Living better: an interview with Alastair Campbell and Fiona Millar In January 2021, Mansfield welcomed British journalists, authors, activists and life-partners, Alastair Campbell and Fiona Millar, to present the first Mansfield Public Talk of the year: ‘How I (and we) learned to live better with depression’. MCR Welfare Officer, Daria Jensen (DPhil Psychiatry, 2019), and JCR Men’s Officer, Mitchell Marshall (History, 2019) interviewed Alastair and Fiona before their talk, to discuss mental health in greater detail.
Fiona: I didn’t manage stress well at university. I got obsessed with work, which was unusual; I hadn’t worked hard at school. I actually performed less well because I was so stressed. I try and do something that takes me out of my job and for me that’s swimming. It’s always been my escape mechanism. Alastair: I quite like stress… well, not stress, but pressure. In the past I might have taken it too far, but I do like pressure that makes me perform better. Mitchell: And do you think pressure did make you perform better? Alastair: Well, sometimes I’m not very good with pressure. It’s not necessarily nice for people living with me. I’ve put myself under intense pressure because I’m doing something that I consider important, and want to do it well. Sometimes I think students need that sort of stress: those moments, almost, of panic, that you can turn into something positive.
Mitchell: You say that one of your most severe breakdowns happened on Hampstead Heath, but that you’re also a lover of trees. What role does nature play in your mental health? Alastair: I’ve always loved beautiful scenery, but it’s only in the last couple of years I’ve really got into trees. I’d say nature is very important. It’s on my list of things that make me feel better; it keeps me calmer. We go out to Hampstead Heath every morning.
Fiona: I was listening to an interview with some year-11 students. They were talking about the stress they’re feeling. They said they needed the stress of upcoming exams to motivate themselves. But we’ve seen the impact of letting too much stress get on top of you. Alastair’s first nervous breakdown is a good example. It’s important to recognise when it’s getting dangerous.
Mitchell: How do you think one should manage the stresses of work, whether at university or in the ‘real’ world? 30
