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Coffee with Fleur
Coffee with Fleur episodes
- 37: One Last Coffee
The science is out – yes, coffee is good for your wellbeing! And it feels like a bit of a mic drop moment…
With a recent study indicating that people you have a couple of teas of coffees a day have a lower risk of dementia and marginally better cognitive performance, it seems that our work here is done.
Join us in the beachside café for our last ever Coffee with Fleur Podcast episode.
We reflect on the episodes we’ve done, topics we’ve covered and fun we’ve had, all while walking along the beach with a coffee in hand.
It’s been a wonderful couple of years, during which we’ve heard how many of you have used some of our tips to build and maintain your wellbeing. That we’ve had so many meaningful moments and smiles together, has made it all the more special.
We never imagined we’d have listeners around the world or would have people stop us to say they listened to our episodes. We are both truly grateful.
What comes next? Watch this space!
The Coffee with Fleur archive will remain active and available for you to tap into in the coming months and years when your wellbeing cup needs a top up.
For now though, as we walk along the beach, coffee in hand, we just want to close by saying a simple but heartfelt… thank you.
Join us in the cafe.
Article: A couple of teas or coffees a day could lower risk of dementia, scientists say | Medical research | The Guardian
Study: Coffee and Tea Intake, Dementia Risk, and Cognitive Function | Lifestyle Behaviors | JAMA | JAMA NetworkMore: https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/
11 min - 36: Benefits of AltruismJoin us as we explore the effect that kindness and altruism has on our wellbeing. While it may sound obvious, in this world, it sometimes feels like we need a refresher.
The satisfaction of helping someone else and really making a difference gives us perspective, elevates our feelings of gratitude and builds positivity.
Listen for:
· Examples of altruism
· Research into kindness
· How being altruistic to others helps you feel better
· Our personal volunteering and random acts of kindness
· The multiplier effect of doing more
· Happy dogs!
Somehow, it’s the moments where people randomly help us and show us kindness, particularly when we least expect it, that we remember long after the event.
And perhaps this causes a ripple effect that builds others wellbeing.
As we now have a break between episodes, perhaps consider how you might help others or maybe do a random act of kindness over the coming weeks.
Join us in the café.
Do: David’s RAOK day story
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/arnolddj_raok-randomactsofkindness-positivepsychology-activity-7099183760042061825-LN-x/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
Read: Doing Good and Feeling Good: World Happiness Report 2023
https://www.worldhappiness.report/ed/2023/doing-good-and-feeling-good-relationships-between-altruism-and-well-being-for-altruists-beneficiaries-and-observers/
Learn: Altruism, happiness, and health: it's good to be good
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15901215/
More Coffee with Fleur
https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/17 min - 35: OutsideJoin us on location at the beach as we explore the benefits to mental health and wellbeing of getting outside.
Numerous studies have shown that being outside in different environments, whether thats a garden, park, river, bush or beach, is hugely important to our wellbeing. Our senses are stimulated in a different way, we take time to relax, and our minds open up.
Listen for:- Research on the beneficial aspects of being outside
- Benefits of seeing green (park, forest) or blue (sky, sea)
- Feelings of contentment and relaxation
- How we can incorporate the outside into our busy working days
- Remembering our sense of place that involve the outside
And keeping on brand, Fleur invites us to explore the benefits of having your coffee outside, rather than inside, your home each morning.
So make this coffee a takeaway and join us at the outdoor café.
Read: Adam Grant on why the beach is so relaxing:
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/star-psychologist-adam-grant-just-explained-why-beach-incredibly-relaxing.html
Watch: the benefits of being outdoors on wellbeing and mental health with Ben Reynolds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHj79hLFUE4
Learn: science behind the benefits of spending 120 mins a week in nature:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3
More Coffee with Fleur:
https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/14 min - 34: Alone and LonelinessWhat does it mean to be alone? And what’s the difference being alone, loneliness and solitude?
