Meet mental fitness advocate, Dr Alex George

He shares his tips to build mental fitness throughout the day

The global mental health advocate on reality TV, using his platform for good and the power of quality sleep.

You’ve had a dynamic career so far – first as a doctor, then on reality television, before going on to release bestselling book, The Mind Manual, and committing yourself to positively impacting mental health outcomes around the globe. What do you think have been the biggest turning points?

I was on Love Island UK in 2018. I thought, “I’ll be on there for two weeks and then back in the hospital,” but I came out with a million followers. There was no one with as big a following as I had who actually worked in Emergency in the UK.

Following that, I was in Emergency one day and looked at the clock. In a 10-hour shift I’d seen eight to 10 patients – a small number. I realised how many people I could help through my social advocacy, and remember just being like, “I’m done here.” There’s not a manual for what I’m doing in the medical world right now, so there’s been some risk in that sense.

I’m not sure that I’m used to being known in the public space, but I do feel that I found my purpose – to bring mental fitness to as many people as I can. 

You co-founded Mettle, a mental fitness app for men, with Bear Grylls, and the term ‘mental fitness’ has really resonated with your audience. Why have you chosen to use this phrase in place of ‘mental health’?

People believe that ‘mental health’ is something they cannot impact upon, other than having therapy or taking medication. They don’t see it as something that sits on a spectrum where if you work at it, you can build it up. You can increase your VO2 max by cycling and running, and all of a sudden your cardiorespiratory system is much more capable and you can climb mountains. It’s the same with mental fitness. Wherever your baseline is, it can improve as well. 

With such a public, high-pressure job that can be demanding at times, what wellbeing habits do you utilise to keep both body and mind strong?

Sleep is the biggest thing you can do that will have a tangible impact on most metrics of your life. If you sleep well, you’re less likely to have infections, immune system issues or issues with concentration. Your physical health is generally better and you’re more likely to engage in positive habits.

Next up is to get going in the morning. Grab a coffee and get outside for a walk. Nature’s one of the most powerful ways to not only heal suffering or struggling but also provide grounding.

At the end of the day, I’ll do my run or I’ll go to the gym because it’s going to curve the cortisol levels. In the hours after, that’s when I engage in my wind down, making sure I’m not using social media during the last hour of the day.

You’ve been quite open about your decision to give up alcohol. What impact has your sobriety had on your mental and physical health?

I sat down in my barber’s chair in 2022, looked in the mirror and didn’t recognise myself. I’ve always been fit and strong and I was just like, “What’s happened?” I stopped drinking and suddenly started getting clarity. I needed to start moving my body again and feeding myself proper food, not just processed stuff all the time. And it was a snowball effect – I was able to run further, I was getting fitter and I was losing weight. The more weight that I lost, the more I could exercise. I was healing from the effects of the alcohol. But over two years down the line, I’m still learning about being alcohol-free.

Originally published as Meet mental fitness advocate, Dr Alex George