Catch yerself on

Burnout is understood as physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. Burnout culture can be contagious, and unfortunately characterises many workplaces, social spaces, and communities.

However, we don't just burn out overnight - it is typically caused by long-term involvement in situations that are emotionally demanding (the pandemic!!)

Join myself and Jenny Garrett OBE, as we discuss the typical dimensions of burnout, what factors cause burnout, and how burnout relates to mental health. We also examine burnout through the various lenses, including: gender, power, privilege, and of course - Covid 19.

We hope that this episode equips you with the tools and knowledge to PREVENT burnout before it occurs, so we can build supportive communities, and look after one another with intention and love <3

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

https://www.jennygarrett.global

In an age of Zoom, remote working and Netflix, A LOT can interfere with a good night's sleep. In fact, insomnia is thought to affect 1/3 UK population, and the average Brit struggles to get 7 hours a night.

It's easy to blame the distractions of modern life for our troubled relationship with sleep, but in this episode, we turn back the clocks and ask: has it always been this way?

I am delighted to speak to Dr Sasha Handley (Manchester University) on the history of sleep in Early Modern England, and unpack why attitudes to sleep have changed throughout time. Sasha talks about former patterns around sleep, describes how bedrooms used to be organised, and explains why insomnia is nothing new.

Travel back in time to discover what we can learn from our ancestors' understanding to sleep, what used to keep them awake at night, and how we can re-frame our thoughts on rest.

Have we de-prioritised sleep in recent years?

Check our Sasha's book and work:

http://www.historiesofsleep.com

Share your thoughts at:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

Yes !! It's Part 2 of a riveting conversation on TikTok !!

Join myself and Katie Elson Anderson (Rutgers University) for a discussion on TikTok in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We consider:

how TikTok has been used (and/or misused) as an education tool

how TikTok has spread BOTH fake news and public health messages

how TikTok has affected the nature of story-telling

It's a CRAZY thought, but, as Katie shares, these snappy 15 second videos could provide the lens through which people will understand Covid-19 in years to come.

TikTok videos as archival footage? Wow - maybe, we should take TikTok a little more seriously...

What's next for TikTok? Share your predictions at:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

Links:

Sea Shanty TikTok: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/shantytok-how-a-19th-century-seafaring-epic-inspired-a-covid-generation (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/shantytok-how-a-19th-century-seafaring-epic-inspired-a-covid-generation)

Taylor Lorenz: https://www.nytimes.com/by/taylor-lorenz (https://www.nytimes.com/by/taylor-lorenz)

Ratatouille the Musical: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/entertainment/ratatouille-tiktok-musical-broadway-benefit-trnd/index.html (https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/entertainment/ratatouille-tiktok-musical-broadway-benefit-trnd/index.html)

Impossible to understand - and even more impossible to describe - one thing's for sure... there's no denying the BOOMING popularity of TikTok. With 80 MILLION active users worldwide, it rivals platforms like Netflix, YouTube and Facebook.

I am delighted to be joined by Professor Cell Dilon (Stamford International University) to unpack this topic, and to chat through how TikTok is changing the direction of the social media industry.

We discuss questions like:

Is TikTok killing or enhancing our creativity?

Is TikTok less about social MEDIA than it is about social ENTERTAINMENT?

Does TikTok encourage IMITATION or INNOVATION?

Regardless of whether you think TikTok is the biggest waste of time (the average user spends nearly 60 MINUTES per day on it), or a magical tool with limitless possibility, TikTok is the 2nd most downloaded app worldwide, and it's here to stay.

Share your thoughts on how TikTok relates to creativity, politics, and culture below:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

The saying that 'money can't buy happiness' has taken hold as conventional wisdom, but this week, we're unpacking the TRUTH behind the relationship between wealth and wellbeing.

In the first part of this conversation, I am joined by financial therapist and author, Lindsay Bryan-Podvin. We discuss the need to re-frame how we talk about money, question whether people can buy their way out of problems, and talk about how using money in alignment with our values increases our overall happiness.

So, money CLEARLY matters... BUT, maybe not as much as people think.

In the second part of the conversation, Professor Lara Aknin (Simon Fraser University) joins the discussion to explain the science behind the happiness plateau. We explore why we continue to over-estimate the relationship between money and happiness, why the happiest countries are not necessarily the richest, and finally, why acts of giving are so important to our wellbeing.

If more and more money does NOT = more and more happiness, it may be less about HOW MUCH money you earn, and more about HOW you SPEND it.

Something to consider next time you're wondering where to put your pound.

Links:

https://www.mindmoneybalance.com

http://www.sfu.ca/psychology/about/people/profiles/laknin.html

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

Toxic productivity is an obsession with radical self-improvement, leaving us feeling guilty if we haven't 'worked hard enough' or used our time effectively.