Fleur has found herself hooked on the SBS TV show Alone, where people are dropped in the wilderness and asked to build shelter, seek food and record their thoughts over a period of weeks. The person who lasts the longest in isolation wins.
As the series progresses, the differences between being alone, loneliness and solitude play out, highlighting how while we can change and adapt in the short term, we all need high quality social connections for our health and wellbeing.
Listen for:
· Definitions of ‘alone’, ‘loneliness’ and ‘solitude’
· The psychology of being alone
· What happens as we move through such experiences
· How food and the weather influences peoples emotions
· The importance social connections have on our wellbeing
The good news you don’t need to travel to the Tasmanian wilderness to listen to the episode, just click play, wherever you are.
Join us in the café.
WHO Report: From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/from-loneliness-to-social-connection-summary
Alone on SBS Demand
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/alone-australia/season-3
More Coffee with Fleur:
https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/18 min - 33: Getting Vulnerable With My DyslexiaThis one’s personal, you see, for the first time David finally feels able to accept and talk openly about his dyslexia, sensitivity and introversion.
This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week and one of its themes is fitting for a podcaster: "Dyslexia: Raising the Volume".
The goal is to celebrate the individuality, creativity, and passion of those with dyslexia while raising awareness and challenging misconceptions about this common learning difference.
Join us as David talks candidly with Fleur about:
· what dyslexia, sensitivity and introversion is
· what his own personal character traits are
· why he hid them from my professional life for decades
· how these gifts give him insights and ideas others may not have
· how being highly sensitive makes him perfectly suited for the work he does
· the world being ready for these types of conversations
In years past David has hidden or managed this and up until relatively recently, the thought of posting this would have been too daunting to even contemplate.
It’s only with the support of a few trusted people (you know who you are!) that David has felt confident enough to be vulnerable and open up in this way.
So join us in the café.
Susan Cain: Quiet Quiz
Andre Sólo and Jenn Granneman: Highly Sensitive Person Test
Watch: See Dyslexia Differently
More Coffee with Fleur30 min - 32: Human SustainabilityAt a time when the rate of change and uncertainty is stacked and continuous, both at work and across the world, how can we possibly absorb it all?
The volume of data and information we consume each day is enormous and increasingly we find ourselves struggling to take it all in or becoming overwhelmed, with all the implications for our mental health and wellbeing.
Of course, this begs the question; do we actually have the capacity to adapt to all the change that we’re being asked to absorb on a daily basis?
And if we don’t, what are the implications for the changes that are being initiated? Do the benefits diminish if those being asked to adapt are struggling?
In this deep dive into our brains response to change we:
· Review latest research about the rate of change in organisations
· Consider how our brains respond to absorbing change
· Explore brains four main organising principles
· Think about what individuals and organisations can do
Perhaps in understanding how our brain works and considering how we sequence, phase and balance change with people in mind, there might be better alignment and less overwhelm.
Join us in the café.
Read: Lisa Feldman Barratt - 7 ½ Lessons About the Brain https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/books/seven-and-a-half-lessons-about-the-brain/
Learn: Brain Friendly Change short course from ACLI
https://aclinstitute.com/courses/brain-friendly-change-course/
Follow: Michelle Teunis on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleteunis/
More: Coffee with Fleur
https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/21 min - 31: Psychological SafetyEver been in a discussion and thought “I don’t think that, but I can’t say anything”, or felt a sinking feeling when a facilitator ask you to answer an awkward question in front of a group of leaders?
In this episode we look at psychological safety, what it is and how we might create an environment where it can be occur.
If we don’t have the opportunity to bring our collective diversity of thought, what are we missing as a result? Perhaps the quietest person might just have solved the issue you’re grappling but doesn’t have the courage to speak up.
Listen for our thoughts on:- What we mean by the term psychological safety
- What the evidence-based research says
- How we might create it
- How we’ve ensured it’s presence it in our projects
- How active listening, openness and trust are fundamental
In our personal and working lives deeper understanding and relationships occur when people feel free to be themselves and to share their real thoughts.
And to flourish we all need the comfort to be able to try new things and even to fail.
