The Happiness Algorithm

‘It’s impossible to admire the beauty of the natural world without also reflecting on it’s vulnerability’ - Sophie Green

Today I was joined by the award winning animal and wildlife artist, Sophie Green. On today's show we discussed how its' important to find joy in the present moment.  How in the current climate it's easy to be caught up in negative thinking but how we can shift and change our perspective to recognise what we do have, rather than what we don't.

Sophie highlighted how it's dangerous to deny ourselves the permission to feel certain ways.  Why observing and noticing our thoughts and how we're feeling is an important skill to learn and how certain feelings can have an impact on our physical well being.

We even discussed woodpeckers!

At the heart of today’s show is laughter. Science has proven that laughter is one of the best medicines. The benefits of which include stress reduction, strengthened social connections and the release of your body’s “feel good” chemical, endorphins.

Researchers have also validated the pain-relieving effect and benefits of laughter. Studies have shown that laughter strengthens the immune system due to the fact that laughter, like other forms of happiness, triggers the nervous system’s relaxation response – it is said that a good laugh relieves physical tension and leaves the muscles relaxed for as long as 45 minutes. With today's show being the best part of 1 hour 45 mins I was banking on my guest bringing his best material - which he certainly did! He is a man of many talents, comedian, presenter, actor and amazingly successful podcast & YouTube channel host.

It is of course… Mr Jim Daly!

Today I was joined by the founder of ispace wellbeing an exciting, interactive curriculum, aimed at preparing children with understanding, knowledge, strategies and tools to take care of their mental health and wellbeing, helping them to live life well.

ispace curriculum's integrate evidence based, fun to use strategies, a common language, positive psychology and mindfulness tools to help support children’s wellbeing and personal development.

Born out of a passion for children’s mental wellbeing my guest pulls on her knowledge,  experience and expertise as a registered nurse in both adult and paediatric care, as well as being a mindfulness teacher.

We discussed all things mental health, emotional wellbeing and learning how we can all nurture ourselves in this crazy world we’re currently existing in!

I was delighted to welcome to the show Paula Talmin

Today I was joined by the founder of Permitted To Pause. A platform dedicated to reminding those who help others to not forget about helping self.

Taking time for self is hard when you're devoted to giving to others. It’s hard to encourage yourself to stop, know when is enough, to find the time to nourish self. All with the same level of care, energy and attention we give to others.

Permitted To Pause urges us to pause for 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 weeks, 5 months, whatever it may be. We must take the time to find what we need to make life, and work, a little easier.

Born out of personal experience, we discussed that journey and a whole lot more.  I was honoured to welcome to the show Dr Samantha Anthony.

On The Happiness Algorithm today we jumped across the pond and I was joined by somebody whose life has been full of twists and turns. It all started in senior year of high school during a baseball game. An injury ended his playing career and put him on a new path. A childhood obsession became a new possible reality - forecasting the weather. As old plans shifted, life was just starting to get interesting. After studying Atmospheric Science and Media it was time to go on live TV.

My guest was hired out of college to the #1 news station in the Capital of Michigan. Ultimately, this didn’t live up to what he expected. Between the media manipulation, promotion of fear/destruction and self-absorbed personalities, my guest had to make a difficult choice.

He chose the leave the path he had wanted to follow for so long and head back to school. Here he graduated with a degree in Clinical Psychology. This study opened his eyes to a world that made more sense. His interest led him to continue research in the human potential, including mindfulness, the placebo effect, meditation, mind-body connection, NLP, neuroplasticity, and many other interesting subjects.

He says that often we see that our potential is limited but this is down to stories we tell ourselves and patterns we obtain.  His mission is to improve the human experience by providing content and coaching that enhances our inner power and shapes reality into a vision we choose.

Listen how we can break those stories and write new ones, I was delighted to welcome to the show Joseph from Humble-U Media

My guest today is  a Meditation Teacher. Her work is based around guiding people back to their natural energetic rhythms, working with the elemental energies in nature and the cosmos to realign and nurture our bodies energy centres.

