Dark Coffee Podcast

When it comes to our achievements, a lot of us will rush straight past them, diminish them, or deny that they happened.   Maybe it's from growing up in a schooling system focused on achievement rather than education.   Maybe it's down to working in jobs that constantly ask “what could you do better next time?”   Whatever the reason, diminishing our achievements is a bad habit that I reckon a lot of us would be better without.      In today's episode, I'll talk about:   How diminishing your achievements could be affecting your wellbeing Why you should start celebrating your achievements (and how to do it) Two other things you could celebrate (if ‘achievements' feel too far out of reach) A fun, weekly activity that'll get you into the habit of acknowledging your progress …and I'll do a little happy dance for reaching 100 episodes of the podcast! Woooop!   Thank you so much to all the awesome collaborators who've helped to produce the pod over the last 4+ years, and to you for listening. I hope it's given you a little pep in your step.   Alice x x     Episode recorded March 2023   —----------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores the awkward intersection of work and wellbeing, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who deliver work and wellbeing coaching so that you and your team can feel badass at work. To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for free, fortnightly work and wellbeing coaching to help you feel and perform at your best: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @darkcoffeeco Join our mailing list here.   If you'd like to speak with Alice about how you can work together, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your questions.   Music: ‘Mind Over Grind theme' by Steve Leggett from Big Gig Energy    

“I'm really up against it this month, but I'm not burnt out.” So say the 77% of us who are, in fact, burnt out. We just don't realise it.   Today I'm speaking with career sustainability expert Leah Steele, who has been working around burnout prevention for the past 6.5 years, having hit the wall herself as a high-performing lawyer.    And what did she do after hitting that wall?   The same thing most of us will do in burnout - she kept going.   Leah is about to blow the definition of burnout wide open to help you understand more about it, how it can affect your team, and how you can put measures in place to prevent it.    We'll discuss:   the true definition of burnout and the three pillars it involves how our understanding of burnout is skewed and contributes to stigma and shame who does burnout affect, why are the numbers so high, and what are the risk factors for burning out? the many ways that burnout affects our people and organisations on economic and social levels (listen out for the section on insurance premiums!!) why we need to work on systemic solutions alongside individual ones the practical steps you can put in place - both in-house and with third party providers - to build a culture that mitigates the risks and reduces burnout  …and why me and Leah being foghorns could be useful for you!   If you take anything from today's conversation, get in touch with Leah, and she will take it from there!   ABOUT LEAH  Leah Steele is a coach, trainer, mentor, consultant, and founder of Searching for Serenity, focused on helping both individuals and organisations with issues around career sustainability.  You'll most often hear her talking about burnout, imposter syndrome, stress and resilience, because these are issues that affect the productivity, profitability, engagement, enjoyment, and longevity of an individual's career.   A former lawyer, she experienced her own issues with burnout whilst she worked with clients engaged in large-scale litigation as a result of intense trauma and bereavement.  Leah believes that we need brilliant bright professionals who deserve to be fully resourced to do their necessary work effectively, allowing them to have a meaningful impact over the long term.     Leah can offer a one-off discounted 1:1 call with anyone who wants to discuss the issues raised in this episode further, head to https://calendly.com/searchingforserenity/lets-talk-book-direct   www.searchingforserenity.co.uk hello@searchingforserenity.co.uk www.Linkedin.com/in/LeahYSteele   Episode recorded January 2023   —----------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores the uncomfortable intersection of work and wellbeing, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who deliver work and wellbeing coaching so that you and your team can feel badass at work. To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for free, fortnightly work and wellbeing coaching to help you feel and perform at your best: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @darkcoffeeco Join our mailing list here.   If you'd like to speak with Alice about how you can work together, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your questions.   Music: ‘Mind Over Grind theme' by Steve Leggett from Big Gig Energy   https://www.instagram.com/steve.leggett91/ https://www.biggigenergy.co.uk/

One of the best ways to grow your business and reputation is to create high-quality, consistent content... but it's so goddamn difficult!   Don't worry - you're not the only person struggling with this, and there are things you can do to become a better and more confident content creator.   Today I share the four main things to focus on to help you get visible and noisy online - whilst maintaining your sanity.   I'll discuss:   -- the four key areas to focus on to improve your content -- how to become more consistent in your posting  -- why it's helpful to start with the end in mind  -- and some validation for why you might be struggling!   Need help nailing your content? My four-month content coaching program, Badass Business Builder, will give you all the clarity and confidence you need to succeed online. Have a look at the service guide here.   Want to get in touch? Find me here:   CONTENT COACHING WEBSITE – https://alicelyonscoach.co/ DARK COFFEE WEBSITE - https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ LINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/darkcoffeeco/ EMAIL –  talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   Episode recorded December 2022   --------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores how work and wellbeing can work better together. Hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee; delivering work and wellbeing coaching so that you can feel badass at work.   Fancy a regular hit of non-wanky wellbeing? Join our mailing list here.   If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!   Music: ‘Mind Over Grind theme' by Steve Leggett from Big Gig Energy  Podcast Host: Alice Lyons from Dark Coffee  

 “You are not on call for humanity.” An important reminder that all caregivers need to hear from time to time.   Supporting other people will come naturally for some of us – whether we have positions of responsibility at work, or have caregiving roles in our personal lives.   But one trap supporters can too often fall into is supporting other people more than ourselves, which can lead to burnout, low energy, and poor mental health.   Today I'm sitting down with Dr Sarah Goulding – an NHS doctor turned coach for medics, who is passionate about helping medical professionals to look after themselves so they are in a better position to help other people.   But our conversation takes us far beyond the medical profession.   We'll discuss: The dangers of attaching too much of our identity to the roles we hold Why high performers are particularly susceptible to burnout The importance of cultivating self-compassion – and how to do it The power of emotional honesty and reaching out to people you trust How to understand and appreciate our intrinsic human value How to set and enforce boundaries (and why this is important)… … plus Sarah writes the prescription we all need!   Want to get in touch with Sarah? You can find her here:   WEBSITE - https://www.drsarahgoulding.com/ LINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sarah-goulding-52104638/ INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/drsarahgoulding/ EMAIL –  hello@drsarahgoulding.com   Episode recorded Sept 2022   --------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who deliver work and wellbeing coaching so that you and your team feel badass at work! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.   If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!   Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State   Podcast Host: Alice Lyons from Dark Coffee

I'm one of the one in five adults in the UK who has experienced thoughts of suicide. But if so many of us are affected by suicide, why aren't we talking about it more?   This idea was the initial spark that started Dark Coffee, and has recently inspired me to start my second podcast; Solving Suicide, where I'll be sharing insights, expertise and hot takes around suicidality to help zero the death rate. I experienced chronic suicidal ideation (recurring suicidal thoughts and feelings) from the age of 19, which affected me massively throughout my twenties. So today, I wanted to discuss these experiences in a good amount of detail to give an inside view of what suicidality can feel like. BIG, LOUD disclaimers apply here: if you are in emotional distress or feeling vulnerable, you may not want to listen since I will obviously be discussing suicidality in detail, including a brief discussion of the methods I considered.* However… if you ARE feeling well enough to partake, I hope today's podcast will be insightful, and maybe even comforting if you have felt suicidal in the past. In this episode, I'll be discussing: my first-hand experiences with suicidal thoughts and feelings what prompted these feelings – possible contributing factors – and how these thoughts manifested for me how I found a surprising level of comfort in thoughts of suicide some of the unhelpful methods I used to try and counteract my low mental health (including aimlessly driving across the UK) …and how hitting a rock bottom moment following a breakdown helped me start to learn how to look after myself Thank you for being here – it really helps to expand and normalise the conversation around suicide. Catch you next time, Alice *To learn more about how to talk about suicide responsibly, have a read of The Samartian's guide here: COLLABORATORS   This episode is brought to you by Dark Coffee – development coaching to get your work and wellbeing working better together so you can feel like a badass in business. Host: Alice Lyons from Dark Coffee Podcast Editing: Steve Leggett Mind Over Grind explores the intersection of work and wellbeing (for people who sometimes struggle with both!) hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring development coaching to SMEs, so that you and your team feel badass at work. To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions! RESOURCES   Suicide Support Organisations (UK) Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123. Call - 08457 909090 Email - jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health problem. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.  

Perimenopause: we need to talk about it. Especially at work.   Because whether we like it or not, perimenopause will affect everyone at some stage in our lives either directly or indirectly. Unfortunately, it's not an opt-out kinda situation. (I know, bummer). There isn't a workplace off button for hot flushes, brain fog or any other perimenopause symptoms. Yet conversations around perimenopause - or indeed the other ‘pauses' menopause and post-menopause - are seemingly off-limits at work. Which leaves us with two burning questions: Why is this the case? What can we do about it? Cue our latest podcast guest, Michelle Harradence; perimenopause advocate, wellbeing coach and all-round legendary human being.   Michelle is a senior leader in her field, with over 25 years' experience in people-focused roles, including several years at sea working as an on-board HR manager. Michelle now runs her coaching business, Rising Tides, which helps people to ‘navigate their way through life's oceans whilst taking care of their mental health'.   With lived experience of perimenopause in the workplace, Michelle is unapologetically honest in sharing her experiences, regaling them with a refreshing honesty. In her words: “I'm not backwards in coming forwards!”   We'll discuss: What perimenopause is and its associated symptoms How to have those all-important conversations at work about perimenopause The physical and mental health implications – and how they're intrinsically linked How perimenopause affects everyone (yes, everyone) The importance of honest communication, use of language and patient advocacy Self-awareness management as women – and the mental toll it can take And last, but certainly not least: the importance of being authentic as a leader and why this isn't an excuse for being a d*ck (perimenopausal or not)   Want to get in touch with Michelle? You can find her here: LINKEDIN – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-harradence-c-3196781/ EMAIL –  m.harradence@outlook.com Episode recorded June 2022   --------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs, so that you and your team feel badass at work! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.   If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!   Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State   Podcast Host: Alice Lyons from Dark Coffee Podcast Editor: Emily Boardman at VA Confidential Pod notes: Hannah Cahill from Joy Marketing