Although our culture has constantly obsessed over productivity, we saw an unmistakable rise in toxic productivity behaviours in lockdown where people felt guilty about how they should be using this 'extra time'. There was an expectation that we should stay productive, or even reach new milestones, despite the adversity of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Join me for a thoughtful conversation with Emma Selby, a specialist Mental Health NHS Nurse and founder of mental health service Digital Mentality.

Emma is nationally regarded as a leading authority on digital mental health, and in this episode, we talk through both the toxic message at the heart of toxic productivity, and what healthy productivity looks like. We discuss where this 'productivity' trend has come from, why young people are more acutely affected by this, and how we set personal and professional goals (and achieve them) in non-toxic ways.

Find out more about Emma and her work here:

https://www.digitalmentality.co.uk/about-us

Share your thoughts on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

Rest is not only important for our physical health and mental wellbeing, but, as the Nap Ministry so beautifully say: it is a DIVINE RIGHT. Why is it then that a disproportionate amount of the population don't have access to this right?

Clearly, rest is a privilege. It ties directly to our needs as individuals, and it needs to be part of our understanding of dismantling systems of oppression.

In this episode, I am joined by freelancer and creative, Ximena Barker Huesca, and future trainee solicitor and mentor for young carers, Johari Adjei, to discuss why rest remains unattainable for so many people. We unpack how rest has been commodified through capitalism and self-care, reflect on why hustle culture has distorted our cultural understanding of rest, and think through how to rest in ways that are basic and intrinsic to us.

When we see rest as a privilege, we can begin to use our privileges to help OTHERS rest. Hopefully this episode will help you become more attune to the needs of those around you, so we can build stronger, more supportive communities together <3

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

https://www.instagram.com/joharirachel/

https://www.instagram.com/xim.bh/

Growing up can have a bit of a bad rep. Free-spirited Peter Pan who spends his interminable childhood in Neverland is an expression of a beautiful world where we never have to become adults. Yet, childhood was never meant to last forever… or was it?

We’re all familiar with ‘growing up’. Perhaps you have been told to ‘grow up’ at some stage in your life, or maybe you’ve even said it to someone else in fleeting conversation.

But, what does it really mean to ‘grow up’, and how does this look unique for different communities and cultures? There are no universal laws indicating a global standard for what it means to become an adult, with the legal threshold for adults varying across countries… so, if AGE doesn’t make someone an adult, WHAT DOES?

JOIN US as we uncover how ‘growing up’ connects to questions of identity, status and success, discuss the psychological and biological changes demanded by ‘growing up’, and debate what it means to swap childhood behaviours for more ‘adult’ ones.

What do you think? Does adulthood simply mean assuming responsibility for your own laundry? Share your thoughts on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

Mariah sweetly sang about how she didn't want a lot for Christmas, and that it wasn't about the presents underneath the Christmas tree... but in reality, all we want for Christmas is a half-decent gift!!!

With billions of pounds worth of presents returned every year, it's time to turn our attention to the art of gift-giving, since it's clear that we are shamefully bad at it.

In the episode, we discuss the tradition of giving, the symbolic meaning of gifts, and whether it is really the thought that counts. We bust some myths around giving, like the misconception that gift cards are impersonal, and that expensive gifts equal better gifts. We also explore gift anxiety (which a significant proportion of people suffer from) and leave you with tips on how to give the PERFECT gift.

Whether it be for a gift for your work Secret Santa or a present for your partner, we've got you COVERED in this episode.

And seriously, if in doubt... just get what they asked for.

Share your tips on gift-giving, and engage in broader discussion on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

Generation Z refers to the generation born between 1996 and 2015, and let's be honest, they don't have the best reputation.

Stereotyped as a generation who only want to communicate via social media since they can't stand face-to-face interaction, is it any wonder that Gen Z feel a wee bit misunderstood?

Admittedly we (yes - myself included) have a short attention (lower than that of a goldfish) and we may be highly cynical of generations past (baby boomers, we're looking at you) but some of these negative perceptions of Gen Z are actually assets - yes, ASSETS - in the workplace.

In this episode, I am joined by Sofia Pohls, millennial entrepreneur who is the CEO and co-founder of 'Finders Seekers' to discuss how employers are meeting the demands of Gen Z as they enter the workforce. To retain their talent, employers must rise to the challenge and provide Gen Zers with opportunity for financial stability, learning and purpose. Oh, and working has to be flexible too. (It's not much to ask, shush!)

Sofia and I discuss how Gen Z has forced companies to focus on their social responsibility, debate whether employers should be concerned that nearly 50% of Gen Z want to stay in a job for MAX 1 year, and unpack why Gen Z are so entrepreneurial-minded.

With 2 billion of us entering the global workforce (SPOILER: some of us are already there) this is an episode that EVERY GENERATION should listen to, and a conversation everyone is welcome to join.

Share this episode with your grandparents, your colleagues or your boss, and comment on how do you think we should be leading Gen Z:

https://www.instagram.com/catchyerselfonpodcast/

Sofia's links:

https://findersseekers.io/en/