The Mental Manager: Recent Episodes
Martin Baehrenz & Silke Ahrens & Andrew McAllister
The Mental Manager Podcast introduces you to proven strategies for your own mental health toolbox - with the help of insightful guests and by testing the tools ourselves. Follow us on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/thementalmanager or Instagram @the_mental_manager for updates, daily perspective and blog posts around mental health tools.
We are fast approaching the end of the calendar year and with that an excellent opportunity to review where we are and how good we feel about it (or not) and to gain some clarity on where we want to get to.
Join us for a conversation about our clarity process - we are covering this in a couple of episodes, each one focused on a particular step of the process. It probably sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is so listen in to hear about our experiences in finding out what is important to us.
Being out of work is tough at the best of times but over the past 18 months, it’s been beyond testing. With huge amounts of the population out of work due to the pandemic, job boards have seen at times, upwards of 400 people applying for one single role.
We meet with Gabriella Parker who has made it her mission to help job seekers understand how to look for a job (successfully) whilst protecting their mental health. Gabriella also works with companies to improve their recruitment process to ensure each job seeker is treated respectfully and has the chance to improve upon being interviewed - even if not successful.
Gabriella shares great practical tips on how to look for a job / how to hire effectively and respectfully whilst protecting the mental health of all involved.
Follow Gabriella on LinkedIn for inspiration and practical advise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-parker-91567ba3/
Definitely check out Gabriella`s podcast the Passion Project where she shares wisdom on the different aspects of the working life: https://open.spotify.com/show/0X5cyVRvsF1i5tK3ZQQ21T
Taking a few minutes at the beginning or end of each day to disconnect and tune inwards is a great way to remove yourself from anxiety, gain clarity and get a sense of calm.
Our first Mental Manager meditation is narrated by Silke and sets an intention for the week to come.
We will be releasing short 5-10 minute long meditations for you to enjoy on a monthly basis going forward - always with the aim of supporting you in disconnecting with the outside world and reconnecting with your inner strength.
What have you achieved over the past week? A loaded question for sure, and often difficult to answer. Following a blog post by Paul Graham about splitting life into a "managers" and a "makers" schedule, Martin adopted said approach and has been reaping the benefits ever since.
This podcast episode is a special one because we recorded it with a live audience during corporate Thrive Week, who add a different dimension to our usual approach. Martin shares his real life experience and gives some good examples of how he is utilizing this approach to lead a more focused and less stressful life with better results.
Heres the blog post: “Makers Schedule, Manager`s Schedule” - reading is highly recommended if managing time and energy whilst achieving consistent results is for you
In short the idea is to divide your time between a "Makers Schedule" and a "Managers Schedule" with the Makers Schedule utilizing longer consistent blocks of time for focus activities (enabling you to "make" things without interruptions) and the Managers Schedule being the more traditional appointment booking approach with time divided into smaller blocks time.
Whilst running on "manager" schedule is the typical go to and more socially accepted version, it also often means your calendar and life is dictated by external forces rather than what you need to be successful (whatever that means to you personally).
We need ‘makers time” to finish those projects that create lasting change. And that’s the hard part. To block out time continuously and focus on the difficult task we have in front of us, regardless of whether that is a business plan, presentation, analysis or even something more personal.
Whether you listen to the recording or not, we still encourage you to take time out to think of what you achieved over the past week. It makes you realize how you have spent your time, and something we encourage leaders to incorporate into corporate culture and encourage your teams to do.
We are individually responsible for our own time and achievements, but managers and leaders can make room and remove barriers to make this happen.
Yoga and meditation have become popular in the Western world as a way to decompress, manage anxiety and build physical strength and flexibility.
In this episode we are joined by Ashwani Bhanot who grew up in India in a family of Yogis and is the founder of Studio Yoga Omline (https://www.studioyogaomline.com), runs international Yoga retreats, meditation sessions and Yoga at Work workshops for organisations.
Join us for a deep dive into the path of Yoga, Yoga philosophy and learn why Yoga and meditation if done without proper guidance can turn out to be harmful rather than beneficial - and why Ashwani considers both to be necessary rather than optional for Westerners.
Why do we need to sleep? Why does anyone think that not sleeping might advance a career, let alone produce quality work results? When did lack of sleep in favour of a late night PowerPoint become something of a status symbol in the corporate world, and how do we steer away from this unhealthy trend?
All great questions that we discuss alongside our own experiences on improving quality of sleep, getting back to sleep and stepping out of thought loops in the middle of the night.
Book recommendation
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
Relaxing ASMR by itsblitzzz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feWqKFrYvfE&ab_channel=itsblitzzz
Changing habits, changing lives - in this episode we are exploring the science behind our habits with our guest Azzy Aslam. We dive into how habits shape in our brain, what impacts habit creation, finding the emotions behind our goals, how to build new habits that stick and much more.
