Mantality - For The Millennial Mind

In this episode, we sit down with the accomplished author and speaker, William Murtha. With a career spanning over 30 years, William has established himself as a leading voice in the field of personal development and transformation. Throughout our conversation, William shares his wealth of knowledge and experience, offering valuable insights and practical advice on how to live a fulfilling and purposeful life. We explore topics such as self-discovery, overcoming fear, the power of positive thinking, and the importance of a 'power hour', all of which are central themes in William's work. Drawing on his own life experiences, as well as the stories of others, William provides a unique perspective on what it means to create your own life story.   Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of personal growth and transformation with the one and only William Murtha.

Today, Stevie sits down with Light of Mind founder, Mary Franklin-Smith. Light of Mind shares a new paradigm in mental health and wellbeing. With compassion, creativity and energy, they help individuals and businesses with mental health programmes, exploring how to let go of habits and beliefs that leave humans feeling lost, stuck and overwhelmed. In this episode, Stevie and Mary discuss brain patterns, resilience, spirituality, trauma, how to navigate your internal world, society and more. Check out Light of Mind by visiting: www.lightofmind.co.uk

Mark Whittle (@markwhittle_tf) is a performance and life coach, motivational speaker and host of the Take Flight Podcast. A number 1 podcast that shines a spotlight on the mindset of the highest achievers, entrepreneurs and elite athletes. This is Mark's third appearance on the Mantality podcast and in this episode, Stevie opens up about transitioning from the world of elite sport, overcoming obstacles and motivation. They also discuss the four stages of man, social conditioning, freedom, waking up to the possibility of change, and much much more. Stevie and Mark want to hear from you after listening to this episode, so message them through a DM on Instagram.

Keighley head coach and former Hull KR second-rower Rhys Lovegrove won 20 out of 20 in his first season as a head coach, securing promotion to the championship.  “Everything that didn't feel right for me as a player getting coached, I do the opposite as a coach” In this episode, Rhys talks about his philosophy for coaching and life, how he didn't enjoy playing rugby until finding self-worth from it, how being on the spectrum informs his decisions and helps him under pressure, significant moments in his childhood which informed his decision making, high-performance environments, and Vulnerability  Mantality counsellor Jon Bell joins Stevie as co-host for this episode. This is an excellent podcast for what can deeply motivate players and how creating a welcoming and open environment is integral to high performance and wellbeing. Enjoy!

Steve has had one hell of a life. He joined the navy when he was young, played amateur rugby, went into the hospitality industry and has managed many hotels worldwide. In his own words, Steve is struggling with the hardest time of his life right now. Steve believes his mental health has plummeted since covid. Steve reflects and wonders about how mental health issues may always have been present, but what he's dealing with now is having a serious effect on his daily life. It's true bravery to speak so openly when going through this. The environment he creates at Weetwood Hall Hotel is a testament to the man, despite his daily struggles.  Steve has brought together a tribe of people at Weetwood who care about wellbeing, mental, and physical health. This includes Driven Athlete and Mantality. This support goes all the way back to Mantality's founding in 2016.   Enjoy the podcast!

Meet Ollie Olds, the man who is kicking up a storm in Welsh Rugby League, returning after retirement and 3 ACL recoveries. Ollie wanted Stevie on an episode of his well-being podcast ‘The Walkers Podcast'. We did him one better and invited him to record using Mantality's set-up at Weetwood Hall Hotel's podcast studio. Ollie and Stevie have been friends for a long time, going all the way back to when they were halfback partners in the Leeds Rhinos reserves. This chat will go over their respective journeys and how they've changed and grown as people and Rugby players. They cover - speaking truth when it comes to mental health, Ollie's recent DMT trip, role models, the truth behind the physical and mental toll of rugby league, and concussion. Enjoy!

