Coffee Calm Connection

What is Endometriosis and how does it manifest? Why is it so important to broaden the national conversation about this debilitating condition? What can you do if you think you may be a sufferer? For an episode 18 months in the making, we’re thrilled to welcome insurance business founder and keynote speaker Sandra Lewin back to the Coffee, Calm & Connection podcast! In this episode, Sandra discusses her experience of living with Endometriosis, from years of suffering with the condition before her eventual diagnosis and lifechanging surgery. In an open, frank and inspiring conversation with Sarah Myerscough, she explains the symptoms of Endometriosis and the debilitating impact it can have on one’s daily life. Listen now to find out more about this lamentably undiscussed condition and to help us raise awareness! Quote of the Episode “I consider myself very lucky. I never knew you could live like this. [People] did not realise how much pain I used to live in. So, my story, I’d say, is very positive. But for many women it is not positive. Many women suffer in silence, [and] many women don't even know they have it. And once they do know, they have no way of getting the right treatment.” After years of enduring the physical torment of Endometriosis without a diagnosis, when Sandra finally received surgical treatment, her life was changed irrevocably. For years she had been deprived of so many basic things many of us accept as standard, from a decent amount of uninterrupted sleep each night to being able to go about one’s day for long periods without a constant need to use the bathroom. Yet, one in ten women suffer from endometriosis, and a considerable amount of them are yet to even be diagnosed with the condition. It takes, on average, eight years before a woman is diagnosed with the condition due to its complexity, leaving so many women to suffer without any significant forms of treatment. Key Takeaways Endometriosis is where tissue similar to that within one’s womb grows in other areas of the body. It is most commonly associated with painful periods, although this can lead it to be confused with another condition, adenomyosis (when womb tissue grows outside of the womb). The condition is also often misdiagnosed as IBS, as both conditions are accompanied by digestion issues. Sufferers may also endure severe mood swings which can lead to depressive episodes, alongside fertility issues and painful intercourse. While it is often understood only as a form of extensive period pain, it is much more than that. When you have your period, the tissue breaks down and is released through bleeding. With Endometriosis, this same tissue is trapped in other areas of the body. It also eventually breaks down and bleeds, but it has nowhere to escape. In the long term, this can create tumours and lead to cancer (although there is not yet sufficient medical evidence to explain how this transition occurs). Due to its complexity and the ease with which it can be misdiagnosed, many women suffer with Endometriosis without even knowing it, or alternatively continue to suffer for extensive periods without receiving a formal diagnosis, and thus no treatment. The impact on one’s day to day life is considerable, and the dual brunt of this physical pain and the mental anguish of being denied a diagnosis is woeful. Many women suffer in silence, and therefore it is crucial that the national conversation about Endometriosis is changed, and that people become more aware about exactly what it is and how it affects those who suffer from it. Sandra offers four key pieces of advice to those who think they may have Endometriosis: Sandra is happy for anyone who thinks they may be suffering to reach out to her for support. Best Moments/Key Quotes “The laparoscopy is important to really diagnose it. But try and look for a doctor that does the scans first to really build that picture of where it is.” “On average, it takes eight years for a woman to be...

Do you find yourself constantly chasing ‘success’? Do you feel a desire for control over everything that you do? Is it possible to outstep your own thought processes, and if so, how? We’re thrilled to welcome back anxiety specialist Stuart Thompson for the latest episode of the Coffee, Calm & Connection podcast! In this episode, he explores the prevalent societal desire for control over everything within one’s life, and the damaging consequences of such a mindset. Furthermore, in conversation with Sarah Myerscough, he discusses how the cultural zeitgeist of ‘success’ has been corrupted by superficial ideals, and the importance of prioritizing your personal development. Quote of the Episode “I'm always suspicious of people that write five-year and ten-year plans. I'm certainly not where I expected to be five years ago. In fact, I'm doing something completely different most days now to what I thought I'd be doing five years ago. Actually, even since Christmas, my plan has changed. I'm doing different stuff to what I thought I would be doing. Those five-year plans and ten- year plans do feel a bit controlled. If you look at most people that are successful… an awful lot of it was luck.” Stuart is suspicious of five-year plans as a strategy for achieving your goals. He suggests that these plans are rooted in the projection both outwardly and inwardly of a sense of control over your life that does not, and cannot, really exist. It is impossible to outline five or ten years of your life, and the assumption that you can do so is the result of a desire for control which is both unachievable and unhealthy. Furthermore, these long-term plans feed into a broader cultural narrative about success; namely that anything is achievable with the right amount of hard work. In reality, things can and do go wrong. External factors get in the way of your plans. Buying into this success narrative can be hugely detrimental to your personal wellbeing, as it can lead to the belief that any roadblocks to your success are your own fault, and that you can only be happy when you have reached an arbitrary, superficial benchmark of ‘success’ that will not really bring you contentment. Key Takeaways Everyone wishes to assert a degree of control over their lives. However, this need for control over everything can be damaging to us, because it is derived from a fiction that everything and anything is within our grasp. Stuart emphasises that a great deal of our stress and dissatisfaction is the result of attempting to exert control over things we cannot change. If and when such things go awry, we may feel that pain personally, as though it were a direct result of our own actions. You can try to micromanage your life by making meticulous plans, setting numerous goals, following predetermined strategies, but as long as you hang the pressure of external factors you cannot control or change over your head, your stress will not stabilise. Trying to be overly regimented merely lulls yourself into the misguided belief that you can control everything. This mindset is a security blanket, but it can become harmful when you are presented with curveballs or unexpected scenarios. If, like many people, you have a mindset driven by the achievement of goals, is it possible to address and change that? Is your subconscious belief system malleable? For Stuart, this process must begin by reflecting on what exactly you are chasing via these goals and plans, and to what end you are chasing it. Otherwise, it can become really difficult to feel content. ‘Success’ on a superficial, goal-oriented basis always slides. Once you have achieved one thing, you will simply move onto the next. Instead, you should consider, what do you really want to get out of things? What fulfilment will those things bring to your life? For the most part, fulfilment is not achieved with money or power, but achieving a connection with others. Thus, to begin to change your mindset, ask yourself ‘am I...

