My favourite wellbeing podcasts
Are you addicted to podcasts? I am 💯 and I’ll tell you why. It’s because they’re perfect for filling my brain with the best career, business and life advice during those all those ‘in between times ‘. You know the ones I mean. Whilst you’re driving to do school pick up. Whilst you’re waiting for a bus. Whilst you’re cooking dinner or doing something around the house. Whilst you go for a lunchtime walk or during a run. I find it much harder these days to carve out time for reading (though I love it) but there’s usually a few gaps in the week where I can catch up on a podcast whilst getting something else done.
So what are my current faves? Well they ebb and flow depending on what is going on at my life at the time and what I need most help with, but they roughly fall into two categories:
Careers podcasts (surprise surprise)
Wellbeing and mental health podcasts
Now any of my clients reading this will be familiar with the ‘oxygen mask’ analogy I often like to share. When you’re watching a safety demonstration on a plane, they always tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others, otherwise you will pass out and be no use to anyone. The same principle applies to wellbeing and self care. How can you make a difference or help someone else, if you’re completely burned out yourself?
So in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Week 2023, here are some podcast recommendations which have made a big difference to me and I hope they do the same for you:
Elizabeth Day is a journalist and author who’s podcast ‘How to Fail’ celebrates all the things that haven’t gone right in someone’s life and how to learn from failure. She is a natural interviewer, very warm, curious and compassionate, and somehow manages to draw out and connect with her interviewees on a very human level no matter how famous they are. I always learn something from her interviews and find it extremely comforting to hear that lots of outwardly ‘successful’ people have struggled with life’s curveballs just as much as I have! Some recent favourites are Rylan Clarke talking about heartbreak and divorce, Spencer Matthews on alcoholism and the death of his brother, and Alex Jones on fertility and mental health.
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
You might be familiar with Dr Rangan Chatterjee from the BBC series, Doctor in the house. He launched his own podcast in January 2018 and it quickly rose to become the no.1 health podcast in the UK. What I love about Dr Chatterjee is that he is a big believer in ‘lifestyle medicine’ and getting the foundations right e.g food, movement, sleep and relaxation. His advice is always very down to earth and do-able, and he places as much importance on mental health as physical health. His podcast guests are always fascinating, and some of my favourites have been Johan Hari on the causes of depression, Cal Newport on digital minimalism, and Gabor Mate on addiction.
Oprah describes her podcast as being designed to ‘light you up and answer life’s big questions’. I love any excuse for a deep and meaningful conversation, and here Oprah interviews some BIG names (Tina Turner, Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou… the list goes on and on) about the turning points in their lives, the hard lessons and the advice they want to pass on. Think of it as a crash course in how to live your best life.
This last one is a parenting one. I love Dr Becky. She the friendly, wise, reassuring child psychologist that every parent basically wants to have on speed dial. Each episode addresses real life scenarios that listeners have sent in, and she not only helps you understand what’s really going on inside your child’s brain but also gives real, practical advice on how to talk to them and how to look after yourself too. Parenting can be so challenging, stressful and hard sometimes, but Dr Becky always normalises those situations for me. Some recent favourites are ‘When only one parent will do’ about preferring one parent, ‘Clean Plate Club’ about fussy eaters, and ‘Essential Labour’ about mothering as social change.
So I hope you’ve found a recommendation or two there that has piqued your interest, and I’d love to hear yours! Been listening to something great recently that really helped you? Please comment below and let us all know about it xx
Has it been a slow start to your year?
Hello and Happy New Year.
How have you been?
I'm starting 2023 in bed. I was struck down with some kind of bronchitis bug pre-Christmas and it's been very slow to shift 🤧
I also think it might be burnout, hence the book on my lap (for advice) and the wellness journal (for reflection)...
Sometimes your body just goes on strike, and forces you to listen whether you like it or not.
So I haven't started the new year raring to go with lots of new plans and goals. I've just had to let go, and slow down, and reflect on why I got so run down (answer - probably trying to do ALL OF THE THINGS).
But there is plenty of time to get up to full speed. Or not. Maybe 2023 will be the year of slowing down a bit...
Are you feeling this way too? If so, I sympathise. In fact, we are perfectly in sync with the seasons right now, because nature too is in hibernation mode. So why shouldn't we follow suit?
Here's to starting the year at your own pace and no-one else's.
Why self care will help you achieve more
Phew! I recently had to take some time off for a medical procedure and it just ZAPPED my energy.
It’s something I had done a few years ago but back then I was still working in my corporate job. On that occasion, I didn’t take enough time off to recover. I kept checking my emails whilst in bed and fretted the entire time that my team would fall apart without me! (err just to be clear, they didn’t). I came back to work exhausted, stressed and unable to give 100%.
However this time around, I knew the drill. I knew that I needed to block a full week off. I auto-scheduled my marketing so that my biz would keep ticking over without me, and set the OOO on my email so that people knew when they could expect to hear back from me.
And the change in attitude wasn’t just because this time I was working for myself. It was also because I’ve made more room in my life for self care. I’ve realised that it’s not just a ‘nice to have’. It is actually an ESSENTIAL part of how I manage my energy so that I can perform at my best in my business.
There’s a saying: Self care isn’t selfish, it’s self preservation.
It allows you to give your best to your career, your loved ones, and yourself. But it also gets easily side lined in our busy day to day lives. We put everything and everyone else first, and then wonder why we end up burned out and unhappy.
So make some time for self care this week. Schedule it in. Especially if you feel that your energy levels are flagging. Take 10mins every day to do something for you. When you are at your best, then you can give your best.
Chat to you soon,
Juliette
