A Drop in the Bucket

This month Sarah and Bekah have a conversation about change and transitions, sparked by things going on in their own lives this year. It's been a busy year for both of us, and there are some really exciting things happening. However, any change, even if it feels positive, comes with some degree of loss of how things were before, and it's important that we're able to validate and process the range of emotions around this. So, we thought we'd do that on here!

Get ready for some BRAIN FOOD! This month we spoke with Anjuli Sherin; therapist, author of Joyous Resilience and all-round awesome human being. We talk about what resilience is - and what it isn't - and some of the reasons it can feel so hard to be resilient/build resilience, especially in adolescence and early adulthood and what we might have to unlearn later in life. Anjuli clearly practises what she preaches and brings a joyful presence to this episode. We hope you love listening to her as much as we loved talking to her. The book is full of beautiful insights and practical tips to start living this out. You can also sign up to receive free guided meditations on her website - do go and find out more!!  The bookAnjuli's website: www.anjulisherinmft.comInstagram: @AnjuliSherinMFTFacebook: @AnjuliSherinMFT

This month we bring you not one but two lovely guests. Aulus Duo are Ellie and Georgina, a flautist and classical guitarist who we met through the Bottled book project. They are passionate about making conversations about wellbeing, mental health, and emotions normal and commonplace, and thinking about how we start this with ourselves and our immediate circles. We could have talked for hours but don't worry, we didn't. Grab a drink and come and meet Aulus Duo.Instagram: @aulusduoFacebook: @aulusduoTwitter: @aulusduoYoutube

This month (pride month!) we are joined by Callum who shares his story of struggling with his mental health in his teen years and how this related to his journey of discovering and accepting his sexuality. We talk about what it's like to feel that you don't "fit", and how important it is to challenge stereotypes about what it means to be any kind of individual. This is another banger, even if we do say so ourselves, so grab a cuppa and wear a rainbow and come and learn with us as we hear from Callum about his experiences.

This month we bring you a conversation that made us laugh so much our faces hurt. Lauren is someone we reached out to because we loved the way she spoke about... well, anything to be honest, and we really wanted to chat to her. We talk about identifying your passion and staying in your lane to give it your all, Lauren's journey with addiction and recovery, the difficulties faced by people who need help but 'fall between the cracks' of services, and what she thinks people should do with their suggestions - among many other things. We know you'll love this one so grab a box of Jaffa cakes and join us for a really great hour.

It's been 2 years since Bekah's husband said "you should record these conversations for others to hear" and we went - yeah why not, nothing else to do in a global pandemic... We couldn't have imagined at that point where the podcast would take us, the amazing people we would meet, the projects we would get involved in, the friends we would make, and the impact that all this would have on the two of us. So we thought we'd take this opportunity, on our 'birthday', to reflect back over the last two years. We've listened to our original episodes, and we have some updates! We are always growing and learning about ourselves, and we wanted to share some of what we've been learning with you. A HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported this podcast - we are more grateful than we can say. We do have one request, and that is for people to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts. This isn't so we can feel good about ourselves (honest!) it's so that we can become more visible in the podcast charts so that more people can find us and hear the amazing stories our guests share with us. Thank you!

This month we have one of those 'Why haven't we ever thought about this before????' moments with Dr Helena Tucker, a Clinical Psychologist and menstrual cycle specialist. We talk about how we are socialised to think about menstruation and the effects it has on our bodies, how we then end up thinking and talking about hormonal changes when we're adults, and the power that it's possible to utilise if we understand our cycles. If you don't menstruate THIS IS STILL FOR YOU. One of the problems is that we don't teach this stuff to EVERYONE and so we all end up not knowing enough.  Helena was so much fun to talk to, so - depending on where you are in your cycle! - join us on a walk or snuggled up under a blanket!Website: https://drhelenatucker.com/Instagram: @dr.helenatuckerHelena's free guide: https://programs.drhelenatucker.com/guideIn the Flo: https://intheflobook.com/The Red School: https://www.redschool.net/

This month we had the genuine pleasure - I would say joy - of speaking with John Roedel. John describes himself as a "Poet. Writer. Comic. Storyteller. Terrible Dancer." (though we have yet to see evidence of the last one). John talks about using poetry to open up about mental health, his journey of faith deconstruction, and shares some beautiful insights into the mystery and wonder that is life. Come and join us for this conversation with our latest new best friend. John's amazing new book of poetry 'Remedy' is now available to buy!Website: www.johnroedel.comInstagram: @john_roedel_writerTwitter: @JohnnyRoedelFacebook: @johnroedelwriter