How do you maintain good mental wellbeing when the going gets tough? Is there any way to prepare for unexpected bumps in the road? In this episode of Coffee, Calm & Connection, we’re very pleased to be speaking with Alistair Fraser, CEO of Marsh Commercial & Corporate UK. Having faced some health challenges in 2022, in this episode, Alistair reflects on how to remain good mental wellbeing despite an awareness that unexpected obstacles may be right around the corner. In conversation with Sarah Myerscough, he highlights the importance of recognising that you are human, and outlines some strategies for dealing with periods of stress, anxiety, and low mood. Quote of the Episode “Be human. I think perfection doesn't exist. And I am the worst at going, ‘I want to be perfect at everything.’ I'm my own worst enemy. But [perfection] doesn't exist. You're going to be great at different things at different times. And life is going to be great in different ways at different times.” Many of us place a great deal of pressure on ourselves, be it at work or in our personal lives, to achieve perfection. Such a mindset will almost inevitably lead to disappointment, as, Alistair highlights, human perfection is utterly unattainable. There will be imperfections in everything you do and every situation you encounter. For Alistair, it is key to recognise that you’re not guaranteed tomorrow, and to keep your mind focused on the present. What can you do to make today the best it can be? In doing so, even when things do go wrong, you will still be able to reflect on the efforts you made to make positive progress. Key Takeaways Throughout the episode, Alistair emphasises the fact that you will always face pockets of stress throughout your life, and encounter unanticipated obstacles that may throw you off-course. A key means of dealing with this and overcoming these issues is to share your feelings with others. Building a strong support network, both in your personal life and in the workplace, is fundamental to maintaining a positive mindset, and keeping your feelings bottled up will only further elongate your stress or anxiety. As the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved. Furthermore, when you are dealing with certain situations, be it a challenge to your health, or bereavement, or a variety of different stressors, it is key to recognise that sometimes you need a break. Taking an hour, or even a day, for yourself, to reflect on what you are going through or to do the activities you enjoy, can be hugely beneficial to your wellbeing. As much as we may want it to be, and as much as people pretend it to be on social media, life is never perfect. Bad things happen, and often quite regularly. Recognising and acknowledging this can be quite challenging, but for Alistair, it is key to note that you can deal with this, but ‘everyone has to find their mechanism to deal with it’. For him, playing hockey, doing jigsaws and occasionally lying on his floor are powerful strategies for decompressing and reducing his stress levels. He argues that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to mental wellbeing. Through trial-and-error, you have to find what works for you. For Alistair, just as exercise is required to become physically fitter, we also need to stretch the muscle of mental wellness, which requires identifying and applying whichever practice is most suitable to your life and needs. Best Moments/Key Quotes “It's been a great year of learning, for me, about myself about the challenges around ensuring you have mental wellness. I don't particularly like the phrase ‘mental illness’. I think it's about looking after our mental wellness, and that will fluctuate depending on things. And then having that realisation that you're a human.” “I think you have to realise that you're going to have pockets of stress. A problem shared is a problem halved. It's true. And sometimes it's either because people can give you advice on it, can empathise...

Welcome back to the Coffee, Calm & Connection podcast! How do we maintain good mental wellbeing in the aftermath of challenging or traumatic events? How do we reckon with the curveballs that may be round the corner? In January of 2022, our Sarah suffered from a stroke. Fortunately, she has made significant strides in her recovery, and so one year later, in this episode she and Coffee, Calm & Connection co-founder Stuart Thompson discuss how Sarah’s stroke has affected her wellbeing, along with the changes to her perspective and the personal development that she has undergone since. Stuart and Sarah explore how, despite our best efforts to plan things meticulously, sometimes things simply do not go as expected. Circumstances beyond our control can, and often do, get in the way of our goals. How do you come to terms with and overcome these curveballs? Quote of the Episode “We surround ourselves with information and knowledge that matches our understanding of the world. I was reading about an American psychologist recently who had been criticised because they asked him what his 10 books beside his bed were. And one of them was a book that was quite right-wing. So, people had said, ‘Well, that must mean you've not actually got a more sensitive perspective, you're reading this right-wing book’. And he said, ‘I'm reading it, because I need to understand that perspective’. But as we get older, we do it anyway. The internet and data allows us to just do things that confirm what we believe and never, never challenge it.” In the episode, Stuart highlights the importance of becoming open to other perspectives in relation to one’s wellbeing. It is easy to operate within an echo chamber of self-doubt and self-criticism, and to try to search for solutions within your own headspace, but it can be hugely beneficial to turn to alternative approaches to wellbeing in order to make significant progress. The importance of exploring multiple points of view is true of everything, of course, and wellbeing is no exception. Your own mindset can feel like a very interior thing that nobody else is capable of understanding, leading to the view that no external input is worth listening to, but finding new ways of thinking about it and overcoming problems can be highly insightful and instrumental to one’s personal growth. Key Takeaways In the episode, Stuart pinpoints the psychological concept of ontological grief. This occurs when one’s view of oneself, and thus of the world around them, is fundamentally challenged. If something happens to you that you couldn’t have predicted, or if you act in a way that you didn’t think yourself capable of, it can shatter your self-image. There are many ways of coping with this phenomenon. For Stuart, when bad things happen, it is key not to retreat into self-preserving beliefs that may be more harmful than beneficial, but to become open to alternative perspectives. Perhaps you need to put less pressure on yourself, or to set fewer goals. It’s easy and natural to try to search for solutions to your wellness problems within your own headspace, but sometimes turning to alternative perspectives can be helpful. Stuart pinpoints the psychological phenomenon of Pollyanna Syndrome, which refers to a children’s story about a little girl who was told that, however bad you feel, there’s always somebody worse off. It’s true – many of us do live objectively easier lives than others – we do not all suffer from poverty or malnourishment, for example. However, if you are undergoing some hardship, you shouldn’t minimise it, or dismiss it as insignificant compared to other traumas. It is key for one’s general wellbeing to accept when things go wrong that bad things can happen, and that it’s okay to grieve them or feel low about them, so long as you give yourself time and then move forwards. Although it can be difficult to abstractedly recognise it, bad things can and do happen. That is something that, conceptually, we...

