The HeadStrong Talkshow: Recent Episodes
Jonathan Pittam
Join me, mental health educator, Jonathan Pittam, for the HeadStrong podcast, created for people-managers who want to excel when it comes to supporting their team's mental health. I'll be interviewing those with pearls of wisdom to share on the subject, ranging from people-managers themselves through to employees and relevant experts. All with a sprinkling of laughs along the way. Tune it, it'll be time well spent...
In this episode of the Wellness Wire I define what healthspan is and contrast it with Lifespan
Healthspan is the relatively less well known of the two concepts, but definitely the more important in my view
I give a real life example of healthspan in action, and discuss the difference in approach required to achieve both healthspan and lifespan
www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk
In this episode of the Wellness Wire I take you through my 12 month experiment of living without a smartphone
I explain what motivated me (or rather terrified me) into doing this, hiccups along the way, what I gained, what I lost and much more...
And I answer the question that's probably on the tip of your tongue right now, did I go back to using a smartphone?
Well you'll just have to listen to the podcast to find out...
Holy cow!
This is really interesting stuff. A May 2024 study in the journal 'Psychiatry Research' into the 'Psychiatric and metabolic effects of a ketogenic diet'
The results were truly outstanding
21 adults all with a DSM 5 mental health diagnosis and 1 metabolic abnormality showed dramatic improvements following this diet for 4 months
In the podcast I run through what a ketogenic diet is, how you follow it, then the physical and mental results the participants saw
Ketogenic Diet Intervention on Metabolic and Psychiatric Health in Bipolar and Schizophrenia: A Pilot Trial - ScienceDirect
Of the 7.88 billion people in the world 4.95 billion of us use social media. That's 61% of the global population, and the global number is predicted to reach 5.17 billion by the end of this year (2024)
In this episode of the Wellbeing Wire I'm joined by Donna Preece-Jones, a photographer and artist to discuss the dark side of social media
In running her business Donna utilised social media to engage and interact wit her audience. But things got out of control, and what started out as a useful tool for interacting led to an all consuming habit that took over Donna's life, and she believes she became what she calls a 'social media junkie'
"My world had become too much to manage"
"I'd lie awake at night unable to switch off"
In this episode we cover the following ground:
-
what happened?
-
A snapshot
- What return did she get on my social media activity
- How did it affect her
- FOMO - Fear of missing out
-
Is it possible to live without social media
-
The root causes
-
App design
-
Ease of use
-
Moving forwards and solutions
-
Distractions
- Setting boundaries
- Psychological support
You can find out more about Donna and her projects here:
donna@thedpa.uk
THE DPA
Donna Preece-Jones | LinkedIn
In this episode I'm joined by Wellbeing Officer Kay Buckby, to discuss the question of the day
We cover 3 key areas:
-
What does a Wellbeing Officer do?
-
Models
- Planning
-
Strategy
-
What are organisations getting wrong?
-
Duty of care
- Box ticking
- Management style
-
Reactive vs proactive
-
What does good look like?
-
Planning
- Mentoring and coaching
- Measuring
- Teamwork
- Plan/Do/review
- Wellbeing Champions
To find out more about Kay or to contact her, you can find her at the following:
https://themindfultrainer.net/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaybuckby/
https://twitter.com/Kaybuckby
Today I was joined by Kelly Chizlett to discuss the question of whether conventional medicine and lifestyle medicine can ever be compatible with one another
We discuss the following:
- How do we define 'Lifestyle Medicicne'?
Preventative vs reactive
Symptom management vs prevention
Healthy living
Quality of life
- Pros/cons of lifestyle medicine and conventional medicine:
Side effects of medicactions
- How might conventional and lifestyle medicine complement each other:
You can find out more about Kelly here:
https://www.realyou.works/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-chizlett/
What do you think, is our mental diet something that we should be paying attention to?
Is there a connection between the quality of our mental diet and our mental wellbeing?
Are the social media, news, and reality tv producers basically mental fast food chains?
