Ted Lawlor, who suffered from depression in 2017, experienced a decline in his immune system that led to impetigo.
Looking back, the 27-year-old now sees this as the first warning sign of his mental health deteriorating.
Ted told the News Shopper: “I realised the impetigo was really the physical manifestation of how I was feeling.”
While at university, he began exploring ways to improve his mental health, delving into motivational videos, the law of attraction, manifestation, and practical techniques such as visualisation and breathwork.
After the passing of his father in November 2024, Ted was determined to avoid the same mental state he had previously fallen into.
Ted explained: “After that in November, I should have been in a bad position, but I noticed the full effect of all the techniques I worked on.”
Seeing the impact these methods had on his own wellbeing, he decided to share them with others through mindset workouts at a studio in Beckenham.
The sessions, which he describes as “a series of wellness events,” include hypnosis breathwork meditation.
His first session, held last Saturday, sold out, and due to the overwhelming response, he quickly arranged a second session for April, which also sold out overnight.
“Sharing this with others is the best thing I’ve ever done”, Ted said, “it’s the things that have been helping me”.
You can book one of Ted’s session here.
Ted’s workshops have attracted a range of participants, with the core group being middle-aged women, though younger and older men and women have also attended.
He acknowledges the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and the widening gaps in support.
He told the News Shopper: “Influencers are opening the floodgates, which is great, but I still think there’s a long way to go.
“It’s how I’m trying to portray myself as well, like I purposely wear gym wear, tracksuits, caps and stuff because I want to show other guys my age that it’s not such a farfetched idea for them to come to one of these.
“It’s not a dark, dingy, spiritual sort of event.
“I wanted it to be so approachable that young guys my age feel that they can come to it just like they would go into a normal gym or a spa day.”
His passion for mental resilience stems from personal loss, having also lost his cousin and uncle in recent years.
Ted’s events have also connected him with a range of people, from elite athletes to TV personalities, and even caught the attention of wellness entrepreneur Joe Wicks and fighter Conor McGregor, who recently shared his post.
Ted added: “I’ve also got a free online wellness platform, which is part of a charity that I’m setting up, so I don’t want to take any money from that.
“And as part of that, I’ve got the support of elite athletes that are also chipping in with their advice and in videos sharing their wellness advice for specifically young people.”