When it comes to workplace wellbeing, a discounted gym membership or ‘open-door policy' from management isn't going to cut it.   We need – scratch that - we deserve more from our employers. Because we all have a fundamental right to be supported emotionally, developmentally, and financially in our place of work.   In simple terms, we all want to go to work and feel good about it.   But here's the head-scratcher: what does workplace wellbeing actually look like?   How can we put together an actionable wellbeing policy; one that helps us to build a happier, fulfilled community at work?   Glad you asked!   Today, I'll equip you with 10 fundamentals of workplace wellbeing; consider this your essential guide for creating long-term, sustainable wellbeing practices in your organisation.   I'll discuss: Getting started: how to benchmark your current wellbeing practices and the next steps you need to take How to create an inclusive wellbeing policy that is accessible to everyone The 3 basic human needs that should underpin your wellbeing initiatives How wellbeing has a positive ripple effect throughout your business as a whole Who should take responsibility for workplace wellbeing in your organisation …and we'll be tackling a contentious subject that makes us Brits squirm! (Can you guess what it is?)   If you enjoyed today's episode and would like to discuss wellbeing in your workplace, you can book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!   Episode recorded May 2022 --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring their unfiltered wellbeing services to SMEs, so that you and your team feel badass at work! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State Host: Alice Lyons  -----------------------------------------------------------------

We all love the idea of creating better workplaces… but are we really taking everybody's needs into account in order to build them?   Today, I'm joined by accessibility and inclusive work culture expert Rachael Mole to discuss how exploring the adjustments and improvements we can make for one person means everyone can benefit - from our team members to our clients and broader communities.   Rachael Mole is a disabled founder, and entrepreneur, shaking up what it means to have an inclusive workplace. Disabled since 12 years old, she faced barriers to education and the workforce. After a successful career building communities across the UK, she founded SIC in 2021- a social enterprise, bringing together her passion for mentoring, disability access, and workplace inclusion with the aim of helping to close the disability employment gap in the UK.   We'll discuss:   a surprising definition for ‘disability' which is going to blow your mind ableism comes from (spoiler alert: capitalism, baby) the disability employment gap that discriminates against disabled and chronically ill people how to create work systems and practices to accommodate people's needs and support their success, rather than limit their progression why we should push for inclusivity at work, rather than just diversity why accessibility needs to be a larger part of DE&I conversations why creating flexible working for one person results in improvements for everyone … and the big fish you can expect to catch from opening a perceived ‘can of worms'   Ready to make your workplace more inclusive? Have a look at SIC's business centre HERE to learn how they can support your goals.     Want to get in touch with Rachael? You can find her here:   WEBSITE – https://sicofficial.co.uk LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-mole/ INSTAGRAM [Rachael] – https://www.instagram.com/thesicceo/ INSTAGRAM [SIC] - https://www.instagram.com/sicofficial.co.uk/ EMAIL – hello@sicofficial.co.uk     Until next time!     Alice   Episode recorded April 2022     --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs, so that you and your team feel badass at work! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State   Podcast Host: Alice Lyons   Editing by Leanna Larkin from Reluctant Heroines  

As business owners, we all know we should be promoting ourselves on social media. But how can we cope with the noise, stress, time commitment and aggravation that comes along with these demonic platforms?   Fortunately, I know the guy to ask!   Lewis Kemp is CEO of bullshit-free creative agency Lightbulb Media based here in Manchester. If you recognise the name, you'll either know him from his previous appearances on the podcast, or the general ruckus he causes over on LinkedIn.   Today, he's here to help you figure out how to grow your business online, without losing your sanity along the way.     We'll discuss:   The biggest pros around using social media to promote your business – including ease of communication and relationship building with clients How to build a positive relationship with the platforms so you enjoy using them The barriers that prevent business owners from posting… and how you can navigate them Why it's important to pay attention to the right metrics to measure your success – and what these might be for you How to focus on your audience rather than yourself – and why that's important for relationship-building Tips for who to follow to get inspired and stay sane, rather than swept up in comparisonitis How we can switch off, step back and manage our consumption and engagement with the platforms and be more intentional with how we use them, to benefit our mental health Practical, tangible advice for producing your content and getting into a regular posting routine… … plus find out why Lewis will be trolling Alice and why you should too!   Want to get in touch with Lewis? You can find him here:   WEBSITE – https://lightbulbmedia.co.uk/ LINKEDIN - @Lewis Kemp INSTAGRAM – @lightbulbmediauk EMAIL – lewis@lightbulbmedia.co.uk   AND if Lewis has whet your appetite for posting, you can grab your free guide to 30 post ideas for your wellbeing business (from yours truly) here.       Alice   Episode recorded April 2022     --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs, so that you and your team feel badass at work! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State   Podcast Host: Alice Lyons   Edited by Leanna Larkin from Reluctant Heroines  

The cost-of-living crisis has caused nothing short of a total bloody shitshow at our petrol pumps and supermarkets, and things are only set to get worse.   So, how the hell are any of us supposed to cope?   That's what I asked my friend (and therapist) Helen Carouzos when we sat down last week.   In one short hour, Helen took me from being completely overwhelmed by the scale of the problem to feeling hopeful, optimistic, and starting a revolution (I kid you not…)   Prepare to be therapised!   We'll discuss:   How to regain a sense of control in stressful situations to increase your sense of wellbeing The importance of giving, especially when we feel helpless – and the abundance of things we might be able to offer other people to support them How to focus less on the large number of things you CAN'T do and more on the few things you CAN so that we move from focusing on the problem to finding and implementing solutions Permission to be angry about a situation – with particular reference to the government and their decisions The importance of ACCEPTANCE – not in passively AGREEING with what's happening, but actively ACKNOWLEDGING the reality of the situation so you can deal with it more effectively Why uncertainty doesn't have to be a bad thing and how we can learn to manage it – and even make friends with it! The power of moving from WHY-based questions like “Why is this happening?” to WHAT and HOW-based questions, such as “What can I do about it, and how?” A fun technique for time-manging your panicking… … PLUS find out why the revolution will be on LinkedIn…   Helen Carouzos is an HCPC registered psychologist with over 20 years experience, who can also enhance the performance of individuals, teams, and organisations through executive career coaching, mental wellbeing workshops, and employee counselling services.   She currently operates out of her huge and gorgeous new office in Altrincham, just outside of Manchester, and she's worked with everyone from sportspeople looking to perform at their best, to people with ADHD who want to understand more about working with their neurodiversity and see it as a strength rather than a hindrance.   I've had the absolute pleasure of having her in my network for the past few years and, during the pandemic, she was actually my therapist for many months, and her support and guidance really helped keep me calm and focused during a time of massive upheaval, which meant I, in turn, could be there for all the people I help and support in my community. She's been an absolute rock on a personal level, but professionally speaking I can just tell you that she really knows her stuff… and holy shit does she deliver some absolute wisdom bombs in this conversation!   Want to get in touch with her? You can find her here:   WEBSITE - https://helencarouzos.co.uk/ LINKEDIN - @Helen Carouzos     INSTAGRAM – @helencarouzospsychology EMAIL – helen@helencarouzos.co.uk PHONE - 07828 470 744   And if you've enjoyed today's episode, PLEASE send it to someone who you think could benefit from it.   See you next time!   Alice   Episode recorded April 2022     --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs, so that you and your team feel badass at work! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State    

Not every business success is down to the bricks-and-mortar decisions – sometimes it's about the skills that you bring to the table.   In today's episode, I'll be talking through 5 skills that have made a HUGE difference to the level of success and enjoyment I've been able to find in my business, and they also help my 1:1 coaching clients achieve the same.   These skills can help with everything from decision-making to leading your team. They can help ground you, guide you and give clarity and direction. There really is no end to the benefits they can provide!   I'll discuss:   The skill that will help you work long hours with yourself without losing your sanity! How lacking this skill as a new Store Manager lead me to write a truly tragic performance review for myself How upgrading your thoughts from critical to neutral can make a huge difference to your wellbeing Why I'm aiming to create a sense of steadiness this year at a time when I'm experiencing big business growth The skill that brings a sense of reassurance and security that sits behind more flashy skills, like tenacity and courage The skill that is the secret weapon for every business owner, that can make it easier for you to make decisions The lesser-appreciated side of confidence that helps us shout louder about the work that we do   If you'd like to get your new year off to a strong start, just screenshot this episode and tag me on Instagram @darkcoffeeco with your biggest takeaway for your chance to win a 60-minute 1:1 coaching session with me. Not on Instagram? Just leave a review to let other people know what you enjoyed from the episode.       Alice   Episode recorded January 2022     --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs, so that you and your team feel better, and work sucks less! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State      -----------------------------------------------------------------

No messing about today – I'm going to teach you the fine and noble art of how to stop being a dick to yourself. We have learnt over time how to put ourselves down and give ourselves a hard time… so it's about time that we unlearn these bad habits.   Slight disclaimer: if you have suffered deep or complex trauma, you might find that today's approaches won't touch the sides. However, they may take the edge off and give you enough relief so that you start that process of being kinder to yourself, which can be a great starting point.   I'll discuss:   The seven ways you might be being a dick to yourself on a regular basis Where these thoughts, feelings, and patterns of behaviour might come from (and why it's not entirely your fault if you self-sabotage.) How our thoughts and emotions can hold us back in small and subtle ways that we might not be aware of How you can coach yourself to navigate these dicky behaviors How you can hack your brain chemistry to make self-support easier How self-awareness is a great starting point for treating yourself with more compassion … and why an evil candy floss machine is responsible for all of your problems!   If you'd like to get your new year off to a strong start, just screenshot this episode and tag me on Instagram @darkcoffeeco with your biggest takeaway for your chance to win a 60-minute 1:1 coaching session with me. Not on Instagram? Just leave a review to let other people know what you enjoyed from the episode.   Alice   Episode recorded January 2022   --------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs, so that you and your team feel better, and work sucks less! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you feel and perform at your best:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State

Congratulations – you've reached the end of another year! No mean feat in weird times like these.   But before we rush headfirst into goal setting and thinking about the year ahead, let's take a minute to pause so we can reflect on wtf just happened.   Grab a brew, cuddle up and let's debrief.   (Note: these prompts can be used to do a quarterly or monthly review, so keep it bookmarked somewhere handy to come back to later! They also make great conversation starters at parties…)   I'll discuss:   reasons for reviewing your year – the perks and benefits of a reflective practice – even if you feel like you've had a tough time how I went from hating new year to enjoying the symbolic new beginning it represents – and how all of us can learn to do this a quick breakdown of the different ways you can reflect (because journaling isn't for everybody!) and a hack to make the activity easier and more enjoyable, taking your learning style and preferences into account the 12 questions to ask yourself to review your year how to reflect on your personal and professional achievements, progress, challenges and lessons in a way that isn't intimidating, harrowing or depressing as hell   Want to skip straight to the questions to do your review? Head to [41:22]   If you'd like to get your new year off to a strong start, just screenshot this episode and tag me on Instagram @darkcoffeeco with your biggest takeaway for your chance to win a 60-minute 1:1 coaching session with me. Not on Instagram? Just leave a review to let other people know what you enjoyed from the episode.   Thanks for your support this year – here's to you and the journey thus far.   Alice   Episode recorded December 2021   --------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs, so that your team feels better and work sucks less! To find out more, take a look at our website https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/ or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   And the conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State