To book one of our Talks, Workshops, Podcasts, Articles or Drop-in clinics for your organisation visit https://www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk/services
In this episode of the Wellbeing Wire, I'm joined by Mindfulness instructor Kay Buckby
We discuss the question: 'Can Mindfulness improve our quality of life', and cover 3 key areas:
1. Why is Mindfulness beneficial across so many issues people struggle with?
- Escaping 'auto-pilot' mode
- Noticing
- Awareness
- Observing our thoughts
2. Is modern society Mindful?
- Busyness
- Materialistic habits
- Disconnect
- Overthinking
- Over-consuming
3. Building Mindfulness habits to improve our quality of life:
- Simplifying
- Start small
- Scheduling Mindful moments
- Putting our senses to use
- Gratitude
you can find out more about Kay and her work here:
https://themindfultrainer.net/
https://twitter.com/Kaybuckby
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaybuckby/
To book one of our Talks, Workshops, Podcasts, Articles or Drop-in clinics for your organisation visit https://www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk/services
In today's episode I'm joined by Northamptonshire's very own walking wizard Dave Askew. Dave is the founder of Northamptonshire Walks, the go-to group for walking enthusiasts and newbies, with over 34,000 followers, and lots of engaging walking routes for all interests
Dave's not a fan of counting steps, he's into walking for the exploration and discovery aspect, not numbers on a FitBit!
In today's conversation, Dave and I explore the question of 'How to enjoy the art of walking'. We go beyond walking as a form of transport, and even as a form of exercise, as I want to get to the heart of uncovering the 'magic' of walking
We discuss 3 key areas of today's question:
-
What is so special about walking?:
History - travelling back in time
Nature
Mindfulness
Curiosity
Adventure
Lifting our mood
Planning
Reflecting -
Solo vs group walking:
Building connections
Banter
Safety in numbers -
How to build the habit:
Start small
What you do and don't need
Overcoming obstacles to walking (not literally)
You can find out more about Dave, and Northamptonshire walks by using the links below...
https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/222661047933104
https://twitter.com/northantswalks
To book one of our Talks, Workshops, Podcasts, Articles or Drop-in clinics for your organisation visit https://www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk/services
In this episode I discuss the Wegovy skinny jab and whether it truly deserves all of the hype its getting
I've read through the STEP trial (published in JAMA, in 2021), which was the basis for it being approved in the UK by N.I.C.E in September 2023
I answer 3 questions:
- Does it work?
- Does it work long term?
- Does it have side effects?
To book one of our Talks, Workshops, Podcasts, Articles or Drop-in clinics for your organisation visit https://www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk/services
Its currently Mental Health Awareness Week, and in this short episode I give two reasons why I think focusing on your mental health might not be a good idea
There may be some benefits to it as a focus, but I think these cons may outweigh the pros
As a society we love to measure and gather health metrics, and in some cases this can be beneficial, but is that always the case? Is measuring and assessing always the wise option?
To book one of our Talks, Workshops, Podcasts, Articles or Drop-in clinics for your organisation visit https://www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk/services
In this episode of the Wellbeing Wire I'm joined by Ashley Samuel-McKenzie to find out about his journey into Veganism, and most importantly to discuss today's question, 'Can vegans & meat-eaters ever see eye to eye?
We discuss the following areas:
-
Why Ashley became Vegan:
How his coach influenced him
Health benefits he's noticed
Would he ever go back? -
Why he disagrees with the meat-eater position:
Creativity and imagination
Factory/industrial farming -
Compromises he's willing to make :
Local produce
You can find Ashley on Linkedin:
Ashley Samuels-Mckenzie | LinkedIn
In this episode I'm joined by Personal Trainer and Calisthenics expert Paul Wignell, to answer the question, 'What is Calisthenics'?
We delve into the subject of body-weight strength training and cover 3 key areas:
-
What exactly is Calisthenics?
Definitions
Planes of motion in movement
Examples of exercises
Functional exercise
What isn't it -
What are the benefits?
Muscle gain
Core stability
Mobility
Presence
Fun and playfulness
Accessibility and convenience
Injury prevention -
How do you do it?
Levels and progressions
Equipment
Typical mistakes people make
You can find out more about today's guest Paul Wignell here:
Facebook:
(20+) Facebook
Instagram:
Paul Wignell PT (@paulwignell_pt) • Instagram photos and videos
TENPO (Paul Wignell) (@tenpo_coaching) • Instagram-foto's en -video's
In this episode I'm joined by two Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLW's) to discuss how Social Prescribing currently works, and ideas for its future evolution
Today's two guests are Sarah Borondy and Sharon Douglas, both Social Prescribing Link Workers for an organisation named Spring Northamptonshire
We discuss the following:
How Social Prescribing currently works:
Peer support
Asset development
Wellbeing assessments ('Wellbeing star')
Goalsetting
Success stories:
Examples of those who have benefitted
Creating ownership of your wellbeing journey
The secret sauce behind why Social Prescribing is helpful
Social Prescribing looking forwards:
Supporting Schools
Supporting Businesses
In the NHS
Educational components (to support prevention)
https://www.springnorthamptonshire.org/
In this episode we discuss the following question: ‘what are we getting wrong when it comes to sleep?