How do we maintain good mental wellbeing in the aftermath of challenging or traumatic events? How do we reckon with the curveballs that may be round the corner? Welcome back to the Coffee, Calm & Connection podcast! In January of 2022, our Sarah suffered from a stroke. Fortunately, she has made significant strides in her recovery, and so one year later, in this episode she and Coffee, Calm & Connection co-founder Stuart Thompson discuss how Sarah’s stroke has affected her wellbeing, along with the changes to her perspective and the personal development that she has undergone since. Stuart and Sarah explore how, despite our best efforts to plan things meticulously, sometimes things simply do not go as expected. Circumstances beyond our control can, and often do, get in the way of our goals. How do you come to terms with and overcome these curveballs? Quote of the Episode “We surround ourselves with information and knowledge that matches our understanding of the world. I was reading about an American psychologist recently who had been criticised because they asked him what his 10 books beside his bed were. And one of them was a book that was quite right-wing. So, people had said, ‘Well, that must mean you've not actually got a more sensitive perspective, you're reading this right-wing book’. And he said, ‘I'm reading it, because I need to understand that perspective’. But as we get older, we do it anyway. The internet and data allows us to just do things that confirm what we believe and never, never challenge it.” In the episode, Stuart highlights the importance of becoming open to other perspectives in relation to one’s wellbeing. It is easy to operate within an echo chamber of self-doubt and self-criticism, and to try to search for solutions within your own headspace, but it can be hugely beneficial to turn to alternative approaches to wellbeing in order to make significant progress. The importance of exploring multiple points of view is true of everything, of course, and wellbeing is no exception. Your own mindset can feel like a very interior thing that nobody else is capable of understanding, leading to the view that no external input is worth listening to, but finding new ways of thinking about it and overcoming problems can be highly insightful and instrumental to one’s personal growth. Key Takeaways In the episode, Stuart pinpoints the psychological concept of ontological grief. This occurs when one’s view of oneself, and thus of the world around them, is fundamentally challenged. If something happens to you that you couldn’t have predicted, or if you act in a way that you didn’t think yourself capable of, it can shatter your self-image. There are many ways of coping with this phenomenon. For Stuart, when bad things happen, it is key not to retreat into self-preserving beliefs that may be more harmful than beneficial, but to become open to alternative perspectives. Perhaps you need to put less pressure on yourself, or to set fewer goals. It’s easy and natural to try to search for solutions to your wellness problems within your own headspace, but sometimes turning to alternative perspectives can be helpful. Stuart pinpoints the psychological phenomenon of Pollyanna Syndrome, which refers to a children’s story about a little girl who was told that, however bad you feel, there’s always somebody worse off. It’s true – many of us do live objectively easier lives than others – we do not all suffer from poverty or malnourishment, for example. However, if you are undergoing some hardship, you shouldn’t minimise it, or dismiss it as insignificant compared to other traumas. It is key for one’s general wellbeing to accept when things go wrong that bad things can happen, and that it’s okay to grieve them or feel low about them, so long as you give yourself time and then move forwards. Although it can be difficult to abstractedly recognise it, bad things can and do happen. That is something that, conceptually, we...

The correlation between physical health and mental wellbeing is well-documented and scientifically proven. The improvement of one is inextricably bound up with the improvement of the other, and if one begins to dip, inevitably, so will the other. We often tend to believe that we are unable to improve our physical wellness as our bodies are simply incapable of the goals we are aspiring towards. However, precision coach Sam Cleaver suggests that most of what is holding you back physically is in fact mental roadblocks. In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Sam about his ‘wholistic’ approach to health and fitness. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, he elucidates how every aspect of our lives is interconnected in the journey to improving overall wellbeing. Are you aiming to improve your physical (and by extension, mental) health? Are you trapped in a cycle of maintaining your fitness without seeing any wellbeing benefits from it? Listen now to find out how to optimize your body and in turn, your life. Quote of the Episode “You cannot outperform your belief of self… Everyone tells me, ‘I want to lose weight’, ‘I want to be optimised’, and all this, but deep down, they don’t believe they can. The thing is, if you genuinely think that you’re never going to rise above that expectation.” For Sam Cleaver, a fundamental aspect of the journey to improved physical health consists in a reorientation of one’s goals and beliefs. You will never achieve a health goal if, deep down, you don’t truly believe you are capable of it. Ultimately, it’s your internal belief system, rather than any supposed deficiencies you may perceive in your body, which hold you back and prevent you from adhering to and achieving your health goals. The curse of every health journey is self-sabotage. However, it is, of course, not enough simply to believe in yourself more without putting in place physical and mental strategies to facilitate this boosted self-belief. By implementing new behaviours and protocols pertaining to eating, sleeping and training, you will subsequently be able to (re)align your beliefs with the physical, mental, and emotional health goals you are aspiring towards. Key Takeaways During the episode, Sam notes that the discourse surrounding health and fitness is labyrinthine, difficult to navigate, and often self-contradictory. A key principle which often gets lost as we engage in a journey of physical improvement is that of ‘health’ itself. By focusing solely on a maintenance or improvement of fitness, you may not feel any satisfaction or benefits from this journey. In order to curtail this, when embarking on a health journey you must consider what your fundamental values and incentives are. Your health journey will be entirely unique, just as your body is, and therefore, comparing yourself to others can only ever be restrictive. As everyone’s journey is different, you should first and foremost identify the priorities in your health that matter the most to you and focus on these rather than a generalised pursuit to ‘fitness’. Working with a fitness coach can be profoundly beneficial in identifying what these values and their correlating goals might be. Once you have identified these values and goals, for Sam, you must subsequently evaluate your basic human routines – namely, your eating and sleeping patterns. This is the first step in the process he employs with all his clients. The brain is a pattern-creator. As such, he suggests that it is essential to create rigid eating and sleeping routines which you can stick to, thereby granting you a sense of focus and distinction between work and rest. It is only after an optimisation of eating and sleeping, the fundamental facets of our very survival, that you can begin to introduce the complexities of building emotional health and developing your mental state. Indeed, these will naturally be strengthened by a more rigid and scheduled approach to...

Have you ever opened up about your feelings and felt heard, but not listened to? Do you want to learn how to be a better listener in order to help others when they open up about their personal struggles? In this episode, we’re very grateful to be speaking with Robert from the Manchester and Salford branch of Samaritans, a telephone helpline offering support to people who are struggling from emotional distress, mental health difficulties, or contemplating suicide. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, Robert elucidates the immense power of listening as the most fundamental tool for supporting people experiencing all forms of emotional anguish. He suggests that each and every one of us has the power to become part of the solution to tackling the mental health pandemic which has enveloped the nation and, indeed, the world, over the past decade, which has been particularly emboldened over the past two years. By striving to actively listen and giving people space to articulate their thoughts when discussing their struggles, we can actively make the world a better place. Quote of the Episode “As humans, we are meaning-seeking creatures. We're constantly looking to understand who we are, and how we fit into the world. We do that through language. But there's also something that's absolutely fundamentally healing and empowering: by feeling heard by another human being.” Robert emphasises that, as social beings, we all derive a deep sense of fulfilment and connection through conversation with those we love and trust. He suggests that this is further emboldened when we endeavour to always actively listen to what someone is saying when they are expressing how they feel, rather than merely hearing the words. To create an environment in which someone can feel truly safe and empowered to express their feelings, we must create the space for them to speak freely and uninterrupted. In doing so, we can enable them to actively process whatever it may be that they are going through, emboldened by the presence of someone who is paying attention to and understanding every word they are saying. Key Takeaways When someone you love informs you of a troublesome experience they have undergone, or emotional difficulties they are experiencing, you may feel inclined to offer practical solutions to the issues they are raising. You might approach these difficult encounters with pre-prepared answers, with which you interject, to invite your loved one to stop feeling distressed, or sad, or anguished. In doing so, you are only hearing what this person is saying, and not truly listening to them. In the episode, Robert lists the various issues which can arise from interrupting someone with these, albeit well-intentioned, interruptions: In order to avoid these pitfalls, you must understand that the purpose of this conversation is not to provide solutions or practical advice, but merely to assure the speaker that you are listening to them, understanding what they are saying, and by doing so assuring them that their feelings are valid. We all occasionally experience worries or troubles that we can’t yet fully comprehend, and it is only when we articulate them out loud that we understand what is truly going on within ourselves. As such, by creating an environment in which someone feels able to speak freely and uninterrupted, you are enabling them to say things they haven’t predetermined, which can often be profoundly enlightening for them. It can sometimes be difficult to know what to do or say in these situations. They need not arouse panic or dread. The other person doesn’t need anything from you other than the comfort of divulging information to someone they trust, and the validation of receiving your full attention. Robert notes that the most common complaint when someone has experienced a distressing situation or injustice is that ‘Nobody listened to me’. The feeling that often hurts the most is the belief that no one...