Join us in the café.
Amy Edmonson
https://amycedmondson.com/psychological-safety/
Pysch Safety Resources:
https://psychsafety.com/free-resources-on-psychological-safety/
More Coffee with Fleur:
https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/
#change #wellbeing17 min - 30: Social ComparisonI’d be happy if I only had… that new car, latest phone, bigger house or role promotion. But would you really?
In this episode we look at social comparison and how comparing ourselves to others we know or see on social media can challenge our own wellbeing.
Perhaps the seemingly perfect lifestyles we see portrayed online aren’t reflective of real life. And perhaps those who look like they have it all aren’t happy because of the burden and pressure to maintain it.
Listen for our thoughts on:- How constantly comparing ourselves with others isn’t sustainable
- What if you choose to opt out?
- Balancing what you want, with what you actually need
- How achieving that balance broadens perspectives and can shift emotions
Perhaps if we bring our awareness to what we need to achieve a balance, it might help our mental and emotional wellbeing. If we stop comparing, it frees us up.
There’s also a nuance here. Because as humans we are wired to compare by default. It’s what we do. So perhaps there’s also instances where comparing makes us realise there are many positives in our lives and we can use that as motivation.
So, do you want to be a follower for the rest of your life?
Or do you want to change and make life a single player game, telling your own story, gaining more personal satisfaction and higher wellbeing as a result.
Join us in the café.
Watch: Rachel Smets Stop Comparing! Be the best you
Read: Anna Schaffner: How to Escape the Hedonic Treadmill and Be Happier
More: https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/18 min - 29: Social Media UpdateSix months ago we recorded episodes detailing our experiences with social media. So where are we now?
We all know the challenges that come with technology that’s in our hands and platforms that are built to accelerate our use, have a big potential for addiction and are pervasive by design.
We also know the research into the dramatic impact social media can have on our wellbeing and many of us are searching for ways to find a better balance.
In this episode we catch up and chart our experiences over the last six months, trying to reduce (Fleur) and eliminate (David) our use of social media.
How have we got on? What have we noticed? What difference has it made?
We’re no different to anyone else in that while we’re aware of the pitfalls of spending so much time doom scrolling, we’re also aware that for many people, their interests or connections lie online.
Perhaps though, there’s a healthier balance to strike or even a world that we might discover more of if we weren’t so tied to our devices.
Join us in the café!
The person I've become since I left social media by Molly Ella
https://hippyhighlandliving.substack.com/p/the-person-ive-become-since-i-left?r=cspa8&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true
Cal Newport: https://calnewport.com/
More Coffee with Fleur: https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/17 min - 28: Finding FulfilmentThis episode of the Coffee with Fleur podcast finds us in a contemplative mood as we take stock of all the change and disruption occurring around us in the world.
It seems each time we turn on the news or open the internet we’re bombarded with negative stories about the latest political upheaval or conflict.
This cumulative load can eventually influence our mental health and wellbeing, as we try and balance our daily lives along with taking in everything else that’s going on.
We’re also encouraged to ‘bring our whole selves to work’. What that means is that when we do, we’re likely to arrive bringing a lot of baggage with us.
So how can we find fulfilment in an increasingly unbalanced world?
In Jan 2025, Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy, the former US Surgeon General wrote ‘My Parting Prescription for America’, an exploration of how we all, no matter where we live, build community to support us through turbulent times.
We discuss how relationships, service and purpose are all embedded in the core virtue of love and how building our community and connections can increase our mental, physical resilience and life satisfaction.
Join us in the café!
More: https://www.coffeewithfleurpodcast.au/
Follow us on Instagram @coffeewithfleur16 min
About Coffee with Fleur
From the publisher's feed
A podcast about enhancing your personal wellbeing and resilience, so you can adapt when change occurs.
When change happens, whether it’s at work or in our personal lives, we need to be equipped with positive strategies and practical tools that we can utilise to help us navigate it. Positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement, as well as health all play a role in enabling us to flourish.