their lives to

stay alive or get better. All this does is add additional stress and guilt during a time when

all the worst emotions rise to the surface.

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Live Off Grid

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Originally Published on: 2 September 2023 at 10:54 Here: https://untamedadvice.com/free/liveoff-grid/

Live Off Grid Statistics

• Prevalence: Estimates suggest that about 180,000 to 250,000 families live off-grid in the

United States alone (Home Power Magazine, 2019).

• Reasons: Among those who choose this lifestyle, 62% cite environmental concerns as a

significant motivator, while 48% are motivated by the prospect of self-sufficiency (Nick

Rosen, 2010).

• Savings: Approximately 33% of off-grid families report significantly decreased living

expenses (Loper, 2015).

• Happiness: Most people living off-grid (around 68%) report a higher sense of happiness and

fulfilment (Graber, 2017).

Life Off Grid — 4 Proven Psychological Benefits

• Voluntary Simplicity: Reducing materialistic desires can lead to less stress and higher life

satisfaction (Elgin & Mitchell, 1977).

• Mindful Consumption: Awareness of your needs versus wants can lead to a healthier

psychological state (Brown & Kasser, 2005).

• Mindfulness in Nature: Spending quality time in nature can help reduce stress levels and

improve mental well-being (Kaplan, 1995).

• Digital Detox: Limiting or eliminating screen time can contribute to better sleep,

concentration, and emotional well-being (Firth et al., 2019).

Personal Off Grid Living Experience

"Going off-grid is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I could never go back to city

life, even though I made a success of it. That fast-paced, money-based lifestyle isn't for me any

more. It's not always an easy life to live off grid, in fact, sometimes it's physically and mentally

exhausting. However, that exhaustion comes with deep satisfaction, harmony, and individual

sovereignty that a company or government can't take away. Here are some hard-learnt

lessons to help you."

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7 Life Lessons From Living Off Grid

1. Focus on what saves you the most time and resources in the long run.

2. Panic buying items or getting lost in thousands of creative projects is counterproductive.

Instead, focus on the absolute basics: shelter, fire, water, food, in that order.

3. It may seem impossible because you haven’t started yet and you don’t have the experience.

Remember, you have way more resourcefulness than you realise. It helps to break

enormous challenges (like being 100% self-sufficient) into smaller tasks (such as growing

potatoes) and focus on the most necessary challenges/smaller tasks first.

4. Each problem you solve fuels your confidence to conquer the next. Document your journey.

It helps to create a reference point for your resourcefulness and also serves to help others.

5. Get to know basic building techniques and materials. When possible, always opt for the

most natural. Though there is nothing wrong with using something that solves a massive

problem cheaply, if there isn’t the money or a natural solution that works. For example,

natural hydraulic lime doesn’t poison the air, sheep’s wool doesn’t irritate the skin, etc.

Polycarbonate sheeting doesn’t cost the price glass does for a greenhouse and is better

insulated too.

6. Make smaller test projects first. This way of working empowers the final result to be

informed by experience.

7. Honour and respect the land as you would your wife or husband. Love it, and it’ll love you

back because you have to remember it’s fully alive!

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Men's Work

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Originally Published on: 2 September 2023 at 15:58 Here: https://untamedadvice.com/free/

mens-work/

What is Men’s Work?

Men’s Work refers to men’s emotional and psychological efforts to improve their well-being,

relationships, and quality of life. This work acknowledges that societal norms and expectations

often distort men’s emotional growth and human expression. Men’s Work provides a pathway

for men to engage in personal development, build emotional & social intelligence, and improve

mental health.

Statistics on Men's Work and Men's Mental Health

• Prevalence: Men are less likely than women to seek mental health services; only 36% of

psychotherapy patients are men (Wang et al., 2005).

• Stigma: Approximately 40% of men are embarrassed to seek professional help for mental

health issues (Seidler et al., 2016).

• Suicide Rates: Men are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than women, underscoring the

importance of addressing men's mental health (CDC, 2018).

• Work Stress: 33% of men report work as a significant stressor that adversely affects their

mental health (APA, 2019).