About our guest: Azzy Aslam is an accredited coach with deep knowledge on the psychology and neuroscience behind habit creation. He is focused on helping his clients create the right habits to achieve goals and long-term success.
You can connect with Azzy here:Website: https://comentra.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azzyaslam/
2021 is all about stress testing tools and techniques that may improve quality of life. We are excited to share what works and what doesn`t work quite as well with our listeners as we go along.
In our first episode of 2021 we`ve tried out a bunch of different approaches to the traditional New Years resolutions: we dive into the practice of the Past Year Review and share the process and our outcomes, look into practical systems that can improve the day to day and talk about goals versus resolutions.
If you`d like to check some of the inspiration we reference, please see links below:
Tim Ferriss Past Year Review blog article: https://tim.blog/2018/12/28/past-year-review
Maker versus Manager schedule: https://fs.blog/2017/12/maker-vs-manager/
Dandapani - Mind versus Awareness, focusing your energy: https://dandapani.org/
With all 3 Mental Managers being parents, we pondered some of the big questions (and didn`t necessarily find a good answer):
- When you decide to start a family, who should stay home / who gets to stay home (perspective is everything!)
- What does being in a high pressure environment all day long does to your ability to be present after work?
- What does having a family mean to your ability to show up in business, especially if your job is or was "your baby" as well?
- How do you provide not just financially, but also emotionally in a consistent manner?
Whilst these questions have relevance to us in a family / work setting, they are just as relevant to anybody whos working in a high pressure environment and doesnt exactly feel like they are living their best life when it comes to family, friends, or even self-care.
This is our first episode in the Mental Manager bachelor pad - Silke took the episode off and left Andrew and Martin to discuss guilt and shame in all their glory.
Our session not only explores all the different types of guilt (and there are quite a few to be categorized"), but also looks at the difference between shame and guilt. We go into whether it is possible to gain something positive from feeling guilty and how all of us are so readily employing guilt and shame to get what we want - whether that is in communication at work or with friends and family.
What are the effects that guilt has on our mental health and what could be some practical tips on turning it around? Tune into this episode to find out what has helped us.
Here`s a great video that we reference in the episode -
Brené Brown: Focus on guilt instead of shamehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSrXxqKfYwI&ab_channel=60Minutes
In welcoming our second guest to the Mental Manager podcast we are pleased to have the legend that is Marcus Cauchi join us for a frank conversation in this episode.
Marcus has been coaching leadership and sellers in high pressure environments for the past 16 years, he is co-author of the highly recommended "Making Channel Sales Work" and with "The Inquisitor" and "#Scaleups and #Hypergrowth Podcast" is the host of two successful podcast formats in which he regularly dissects the habits of top performing, visionary leaders.
Our truly wide ranging conversation starts off with nerfguns and pacifism, covers the human condition, how getting fired a day before Christmas turned out to be a good thing, being a slave to habits, dives into self-sabotage and into the 4 essential functions of a manager and we finish with acts of courage and how a good breakfast and diary blocking are a base for a great day.
If you would like to find out more about Marcus or get in touch:
Marcus Cauchi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximisechannelsales/
Scaleups and #Hypergrowth podcast: Podbean: scaleupsandhypergrowth.podbean.com
TheInquisitiorpodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/welcome-to-theinquisitor-podcast-with-marcus-cauchi/id1341867086
Making Channel Sales Work (includes a free chapter): https://www.sandler.com/resources/sandler-books/channel-sales-work/
A candid chat about the value of discipline, structure and routine and their impact on mental wellbeing - particularly in times like these. We dive into some of the core principles introduced in the book "Discipline equals freedom" by Jocko Willink, an ex-Navy Seal and performance coach and share our top 3 structures / strategies that keep us centered in difficult times.
References and resources:
Book "Discipline equals freedeom" by Jocko Willink
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34431560-discipline-equals-freedom
Mindmap summary to book "Discipline equals freedom":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1al9Hsu1S_c
Book "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin
https://www.joshwaitzkin.com/the-art-of-learning
Tim Ferris blog on the one decision that removes a thousand decisions
https://tim.blog/2020/01/20/one-decision-that-removes-100-decisions/
We are joined by holistic nutritionist Alyssa Flegg to explore the links between mental health and what we fuel our bodies with. Is it really a case of "you are what you eat" and if so, how do we beat bad habits, food traps and "all or nothing" mentalities? Listen in for easy to implement tips and tricks!
Find and follow Alyssa:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindswellfed/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindswellfed/
Website: http://mindswellfed.ca/
Research & talks referenced:
References:
Jacka, Felice N., et al. “A Randomised Controlled Trial of Dietary Improvement for Adults with Major Depression (the ‘SMILES’ Trial).” BMC Medicine, vol. 15, no. 1, 2017, doi:10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y.