To answer this I’m joined by Dr Katharina Lederle, better known as Dr Kat. Dr Kat, is a sleep and body clock specialist, who is passionate about helping people sleep well and feel good. She sees taking care of your sleep and circadian health as an act of self-care.
In this episode we discuss the following areas:
Fatigue and its effects on performance
Does shift working affect our health
Larks vs owls (which are you?)
How your daytime habits affect sleep
Light exposure and sleep
Sleep tracking apps
Do we all need 8 hours sleep?
What can businesses do to improve staff sleep
Psychological therapies to improve poor sleep
Dr Kat combines a deep understanding of the biology of sleep and the body clock (she holds a PhD in Human Circadian Physiology & Behaviour and a MSc in Biosciences) with her practical experience in managing fatigue and insomnia, and learnings from Mindfulness, Acceptance Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy.
Dr Kat provides 1-2-1 sleep coaching to those experiencing insomnia and works with organisations helping them realise the goodness of sleep. She runs sleep hacks, educational talks and workshops. These use a variety of methods, and workforce teams get to understand more about their own sleep behaviour and then design personal sleep plans that help them make behavioural changes and sleep well.
Dr Kat has also written a practical guide to getting good sleep called ‘Sleep Sense’ and has appeared in media coverage of sleep and circadian rhythms.
You can find out more about Kat (and buy her brilliant book)
using the links below:
https://drkatsleep.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharinalederle/
https://twitter.com/DrKatSleep
https://www.instagram.com/drkatsleep/
https://www.foyles.co.uk/book/sleep-sense/katharina-lederle/9781925820935
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleep-Sense-Improve-improve-health/dp/1925335739
Im joined by Al Nastase, owner of Trigon Farm in Devon to discuss this question
Our food environment
GMO's (Genetically modified foods)
Pesticides & chemicals in our foods
CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture)
Organic/chemical-free food growing
Self-reliance/food independence
Can industrial farming ever be good for our health?
No-Dig Gardening
How to get started with growing your own food
Al is a Microbiologist, Permaculture designer, Sustainability coach, and Small farm consultant.
He grew up in Romania on a smallholding, and had an allotment in Northampton for 6 years and in autumn of 2019 he decided to become a farmer. He farms 7 acres of land using sustainable, regenerative methods that work towards creating a small ecosystem.
He is using the "no dig" method for growing vegetables and flowers, "mob grazing" for sheep, "rotational grazing" for poultry and also working on converting a good area of hay meadow into wild flower meadow.
All the methods Al uses are non-invasive, he works with the land and not against it. From 2022 he expanded his offer to customers by introducing courses, workshops, pizza evenings and "Farm to table" dinners.
Al offers talks and workshops on sustainability, permaculture and food resilience to companies on their Green days or Sustainability days.
Al's approach is to raise awareness, educate and empower people to take positive action by starting to grow their own food, reduce carbon footprint, offset carbon footprint and become more resilient to external changes.
www.trigonfarm.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/trigonfarm
https://www.instagram.com/trigonfarm/?hl=en
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g776112-d23589058-Reviews-Trigon_Farm-Holsworthy_Torridge_Devon_England.html
Our micro-health environment is the things we can directly influence on a daily basis, such as what goes in our fridge, what we eat at work, and where we exercise etc, as opposed to the 'macro-environment' which is made up of things we can't directly affect such as government health legislation, advertising and societal trends.
For today's discussion I want to know how we as individuals can alter our micro-environment to have a positive impact on our health
To discuss this I'm joined by Neill Friedman, Neill has a BSC in ‘Sport & Exercise Science’, and is currently reading for a PhD in ‘Biology & health sciences’, where his research is focussed on understanding the molecular pathways by which diet affects health.
Neill continues to work as a nutrition consultant to organisations, and is also Neill is also the co-founder of the ‘BERG F’ a not-for-profit social enterprise looking to channel social impact funding into research projects that look to tackle the root causes of disease rather than into finding drugs for the treatment of symptoms.
In this conversation we cover the following areas:
The Golden Triangle (education, convenience, price)
What's in your fridge?
