Brandon Fairweather was born with a heart defect doctors said he'd need to fix "someday." That someday came at 28 — heart surgery on his third wedding anniversary.
Since then: 2 strokes, a near-fatal internal bleed, and a cancer diagnosis. Through all of it, a level of anxiety that, at its worst, made it hard to get out of bed.
He wrote his way through it, and that became his book, The Hell Inside Our Heads: Managing Anxiety and Practical Steps for Better Mental Health.
In this episode, Brandon and Angela unpack what actually helped NOT to beat anxiety but to manage it for health, fitness and life's most joyous moment — the practical, the philosophical, and the occasionally unconventional toolkit you don't want to miss!
What we cover:
- Brandon's health journey — heart surgery, two TIAs, a near bleed-out, and cancer, all before 44
- Why you can't "beat" anxiety, and why that's actually good news
- The breathing technique and grounding tools Brandon still uses today
- How sleep, food, movement and "social diet" shape your nervous system
- The champagne he opened on the day of his cancer diagnosis, and why
- "Progress, not perfection" — treating mental health like a skill you train, not a switch you flip
- Why talking to someone, anyone, is never the wrong move
"You don't try to beat happiness, you don't try to beat sadness. So why would you try to beat anxiety?" — Brandon Fairweather
Links Brandon shared:
- Get the book — The Hell Inside Our Heads: Exclusive Books, Takealot, Bargain Books, Reader's Warehouse, Estrell Books, Amazon, Apple Books, loot.co.za
- hellinsideourheads.co.za
- Follow Brandon: Instagram & LinkedIn — @BrandonFairweather
About Brandon Fairweather
Brandon Fairweather is a South African brand manager and health industry leader with over two decades of experience in wellness, sports nutrition and consumer health.
He's currently Brand Manager for Biogen South Africa and Health Category Marketing Manager for Dis-Chem Pharmacies. At 43, his professional expertise is matched by the depth of his personal story — open-heart surgery at 28, two strokes, a near-fatal bleed-out, and a successful fight against cancer have shaped his belief that adversity can be transformed into purpose.
Brandon lives in Johannesburg.
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Brought to you by Angela Shurina
Certified Master Health, Sleep, Recovery, High Performance & Self-Actualization Coach with 18 years of global experience helping striver to make their second chapter the best chapter.
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