Our financial health massively impacts our mental health. The current cost of living crisis is having a huge impact. On this podcast, we talk about that and how we can get on top of it. Stevie has linked up with Fintellity cofounder Shardai Cosgrove to speak about her company's endeavour to grant people control over their finances through their new app. The app allows us to budget and understands where we're spending money and where we can save. The app will be available in the next couple of weeks.   Find the apps below here.... Telli – The Intelligent Financial Wellbeing app: Telli does the thinking so you don't have to and tells you about your finances! The first version of the app takes the stress out of money management by providing monthly, weekly and daily recommended budgets which automatically recalculate new figures after each spend. The second version is a fast follower and will introduce signposted resources for those stuck in a vicious circle of money problems, poor mental health and various addictions. Netti – Brand Ambassadors: Fintellity is providing an exciting opportunity for those who want to start their own 'Side Hustle' by becoming a brand ambassador and earning commission from introducing new customers to their QR Payment product, Netti. Other Side Hustlers can use these QR Payments, Sole Traders and Small businesses as a CHEAP, FAST and SECURE alternative to card payments so that people can pocket more of their hard-earned money without any hidden fees!

Phil Hay is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. He regularly features on the Square Ball podcast and has his own podcast ‘The Phil Hay Show' with The Athletic. He previously worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post as its chief football writer. Phil has taken on an incredible following and is THE man to go to for anything Leeds United.  We talk about Phil's route to where he is today, the effect that social media has on fans, the reality and stress of being a professional sportsman for your boyhood team, Andy's man club, why Phil got into mindfulness, whether Phil is a Leeds fan, the books that Phil would write and Marcelo Bielsa.  This is a great podcast when thinking about the emotion behind professional sport and the role it plays in people's lives. Stevie also shares insight into what it's like connecting with the fans energy on the field and the all or nothing approach that is needed in the big games.

Stevie Was introduced to Elish Le on his travels in New York. Elish helps people attain physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing through strength training, meditation, breath-work and more.  Elish has over 6000 hours of meditation practice drawing inspiration from many of the ancient Zen masters and worked with teachers including Shinzen Young, Henry Shukman Roshi and Valeria Forstman Roshi.  Elish has also explored the world of psychedelics, with 400 trips across many different psychedelic medicines. The topics covered in this podcast were Elish's upbringing with Vietnamese parents who were refugees from the Vietnam war, how he believes he took on the stress and trauma from their lives, the moments when Elish tried to take his own life, how Psychedelics shattered his life but how 300 trips enabled him to see the world differently What 'Samadhi' and 'Enlightenment' are, how being stuck in a traditional view of the world can cause suffering and how he changed this. Enjoy a meditation at the end of the podcast which was recorded live by Elish. This podcast is definitely an experience, enter with an open mind!

From his trip to New York, after a conversation with documentarian and PR agent Jules Feiler on the streets of the upper west side, Stevie had the opportunity to sit down with one of the best heavyweight champions that the world has ever seen. Larry talks about beating Muhammad Ali, the fight with ‘The Great White Hope' Gerry Cooney in the most racially promoted fight ever, coming out of retirement to fight Mike Tyson, concussion, retirement, and training with Ali and Frasier. See Larry's reactions to rugby league over on the Mantality Instagram. Enjoy this podcast with one of the greatest there's been to grace the ring!

Stevie and Jon talk about what really lies behind anger and the healthy and unhealthy outlets for it. Topics include: How not being authentic contributes to anger, Using drugs and alcohol to deal with anger, Stevie smashing bins and plant pots, good outlets to work with anger, healthy/righteous anger, and toxic masculinity. Stevie also talks about his recent encounter where he realised he had made a woman feel uncomfortable. A conversation with his partner Natalie helped him understand a different point of view to look at the encounter and empathise.  Share, rate and enjoy the podcast so we can continue to make an impact. You can also book a free call with Jon or one of our counsellors at mantality.co.uk/counselling

Stevie talks about his tendency to beat himself up in life and wonders where that comes from. It is from being a sportsman and having to take extreme accountability for performance? Is it from wanting to please people through rugby? Topics include: Stevie dives deep and reflects on his life as a child, businesses and sportspeople being driven by shame, businesses and sports-people being driven by being enough, the relationship between intelligence and self-doubt, the 'child' in all of us and how that plays a part in our lives now. If you would like to ask any questions to Jon or Stevie, get in touch through our social media @mantality. If you would like more information on counselling or would like to book a call with Jon or one of our counsellors, go to mantality.co.uk/counselling. We apologise for the quality of this recording, but hope that the content is something that really strikes a chord and you can feel some acceptance and optimism from hearing this conversation!

