It's Mental Health Awareness Week here in Aotearoa New Zealand so we chat with mental health speaker and educator and Tui-award winning artist, the talented Julia Grace.
In this conversation, Julia openly shares her struggles with heartbreak and its accompanying disorientation, depression, and anxiety. We chat about recognising our coping mechanisms and the importance of compassion when looking back at our lives. We also delve into dating in her 40s and of course, her perimenopause journey and fabulous silver hair!
Along the way, Julia shares tips for supporting our mental health from her soon-to-be released book Be Kind to Your Mind. 
Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Be kind to your mind | Julia Grace

Kia ora and nau mai haere mai to Grey Areas with me, Petra Bagust. This is about growing up and going grey, in Aotearoa New Zealand because I&rsquo;m getting older. And so are you. So how do we do it well?
I reckon we can do it with a bit of gorgeousness and gusto and break that &lsquo;getting old&rsquo; mould just a little. Or maybe more than a little.
So join me as we climb into some of those topics that just aren't so clear-cut, maybe are a little chewy, a little crunchy&hellip; and let&rsquo;s journey our way through them.
I've got a group of wonderful wāhine, and the odd beaut bloke, to chat with, and we're going to share some wisdom that we've discovered along the way. And I&rsquo;d love for you to share your wisdom with me too, because everybody has something to offer.

Health & Fitness

Having children and becoming a mother is a huge part of our collective cultural script. When you’re single, the question is ‘when are you going to find someone?’ When you find someone, the question becomes ‘when are you having children?’
So what about the many women who don’t have children, either by choice, circumstance or because they’re unable to?
Otherhood is a newly published book of essays on being childless, childfree and child-adjacent.
Lil O’Brien and Kathryn van Beek are two of the editors of this anthology, which charts the challenges, joys and griefs that being without children brings, and has also inadvertently created space and a lovely community for people who aren’t mothers. Ka pai!
Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Otherhood: Life outside of motherhood | Kathryn van Beek & Lil O’Brien

In a culture of unhealthy comparison and burdensome perfectionism, how do we cultivate an openness to getting it wrong? … Like, really get down and dirty with failure and understand how necessary it is for growth and basically learning anything at all.
Dr Jin Russell’s intimidating bio reads like the ultimate perfectionist’s achievement list. She’s a Consultant Developmental Paediatrician at Starship Children’s Health and a researcher in public health, investigating the impact of poverty on children. She’s won clinical awards, competitive research grants, has multiple degrees including a PhD, and sits on several boards. She’s spoken publicly on behalf of vulnerable children. Oh, and she’s a mum – no biggie.
Yet in spite of her achievements and accolades, she’s keenly interested in what failure can produce in us, and how to pursue excellence without being weighed down by the impossible pursuit of perfection.
Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ducking perfectionism and the upside of failure | Dr Jin Russell

The world of investing has long been dominated by men, but did you know that the women who do invest typically do better than their male counterparts?
Honestly, it’s never been easier with the technology now available to us, so let’s figure out what positive action we can take because the good news is it’s never too late to get amongst it.
Victoria Harris is passionate about women taking control of their financial futures. Along with her podcast co-host, Sophie Hallwright, she founded Raising The Curve to help wāhine do just that.
Later in the episode Kirstien Taylor from Generate Kiwisaver talks about the simple things that we can do now to better prepare ourselves for retirement.
Check out Victoria and Sophie's podcast The Curve.
Disclaimer: No part of this podcast is intended as financial advice; it is intended as general information only. For more information about the Generate KiwiSaver Scheme see their Product Disclosure Statement at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds. The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.
Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How women are catching the investing bug | Victoria Harris + Kirstien Taylor

There are moments in time where issues that have lurked in the shadows reach a tipping point and break into the public consciousness. Now is such a time for neurodiversity and ADHD. We are ready for healthier, more embracing conversations about how different brains work.
TV presenter and actor Sonia Gray is on a quest to make life better for neurodiverse children and their families since her own tempestuous journey with daughter Inez. Her experiences and research has also led to discovering some of the mysteries of her own brain and how she’s uniquely wired! This is personal.
Sonia opens a window into the difficulty of raising neurodiverse children in a world that often doesn’t value difference, and explores the pain of being misunderstood. Sonia shares her public journey as an advocate, as well as her private journey towards loving self-acceptance.
For more podcasts on the topic check out Sonia's own podcast series No Such Thing As Normal, as well as the ADHD episode of Are You Mental? by Mick Andrews.
Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discovering difference: celebrating neurodiversity and ADHD | Sonia Gray

Open a refreshing window to the world of creativity with Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh as we riff on creativity and poetry. Turns out you don’t have to give it up after high school.
Selina, an accomplished poet, academic, and illustrator, shares profound insights and captivating tales from her journey, which includes becoming NZ’s official poet (aka Poet Laureate), an unconventional marriage break up, and being honoured as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
From the physicality of marathons to the tranquillity of walking, we discuss the evolution of our creative lives and the surprises ageing invites us into. 
With her trademark wisdom and wit, Selina shares the transformational role of poetry in empowering Pasifika leaders and reflects on the expansive nature of creativity, such as making a cup of tea with love… does it taste any different?
Song credit: Korimako, Performed by Aro, Written by Emily Looker and Charles Looker and published by Songbroker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Be kind to your mind | Julia Grace

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