She is also the founder of Virtually Mindful, a business that specialises in virtual consulting and support services for wellbeing businesses.  The fact that she’s an Evolutionary Herbalist, Energy Practitioner and Intuitive Guide enables her to support business to strike the right work life balance.

I was delighted to welcome to the show Rachael Morley.

It was in 2018 and my guest found herself being rushed to hospital after collapsing at work. After a stay in ICU and then remaining in hospital during her recovery. She says, her days were made easier by the lucky and rare views she witnessed from her hospital bed.

The beautiful mountains and woodlands of mid Wales surrounding the area, somehow gave her hope and perspective. Seeing the trees, green space and the view of the natural world, reminded her to let go of all the things that were unimportant and trivial. Instead she began to focus on all that matters - life, love, family, friends and nature.

Upon discharge she knew the road to recovery was going to be a long and interesting one. It was during this period that she kept reminding herself of what she had discovered whilst laying in that hospital bed. She needed to be closer to nature to fully heal herself.

Step by step she got from the front door to the garden, to the drive, to the street and finally up the street and into the woods. The woods became her sanctuary. Soon she was managing long slow walks surrounded by the trees and the birds. She felt supported, happy and able to breathe. Her lungs still stiff and creaking from the damage done, began to inflate with more ease and joy at the fresh forest air.

And so began her research and practice into the power of healing in nature.

To find out more about natures healing properties and how we can all benefit from being outside more, I welcomed to the show Ruth Mortimer from Forest Clouds nature therapy.

My guest today is a mental health advocate, campaigner, and writer. He knows first-hand what it’s like to reach rock bottom, but equally what it feels like to come through the other side. His writing is explicit and hits the reader hard, exactly how it should be.

In one recent article he reminded us that 84 men die by suicide every week. Every two hours in the UK, a man takes his own life, affecting families, friends, and creating a ripple that will go on to devastate those who are left behind, leaving them weighed down with questions and heartache.

My guest’s writing holds a mirror up to society, in fact, to us all. Asking us to not shy away from important conversations about our mental health. Conversations that we avoid, believing they are too difficult to have. But it is these avoided conversations that often come at a heavy price.

Dare I say we had one of those conversations today. I was delighted to welcome to the show, Richard Taylor.

On today’s show we are talking all things addiction.  My guest is co-host of the ‘All Bets Are Off’ podcast.  A show designed for those in or contemplating recovery from gambling addiction.  The show launched in April this year and my guest, along with his fellow co-hosts, have shared their experiences and journeys to date.

My guest placed his last bet on 29th October 2017 when he was 35 years old.  You’d be surprised to hear that he didn’t even gamble until he was 30. It was another beast he fought years, alcoholism.  He says that gambling provided a new platform to escape from his emotions.

From having a bet for fun at the age of 30 to seriously contemplating suicide at 35. Debt became crippling and he didn’t like who he’d become. 

We took a deeper dive and heard more about the frightening and tragic world of addiction as I had the pleasure to share a conversation with Chris Gilham 

My guest today is a psychologist, author, and fellow podcast host. She has spent her career working with some of the world’s most successful business leaders and prominent individuals from across many different industries and platforms.

More recently she has combined this experience with a focus on sharing psychological principles with a broader population.  She is on a mission to use her knowledge and expertise to make our lives just a bit better, easier, and healthier.

My guest believes passionately that psychology can be an invaluable resource – part of an everyday toolkit that we have available to help us understand our own and others’ behaviour and how we can positively influence it.

She launched the podcast ‘Dot-to-Dot, Behind the Person’ as a body dedicated to this work and you can listen back to previous episodes on all good podcast platforms.