Stevie Ward and Mantality counsellor Jon Bell sit down to talk CHANGE. Break-ups, losses of jobs, relatives, and loss of interest are all CHANGE. Change is always happening in our life but what is the best way to deal with it? What trips us up during change, and how can other people disappoint us? One question in the podcast is: when do we feel complete and how do we measure ourselves?   Jon is a master at understanding how we can all feel beneath the surface and how we often put pressure on ourselves to reach a certain standard. Stevie and Jon also talk about people pleasing and why we do this. The podcast takes a deep dive into how we operate as people, if you have any questions, reach out to the Mantality team or you can book a session with Jon or another Mantality counsellor at mantality.co.uk/counselling

We were absolutely buzzing to have Christopher Hayes as our latest guest on the Mantality pod. Chris is a former Royal Marine Commando, an MMA practitioner and a metal artist. After being discharged due to mental health issues Chris went through two years of depression, alcohol and substance abuse before a chance encounter changed his life... We chat with Chris all about his story, what led him into the army and what the optimum conditions are for us to cultivate resilience and grow. We only had an hour with Chris but as you can tell from this chat we could have chatted for ages! We look forward to having Chris back in the future and following his journey.

Welcome to Mantality: Golden Point! These are the moments that change the game for you. They are the golden points from the conversations that we have had that will make you think differently about your life. How to clear up any thoughts or emotions that are stopping you from showing up in who you want to be AND how to go forward and find that person. Hear Mantality Counsellor, Jon Bell, give insight into 'vulnerability' - what it is, why vulnerability matters and how to use it. You can hear more on this topic, the power of counselling, Jon's personal story and more by listening to episode #062 of the podcast. If you would like to know more about Mantality Counselling, visit mantality.co.uk/counselling and book a free consultation call. Sessions can be in-person or online via Zoom. Mantality Counselling will help you to reach a state of mind that is more content, resilient and mindful of the journey you've been on.

After getting the go-ahead from my neurologist, I took the opportunity to try scuba diving with PADI in Playa Potrero, Costa Rica. Unable to do the standard forms of exercise, I dared to dream this might be something I would be able to do despite my brain injury.  I sat down with Kristin Vallette-Wirth to talk about the mental health benefits of scuba diving and what my experience brought up for me.  Kristin is the Chief Brand and Membership Officer for PADI and has experience with using diving as a form of healing both physically and mentally helping her husband heal from a life-changing accident. 

Welcome to Mantality Golden Point These are the moments that change the game for you. They are the golden points from the conversations that we have had that will make you think differently about your life. How to clear up any thoughts or emotions that are stopping you showing up in who you want to be AND how to go forward and find that person.    Hear Professor Steve Peters give insight in to why, in specific men can be the ones who stalk. Why men who break the trust with their partners come out of it feeling guilt.    You can find more on The Chimp Paradox on the full podcast with Professor Steve Peters, episode #068. 

Psychologist Ben Davies talks with Stevie about the chimp model developed my Professor Steve Peters. Ben has worked with premier league footballers and PGA tour number 1's to get them to their optimal performance. They both talk about the key of managing the chimp which can cause a lot of havoc in personal and professional lives if not identified and managed properly. This podcast is a huge eye opener for why certain relationships might not be working in your life and for why you struggle to manage your emotions. It all comes down to understanding and managing the chimp mind.

Today Stevie, Natalie Alleston and Chris O'Connor sit down and talk about the recent Will Smith story. What should we be thinking? What lessons should we pull from this? Let us know your thoughts too by jumping into the conversation on our socials: @mantality. We hope you enjoy this episode.