Are you concerned about how stress may be affecting your productivity, wellbeing, and relationships? Are you keen to relinquish the grip that stress holds over your everyday life? In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Brendan McManus, CEO of PIB Insurance Brokers. Brendan is prolific within the insurance industry, having worked in the market for over 40 years in a range of successful companies. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, he shares wisdom about managing stress in both your career and relationships, offering methods to help you start improving your wellbeing today. Quote of the Episode “If ever you are feeling down, fed up, whatever, you’ve got to bust out of it. You've got to change the situation. And everybody can do that. Even if it's only changing your behaviour for a short period of time, and taking a risk with your behaviour.” Our wellbeing is dominated by the behaviours with which we conduct our daily lives. Brendan McManus suggests that these behaviours are not always productive or beneficial, and can have a detrimental effect on us, proliferating the effects of stress, if we fail to challenge them sufficiently. Such behaviours can not only negatively impact ourselves, but those we love. Indeed, for many of us, a greater source of stress is derived from our relationships than from work. To counteract this, you should endeavour to understand yourself more deeply. This can be achieved by engaging in mindful practices, such as the 5-minute daily exercises offered by Coffee Calm & Connection’s packages. This will enable you to reorient your habits and gradually adjust your behaviours in a manner which is beneficial both for your own wellbeing and for the strength of your relationships with others. Key Takeaways In being determined and driven, you need to be able to acknowledge and accept responsibility for your own success or failure. A good way to deal with this is by planning. However, if you are a temporary planner, and you find yourself running out of a plan, or that your plan is not working, you may feel deeply disappointed. For Brendan, you must simply acknowledge how you can rework, or perhaps even entirely overhaul your plan into something that can and will succeed for you and your business, and begin working towards it. When our plans are forced to change, as was the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we should not consider ourselves as being personally affronted or denied something. This pandemic affects everyone; you are not unique in the struggles it has brought upon you, although some people have unfortunately been affected more directly than others. In the circumstances brought about by the pandemic, and the associated uncertainty it brings, it can often be easy to lose sight of this bigger picture. Stress is derived from the feeling of a lack of control. Never has this sentiment been more bluntly realised than in the past two years. As the pandemic winds down, eventually, other stressors will emerge. Making small changes in your life to improve your situation, from exercising more regularly, to engaging with the activities you enjoy more frequently in order to reorient your work-life balance, can improve your ability to manage stress. By actively seeking to change your situation, you can more easily retake control of it. Stress is a spectrum. Some people have been deeply affected by the pandemic, suffering from grief, economic struggles, or the debilitating effects of long COVID. Similarly, in everyday life, certain jobs are undeniably more stressful than others, be they physically burdening or inadequately paid. Those lucky enough not to face these conditions, or who have been fortunate enough not to be profoundly and personally affected by the pandemic, need to recognise their catastrophising of their own circumstances and the false victimhood that can accompany it. Brendan suggests that the key way to do this is to ‘be grateful...

Are you keen to make genuine progress in your mental health journey, but finding conventional routes to doing so unsatisfactory? You are not alone in this. Many of us find that traditional methods of mental health support and wellbeing practices fail to provide any significant change in our everyday lives. This doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you, or that your feelings are invalid. Perhaps, you simply are yet to find the method that will best help you to cope with the extremities and uncertainties of the modern world. In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Claire Benson, a Manchester-based mental health campaigner, about how singing has proven highly beneficial in her personal journey, and how she is using it to help others with theirs. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, she discusses the importance of finding a practical means by which you can take control of your mental health and actively progress through your struggles. Quote of the Episode ‘When I joined choir, it was like, I've been asleep for 100 years. And singing has woken me up and given me the confidence to be able to talk about my own mental health.’ Throughout the episode, Claire emphasises the immense importance of locating a specific method by which you can feel empowered to talk about your mental health. She found singing to be profoundly beneficial in her personal life – the simple act of singing boosts her everyday wellbeing, and through her choir, she found a community with whom she felt safe and empowered to discuss her struggles. Singing may or may not carry the same benefits for you – but there will be an activity out there that does, be it running, cycling, writing, painting, performing yoga, just to name a few! Key Takeaways Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us like to sing when we are alone. It lifts our spirits, enabling to express ourselves in a uniquely powerful way. Singing can be profoundly beneficial both as an individual exercise or as part of a communal activity. Even if singing isn’t for you, there are a vast array of different activities you can get involved with which are accompanied by significant mental health benefits. In building these practices into our daily lives, whatever they may be, you will gradually develop a sense of power over your mental health, rather than letting it control you. Sharing matters. The self-expression that accompanies singing, along with painting, writing, many forms of exercise, and more, can also act as a form of self-acceptance, and provide a guidance through whatever struggles you may be enduring at a given time. Such struggles have been particularly intensified throughout our collective experience of COVID-19, which has separated us from our loved ones, forcing us to perform these beloved activities alone. Now, more than ever, the importance of maintaining a sense of connection with others (even if it is through digital means) is extremely important. For example, Claire’s choir, Bee Vocal, continued its rehearsals throughout the pandemic via Zoom, providing its members the same benefits of communal self-expression despite their digital separation. Thus, through singing, and many other self-expressive activities, you can engage in the human connection which is integral to our lives, both with your inner self and with others in a community. Best Moments/Key Quotes “When we did our ‘Raise Your Voice’, we had a lady that said, ‘It's like wearing a coat: you have your job, and then you have another coat as mum and then you have another coat as wife and as a daughter and an auntie and a housemaid and cook, and there's only so many coats that you can wear before you're actually weighed down and you can't go anywhere.” “It could be as simple as running a bath, it could be as simple as going out for a walk, having that five-minute cup of coffee to yourself, and just turning off your brain for those five minutes of being...

