“Mental health struggles are such an everywhere and all-the-time part of the world we live in,” Nat from , a content creator, musician and isolation cooking champion, tells SBS. “So the idea of not talking about our mental health with each other seems like such a heartbreaking shame.”
That’s why the sensation wants people to eat good food with trusted folk and talk about their mental health: the good, the average and the awful.
To prove he’s serious about motivating people to open up, Nat settles in around the SBS Food table for an honest conversation of his own.
You’re a mental health ambassador who advocates messages of hope for people struggling with mental health issues. What have your experiences of anxiety and depression meant for you now?
Nat: Anxiety, for me, is at times a seemingly never-ending constant war in my head. Depression is its sh*thead mate that keeps turning up to the party uninvited but for some reason, I keep letting them in. It’s hard to stay on top of all the things that trigger it but I try to set boundaries around those things as best I can.
I have struggled with these issues for as long as I can remember. Some [days] are better and some days are worse.
A lot of the time I can come across like I am doing great or okay. But the truth is that every day – this morning, yesterday and the days before that – I woke up with my mental health staring me down.
I have always been someone who tries to make people laugh. A lot of the time I can come across like I am doing great or okay. But the truth is that every day – this morning, yesterday and the days before that – I woke up with my mental health staring me down.
I have been diagnosed with a lot of things over the years. The most constant ones are Generalised Anxiety Disorder and episodes of severe depression. They are going to be a challenge for a while yet but you better believe that I am not giving up. I want to encourage people to do the same and hang in there.
If mental wellbeing was a person, how would you describe your relationship with it today?
Nat: Mental wellness would be someone I admire but don’t know that well. They keep going on holidays and are pretty hard to catch up with. But I know they will rock up one day to hang out.
We just need to get to know each other better so we can pencil in some more solid hang time.
How can gathering with others over food benefit our mental health?
Nat: It’s the simplest of things that sometimes make the world seem a little less tough. Food is something that doesn’t ask much of you. Mostly, it’s just there to help you out and even maybe give you a reason to feel okay for a minute.
The feeling of not being alone is such a huge comfort when otherwise poor mental health makes you feel so profoundly lonely, without a friend by your side. Getting together with people you care about for a feed has a cracker of a track record for being a ripper idea in any kind of weather.
Whether it’s cooking a feed or just sitting down to be with people who care about you, it’s always a good idea. I reckon it’s an activity that should be on high rotation in the self-care repertoire.
Whether it’s cooking a feed or just sitting down to be with people who care about you, it’s always a good idea. I reckon it’s an activity that should be on high rotation in the self-care repertoire.
Can you share a first-hand experience of a time when eating a meal stimulated conversation and improved your own feelings of mental wellness?
Nat: Food and cooking give me something simple that I care about. I can also share it with people I care about without having to say anything. That is pretty special stuff.
One most recent story I have is about when I got a call from a person I am a bit of a big fan of – another YouTube creator actually. They knew of my mental health struggles and shared a bit about what they go through with me.
The [personal] things they shared resonated with me in a profound way. I think I even cried on the phone a bit. They then invited me to meet up in person and go for a bush walk with them. They packed me a sandwich they’d made.
We stopped by the water and sat on a rock. We ate sandwiches and shot the shit. It was so lovely, so simple and so helpful even though I had just met them.
This may not be the most high-octane thriller of a story but, at that point, I was having a really shit time and that [experience] was exactly what I needed. They, nor the walk or the sandwich asked anything of me except being a part of a moment: the time I spent with a turkey sandwich and the conversation that came along with it are not things that I’ll soon forget.
What is your main message for people reading this article, who are struggling with mental health issues of their own?
Nat: Hang in there, do what you can today to try to look after yourself. Tell a mate or someone you love how you’re going and if you’re up for it, check in with them too. Be kind to that beautiful, complex heart of yours and most of all remember – you’re a bloody champion!
If you or anyone you know needs support, please contact on 1300 225 636, on 13 11 14 or 1800 55 1800.