Lachance, Laura R, and Drew Ramsey. “Antidepressant Foods: An Evidence-Based Nutrient Profiling System for Depression.” World Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 8, no. 3, 20 Sept. 2018, pp. 97–104., doi:10.5498/wjp.v8.i3.97.
Phillips, Cristy. “Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Depression, and Physical Activity: Making the Neuroplastic Connection.” Neural Plasticity, vol. 2017, 8 Aug. 2017, pp. 1–17., doi:10.1155/2017/7260130.
Ramsey, Drew. “What Are the Best Foods to Fight Depression? The Antidepressant Food Scale.” Dr Drew Ramsey MD, 22 July 2019, drewramseymd.com/uncategorized/heres-the-1-food-category-to-fight-depression/.
Rege, Sanil, and James Graham. “The Simplified Guide to the Gut-Brain Axis - How the Gut Talks to the Brain.” Psych Scene Hub, 22 Apr. 2020, psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/the-simplified-guide-to-the-gut-brain-axis/.
Links:
Real Food Whole Life - ⅔ principle and gentle wellness https://realfoodwholelife.com/about/
Dr Drew Ransey Tedx Talk “Feed Your Mental Health” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbLFsQubdtw
5 Easy Ways to Increase Energy - Free Guide: https://www.alyssaflegg.com/5-easy-ways-to-increase-energy
Our collective favourite episode to date! Martin Baehrenz is back with a discussion around creativity, what it is and why it is so important to the quality of all areas of our lives. We discuss why it is so difficult to prioritize creative time, ideas on how to bring creativity back to our day to day jobs and we go on a trip down memory lane, discovering what each of us liked to do creatively before becoming career focused and all serious in our adulthood.
Martin brought with him a creativity challenge that all three of us will be taking part in, and all of our listeners are invited to join us! The challenge:
- List 10 potential hobbies or interests that you think you are too old for.
- Pick 1 of them.
- Dedicate 2 hours to explore and enjoy!
We`ll be documenting our journeys on the Mental Manager Instagram account:
https://www.instagram.com/the_mental_manager/
Throughout the podcast we are referring to one book in particular that has provided much inspiration - written by the "Eat-Pray-Love" author Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic is a fantastic source of rediscovering your own creativity: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/
We are joined by our dear friend and colleague Martin Baehrenz in this episode - and we are taking it back to our podcast roots! Inspired by a mental health day on a blokey Australian radio station, we are discussing different cognitive behaviour therapy techniques that we have come across in our past, we are getting philosophic with Socrates and chat about the courage it takes to reach out and ask for help.
Here`s a link to the socratic questions we go through - a great tool to keep your mind in check, in good times as much as in bad times: https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/socratic-questioning.pdf
We are back after a little Covid-19 induced break that was truly only a break from recording and full speed ahead on every other aspect of life and work. In this episode we talk about regaining focus, keeping a positive mindset and gratitude.
Here`s a link to the excellent Ted Talk that we are referring to during our conversation:
"An ER doctor on triaging your crazy busy life":
https://www.ted.com/talks/darria_long_an_er_doctor_on_triaging_your_crazy_busy_life
Doing more with less - that seems to be the theme of our times right now, whether it is less resource, less money, less time or even less mental space to process all the requirements we are supposed to fulfill. We dive into how each of us is having to do more with less, and share some techniques that help us to stay sane.
Join us for a short but sweet episode of the Mental Manager - just long enough for a coffee break! We are sharing what we are doing to keep a level of sanity during times of intense pressure and how we try to keep and real and positive in leadership.
We are also really excited to launch our very own Instagram account! Follow us on the_mental_manager and we`ll follow you right back. It comes with its very own #resiliencemonday, too!
We are joined by our friend and colleague Martin Baehrenz, who adds a touch of Danish philosopher to our conversation. We talk about co-existing emotions in difficult times, making better decisions by observing oneself from the outside and how books can have a real impact on the quality of our life. Martin shares some excellent insights on how he applied the lessons learned from the book "Stillness is the Key" by Ryan Holiday and how that has influenced his daily life.
After a long break and a few technical mishaps the Mental Manager is excited to be back! In this episode you will hear Silke and Andrew discuss working from home challenges, how to stay positive in a crisis situation and why looking after your (and your teams) mental health is now just as important as staying at home is.
Disclaimer: Whilst we have made sure that both audio tracks are fully functioning this time round, Silke`s neighbours have decided to stay at home and renovate, giving our podcast the homely feel of (partially) being recorded on a building site.
We are referring to this talk during our podcast - Dandapani delivers a talk called "the Energy Alchemist" on controlling where your awareness goes and the impact that it has on the quality of life. Here`s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTJWHh44h5w&t=1083s
Thank you for listening!
Andrew & Silke
Join us for our second episode where we discuss what "success" really means, what our responsibility as managers towards our teams is, how to go from being a people-pleaser to boundary-setting-expert and more!