Dan Keeley

Dan Keeley is one of the UK’s leading mental health activists, thought leaders and keynote speakers on a mission to empower the UK to speak up when they are suffering.

In 2017, after a 5 year battle with bipolar disorder and coming close to taking his own life, Dan ran 1250 miles from the Colosseum in Rome back to the London Eye to share his story on a national scale – raising over £15,000 for The Campaign Against Living Miserably and inspiring hundreds of others to speak up about their own personal battles.

Now Dan Keeley is a nationally-recognised and award-winning mental health activist, thought-leader and keynote speaker; harnessing his lived-experiences to inspire others by collaborating & delivering powerful live talks with many of the UK’s most forward-thinking corporate organisations, conferences, NHS trusts, festivals, schools and social enterprises dedicated to improving the mental wellbeing of their staff, audiences & communities.

Dan is regularly featured on national media platforms including BBC England, London Live, The Evening Standard, The Telegraph, the Heads Together campaign, and national mental-health platforms.

Dan Keeley is also the Founder & Mission Director of #AREWEOKUK: The social enterprise on a mission to empower the UK to speak up when we’re suffering so that together we can show future generations how it’s done.

SPEAKING TOPICS

Dan Keeley covers a number of aspects of mental health issues in his talks. His speech topics include – 

– The power of vulnerability and speaking up when we’re suffering

– The power of putting ourselves first

– The Mental Adventure, why we’re all on the journey together

– When suffering finds meaning; harnessing our experiences to inspire others

– What we can all be doing to support ourselves and those closest to us

His talks include –

Session 1 – Men, Masculinity and Mental Health

Dan Keeley will discuss all things men, masculinity and mental health from his own perspective and lived experience, sharing his unique brand of wisdom that never fails to illuminate and inspire. Dan will be discussing some of the big questions: – Why is suicide still the leading cause of death for men under 45? – Why do men find it so hard to speak up when they are suffering? – How do we find the courage to speak up when we’re suffering? – How do we create the safe space for others to speak up when they’re struggling? He will delve into the concept of masculinity and how this has changed over the past few decades, weaving in a range of narratives around the power of putting ourselves first, the fact that we’re connected through our ‘weaknesses’, not our strengths, and why it’s so important, particularly for men, to speak up when we are struggling.

Session 2 – Nurturing Your Gratitude 

An attitude of gratitude is everything; to remember how lucky we are to live in the times we’re in, to focus on the things which really matter most, to appreciate everything that’s positive in the world. During this immersive bitesize session, Dan will briefly share his story – from a 5-year battle with bipolar disorder to running 1250-miles from Rome to London – before giving you his top tips to truly nurture your ‘gratitude’ and what can happen as a result.

• How lucky are we? No, really.
• Being fully present – paying attention and enjoying the show.
• 80% of life is just noise & distraction. It’s the 20% we’ll remember in the long run.
• Checking in with your 100-year-old self. They’ll thank you for it I promise!
• Simplifying and adding lightness; the power of gratitude to lighten the load.

Session 3 – The Power of Putting Yourself First

You’re the one person you spend 100% of your life with, so it better be the best relationship you have. How hard is it to put ourselves first in the times we’re living in? We’re surrounded by relentless distractions, overwhelming noise and never-ending demands on our most valuable resources; our time, our energy and our attention. Yet without topping ourselves up and giving ourselves the love, compassion, patience & empathy we do so well to offer others, we’re in danger of being in the passenger seat of our own lives and not leading the lives we all crave to live. During this immersive bitesize session, Dan will briefly share his story – from a 5-year battle with bipolar disorder to running 1250-miles from Rome to London – before giving you his top tips on how to give yourself permission to put yourself first.

• Youniversity – Studying what you need to be truly happy.
• “How do you like your TEA?” – Your time, energy & attention?
• Checking in with your 100-year-old self. They’ll thank you for it I promise!
• Why putting yourself first when you need to is one of the most selfless things you can be doing for others.
• When writing the story of your life, you’re the one who holds the pen.

Session 4- Obsessively Simple: Minimising the Excess to Focus On What Really Matters Most 

We live in a time of excess – excess noise, distractions, overwhelm, subscriptions, influences, clutter, responsibilities, commitments, demands and more; excess which detracts from the things which truly matter in life – our health, relationships, passions, growth, security and contributing to other people’s lives. When we take the time to shut out the noise, minimise the distractions and truly re-connect to ourselves and things which make life worth living, that’s when the magic happens; we feel lighter, we reduce the overwhelm, we experience joy in the journey. During this immersive bitesize session, Dan will briefly share his story – from a 5-year battle with bipolar disorder to running 1250-miles from Rome to London – before giving you his top tips on how to simplify and add lightness to every area of your life.

• What really matters most? No, really.
• Shutting out the noise to reconnect with ourselves.
• Decluttering our backpacks, only putting back in what’s essential or meaningful.
• No one said this would be easy, but we can keep it beautifully simple.
• If it isn’t a hell yes then it’s a hell no.
• Simplifying and adding lightness; can you feel it?