Proven Techniques for Men's Work

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Techniques For

Men's Work

• Cognitive Reframing: Men often get taught to suppress emotions; cognitive reframing allows

men to alter this mindset and engage more healthily with their emotional lives (Beck, 2011).

• Assertiveness Training: This helps men communicate more openly about their needs and

boundaries, a crucial aspect often overlooked due to societal (current and traditional)

masculine norms (Ames & Flynn, 2007).

Mindfulness Techniques For Men's Work

• Mindfulness Meditation: This practice helps men become more aware of their emotional

states, reducing impulsivity and aggression (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

• Body Awareness Techniques: These can help men connect with physical sensations that

they may have been trained to ignore, helping them become more emotionally attuned

(Mehling et al., 2011).

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Personal Experience of Men's Work

"Men's work has been a massive part of my journey. I've been through all angles of it. Some

are healthy, and others not so much. What it's taught me is that it's far simpler than it seems.

So many people are shouting, putting out pressure, and demanding men to be thousands of

different shades of manliness. For sure, there are nuggets of truth everywhere. That said, the

reality is everything you need to know is instinctive and also unique to you. Below, I'll share

some core life lessons I've gained."

10 Men’s Work Life Lessons

1. Masculinity isn’t something you have to force. It comes naturally via pushing the edges of

your comfort zone.

2. You must find an outlet for what you bury, or else it consumes you anyway.

3. You’ll break yourself by pretending to be strong. Strength comes after overcoming

challenges, and sometimes that requires help.

4. To accept yourself, your past, and your darkness, first you must be introduced to your

ultimate identity, that pure lucidity of awareness without description, then in each dark

moment, recognise that ultimate totality and acceptance come naturally without effort.

5. You are stronger than you realise. It’s not something you need to fake. You also don’t need to

convince others how strong you are. Trying to control other people’s perceptions of you is a

sign of insecurity. In reality, everyone else is busy managing their self-image, so relax. You

got this. Besides, you can’t control even your own perception of yourself, let alone other

people’s.

6. Gentleness and sensitivity do not make you weak. Weakness reveals itself via cruelty, and a

lack of sensitivity is a sign of low intelligence. Only strong people can be capable of

gentleness, kindness, and sensitivity to perceive more than their own self-interest.

7. Men carry trauma just as much as anyone else. It’s not a sign of weakness to seek help or be

gentle. Both are signs of strength. Weakness is the cruelty of not dealing with and facing

your trauma.

8. Focusing on blame, internalised to yourself or externalised to someone else, like your father,

isn’t practical, even if it’s true. What’s helpful is becoming your own father right now,

forgiving yourself for everything, and taking care of your needs.

9. Assertiveness isn’t the same thing as forcing the situation or domineering people. It’s much

more healthy. You don’t have to behave aggressively or hurt others. Instead, knowing who

you are, what you want and don’t want, and where you want to go is an advantageous

focus. Then, you can stand firm in your power, honestly communicate your boundaries, and

avoid others taking advantage of you.

10. Dominance isn’t always unhealthy. For example, the dominant hunter brings home the most

meat for everyone in the tribe. Leadership requires an individual or group to steer others

towards a mutual goal. The pivotal shift in perception is that leadership and “dominance”

are acts of service. This modality is often why true leaders lead from the back—supporting

those who need it most.

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Spirituality Support

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spirituality/

Statistics on Spirituality and Mental Health

• Prevalence: About 79% of Americans believe in God, and 55% pray daily (Pew Research

Center, 2019).

• Mental Health: Studies suggest that spiritual beliefs can help people cope with stress,

illness, and adversity; 69% of people use prayer to cope with stress (Koenig, 2012).

• Life Satisfaction: Individuals who report a higher sense of spiritual well-being also tend to

report higher levels of life satisfaction (Ellison, 1991).

• Anxiety and Depression: Some research indicates that spirituality can be associated with a

reduction in anxiety and depression levels (Moreira-Almeida et al., 2006).

Proven Spirituality Techniques

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Techniques For

Spirituality

• Existential CBT: Combines cognitive behavioural techniques with existential concerns,

addressing meaning and value in life (Van Deurzen, 2012).