With perhaps more clarity than any other major world event in recent memory, our collective experience of COVID-19 in the past 18 months has demonstrated that the future is never predictable. Certain curveball events will inevitably manifest, and completely sweep aside our plans and aspirations, forcing us to reorient ourselves and our focuses. How do you respond to the unsettling sense of uncertainty that accompanies this revelation? What practical tools can you implement in your daily life to ensure that you are not completely destabilised when the uncertain strikes again? We’re very pleased to be speaking with Martin Robert Hall, a mindset and leadership coach with a keen interest in the driving factors behind success and high performance, the problem of uncertainty and how we can deal with it. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, he highlights the profound value of establishing clear goals with which to visualise our future success, and around which we can orient our focus. Listen to how, in setting such goals, you can undertake tasks in your daily life with a sense unyielding drive, all in pursuit of an achievement either in your own personal development, in your work, or in your mental and/or physical health. Quote of the Episode ‘One of the things which business [leaders] can learn from sport is that within sport, you've often got very clear goals and deadlines.’ Martin suggests that we can learn from sport in many facets of our lives, namely in business and in the personal aspirations we set for ourselves. He explains that athletes have clear goals and definitive deadlines to adhere to. He offers the example of Carly Tait, a woman born with cerebral palsy who, after being inspired by the 2012 Paralympic Games, dedicated herself to reaching the wheelchair race final at the 2016 Games, and she succeeded. Martin attributes this to the fact that she had a fixed moment in time to aspire towards, and she could easily visualise that event. She had a clear, tangible goal, and this gave her a sense of certainty which negated the innumerable uncertainties of the world. Thus, developing clear goals and sticking to them can create feelings of confidence and control, consequently producing motivation and drive. Key Takeaways In conjunction with setting clear, tangible goals, it is also important to visualise exactly what it is you wish to achieve. In doing so, you will begin to think about your goals not as hypothetical possibilities, but achievable certainties. Whether these goals are actually achieved or not is somewhat irrelevant; merely conceptualising them will give you the motivational tools necessary for manifesting success and becoming a better version of yourself. However, how do we retain that sense of focus, when there are so many things occurring in our lives simultaneously. We might have such goals in mind, but how do we ensure that they don’t become lost in the quagmire of all our other activities and responsibilities? Martin argues that you should take a step back to assess yourself and your goals. Consider whether they truly align with your personal values, and if you are giving yourself enough time to actualise them. Sometimes, you may discover that a goal no longer aligns with your values, or perhaps it never did, but you have only just understood why you were unable to truly manifest it. It’s okay to let these things go; you will only hold yourself back by juggling multiple different ideal versions of yourself simultaneously, some of which may contradict one another. A significant contributing factor to our success revolves around how we explain events to ourselves. Martin suggests that we should endeavour to become our own inner coach. Occasionally, external events or circumstances may curtail our progress or success. We should attribute these things not to a failure in our performance, but to the uncertainties of the wider world, which we are not responsible for and...

Are you keen to begin your journey of self-improvement, but unsure of where to start? Are you struggling to identify the type of person you wish to be and to set tangible, achievable goals towards this end? In this unique episode, we’re very pleased to be speaking with mindset coach Sandra Lewin. Throughout the episode, Sandra conducts a coaching session with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough as her subject! Throughout, we gain insights into the nature of coaching sessions, and about the progression of Sandra's own journey of self-discovery. Sandra offers an array of helpful tips for building confidence in ourselves and mitigating the guilts and anxieties which many of us can identify with. Quote of the Episode ‘'One of the ways to see where the anxiety is coming from, and where the guilt is coming from is actually going back to the core of ‘am I comfortable with me?'’’ ''Many of our anxieties and feelings of guilt are derived from an uncertainty as to who we are and whether we feel comfortable in our own skin. We often spend so much time concerning ourselves with how we imagine other people perceive us that we don’t always take the time to look at ourselves and consider, am I comfortable with myself?'' Key Takeaways A key cause of dissatisfaction with oneself can be attributed to the expectations we set for ourselves, and fail to meet. When setting goals for ourselves, we often employ a rhetoric of ‘should’. This is problematic in two respects. Firstly, due to its hypothetical nature, it is built with the possibility of failure or relapse, it contains an acknowledgement or acceptance that you will not be able to adhere to it. Additionally, it is rooted in logic rather than desire. The things we ostensibly ‘should’ do tend not to match up with those which we ‘want’ to do. In attempting to improve yourself, you should prioritise practices that emotionally engage you and provide you with enjoyment. Thus, you will begin to feel the positive impact of their implementation immediately, and you will not want to stop them. This principle can also be valuable when we experience feelings related to impostor syndrome. Many of us have a tendency to put labels on ourselves about the type of person we are, which can lead to profound disappointment and frustration when we do not live up to this aspirational notion. If you are struggling to find focus in your life and to truly identify the changes you wish to make in yourself, speaking to a professional coach may be beneficial. Best Moments/Key Quotes “You take mindfulness, you read a book and you're like, okay, unless I'm a guru as of tomorrow it’s like, what's the point? So, it becomes yet another task, another overwhelming thing, which is counterproductive to what is supposed to be doing.” ‘'Rather than leading with logic and to do of all of these things, if you lead with emotion, positive emotion, interest and enjoyment, just perhaps the other stuff will come in.’' “Do not try to change 100 things at the same time… Pick one or two.” Resources Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers, by Lois P. Frankel Talking to the Wild: The Bedtime Stories We Never Knew We Needed, by Becky Hemsley About the Guest Having previously worked in the insurance industry, in 2020, Sandra set up her own business, Pair2Grow, a coaching service combining expertise in coaching, mindfulness and project management. Sandra’s LinkedIn Profile: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandralewin Connect with Sarah https://www.instagram.com/coffeecalmconnection/ https://www.facebook.com/coffeecalmconnection https://www.linkedin.com/company/70927508/admin/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmyerscough/ Website: Coffee Calm & Connection (coffeecalmconnection.org)