Not only does my guest positively shift and cultivate a better world for us all to live in, she has even found the time to document her knowledge and write two exceptional books:

Defining you

and

Mirror Thinking: Why Role Models Make Us Human

To explore and delve into that wonderful brain if hers a little more

I was delighted to welcome to the show, Fiona Murden

My guest today is a mental health blogger from Hampshire.  She’s also a qualified mental health nurse and runs a successful Etsy shop selling small items designed to reduce the stigma around mental health problems, promote self care, body positivity and feminism.

She has struggled with anorexia on and off, for about 17 years and it was 5 years ago she was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  After long periods of depression she started to experience bursts of mania. It was not long after this she started to blog.   Her excellently written blog shares her journey from being a newly qualified mental health nurse (who has mental illnesses), to now talking about her career, personal recovery journey and experiences, alongside discussing general mental health and wellbeing.

It was last year when tragedy struck again and my guest was again diagnosed with anorexia, after a very quick and severe relapse.  Her blog has again captured the subsequent recovery journey through day patient to outpatient. 

She is passionate about raising awareness and speaking on these two very misunderstood illnesses.  She hopes that her platform will contribute to a growing understanding giving others the confidence to access help and not feel so isolated.

I was delighted to welcome to the show Cara Lisette.

On today’s show we explored all things breath.  I was joined by a leading figure and evangelist for Breathwork; believed to be the next revolution in health and wellness. My guest is a Breathwork coach, author and speaker and it’s his mission to spread the life changing possibilities of Breathwork to this world.

Having worn many hats, from a corporate management consultant to digital entrepreneur, Breathwork came into my guest’s life almost by accident when his father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). When researching ways to help his father, he discovered the Wim Hof Method, a self-healing technique involving specific breathing techniques and cold exposure. After experiencing the incredible effects of this method in a week long training in Poland, he became obsessed with discovering what was possible just by breathing.

My guest then spent years traveling across five continents learning from many of the modern day masters of Breathwork and continuously witnessed the transformative effects of when people became aware of their breathing and started to use it as a tool to create physical, mental and emotional benefits for themselves. This free medicine is available to everyone and it's my guests mission to remind the world how to breathe with purpose.

I was delighted to share a conversation and welcome to the show Richie Bostock - THE BREATH GUY 

On today's show we discussed all things resilience and hope.  Sadly, every year around 55,000 women and 370 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK.  Breast cancer is now the most common cancer with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes.

It’s a sad a worrying statistic that one in seven women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

Research continues to fight this vicious disease and in turn helping many recover.  One of those in recovery was my guest today; NHS worker, radio presenter  and soon to be published author, with her very first book… ‘Bald, Brave and Bloody Beautiful’ I was delighted to welcome to the show Danielle McDermott.

My guest today, Dr Harun Thomas, is a surgeon. One of the first surgeons in the United Kingdom to successfully complete both the Masters in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery (Europe's highest qualification in Oncoplastic breast surgery) and the prestigious UK National TIG Oncoplastic fellowship. My guest specialises exclusively in breast surgery covering all aspects of breast care including breast cancer, benign breast diseases, family history of breast cancer, risk reducing mastectomy, breast reconstruction and implant based breast surgery. His special interest is therapeutic mammaplasty. His research interest is on using ultrasound during surgery to improve breast cancer outcomes and patient experience.

Today we discussed all things surgery, his career, how he handles the pressure and of course… all things mental health, emotional well-being and what he does to make himself that little bit happier.

My guest today was Hope Virgo. She is an author, public speaker and campaigner for mental health. What led her to this path was a battle she fought for over four years
A dark secret she managed to keep hidden from friends and family but this all came to an abrupt halt when on 17th November 2007, her world changed forever.
She was admitted to a mental health hospital. Her skin was yellowing, her heart was failing. She was barely recognisable. Forced to leave her family and friends, the hospital became her home. Over the next year, at her lowest ebb, she faced the biggest challenge of her life. She had to find the courage to beat her anorexia.
Since being discharged, she has fought to stay well. She now wants to use her experiences of mental illness to champion the rights of others, inspire them to get well, and help break the stigma of mental illness.
In her book… titled ‘Stand Tall Little Girl’ she shares her harrowing, yet truly inspiring, journey. Through her letters and diary entries, her story tells us how she fought from rock bottom to beat the ‘friend’ that had controlled and nearly destroyed her life. The story of her recovery will inspire many.