We sit down with the man who had the greatest song from the south stand at Leeds Rhinos.  “Delaney wooah, Delaney, woaah. He's from Australia, he'll f*cking murder ya”… Brett Delaney is an Australian former rugby league player for Parramatta Eels, Gold Coast Titans and Leeds Rhinos. He is a 4 time Grand Final and 2 time Challenge Cup winner. The most successful Australian in Super League history sits down to talk with his teammate of 10 years, Stevie Ward.  They talk about what's beneath the jersey and the moments where they have gone to war together on the field. What is the reality of getting yourself mentally and physically ready for the biggest battles? What are the sacrifices that are normal that you never hear about? Brett Delaney speaks openly about his ADHD, his upbringing and how rugby has helped him personally to make something of his life.

Mantality Counsellor for Yorkshire, Jon Bell, hosts his first podcast as we welcome our new counsellor for London to the Mantality team. Simon Arthur is a BACP registered therapist. His previous work experience, and subsequent training has included coaching, so depending on your situation, Simon's approach brings you the freedom to bring whatever you wish to the sessions, whether your past, present, or looking at ways you can enjoy a happier and more fulfilled future. Get to know Simon and his journey into counselling by tuning in to this episode as we welcome him to the team. We hope you enjoy. Simon is available for in-person sessions (face-to-face, or walking therapy) in East or Central London. As well as virtually via Zoom. If you'd like to learn more or work with one of our therapists, visit mantality.co.uk/counselling.

Today we welcome Lee Jewitt to the Mantality counselling team! Lee is a former professional rugby league player of 17 years. During his sporting career, Lee was supporting players who were facing difficulties in their personal and sporting life. He is now an integrative counsellor with experience in supporting individuals with psychological trauma and mental health difficulties. He takes a person-centred integrative approach when supporting clients, creating a safe and non-judgemental space. In this podcast, Stevie, Jon and Lee discuss what counselling means to them, unlocking your authenticity, Lee's journey into counselling and much more. If you'd like to work with Lee (Lancashire) or Jon (Yorkshire), visit mantality.co.uk/counselling to get in touch. Both therapists are available for in-person or virtual sessions.

Entrepreneur, Adam Bradford, joins us on the podcast to talk about his journey in developing a new and innovative safer gambling support platform. In 2014, Adam's world was rocked when his dad, David Bradford, was jailed for fraud after amassing thousands of pounds worth of debt through a hidden gambling addiction. Based on firsthand experience of gambling addiction and the impact caused on their family, BetProtect was designed to be a resource for the gaming industry and provide support to customers away from the gambling environment. BetProtect is powered by Adam & David Bradford, Crucial Compliance, therapists and people with lived experience. Offering support, mindful practices, and intervention. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Today we're joined by Jonathan de Potter and Manesh Girn, two experts in psychedelics.   Manesh Girn is a PhD student in Neuroscience and has been lead or co-author on over a dozen scientific publications and book chapters on topics including psychedelics, meditation, daydreaming, and the default-mode network. He is currently conducting research on the brain mechanisms underlying LSD, psilocybin, and DMT. In his free time, he also runs a YouTube channel - called The Psychedelic Scientist. Jonathan de Potter is the Founder of Behold Retreats, a bespoke wellness service that facilitates journeys of self-discovery and transformation, supported by the scientifically proven benefits of plant medicine therapy. In this episode, we spoke about the benefits of plant medicine therapy, and its potential to improve wellbeing and mental health. It was a fascinating conversation, we hope you enjoy it!

This is part 2 of a 2 part series with Dr Imogen Bicknell where we focus on relationships. In this episode, Stevie and Imogen discuss Stevie's commitment issues when playing rugby, family relationships, Instagram dating, how imagination can ruin your romantic relationships, normalising eating disorders, and the ‘glamour' of being a pro athlete.  We hope you enjoy this episode. Thanks to UKRed and MorrisIG for sponsoring this episode.

