Breaking Free

In this episode, I talk about Johann Hari's new book, 'Lost Connections', which is about depression. He discusses 9 different causes of depression, or disconnections, such as the disconnection from other people, from nature, or from meaningful work. He then goes on to share 7 solutions, or reconnections, that can help us deal with or even cure anxiety and depression.

In this episode I talk about mental health, and how compassion can be the key for moving on and healing.

In 2013 I suffered a mental breakdown. It was a terrifying experience, and for years I suppressed the memories, and was flooded with feelings of guilt and shame every time I thought about it.

I hope that by sharing my experiences I can help shift the taboo that still surrounds mental health, and in turn help others and myself to heal.

In this episode I interview Ryan, my partner and fellow FREEDOM junkie! He's been sober for just over a year as well, but our journeys  to this destination have been very different, so I wanted to get his thoughts on what motivated him to give sobriety a try, and how things have changed. We also chat about our camper van adventure, and how a simple life and a sober life can complement each other.

In this episode I talk about something that affects us all...stress! 

I look into what stress actually is, the difference between good and bad stress, and what problems can come from experiencing high levels of stress.

Finally, I share some ideas for how to combat stress - things you can do both in the moment and on a regular basis to help you deal with stress and become more resilient over time.

In this episode I take a look at clutter - physical, emotional and digital - and the effects it can have on our mental health. I discuss some ideas for how to combat the different types of clutter, and the benefits that can come from tidying up.

This episode I talk about my first year of total sobriety - what benefits I've experienced, what I've learnt and what tools I've used to help me through the year.

In this episode, I interview Annie Grace, author of This Naked Mind - Control Alcohol, and creator of This Naked Mind Podcast, which I am huge fan of. We talk about how her relationship with alcohol started, different approaches to quitting drinking, and her new book, The Alcohol Experiment, which is a whole new take on sober months.

In the first 'proper' episode of Breaking Free, I talk about Dry January and sober months - the pros, the cons, and alternative options for those who are struggling to get through one month, or those who feel like 30 days is not enough time.

In this episode I introduce myself, and the podcast! I explain what my aims for Breaking Free are, and go over a few important housekeeping points.