Workplace canteens
Are workplaces priming staff for productivity or sluggishness?
Donuts for birthdays
School dinners
University catering
Local shops
Sandwich vans
Vending machines
And much much more...
https://twitter.com/NeillFriedman
https://www.facebook.com/neill.friedman
https://www.linkedin.com/in/neillfriedman/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-berg-f/about/
I'm joined by Dave Askew from Northamptonshire Walks to hear his story of corporate burnout and how walking brought him back from the brink
We cover the following areas:
Benefits of walking
Community
Matching your walks to your unique temperament
Getting outside on your work breaks
Why counting steps isn't ideal
Mindfulness
Dave's advice for getting started
And much more...
Dave Askew has lived in Northamptonshire for over forty years and has
always had a keen interest in walking, photography, nature and local history.
In 2013, after experiencing a health scare, he decided to start the walking
blog northamptonshirewalks.co.uk to share his love for walking in
Northamptonshire. The blog quickly took off & today his website has more
than 200 walks he’s done in Northamptonshire on it, plus another 165 outside
the County, including those from his travels all over the world. In 2022 alone it
received more than 1 million views! All the walks are done by pictures, not
maps & are completely free to access.
In May 2022 Dave started taking people on Group Walks and now runs around
25 per month. All the Group Walks are totally free, but you can make a
donation to the day-to-day expenses if you’ve had a great time. In 2022 over
4,000 people came on one of his walks.
The Northamptonshire Walks Facebook Group has become recognised as a
highly positive and supportive community that grew at an incredible rate
throughout the Covid pandemic and currently stands at almost 33,000
members (all with some link to Northamptonshire). You may have seen one of
the 700+ Northamptonshire Walks hoodies and polo shirts out on there on the
footpaths!
Dave can be heard regularly on BBC Northampton & has appeared on both
BBC & ITV television. He also writes articles for many local magazines & has
featured more than once in the Daily Telegraph, promoting
Northamptonshire’s hidden secrets. He’s also available for talks.
Dave has won several awards for the help his website and social media has
given to people, all of which is done purely as a hobby. Indeed the Group
was privileged to receive ‘The Together’ award at the BBC Make a
Difference Awards and, more recently a ‘Highly Commended” Award from
the Countryside Charity Campaign to Protect Rural England.
As Dave always says…”If just one of my walks has helped just one person,
then it’s all been worthwhile
https://northamptonshirewalks.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/222661047933104
https://twitter.com/northantswalks
I'm joined by Luke Callis previously a strength & conditioning coach with Sheffield United football club, now an academic in the sports Science division of the University of Northampton
Luke's research interests are around injury prevention and long-term athletic development
We discuss the question of whether strength training can improve our metabolic health. Metabolic health being related to blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI, blood triglycerides and cholesterol.
We discuss a wide variety of ideas including:
What is strength training?
Does it matter which type you do for metabolic health?
The different types of strength training
The concept of 'Overload'
Why goalsetting matters
The power of routine
Cardio vs strength training for metabolic health
Why 'beasting' doesn't work
Why focusing on your weight isn't smart
And much, much more...
(18) Luke Callis | LinkedIn
Luke Callis — University of Northampton's Research Explorer
In this episode we're discussing the question of whether as a society we should move our focus away from increasing our 'lifespan' (duration of life) and onto a focus on increasing our 'healthspan' (duration of life lived without disease)
To discuss this I'm joined by fellow healthy living enthusiast Neill Friedman. Neill is currently reading for a PhD in biology and health sciences, where his research is focussed on understanding the molecular pathways by which diet affects health. Neill continues to work as a nutrition consultant to organisations and is a director of The BERG F, a not-for-profit social enterprise focused on channelling funds into the development of the independent health science and scientists of the future
We talk about how we got to the current situation re the nation's health, factors keeping us where we are, and how we move forwards
You can find out more about Neill's work at:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-berg-f
And you can support Neill's cause that funds research into non-medical interventions at:
https://pluggin.website/berg/
In this episode I'm joined by running coach and enthusiast Mark Kennedy to find out what it is about running that draws so many people to it
Mark is group leader of Northampton Road Runners, as well as being a mindset coach
Running Club - Northampton Road Runners at UoN
Northampton Road Runners | Northampton | Facebook
In this conversation we talk about the psychological state of flow, getting started, goalsetting, the beauty of challenge, community, and the self-development journey plus a whole lot more
A great chat with a great guest
In this episode I'm joined by James Wright, a Mental Health & Wellbeing Co-ordinator from the Frank Bruno Foundation. James has worked in fitness and mental health for over 25 years, having qualifications in social work, fitness and nutrition
Fundraising - The Frank Bruno Foundation
(22) James Wright (Delacy) | LinkedIn
James and I discuss boxing, boxing training and how it impacts on participants mental wellbeing. We also cover a whole range of ideas from life skills, nutrition and keeping things in balance to social media and medicalisation
Get comfy and grab a cuppa, this is a great conversation...