Happy New Year everyone! We're so excited to kick off 2022 with Tom, who is the host of another fabulous mental health podcast 'Proper Mental'. Like us, he's passionate about having open and honest conversations about mental health to help people feel less alone, raise awareness, and reduce stigma. Tom shares his own story of struggling, especially after becoming a dad, and we talk about how important it is to prioritise our wellbeing - but also how this isn't always easy. We loved talking to Tom, and we're sure you'll love hearing from him - come and join us! Do listen to Tom's podcast, and check him out on Instagram.Instagram: @propermentalpodcastWebsite: propermentalpodcast.com

After a Christmas special last year that was very heavily focused on what Bekah and Sarah do (and let's be honest, the differences between our two Christmasses are not dramatic!) we decided to do something a bit different. This month we're speaking with Sharmin, an old colleague of Sarah's and a Muslim, about her experience of Christmastime as someone who does not celebrate Christmas. We also talk about what it's like to have other important festivals that are not recognised, or even known about, by the society around you. As with all our guests we both went away feeling we learnt a lot, and were extremely grateful to Sharmin for educating us! Grab a seasonal snack and warm drink, and cosy up to join our conversation.

This month we had a brain feast with Dr Nancy Nsiah. Nancy is a Clinical Psychologist who is passionate about antiracism work, and shared so many gems with us in this conversation. We both found it challenging and encouraging, and went away with a lot to think about. We talk more broadly about social justice and Nancy gives her tips for how to continue with this work when it's exhausting, including using Deepa Iyer's social change ecosystem to switch social roles. As usual we've got plenty of fun and relatability alongside the heavy stuff, so grab a drink and join us for this chat with Nancy. Nancy's Instagram: @theartofbeing_wellDeepa Iyer's Social Change EcosystemDeepa Iyer's Instagram: @deepaviyer

This month Bekah speaks with the fantastic Emily, known on social media as 21andsensory. Emily shares her experiences of being diagnosed with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Dyslexia, how these affects her day-to-day life, and what other people struggle to understand about how she experiences the world.Even though we would both say they have a pretty good understanding of neurodiversity, this conversation definitely humbled me (Bekah) in realising how much I don't know and how important it is listen to people when they try to tell you what it's like to be them. Emily has an amazing podcast where she interviews other neurodiverse people, all of who bring their own different and valuable perspectives. We highly recommend checking it out - whether you are neurodiverse, love/support/know someone who is, or just want your eyes opened to how we can make the world a better place for more people. Instagram: @21andsensoryTwitter: @21andsensoryPodcast: 21andsensoryThe TED talk Bekah references: Do Schools Kill Creativity 

This month Sarah gets a bit fan-girly as we are joined by her previous headteacher, who she thinks is the world's most excellent boss. Flora Cooper is a big advocate for her staff taking care of themselves and aims to nurture a working environment where both staff and students feel that they matter and are worth looking after. She speaks about why this is so important to her as a leader, as well as sharing her story of being in an abusive relationship for 20 years. As always we discuss some really tough things with plenty of joy and encouragement built in. Grab a cuppa or take us on your run (as we've heard some of you do!) and come and meet Flora.Find Flora on Twitter: @FloraSCooper

This month we are really thrilled to bring you our conversation with the wonderful Alex Hobern, creator of Happy Dayz clothing. Happy Dayz is a brand that advocates mental health - there is a QR code on each piece of apparel they sell, that when scanned gives access to a mental health hub with support and advice from a community of creators sharing resources, top tips and encouragement. Alex is also known for winning the first series of reality TV show 'The Circle' which Sarah thoroughly enjoyed and Bekah had never heard of...! Plug us in wherever you like to join the conversation and come and meet Alex with us. For more information about Happy Dayz:Website:  www.happydayzclothing.co.ukInstagram: @happydayzclothing_Facebook: @HappyDayzClothing

This month we had the genuine pleasure of speaking to Kate Lucey. Kate is a journalist, wannabe-Cher-impersonator, and author of 'Get a Grip, Love', a book about living with depression and the myriad of unhelpful advice that people struggling with their mental health receive. This conversation shatters one of the myths around depression - that talking about it is always depressing! We talk honestly and seriously about how people are affected by depression but we laugh a lot as well. We are really glad we met Kate and hope you enjoy listening. Her book is out now in hardback and will be out in paperback in November - so start thinking about who it might suit as a stocking filler...Find Kate online:Instagram @kateluceyTwitter @KateLucey__

Welcome back everyone! This month we are bringing you another wonderful person from our own lives - Ellie is Bekah's oldest friend, they met aged 3 at nursery and have been part of each other's lives ever since. Ellie received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in her early twenties after struggling with her mental health in her teenage years. She shares with us her journey of learning to understand and manage her condition, and other people learning to understand and support her. We hope that this conversation gives a useful insight into some of the misconceptions about bipolar, as well as what people who live with this diagnosis might be going through. Everyone's story will be different - this is Ellie's. If you want to find out more about bipolar disorder, check out Bipolar UK.

