In episode 241 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Russell Payne.
Russ is a qualified painter and decorator and the Founder of ‘The Talking Tradesman’ (TTT) podcast. TTT aims to entertain, connect and raise mental health awareness for tradespeople throughout the UK.
Russ set up the podcast in November 2023 where he interviews tradesman from across the sector about their mental health journeys, as well as non-tradesman from all walks of life who can provide valuable insight for his audience.
Russ started the podcast after studying for a BSC degree in Psychology and volunteering on the phonelines for The Samaritans charity.
His conception of his own mental health began after his divorce from his first wife, which culminated in his children being moved to the other end of the country and a family court case which dragged on for several years.
From that moment, he began investing in himself and that was, in his words, his own form of ‘self-therapy’.
In this episode we discuss: the genesis of The Talking Tradesman, the stigmas in the trades sector and how we as a society need to be better at listening to these men’s needs, social class and how that plays into the way tradesmen’s mental health is perceived and supported in society.
For Russ’s mental health, we discuss that divorce he went through and his experience of the family court system, which triggered him to have anxiety and panic attacks.
We also discuss his parents’ own divorce when he was 8 years old. As a result of the divorce, Russ’s father experienced mental health difficulties and it forced Russ to raise himself in many areas of his life.
We then discuss the positive impact his mother’s grandparents had on him, whom he viewed as surrogate parents for him and the impact the death of his grandfather had on him when he was 24/25 years old.
We finish by discussing his own experience of fatherhood, self-development and his goal of one day becoming a therapist in the future.
As always, #itsokaytovent
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