In this episode I'm joined by Sarina Mann, a public speaking coach who has also taught meditation for many years
In this conversation Sarina gives us a brief overview of what meditation actually is, as there's lots of confusion out there around what it is
We discuss brain waves, types of meditation, potential benefits, and how to get started if you're keen
Nagarjuna Kadampa Meditation Centre – Buddhist retreat centre, meditation classes, and cafe (meditateinnorthants.com)
In today's episode I'm joined by retired GP and all round wellness advocate Dr David Smart, to discuss the question of whether GP's should be putting the word 'stress' on a sicknote
We discuss the medicalisation of stress, problem solving, resilience and a whole host of other ideas related to the central question
In this episode of the Wellbeing Wire podcast I'm joined by two guests from the artistic community to discuss the power of creative expression to enhance our wellbeing for those of us who aren't artistically gifted
We delve into a variety of areas from flow states and Mindfulness, to journaling, beatboxing and painting
My first guest is Honorata Chorazy-Przybysz of Artlysing, an artist and creative counsellor who's work aims to harness the therapeutic power of creativity
https://artlysing.com/
And Honorata is joined by Dave Bowden founder of Word Guerilla, an ex-headteacher who demonstrates the value of creative expression for young people through poetry, beatboxing, and the power of words
https://wordguerrilla.com/
In this episode of The Wellbeing Wire I'm joined by Sarah Knapp to discuss psychological approaches and interventions to support weight management
Sarah Knapp is a Sport and Exercise Psychologist (in Training). She supports athletes and individuals with their performance, health and wellbeing goals.
With a wealth of experience working in NHS mental health services Sarah now focuses on supporting clients to achieve a healthy relationship with physical activity, whether that be to maintain a consistent exercise routine or reduce the risk of exercise dependence.
Sarah is passionate about helping clients to understand their own values to help them lead a fulfilling life.
Sport Psychologist | Mindset For Performance | Northampton, England
(11) Sarah Knapp (@sarahmknapp) / Twitter
Sarah Knapp | LinkedIn
I'm joined by Neill Friedman BSc, who's BSc is in Sport and Exercise Science. Neill is currently in his 1st year of reading for a PhD in Health & Biological Sciences where he is looking to expand upon his work in understanding the relationship between diet and lifestyle and chronic disease and healthspan.
Neill is also the co-founder of the BERG F a not-for-profit social enterprise looking to channel social impact funding into research projects that look to tackle the root causes of disease rather than into finding drugs for the treatment of symptoms.
In this episode, we're discussing the new 'skinny jab', whether its a good idea, and what we can do to get the population out of the current obesity crisis. Neill shares some great insights and ideas to make practical changes
You can find out more about Neill and the BERG F at:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-berg-f
https://pluggin.website/berg/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/neillfriedman/
neill.friedman@northampton.ac.uk
Brief summary of the February 2023 paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the meta-analysis of 3 randomised controlled trials of oral vitamin D to reduce the risk of type 2 Diabetes for pre-diabetic individuals
Diabetes is a growing problem in the UK, according to Diabetes UK since 1996 the rates have risen from 1.4 million to 3.9 million. And that’s not including those undiagnosed, which they estimate takes the real figure to 4.8 million of us. But it gets worse, as they predict that by 2025 5.3 million of us will be living with type 2 diabetes. Out of a population of 67 million of us, that’s 7.9% of us.
The study which included 4190 people and was a meta analysis (which essentially pools the results of other studies on the subjects and combines them statistically to get the bigger picture across numerous studies) that found that taking vitamin D reduced the risk of them going on to develop type 2 Diabetes
Meta-analysis: Vitamin D Therapy Reduced Type 2 Diabetes | Nutrition | JAMA | JAMA Network
In this clip I talk about the old adage, "How you think is how you perform", in relation to negative self talk during the absence process. And how this self talk can hinder the recovery process and what managers may be able to do to overcome this...