Over the last several years working with hundreds of business owners and millennial professionals, I've come to the stunning realisation that work SUCKS.   It's a constant source of anguish and anxiety for the majority of us – even if you love what you do!   Not all the time (hopefully) but thanks to Capitalism, the need for work is high and the willingness to work is low. So how can we meet in the middle and make work more tolerable all around?   I'll explore: why accepting that work sucks can ironically lead to greater job satisfaction how business owners feel guilty for not loving their work every day the danger of attaching your self-worth, identity and value to your work the bullshit narrative on social media around ‘finding work you love' and how this sets unrealistic expectations that can pressure us the societal pressure to find a passion rather than ‘just a job' why there is a case to be made for mediocre work! the slippery slope of overwork that so many of us fall into… and how to step back the fact that there's more to us than our work, and how to give time back to those areas of our life that we so often neglect! the need to inject fun into our work (and how this makes things way more tolerable!)   If you feel like you're in a slump with your work life and would like to offload to someone who ‘gets it' book a 20-minute coffee chat with me here.   If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag me on Instagram @darkcoffeeco with your biggest takeaway.    And if you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help the conversation reach more people who need it.   Alice   Episode recorded October 2021 --------------------------------   Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered mental fitness to SMEs so that your team feels better and work sucks less! To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   And the conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @darkcoffeeco   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State  

Running a business isn't all four-hour workweeks and working from the beach. But the entrepreneur gurus won't tell you that bit.   'Startup Fatigue' (or 'Founder Fatigue') is a term that was coined with Eddie Whittingham when I was a guest on his Business NoBS Podcast [linked here.]    During that conversation, I realised I'm in an ‘icky' phase of my business where I feel like I've fallen out of love with it.   So, I wanted to do a deeper dive into this situation to help you if you ever hit this delightful wall! Because it's a topic that can sometimes come up in private conversations – but is not often discussed publicly.   So, join me as I navigate these uncomfortable feelings and give you some practical things you can do to get yourself through it.   Think of it as couple's counselling between you and your business!     We'll explore:   Founder Fatigue – feeling overwhelmed, lacking focus and feeling like you lack focus – and recognising how normal it is How being in business feels like being in a marriage – and how it differs from the giddy early stages How being in business can feel like a BIG intimidating commitment Some of the challenges of running a service business and how it can contribute to a feeling of drudgery or fatigue Why it might be time for you to rethink the business model you're following so that you can enjoy your work more, and run your business more effectively Why it helps to make regular time to step back from your business and think critically about it Some of the KEY QUESTIONS to ask yourself to assess your relationship with your business And how to get the relationship back on track   I mention Rachael Mole in the episode – who you should definitely check out for the cool work she does to support chronically ill and disabled professionals.   I also recommend episode 80 of Mind Over Grind – A hack to help you ask for help.    And if you feel like you've fallen out of love with your business and would like to offload to someone who ‘gets it' book a 20-minute coffee chat with me here.   After today's podcast, I hope you and your business will both be back on speaking terms.   If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag me on Instagram @darkcoffeewellbeing with your biggest takeaway.    And if you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help the conversation reach more people who need it.   Alice   Episode recorded October 2021   --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered wellbeing to SMEs, so that your team can feel better, stay sane and do great things. To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   And the conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State  

We all know the feeling of desperately needing sleep but not being able to switch our noisy brains off. Other times, we'll get an inordinate amount of sleep but still wake up feeling groggy – which is a killer ahead of a busy workday!   So, how can we improve the quality of our sleep to give us the best head start and wake up feeling ready to tackle the to-do list?   Today, I'm bringing you some tried-and-tested methods that have worked for myself and my clients, as approved by science! (Don't worry – I'm keeping the neuroscience basic so we can focus on the practicalities.)   We'll explore:   why we sometimes still wake up tired after having a long night's sleep how we can optimise the QUALITY of our sleep why our brains need sleep the single BEST technique I know for emptying your brain before bed how your environment impacts your sleep, and suggestions for things you can tweak in your bedroom to help you slip into slumber how all these hacks are complicated when you share a bed with someone! …and I'll be encouraging you to ‘suck it and see' to find what works for you.                  Remember, our wellbeing is a continual work in progress, but taking the time to make tweaks and see what happens can bring significant improvements. Good luck, and let me know how           you get on!   Alice   Episode recorded September 2021   If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag me on Instagram @dark.coffee.wellbeing with your biggest takeaway.    And if you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help the conversation reach more people who need it.     --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The podcast is brought to you by Dark Coffee who bring unfiltered wellbeing to SMEs, so that your team can feel great and do great things. To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   And the conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing   Join our mailing list here.     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can ask all your juicy questions!     Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State

Marie Kondo, I am not. But I know a thing or two about tidying your head space to help your work and wellbeing – and it can come from a couple of unexpected places.   Today I'll be discussing how clearing out physical spaces and auditing your tech can be the answer to getting more of your precious brain power back. A must for any business owner, or those of us struggling to juggle 100 things at once.     I'll discuss:   How regaining mental clarity doesn't have to mean focusing on our inner world – we can start by looking at the things around us – and often, it's an easier way to start How clutter in your physical space can take your mind away from the things you want to be doing Why tech can be the biggest disruptor of productivity – and how we can turn it on its head Why ‘Do Not Disturb' is my go-to solution for removing distractions in my workday (and how people can still access you in an emergency) I also throw down a 20-minute challenge to organise one area of your space today. Take action, and see what happens! Plus, you'll hear all about my very decadent ‘brothel's boudoir….'       Alice   Episode recorded September 2021   If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag me on Instagram [@dark.coffee.wellbeing] with your biggest takeaway.    And if you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help the conversation reach more people who need it.     --------------------------------     Mind Over Grind [from Dark Coffee] explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by wellbeing coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing   Join our mailing list here.   Dark Coffee helps SME owners and leaders bring their badass selves to work so they can lead from the front, fire on all cylinders and love their work. To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can find out the details and ask all your juicy questions!       Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.     Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State      -----------------------------------------------------------------

Being in business can suck some weeks. There is too much to do, not enough time to do it, and you're exhausted from the constant trudge of it all.   If this sounds like you, you're going to love this episode.   It's full to the brim with practical tips for working through your never-ending to-do list, even if you're smack bang in the middle of an energy slump. And no, it doesn't involve having a holiday and coming back to it all later. Sometimes, we need to push through.   By the end of this episode, you'll have an action plan for how you can navigate your next low energy week, without losing momentum in your business.   We'll go from wading through treacle to gliding through honey!   I'll discuss: how energy levels are not linear – they move in cycles and seasons how to stop multitasking and focus on fewer things how getting more clarity on your workload can help you get started on big projects how to map out the jobs that have been sitting on your to-do list for months how to stay motivated and keep making progress, even when your energy levels are low how to spot drains on your emotional, physical and social energy (and avoid them!) how to get back some precious headspace so you can devote it to what's important and how to bring this all together in a handy cheat sheet you can refer back to when the next energy slump hits.   Want to find out more about my 1:1 coaching packages? Book a 20-minute coffee chat in my diary here and we can see if I'd be a good fit for you.                Alice     If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag me on Instagram [@dark.coffee.wellbeing] with your biggest takeaway.    And if you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help the conversation reach more people who need it.   Episode recorded September 2021   --------------------------------   Mind Over Grind [from Dark Coffee] explores mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by wellbeing coach, facilitator and speaker, Alice Lyons.   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing   Join our mailing list here.   Dark Coffee helps SME owners and leaders bring their badass selves to work so they can lead from the front, fire on all cylinders and love their work. To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can find out the details and ask all your juicy questions!   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Like a Fire' by Flow State    -----------------------------------------------------------------

If you use social media to promote your business, you probably have a love-hate relationship with it. You feel the NEED to post to find new audiences, raise brand awareness and answer customer inquiries… but there's resistance there!   Today, I want to break down these barriers getting between you and posting on social media and give you some reframes and practical ideas for getting over the posting hump.   This is a great episode if you're stuck in a rut with your social media and need a short sharp shake to get you back on it.   I'll discuss:   how FEAR can stop you in your tracks when it comes to posting understanding social media overwhelm why a lack of clarity could be doing you dirty the role confidence plays in promoting your business (and why it's not a necessary first step to get started) how easy it is to be confused with all of the above! So, give yourself a break how to work through the barriers once you've identified them short, practical ideas to give you a fresh take on your social media and help you get something out there questions to ask yourself to get to know your clients, wider audience and business better to make content creation easier   If you'd like help with anything mentioned in the show today, I'm going to be launching an on-demand course in Autumn 2021.   The course will help you unpack the barriers in greater detail and get a real handle on what's holding you back so that you can learn how to work through it to start posting on social media with clarity, confidence and consistency.   There will be short actions and reflection activities to complete at the end of each 10-20 minute lesion that you can put straight into action, so you're learning and improving from the beginning, putting your ideas straight into practice.   We'll go into:   understanding your barriers around posting on social media reframing your fears and working through them getting clarity on who your audience is and what they want and need from you figuring out the themes to underline all your content to make it easier and quicker to produce content moving forwards understanding what you should be posting (and more importantly, why) getting more confident in your move to action learning how to post high-quality content consistently in a manageable and sustainable way that won't lead to overwhelm or burnout short, implementable strategies that you can use to immediately (and continually) up your posting game bitesize 10-20 minute lessons within a 90+ minute course – learn as you go, at your own speed, and start making improvements straight away evergreen course content you can revisit again and again in the future whenever you need to refocus and revisit the barriers that might crop up (particularly if you are changing part of your business offering or changing clients.)   If you're interested, get in touch with me HERE or on social media with the phrase ‘Confident Content' to get on the waitlist and a juicy discount! Don't worry - no obligation to buy - you'll just be the first person to know when it's available and get the best price for it.   Happy posting!!     Alice     Episode recorded August 2021   If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag us on Instagram [@dark.coffee.wellbeing] with your biggest takeaway.    If you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help spread the conversation reach more people.   --------------------------------     The Dark Coffee Podcast holds unfiltered conversations around mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by wellbeing coach and advocate, Alice Lyons.     The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing   Join our mailing list here.   Dark Coffee helps SME leaders and owners bring their badass selves to work. To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can find out the details and ask all your juicy questions!     Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape' by Corinne.