Do you often find yourself languished and dejected, unable or unwilling to make progress with your goals? Do you ever find yourself in conversation with someone who seems profoundly and robustly happy, and wonder how they do it? Are you unsure about how it is possible to remain positive when faced by the difficulties of our present predicament, from climate change to COVID-19? In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with ‘Doctor of Happiness’ Andy Cope, a bestselling author who has a PhD in Positive Psychology from Loughborough University. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, he discusses the changes you can make today to build positivity into your mindset. In doing so, he suggests that you can develop tenacity and resilience, and make genuine progress towards becoming the person you wish to be. Quote of the Episode “Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.” (Yoda) In the episode, Andy invokes the learned Jedi wisdom of Yoda. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker has crashed his spaceship into a swamp. He tells Yoda that he will ‘try’ to use the Force to raise his ship from the water; he is uncertain in his ability, and believes he will fail. He is unable to lift the ship, and gives up. Yoda, however, manages. He does not ‘try’ to lift the ship, he simply does. This principle can also be applied to self-care. If you would like to eat healthily, or start a new fitness regime, or learn a new language, do not tell yourself that you will simply ‘try’ to achieve these things. To discuss ‘trying’ is to allow for the possibility of failure while merely considering the prospect of your goal. If you decide to do something, you will be far more likely to commit to it, by assuming a more resilient attitude. You become able to use the Force. Key Takeaways Andy Cope argues that while much of modern psychology entails the treatment of mental health problems once they have developed, ‘positive psychology’ is a branch of research focused on preventative strategies. He suggests that there is an array of ‘intentional strategies’ we can learn, which imbue us with a persistently positive attitude even when we are inevitably faced with undesirable circumstances or misfortune. ‘Sisu’ is a Finnish term which lacks a comprehensive equivalent in English translation, but essentially refers to a tenacity and grit characteristic of the Finns, which enables them to face and overcome adversity with unyielding determination. Andy suggests that, by actively undertaking a positive attitude, we can begin to build a similar resilience within ourselves, which will enable us to power through tough times that may otherwise seem insurmountable. This is due to the fact that, for Andy, there is an important distinction between positivity and happiness. It is impossible to be happy all the time; happiness is a temporary emotional state which is created by external phenomena. There is often a somewhat cynical tendency to tell miserable or depressed people to ‘choose to be happy’. This is fallacious and offensive. Happiness is not a choice. However, positivity is an attitude that can be actively undertaken, and which, in conjunction with self-care practices, can profoundly help you to overcome your personal trials and tribulations, and to actualise your aspirations. The power of a positive attitude is highlighted by the fact that ultimately, our lives are a story we tell ourselves. That story is malleable and changeable; the way we recollect it is down to a matter of perspective. We possess the power to change the narrative of our own lives, both in the past and in the present. Best Moments/Key Quotes “Positive psychology is a preventative thing. What we're currently doing… is we're waiting for people to break, and then we're fixing them. Whereas positive psychology gives you some strategies, and some knowhow, and some tools and techniques, so that when the world does get worse… we might bend, but we don't have to...

Good mental health is essential to our general wellbeing. Depending on how we manage it, it can be highly conducive, or deeply destructive to our productive output. As we gradually approach the aftermath of a world-changing pandemic, incorporating such awareness into the workplace, and indeed, all areas of our lives, has never been more urgent. In this special hybrid episode, the worlds of the Insurance Brokers Podcast and Coffee, Calm & Connection merge. We are delighted to be speaking with Adrian Saunders, Commercial Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance, which recently conducted its annual survey regarding mental health within the insurance broker market. In conversation with Boston Tullis’ Sarah Myerscough, he discusses the often-surprising results of the survey, which suggest that while considerable strides have been made towards boosting mental health awareness and support at work, there remains progress to be made. Quote of the Episode “If, as most people have been doing, they've been working remotely, perhaps there's that sense of detachment where they don't feel able [to talk about mental health] … There's no observation going on. So, you know, there's probably less of managers actually seeing their teams, and seeing individuals, or being able to pick up any upon any signs, or just asking that question: ‘Are you okay?’” The experience of the pandemic completely shattered the way in which we work, our general sense of separation between our public and private lives, and the way we engage with others. In forcing us apart for so long, it could be argued that the pandemic eroded much of the progress being made towards greater mental health awareness and support within the workplace. The artificiality of a digital environment with which many of us were forced to acclimatise in order to continue working, while highly productive for some, left others feeling dejected and struggling to cope. Therefore, it is crucial that we understand the profound importance of providing mental health support in the workplace as we emerge from the chaos of multiple lockdowns, and enter 2022. Key Takeaways ‘Less than half of people [now] feel comfortable talking about mental health in the workplace, whereas, back in 2019, it was actually really pretty high… three quarters of people felt comfortable.” Since 2019, Ecclesiastical Insurance has annually conducted a survey in order to identify general sentiments towards mental health within the insurance broker market, namely: Several intriguing comparisons can be made between this year’s results and of those from 2019, pre-pandemic. A particularly concerning trend noted by Adrian in the episode was a significant drop in colleagues feeling comfortable with discussing mental health in the workplace, despite awareness of it and the provision of support for it reportedly increasing profoundly. Adrian suggests that this could be a result of remote working, due to which it isn’t necessarily as easy to share one’s private thoughts and feelings with a trusted colleague. Perhaps, also, this could be attributed to the pandemic, and our unanimous recognition that someone, somewhere, must have it worse than us, and therefore we may find our own problems folly or insignificant. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone has problems, and they are all important and worth discussing with people you can trust. Therefore, we should endeavour to double down in our efforts to make the workplace a safe environment for employees to share their mental health woes, and from which they can receive valuable and meaningful support and advice. An additional problem highlighted by the survey was stress being at an all-time high among brokers. This could arguably be caused by our increased inability to separate work from our personal lives. They have become deeply intertwined, perhaps irreversibly, particularly given the extent to which working from home has continued to prosper even as COVID regulations...

Are you keen to discover how the journey of Coffee, Calm & Connection thus far has impacted its very creators? Are you interested in finding out how to actively implement the habits and principles the platform promotes in your everyday life? In this unique episode, Coffee, Calm & Connection co-founders Stuart Thompson and Sarah Myerscough flip the script, and Sarah switches from interviewer to interviewee! They discuss how Sarah’s personal journey of self-discovery has already begun to challenge many of the fundamental methodologies with which she approaches the world, many of which revolve around a desire to control every aspect of her life. Stuart and Sarah discuss how attempting to relinquish that control can be instrumental in improving your wellbeing, and in curtailing our common tendency to perpetually worry about what may lie around the corner. Quote of the Episode “Keep seeking those moments in life, where you're out of control, where the control is surrendered, whether it be the smallest of things like letting somebody else drive, but also the bigger things about being disconnected for a few hours, not having the phone switched on, not knowing where everything is and what's going to happen. Letting some of that control drop over time can be really renewing and quite refreshing.” Anxiety specialist Stuart Thompson suggests that many of those who were most deeply affected by the experience of lockdown were those who are least accustomed to surrendering control over their own lives. He suggests that the complete debilitation that accompanies such unpredictable events can completely disrupt our way of understanding the world, which is so often rooted in our seemingly robust control over it. He suggests that in order to offset our common desire for complete control over our lives, we should seek out and treasure those times in our daily lives when we can relinquish it. He argues that the freedom this gives inadvertently boosts your mental wellbeing and enable you to be simultaneously both more wary of and more mentally prepared for the inevitable, unpredictable events that occasionally shake our world. Key Takeaways The COVID-19 pandemic is the ultimate testament to the fact that we cannot predict everything, or indeed, anything, with absolute certainty. Yet, when we set goals, we seek control, and take comfort from the ostensible knowledge that, upon fulfilling these goals, we will feel happier. Stuart Thompson suggests that this tendency towards constant superficial goal-setting often prevents us from seeing or seeking to identify the reasons why we have set such goals. We need to consider the reasons why we pursue certain things, be it to give up alcohol for a year; to train for a marathon; to learn a new language. If we try to achieve such goals for the wrong reasons, we will likely not achieve them, which will land us in an inevitable slump of dissatisfaction and self-flagellation. This tendency can even extend to mindfulness itself: many of us attempt to make a goal out of self-improvement and self-discovery, an entirely nebulous and individualistic entity. Mindfulness cannot be approached merely as yet another task to tick off on the to-do list. It cannot be regimented or controlled in the way that other aspects of our lives can be. Stuart suggests that we can learn from our children in this respect. By reigniting our imaginations, and spontaneously deciding to do things merely because they appeal to us, without any other motivation, we can inadvertently boost our own wellbeing. This is the intention behind Coffee, Calm & Connection: to subtly integrate mindful practices in short, manageable bursts into your daily routine, thereby creating a habit out of them. Best Moments/Key Quotes “Chasing the goal can be quite attractive. But there's something also quite puritanical underneath it, of saying, ‘Well, why haven't you reached that goal yet?’ And I think it's something that's crept into our culture… the...