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalh...
In this clip I talk about recovery roadmaps as a tool to help managers optimise the recovery and return process by taking a systematic approach. I also share some of the key components to include in a recovery roadmap
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalh...
In this clip I talk about how evidence shows that an individual's overall experience of mental health recovery and the return to work is significantly influenced by the quality of their support networks
I also talk about the different categories of social support that most of us don't consider when we think about support
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalh...
In this clip I talk about the difference between managers focusing on recovery vs managers who focus on getting team members back into work. I share what I believe are the pros of each, and their why managers may opt for them
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalh...
In this clip I share a lesson from a world record breaking mountaineer, and how we can apply his thinking to the recovery process. I also give 4 reasons why I think goalsetting can improve recovery and the return to work.
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalh...
In this clip I talk about coping strategies during absence. How they can not only improve the speed of the recovery process and therefore reduce absence time, but also act on a preventative basis going forwards
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalh...
In this clip I talk about how rather than seeing absence and recovery as one stage leaders may benefit from seeing it as a series of stages employees move through with differing needs at each one. Thereby allowing support to be tailored and optimised
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalhealthawarenessgated
In this clip I talk about how rather than seeing absence and recovery as one stage leaders may benefit from seeing it as a series of stages employees move through with differing needs at each one. Thereby allowing support to be tailored and optimised
Let me know what you think?
Click the link below to get a FREE copy of my report '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know'
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalhawarenessgated
In this episode I'm discussing 'OOSOOM' (out of sight out of mind) and how managers who ignore absent team members and cast them adrift until they're ready to return might be making the situation worse and reducing the chances of a successful return altogether
I also share a simple solution to this issue that might result in increased return rates if applied successfully
To get your FREE copy of my report '3 Mental Health Myths every HR professional needs to know' just click on the link below
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalhealthawarenessgated
In this episode I'm discussing the ease with which time-off is used as a tool when employees are struggling with their emotional wellbeing
I discuss why I think it is used so readily, and how it can actually backfire in many cases leading to many employees not returning to their job at all
To get your FREE copy of my report '3 Mental Health Myths every HR professional needs to know' just click on the link below
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalhealthawarenessgated
In this episode I'm discussing how malleable our habits are and how across the duration of an absence certain work-related daily habits may fade and be replaced, thereby presenting an obstacle when it comes to returning to work
I discuss one solution to this that might help leaders overcome the obstacle of returning team members having to re-learn old habits at the same time as managing their emotional wellbeing when returning to work
To get your FREE copy of my report '3 Mental Health Myths every HR professional needs to know' just click on the link below
https://www.subscribepage.com/mentalhealthawarenessgated
On today’s episode of the HeadStrong Talkshow we’re discussing the question 'How managers can better support their menopausal team members?'
To explore this subject and share their insights I’m joined by 3 guests:
- Sally Watton
- Hazel Wright
- Marie Wilson
Hazel Wright is part of the Menopause and Me partnership offering support to organisations in becoming menopause friendly and supporting women experiencing menopause. After working in the voluntary sector for 20 years, Hazel now works in personal and team development.
Hazel Wright | LinkedIn
Menopause in the workplace Northamptonshire – Menopause and Me (thewrightapproach.co.uk)
Sally Watton, is part of the Menopause and Me partnership offering holistic activities to support organisations in becoming menopause friendly and supporting women experiencing menopause while in the workplace. A training and development consultant with over 18 years’ experience, working with leaders and managers in both the public and private sector.
Sally Watton | LinkedIn
Marie Wilson of Wellbeing in Flow is a therapist with an intention to support others to become much more. Her foundation sits in nutrition and so her approach has an emphasis on nourishing yourself in a way that feels right to the individual.
Her experience has also led her to support others in strengthening their mindset. She is passionate about helping others recognise ways that they can help themselves not just with nutrition but with life, so she is with a desire to share that passion and inspire others to be aware of their own power to change their life.
