Breathe Out – Series 3, Volume 1
Tell us a little about who you are and what you do?
My name is Sean Bailey, originally from Newton Willows in Merseyside. I grew up on a tough council estate, I was football mad and a big Man United fan, and I firmly believe that sport played a massive part in getting me out of some really tough circumstances.
Nowadays, I run a nonprofit business called, Sean Bailey Wellness, we are a community interest company, meaning we can generate profit, but, we must reinvest that profit back into the community. Our business model is centred around improving mental health, through sleep, exercise, rehabilitation and nutrition. We also work with young people, using exercise or sport as negative behaviour diversion, if they are at risk of getting in trouble with the police, have SCD (Social Communication difficulties) or they are experiencing challenging issues in school, we offer them sporting activities to help divert them to a more positive pathway. We also provide training packages to local organisations, delivering courses designed to help raise mental health awareness, sleep champion training, with keynote talks on resilience and addiction. In a nutshell that’s who I am, where I came from, and what we deliver as an organisation.
Can you tell us why you do what you do?
Looking back to my school years as a youngster, I can see the value that sport offered me. Some of my teachers would use sport as a bargaining chip for me to behave, and it always worked. At Sean Bailey Wellness, we don’t go to that level of extreme, however, the health benefits linking sport/physical exercise and positive mental health, cannot be underestimated. Exercise is such a powerful thing, my own personal experience, and proven scientific evidence links the benefits to health rehabilitation, health optimisation, health performance, creating better health, and reversing negative health; when referring to health benefits, I am referring to both physical and mental health, and the positive connections and relationships you can build through sport and physical activity, which can last you for a lifetime.
In 2005, aged 22, I broke my neck playing football, fracturing and dislocating my C5-6 vertebrae. If you google this injury you will see that it doesn’t make great reading, and my personal prognosis was that I would never walk again, yet here we are talking and walking around Walton Garden! When I first started my recovery and rehabilitation, nobody talked to me about additional exercises, sleep or nutrition, and I wanted to utilise these things as part of my recovery. At the time, I was in the very early stages of a seven-month hospital stay, we all know that hospital food isn’t great (even now), and this was back in 2005, so you can only imagine how bad it was then. As soon as I could move after my initial paralysis, I was doing additional strength work exercises on top of the prescribed physio, I was also making sure I was getting the right food and keeping hydrated, but as for sleeping in a hospital, it was shocking! And nobody at the time was focusing on sleep as a key part of my recovery. As a kid growing up, I used to play for a football team and before a big game, we were always told to get a good night’s sleep, which got me thinking, if I wanted to double up on my physio regime, I needed to get better quality sleep, and it’s from this mindset that the idea for my business was born.
Going back to my accident, I was taken straight from the football field into surgery, which was followed by a three day medically induced coma. After three weeks, I got transferred to a specialist spinal injury unit in Shropshire, which is the top UK centre for treating spinal injuries, it’s really is an unbelievable place. When my consultant met me for the first time, he said, “I’ve got news for you, you’re not going to walk out of here, but, you will be able to drive”. My family were in the room and my response to him was, “I’ll make you a bet that I will walk out of here”. I went back to the council estate mentality, it’s me against the world and I’m going to do everything I can to beat this. I actually made it a one versus one battle, me against my consultant, and to be fair to him, when I was discharged and walked out of the hospital, he came up to me and said, “I don’t know how you’ve done this”!! Don’t get me wrong, the road to recovery was really tough, but I was stubborn and determined to beat it! I had to pull on every single percent of resolve to get me where I needed to be.
The recovery didn’t stop when I was released from hospital, this was just the first step. When I was released, I had a wheelchair, crutches, walking frame, and below leg calliper, I was almost mechanical. I then had to continue my rehabilitation from home, I started going to the gym and five minutes on a treadmill left like a marathon. Up until the point of my accident, I was an active person and had always had sport in my life, then all of a sudden I find myself as a disabled person. It was at this point, when I lost my identity that I started down a slippery slope. As much as the recovery was immense and a really good story, there was a dark side to it as well. I found out quickly that society is not set up very well for people with disabilities. Before my disability I was a young lad, loving life, playing football at a good standard, I had a good job and a career in front of me, then just like that, it was all gone! A big thing for me was missing; being part of a team, the dressing room banter, it was all taken away, this was a massive struggle for me…
After 12 months, I was back at work and started to have vivid flash backs of the accident, constantly reliving the point of impact. The first time that it happened, I was travelling home from work on the M56 motorway, close to the airport, this culminated in me being diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Up until then, I wrongly assumed that PTSD only happened to Soldiers returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. Unfortunately, alcohol and drug use had been in my family for as long as I can remember, I lived in an area where there were 27 pubs in a 3 miles radius, so I naturally turned to using drinking and illicit drugs to help me deal with the trauma. I kept all of this hidden from people for a very long time.