We know we bang on about the enneagram sometimes but it's because using it as a tool for understanding ourselves and other people better has honestly changed our lives. And this month we are thrilled to be speaking with the woman behind some of this for us. Kristi Rowles is a therapist-turned-enneagram-coach in the US who set up her own thriving business and last year opened the doors to her exciting new venture to certify others to become coaches.  Bekah has trained to be a coach with Kristi's programme, and Sarah is a member of her monthly membership. Both are big on enneagram wisdom and the joys of community.  We love the way Kristi speaks about mental health and the way she holds space so compassionately for people. Come and join us for our lovely conversation, and check out the links below if you want to find out more about Kristi and her business.https://kristirowles.com/https://www.theenneagramuniversity.com/Instagram: @fullandfreeenneagram@enneagramuniversityFacebook: @fullandfreeenneagram

This month we had an amazing conversation with the new CEO of Beyond (a mental health charity supporting young people) - Louisa! We hugely appreciated Louisa sharing her story so openly with us, and think she is such an inspiration. We talk about getting through really dark times and why Louisa is so passionate about people getting help as early as possible, and return to one of our favourite topics - mental health in schools! - as we celebrate the amazing schools festival that Beyond ran in February this year. And good news... it's coming back in 2022!There is obviously a huge need for finding to support these kind of amazing events - if you are able to donate any amount at all please do so at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/now-and-beyondTrigger warning: all of our episodes contain stories of mental health journeys which could be hard for people to hear, but just to let you know that this one does contain conversations around a suicide attempt and subsequent inpatient admission, so if you need to skip forward, or give this episode a miss for now, do look after yourself. There are no details or anything we don't feel is OK to include, but we know that it's important for us  to let you know. This is an incredibly fun and hopeful episode so if you feel OK to join us, come and listen to our conversation with Louisa.Beyond - https://wearebeyond.org.uk/Instagram: @WeAreBey0ndTwitter: @wearebey0ndLouisa - Instagram: @louisanicoleroseTwitter: @lounicolerose

This month we were thrilled to speak with Anita, the artistic genius behind About Last Night Comics. After suffering from PTSD which then developed into a sleep disorder, and several years of therapy, Anita discovered the power of drawing her dreams in her recovery. She started sharing the funny ones on social media and was soon bringing so much laughter to people's feeds. We loved talking with her and we hope you love listening.You can find Anita at https://www.aboutlastnight.wtf/Instagram: @alncomicsFacebook: @alncomics

This week we're welcoming another family member onto the podcast - Sarah's mum! Karen shares her experience of burning out at work in an emotionally demanding healthcare role, and of supporting close friends and family members with their mental health struggles. She and Sarah share their top tips for supporting someone with mental ill health, and as always we have some light hearted conversation woven in. Come and join us for a chat. 

Happy New Year everyone! Bekah and Sarah are back with a quick update about what we're going to be doing with the podcast this year. We're making some changes so that we can keep doing this thing we love whilst ensuring it's sustainable for us, but we're also going to be more active on Instagram which is our preferred social media platform. If you don't follow us already, please do! @dropinthebucketpod

Iiiiiiit's CHRISTMAS! In this bonus episode Sarah and Bekah talk favourite things about Christmas, but also the things that we find difficult about this time of year. Come and join us for a seasonal version of hopefully what you've come to expect - important conversation about wellbeing with plenty of fun and laughter sprinkled in. 