The menopause is just one of her areas of interest because she believes that women are suffering more than is necessary. This is because there is a lack of awareness of all the ways in which to explore and support this life stage. To explore it is to begin to understand it and would lead to women not dreading the experience
Marie Wilson | LinkedIn
Wellbeing in flow (@wellbeinginflow) • Instagram photos and videos
The World Health Organisation has laid out its '2020-2030 Mental Health Action Plan' sharing their vision of how they want to transform the global mental health landscape, as they believe it's in desperate need of an overhaul
In their guidance document they highlight examples of support services who take a more proactive approach than just listening. They give examples of how planning and goalsetting is successfully embedded at the heart of these services
Join me as I discuss the W.H.O's focus on action taking as being integral to any effective mental health support
P.S To download my free report, '4 Mental Health First Aid mistakes every business needs to avoid' just click here>Download your free report< Jonathan Pittam
Mental Health Educator
www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk
In part three of this three part series of podcasts (>listen to part 1<) (>listen to part 2<) I'm drawing on the World Health Organisations 2020-2030 'Mental Health Action Plan' and sharing their vision of how they want to transform the global mental health landscape, as they believe it's in desperate need of an overhaul
In their guidance document they explain their new model of what recovery should look like, and the focus of this episode is highlighting what this entails and how we can bring it into the workplace
Join me as I discuss the W.H.O's optimistic new vision for recovery...
P.S To download my free report, '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know' just click here>Download your free report< Jonathan Pittam
Mental Health Educator
www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk
In part two of this three part series of podcasts (>listen to part 1<) (>listen to part 3<) I'm drawing on the World Health Organisations 2020-2030 'Mental Health Action Plan' and sharing their vision of how they want to transform the global mental health landscape, as they believe it's in desperate need of an overhaul
In their guidance document they highlight examples of utilising those with lived experience, some of which I highlight in this podcast
The focus of this episode is the W.H.O's belief of the importance of having those with lived experience play key roles in mental health support
Join me as I discuss the W.H.O's new vision for mental health and what this could mean in the workplace...
P.S To download my free report, '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know' just click here>Download your free report< Jonathan Pittam
Mental Health Educator
www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk
In part one of this three part series of podcasts ( >listen to part 2<) (>listen to part 3<) I'm drawing on the World Health Organisations 2020-2030 'Mental Health Action Plan' and sharing their vision of how they want to transform the global mental health landscape, as they believe it's in desperate need of an overhaul
In their guidance document they highlight examples of good practise from around the world, some of which I share in this podcast
The focus of this episode is the W.H.O's desire to move the focus away from the biomedical model of mental health which focuses primarily on:
- Diagnosis
- Medication
- Symptom reduction
Join me as I discuss the W.H.O's new vision for mental health and what this could mean in the workplace...
P.S To download my free report, '3 Mental health myths every HR professional needs to know' just click here >Download your free report< Jonathan Pittam
Mental Health Educator
www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk
The World Health Organisation has laid out its '2020-2030 Mental Health Action Plan' sharing their vision of how they want to transform the global mental health landscape, as they believe it's in desperate need of an overhaul
In their guidance document they highlight examples of utilising those with lived experience, some of which I highlight in this podcast
The focus of this episode is the W.H.O's belief of the importance of having those with lived experience play key roles in mental health support
Join me as I discuss the W.H.O's new vision for mental health and what this could mean in the workplace...
P.S To download my free report, '4 Mental Health First Aid mistakes every business needs to avoid' just click here>Download your free report< Jonathan Pittam
Mental Health Educator
www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk
The World Health Organisation has laid out its '2020-2030 Mental Health Action Plan' sharing their vision of how they want to transform the global mental health landscape, as they believe it's in desperate need of an overhaul
In their guidance document they share their new concept of what recovery should look like, and how it differs from the standard model
The focus of this episode is the W.H.O's optimistic new recovery model and what this means for the workplace
Join me as I discuss the W.H.O's new vision...
P.S To download my free report, '4 Mental Health First Aid mistakes every business needs to avoid' just click here>Download your free report< Jonathan Pittam
Mental Health Educator
www.mindbodyconsulting.co.uk
As part of Mental Health Week 2021 I was interviewed by Sarina Mann, a coach who specialises in helping those who struggle with public speaking due to anxiety.
In this short conversation we discuss the following areas:
- Mental health conversations
- Asking vs telling
- Skillful questioning
- Vulnerability as a trust-building tool
- Empowering your team members
Hopefully there's something useful in here for your and your people-managers
In this episode we're exploring the subject of 'Social Prescribing', and how it can help those who are struggling with their mental wellbeing? Is it a vital resource for people managers and mental health first aiders to be aware of during their conversations with struggling team members and colleagues?
