How’s Your Heart Doing – Interview with Ray Kobeissi

Today is a slightly different episode, Christina talks to a really good friend of hers, Ray Kobeissi.

When Christina first heard Ray’s story of why she started her business and why she does what she does, it truly shook her to the core. So today she wanted Ray to share that story with you all!  Listen in today to hear Ray’s journey to becoming a men’s mental health advocate and how that also led her to becoming a mental health coach, trainer and creating her own podcast.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Ray works with business leaders to work with their anxiety management, stress management and to learn and explore who they are and their true identities. She also highlights awareness around mental health, especially depression in men. She talks about depression, suicide awareness, the distinctions between different mental health issues and more.

Ray also hosts her own podcast ‘Don’t be a man about it’ where she explores male mental health and to give them confirmation that they are not alone.

Ray sharing her story meant that people then felt at ease and comfortable with her. They would open up more to her and she had automatic credibility.

10 years ago Ray was happily living with her family in Dubai. But then there was a series of issues including her Dad’s business going under. She had to leave her father and move to Beirut, this is when she started to see things that children aren’t supposed to see, including an aggressive and manipulative mother.

At 18 Ray decided to leave home, she had to grow up extremely quickly. Her Dad supported her long distance by teaching her simple tasks like boiling an egg. Then at 23 she found out her Dad died. She was told it was a heart attack but she then discovered it was actually suicide.

Ray did not have the tools to help her Dad, she didn’t know how to recognise the signs at all. She didn’t want a man or daughter to have to go through what her Dad or herself had to go through. This is her passion and drive for doing what she does.

Surround yourself with people who are supportive and understanding. Offer this to those around you too. This what really matters.

There is still stigma around men’s mental health, especially so in the middle east. In her work, Ray still finds it sad seeing the amount of men suffering in silence. She has received a lot of negative feedback around what she is doing but she believes you have to be disruptive and make people uncomfortable to change things.

You don’t have to define your happiness. You can just take each day at a time and just figure it out as you go along.

Don’t Be a Man About It, Ray’s Podcast, now has 12 episodes published and she has lots in the pipeline. She has learnt so much from doing the podcast and has developed strong relationships with the guests she has interviewed as well.

We all need to give priority to our mental health. If you do not feel good deep down then your life will not be good.