Daily journaling can be a challenge if you're new to it. Much like meditation and yoga, it requires patience and commitment. But if you stick to it, it can improve your life in significant ways. Hannah Campbell is a meditation mentor, wellness coach & sustainable fitness advocate. In this podcast, we run through the power of journaling: The benefits, the misconceptions, and some prompts to help get you started on your journey to building positive habits. If you want to learn more about the tools, habits, and routines used by peak performers, join our Evolve program for on-demand learning at your pace. Join the waitlist at https://mantality.co.uk/coaching Thanks to UKRed Security and MorrisIG for sponsoring this episode.

Rick is an NLP master practitioner, educator, and mentor. He regularly works and helps to empower coaches, athletes, and driven people to get clear on who they want to be, where they want to go and why they want to get there. Rick joined us on the podcast to talk about his story, the adversities he has faced and the mental resilience he has mastered. The episode also features a live Q&A with our Evolve audience on topics such as masculinity, living your truth, the importance of values, ingraining habits and changing behaviours. This is one you don't want to miss. Since recording this podcast, Rick has joined the Mantality team as our mental skills and performance coach for individuals and teams. Rick will help you identify and understand your values, your behaviours and start to create a clear roadmap of your purposeful vision. You'll gain deep self-awareness, strategies, and tools to consciously embody your potential and calmly live your life with an open heart, a warrior spirit, a quiet mind, and feet firmly on the ground. If you're interested in working together, email coaching@mantality.co.uk Thanks to UKRed Security and MorrisIG for sponsoring this episode.

Stevie caught up with Martin Wolstencroft, CEO of Arc Inspirations for a Movember special. Stevie spoke about the mission of going beyond a stigma for men's mental health and how players in rugby league used the term ‘head noise' for mental health when it comes to the stress after a bad game or a video review where you know there's going to be bullets flying your way.  We hope you enjoy this special episode.

This is part 1 of a 2 part series with Dr Imogen Bicknell where we will focus on relationships. Imogen is a friend of Mantality, someone who had an integral role in setting up the Mantality society at Leeds University. She is a Doctor, a blogger (mentalscale.com) and a regular contributor to the Mantality Magazine. Dr Imogen Bicknell attended relational therapy 3 years ago and it taught her how integral our relationships are to our wellbeing. The quality of our relationships can develop our resilience, sense of self and our mental health. Relationships extend to beyond our reactions with other people; They also include the relationship that we have with our work, our interests and ourselves.

Dr Anastasia Dedyukhina is a book author, TEDx speaker, Huffington Post blogger, coach and a former senior digital marketer. Having spent 12+ years working for global media and internet brands, she ditched her smartphone in the middle of her senior international career, when she realized how dependent she had become on the gadget. Today she acts as a business mentor, supporting ethical tech startups, and runs a tech-life balance consultancy Consciously Digital, helping companies and individuals be more productive and less stressed in an age of digital distraction. Anastasia was born in Russia, lived in six different countries, and is a UK citizen. She frequently appears in the UK and international press as an expert on tech-life balance and ethical technology (see Metro, Business Cloud, BBC etc) Her first book, Homo Distractus, was successfully crowdfunded in 2017 and will be published in April 2018. 

Ed Latimore is a best-selling author, former professional heavyweight boxer, and competitive chess player. He also runs men's groups with a focus on self-improvement, porn addiction and sobriety. In this episode, we spoke about engraining positive habits, sobriety, using public accountability to your advantage, actions becoming evidence, porn addiction, knowing when to quit when you're an Elite sports athlete, and sparring with Roy-Jones Junior before the Mike Tyson fight.

We welcome back friend of the podcast Paul Fox to catch up about Connected, our short audio drama during Covid, Leeds United, Conspiracy Theories and plastering! This was a fun conversation and something a bit more light-hearted than our usual fare. Enjoy!

Former Royal Marine commando, Gareth Timmins joins us on the Mantality podcast. Gareth has released his new book: “Becoming the 0.1% - How To Build An Elite Mindset”. The first-ever diary account of this training regime, charting the odds stacked journey of a 20-year-old recruit and the psychological underpinnings written by him 14 years later. Each week of training is accompanied by lessons on psychological shortcomings and performance. It uses real-life and often terrifying experiences to describe to the reader the psychological edge needed to succeed and cultivate a 0.1% mindset. Members of our Evolve coaching program joined us live in the audience and had the opportunity to ask their own questions directly to Gareth. We also discuss the book, Gareth's journey, and some wild stories from his time in the marines, including the biggest pirate attack ever off the coast of Somalia. Four marines had to fight off 50+ pirates.  Tune in! We hope you enjoy it.