Four years after I broke my neck, I found myself in the football coaching space and quickly got my coaching badges. I managed to get a job at my beloved Manchester United Football Club working with disabled athletes, which was brilliant, but, I was still hiding this drug and alcohol problem. However, the good news is, I now proudly identify as someone with an addiction in recovery, and I’m very proud to have got through that recovery as well. I know I’ll stay in recovery for as long as I’m alive, because addiction is a disease that doesn’t go away, you just learn to manage it. In the work I do now, I can see the value and power of advice and guidance based on personal experience and I believe it to be as powerful as clinical information.
How long have you been in your industry for?
So we started Sean Bailey Wellness in 2020. Prior to that I spent 20 years working as an accountant in the private sector for big corporate firms, and to be honest, I just out of love with accounting. When I was at Manchester United I found myself working alongside some of the country’s leading trainers in sports science, and they were using the same rehabilitation methods that I used during my spinal recovery with regards to sleep, nutrition, hydration, strength and conditioning which all really surprised me, because I didn’t think that I was doing anything ground breaking or special, I was just doing what felt right. It was whilst watching the guys at Manchester United, that I realised that this was relevant for anyone and not just high functioning athletes. I guess it was at this point that I felt I could do some good with this knowledge, I just didn’t know where to start. I had previously been on mental health first aid training course and actually got recruited by the course instructor to enter into the instructor program, and to be fair, I was really glad he did.
I started the business in June 2020, with limited vision, I just knew that I wanted to build a service to help improve the health and wellbeing of other based around exercise. Obviously we were right in the middle of the Covid pandemic and I managed to save a bit of money, which allowed me to step away from the corporate world and work fulltime on our new project, and it just took off from there.
What makes your company unique in relation to mental health?
I’ve lived through it. The whole business was built around my own personal experience of spinal injury recovery and recovery from addiction. Our company is using cutting edge technology and the latest resources to develop tailor made courses, which are relevant to the people we are treating. Don’t get me wrong the health service and other nonprofit organisations do an amazing job, but, there isn’t the emphasis on the lived experience, which I think builds a unique connection with people.
Please tell us something about you that most people won’t know about you.
I guess the coolest thing that people won’t know about me is that I met the First Lady of the United States of America, whilst getting beaten up by SpongeBob SquarePants and it’s all on YouTube!
Whilst I was working at Manchester United, we got summoned to go to the American embassy in London the day before the 2012 Olympic Games started. It was all very secretive, and we didn’t know exactly what was happening. We arrive at this stately building with the biggest back garden you have ever seen! We were briefed that there was going be 200 American children, when in reality it felt more like around 2000! A big American brass band was set up alongside, the DJ Mark Ronson who was there to perform the Olympic song with Katy B. David Beckham was even there with Mai Hamm the famous American soccer player.
So, we set up some cones and a couple of goals, alongside hockey, tennis and other sports. I put the goalkeeper kit on and went in goal, and the idea was for the children to do some dribbling and then take a penalty against me. I then spot the First Lady, Michelle Obama, and she’s making a beeline for our location, it turns out she’s going to take a penalty against me! The Secret Service quickly briefs me on the required protocol before the First Lady steps up to shoot, then all of a sudden, out of nowhere SpongeBob SquarePants runs over and pushes me out of the goal! There’s a video on YouTube of this happening and you can see me stood to the side sulking while she scores a penalty against SpongeBob! Definitely an experience I’ll never forget!
As part of the Breathe out initiative, which highlights the positive impacts of both talking and being active, how important are these two factors to combatting mental ill health?
The crucial number one thing you have got to do if you are experiencing mental health issues is TALK to someone, it’s an invisible illness and only you have the power to let people know if you are struggling. If you can find someone with lived experience even better, as they will be able to give you that connection and validation that you need, they should also be able help signpost you in the direction of professional support, and ultimately, to where you need to be.
