Anyone's Guide to Wellbeing

Part two of the anniversary episode on the future of mental health and wellbeing.

The next two episodes of Anyone's Guide to Wellbeing cover a momentous occasion as Zac and Adam have now been recording the show for an entire year, and what a year it's been. There's been a lot of growth, change and work that's gone into the podcast, and there is a lot more to come, so that's why we have a two part episode on the future of mental health and wellbeing, and we hope you'll join us on this journey for many years to come.

Confidence can be a difficult thing. It's good to be confident, but what if it comes from the wrong place? Sometimes it can be easy lie to yourself about your situation rather than face up to the things you need to change, and - without knowing it - you build your personality based on who you think you should be rather than who you are. Take back your confidence and allow yourself to be genuine; this episode should help you to rediscover what makes you, you. There are also plenty of batman references...

It’s easy to find ourselves thinking that we’re better than others. Sometimes, we end up being derisive of other people publically. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss how deriding others is not only harmful, but is often in response to some underlying issues with our own self-worth. If you’re finding yourself being overly critical of others, perhaps it’s better to first look at whether you are ignoring some of your own flaws. This episode will help you work through how to be critical of others in a constructive way and avoid being derisive.

It can be hard to ‘turn your brain off’, going around in circles repeating scenarios, both past and future, that have no consequence outside of the mind. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss how thinking things through can help you prepare or process but how that can drift into the realms of ‘overthinking’. They highlight how this can have negative effects on your life and suggest ways you can respond when you find your brain is on overdrive. Time to switch your brain off for a bit and let Anyone’s Guide to Wellbeing do the thinking for you.

We all love love. But it can be hard to know which love you love, or if your love is the right love. With all this love flying around it can get confusing, especially when this one word can mean so many different things. This week, Zac and Adam talk about different types of love and how we may be able to communicate it better. We bet you'll just love this episode.

Vulnerability often gets confused with ‘weakness’, when, in fact, vulnerability is separate from being strong or weak. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss what it means to be vulnerable and the difference between being vulnerable and weak, and vulnerable and strong. They touch on why vulnerability is important, and how lack of it contributes to problematic cultures, such as toxic masculinity. Are you ready to risk being vulnerable? Your relationships stand to improve by you doing so.

A key topic in the podcast has always been about removing stigma around mental health, and a huge part of this comes down to the language we use and have used previously. In this episode, Zac and Adam discuss the positives of mental conditions and that we should look at them as superpowers that require practice and training, rather than an illness that requires curing. Are you ready to discover you superpowers?

We’ve all heard of burnout as a concept, some of us have had the unfortunate first-hand experience. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss the responsibilities of both employers and employees for avoiding burnout. In particular, they discuss wellbeing days and how getting them wrong can damage the relationship with employees more than not bothering in the first place. Do you feel your employer should be doing more to help your wellbeing? Do you think that you and your colleagues are responsible enough not to abuse the system that your employer would give in good faith? This episode will help you think about what's right in your employee-employer relationship.

Zac and Adam take a different route this week and talk about the lessons that can be learnt from Rudyard Kipling’s "Her Majesty's Servants" in an episode style they’ve not yet tried. From accepting your short comings to our perception of success, this very short story asks some very broad questions. Are you ready to look at yourself in a different light? This thought-provoking episode will make you do just that.

Unfortunately, most people will be in the middle of the bell curve for most things in their life. At the same time (and perhaps because of) we’re afraid to express ourselves. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss making peace with the idea of not being ‘remarkable’ and becoming comfortable with being a little silly sometimes. Life is too short to take it completely seriously all of the time, it’s time to have a bit of fun!

Impulsiveness can often get the better of us, and sometimes we can get so used to doing things we never question how or why we do them. This week, Zac and Adam talk about discipline and impulsiveness. It's important to take control, but there's space in a healthy life for appropriate indulgence. If you sometimes feel you need to take the reins on your life, this could be the episode for you.

