Reality TV star Josh Seiter (“The Bachelorette” fame) chatted about raising awareness on Men’s Health Week, which runs from June 12 to 18.
Legendary poet Walt Whitman once said: “Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.” A person who is worthy of this quote is Josh Seiter.
Importance of Men’s Health Week
Seiter underscored the importance of Men’s Health Week. “This week is extremely important to me because my father recently passed, and Men’s Health Week falls on Father’s Day. It’s also important to me because for the last seven years I’ve been an outspoken proponent of body positivity and mental health awareness,” he said.
“Our health is comprised of our physical and our (often neglected) mental health. Hopefully, Men’s Health Week drives the duality of this truth home,” he added.
Raising awareness on mental health
An alum of “The Bachelorette,” Seiter is constantly doing work on raising awareness on mental health as well, after his own battles with anxiety and depression over the years. “I’ve been battling depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder for 20 years,” he said.
“The work I do generally revolves around breaking down the stigma that exists for those of us living with mental illness. I do this through Instagram posts and interviews, and being brutally honest about my experiences with depression and anxiety.
“I’m a strong believer that the more we talk about mental health, the less invisible it will become,” he added.
Josh Seiter: The law school graduate
Particularly impressive about Seiter is that he is a law school graduate with a JD (Juris Doctor) degree. “I graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2013. Law school was always a dream of mine, but it also taught me that law is not something I want to do the rest of my life,” he said.
“I’m very proud that I completed law school and graduated with honors, but I want to spend my life doing something fulfilling (like mental health advocacy) and not sitting at a desk researching case law. So I thank law school for teaching me that (expensive) lesson,” he elaborated.
The digital age
On being a reality TV star and social influencer in the digital age, Seiter said, “I think being a reality star wields a lot more influence in the digital age than it did 20 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of people follow us with a microscope and listen to us on repeat. It’s a very powerful tool to have.”
“Compare that to people who were cast on ‘The Real World’ in the ’90s. They essentially had no voice after the show aired. So I am very grateful for the marketing power and permanence of social media and technology in general. I wouldn’t be where I am now without it,” he said.
Use of technology in his daily routine
On his use of technology in his daily routine, Seiter remarked, “I mostly capitalize on technology via Instagram. I’m constantly filming content and uploading media. Technology is the fulcrum of the machine that runs around me. I also use it in my mental health work and in the minutia of my everyday life, like creating workout plans and diet plans.”
Future plans
Regarding Seiter’s plans for the future, he shared, “I will continue to bring awareness online to mental health and body positive issues with my Instagram. I will also be creating some special posts in the coming weeks surrounding Men’s Health Week and Father’s Day.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Seiter said, “Success means never giving up. Possessing an indefatigable work ethic. Getting knocked down 100 times and getting back up 100 times. Success is perseverance, and it means never giving up.”
Favorite mottos to live by
When asked about his favorite mottos to live by, he said, “My favorite motto to live by is, ‘no event can disturb us, only our interpretation of that event can’.”
“Also, I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself,” he added.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he responded, “Getting eliminated from ‘The Bachelorette’ on the first night helped me realize that I should blaze my own trail, instead of relying on a network that doesn’t care about me.”
“Also, my grandparents and father’s passings. Most seminal was probably my experience in law school. It taught me what I value, what I don’t, and what I want to do with the rest of my life. Which isn’t sitting at a computer typing legal briefs,” he added.
Fans
For his fans and supporters, Seiter concluded, “Thank you for supporting me over the years and giving me this amazing platform that I now hold. And if you are struggling right now, know that it does get better. Sometimes it feels like you are clawing your way in a dark tunnel without any light. That’s okay. Keep clawing. You will make it to the light. I promise.”
To learn more about reality star and social influencer Josh Seiter, follow him on Instagram.