In regards to being physically active, this is a subject that I am passionate and experienced in, and I bring a lot of the cutting-edge research to our work with mental health. For instance, there is scientific data relating to resistance (weight) training and the impact that it has on the brain, it releases a polypeptide or chemical called BDNF (Brain derived neurotrophic factor), there’s no other way the body can produce it, other than moving weights or resistance training, it’s literally like miracle grow for the brain! Even if you’re not officially diagnosed with a mental health condition, the positive impact of exercise or even just going out for a walk, can offer so much value to how you feel.
I also want to go into the importance of quality sleep as it goes hand in hand with exercise and diet. Poor sleep is the most recognised factor in having bad mental health, it is a symptom in almost every single diagnosis, there isn’t anything else that has that commonality. 37% of people are living with insomnia across the UK right now, that’s more than 1 in 3 people, and insufficient sleep or poor sleep has kept pace with this mental health rise and epidemic. We all know how great we feel after a good night’s sleep, you have a bounce in your step and you feel ready to take on the day ahead. Whilst we sleep, there are biomechanical processes going on, that are conducive to optimal health. This cannot be overlooked in the mental health space; we can live without water for longer than we can live without sleep.
Have you ever struggled with your own mental health and if so, how did you deal with it?
Well I didn’t deal with it very well to be honest, especially after being diagnosed with PTSD. I tried to find my answer at the bottom of a bottle or at the end of a line of cocaine or whatever I else I could get my hands on. Fast forward to where I am now, I attended the 12 Step Anonymous Program and the positive results that you can achieve with their help, is just unbelievable. The 12 Steps initiative is a global recovery program for people struggling with addiction, the value that has added to my life is difficult to explain, It’s so powerful. Sometimes there can be a hundred people all with the same illness and addiction in the room, from all different walks of life, opening up and talking about how addiction has impacted them. The 12 Steps motto is ‘we recognise similarities not the differences’, there are people from all walks of life, with different political and religious views, however, we meet as one and the true value in the meetings are knowing you’re not alone in your struggles.
In business there’s a stigma attached to people with mental health issues. Why do you do you think that is?
I think culture isn’t just about what happens inside an organisation, it’s influenced by the wider society too. Take the professional environment, for example. If someone is off work with depression, how is that viewed? Even with an employee assistance program (EAP) in place, I’ve seen so many people hesitate to use it. They’re worried it might go on their record or somehow hold them back, even though it doesn’t. Those subliminal fears, those deeply ingrained cultural messages are a huge barrier, and they hold businesses back.
In male dominated industries especially, there’s still this stigma around men opening up and talking about mental health. As a society, we need to do better. We’ve all seen the tragic stories in the news; it’s affecting families everywhere. Challenging stigma, culture, and discrimination has to be a priority.
To really change things, it has to start from the top. That’s why I admire what you’re doing, leading by example and showing people, “If it’s okay for leadership, it’s okay for me.” That’s how you shift a culture by creating permission and normalising the conversation. But it’s bigger than just business. It’s about changing the way society as a whole sees these issues.
Personally, I’m proud of my recovery. I’m proud to be an addict in recovery and to be part of the 12 Step program. Some people don’t understand why I say I’m proud, but I am. My recovery is something I’ve worked hard for, and it’s a big part of who I am.
If someone is struggling with their mental health, what advice would you give them?
First of all, just reach out. If you’re reading this and you’ve come across our profile on social media, or Proceeds’ profile, send us a message. Someone will be there to help guide you toward the support you need. But if today isn’t the day for that, that’s okay too. Take it at your own pace, it’s your journey. When you’re ready, we’ll be here.
In the meantime, try to take a small step for yourself. Get outside for some fresh air, even if it’s just for 10 or 15 minutes. It doesn’t have to be anything big, just a short walk or a moment to change your surroundings can give you a bit of relief. Step away, take a breather, and decompress.
We’ve talked about opening up, moving your body, and getting enough rest, but here’s something else: be honest and kind to yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint what’s really going on, and that’s okay. Taking a moment to reflect and ask yourself what you need, this can be really helpful. Remember, it’s about small, manageable steps, one day at a time.