• Positive Reappraisal: Learning to reframe adversity as an opportunity for spiritual growth

(Folkman & Lazarus, 1988).

Mindfulness Techniques For Spirituality

• Mindfulness Meditation: Helps cultivate a non-judgmental awareness of the present,

enhancing spiritual well-being (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

• Loving-Kindness Meditation: Fosters a sense of compassion and love towards oneself and

others, an essential aspect of many spiritual practices (Salzberg, 1997).

Personal Experience with Spirituality

"As mentioned above, spirituality has been core to my life. It's also been at the root of my

wanderlust and adventures and is integral to all the lessons I've learnt my entire life.

Amazingly, with so many different languages, cultures, and seeming paradoxes, living a

spiritual life is simple and continues to be simpler the more you live. Interestingly, one thing I've

noticed is that within each culture, there are essential spiritual truths that align and match up.

Even with warring factions between and inside culture and religion, when you look at the

purest truth of everything said, they all point to the same thing. Although argued over, this

ultimate truth is where the phrase many rivers lead to the same ocean makes sense. Below are

a few of core life lessons I've learnt."

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15 Spirituality Life Lessons

1. The spirit isn’t anywhere else, even in your darkest moments; the spirit is you, and at that

moment, relax your mind, rest your awareness and recognise that God (or whichever word

resonates with you the most) is here already.

2. You never have to push spirituality on anyone. It’s pointless because everyone has their own

internal language and will interpret what you say, their way, regardless. Most of the time,

pushing creates resentment.

3. Everything is spiritual, even the most mundane tasks or experiences and shining with the

light of the spirit.

4. Let go of desires to be enlightened. It is desire itself that tricks us into believing we are not.

5. Visions only harm us if we believe them to be harmful. Fill yourself with love, and they

become catalysts for spiritual growth.

6. Keep yourself and your spaces cleansed; there are infinite different beings, and for some,

negativity is like food. Luckily a clear space, and body-mind isn’t appetising to them.

7. Your dreams heal and create your reality at the same time. Never disregard them nor fear

them either.

8. Strengthen your will, by simply holding a shape in your mind’s eye, for as long as possible.

Will is important when meeting God. If you struggle, don’t give up and keep trying.

9. Don’t get hung up on words; for example, God, spirit, the creator, the all — are

interchangeable. Bickering over etymology is counterproductive.

10. Surrender all attempt to become based on how other’s see you, and your connection to

spirit grows in the fertile ground of the death of the ego-identity.

11. “Ego” is simply a distorted way you see, and feel yourself, and the world. It’s like a dirty lens

that you have to clean. Otherwise, it gets offended by everything.

12. Before affirmations can truly be effective, you must be free from their outcome. The

emotional energy of running away or towards only perpetuates the running.

13. There is no “magic pill” for spirituality because you have to do the work.

14. Don’t focus on “powers” as you strengthen your ego (distortion) and chase your tail. Powers

come naturally and spontaneously via real achievement, like inner peace during challenging

times.

15. Everything has the potential to elevate you towards the light or descent into darkness. It’s a

choice from moment to moment.

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For Healers

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Statistics For Healers and Caregivers

• Burnout Rates: Around 42% of physicians report feelings of burnout due to excessive

workloads and emotional stress (Shanafelt et al., 2012).

• Efficacy: 74% of psychologists believe that they are effective in helping their clients

(Norcross et al., 2013). (Note: From my experience, it's more about holding the space for

others to heal themselves. This also sometimes means that some people can't be helped.

More on that later.)

• Work-Life Balance: Around 33% of healthcare providers report poor work-life balance,

impacting both their well-being and quality of care (Prins et al., 2010).

• Compassion Fatigue: About 25% of healers and caregivers experience what is known as

'compassion fatigue' (Figley, 1995). (Note: Compassion fatigue looks like physical and mental

tiredness, exhaustion even after sleeping, aches and pains, your normal bodily functions

going out of whack and several other deleterious effects. It comes from taking on other

people's pain and keeping giving without caring for yourself.)

