STEVE MERCER
Steve is the founder of Cooking In Mind. After years battling poor mental health and working in kitchens this project was born
LIVE
Sharp talk aims to have the tough conversations with chefs acroos the UK and Ireland
WHY ARE WE HERE
We have a
dream and mission you need to know about!
To improve the mental health in our kitchens by talking about it, by visiting and interviewing chefs. The Sharp Talk.
The Cooking In Mind kitchen checklist for all head chefs and managers to evaluate the quality of the mental health in their kitchens. For chefs to know the state of their mental health.
The Cooking In Mind Toolbox will discuss coping mechanism that will enable you do cope with the high pressure of the kitchen and me your best self
Helping head chefs to Manage the mental health of their kitchens. People will want to work harder, you will get the best from them and they wont quit on you!
Cooking in Mind live events and the Cooking inMind workshops to engage, learn and join the community.
To raise awareness for what we are doing with Run Talk Cook, which shows the power of Cooking In Minds favorite tool box item; Running!
The Story behind
The Brain child of
Steve Mercer will re-engage chefs across the UK and Ireland
“I’ve battled for most of my life. Its come and its gone. Its been manageable and its been unmanageable. I’d say its been caused by a mixture of stress, issues of abandonment and low self esteem.
The kitchen has been a mixture of a relief from those feelings and very much the cause of those feelings. I used to hide from my thoughts by burying myself in the stress and pressure of my kitchen.
By April 2016 the feeling engulfed me there as well. I could only hide for so long. My personal life fell apart. I could no longer cope.
I made the only decision I felt I could make. I decided where I wanted to take my own life and I got into my car and I drove to Torquay. Nothing my loved ones could say could stop that thought process.
At the very last point, something inside me told me to drive to Mcdonalds. To this day I have no idea why but I found a 24 hour one and bought some food. Before I knew it I found the strength to drive to my parents house. I knew I needed help.
Help came at first with medication and counseling. It took some time but I managed to make myself safe again.
Since then I’ve work hard to improve my mental health. I found in running, my purpose in life and I considered my values and destiny in life.
In the kitchen, I’ve found the attitudes and expectations to be like a rope tugging me back. I’ve always strove to be the best I can be as a chef. This has been at the decrement of my mental health.
But, I believe it can be different but it needs us all to be on the same page. There is no space for being macho, no space for settling for an anxious kitchen.
Pressure to be our best selves is a wonderful thing but it needs to be looked after.
Cooking in mind is going to tackle the tough issues to make the cheffing a better and safer industry that we feel proud to advise our children to go into.Cooking in mind is the brainchild of Steve Mercer. He wants to turn his suffering of anxiety and depression that he went through into something magical.
“I’ve battled for most of my life. Its come and its gone. Its been manageable and its been unmanageable. I’d say its been caused by a mixture of stress, issues of abandonment and low self esteem.
The kitchen has been a mixture of a relief from those feelings and very much the cause of those feelings. I used to hide from my thoughts by burying myself in the stress and pressure of my kitchen.
By April 2016 the feeling engulfed me there as well. I could only hide for so long. My personal life fell apart. I could no longer cope.
I made the only decision I felt I could make. I decided where I wanted to take my own life and I got into my car and I drove to Torquay. Nothing my loved ones could say could stop that thought process.
At the very last point, something inside me told me to drive to Mcdonalds. To this day I have no idea why but I found a 24 hour one and bought some food. Before I knew it I found the strength to drive to my parents house. I knew I needed help.
Help came at first with medication and counseling. It took some time but I managed to make myself safe again.
Since then I’ve work hard to improve my mental health. I found in running, my purpose in life and I considered my values and destiny in life.
In the kitchen, I’ve found the attitudes and expectations to be like a rope tugging me back. I’ve always strove to be the best I can be as a chef. This has been at the decrement of my mental health.
But, I believe it can be different but it needs us all to be on the same page. There is no space for being macho, no space for settling for an anxious kitchen.
Pressure to be our best selves is a wonderful thing but it needs to be looked after.
Cooking in mind is going to tackle the tough issues to make the cheffing a better and safer industry that we feel proud to advise our children to go into.
WHAT ARE WE DOING
We are having the conversation in all the ways we can
Learn more about what we are doing through either our social channels, reach out for a visit, request or attend a workshop or join Steve on runtalkcook.
On the road
Steve is travelling the UK and Ireland talking to as many inspirational chefs and life coaches as possible.
Join us! It will only take a minute
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