This week we are really excited to bring you our first returning guests, not only are they still as awesome as in series 1 but they're now releasing a book as well! We got Joe and Tom Brassington back to talk all about how their book, Bottled, came about and how it can be used by parents, teachers, mental health professionals... in fact anyone working with or supporting children! We also have a lot of fun, there are plenty of laughs, so come and join the conversation and join the fun. Bottled is an Unbound crowdfunding project, so to find out more and pledge to help Bottled become a reality, check out unbound.com/books/bottledInstagram: @bottledbookTwitter: @bottledbook

This week we are joined by the wonderful Sophie Bradley, a social media coach and all-round lovely human. Sophie talks about how she reached burnout in her job as a social worker, what her journey of recovery was like (and continues to be like) and how she discovered a new career that she is passionate about. Come and join us for a chat.Instagram: @sociallysophiebFacebook: @sociallysophieb

This week we are joined by the amazing Charlie Beswick, who does so much we don't know where to start. She is a speaker, trainer, coach, founder of charity More than a Face, blogger about her life with her twin sons one of whom was born with a facial disfigurement, and she's a teacher. Charlie is passionate about treating others and yourself with kindness and helps people to challenge the negative self-talk that we all experience. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed recording it. Mindset management: www.charliebeswick.comInstagramOur Altered Life: www.ouralteredlife.comInstagramTwitter

This week we are joined by Charly Lewis, owner of Ettie Betty Baby Signs. We talk with Charly about postnatal anxiety, the importance of good sleep, and the joy of being organised, and what we're more grateful for following lockdown (among other things!). For context - we recorded this before Baby Lewis #2 and before lockdown #2 made their appearances!You can find Charly at:ettiebettybabysigns.co.ukInstagram: @ettiebettybabyTwitter: @ettiebettybaby

This week we take a pause and catch up with each other about how we're doing, and what we've taken away from our conversations with our guests so far. We'd love to hear about what has spoken to/helped you - get in touch at dropinthebucketpod@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram @dropinthebucketpod or Twitter @dropbucketpot

This week we are joined by Shannon, a maker, teacher and speaker who is passionate about the role creativity plays in our wellbeing. Shannon shares her experiences of struggling with her mental health and how a long journey with psychodynamic psychotherapy has helped her to get to where she is today. Website: https://mockingbirdmakes.business.siteInstagram:  @mockingbird_makesTwitter: @mbird_makesFacebook: www.facebook.com/mockingbirdmakes  Etsy www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MockingbirdMakesCo

This week we are joined by Lauren Duffy, the founder of Rebranding Mental Health.  Lauren talks about her experiences of anxiety and how useful mindfulness has been for her, why self-compassion is so important, and the joys of colour coding your schedule. We really enjoyed this conversation - come and join us. www.rebrandingmentalhealth.comInstagram: @rebrandingmentalhealth

This week we're joined by Shelley, bookworm mum to bookwormlet Ivy. Shelley shares her experience of anxiety and Bekah makes the most of an opportunity to talk about books, asking Shelley for recommendations for children and adults, and why reading can be so helpful for our mental health. You can find Shelley at ivyslibrary.comInstagram: @ivyslibrary Twitter: @ivyslibrary

We are back for series 2! We kick things off with a fabulous uni friend of Sarah's, Ellie, who gives us a glimpse into her world living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). We talk, amongst other things, about how OCD can be very misunderstood, so if you're interested in learning more about it or if you want support for yourself or someone else who has/may have OCD, we recommend the following sites:http://www.ocdaction.org.uk/https://www.ocduk.org/

For our final bonus episode we are joined by Dr Colleen Carney, an Associate Professorand Director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory at Ryerson University. We talk about the difference between insomnia and sleep deprivation, why adolescent sleep can be such a challenge, and Colleen's top tips for anyone wanting to improve their sleep habits. Colleen has developed an online app called DOZe to help teenagers learn about their sleep patterns and make changes to improve their sleep. Teenagers were asked for feedback throughout the process and Colleen talks in this episode about some of the assumptions adults make about what teens want, and how professionals and parents can better understand and support their teens. If you want to try out the app or recommend it to someone you know, you can find it at dozeapp.caYou can also find Colleen on Twitter @drcolleencarney, or her website drcolleencarney.com

We are HUGE fans of the enneagram and are really excited to bring you this special episode with the wonderful Hanna and Monica from Empowered Enneagram. They take us through each of the 9 types looking at what different types find stressful, with brilliant tips for how to empty different buckets. Whether you love the enneagram or have never heard of it, we think there's something in here to help everyone grow and understand themselves better. Enjoy!Find out more at https://empoweredenneagram.com/ Instagram: @empoweredenneagramFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredenneagram

For our first summer bonus episode Rebekah interviewed the Reverend Paul Gooding about his role as Head of Wellbeing at Abingdon School. We talk about supporting secondary school pupils with their mental health, the importance of also supporting teachers, and how Mental Health First Aid training has contributed to this. Here are links to some of the organisations discussed in this episode:Mental Health First Aid - https://mhfaengland.org/Charlie Waller Memorial Trust - https://www.cwmt.org.uk/One Eighty - https://one-eighty.org.uk/Young Minds - https://youngminds.org.uk/Abingdon School - https://www.abingdon.org.uk/