A lot of us fundamentally misunderstand what leadership is. That's to be expected when very few of us receive any training! So, what does it mean to be a leader, and how do we do it well?   In this episode, Alice will share her take on the most important part of leadership that – once learnt – will help you delegate, lead confidently, empower your team members and feel like a badass.   **TRIGGER WARNING – super brief mention of low mental health including suicidality – skip forward 30 seconds at the 15-minute mark.   She'll discuss: the ONE THING that can define your success as a leader the challenge of letting things go, especially for people who are used to doing everything! why doing everything yourself is a slippery slope that is bad for your own energy levels and even worse for your team how delegation, training and coaching leads to happier, more engaged and more successful teams the big difference between managers and leaders (and why it's better for you to be the latter!) why you can slip back into bad habits when you're under stress – spoiler alert: it's not your fault. It's your brain… stupid brain.   Recorded August 2021   If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag us on Instagram [@dark.coffee.wellbeing] with your biggest takeaway.    If you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help spread the conversation reach more people.   --------------------------------   The Dark Coffee Podcast has unfiltered conversations around mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by wellbeing coach and advocate, Alice Lyons (who sometimes struggles with all 3!)   The conversation doesn't stop here! Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing Join our mailing list here.   Dark Coffee helps SME leaders and owners bring their badass selves to work. To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can find out the details and ask all your juicy questions!   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape' by Corinne    -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

Fact: A lot of us suck when it comes to asking for help. Particularly if we're normally the one supporting everyone else, or if we think that we should have all the answers ourselves.   In this episode, Alice will reframe the concept of asking for help and give you a hack that will let it become easier in the future.   She'll discuss some of the practical and emotional barriers that prevent us from asking for help Alice's biggest barrier in asking for help why asking for help is so important and can benefit your life, relationships and business how asking for help will get you further, faster in your business the hack to help you reframe asking for help how this approach takes the awkwardness and shame away from asking for help why asking for help makes you seem more professional how to ask for help and feel more comfortable and confident doing do   Recorded August 2021   If you enjoyed this episode, screenshot it and tag us on Instagram [@dark.coffee.wellbeing] with your biggest takeaway.     If you loved what you heard, please leave a review to help spread the conversation reach more people.     The Dark Coffee Podcast has unfiltered conversations around mental health and wellbeing, hosted by wellbeing coach and advocate, Alice Lyons (who struggles with all three.)     The conversation doesn't stop here. Follow us on social media or join our mailing list for more insights, tips and advice to help you bring your badass self to work:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing   Join our mailing list here.   Dark Coffee helps SME leaders and owners bring their badass selves to work. To find out more, take a look at our website [https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk/] or get in touch: talk@darkcoffee.co.uk     If you'd like to speak with Alice about 1:1 coaching, book a free 20-minute coffee chat here so you can find out the details and ask all your juicy questions!     Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape' by Corinne.      -----------------------------------------------------------------  

A coach telling you NOT to get coaching?! We know, it's weird. But coaching genuinely isn't for everyone.   Join Alice to find out why coaching might not be right for you right now, and what other support might be better suited.   She'll discuss:   how to identify whether 1:1 coaching is right for you right now why it's important to do research around coaching before investing when to get coaching and when another form of support might be best some of the main features of coaching, such as challenging questions the dedication and energy levels required to succeed in 1:1 coaching where to find free advice, support and information that is a great alternative   This is a sister episode to ‘Episode 73: 4 reasons to get a coach.'   Recorded July 2021     The Dark Coffee Podcast starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health and wellbeing in business, hosted by wellbeing coach and advocate, Alice Lyons.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                   Dark Coffee wellbeing company provides mental health training and wellbeing coaching for SMEs and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website [www.darkcoffee.co.uk] or get in touch via talk@darkcoffee.co.uk   LOVED THIS EPISODE? Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape' by Corinne, via Musicly.      -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

Why can't I be more like you?!   Comparisonitis. What is it, why does it happen, and why could it actually be a good thing for us?   In this episode Alice takes us through the shitty ways comparing ourselves to others can manifest, and what we can do about it. As always she gives us some tips and tricks to overcome the feelings of vulnerability and self-loathing; most importantly, she gives us steps towards growth and self-acceptance.   Also discussed: Social media - what to do when you want to block that self-important bitch How to identify what those jealous feelings might mean Talking to and learning from others about their successes   Recorded June 2021   If you'd like to join Alice for the Mental Health Meetup, click the link here for July's event where we will be discussing mental health and social media, or search 'Mental Health Meetup' for future events.   Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                             Dark Coffee provides mental health training for SMEs and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape' by Corinne.

Work smarter, not harder!   We've all heard that phrase and had it drummed into us. But what does it actually mean?   In this episode, Alice explores perfectionism and cutting through the feelings surrounding it. Why do we always strive for perfection, and is it actually benefiting us and our mental health? Alice gives out some handy advice and shares her personal experiences with perfectionism.   Also discussed: Separating our performance from our feelings of how it might reflect our character Finding connections in our industry and sharing the fuck ups along the way Exploring where the feelings might have originated from Building resilience to the negative thoughts   Recorded June 2021   Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                             Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME's and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape' by Corinne.

It would be an understatement to say that we've all struggled over the past year. But how can we keep pushing through difficult times when we're already feeling tired, overwhelmed or fed up?   Today, Alice (briefly) explains the science behind our survival instinct, why we should make friends with it, but also why we shouldn't let it sit in the drivers' seat for too long.   Also discussed:   how keeping focused on small changes can help steady us in changeable times how our success and wellbeing lies in our everyday habits how to activate our calming nervous system to help us relax and plan our next steps why peer support systems are so important for our wellbeing, especially in times of high stress how talking to fear as if it's a friend can be surprisingly helpful in gaining control of the situation how self-compassion can help us with our mental health how we have the autonomy and power to change the way we self-regulate, and that we can push through hard times. Recorded January 2021 -------------------------------------------------- Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                               Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.    -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.  

In this week’s festive episode, host Alice Lyons aims to give a pep-talk ahead of Christmas, discussing how the year has been and how we should all be congratulated on it! (Grace would like to clarify she did not request a Christmas episode be pre-recorded in November, she requested it be recorded in real time – a classic example of miscommunication and very representative of the year that is 2020!) Also discussed: (1:09) Intro (2:00) A big well done on this year, the ways people have changed and moved around this year in terms of priorities and relationships (04:59) What we need to hear, however our year may have gone, how you can lose sight of where you are sometimes in busier times (08:43) Bringing your full self to interactions even when it’s online, mindfulness and quiet, the expectations that come with Christmas to be everywhere with everyone (13:35) Thinking about things like the type of music you listen to and the way it affects your mood, the urgency associated with interaction this year (18:37) How going from very minimal social contact to lots of it can be detrimental, how your physicality and mental state are linked (20:34) Boundaries and how they can help you in the Christmas period, using time with yourself as a calendar activity to plan boundaries, the necessity of rest (24:06) Closing comments, self-care and how difficult it can be   -------------------------------------------------------------- Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.     Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                                Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk     Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK     Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Call - 116123.  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)Practical information, crisis care, suicide prevention and emotional support for men,  Helpline: 0800 58 58 58 Open daily from 5pm - 11pm | Webchat: thecalmzone.net/help/webchat   NHS 111 ServiceOffer urgent mental health signposting.Call 111 Open all day every day Visit 111.nhs.uk   Mind: Information and signposting service around mental health conditions. We're open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays). Infoline: 0300 123 3393 | Email: info@mind.org.uk | Text: 86463

In this week’s (half pep-talk, half lovingly telling you off) episode, host Alice Lyons talks about how self-care isn’t easy, particularly with everything going on this year. Primarily talking about how self-care isn’t a perk, as well as the fact employee wellbeing isn’t a perk, this episode talks about the difficulties of looking after yourself. Also discussed: (1:28) Introduction: how wellbeing and self-care are viewed as perks, particularly in the workplace, and how we all have a right to be treated well instead of being left to fill in the gaps due to inadequate assistance, ‘human first, employee second’ approach (7:26) How self-care is difficult as we aren’t brought up to do so, particularly since mental health is avoided in society, the impact of the society/culture we grow up in (9:11) The difficulties of managing physical and emotional health with the day-to-day challenges, how we can lose energy in different areas due to neglect (12:12) How we can train ourselves – teaching ourselves (personal development, self-help resources), taking an honest look at what we are and aren’t happy with, how the clarity can help avoid issues with other areas in your life (14:42) Using self-care before a point of crisis/burnout, building it as a fundamental foundation, some strategies for help such as looking to your support network, going to different people for different needs (22:20) Being the person that people go to for advice and how it can be difficult, and how referring people onto someone better suited can be beneficial, the benefits of collective approaches (25:28) Final thoughts: how we need to stop being so harsh towards ourselves for low moods   -------------------------------------------------------------- Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.     Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                                Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk     Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK     Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Call - 116123.  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)Practical information, crisis care, suicide prevention and emotional support for men,  Helpline: 0800 58 58 58 Open daily from 5pm - 11pm | Webchat: thecalmzone.net/help/webchat   NHS 111 ServiceOffer urgent mental health signposting.Call 111 Open all day every day Visit 111.nhs.uk   Mind: Information and signposting service around mental health conditions. We're open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays). Infoline: 0300 123 3393 | Email: info@mind.org.uk | Text: 86463

A question from one of our lovely followers sparked this week's episode. Our host Alice Lyons explains what coaching actually is, the difference between coaching and therapy and four reasons why you should consider getting one. Also discussed:  (01:20) introduction (02:28) The first reason to get a coach is to upskill yourself. Coaching is a very specific kind of relationship that can help you reach your goals. Your coach may have worked with someone who’s had the same goals as you before, therefore have experience in said area. (03:38) Alice explains how coaching and mentorship differs. Mentors will normally make connections for you with people in their own network and personally assist you. Where as coaches draw the answers out of you on how to best reach your goals during your sessions.  (05:58) Coaches will often ask challenging questions. Admittedly, this can be incredibly uncomfortable. However, these difficult and personal questions can often lead to the answers you are seeking. (08:09) The second reason to get a coach is to assist you in dealing with growing pains. Coaching sessions can be exhausting, it’s not always going to be fun and easy. Personal growth can be extremely challenging. However, looking at yourself and realising the best way to adapt your future behaviour can be extremely useful and freeing. (14:22) How coaching and therapy/counselling differ. Therapy and coaching can work well together, particularly if you want to understand the underlying reasons for certain ways you think or feel. However, this cannot be done through coaching and must be explored in a safe environment with a qualified counselling practitioner. Coaching can be useful for both personal (e.g. setting boundaries) and professional development, reaching certain goals and how to get there. (20:02) The third reason to get a coach is if you need accountability to reach your goals. Motivation is all well and good initially, but we find that this leaves quite quickly, which is where your coach will come in. When we’re paying someone to help us on our journey and have weekly check-ins, we’re less likely to become distracted and drop our goals. (25:43) The fourth reason to get a coach is emotional support. When we give all our energy to other people, for example if you’re a manager or a parent, you may feel that you yourself are lacking support and dedication. Coaches can offer this dedicated support in your sessions to you and your goals. (29:25) Closing comments.     --------------------------------------------------------------     Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.     Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                                Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk     Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK     Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Call - 116123.  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)Practical information, crisis care, suicide prevention and emotional support for men,  Helpline: 0800 58 58 58 Open daily from 5pm - 11pm | Webchat: thecalmzone.net/help/webchat   NHS 111 ServiceOffer urgent mental health signposting.Call 111 Open all day every day Visit 111.nhs.uk   Mind: Information and signposting service around mental health conditions. We're open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays). Infoline: 0300 123 3393 | Email: info@mind.org.uk | Text: 86463

