Self Sufficient Me with Mark Valencia

Welcome to Episode 70 - Self Sufficient Me with Mark Valencia

In recent years, I’ve discovered how good gardening can be for my mental health. It was a staple activity for me during COVID lockdowns, and then again as I recovered from burnout. And as it turns out… I’m not the only bloke who feels this way about my little patch of earth!

This week, I’m joined by a military veteran turn YouTube star - Mark Valencia from ‪@Selfsufficientme‬ and ‪@selfsuffishingme‬

What I love about this episode is how Mark also used gardening as a way to manage his mental health. I really valued how Mark was so open about his PTSD, and the insights he has into gardening, life and content creation.

This episode also coincides with ANZAC Day 2023. On behalf of the Mindful Men community, I give my thanks and respect to all ANZAC personnel and their families - past and present.

If you're keen to check out the links mentioned in this episode, here they are:

Website: https://selfsufficientme.com
YouTube:    / selfsufficientme  
Instagram:   / self_sufficient_me  
Facebook:   / self-sufficient-me-260782203958500  
TikTok:   / selfsufficientme  

For more from Mindful Men, check out the website at www.mindful-men.com.au

**If anything triggers you from today's episode, please reach out to your support networks or seek professional help**

Cheers, Simon

00:00 Intro
00:55 Mark’s Story
07:47 Male Role Models
09:40 Our Nomadic Lifestyle
10:38 Winning the lottery
12:24 Mark's Military Career
15:15 Mark's Early YouTube videos
16:43 Family Life
20:43 Fatherhood
22:32 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
27:53 How Gardening improved Mark's mental health
36:57 Planting to the right season
38:06 How soil impacts plants
38:43 Spacing plants apart
39:31 Talking to plants
41:59 Self Sufficient Me
45:01 YouTube Success
50:54 Starting Your Own Garden
53:30 How to find Mark
56:23 Mark's feel good plug


#mentalhealth #themindfulmenpodcast #mindfulmen #anzac #anzacday #selfsufficient #selfsufficiency #gardening #garden #ptsd #queensland #youtubers #youtuber