October is usually a difficult month for me. The desire to share my baby loss journey, and mental health story alongside the relevant awareness weeks and days, means that I often revisit experiences and emotions that aren’t pleasant. However, the impact of talking across the community, encouraging others to tell their stories, and highlighting the support that is available to grieving families always outweighs the negative. But it means I can feel quite emotionally depleted by the middle of the month. However, as the year’s progress and develop, I have come to find certain methods to help my emotional and mental wellbeing; surprisingly one tool is podcasts.
For someone who is known as a talker, it may be surprising that a medium where I am silent is beneficial! However, over the past six months I have found comfort, insight, and connection in several shows at a time when the world has felt very uncertain and disconnected at times.
You may have seen previous blogs where I shared the shows that have helped me personally and professionally, some of which I have been on too, but today I wanted to share the recent specific episodes which have turned a real switch in my brain. Some have been educational, and some have been silly and a distraction, but all have helped me relax and take some time away from a world that can seem overwhelming and stressful at times.
Here are the powerful podcast episodes for your wellbeing
Unlocking Us
“Join researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author Brené Brown as she unpacks and explores the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human, from the bravest moments to the most broken-hearted.”
Brene with Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle
I think we are all feeling on a tipping point emotionally right now, and are fighting with trying to create some sense of clarity in an ever-changing world. This perfectly explains the reasons why we feel the way we do and offer some easy, and free, ways to break the stress cycle.
Ctrl Alt Delete
“This is not a traditional career podcast. It’s a podcast for people who’ve looked at their interests to shape the work they do. What does it mean to be a modern philosopher? How is Big Tech affecting us? How do you combine activism with being the editor of a magazine? Award-winning author Emma Gannon has a gentle line of questioning that starts with work, and ends up wherever the conversations lead.”
Dr Soph: Self-Sabotage and Seeing Safety
Self-Sabotage is something that many people do but will often beat ourselves up about it. This is an interesting conversation, pinned on host Emma’s new book, where there is an honest talk around mental health education, and how we can be easier on ourselves.
F**ked Up Bedtime Stories (for Adults)
“F**ked Up Bedtime Stories (for adults) features seven short stories written by Alissa Anne Jeun Yi, Dipo Baruwa-Etti, Tim Crouch, Vivienne Franzmann, Matilda Ibini, Amy Jephta and Anthony Neilson. ETT asked these 7 brilliant and provocative writers to tackle the strangeness of our night-time imaginings and twist the familiar form of bedtime stories into something uncanny, dark and surreal.”
So, this may seem like a strange one to include in a quick overview of useful podcasts for wellbeing but hear me out. Sometimes, you need a little escapism; something that confronts the ridiculousness of the world, bringing the darkness into the light and makes you laugh out loud. I found this podcast totally by accident, and have really enjoyed what I have heard so far – even if it makes me feel REALLY uncomfortable. A little tip for you though. Don’t listen to this whilst walking, on your own, in a forest. Unless you want to be REALLY creeped out!
The Machine by Alissa Anne Jeun-Yi
“The story begins The Day The World Stood Still. Do you remember that day? The day time stopped”
Maggie is a magpie of a person – she loves pretty her some pretty thangs. She loves admiring pretty thangs, collecting pretty thangs… When lockdown begins, Maggie decides to buy a sewing machine, determined to surround herself with beautiful clothes, made by her very own hand. She and the machine start a perfect relationship together. But pretty soon, the machine begins consuming more than just fabric… A rollercoaster of a piece – fall down the rabbit hole with Alissa Anne Jeun Yi’s darkly comic folk tale for a new age.”
So, there you have it. Three podcast episodes that have really helped me with my wellbeing over the past few weeks. They have made me laugh, helped me reflect, and taught me things that I can use with my everyday life. I’d love to know what episodes you have enjoyed!
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I’m a straight-talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance. Isn’t it time to you had a career to enjoy not endure?
Clara Wilcox is a straight talking, practical and experienced coach helping clients navigate the tricky waters of returning to work, career changes and professional development. The Balance Collective is a social enterprise focused on improving the lives of parents, by working together to build inner confidence and promote a healthy work/life balance.