Some people wait the entire year for those few weeks of holiday to truly relax and unwind. What about the rest of the year? In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss how to find that holiday feeling during the rest of the year. For most people, holiday is a small percentage of time – so, it might be wise to think about how to make the rest of the time count.

Depression is something that a lot of people experience. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac talk about their experiences of moving from passive to active management of depression and how it’s helped them to become stronger. Is it time for you to take a bit more control of your depression? It might be easier than you think.

Sometimes it can be hard to know what your destiny will turn out to be, and you can spend a lot of time wondering when it's going to present itself. Perhaps this time is better spent making a destiny of your own. This week, Zac and Adam talk about what destiny means in a realistic sense both in taking action and finding fulfilment. Take destiny in to your own hands.

A little humility can go a long way, and as we take this journey to better wellbeing, it can be easy to lose sight of this. As you grow and change, it’s important to bear in mind who all this is for: you. This week, Zac and Adam talk about the importance of staying humble and how your progress should be measured against past you.

At one point or another, we've all been stressed or unable to cope. But there are different methods we can use to manage stress. This week, Zac and Adam will go through some of these methods and the science behind stress and why we feel it.

We live in a culture that breeds what we call ‘toxic masculinity’. Of course, masculinity isn’t inherently toxic, but toxic behaviours can arise from focusing too much on being a ‘man’. In this episode, Adam and Zac explore what toxic masculinity is, how it presents itself, and how to think about correcting toxic behaviours in yourself. The episode is aimed at all genders and will hopefully give some useful insight into the toxic masculinity phenomenon.

Sometimes we all make mistakes, or things don't go our way. Unfortunately, this is a fact of life that can't be changed; however, you can change how you view your mistakes. This week, Zac and Adam discuss the idea of seeing each mistake as a learning opportunity and, in doing so, changing your perception to one of learning and growing, rather than messing up. Not listening to this episode would be a big mistake!

Some people think that coping mechanisms are a sign of weakness, when they’re actually a sign of strength; they help you to be more resilient in the face of life’s challenges. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac explore what coping mechanisms are and how to assess whether they are positive or negative. Trust us, it’s much better to have developed strong coping mechanisms in advance of needing them!  This episode may help you to do so.

Sometimes our brains do things we would rather they didn't, and this can't be helped. We can, however, use these to our advantage or negate any negative effect. This week, Zac and Adam talk about cognitive bias and how it can be seen in our daily behaviour. We all have an animal brain, but it can be reassuring to know why it does certain things.

It’s possible for us to feel more strongly about a person or thing than the people around us (or the people we have feelings for!). Whether we like it or not, we all have different types and strengths of feeling for the people and environments around us. This week, Adam and Zac talk about how to reconcile having different feelings from someone, when it’s appropriate to show strong feelings, and when to cut your losses and move on. This episode might be a bit of tough love for those who put a lot of emotional energy into trying to get someone else feel the same way as they do (and not just romantically).

When hurt, it’s easy to put up emotional walls to avoid pain in the future, but if you block everything out, how is joy meant to come in? This week, Zac and Adam take a look into why we might build these defences and what we can do to build resilience ...

With busier lives, having a hobby seems to be becoming a rarer thing to have. However, a hobby can relax you and be a catalyst for growth. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss what are and are not hobbies,

We’d all like to get a little more done and it’s good to take on something new, but how will you know which path to take if you don’t know where you’re heading? This week, Zac and Adam talk about realistic and achievable goal setting along with theorie...

Like it or not, life is transient. People change, move, and adapt. You will have different social groups throughout life.   This week, Adam and Zac discuss how to be resilient to these changes, how to make the most of an ever-changing social circle, and what to do when you fall out of touch with someone.   Everyone changes, including ourselves; this episode may help you come to terms with that hard truth.

With all our talk about doing more with your time, it's time to talk about when you need to do less.   This week, Adam and Zac discuss Downtime, an important tool in avoiding stress and being better at the tasks you set yourself.   So, if you sometimes feel overwhelmed, it could be time to take a breath and schedule in some Downtime.

