Next week  is Bell’s Let’s Talk Day, a very important day in Canada where we raise awareness about mental health, try to normalize it, and erase the stigma.

Kevin Frankish is a long-time TV host, a current professor in Seneca’s Journalism Program and a mental health advocate.  On this week’s Unscripted, we chatted with Kevin about why mental health is important, and what we can do to take care of our mental health.

In 2006, while Kevin was hosting Breakfast Television, he had a panic attack on air and had no idea what caused it. Kevin felt he owed the viewers an explanation for what happened and came back to address the audience.  He later received many emails from people who had lived similar experiences. This changed his perspective and inspired him to become a mental health advocate.

Kevin also talked about how, as a professor, he has a responsibility to help students deal with anxiety. Last semester, he tried a stress-relieving exercise to help his students who were overwhelmed by their assignments. He told the class to list all the things they had to do on sticky notes and order them from most urgent to least important.

Information overload has never been more intense and it’s a huge factor in our increasingly stressed out society. Kevin said that learning to meditate is a great step toward improving our ability to relieve tension.

In addition, he recommended visiting checkupfromtheneckup.ca, a mental health resource by the mood disorder association of Ontario.

One of the most uplifting things about this conversation was how Kevin made us feel that we are not alone when  dealing with our mental health. It's an extremely comforting and empowering conversation.

Seneca College has counsellor's available on campus to help you if you ever need it. Find out more information here.

Follow Kevin's stories @KevinFrankish

Want to hear more podcasts like this one? Find all our previous episodes here!