To discuss this subject, I'm joined by Kim Brindley, a Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW) from Northamptonshire, the region where Social Prescribing was initially launched in 2019
Kim has been a Social Prescriber since 2020, and has worked with countless individuals to help them manage their wellbeing. Kim's past experience includes being an NHS HealthCare Assistant, and NHS Smoking Cessation Practitioner
NHS England » Social prescribing
On this episode of the HeadStrong Talkshow we’re discussing the question of whether managers should be focusing on asking or telling for a healthy return to the workplace?
To explore this subject, I’m joined by Maureen Tallis who’ll be sharing her insights around the question
Maureen is an experienced HR professional and Executive Coach with specialist skills in talent management, leadership development, culture change and all things people focused
Her HR career spans more than 25 years, and her latest role was “Head of Talent and Resourcing” at Baxi Heating UK Limited where she worked with the Executive Team and people managers to build a learning and development culture, establish robust succession planning, introduced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and set up the Baxi Heating Charitable Trust, as well as promoting every project to further strengthen employee engagement
Maureen is single minded about creating great places to work and environments where everyone can feel comfortable being themselves, there is open two-way feedback, and each colleague is encouraged to develop to levels they once thought impossible!
We're discussing the pros and cons of asking vs telling, and which approach is likely to yield the most positive wellbeing results during the transition back into the workplace, plus a whole load more...
Maureen (Bowley) Tallis | LinkedIn
In this episode of the HeadStrong Talkshow, I'm joined by Andy Goram from Biz Juicer, a strategic employee engagement consultancy, to discuss how managers can keep their team members engaged whilst working form home
It's easy for individuals to feel disconnected from their work and employer in the current situation, so what are the keys to maintaining a level of engagement that breeds loyalty and job satisfaction?
Andy's here to tell us how...
After a successful corporate career over 26 years, Andy set up Bizjuicer, with a focus on helping create more successful, purposeful, values-driven businesses from the inside out, aligning Purpose, Proposition, and the People inside businesses to generate sustainable profits. Or as Andy calls them, stickier businesses
He’s on a mission to turn the lights on behind the eyes of your employees, help light the fires within them and get more out of the relationship between businesses, their brands, and their people.
He’s also the host of the Sticky From The Inside podcast, which dives into all that sort of stuff from the different perspectives of the guests he chats with.
Podcast | Bizjuicer
You can find out more about Andy and his business at www.bizjuicer.com
In this episode I'm joined by Peter Moorhead, owner of Celebrate Health & Fitness Ltd, to discuss strategies managers can use to help their team stay physically active whilst working from home
After a long career as a soldier, Peter set up Celebrate Health & Fitness in 2007 having qualified as an Advanced Personal Trainer earlier that year
Since then his team that includes 9 experienced Personal Trainers, have been delivering gym based, outdoor and online fitness training for individual employees and small groups for companies in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire
Peter is also a qualified Nutrition Coach with Precision Nutrition who rank amongst the best Nutrition certification and coaching companies in the world
Peter and I discuss everything from incentivising team members to exercise, through to how to overcome reluctance to taking part in virtual fitness sessions
In this episode I'm talking to June Srivalsan, Senior Health Technician at Celebrate Health & Fitness
We're discussing the subject of how to keep field-based team members both physically and psychologically safe when visiting homes and sites
June is a phlebotomist (qualified to take blood) and is also qualified to administer vaccines, and has been delivering health screening in the corporate world since 2008
She's currently engaged in delivering Covid testing in schools and businesses...
In this episode of the HeadStrong Talkshow, I'm joined by Dave Bowden
Dave is a former primary school HeadTeacher, and now founder of Word Guerilla, a company that uses language and creative writing to develop engagement, productivity, creativity and mental wellbeing in both educational and workplace settings
Dave has worked within educational contexts for the past fifteen years, both in the UK and Canada, so definitely knows his way around a classroom, and is also a parent to two young children
Today, Dave joins me to give his take on balancing working from home with home-schooling, and suggest some practical ideas for people-managers who have team members in this situations
In this episode of the HeadStrong Talkshow, I'm joined by two people with backgrounds in the world or journalism and news reporting, to discuss the impact of Covid-19 news exposure on our mental health
Laura Pickett and Elaine Davies join me to share their insights into news reporting to give line managers the inner workings of news machine, and discuss ways you can support those around you so their news consumption doesn't become excessive and cause the distress studies have linked it to
So join us as we explore ways to stay informed without it having a detrimental affect on our mental health and wellbeing