Joining me in the studio again was the incredible George Bullard.  This is concluding part of my conversation with the world record breaking explorer, endurance athlete and speaker. He believes that through the outdoors we can change lives. His mission is to ‘rewild’ humans.

To date, he has covered almost 2,000 miles on foot in the polar regions, spending more than 26,000 hours in isolation. If you believe Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule, that makes him a master of remote, hostile environments.

At 14 years old, George was part of a team that swam the English Channel. Before turning 17, he’d swum the length of Lake Zurich,&circumnavigated Barbados and New York’s Manhattan Island. During this time George was also ranked #1 in the UK for Tetrathlon.

At the age of 19 George completed the world’s longest fully unsupported polar journey, 1374 miles on foot. A feat described by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the world’s greatest living explorer, as “genuinely ground breaking”. Since then, George’s expeditions have included the

archipelago of Antarctica, cycling across Europe, climbing unnamed peaks, driving North West Africa and sailing the Southern, Atlantic and Pacific oceans. George has guided over 350 people of all ages in the Amazon rainforest, the Indian subcontinent, Greenland Icecap and Svalbard.

September 2016 saw George complete a second world first`66 days in a kayak crossing the ferocious North Atlantic Ocean from Greenland to Scotland. The purpose? To test the theory that Inuits may have made the same journey in AD1700.

George’s next project demands a return to sub -40°C temperatures for The Dark Ice&Project.

A pivotal barometer to the health of our planet, more is known about the surface of the moon than the Arctic Ocean in winter. Decisions affecting our planet’s future rely on new data collected first hand by George and his team while surviving in a sunless, Arctic winter.

The gathering of original evidence and the opportunity to share his own experience, motivates George to inspires others to embrace our natural world. Not everyone needs to tackle the worlds most hostile environments for an adventure. Everyone has their own Everest. George hopes to encourage people to understand that adventures will give them something that nobody else can.

I was joined on today show by George Bullard.  A world record breaking explorer, endurance athlete and speaker. He

believes that through the outdoors we can change lives.  His mission is to 'rewild' humans.

To date, he has covered almost 2,000 miles on foot in the polar regions, spending more than 26,000 hours in isolation.  If you believe Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule, that makes him a master of remote, hostile environments.

At 14 years old, George was part of a team that swam the English Channel. Before turning 17, he’d swum the length of Lake Zurich,&circumnavigated Barbados and New York’s Manhattan Island. During this time George was also ranked #1 in the UK for Tetrathlon.

At the age of 19 George completed the world’s longest fully unsupported polar journey, 1374 miles on foot.  A feat described by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the world’s greatest living explorer, as “genuinely ground breaking”.  Since then, George’s expeditions have included the 

archipelago of Antarctica, cycling across Europe, climbing unnamed peaks, driving North West Africa and sailing the Southern, Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  George has guided over 350 people of all ages in the Amazon rainforest, the Indian subcontinent, Greenland Icecap and Svalbard.  

September 2016 saw George complete a second world first`66 days in a kayak crossing the ferocious North Atlantic Ocean from Greenland to Scotland.  The purpose? To test the theory that Inuits may have made the same journey in AD1700.  

George’s next project demands a return to sub -40°C temperatures for The Dark Ice&Project.

A pivotal barometer to the health of our planet, more is known about the surface of the moon than the Arctic Ocean in winter.  Decisions affecting our planet’s future rely on new data collected first hand by George and his team while surviving in a sunless, Arctic winter. 