Craig White has worked with some of the biggest names in sport. Having started his journey as a strength and conditioning coach, he achieved success with major sporting institutions, such as the British and Irish Lions, Bolton Wanderers and Leicester Tigers. Following a Yoga and Meditation Retreat in 2009, Craig embarked upon a journey of self-discovery that resulted in him broadening his mindset, as well as his coaching style. Craig now spends his time coaching and consulting professional sports teams, as well as mentoring private clients. He is also the founder of Men Without Masks, an organisation committed to empowering men to live a life of purpose. In this episode, Stevie and Craig discuss purpose, meditation, the term ‘man up', the difference between rage and anger and much more. There's also a Q&A with our Evolve members with some BIG questions. Tune in! We hope you enjoy it.

Alistair Brownlee MBE is a British triathlete. He is the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the triathlon event, winning gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. He is also a two-time Triathlon World Champion, a two-time World Team Champion, a four-time European Champion, and the 2014 Commonwealth champion. Alistair has just released his book Relentless: The Secrets of The Sporting Elite. In his quest to define ‘sporting greatness', double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee spent nearly four years interviewing and training with some of the greatest minds in sport to discover what it takes to become – and remain – a champion. We talk about some of those ingredients and our Evolve members gain a one in a lifetime opportunity to ask their questions to a double Olympic champion too. A special podcast for the Mantality community that has only just begun…

Professor Steve Peters is a Consultant Psychiatrist who specialises in the functioning of the human mind.  He has clients across a wide range of disciplines from health and education to business and elite sport, including NHS organisations, the emergency services, schools and universities, national and Olympic teams, British Cycling, GB Taekwondo, England Rugby, England Football, Liverpool Football Club, British Swimming, UK Track and Field, Sky ProCycling, Masters Golf and World Snooker. In all areas, he helps people to understand how the mind works, gain insight into their own unique mind and situation, and then develop skills to optimise individual performance and quality of life.  He is also the author of the bestselling personal development book ‘The Chimp Paradox' which has sold nearly 1 million copies since it was first published in 2012. In this episode, we explored the ‘inner chimp' and what that is, the reason we think the way we do, how to understand your emotions and thoughts, how to avoid self-sabotage, and what makes ‘a man'. We thoroughly enjoyed this episode and hope you do too! Head over to the Mantality website to download a FREE mind management tool on how to stop caring what others think of you: https://mantality.co.uk/coaching

In this episode, Stevie and Chris caught up with Jack Middlemore, who plays rugby for Dodger 7s, and recently took part in a documentary series called Blindside in which he shared about his struggles with mental health. Jack talks to us about the drinking culture and pressures of University and how difficult that can be on young people. He also shares with us his attempted suicide and what helped him to recover. The Blindside documentary series, filmed by Alex Bowdery at Playmotion, is designed to #TackleTheStigma around mental health and highlight the importance of talking about mental health in sport, schools and life in general. It can be found on Playmotion's Vimeo or on the Dodger 7s and LooseHeadz social media channels.

Mantality co-founders Stevie Ward and Dom Smith have been best mates since 8 years old. Many big life-defining moments have brought them to this point in Mantality, and they keep on coming... Join us as we sit down to look back over the five years of Mantality starting off as an online magazine, to then branch out and create a movement and a community that is pushing the boundaries of how men work on their mental health and mindset. Get to know Dom, the HOW behind Mantality and what his journey has been like creatively too.