Join our host, Alice Lyons, as she tackles the frustrating and, at times, dangerous myths that plague the mental health conversation. Alice also offers some key points to consider surrounding the language we use when discussing mental health topics.   Also discussed:    (00:56) Introduction to the episode.    (03:01) Mental health myth number one: ‘the broken brain’. The ignorant idea that all mental health illnesses are due to something going ‘wrong’ in the brain, thus ignoring all possible societal and economic issues that may be contributing to a poor state of mental health. Alice focuses on a more holistic approach from the biopsychosocial model.    (08:39) Mental health myth number two: suicide is solely a male issue. Male suicide rates are alarmingly high and are a massive problem in the UK that we all need to tackle. We need to look at our society, the messages that men receive and what their home life is like. However, suicide attempts are higher in women. This generally seems to be due to the different methods chosen, for example women choose slower acting methods and therefore have a better chance of successful emergency medical intervention.    (12:46) Alice discusses the importance of shining a light on all suicide, including those from the LGBTQ+ community. In particular trans suicide rates are extremely high, yet largely excluded from the suicide conversation.    (14:25) Mental health myth number three: can’t we just be more positive? Although this comes from a good place, this mentality can be dangerous. If we are always positive we are neglecting a large part of the human experience. Negative emotions are normal. We should be able to effectively process and express our emotions.   (19:56) Alice briefly talks about the workshops and coaching plans she has on offer and the limited spaces that are left (so get in there quickly)!   There will be some new exciting group coaching programmes coming out in the new year. You can gain priority access through signing up to our newsletter, which can be found on our website.    (23:26) Mental health myth number four: “I’ve never struggled with my mental health personally”. As a society, we have created a myth that mental health is solely associated with disorders and illnesses. For some reason we ignore the basics. How do we deal with stress, heartache and maintaining our wellbeing? This is all to do with our mental health.    (28:08) Mental health myth number five: mental health is a bad thing. Very much tied into the previous point, we seem to think that mental health is all doom and gloom! Mental health can be positive, we can build each other up and give people the knowledge and skills to help them feel their best more often. These are very much the ideas that the field of positive psychology promote, the importance of playing to our strengths rather than focusing on our ‘weaknesses’.    (32:51) Closing comments.                  --------------------------------------------------------------     Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.     Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                                Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk     Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK     Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org     Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk     Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

In this week’s episode, host Alice Lyons gives some practical advice around managing stress as the UK is currently in its second lockdown and winter is upon us. Alice gives 4 tips for managing stress, including wallowing, prioritising your wellbeing, protecting your energy and reaching out. Also discussed: (01:49) Brief intro (02:42) Tip number 1 – Wallow: how powering through can be detrimental in the long-term, the build up of negative feelings, why it’s better to feel in the moment, toxic positivity (10:08) Tip number 2 – Prioritise your wellbeing: finding time for yourself that is personal to you, how prioritising wellbeing can positively influence sleep, how important humour is (16:56) Tip number 3 – Protect your energy: splitting your life into segments and how some areas can take greater priority, thinking about the areas where you might lose energy, setting boundaries to protect energy (21:26) Tip number 4 – Reach out: making sure you have a good group of people around you rather than relying on one person   -------------------------------------------------------------- Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.     Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                                Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk     Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK     Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org     Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk     Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.    

Hello! Welcome to our 70th episode! We hope you're as excited as we are. In this episode our host Alice Lyons, discusses pain, pleasure and peace and how a book she's currently reading has both completely blown her mind and inspired her in so many ways.  Also discussed: (1:30) Introduction to the episode(1:59) Alice has found the secret to wellbeing after reading 'The Compassionate Mind' by Paul Gilbert, discussing the theory and original researcher behind it (3:34) Discussing the 3 main drives that influence our behaviour, explaining what they mean and where they originate from (5:15) Explaining the soothing and contentment system in more depth and how important it is that we activate this to achieve that feeling of complete wellbeing (7:41) How can we get a sense of peace in our lives? Alice discusses the barriers to this and how our modern lifestyles can get in the way (11:15) Alice explains how journaling helps her process her emotions and problems in a calm way (12:12) Talking will always be so effective for externalising our issues and how working through them with a listener can really help us deal with our pain (13:48) “often, the things that we want are not what we need” - for example the pleasure-seeking part of our brains may tell us to keep eating chocolate even if we’re full because it can sometimes provide us with some form of comfort (15:15) Learning how to be compassionate with ourselves and others is a practice. No one is expected to nail this first time, but it’s important to keep trying because we deserve to give ourselves compassion (16:56) Following the Buddhist principle that knowing we will suffer in life and we should expect this. This does not mean a significant amount of suffering! However, we should expect obstacles throughout life and expecting everything to be perfect puts an unnecessary and unbearable burden on ourselves (19 09) Concluding thoughts (20:25) Discussing Dark Coffee, upcoming events, exciting workshops and the new website (which we highly encourage you to check out!)     --------------------------------------------------------------     Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.     Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                                Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk     Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK     Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org     Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk     Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.  

Join our host Alice Lyons, as she discusses the role we should all play in the mental health discussion, no matter our profession. The pandemic has taught us a lot of lessons, particularly that what we were doing before, might not be enough, and that’s okay. We can move forwards together. Also discussed: (01:15) Introduction to the episode (02:58) We may not be educated in the field of psychology or qualified counsellors, but we don’t need to be to talk about our feelings and go for a coffee (05:00) Alice discusses what mental health means to her and how we can positively build up our mental health, which doesn’t have to be the extreme of crisis intervention (07:25) The importance of (free) conversations, especially for workplaces. This includes authentic communication and bringing more of who we are into work (11:50) Dissection of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and how we can all use this in everyday life (13:49) Growing our confidence on how to be a part of the conversation and how picking from your skill set, personality and natural talents can create possible roles for you to play in your workplace  (18:20) Concluding what parts we can all play in the mental health conversation, before anyone may need crisis intervention. The pandemic has taught us that our mental health is always in a state of flux and how we can deal with this (22:30) What to do if you feel there are gaps in your knowledge and reading recommendations (25:37) We shouldn’t just think about the worst-case scenario, people should focus on wellbeing and mental health now (26:48) Closing comments     --------------------------------------------------------------     Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.     Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.     Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/   Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                                Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk     Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.     Podcast presented by Alice Lyons.   Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.     -----------------------------------------------------------------     Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK     Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org     Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk     Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

This week's solo episode follows host Alice Lyons as she gives 4 self care strategies for building resilience, covering the pandemic transition, the importance of reflection, the role of technology and how you can build your strength. Also discussed:   (00:55) Introduction to the episode (03:10) Weakness, discussing what we perceive as our weaknesses which are actually our strengths (05:59) Pandemic transition, reflection on our current lives, asking ourselves important yet exhausting questions (08:05) Acknowledging how well we are all doing this year, not focusing on criticism as there are many lessons to take from this year so far (10:54) The four things that will support you in building your strength: sleep, silence, socialising and simplifying, beginning with sleep as tip 1, how to create a restful environment by minimising screen time and caffeine  (12:03) Silence, how life can be noisy due to increased connection via technology, small changes such as not listening to a podcast whilst jogging and just taking in the sounds of nature (15:41) Simplification, less is more, discussing the losses we feel since COVID, how calm can come from stripping away things that no longer work for you (18:20) The final tip - Socialising and how it can alleviate the fear  (20:10) Closing comments    --------------------------------------------------------------   Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                               Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.    -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.   https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qehqz-e09d68

Today’s episode is with Vikas Shah MBE, a serial-entrepreneur and philanthropist, having started his first technology business at age 14 and currently CEO of Swiscot Group. Talking around his own experiences with mental health, how the discussion around mental health isn’t nuanced enough for such a complicated topic and the differences in the approach to public health issues versus access to mental health treatment. Also discussed: (02:03) Introduction to Vikas (3:17) Vikas’ experience with speaking about his mental health, how it linked to entrepreneurship, his TedX talk and the impact it has had on people, how mental health can become a defining part of your journey (9:57) ‘The victim narrative’, and how it isn’t productive and how it can be self-perpetuating, how the discussions have changed and evolved, speakers versus advocates/activists, being critical in our approach to mental health (18:17) The importance of story-telling in combination with vital information, how public health topics such as cancer are approached in a very linear way in terms of accessing treatment and help in comparison to the complications of mental health, being seen as a social issue rather than a health one (23:35) The language around mental health and how it can be too aggressive or disempowering, suicide ideation and the challenges around it, demystifying suicide and the long-lasting impact of failed suicide attempts (32:31) How suicide ideation can seem like self-care in a way, the outdated perception of mental health issues only occurring after a huge event in all cases, how we might not have the language to speak of mental health which can contribute to the taboo (39:12) The absence of nuance around mental health discussions, how we build resilience through mental health issues (43:01) Vikas’s thoughts after his suicide attempt and the changes he felt he needed to make afterwards, early intervention versus treatment and demystifying medication (48:10) Therapy and therapists and how it varies person to person, how the approach to mental health isn’t clear enough in terms of what we can and can’t do and ask, approaching topics from a health perspective rather than avoiding the topic (58:55) How we’re bad at admitting when we’re wrong and how we struggle to say things in an appropriate manner with sensitive topics with nuance, the narrative needing changing and how we need a better approach to such a complicated issue (01:07:33) Tick-boxing and a one size fits all approach, tokenism in mental health, how the last thing you want to do is speak to someone but it’s one of the only options you have, the lack of support into mental health services (1:12:50) Closing comments - how we can become better at managing our mental health and how we can take action   Vikas’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikasshahlinkedin/ Vikas’s Website: https://vikas.work/   --------------------------------------------------------------- If you’d like to stay up-to-date on Dark Coffee’s events and workshops, sign up to our newsletter on www.darkcoffee.co.uk or connect with Alice on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing  --------------------------------------------------------------   Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                               Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.    -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.   https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qehqz-e09d68