The gathering of original evidence and the opportunity to share his own experience, motivates George to inspires others to embrace our natural world.  Not everyone needs to tackle the worlds most hostile environments for an adventure. Everyone has their own Everest. George hopes to encourage people to understand that adventures will give them something that nobody else can.

My guest today has created an award-winning production studio, a pioneer of live video streaming from some of the largest music festivals.  He’s also the co-founder of branded entertainment agency Byte Entertainment.

His back story, however, starts quite tragically.  My guest lost his father to suicide as a teenager and soon after starting his first job he was sectioned and admitted to hospital suffering stress and depression. Unlike his Dad, my guest was able to get the help he needed, including support from his employer, which enabled him to return to a new job the following year.

However, my guest decided not to tell anyone for nearly 20 years that he had suffered with his mental health due to the stigma.

It was after the suicide of a close friend due to postnatal depression in 2016 that my guest decided he had to speak out.

He couldn’t have picked a more public platform to do so when he was asked to speak alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as well as Prince Harry, at the launch of the Heads Together mental health campaign – not even his family or friends knew he was going to do this!

My guest continues to speak openly about the importance of better mental health awareness and how talking can not only reduce the stigma but save many, many lives.

I was delighted to welcome to the show, Jon Salmon.

My guest today is described as ‘the mental health spokesperson of our generation’.  He’s a 'fashionpreneur', public speaker and mental health campaigner.  He’s a young man who is known for his incredible honesty and no-filter approach to opening up and discussing his suffering. 

In 2014 he founded the award-winning fashion brand 'Maison de Choup' out of his severe anxiety and OCD struggles. The brand has been recognised by the likes of Vanity Fair which referred to Maison de Choup as 'The Fashion Brand with a Mental Health Cause at its Heart'. It also won the British Fashion Start-up Award for such an inspiring story. 

Since launching Maison de Choup, my guest has gone on to give public speeches and provide workshops in schools, colleges and universities.  Sharing his story about how he started his fashion brand from such a dark, dark place.   He tells the story of his battle with severe Anxiety and OCD, not being able to leave his bedroom for 3 years and washing his hands up to 50 times a day.  All this, to now running a successful fashion brand. 

My guest is incredibly honest about his suffering and urges us all to be more open about our mental health - especially young men.

Today, I was lucky enough to hear about his journey in more detail and share with you what he has learnt along the way.

I was delighted to welcome to the show, George David Hodgson.

My guest has spent more than ten years in teaching and education. She’s seen first hand the struggles, pressures and demands that both teachers and children face. She’s seen how quickly and easily children can become disengaged when faced with a challenging task; how they feel they CAN’T do something, simply because it’s more difficult to achieve. Sadly, she’s observed how anxious and overwhelmed children have become when faced with the ever-increasing demands from the curriculum and from society as a whole. The feelings that arise from the pressure to conform, to do what everyone else is doing, and the overriding desire to ‘fit in’.

My guest witnessed children giving up too quickly. Beating themselves up because they made a mistake and got things wrong. Their confidence diminishing because they did not get the correct score or they are not part of the ‘in-crowd’.

My guest says that because of these pressures, children lose trust in themselves… they’re unwilling to “have a go”, and as one child said to her, “my worries make me feel as if I’m a tortoise stuck in a shell.”

This sadness spurred my guest on to develop POWER THOUGHTS an organisation specifically designed to help children arrest their negativity and anxiety when it comes to learning.

POWER THOUGHTS is a teaching, coaching and mindfulness-based service which is aimed at empowering children to tap into the ‘power’ of their minds. Sessions teach them how to become confident, resilient, and robust, developing a ‘can-do’ attitude that allows them to flourish both in and out of the classroom setting.

I was delighted to share a conversation with Natalie Costa.

My guest today grew up on the south coast. After leaving school at 16 he pursued a career in music, joining a band and touring the UK - with one of the highlights being a performance at Glastonbury festival!