Kallum Watkins is a British professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League and England at international level. He previously played for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League and the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. Kallum is undoubtedly one of the best to play rugby league. We've all watched from the sidelines as he has given us some of our favourite moments in sport. It was therefore even more of an honour for the Evolve members to be able to hold space for Kallum to share the struggles that sit beside his success. Kallum's honesty and openness shows his true leadership. We can all learn from Kallum's commitment to accept his struggles. He recognises that this acceptance has helped him take a huge step forward in his career and his life as a whole. Be sure to subscribe, review and share to help this momentous podcast inspire as many people as possible. 

We were delighted to be joined by rugby league legend, James Graham. James has played for St Helens, won two Super League Grand Finals and 3 Challenge Cups and was named Man of Steel in 2008. His career took him to Australia to play in the NRL where he played for Canterbury Bulldogs, where he won 2 NRL finals, St George Illawarra Dragons. He also has 44 caps for England and 9 caps for Great Britain. In this episode, we discussed his highly decorated career, his life after the sport and the realities of the sport with concussion, what the game can do, the reality of knowing there are potential health implications vs the life it lets you live and the platform it gives you. This episode is a brilliant companion episode to the podcast with Dr Willie Stewart on concussion. This was a really interesting episode and we hope you enjoy.

Rhodri Jones was a young professional footballer with Manchester United and Rotherham United but had to retire in his early twenties. He has since moved on to become a television director and most recently a Mind Fitness Coach, working with high-achievers in the world of professional sports, business, and the performing arts. He has also has been an advocate in raising awareness about mental health in society. In this episode, we talk openly about the mental health battles Rhodri suffered during his time at Man Utd and soon after he departed, the parallels with Stevie's own situation at the moment and what Rhodri is up to now. This is a really important conversation, particularly with a lot of athletes that don't make it into elite sports dealing with depression and anxiety issues. Join in the conversation and let us know what you think over on our social media channels.

Jon Bell is an integrative psychotherapist with experience working with a wide variety of people facing uniquely different and difficult challenges. He has just completed his MA thesis into vulnerability in Rugby League, looking at how striving for authenticity in the toughest of sports can present all of us with a therapeutic template for happier, wholehearted living. Jon has recently started practicing as Mantality's lead counsellor and has just recently started offering support for people who feel like counselling would improve their life. In this podcast, they cover: The 'unwritten code' when living as a rugby league player, Jon's rugby league career, what Jon believes a sportsman goes through when retiring from their sport, the power of counselling and why Stevie uses it, how to use vulnerability.

We were delighted to be joined by actor, Ralph Ineson, known for his roles in known for The Witch, Guardians of the Galaxy, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and so much more. But to many of us, he'll always be ‘Finchy' in The Office. We had a wide-ranging chat about his career, the challenges he's faced, the obstacles of being an actor and how he keeps his mental health in check, The Office - what it is like working with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and Leeds United.

Dr Dan Engle is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, orthomolecular psychiatry, integrative spirituality and peak performance methods. Dr Dan is the author of the Concussion Repair Manual. A Traumatic Brain Injury radically changed the course of his life and Dan emerged with a passion for neurology. Dan is a progressive doctor who believes that The true goal of medicine is to facilitate the innate healing of the body and mind… and thus support you to become whole, happy and free. Dan notes that he learnt more about the human mind from spending a week in the Amazonian jungle taking the hallucinogenic ayahuasca than he did studying psychiatry and neurology for years. In this podcast, we also talk about how TBI's were used as initiations in some tribal communities and Dr Dan's fluctuations in his own mental health and what it has taught him.

Dr Willie Stewart is Consultant Neuropathologist and holds honorary Associate Professor status at the University of Glasgow (Institute of Neuroscience & Psychology) and the University of Pennsylvania (Department of Neurosurgery).  This podcast is a brutal conversation about the realities of brain injury caused by a concussion.  In this episode, we defined what a concussion actually is and how it is currently tested. We compared Boxing to Rugby and Football and discussed the evidence to show that multiple concussions can have very serious & in some cases life-threatening consequences.  The episode is hosted by Stevie Ward who is currently suffering the long term effects of concussion and Chris O'Connor who has had a similar experience previously. Both Stevie and Chris found this podcast hard-hitting and scary to learn the science behind brain injury; Something, as a society, we know very little about.  Is it the employer's responsibility to look after their players? What does the future for testing look like? And how can we ensure protocols are strong enough & adhered to in our amateur games? It's all in this episode.  We are committed to starting a conversation around brain injury in sport. Please leave a review and jump into the conversation on our Instagram page.