Despite more people talking about it, mental health is still stigmatised.   This week, Adam and Zac talk about what this means for people with poor mental health, how to bring about change, and what you can try if you do feel like you’re unable to be open about your mental health.   We need to start talking more about our mental health. Listening to this episode will demonstrate that there are people talking about this subject.

The 13th – 19th May 2019 is Mental Health Awareness Week; this year’s theme is Body Image, which means how we think and feel about our bodies. Last year, 30% of adults have felt so stressed by body image and appearance that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.   As part of the week of awareness raising, Adam and Zac tackle the topic of Body Image. They share their personal experiences of their body image, discuss how to make manageable steps towards positive body image, and how taking a health focused approach can lead to greater returns.   We all have a body, and changing it can be difficult – this episode may help you make steps to thinking more positively about yours.   To find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week, visit the Mental Health Foundation website: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/  

Sometimes we all get stuck in a rut, and it's easy for lethargy to get the better of us. All you need is a little motivation to push you through. From theory to practice, this week Zac and Adam talk through some of the academic research around motivation and how you could apply this in your day to day life. If you feel you lack motivation, you may just be looking in the wrong place.

Your outlook plays a massive part in how you experience the world and, by extension, your wellbeing. Positivity begets positivity; negativity begets negativity.   In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac talk about your outlook can really alter how you experience the world around you. From anti-heroes in pop culture to personal accounts to an experiment you can try at home, this episode shows just how overarching your outlook can be.   Are you ready to challenge the way you look at the world? If not, this episode certainly will.  

Sometimes we all need a little boost to get us through our chores, but what if your chores didn't feel like work anymore?   This week, Zac and Adam explore how amazing life can be if you take time to enjoy the little things.   If life feels like it's monotonously ticking by, something as small as the perspective changes discussed in this episode could make all the difference.  

Sometimes you can find yourself missing times of your life where you know you used to be sad. Perhaps you’ve also found yourself wondering what to do with yourself when you’ve started to move on from grief and no longer need to spend time getting better. In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss how you might end up missing being sad and what you could try to move forward. Sadness and grief is rarely an easy topic to consider, but it’s important we think about these things and assess how we can best move forward from them.  

As humans we all form opinions and make assumptions, however these assumptions don't always hold out as true.Its easy to become reluctant to start your wellbeing journey based on misconceptions about what wellbeing means.In this episode, Zac and Adam hope to debunk some common misconceptions and get you thinking about your assumptions.

It's never too late to make a change or to be a better person.Change can be daunting at the best of times, but this can be made worse if you feel all your opportunities to do so have come and gone.In this week's episode, Zac and Adam explore the idea that it's never too late to change and that your past doesn't have to dictate your future.There's no time line for self improvement, so why not make a change?

This week, Zac and Adam tackle three different topics: Healing and Growing, Self Victimisation, and Virtue Signalling. Your mentality can have a strong impact on both how you feel and how others see you; so three different mentalities, how they can impact you, and how you can change them have been covered. From feeling less like a lost cause to always being able to back up the things you say, a lot of ground is covered and, even if not all of what's covered applies to your situation, you'll almost certainly find something worthwhile.

Ever felt like you've been having a string of bad luck that just won't end? Your luck may be more controllable than you thought, this week Zac and Adam discuss the balance between luck and opportunity. There will always be some things that are completely out of your control, but with the right mentality and preparation you'd be surprised just how quickly your luck could change. So stop trying to get lucky, and start getting prepared.

Manners maketh the man.   We have an emotional reaction to everything that happens to us, both big and small.   This week Zac and Adam discuss how to react appropriately to given situations and realising that how you feel is not an excuse for how you behave.

Like it or not, sleep is one of the most important parts of the day and can have a serious impact on your wellbeing.In this episode, Adam and Zac discuss how to get a good night’s sleep and making it work for you. What do you do before you go to bed? How much sleep do you need? And; What is your bedroom like? Are some of the questions posed in this week’s episode.So snuggle up, it’s time to get a good night’s sleep.