Proven Techniques For Healers

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Techniques For

Healers

• Self-Monitoring: Helps healers become aware of their emotional and cognitive processes,

enabling them to seek help or make adjustments before burnout (Beck, 2011).

• Cognitive Restructuring: Allows healers to challenge and alter unrealistic expectations or

overly critical self-assessments that may impair their effectiveness (Beck, 2011).

Mindfulness Techniques For Healers

• Mindful Self-Compassion: Encourages healers to extend the same compassion to

themselves that they offer to others, reducing stress and preventing burnout (Neff, 2003).

• Body Scan Meditation: Helps healers become aware of physical sensations, an important

step for those who are always tuned into the needs of others but may neglect themselves

(Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

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Personal Experience Being A Healer

"Since I can remember, I've always had a passion for helping others. Even the smallest of

creatures have inspired the urgency to help within me. Along the way, I've also gone through

many pitfalls healers can encounter, and so many breakthroughs too. The journey is endless,

and within that, I'll continue to share with you everything I know. And if you want help, reach

out."

8 Life Lessons For Healers

1. When you heal others, you don’t actually do the healing. Instead, you act as a catalyst for

them to heal themselves.

2. One of the most potent healing methods is letting the other person be, holding the space,

and seeing the human instead of the challenge (health, mental, emotional, or spiritual) or

crisis they are going through.

3. Trust your power to heal. Your intent is at least 1 / 3 of your effectiveness.

4. Energy is critical. To strengthen your energy, evoke love within your heart chakra. Fill your

entire experience with that continual flow of pure love. That heart essence becomes the

basis for healing.

5. Being non-judgemental, open, and willing to listen is healing in itself.

6. Awareness is also crucial. Without awareness, you can accidentally transfer negativity into

yourself or descend into darkness.

7. Always help animals and smaller creatures. Even plants and rocks deserve to benefit from

your gifts, and it’s a great way to practice. Everything is alive.

8. Experiment with harnessing the elements around you. You can recharge yourself by opening

up to the universe. Each element brings a different flavour and, at times, can support or

even facilitate a better healing result.

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Survival Skills

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survival-skills/

Statistics on Survival Skills and Safety

• Outdoor Recreation: Around 50% of Americans participated in outdoor activities in 2019,

emphasising the importance of knowing basic survival skills (Outdoor Industry Association,

2019).

• Emergency Situations: An estimated 7 million people are affected by natural disasters

annually worldwide, highlighting the critical need for survival skills (UNDRR, 2020).

• Self-Reliance: About 47% of people are not confident they can handle basic outdoor survival

tasks (Outdoor Foundation, 2019).

• Safety: Search and rescue operations in U.S. National Parks have increased 38% in the last

decade, indicating a growing need for survival skills (National Park Service, 2018).

Basic Survival Skills

1. The Essentials for Endurance and Safety

2. Fire-Making: Essential for warmth, cooking, and signalling.

3. Shelter Building: Fundamental for protection against the elements.

4. Water Purification: A necessity for hydration and cooking.

5. Basic First Aid: Critical for managing injuries and illnesses.

6. Navigation Skills: Important for finding your way and signalling for help.

7. Food Procurement: Knowing how to find and prepare food in the wilderness.

8. Signal Techniques: Crucial for alerting rescuers to your location.

9. Rope Work: Useful for setting up shelters, climbing, and river crossings.

10. Knife Skills: Essential for food preparation, fire-making, and general utility.

11. Mental Resilience: Perhaps the most crucial skill of all is staying calm and focused.

Personal Survival Skill Experience

"Since living in the wilderness, I've gone through multiple situations that have tested me.

Throughout everything, I've managed to thrive. It's been challenging and, at times, incredibly

frustrating, gruelling, and even life-threatening. Despite the obstacle, my resilience has

strengthened, and I've thrived. Below are some key life lessons I've gained. I'll add more to this

page once I master other skills."

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19 Survival Skills Life Lessons

1. Resilience comes from relaxing and continuing onwards. Don’t listen to the voices whining

about how hard it gets. Instead, open your mind, relax, and look for the most effective

solution possible.