Given the work-intensive, stress-inducing nature of modern society, our lives are a composite of various pressures swirling together simultaneously: friends, family, relationships, work, ascending the job ladder, and so on. Each of us understands and can relate to these challenges. But how can we overcome them without being consumed by stress? Steve White, CEO of insurance powerhouse BIBA (British Insurance Brokers Association), has led an illustrious career in the insurance industry. In this episode, he details his personal journey of self-improvement, emphasising the critical importance of self-awareness in order to make genuine progress. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, he shares his wisdom regarding how you can overcome your personal trials and tribulations by engaging in meaningful dialogue with others to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Quote of the Episode “Never assume that you are perceived the way you think you are. You are what people perceive you to be. Perception is reality, at the end of the day.” Many of us hold views about ourselves (many of which are heavily self-deprecating) that give no reflection of our true selves. We often struggle to see ourselves organically, trapped in an echo chamber of self-recriminations and abuse. Steve White suggests that the perspective of other, trusted people can be highly enlightening in this regard. He argues that we should approach those we trust, who need not necessarily be friends or family, but reliable sources who will speak the truth, and ask for their genuine, unfiltered perceptions about ourselves, and how we can improve. Steve claims that this process can be both vindicating and insightful, and that while doing so requires you to be vulnerable and receptive of criticism, it can help us better understand the person that we truly are, as opposed to who we perceive ourselves to be. We cannot see ourselves clearly; it is only others who can provide unfiltered insight about who we truly are, and thus, how we can improve. Key Takeaways Self-knowledge is perhaps the most crucial characteristic required when beginning the journey of self-discovery. It can be harnessed through mindful and meditative practices such as the quick, easy courses offered by Coffee, Calm & Connection. Ultimately, to identify what is holding you back from reaching your goals, you need to be able to ask yourself questions. What are my strengths and weaknesses? What am I good at? What can I lean on when times are tough? In answering these questions, you can begin to learn more about how you tick, and the habits which may either fuel your progress or potentially obstruct it. As human beings, we naturally approach many of our conversations throughout the day with an agenda, which we may or may not be actively aware of. This is particularly important in the workplace, where we have certain tasks to complete and goals to achieve. However, in doing so, we have a tendency to anticipate how these conversations will unfold before they have even occurred, preventing us from actively listening to what the other party is saying. In letting our conversations unfold naturally and authentically, you may learn things about yourself which may never have surfaced otherwise. This requires a certain amount of vulnerability. We all have a ‘work persona’ that might be different to our regular persona. But we shouldn’t be afraid to let the latter shine through sometimes, especially when we are struggling. If we feel comfortable in work environments, we can be more productive, as we are not trying to live up to an expectation of ourselves that likely cannot be fulfilled, if it isn’t true to who we are. Many of us have a tendency to erect a solid brick wall between our home and work lives. It’s important, essential, even, to have that sense of separation, and it’s inevitable that in those different settings, our different priorities will bring out different parts of our...

Do you find that when you achieve a goal, a sense of deep dissatisfaction sets in soon afterwards? Do you constantly compare yourself to others, and yearn to replicate their happiness in your own life? Are you hyper-critical of yourself no matter what you do? In this episode of the Coffee, Calm & Connection podcast, we’re very excited to be speaking with Laura DiBenedetto, the bestselling author of ‘The Six Habits’, about why so many of us feel discontent with ourselves, even when we achieve our goals. Laura attributes this to the habitual thoughts that many of us share, which are overwhelmingly geared towards the negative, perpetually berating you for your self-perceived failures with little respite. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, she explains how we can reorient our minds by forming new, positive habits which can make you calmer, kinder to yourself, and cultivate inner fulfilment. Quote of the Episode “I know lots of accomplished people who are miserable. I know lots of fulfilled people who have all different kinds of accomplishment, and it doesn't matter.” After we achieve a goal, be it an important presentation or running a marathon, many of us feel utterly deflated. Soon afterwards, we attempt to replace that goal with a new one, so that we can achieve the momentary happiness that success brings. Laura DiBenedetto argues that there is a monumental difference between superficial achievement and genuine contentment. The former is entirely irrelevant to the latter. The goals we set ourselves in life, in themselves, cannot make us happy. They may provide a temporary rush of satisfaction, but that is fleeting, and will soon give way to negative thoughts, frustration, and unhappiness. This is a vicious cycle, which can eventually lead to burnout, or indeed, depression. To achieve the contentment we all yearn for, we need to assess our internal drivers, and try to motivate ourselves with positivity and kindness, rather than the fear of failure. Key Takeaways To begin the journey towards happiness and fulfilment, we need to make a conscious choice to focus on the positive things that surround us. The human mind produces between 50-60,000 thoughts per day. However, a significant proportion of these thoughts are repeated from the previous day, and a considerable percentage of those thoughts are negative. We carry the baggage of our self-perceived failures with ourselves wherever we go, and through whatever we do. It is impossible to relinquish these thoughts altogether. However, by actively forming a habit of being kind to oneself, treating one’s ideas and feelings with respect, and accepting former failures, one will begin to experience more inner peace and joy. The mind is fuelled by certain habitual processes and thoughts that motivate our actions and determine our emotions and responses to different stimuli. Laura DiBenedetto argues that many of these habits are detrimental to our potential contentment, and that to achieve it, they must be superseded by new habits which can create a happier, healthier lifestyle. Coffee, Calm & Connection operates under a similar principle. By providing easy, five-minute-a-day courses in meditative and mindful practices, it can help you to zone in on certain aspects of your inner monologue which are curtailing your contentment. Each and every one of us has the right to be happy, but we are deeply reluctant to initiate the process of living a better life, as it demands that you be vulnerable with yourself and, indeed, with others. The best way to turn your self-flagellation into self-approbation is by actively making a habit out of being kind to yourself, by recognising when you are not, and the impact this has on your daily life. Best Moments/Key Quotes ‘If you change the quality of your thoughts and develop a new mental habit, in six key areas, you can change your life.’ “What do happy people have in common? What is it that really makes people...

