The Rest Room

Are you stuck in that “boom and bust” cycle of doing an activity, any activity, and then spending a week in bed recovering? Do you want to find a bit more balance in your life with chronic health problems? If so, this episode on pacing is for you.

Occupational Therapist Jo Southall shares her tips on how to introduce pacing into your life in a way that’s both manageable and sustainable.

She offers helpful advice on what pacing actually is and how people with chronic illness can use the concept as a self-management tool. We also learn how to scale the idea of pacing to suit you and your lifestyle.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Careco. The UK's leading mobility retailer offers a huge range of equipment, from mobility scooters to electric wheelchairs, to daily living aids that can help make your life easier. For 10% off your first order with them, visit careco.co.uk and use the code RESTROOM at checkout. 

If you live with chronic illness or chronic pain, chances are you’ll experience a flare-up of your symptoms from time to time.

Those flare-ups will look and feel different for each person, but whatever a flare up means for you, we hope this episode will provide you with some valuable tips and tricks to help you navigate them better.

Pain management physiotherapist Claire Campbell helps us understand what flare-ups are, what causes them and what we can do to mitigate and manage symptoms. She offers helpful advice on everything from managing external stressors, learning to put your health first and asking for help during a flare-up.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, YuYu Bottle. To get your very own long, hot water bottle with 15% off, visit YuYubottle.com and enter the code RESTROOM15.

Many theatres were built hundreds of years ago, without accessibility in mind. It’s true that a lot has changed in recent years, but disabled people still face many barriers both off and on stage.

In this episode, we speak to access consultant and activist Shona Louise about the work she’s doing to drive real change in the industry. We also hear from actor, singer and radio presenter Sandra Gayer about her experience of accessibility as a performer.

So whether you’re a disabled person who wishes trips to the theatre were easier, or you work in the industry and want to know what changes you can make to improve accessibility, this episode is for you.

How often do you see chronic illness or disability portrayed on your screens? The answer is, sadly not as often as we should. In fact, disabled people are the most under-represented group in television, both on and off screen.

In this episode, we explore how accessible the industry is as we speak to screenwriter Charlotte Paradise. She’s behind the short film ‘Chronic’ which follows a chronically ill woman as she moves in with her boyfriend for the first time. 

Charlotte herself lives with chronic illness, so we spoke about the highs and lows of the industry, what it's like to tell such a personal story on screen, and how they endeavoured to make this an accessible process from start to finish.

So whether you want to get into the industry, or you simply want to see more representation on your screens, we hope this episode will get the conversation started.

Heading to university can be a rollercoaster of emotions – for many, it’s one of the most exciting experiences, but also one of the most overwhelming. And for someone living with a chronic illness, it can be a minefield. 

In today’s episode we aim to take the stress and uncertainty out of the university experience, so you can enjoy the ride. Author, blogger and psychology graduate Pippa Stacey has experienced this all first hand, and shares the lessons she learnt along the way. 

We’re also joined by Dr Melanie Thorley from the student wellbeing service at the University of Greenwich, who shares some great advice, as well as her insights on the impact of the pandemic on the university experience. So, whether you’re returning to uni, or heading off for the first time, this episode has a whole lotta info to help you make the most of it.