The Essential S's

Six "S's" that I use to sustain myself.

If you’ve spent much time on my Twitch streams, there’s a good chance you’ve heard me talk about this ad nauseam. But if you haven’t, then welcome to Ben’s Self Help Section, otherwise known as The Blind Leading The Blind.

I, like many others, have struggled with my mental health for some time now. My depression and anxiety issues have always just kind of been there, humming along in the background, making life difficult. Coming and going in waves, but generally always there.

So, over the years I’ve been developing ways to manage it, and I like to share my thoughts on it in the hopes it can help someone on a similar journey. To be clear, nothing I talk about here will fix or cure any mental health issues.

I’m not even close to “fixing” my issues. And I’m not an expert. So I’m not trying to preach. I’m just hoping to share a little system I use to try and keep myself in the best shape I can, so I’m ready for the fight, so to speak.

It’s a little mantra-style checklist I use, consisting of six words, all beginning with S.

Sleep. Sweat. Sustenance. Sunlight. Social. Space.

If I’m feeling particularly low, I can run through that checklist and think about all those aspects of my life. I ask myself if I’ve let anything slide recently in regard to those things. Am I sleeping enough? Getting exercise? Eating right?

Everything in this list are just things that I think are basic, primal needs for the human body. Things that we evolved to need for a reason. Let’s dumb it down and say that, generally speaking, “happiness” is largely just chemicals in the brain. Reward centers. Stuff that makes you feel good.

Your body rewards you with feel-good chemicals when you do something that will benefit it. Food tastes good so you’ll eat more of it. Sex feels good because you’re engaging in an act that will pass on your genes. You get endorphins from exercise because your body knows you’re not sitting around in a cave about to starve, you’re out hunting, gathering and getting shit done.

I believe that, generally speaking, mental health and physical health are inextricably linked. So, if you pay conscious attention to all the things in this list as they relate to your life, you’ll be doing your best to be a healthy version of yourself. Which makes it easier to ride the waves of mental health that are so common.

Sleep.

This is a big one. And it feels so obvious, but it’s so easy to fuck it up.

You should be getting between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. This is true for the vast majority of humans.

I understand that many people can’t sleep that long, due to work commitments, having young children who don’t sleep, or due to mental health issues themselves. I’m not talking to the people who can’t get eight hours due to factors outside their control. I’m talking to the people who don’t get enough sleep for reasons that are fairly easy to control… people like me.

I’ve always been a night owl. Staying up late, drawing, watching movies, playing games. Doing whatever. Always sacrificing the next day for that night.

I was once talking to a friend about mental health, and she said “I have to get eight hours, otherwise I’m just depressed all the time.” To which I replied, “I’m fine with five or six hours usually.” But then, I actually thought about it and… I was depressed most of the time. So I made an effort to increase my hours of sleep… and I felt better.

Isn’t that fucking strange?!

Turns out that sleep is super-duper-ultra-mega-important.

Your body goes through various important biological processes when you’re sleeping. If you don’t give your body enough time to do those things, it doesn’t get a chance to properly reset and heal from the day before. So you start the day with a bit of lingering “damage” in your brain and body. Then, if you don’t get enough sleep again, you’re letting it compound. Over time you’re effectively letting the damage build up, and over the years it makes a real difference.

This is a dumbed down version of biological science shit that I do not understand, but the point remains; sleep is very good and important and you should do it.

Seven to nine hours. Do it. I’m talking to you, Ben. Go to sleep.

Sweat.

Now that you’re sleeping right, you should have some energy to exercise. You know, move your body. Lubricate your joints, use your muscles, get your heart and lungs pumping.

Throughout essentially all of human history, almost constant movement was just a part of the deal. Most people worked pretty physical jobs and lived pretty physical lives. But our society has quickly evolved to the point where it’s very easy to spend the vast majority of the day sitting down. So, we have to consciously make the effort to exercise.

And it sucks.

I’ve always hated going to the gym, or working out for working outs sake. I get it. I’m just lucky I found jiu jitsu. I fucking LOVE that. It takes discipline for me to work out. It doesn’t take much discipline to do something I love.

So I highly recommend trying to find something physical that you love to do. Perhaps that’s easier said than done, but it’s important. Incredibly important.

Every year, more and more studies are released that show the benefits of exercise and getting strong. It benefits every part of your life. I once heard someone say that if that could put the benefits of exercise into a pill, it’d be the most successful supplement/medication of all time.

You don’t have to try and kill yourself with exercise like some gym-crazed psycho. In fact, I’d argue you specifically shouldn’t do that. Take it easy. Start slow. Gradually build. It’s a marathon, not a sprint (although sprints are amazing).

Even a gentle walk is better than nothing. Swimming. Yoga. Sports. Dancing. Whatever it is, find a way to do some moderate exercise a few times per week and your mind and body will be all the better for it.

I do highly encourage you to find a way to do some resistance training. Weights. Calisthenics. Kettlebells. Some way to strengthen your muscles, your connective tissues, strengthen your bones, work on your balance and your grip strength. You will thank yourself as you get older.

Sustenance.

Okay. You’re sleeping right, and getting exercise. Now you need to fuel yourself properly.

(Side note - Obviously, you can also attack these in any order. Maybe you start exercising more, which helps you get good sleep. Or you start eating right, which gives you the fuel to exercise. Whatever. They’re all important.)

So let’s talk about food. Your diet. The stuff that fuels you. You are what you eat.

A lot of people still really under-appreciate the impact your diet can have on your mental health, in a multitude of ways. And while nutrition science is a nightmare, but I think it’s safe to say that a varied diet of food that’s as fresh as possible is always a good thing.