For our series 1 finale we are joined by Ash who shares her incredible story of journeying through trauma, eating disorder and alcohol dependence, and finding her calling working with vulnerable women in Thailand. Ash is a huge inspiration to both of us and we are so honoured that she shared her story with us, and all of you. Ash also talks about the importance of her faith - if you want to hear more about this and the mission work she does, you can listen to her talk from when she came back to visit our church in September 2019 here: https://cca.uk.net/talks/speaker/ashleigh-gibb/ Look out for our bonus episodes over the summer and do get in touch to let us know if there are topics you'd particularly like to see covered in future episodes!

This week we're joined by Bethany and Jess, who reached out to us wanting to share their experiences of anorexia nervosa. They bravely talk about what led to their diagnoses and spending time in hospital, as well as their ongoing recovery and tips for anyone supporting someone with an eating disorder.We hope that this episode might be helpful for anyone - however we know that parts of the conversation could be triggering for some people, and we would encourage you to have someone to speak to after listening if you think this might be you. If you want further information about eating disorders, and/or support for yourself or friends and family, we would recommend BEAT the UK's eating disorder charity as a valuable and accurate source - https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/ 

It's time for another mini catch-up with Bekah and Sarah, find out what things have been emptying their buckets this week (hopefully you got the hint about one of them...). Get in touch to let us know what's been emptying your bucketsTwitter: @dropbucketpodInstagram: @dropinthebucketpod

Claire Bidwell Smith is a grief therapist and author who joins us this week to talk about different types of loss, how we are grieving during this pandemic, and of course what fills and empties her own bucket. It was a privilege to capture some of the pearls of wisdom from her professional and personal experiences - there is so much more in her books which we'd recommend if you are struggling with, or supporting someone going through, a time of grief. https://clairebidwellsmith.com/Instagram: @clairebidwellsmithTwitter: @clairebidwell

This week we are joined by Tom and Joe Brassington (or the Brasso Bros - Braaasso if you're Sarah), two brothers and primary school teachers who are passionate about being emotionally honest with the children they teach in order to support them to be more aware of, and comfortable communicating about, their own emotions. Listen for ideas about how to have conversations about mental health with children, and find out who bizarrely doesn't like fish and chips. You can find them and their controversial opinions about food on Twitter at @brassoteach and @jjbrassington. Also follow @brassobrothers for updates about their Mental Health in Education Forum. 

This week we're joined by Ali, who shares her experiences of mental health and of having a son with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Global Developmental Delay.

For this episode we have another catch-up with each other about how we're finding lockdown. This week has been a tough one for both of us, particularly Sarah with the uncertainty and stress around when schools may reopen - to any other teachers out there we want to say you are doing a great job and we know you care so much about your, and your children's, safety.

This week we speak with author Rowan Hisayo Buchanan about the inspiration behind her latest novel, Starling Days, and how she has learnt to live with her mental health over the years. We loved speaking with Rowan, we thought she had such an insightful and beautiful way of expressing herself; we hope you enjoy listening!https://rowanhisayo.com/

This week we speak with Sarah's brother and sister-in-law, PJ and Hannah, about bucket-emptying when you might need different things and have different communication preferences, and some of the adorable things their toddler does.You can follow Hannah's adventures with her daughter on Instagram at @bumble_and_me, and hear PJ's thought for the day at stn.org.uk/daily The YouTube video we talk about is Mark Gungor - A Tale of Two Brains.

This week Rebekah and Sarah speak with Andrea, a special school nurse and mum of two, about her experiences of depression, learning what to prioritise, and the importance of supportive workplaces. 

This week Bekah and Sarah have a quick catch-up about the last three weeks, and hear from some listeners about what bucket-emptying activities they're finding useful. 

Rebekah and Sarah speak with Rebekah's husband, Jase, about physical manifestations of anxiety, being a new dad, experiencing other people's stress, and the healing powers of a good cup of tea.

In this episode, Sarah interviews Rebekah about what fills and empties her bucket, and we think about what we're finding difficult in week 2 of lock-down. This episode contains discussions around miscarriage and birth trauma. If you have experienced either of these and would like support, you may find the following organisations helpful:The Miscarriage Association: https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/The Birth Trauma Association: https://www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk/PANDAS Foundation UK: https://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/Petals - The Baby Loss Counselling Charity: https://petalscharity.org/

In our first episode we introduce ourselves, explain why we're starting this podcast, and interview Sarah about her bucket.