There are very few investments out there that carry no risk but investing in yourself always yields returns.   In this episode, Adam and Zac discuss the importance of investing in yourself, the types of investment you can make, and how to choose what investment to take next.   Feel like your wellbeing is plateauing? Perhaps it’s time to make an investment in yourself!  

Did you start something new for the new year? Are you starting to feel the strain of keeping at it?   In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac discuss the Honeymoon period, the value of pushing through it, and ways to keep yourself motivated.   If you’ve started something that makes you a better person, keep at it!  

It’s Valentine’s week! What better time to bring up the topic of relationships?   In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac talk about how your relationships (both romantic and platonic) can influence your wellbeing. They consider what makes a good relationship, how to identify negative relationships, and how becoming comfortable being alone and able to love yourself can make your interactions with other people more positive.   They say that you are the company that you keep, is it time to take a closer look at who you surround yourself with?  

In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac talk about being an active member of your own life and how it’s an important thing to aim for.   It can be really easy to become a passive member of your life, numbing yourself to your emotions and not taking much part in the things going on around you. The pair discuss how this can be damaging, how you could start to break out of this monotony, and the rewards for doing so.   If you feel like life has been just passing you by or that life isn’t dealing you a good hand, this episode might help you become a member of your own life.  

We all engage with escapism on a daily basis as a natural part of life, but have you ever stopped to think about how you use this time?   Zac and Adam discuss the ways we use escapism and the effects it can have on our wellbeing. How we source our methods of escaping and what we may be avoiding.   You may hear some close to home truths you didn’t think you’d have to face, but these are the most important parts of your journey to a better and more fulfilling life.  

In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac explore the concept of managing your inner monologue and how what you say to yourself can have a massive impact on your overall wellbeing.They explore how saying positive or negative things to yourself can change how you approach your daily activities and how you interact with others, how you can learn to recognise what constitutes negative inner monologue, and how to start to replace the negative with positive.Is it possible that you’re being your own worst enemy by saying negative things to yourself? Find out if you are and how to start changing it in this episode.

This week Zac and Adam talk about the undeniable fact that no matter the situation, you are allowed to leave.Whether you need to make preparations, or if over preparing is the one thing that’s holding you back, this week the pair go through everything you need to know for gearing up to a big change.If you feel stuck in a rut, perhaps this is precisely what you need to hear.

In this week’s episode, Adam and Zac explore three topics: speaking it into existence, venting, and inadequacies.   They explore how telling yourself you can achieve things makes it easier to do so, how to take healthy approaches to venting while avoiding complaining, and how to cope with your own (real or perceived) inadequacies.   This episode will help you to put in place the strong habit of telling yourself you can accomplish more, allow you to more healthily process frustrations, and how to respond to inevitable feelings of inadequacy.  

This week’s episode focusses on the concept of seeing only what you want in others.   Life is about balance, you cannot achieve without making certain sacrifices. However, it can difficult to see others achieve in areas you are still a novice at when their sacrifices take place behind closed doors.   From the benefit of practice to the confidence in asking for help, there’s a lot that can be done to make you more like the people you admire in a healthy and wholesome way.  

How well do you know yourself? Understanding who you are and what makes you tick is an important process in the journey to improving your wellbeing and mental health. In this episode, Adam and Zac explore the process of self-assessment, what it is, and how you might approach it. Remember, looking after your wellbeing is an ongoing process and being aware of what makes you feel better will help you make better decisions for yourself.  

In this week's episode, Zac and Adam will be discussing healthy eating, but possibly not how you know it. Our eating habits and opinions on food have a huge impact on our mental health and can lead to a spiral of low value and negative behaviours. From fad diets to body types, the hosts go over not just how to change your diet, but also the importance of how you view your meals and yourself. If you’ve had trouble losing weight and eating healthily, pour yourself a glass of water, because this is the episode for you.  

In this episode of Anyone’s Guide to Wellbeing, Adam and Zac discuss what constitutes high and low value activities and what you can do to try and increase the value of your time.   If you want to find out how to spend your time more effectively to improve your wellbeing, then this episode is for you.