Try to make your own meals where you can, and cut down on ultra-processed foods. Try to hit a balance of protein, carbs and fats. Your body can only run on the fuel you’re giving it, and if you’re giving it incomplete nutrition, you’re just handicapping yourself at the start of the race.

There is no good food. No bad food. It’s all relative and what really matters is your extended eating patterns over a long period of time. One donut doesn’t really mean anything. Just like one piece of broccoli doesn’t either. What matters is the overall balance of food and nutrition that you’re giving to your body across weeks, months, and years.

It’s also a good idea to be conscious of your caloric intake. Too many calories is generally bad. As is too few. A caloric surplus leads to weight gain, and when that gets excessive it can lead to health issues, which can further compound mental health struggles. But inversely, not getting enough calories, and not fueling yourself properly will lead to low energy and lethargy, which can also compound mental health problems.

Not enough calories has been my problem for years. I think it started when I was a poor student. Essentially rationing food. My Mum used to tell I was too skinny, and I’d dismiss it. But now, I see photos of myself from back then… and she was right. And it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve actually reached a bodyweight that is healthy.

I’m still trying to find a balance. Food related habits can be a nightmare to change. But as with everything, consistency is key.

Food is your fuel. Fuel yourself well and you’ll perform better.

Sunlight.

When I repeat this list to myself, I kind of separate it out into two groups.

Sleep, sweat, sustenance… Sunlight, social, space.

The first group is the most important for me. Complete non-negotiables, no matter what. They are the bedrock of my biology, and without them I simply will not function as well as I could.

The second group is important, but that importance is more variable from person to person, and at different times in the year, or even at different times of their lives. Some people will have to really make effort with some of these, and for others they’ll be something they will never have to think about.

For example… Sunlight.

Some people spend a lot of time outside, in the sun. Maybe they work outside. Or they have hobbies that are constantly taking them outside.

I am not those people.

Sometimes I work outside. But most often, I’m inside. In my office, writing or drawing. Or I’m filming or working at the Viva offices. And if I’m relaxing… I’m likely still in my office, drawing or playing video games or rotting my mind on the internet. And, in my spare time I’m at jiu jitsu… indoors.

If I’m not careful, especially in the winter, I can go days without really getting direct sun on my skin at all. There was a time recently when I felt the sun directly on my skin, and literally sighed with pleasure. A clear a sign as any that I had not been getting enough.

So make sure you do that. 20 minutes a day is often repeated as the sweet spot, but I’ve also read things recently disputing that. Whatever. Get some sun. (And if all else fails, considering taking Vitamin D)

Social.

I’m an introvert. People often think that's strange, considering my profession is being a very silly boy, on camera, on the internet, to be viewed by millions of people. But actors are often introverts. I feel like I know more introverted actors than I do extroverted.

And just so we’re on the same page here, the best way I’ve heard the introvert/extrovert thing described is that social gatherings drain energy from introverts, while extroverts gain energy from them. And the inverse is true of being in solitude. So that’s the definition I’m using. Because it’s definitely true for me. A big social occasion is exhausting for me.

But I still need it.

Humans are social animals. We belong in a tribe. As much as our society loves to push the erroneous idea of the autonomous individual, living in a vacuum (an anti-capitalism post for another day), we are communal creatures who rely on each other for survival. It’s why shame is such a powerful emotion for us. The feeling of being outcast creates such strong, visceral reactions in us because being ousted from the group used to be a literal matter of life and death. A human alone in the wild usually just dies. Thus, our need for social interaction.

So, introvert or not, we need to be around people. Of course, this varies from human to human, but if you’re miserable, and often alone, try to remedy this. Again, often easier said than done. Because in this society of social media, it’s becoming increasingly harder to be actually social. If it weren’t for jiu jitsu, I would struggle to be social much at all these days too.

So, start a hobby. Play a sport. Do stuff in a group. Take a class. Meet up with an old friend. Even if you’re like me and often don’t want to. Do it. You need it.

Space.

Now for the opposite of what I just said.

Sometimes, you need some actual alone time. And some space to just exist.

And this also means… no phone.

Yeah.

Fuck.

No one in human history has ever been ‘always on’ like a human in 2025 is. Prior to this exact point in human society, we’ve always had long periods of silence to, you know, think and stuff. To be an actual human.

But we’ve built a society where it’s incredibly easy to never be truly bored. To never be silent. To never be alone with your thoughts. And it’s subtly exhausting and draining. We’re always on, always reading, always watching, always listening, always reachable, always scrolling, always thinking about that war and genocide and famine and disease and destruction and greed and politics and porn and climate change and AI and robots and…

It’s too much. We need space.

We need to switch off. Sit outside.

Breathe.

Look at a tree.

Just be a human, sitting there.

So… That’s it.

Like I said at the start, nothing here is revelatory. Nothing here will fix you. But it’s a relatively easy, but also fairly broadly comprehensive, personal check list to use as a way to try and maintain balance.

As I said up top, my mental health journey is far from over. In fact, I’m starting to accept the fact that it’ll never be over. I’ll probably never “fix” myself. It’ll just be a constant journey of trying to achieve something approaching balance.

Some days/weeks/months/years, I succeed. Sometimes I don’t.

But after years of searching for solutions, and being frustrated at the vagueness of the advice offered, I developed this little list to try and help myself stay consistent. To give myself something a little more concrete and actionable. And while these six little words are obviously not a panacea, they have genuinely helped me on my journey.

I hope they help you too.