Are you keen to start making progress towards improving your mental wellbeing? Are you concerned by the substantial wait-times for therapy provided by the NHS, or the extensive cost of private sessions? In this episode, we’re excited to be speaking with Dr Gregory Warwick, a counselling psychologist, about the current availability of alternatives to these traditional services. These include text-based online therapy, AI-based counselling and self-help solutions. In conversation with Coffee, Calm & Connection’s Sarah Myerscough, he discusses how these latter options could in some cases be considered equally as effective as traditional approaches to mental wellbeing, and how they may assist you in taking control of your own mental health. Quote of the Episode “When I look at the data, in terms of effectiveness, the outcomes are largely the same as working with someone.” Counselling psychologist Dr Gregory Warwick suggests that online therapies and self-help services have, in recent studies, proven to be nearly and often equally as effective as in-person, traditional Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The ability to actively improve one’s mental health need not lie solely in the hands of a mental health professional, but rather, can be assumed by yourself, in conjunction with services such as Coffee, Calm & Connection. These can actively foster changes in your habits and mentality and empower you to become the person you want to be. Key Takeaways COVID-19 has exacerbated changes pertaining to interaction and communication which were already inevitable in light of the rapid developments in social media and technology. However, simultaneously, an array of self-help resources is emerging, which may become instrumental in improving or maintaining one’s mental health and wellbeing. There is an array of options for improving your mental health beyond conventional talk therapy, the demand for which has only skyrocketed in recent months due to the pandemic, despite an infrastructure which was already struggling to meet demand. As Dr Warwick explains in this episode, these alternative methods are by no means second-rate, and indeed can accrue similar results to those achievable with traditional therapy. These methods may range from meditation to the individualised courses provided by Coffee Calm Connection, and will continue to expand in the future. In the next decade, if developed in the right hands, AI-based counselling could become a hugely beneficial resource which would cater to our current culture of immediacy. This would enable us to start therapy in the same amount of time it takes to order a product on Amazon, curtailing 18-month+ wait times for NHS therapy, or the extensive costs of private services. A key concern raised by those who are sceptical of self-help platforms in contrast with traditional therapy is an ostensible lack of accountability, and the difficulty of seeing genuine progress manifested without another professional individual in the room to assist oneself in seeing it. Coffee, Calm & Connection overcomes this barrier by providing easy, five-minute-a-day courses with which you can zone-in on a particular element of your mental wellbeing. The ease-of-access these provide ensures that you can actively take control of your mental health and achieve your goals with bite-sized content that will gradually encourage you to make the changes you wish to see in yourself. As Dr Warwick mentions in the podcast, some self-help materials are created in a one-size-fits-all type model, which is not necessarily conducive to genuine personal growth, as it isn’t tailored to one’s unique, individual needs. Meanwhile, Coffee, Calm & Connection allows you to actively take control of the aspects of your mental wellbeing which you seek to improve, rendering the process highly individualised and capable of catering to your specific needs. Best Moments/Key Quotes “Part of my thesis and interest was around internet Relay Chat,...

What do you really know about the menopause? Are you, as a woman, approaching your change and you’re worried about what you’ve heard? Are you a male looking to learn a little more and want to know more about the ins and outs of what the menopause really is? In this episode, we chat with Debbie. Debbie is a Pub Landlady, Actress, Writer, Blogger and Menopause Advocate all in one, alongside being the creator of ‘’Her and the change in me’’ - a one woman show with 4 voices. In this episode, we talk about... well, you guessed it, the menopause(!) and what this means for men AND women as well as what the future holds for awareness and support. Best Quote ‘’I think where we've come in the last 50 years is incredible in terms of equality, and again, I mean, feminism is so wide, and there's so many different trenches, and there's so many quite extreme versions. Whether or not one buys into that kind of stuff, you can't argue that we've come quite a long way.’’ Resources Debbie’s Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-baisden-2a467a182/ Menopause Support campaign: https://www.menopausesupport.co.uk Menopause: study on the brain with Dr Lisa Mosconi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJZ8z_nTCZQ Killer whales and menopause: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/15/killer-whales-explain-meaning-of-the-menopause Connect with Sarah https://www.instagram.com/coffeecalmconnection/ https://www.facebook.com/coffeecalmconnection https://www.linkedin.com/company/70927508/admin/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmyerscough/ Hosted by Sarah Myerscough DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence. Website: www.coffeecalmconnection.org

Are you someone who struggles to be who you really are in everyday life? Perhaps you’ve discovered your true self and for many reasons feel this cannot be shared with the outside world? Maybe you’ve opened yourself up to your life choices being accepted and feel that you are judged, bullied and hated on for being who you want to be? In this episode, we chat with Rikki. Rikki is transgender and openly talks about her experiences from very early childhood. In this episode she specifically opens up about discovering herself, how she got to where she is today and why it’s important we change the stigma on sexual orientation and gender stereotypes. Best Quote ‘’When a trans person comes out, they don't just out themselves, they out the family and everybody who is connected. When I came out, around half the people just thought ‘no, no, I don't want that, I don't want to have to explain that I have a brother who is now my sister' etc – and that just put a whole amount of pressure on me.’’ Resources Rikki’s Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikkiarundel/ Connect with Sarah https://www.instagram.com/coffeecalmconnection/ https://www.facebook.com/coffeecalmconnection https://www.linkedin.com/company/70927508/admin/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmyerscough/ Hosted by Sarah Myerscough DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence. Website: www.coffeecalmconnection.org

Have you suffered a traumatic event that did or still does affect your everyday life? Perhaps your experiences have changed your opinions and made you become a different person better or worse? How does this tie in with facing your fears and smashing your confidence? In this episode, we chat with Susan. Susan is the Founder of Superstar Communicator and every day works with global companies, supporting teams across the world. She chats with us about how her very own experiences has shaped the person she is today and is a large part of why she does what she does both personally and in business... Best Quote ‘’Looking back, I was in a particular survivors’ syndrome and not acknowledging the trauma that I had had, or the impact I had had, and feeling that I shouldn't be complaining about what I’m going through myself. I think a lot more is known now than what it was back in the 1980s...’’ Resources Susan’s Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanheatonwright/ Pole Pole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgqAOCtwLOo&feature=youtu.be Connect with Sarah https://www.instagram.com/coffeecalmconnection/ https://www.facebook.com/coffeecalmconnection https://www.linkedin.com/company/70927508/admin/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmyerscough/ Hosted by Sarah Myerscough DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence. Website: www.coffeecalmconnection.org