This week’s episode is with Anthony Vaughan (who prefers AJ), an out of the box, radical hybrid who is obsessed with all things entrepreneurship and employee experience. A current 3x Founder, Startup Advisor, Executive and proud son, Anthony’s rise in the world of HR/Entrepreneurship is not typical. His focus and dedication to putting employees first drives him to help forever change the world of work, though! AJ is currently working on a brand that will hopefully forever change the world of work, “The E1B2 Collective”, a collective of brands and practitioners designed to make substantial employee experience within the world of startups and small brands. In this episode, the topic of leadership is discussed extensively, including how it is changing and adapting to suit less-traditional forms of working, Anthony’s background in entrepreneurship, and knowing your values. Also discussed: [1:28] Introduction to the episode [2:33] Anthony’s background as an entrepreneur, thought leader, trail blazer. Starting a company at 19, how it affected him mentally, second business at 23 and the burnout that followed, upcoming projects [7:30] HR, Anthony as a revolutionary leader that comes along to shake things up for the greater good. Not trying to be disruptive but trying to do something important, the concept of employee engagement (not for the tradition reason for having a positive effect on business) [8:55] Al – studies have shown that when you prioritise wellbeing, results follow. [10:03] We’re taught ‘business first, people second’ but when we prioritise wellbeing the rest follows, how people are taught the traditional methods and struggle to think outside of that and may sometimes put on a front [13:06] Bringing more of yourself to work rather than having a separation, what’s unique about all of us is our set of skills, abilities and insights that we bring to the party [14:00] Mentorship, how Anthony started business while Working two jobs, dropping out of university after being a footballer, suffering losses and the stressors of high-intensity work and trying to prove things to himself [19:32] The struggle of figuring out leadership and only having a mentor, the effect of ego on leadership,  how leadership training is missing in HR generally because it’s focused on processes rather than people and not “How would I want my daughter/son/family to be treated?” and working back from there [22:45] How the new style of HR needs to incorporate psychology, neuroscience and organisational psychology [25:06] The rise of social media in Anthony’s early career and how this influenced burnout, how changing trends can influence business changes that might be unnecessary (“Staying in your lane”) [33:14] Anthony’s experience with burnout and how it affected his ADD, discovering what burnout was, being a business owner and the pressures of outside influences, the idea of what an entrepreneur ‘should’ do and how that can negatively affect work [40:00] The self-awareness that can come from experiencing burnout, educating people on alternatives to ‘hustle culture’ [50:25] Unpredictability of entrepreneurship and building a sustainable business, knowing what is important for you and your ideal lifestyle, what your values are [59:17] Closing comments, Anthony’s podcasts and the differences between them, living paycheck to paycheck and how to think differently about job searching in terms of being a graduate, the value of networking     Anthony’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-vaughan-8ba8a8172 Twitter: https://twitter.com/E1B210 E1B2 podcast https://anchor.fm/anthony-vaughan7 Monday Anticipation podcast: https://anchor.fm/MondayAnticipation/episodes/Welcome-To-Monday-Anticipation-ecu6ic   --------------------------------------------------------------- If you’d like to stay up-to-date on Dark Coffee’s events and workshops, sign up to our newsletter on www.darkcoffee.co.uk or connect with Alice on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing  --------------------------------------------------------------   Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                               Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.    -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.   https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qehqz-e09d68

Former Apprentice candidate and disruptive marketer Lewis Ellis about has learnt to forge his own way in the world through ignoring naysayers, embracing his quirks and building his self-confidence. He talks us through his career to date - from struggling financially alongside studying a Masters degree, through riding the publicity wave of The Apprentice, up to his recent redundancy (at the time of recording.) Lewis has now set up his own marketing agency Hussel Marketing alongside his travel startup ‘Hiddn Travel.’   Today we discuss:   - The pros and cons of being open, honest and transparent on social media - How people resonate with the journey of entrepreneurship, not just the final destination - Defining your own version of success and aligning it with your personality and values, not just tangible, objective measures - How to bring your opinions, thoughts and beliefs to the work that you do - Helping other people on the journey to success - How not to be a dick in business(!) - The emotional challenges that come with comparing yourself to others and feeling separated from your peers in terms of money, life stages and aspirations. - How to recognise and cultivate your own style of working, whether it’s fast-paced and chaotic or slow and steady - Embracing being different, disrupting the status quo and doing your own thing – and how these things will help build your self confidence   Get in touch with Lewis:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-ellis/ Twitter: ImLewisEllis TikTok: @lewis_ellis_ Hiddn travel website: hiddntravel.com Hussel Marketing website: hussel.co.uk     --------------------------------------------------------------- If you’d like to stay up-to-date on Dark Coffee’s events and workshops, sign up to our newsletter on www.darkcoffee.co.uk or connect with Alice on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing  --------------------------------------------------------------   Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                               Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.    -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.   https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-qehqz-e09d68  

In today’s solo episode, Alice reflects back on the conversations she’s had with people during lockdown surrounding their fears; about Covid, their lives and the future. All sounds a bit meta and scary, but we found it reassuring to know that whatever we’re feeling (and however ‘well’ we think we coped with lockdown) we’re not on our own. We made it – maybe kicking and screaming – but we bloody made it.   She'll discuss:   (4:57) The fear of uncertainty – how it lends itself to anxiety, even among people who wouldn’t typically consider themselves to have mental health challenges.   (8:50) Everyone struggling through this together – how it can be a comfort but also a curse   (11:15) Fear of the society as a whole – the impact of Covid as well as the realisation that things were not all that rosy before we went into lockdown, especially in the context of systemic racism conversations following the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.   (14:21) Alice’s current mental health struggles – self doubt and imposter syndrome around small business ownership. Existential crisis around the company as well as comparison with others.   (24:44) Fear of making the wrong decisions – how we should be allowed to feel regret   (29:09) How mental health challenges will continue post lockdown (brief discussion of suicide rates)   (30:58) Managing your mental health as a business owner – how to ride the wave   (31:38) The importance of learning self-management and self-care around mental health   (34:24) Why it’s important to feel our feelings and process them in real-time   (39:46) Why we should rethink work in order to be more fulfilled in our lives   (41:04) The fear of wasting time – regrets around how we’ve spent quarantine and how we can rethink this.     (44:40) Closing points – message of support going into the ‘new normal’ and practical advice on how to maintain a sense of control and agency in this uncertain time. Reassurance that this is a moment in time that we can all learn from, grow from and derive a sense of meaning from.   (51:00) Dark Coffee news: public workshops in July around journaling and visioning for professional success and personal development.   If you’d like to stay up-to-date on Dark Coffee’s events and workshops, sign up to our newsletter on www.darkcoffee.co.uk or connect with Alice on social media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing      --------------------------------------------------------------   Dark Coffee starts brave and bullshit-free conversations around mental health, wellbeing and business.   Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between.   Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity and compassion.   Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice across social media:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Instagram: @dark.coffee.wellbeing                               Dark Coffee provide mental health training for SME’s and professionals. To find out more, take a look at our website or get in touch: www.darkcoffee.co.uk   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Podcast presented and edited by Alice Lyons. Music Credit: ‘Infinite Landscape’ by Corinne.    -----------------------------------------------------------------   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org   Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk   Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

Today’s episode is an interview with photographer and filmmaker Rick Bebbington, owner of Finale Studios, a photography and film business that helps businesses elevate their brand and products using strong, emotive video and photography content. Rick speaks openly about his experiences with mental health, particularly around the process of grief after the loss of his parents, acceptance and coping mechanisms. He also talks about the process of seeking out help throughout his life due to fluctuating mental health. Also discussed: (1:02) Intro (03:56) Rick’s mental health experiences, including experiencing the loss of his father, the experience of grief within a family, the troubles of acceptance with grief (10:47) Later on in Rick’s mental health experience, not enjoying specific aspects of education, further experiences of grief due to the loss of his mother, how grief affects us (19:06) Coping mechanisms for grief, the concept of control (26:45) How grief changes as time passes, mental health coping mechanisms such as alcohol and food, living up to expectations and feeling trapped (34:33) Mounting pressure, symptom manifestation/warning signs of mental health coming to the surface, the process of seeking out counselling/therapy, what was learned during therapy (42:11) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), personal responsibility and self-management, how things have changed over the past few years (48:34) How Rick has experienced mental health struggles on and off in the years since CBT, job changes and changes in priorities in terms of career, feeling trapped and self-reflecting (1:01:56) The process of self-reflection, journaling, noticing patterns of behaviour and keeping accountability, wellbeing as an everyday thing, expectations when it comes to personal development (1:13:40) Pursuing what you want even if the reasoning doesn’t seem logical, exploring creativity (1:19:49) Rick’s message to anyone resonating with his experiences (1:24:16) Closing comments   Rick’s LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rick-bebbington-video Rick’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickbebbington/?hl=en Rick’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/rickbebbington Rick’s Website: https://www.rickbebbington.com/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

Jenna Malone is a HTML Email Developer and the founder of ‘Underpaid Clothing’, a streetwear clothing brand grounded on standing up against corporate greed. A mental health advocate, Jenna speaks openly about how negative self-talk affected her throughout employment up until beginning her business, as well as toxic work environments and how she has found a purpose. Also discussed: (1:15) Introduction (2:37) Jenna’s fear around starting her own podcast, her relationship with negativity and struggles taking actions, the barriers stopping us from doing things we want to (8:22) Online communities, sharing our experiences in business and mental health, authenticity, taking up hobbies (16:09) Where the idea for ‘Underpaid Clothing’ came from, toxic work environments, changes due to being laid off, suicide ideation (24:25) How burnout from html development moved Jenna towards her dream job in the form of ‘Underpaid Clothing’, being hired after months of unemployment and negotiating pay (29:11) The idea that creatives rarely get paid what they are worth, the transition to producing more content and being more involved in a ‘side-hustle’, the panic caused by the pandemic (36:37) ‘Giving up’ versus being adaptable, fulfilment through creation not just for the sake of engagement, the creative process (45:22) Jenna’s background with mental health, finding purpose (53:03) Apps that Jenna finds useful for wellbeing, journaling and self-help books (57:34) Closing comments       Jenna’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenna_jams/ Underpaid Clothing’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underpaidclothing/ Jenna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennacreates   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