After the birth of his first son, my guest found his passion for writing and went on to author nine children’s picture books.  His debut 'The Fearsome Beastie' won the People's Book Prize 2012, Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award in 2013, the Bizziebaby Gold Award and The US Forward National Literary Award. Many of his other titles have also gone on to be shortlisted for other prestigious awards.

It was in March this year my guest released his first novel for adults, One Hundred and Fifty-Two Days. Written in the first person, One Hundred and Fifty-two Days is a semi-autobiographical piece about a boy whose mother is terminally ill. Its emotive writing takes you on a journey of solitude, isolation attraction and frustration. Steeped in developmental angst its an incredible journey through a turbulent time and experience -a absolute masterpiece!

Not only is my guest an award-winning writer but he co-hosts and produces the award-nominated Blank Podcast!

I was delighted to welcome to the show  Mr Giles Paley-Phillips.

Off the back of an extremely busy Mental Health awareness week my guest today is an award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer, public speaker, writer, and vlogger.

At the age of 20 he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar. Shortly after diagnosis my guest began to make films about his condition that have since go on and been watched by hundreds of thousands of people.

He has tirelessly campaigned and spoke about living with mental illness. He’s written articles, books and given many interviews on TV and Radio around the world. All in the hope that it helps stimulate conversation, educate, and break the stigma around our mental health.

Recognition came in 2017 when he was awarded an MBE for his services to mental health and suicide prevention.

Jonny joined me and shared his experience; difficulties and successes.  We discussed the importance of being heard and the loss of humanness.  We explored suicide, shame, embarrassment and guilt all that came with a mental health diagnosis.

We spoke about the importance of music, mindfulness and being kind to self.  

It’s mental health awareness week and what a way to mark it.  My guest today is from the beautiful Welsh town of Caerphilly. Since leaving school at 16 his ambition, drive and determination led him to a career in the heady world of show business.

His Welsh charm has seen him become a viewer’s favourite on shows such as This Morning, Ok, TV! And The National Lottery Draws.

Away from the cameras life has not always been easy, and it was in 2009 that my guest found himself making the most binary of decisions… choose life, or death.

I’m pleased to say that he chose life… and from then he has gone on to share his story and make talking about our mental health as normal as talking about our physical health.

He is an ambassador for the charity Mind and in 2015 was in the top 50 most in-demand charity ambassadors in the world.

I was honoured to be joined by that in demand gentleman… Mr Matt Johnson.

On today’s show I was joined by Gemma Louise Doyle.  A singer songwriter  who epitomises strength, courage and determination. After spending five years in hospital, battling a chronic illness, she now uplifts audiences, fans & followers, across the globe.

She believes that we all have a unique and significant purpose to help each other and make people happier in this World.

Whilst recovering from illness, she discovered that her talent for singing could uplift, heal & bring out the best of people.

Since then, she has committed her life to giving people joy, through music & entertainment.

She’s appeared in Las Vegas, London and performed in many high profile events across the world. Gemma has performed for Saudi Arabian royalty, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, and with Kaiser Chiefs, Ed Sheeran, Peter Andre, Claire Sweeney, McFly & Jimmy Osmond no less!

Gemma's vision is to help people to realise that everyone one of us, on this planet today, is significant and that we should treat each other with the kindness, gratitude and love that we all deserve.

On this week’s show we discussed all things self-care and how each and every one of us has the opportunity to become our best self.

I was joined by Jack Walton; a published author, speaker, mental health advocate, and fellow podcast presenter.  Last year, he released his first book, titled ‘Being The Best You’.   The book was an instant hit.  A self-help book, but not in the usual sense. It prides itself on it's no jargon approach. Simple, direct and REAL advice from someone who has completely turned their life around.  Jack discovered the power within, the power (that he says) we all possess.