This week, former professional rugby league player Keegan Hirst joins us on the first live podcast Q&A with our Evolve members. In August 2015, Keegan came out as gay, breaking the stigma and becoming the first British professional rugby league player to do so. He is now a mindset coach & personal trainer and in this episode, Keegan talks about living life on your terms and how authenticity is key. If you'd like to be part of the conversation on our next podcast, join our community by visiting https://mantality.co.uk/coaching

In this episode, we were delighted to be joined by writer and journalist Ben Machell. Ben has met a huge range of interesting people including; former spies, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, people wrongfully on death row, Taylor Swift, Pele, the families of murder victims, Grenfell firefighters, billionaires, political dissidents. The list goes on. We chatted to Ben about what he's learned speaking to so many fascinating people, what stories stand out and why he got into journalism. We also speak to him about our combined love for Leeds United and talk about Ben's new book, The Unusual Suspect, which is out now!

Tanya Arnold interviews Stevie Ward and his partner Natalie Alleston about the realities of concussion and having to make the decision to retire at the age of 27 from a sport you love. This interview is a personal look into the difficulties and complex challenges faced by a person suffering from a mild traumatic brain injury and the people closest to them. You will hear about the realities of the symptoms and how they have to be managed and understood if the person wants to carry on living a happy and fulfilled life.  You will discover what went into the decision and how Stevie and his partner will be trying to look forward and find their way in a life without rugby league whilst still recovering from a brain injury.  Although this interview is an in-depth look into Stevie's year with post concussion syndrome it is not a reflection on what happened in a professional setting but more a reflection into the crucial work that has to be done in your personal life when trying to handle the devastating changes that come with brain injury.  A big thank you to Tanya Arnold for taking the reins for this special episode on the Mantality podcast.

Jason Robinson is a former rugby league and rugby union player. A World Cup winner in 2003 with England RU who became the first ever black man to captain England.  He played for the British and Irish Lions and won everything on offer in English rugby league too.  He was one of the deadliest attacking players ever to pick up a ball.  Jason also uncompromisingly addressed his mental health in his career and states that "you can't conquer what you don't confront". From humble beginnings growing up in Hunslet, Leeds, Jason has become a role model for so many people in tough situations.

Stevie talks with Jon Peach and Chris Bright who are both involved in The Diabetes Football Community. Chris Bright was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as an 8 year old in 1999 and despite the setback at that age he still wanted to become a footballer. In following this passion and love for the game, he has faced the stigma that society has created around diabetes in every changing room he was a part of. Following this and the part time career he has had in Football whilst becoming a Wales Futsal international, Chris decided in 2017 to face that stigma and try to create something which could help others tackle it through a mechanism of peer support. The Diabetes Football Community was born and both Chris' and Jon's work to grow the community and go beyond stigma has continued ever since.  Jon was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged just 5, and in a similar vein, it hasn't stopped him living the life that he has, playing football and having an active career as a PE teacher.  With these achievements, come the challenges that we don't even come to think of when someone has diabetes, the physical and the mental. We open up the dialogue around the day to day challenges but also those which impact upon them in a social environment.  These guys have created a community and movement to help people with diabetes connect and get through their struggles and also educate us about what life is like when living with diabetes. 

A short story about a panic attack. Robert is a father of two teenagers and works as a plumber. Alongside many others, he enjoyed the challenges of the first Cultivate Programme back in those “unprecedented” days of 2020. Deciding to go deeper and stand longer under the cold showers he then embarked on a Personal Leadership Course with the Mantality Team. We got to know a bit about Robert and so set him off on one final task... to create a piece of writing about Male Mental Health. We all have stories and this is one of his... A truthful, revealing and informative account of something that can happen to any of us...