How is our mental health in the midst of a pandemic? This week’s episode is with the Dark Coffee team, Alice Lyons, Lucy Williams and Grace Hall, about Mental Health Awareness Week. They talk about the type of content they’ve seen around MHAW, how conversations around mental health are changing and how we can facilitate more openness around mental health. Stay tuned until the end of the episode for an exciting Dark Coffee project you can all get involved in! Also discussed: (1:00) Introduction to the episode (3:19) Thoughts on this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (10:59) Drawing positives through reflection and finding perspectives with your mental health, the pros and cons of sharing experiences with mental health (18:12) The concept of ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays’ as a way to bring a team together in a capacity that isn’t just work-related, how teams may be closer due to lockdown, how important good relationships are in a team (22:29) The disparity in mental health discussions in corporate environments versus smaller teams/hospitality teams, how lockdown has changed this due to people having to show more of themselves ‘at home’ (27:32) How everyone feels about lockdown, self-awareness (39:23) Missing in-person working (46:38) *Final comments*: #covidin3 challenge description     Dark Coffee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dark.coffee.wellbeing/ Dark Coffee LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dark-coffee/ Dark Coffee Website: https://www.darkcoffee.co.uk Alice’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicelyons/ Lucy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-williams-ab7a48181/ Grace’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-r-hall/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

This week’s episode is a recording from a Facebook Live between Alice Lyons and Dani Hakim, CoFounder of Safe Space, a societal impact agency committed to helping companies and individuals pursue better mental health. Dani has 15 years of experience in the marketing industry, which is experience she uses creatively within the business. The mission of Safe Space is to make mental health support accessible by providing initiatives, programmes and resources by network-trained professionals in a safe and nurturing environment to help people learn how to prioritise their mental wellbeing. Dani and Alice discuss the concept of authenticity in business, the relationships that can occur because of it and the difficulties people have with bringing themselves to work. Also discussed: (1:01) Alice’s introduction to the episode (6:15) Introduction (9:21) Authenticity and empathy and how this factors into your relationship with customers/clients, brand authenticity through sharing stories and personal experiences (14:45) How hearing other people’s stories helps us resonate more than superficial forms of connection and the importance of being authentic genuinely rather than for marketing purposes (16:50) The difficulties of applying steps towards bettering mental health, the connection between self-expression and authenticity, live videos and comfort zones, ways to start ‘bringing yourself’ to what you’re doing (23:00) How specific comments people give can affect how we try to approach things in the future, giving yourself permission to be yourself which can also help others to do the same, social media and the boundaries it can create due to excessive editing and photo manipulation (28:41) Difficulties that arise due to maintaining authenticity in down moments, presenting your authentic self rather than your ‘best self’ to others and how this ties into the shame around mental health (31:49) Quality connections and how they increase when we’re being honest with ourselves, similarities are acknowledged, resonating with content (37:50) Being authentic at home and at work rather than separating the two, what businesses can do to help facilitate authenticity, the importance of leadership (37:30) Sharing things first to facilitate others to share their own experiences, building trust (43:45) Tips for bringing authenticity to conversation/communication (50:27) Do you think there has to be a distinction between you/your business and how much humour can you bring? (55:24) Closing comments   Dani’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danihakim/ Safe Space LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/safe-space-dxb/ Safe Space website: https://www.safespacedxb.com/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

Are things actually changing? Today’s podcast episode is with Phil Schofield (not that one), CEO of Ripple, a SharePoint software company. Phil describes himself as ‘bipolar and loud’, openly speaking about, and being an advocate for, mental health. Phil describes how his work/life balance has shifted, the day-to-day of his mental health and how he views it as systems driven and being better because of, rather than in spite of, his mental health. Also discussed: (1:12) Introductions (7:00) Moving away from the misconceptions of mental health and focus on specific disorders (10:00) Phil’s mental health day-to-day (specifically in lockdown/working from home), the stresses of usually mundane things and trying to adapt, having kids at home and how hours have changed (15:23) The difference in working hours in a team and how to communicate these differences, expectations of the new working situation (22:50) Managing work/life balance, basic mental health upkeep, the difference levels of experience with isolation (29:59) The difficulties of physical distance, how mental health can be classed as ‘work’ (35:53) Phil’s routine and how he manages his mental health, how our mental health can affect those around us (43:28) Online dates/video calls, re-socialising and the societal impact of coronavirus (51:55) Seeing mental health as systems driven and the issues that may arise (1:00:03) Being better because of, rather than in spite of, mental health (1:03:10) Attempting to hire apprentices and the hiring process, how indecision is affecting people, being proactive about mental health (1:10:01) How work is changing and if it will stick upon lockdown being lifted, adopting an integrated lifestyle (1:18:50) Finding positives, changes that may be made around the NHS, making conscious decisions (1:26:27) How things like food purchases will be looked at differently from now on (1:32:29) Prioritising different things and the way we approach things, workplace culture, good habits coming from change and whether it will be long lasting, metaphors for mental health (1:47:17) Reframing situations (1:49:36) Closing comments   Phil's LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ripplephil   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.  

How do you start your own podcast? In today’s episode, host Alice Lyons gives advice on how to start your own podcast. Whether you’re intimidated by the technicalities or think that you might be unable to record yourself properly, there are a few ways you can begin taking steps towards starting your own podcast. Also discussed: (1:42) Introduction to the episode (2:59) Why do a podcast? (7:54) How podcasting is a new medium and people use different formats and editing (10:40) Not starting because you don’t know what to do (11:36) An organic approach, leaving silence in (15:31) Bringing emotionality to conversations and giving people space to tell their experiences (18:51) Empathetic conversations in podcasting (20:31) Be clear about what your message is, what do you want to get out in the world? (22:15) What to do if you’re worried about the amount of content involved, forms of communication and how to overcome the forms of communication you might not feel as comfortable with (27:54) Not getting intimidated by comparison (32:05) Progress of podcasting (34:36) How content consumption is changing due to lockdown and the fear of content creation (39:27) The issues of paying for content that is readily available online (45:05) Closing comments     Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.      

How do transitions affect our mental health? Today’s podcast episode is with Nick Wilson, a speaker on mental health, resilience and change. Nick talks on a range of topics surrounding mental health in the workplace, including resilience and impact of change and transition. Having served 14 years in the Army, including deployments on several Operational Tours in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, Nick speaks about his experiences with depression and PTSD and the difficulties of transitioning from the military back into society. Also discussed: (1:22) Introduction to the episode (2:46) Nick’s introduction (6:54) The concept of ongoing mental health rather than crisis intervention, Mental Health First Aid, how the concept of suicide has changed from that of purely a crisis point to the everyday representation (11:55) Nick’s sense of ‘purpose’ behind his work and his reasoning/purpose for joining the army (14:46) Nick’s perception of wellbeing and self-care whilst being in the army, lack of training around mindset/wellbeing and mental resilience, the issues with approaching mental health & wellbeing in the army due to the hierarchy (20:19) How it was for Nick starting in the army beginning in Northern Ireland, experiences of what he saw *WARNING: includes detail of seeing bodies for the first time* (29:24) Afghanistan & Iraq and the differences in how graphic the violence was, how specific memories stick, how different it was to what people expect in war (38:28) The debrief process and the practicality of it, rather than the mental side of it, the mentality of ‘manning up’ (44:23) Implementing actual change within the entire hierarchy, (47:25) PTSD, how Nick first experienced/recognised it, the stigma of acknowledging it, how people didn’t notice the signs (56:02) Suicide attempt, how reducing people’s options can often lead them to suicide, the response post-suicide attempt, implementing self-care and acknowledging our capacity to cope (1:03:00) Where Nick was mentally, including selling his business and the uncertainty of what to do next, integrating veterans back into society and how they often face barriers in employment despite having extensive training in valuable skills (1:15:13) How the extensive training in other skills is in stark contrast to the lack of training about mental health/wellness, the difficulties of preparing for civilian life, the career/job distinction, support systems (1:24:04) The difficulties of transitioning into civilian life without assistance in combination with isolation and judgement, feeling invisible, transferable skills and being overlooked due to being a veteran even with relevant skills (1:35:11) Identifying who you are now & knowing your priorities, adapting in business/life (1:39:05) What Nick is doing currently, including empowering individuals to manage their own mental wellbeing, understanding who you are and how to achieve goals you set (1:47:43) Setting small goals to give yourself a boost, the process of understanding who you are now, identifying your options, support networks (1:57:37) Closing comments, where to find Nick   Resources: www.talkmentalhealth.org.uk nick@talkmentalhealth.org.uk Nick’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/360wellbeing/?originalSubdomain=uk Talk Mental Health LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/360wellbeing/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

Today’s interview guest is Paddy Howley, founder of ‘So let’s talk,’ a hospitality and mental health project aiming to ‘86’ the silence around mental health and addiction in hospitality. A bartender who became a GM and then a consultant, Paddy has 13 years of personal experience in the industry and knows how a destructive cycle of long hours, no sleep, poor diet and high alcohol consumption can affect those in hospitality. The idea for ‘So let’s talk’ came as a response to the lack of help for those in hospitality, creating an overwhelming response from those who have also felt the same. In this episode, Paddy discusses how he began ‘So let’s talk’ and his personal experiences with mental health, how the hospitality industry is changing and the power of collaboration. Also discussed: (1:08) Intro (2:30) Background in hospitality and how it affected Paddy’s mental health; destructive behaviours/habit, the role of toxic masculinity, how setting up the platform began (6:41) The different branches of ‘So let’s talk’, including training decks, online booking systems for non-destructive habits such as yoga and rock climbing, music therapy (9:54) The power of collaboration, growth as an entrepreneur, micro-goals and personal development (12:53) Toxic masculinity in the business space and hospitality, how it prevents people from talking about mental health, being open and transparent specifically about the value of your business and your responsibility (20:21) Reframing issues positively/solutions-based work, internal monologue, catching the signs (25:58) Being a first-time business owner, MLM’s (28:42) What toxic masculinity is and how it can affect mental health discussions, showing weakness/vulnerability, perpetuating the value that you shouldn’t speak about your emotions when working (33:30) The shifting age groups in hospitality and how it affects cultural change, the simple changes that can be made for positive change in hospitality (39:17) Encouraging conversations in mental health in the everyday (42:37) Craving connection in lockdown, adapting to new routines and avoiding technology in the first hour of the morning, the benefits of sleep (49:36) Closing comments; where you can find ‘So let’s talk’, how you can support the business   So let’s talk website: https://soletstalk.co/onlineactivities/ So let’s talk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soletstalk___/ Paddy’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paddyhowley/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