Jack turned his life around after suffering with poor mental health and a negative mindset, throughout his childhood and teenage years. He struggled to accept his sexuality and had zero prospects or motivation. In 2016 Jack discovered the power of positive thinking and the Law of Attraction after a spiritual awakening, from there, things have changed for the better. Jack has achieved things he never thought possible.  He recovered from PTSD, accepts his sexuality and is now on a mission to motivate and inspire others to live their very best lives - something he says, we all deserve!

I was joined on the show today by Alex Dodman, the man behind the very popular Instagram account - The Food Grinder.  Alex now operates under his own name and shares posts on the 'stuff' he loves to build.  His social media account has inspired thousands to ‘have a go’ at things. Initially in and around the kitchen and now branching out in all areas of the house.

We discussed how a lot can be achieved by having a go and taking our time over tasks. Slowing things down and enjoying the process. We can learn to embrace failure, embrace the lost art of knowing when to stop and when to push through, and accept that perfection is an illusion.

We should adopt a more creative way of thinking, be more authentic and learn to focus on doing what we love.

Another lock down edition of The Happiness Algorithm with my very special guest, Andy Kershaw.  A former professional rugby player for London Irish, Wasps and Saracens. Currently a real estate developer and project manager for Kersh & Co, but more importantly a public figure and advocate for our mental wellness.  We discussed the organisation he's pioneered with his wife Alice, The Authentic Man.  We explored the importance of authenticity; what it means and how we can cultivate.

Andy shared his journey through therapy.  The awakening this brought and how he has learnt the important lesson of observing and accepting difficult emotions.  Through enabling a presence of mind he has been able to release himself of unhealthy coping mechanisms and find a way of living that is adding peace and happiness to his life.

Andy shares how we can all experience a happier existence by being more authentic and embracing the parts of our self that we want to hide away.  We no longer need to keep wearing a mask!

We had to take a short break due to COVID-19 but WE'RE BACK!  The Happiness Algorithm returned this week with special guest Ryan Holder.  Ryan is a personal coach and was our guest on the very first show.  We invited him back to talk Mental Health, Emotional Well-being and what we can do to make us that little bit happier!

Today, Ryan returned and shared his thoughts on how we could best get through this current crisis.  He shared his Focus Move Fun (FMF) philosophy.  Discussed the importance of recording daily wins and goal setting.  He encouraged us to change our mindset at the beginning of each day by acknowledging what we are grateful for.  Finally, he reminded us that we must accept difficult emotions and hard days.  Be present with our mind, allowing us to make better choices.

I was joined in the studio by Jack Pridmore, mental health advocate, TV Z-lister (his words not mine) and published author. His book, 'Life on the other side' - is not just one book, but two! – a book written from a lived experience perspective. A 'guide' on seeking recovery from mental health problems, or for individuals supporting someone that is struggling with their MH.

The book delves into different modes of recovery in realistic situations and provides a refreshingly honest, open, humorous and positive guide on how he found his version of recovery from mental health and addiction.

Having seen life with and without recovery.  Jack shared his vibrant story so that you can learn from his mistakes rather than your own.

We discussed work, school, life, love, self care, crisis, anxiety, health anxiety and OCD.  Jack provided practical help and advice, fostering hope which we all need when going through difficulties. 

I was joined in  the studio by the truly  inspirational Rodney and Leanne Stone.  Rod shared his story of addiction and near death experience.  A story of sadness, challenge and finally hope!  We discussed how easy addiction is to take hold and how difficult it can be to overcome, even when your body is giving up.  How adversity has given them both purpose and strength to help 1000's of other people struggling with addiction.  Rod continues to share his story  with the support he and Leanne provide through the  'Your Choice' service, and also by the exceptional book he wrote detailing his life so far.  If anybody is struggling, this is a must listen show.