2. First shelter, then fire, then water, then food. That order is crucial. You can survive days or

longer without food—many hours without water. Though if you’re wet and cold, you’ll

freeze. If it’s scorching hot, you’ll boil. Both happen long before you die from thirst or

hunger.

3. Do what saves you the most time and resources in the long run.

4. Elements enjoy shapes. Fire likes triangles; build your fire like a pyramid, and it’ll catch and

warm you faster.

5. Dry out tomorrow’s wood next to today’s fire.

6. Sometimes, nature knows best. Stop and wait. A fallen tree may bear more fruit than you

think.

7. Make your shelter off the ground and uphill. Water runs downhill. Make gravity your ally.

8. You have to protect your meat from insects. You have about 24 hours or less, depending on

the season. Flies will breed in raw flesh. It’s always better to hunt for just enough to eat that

day than to carry 200 pounds of raw meat without cold storage.

9. Always check for ticks. No matter what, you have to check if there are signs of deer. People

will call you paranoid, though they’re just mitigating their own insecurities. You have to

check. Your health is paramount and the essence of survival.

10. Don’t give up when it gets challenging. Relax your mind and focus on the result.

11. You can never hunt half-heartedly. You have to focus on aiming to take down your prey with

a single blow. Otherwise, the animal may suffer longer, and you might have to chase it

through rough terrain, depleting your energy reserves and taking damage in the process.

Always seek to finish the job in a single impact.

12. When butchering, hang the animal up. This method lets everything drain into a bucket. You

can turn organs into a broth while you remove meat for cooking. Always eat the fat. The

liver, kidneys, lungs and heart give you much-needed nutrients; don’t throw them away.

Always salt and cook quickly if you have no cold storage.

13. Wild oregano oil is a natural, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. It’s also great for pollinators. If you

have to apply field surgery and don’t have any antiseptic, you can crush the leaves into a

paste or, if possible, apply the oil directly to wounds.

14. Never pick to eat mushrooms you’re even slightly unsure about. Sickness in the wilderness

is unforgiving. You must still gather water and chop wood to stay alive during illness. Even if

your body hurts and you feel sick and tired.

15. You must have a good, strong, sharp knife. It’s crucial and none negotiable.

16. Don’t fight nature. Work with nature. The more you respect the wilderness, the easier it is to

survive.

17. Animals show you what’s good. For example, horses never drink from bad water. Watch

and listen, and the answers appear.

18. Your resilience is always ten times stronger than you believe, especially when you consider

giving up.

19. If you must get across difficult rocky or uneven ground up or down, particularly steep cliffs,

edges or valleys, walk sideways and lower your centre of gravity. That way, your feet grip

the earth like a mountain goat.

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Untamed Advice Services

Thanks for reading, friend. I hope you found this guide helpful for 2024. If you want more

support, feel free to visit UntamedAdvice.com. Below, I'll run through a few more services I can

offer to support your mental and emotional wellness throughout the years to come.

Online Counselling

Online counselling can help you face numerous challenges and truly create a life that thrives. I

counsel clients with a wide range of different issues, such as anger and aggression, grief,

trauma, life transition, bereavement, relationships, anxiety, well-being, spirituality, stress,

depression, confidence, communication, identity crisis, midlife crises, healing, wilderness &

survival, social skills, plus so much more. My experience is broad, so discussing your needs

before entering a counselling relationship is best.

You can book a free counselling session here if you'd like to know about my counselling

practice.

Online Wellness Shop

Along with online counselling and individual sessions, my online wellness shop has many

products, from physical merchandise to live events, online courses, and downloadable media.

I've crafted everything meticulously to support your wellness exponentially. You can visit my

shop here for more information: https://untamedadvice.com/store/

Online Anger Management Course

I've also created an online anger management course to help you break through rage and

effectively live a calm and peaceful life. It's called Ancient Anger Management.

Ancient Anger Management is a holistic approach to managing anger through an online course,

giving students permanent relief from rage by bridging the gap between ancient philosophy

and evidence-based psychological science. You can find out more here: https://

untamedadvice.com/store/ancient-anger-management-cpd-certified-online-angermanagement-course/

More Resources & Help

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