How does a social business adapt to distance? Today’s podcast episode is an interview with Marco Castelanelli, a professional Sommelier and CEO of Club Vino UK, organising exclusive wine-tasting events that share knowledge whilst creating an overall experience. Currently adapting to lockdown, Club Vino offers home wine-tasting, with packages including 6-12 wines, printable tasting notes, and an online video in which Marco guides you through the wine-tasting experience: Wine-tasting at home: https://club-vino.co.uk/home-wine-tasting/ Alice and Marco discuss how businesses are adapting to lockdown, the differences in Italian and English drinking and business culture and how creating an experience is an essential part of Club Vino. Also discussed: (1:30) Introduction: alcohol in lockdown, drinking in lockdown, the influx in popularity of alcohol (6:56) The experience of wine-tasting as opposed to ‘drinking for the sake of drinking’, knowing the story behind the bottle and creating an experience, the cultural difference in drinking behaviour (10:54) Marco’s impression of English drinking culture, the wine industry in the UK (14:10) Alcohol as a coping mechanism, the habits behind drinking (19:52) Adapting to working from home and adapting a business to the lockdown situation, finding routine and trying to stay productive (25:00) ‘Going back to normal’, how things may change in the future, self-awareness and how relationships may change due to spending extended amounts of with specific people, new possibilities (33:11) Avoiding ‘bullshit positivity’, cultural differences in behaviour around mental health and communicating honestly, the benefit of honesty and authenticity, vulnerability and awareness in business (41:13) Bringing ‘Italian flare’ to the wine tasting experience, the social aspect alongside interesting facts throughout the wine-tasting (48:48) The difficulties of delivering a personal service under lockdown, making the most of the situation, how Italy is affected by coronavirus and the lack of physical interaction (54:34) The cultural opinion of mental health in Italy at present, how the hospitality industry will/has been impacted (1:00:03) Final comments and Alice’s solo drunken motivational speech   Club Vino: https://club-vino.co.uk/ Marco’s LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/marco-castelanelli-%F0%9F%8D%B7-club-vino-0b029b58 Club Vino’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClubVinoMCR/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

What is therapy actually like? Today’s podcast episode is with Natalie Williams, a solicitor and mental health advocate who decided to seek out therapy in order to gain a better understanding of herself and feelings that were holding her back. Natalie discusses her initial apprehension towards therapy, how it gave her the tools to approach problems in her life and how essential a good therapist/client relationship is. The concept of finding the right therapist at the right time is also covered, particularly in relation to moving on from harmful feelings and relationships. Also discussed: (1:16) Introductions (2:33) Therapy in mental health and how it can still be stigmatised in comparison to other aspects of the mental health discussion, when it should be normalised (4:25) Natalie’s personal experience with therapy, how it began due to feelings of uncertainty regarding a relationship and feelings that were holding her back, personal development (8:21) How Natalie approached therapy even with some apprehension she had towards it, regarding outcomes, the difference between the stigma and the reality of therapy and how therapy can give you tools to approach problems in your life (11:26) The knowledge and different outlook aspect of therapy/therapists, how it’s like training and being challenged mentally because it’s okay to not have all of the answers (14:26) The importance of the client/therapist relationship on how you’ll view therapy and benefit from it (22:31) Finding the right therapist at the right time, how therapy can contribute to ongoing skills/thought processes long after therapy has finished, the process of thinking about telling others (25:52) Interacting with others and utilising skills you’ve gained through therapy, taking what therapy has given and using it yourself, moving on from things that are harmful for you (29:14) The process of moving cities and working through things on your own and continuing forwards without therapy (31:15) Reinforcing the positive voice, trying to work through emotions such as anger, finding the right counsellor (41:21) Closing comments https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

The first ‘Dark Coffee Morning’ took place on Facebook and Instagram Live, on Monday 23rd March, the first official day of lockdown in the UK. Aiming to be a conscious stream of thought covering a multitude of topics, Dark Coffee Mornings have adapted each day along with the situation. This episode is a podcast version of the fourth ‘Dark Coffee Morning,’ on Thursday 26th March. Discussed over the course of the Dark Coffee Morning: The difficulties of social/physical distancing Missing specific physical cues such as eye-contact and how odd it is trying to adapt to cues you’d usually have with others Personal enquiry in terms of figuring out what it is you do miss and value Discussion around a study of those over the age of 100 and the role of incidental conversations in reaching that age Mental health services and opening conversations around mental health, authentic communication Outlets such as music, singing and communication over technology Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm

How do we optimise our minds? This weeks episode is with Chris Beaumont, a Productivity Coach who helps Directors, Senior Mangers, Business Owners and their teams to gain proactive control over their work, manage priorities effectively and make more of the resources you already have to maximise potential. Chris is an advocate for aligning the day-to-day with the long-term strategy to give more clarity and proactivity to work, rather than remaining in a cycle of reacting to the most immediate tasks. In this episode Chris gives advice on getting more value with less effort than we expect, productivity, our biggest professional advantage and how detrimental 24/7 availability can be. Also discussed:    (0:00) Introduction (7:00) You’re capable of getting a lot more out of life than you think, you can get swept up in the low value but you’re more capable of getting more done with, most likely, less effort than you expect. (11:24) ‘Optimise your mind’, use your energy more productively, use the time, energy and focus you have effectively (internal RAM analogy) If you use it for low level stuff, you have no capacity to deal with the important tasks (15:00) We’re not good at remembering and ordering information, we make no distinction between the relative value of all of the things we need to remember. The lack of evolution in understanding relative priority, the deeper level of cognition needed to prioritise rather than just make a list and leave it be (22:38) Emails, 80/20 concept, you tend to answer easy emails first rather than high value which is counter-intuitive. (27:55) How can you expect to spend your limited resources and deliver the best result for yourself and your client (if you’re stressed)? How people in high positions are susceptible to burnout because they try to reach their potential with too many other factors. If you spend all of your time reacting, you’re limiting your ability to help/serve others (30:00) The shift in the last 15 years of ‘always available’ due to technology, and if you aren’t proactive with priorities, you will end up using limited mental and physical resources (40:00) How not managing priorities means that clients/customers may go elsewhere because they can find multiple alternatives instead (a story about how not prioritising can lose large amounts of money) (47:00) The value in people/opportunities is not in the ‘here and now’. 45% of those interacting with you/your business may be in the market to get the products or services you provide, as long as you’re attentive. (49:00) The biggest professional advantage you can give yourself is keeping your commitments. Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it, because so many people don’t. Your success is almost always based on your relationships and the trust you have. (55:58) The role of unrealistic expectations and how we have them for ourselves but not others, resulting in too much pressure on our brains to do everything, resulting in burnout. Your second biggest advantage is avoiding preventable problems, as it will help you long-term (59:27) How waiting for the customer to notice something wrong until you fix it is ridiculous because most issues are preventable (1:05:41) How pre-social media negative experiences differ in terms of the amount of people you’ll tell about it. The negative impact of thinking short-term as it affects what you see as valuable or not valuable, when things may be valuable long-term for you. (1:09:40) Stress and how it can negatively impact what you consider to be company values and cause you to be too reactive to smaller things, rather than taking more time to the matters of importance and how it impacts company culture (1:12:06) The things we miss out on when we’re running around for low-priority tasks (01:15:56) Distorted perspectives of what is and isn’t important because we’re being reactive in the ‘here and now’. (1:17:48) Advice for those who are recognising these signs in themselves, quick solutions: getting stuff out of your head, take time to get some space that’s uninterrupted, don’t just write what you intend to do but also the outcome. How going through burnout may promote you to prioritise more. (1:25:41) Chris’ details/website   Chris’ website & contact details: https://www.chrisbeaumont.co.uk/darkcoffee Chris’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbeaumont/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

How does mental health permeate the medical profession? This week’s interview is with Dr Edward Lynch, CEO and Co-founder of ‘LYFE’, a lifestyle app created to help integrate a busy lifestyle and a busy schedule to better your health. The idea of LYFE came from two busy physicians working in a fast-paced environment, struggling to consistently fit a healthy lifestyle into a hectic schedule. Dr Edward Lynch is a full-time Junior Doctor for the NHS, and an advocate for speaking openly about mental health. Ed speaks about his own experiences that lead him to talk publicly about mental health, which later lead to a stronger interest in psychology and models such as the biopsychosocial model. Ed also discusses the coping aspects of working in the medical field, harnessing emotions for productivity and growth and the way the LYFE app developed in terms of his entrepreneurial journey. Also discussed: (1:30) Intro: what it’s like working in the NHS with the coronavirus pandemic, the new emphasis on health, the day-to-day, the humanity element (11:46) Sense of community, the support between staff and the coping aspect, focusing on what you can control, focusing on ‘today’ and routine (23:43) Deficit model, focusing on prevention for optimum mental and physical health, the importance of reflection in the form of diaries and vlogs (30:03) Mental health in the medical profession, taking responsibility for your mental health, Ed’s entrepreneurial experience, the biopsychosocial model, technology and mental health (Lyfe App) (44:54) Empirical evidence, harnessing specific emotions to increase productivity and teach ourselves something, how challenges promote growth (1:02:10) The potential for Ed’s mental health app, specifically for individuals who have limited time to plan their week, why and how Ed’s interest in mental health began (1:11:08) Next steps for those exploring their mental health, including creating a schedule/routine, talking to others and having consistency in self-enquiry, final comments    Contact information: Edward’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddylynch/ Edward's LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/edward-lynch-483b18b7 LYFE’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelyfeclub/ LYFE’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelyfeclub LYFE’S Website: http://thelyfeclub.co.uk/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.

Hurray! It’s our 50th episode! Join host of the Dark Coffee Podcast Alice Lyons as she talks about reaching such an amazing milestone for the podcast, whilst she also discusses five lessons she’s learned along the way that she’d like to pass on! (1:18) Introduction to the 50th episode (3:42) First lesson – ‘Being heard’, how we fundamentally want to express ourselves and be understood by others (7:12) Second lesson – ‘Creating space for people’, giving people an opportunity to speak their minds (13:55) Third lesson – ‘We all have problems,’ we see what we want to see and interpret things through our own perceptions (18:24) Fourth lesson – ‘Get to know ourselves,’ self-exploration, investigating your own mental health, learning how to self-manage (27:34) Fifth lesson – ‘Just do what you love,’ why Alice loves the Dark Coffee podcast and how it gives people the opportunity to share on a platform that multiple people find value in   HumpDay Huddle online networking: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12394089/ HumpDay Huddle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12394089/   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that starts engaging and approachable conversations around mental health.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyons as she attempts to normalise the conversation around mental health, from suicide to satisfaction and everything in between. Dark Coffee aims to create a safe space to explore dark topics with curiosity, compassion and courage to empower people to build their mental strength, resilience and sense of connection. Join the conversation by sharing this episode, subscribing to the podcast or following Alice on Linked In.   Your reviews will help Dark Coffee reach more people. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a review to help spread the conversation further.   Suicide and Emotional Support Organisations - UK   Samaritans: Confidential suicide discussion and emotional support. Free helpline available round the clock. Text - 116123.  Call - 08457 909090  Email -  jo@samaritans.org. Website - www.samaritans.org Mind: Support and information for anyone suffering from a mental health issue. 0300 123 3393 Website - Mind.org.uk Saneline: Practical information, crisis care and emotional support to people affected by mental health concerns. Helpline: 0845 767 8000, open daily from 6pm – 11pm.