I was joined in the studio by Billy P Harding.  We discussed all things mental health, emotional wellbeing and what we can do to make us that little bit happier.  Billy shared his journey through periods of trauma, witnessing death.  Periods of isolation, panic and the love of his family in times of crisis.  We explored the importance of social media and how it can also have a negative impact.  Prioritising self when we're struggling, asking for help when we need it and making sure we prevent too much of the outside world entering our system!

I was joined in the studio by Katie Heaphy and her father, John.  Katie shared her journey of anxiety, depression, post natal depression and suicidal thoughts.  An open and honest account.  How a turbulent first birth pushed her to a point she never thought she would experience.  The challenge of loving a child when wrestling with post natal depression.  The journey of finding love, a relationship and being the mother she wanted to be.  All, in such a short period of time. Katie discussed  the optimism and joys that came with her second pregnancy.  Which, sadly, turned into crisis 6 months after the birth of her second daughter.  An inpatient stay on a mother and child unit.  Terror, fear, isolation and loneliness and then hope.  With the help of the unit, specialist staff and the strength and courage to get better, Katie was able to rebuild her life and fill it with value and riches it deserved.  Now living a life filled with love, close family, old and new friends, Katie values her mental health and continues to break the stigma associated with it by being the strong, open, courageous MUM she is!

I was joined in the studio by fellow Phoenix FM presenter, Gary Dudman.  This was the concluding part of our conversation about his life.  A tale of isolation, abandonment and being let down.  A true 'coming of age' story.  Gary shared the importance of finding himself and how it's important for us all to look inwards, to find the answers we need.  Gary continues to learn how to manage his dark passenger.  Paying attention to sleep, sugar intake and making sure he takes one step at a time.  The power needed to get Gary up in the morning comes from his Partner, Family and having a Purpose.  In true 'Ironman' style, this fusion gives Gary the value he needs to embrace the day!

I was joined by a very special guest, Lee Glynn.  Lee shared his story of grit, determination, drive and success.  We spoke about the importance of having a purpose in life.  We discussed how business should make sure that 'everybody's' mental health is prioritised and the emotional wellbeing of staff shouldn't be sacrificed for  £.  Lee was admirable enough to speak of his own mental health journey and how he manages it on a day to day basis.   A show that you have to listen to!

I was joined in the studio by Matt and Dan from Croft & Cotes.  We discussed all things mental health, emotional wellbeing and how music can influence our emotions.  The guys played some new material from their recently released EP 'Space for Sadness'.  We also had the opportunity to hear songs from their first album Symmetry.  They shared the secret behind the writing process and how important it is to share how we feel with others. 

I was joined by Sharon Williams and Alice Ryan from N-ACT.  We explored the importance of mental health and how immersive theatre can be a safe way to open up discussions about such an important topic.  They were kind enough to share their 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method.  Teaching us how to reset and balance our life in the moments of struggle.

Joe's live performance from show 5.  An absolutely amazing talent.

Another amazing show spent with 3 true inspirations.  Sonia, Joel and Joe from Lads Needs Dads, joined me in the studio to discuss the amazing work their organisation offers boys with absent fathers.  Joe who has been through the service spoke of it's importance in his own life and how it has given him the confidence to pursue what is important to him - music.  We even had Joe play live in the studio - AMAZING!

Part 1 of my conversation with fellow radio presenter Gary Dudman who shared his journey into adulthood.  A story of sadness, hardship, loneliness and abandonment.  A true inspiration to those who have been through hardship and struggled.

We discussed all things mental health, emotional wellbeing and where faith fits in todays society.  We explored how faith can add value to our existence and what faith can teach us when balancing our wellbeing.  We were enlightened to the importance of silence.  Why we should look for the silly in life and not take things too seriously.

I spoke to Blog Psychologist, Dennis Relojo-Howell about all things mental health, emotional wellbeing and what we should do to make ourselves a little bit happier!

On his first show for Phoenix FM, James chats to lifestyle nutrionist and performance coach Ryan Holder.