With Mastering Mental Fitness you can read a blend of personal narratives, scientific insights, and actionable strategies focused on:
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Movement: Encouraging regular physical activity to boost endorphins and combat stress
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Mindfulness: Promoting practices that foster self-awareness and emotional regulation.
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Connection: Highlighting the role of community and relationships in sustaining mental health.
James’s contributions aim to equip individuals with the tools to build resilience, maintain sobriety, and lead fulfilling lives.
United Kingdom Recovery Resources
Adfam – Adfam is the leading families and addiction charity in England. We are here for all the millions of people affected by someone else’s drinking or drug use. These people are children, parents, friends, partners, siblings and grandparents.
Al-Anon UK: For Families & Friends of Alcoholics – Al-Anon Family Groups UK & Eire is there for anyone whose life is or has been affected by someone else’s drinking.
Alcoholics Anonymous UK – At AA, alcoholics help each other. We will support you. You are not alone. Together, we find strength and hope. You are one step away.
Call free 0800 917 7650, email help@aamail.org or ask any questions in the live chat box.
Alcohol Change UK – If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s drinking, there is support available.
Collective Voice – is the national charity working to improve England’s drug and alcohol treatment and recovery system.
DAN 24/7 Wales Drug & Alcohol Helpline – Calls made to 0800 or 0808 phone numbers are free for all UK landline and mobile phones. Dan 24/7 telephone number will NOT appear on your home itemised bill.
NACOA – The National Association for Children of Alcoholics has been providing information, advice and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking. 1 in 5 people in the UK are affected by a parent’s drinking. #URNotAlone
Narcotics Anonymous in the United Kingdom – We are Narcotics Anonymous in the United Kingdom & Channel Islands. If you have a problem with drugs, we are recovering drug addicts who can help you get and stay clean.
NHS – The National Health Service offers alcohol support as well as a drinkline, which is the national alcohol helpline. If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s drinking, you can call this free helpline in complete confidence. Call 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
Over The Influence – Over The Influence is a place to be happily and confidently alcohol-free. If you’re looking for sober connection both online and in real life, you’ve come to the right place!
Release – Release is the UK’s centre of expertise on drugs and drug laws. We provide legal support, representation and drugs advice to people with a history of drug use or who are impacted by drug laws. We also campaign for evidence-based drug policies founded on principles of public health and human rights, seeking to reduce the harms faced by people who use drugs.
Release has a Helpline you can call at 020 7324 2989 or email at ask@release.org.uk
Turning Point – We’re a leading social enterprise, designing and delivering health and social care services in the fields of substance use, mental health, learning disability, autism, acquired brain injury, sexual health, homelessness, healthy lifestyles, and employment.
WithYou – is a drug, alcohol and mental health charity. With over 80 services across England and Scotland, we provide support and advice to more than 100,000 people a year.
We’re working towards a future free from harm caused by alcohol, drug and mental health challenges, where anyone seeking help feels welcomed, not judged.
A response I often get when people find out I’ve run various ultramarathons is: “You must be mental!” I choose to take that as a compliment—because being “mental” has taken a lot of hard work. I wasn’t always this way. I mean it in the sense of being able to recognize how I reacted to different experiences and the emotions they stirred.
When a rugby injury stripped me of my identity and my disciplined routine, I didn’t know how to cope. I shut myself off from friends and family, spiraling into depression and alcoholism. Three years later, I hit rock bottom. Something had to change. I vowed to quit drinking, and it was a fitness challenge—the London Marathon—that gave me the structure I so desperately needed. Since then, I’ve chased increasingly difficult ultramarathons, fitness challenges, and even took part in SAS: Who Dares Wins, pushing my limits and refining my ability to stay mentally strong through life’s highs and lows.
This is what I call mental fitness. Metacognition—the scientific term for thinking about thinking—is the foundation: reflecting on how and why you feel the way you do. It’s like looking in a metaphorical mirror. By developing self-awareness, you begin to understand the emotions you experience in different situations, and over time, you build resilience.
Mental fitness is about managing life’s challenges without letting emotions derail us, while also recognizing and appreciating the good. That’s why I often open my talks by saying, “I’m mental,” encouraging others to commit to their own journey of self-discovery. You don’t have to run ultramarathons—mental fitness is personal. But it does require effort, intention, and time for yourself—something many of us struggle to prioritize. If any of this rings true for you, maybe it’s time we talked.
