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Do the people you work with, or the team you lead, struggle with stress, sometimes lack motivation or feel they’re flagging from time to time?

Clinical Psychologist and Organisational and Coaching Psychologist Dr. Jared Watson has a wealth of experience in helping businesses overcome such challenges. @dr.jared.watson

In episode 44 of our podcast, ‘Health Versus Wealth with Dr Ben’, host GP Dr Ben Sinclair and his guest Dr Watson turn their conversation to supporting the corporate sector.

As part of the Dr Finlay’s Private Practice team, Dr Watson helps businesses, leaders and employees overcome barriers, manage stress, boost motivation and improve workplace performance.

With experience in senior NHS leadership, private practice and corporate consulting, he combines his psychological expertise with real-world business insights. His approach views organisations like individuals, assessing their wellbeing to enhance team dynamics, leadership effectiveness and overall success.

If you're curious to learn more about how improved mental wellbeing can shape your business performance, don’t miss this insightful episode and discover actionable strategies for a healthier, more engaged workplace.

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Professor Andrew Shaw is Founder & CEO of the multi-award-winning diagnostics company, Attomarker. The business describes itself as being “dedicated to the personalised medicine market, providing gold-standard rapid diagnostics that facilitate better and timelier health decisions.” Prof Shaw describes himself as “an academic entrepreneur”, attributing this to encouragement he received at Stamford University, (where he studied) and which instils in all its students a link between science and entrepreneurship, between having a great idea and commercialising it.

Attomarker’s capital value is currently around £30m. Prof Shaw, now in his 50s, is an associate professor of physical chemistry at Exeter University, which is where Attomarker started. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. As an eminent scientist and academic entrepreneur, Prof Shaw has dedicated his work to advancing science and helping doctors in the treatment of their patients.

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Claudia Indries, a dentist all her life, was born in Romania, coming to the UK in 2009. In Romania, she ran her own private practice for 10yrs. Later she decided to come to Britain due to changing family circumstances, and after she heard that the UK needed dentists. Claudia’s work involves treating special needs referrals patients, people with both physical and mental disabilities, including children. “The job brings big rewards to see people smiling is the best feeling,” she says.

In this episode, Claudia talks about how her 2-year struggle with Long Covid has substantially impacted her life. She’s currently on a Long Covid recovery journey having initially caught Covid in July 2022. She felt very ill for 3-4 weeks and looking back, she says she should have called the ambulance and her GP said she was “lucky”. 

She recalls: “We dressed like astronauts with PPE, masks and protection, but I worked through the whole pandemic”. After 3 months, Claudia developed LC, going on to develop balance problems, sleep-deprivation, gastrointestinal issues, memory issues, brain fog. “It was scary. I couldn't recognise myself. Losing myself was the worst thing.”

She adds: “Long Covid is the biggest challenge I have ever faced and recovering from it the toughest thing I've ever had to do. I'm still working on that recovery and not sure if I will be able to return to work. Two years ago, my life stopped. I feel like I am under a glass and separated from the rest of the world. People can see us under the glass but cannot understand how we feel. I cannot travel, lots of days I don't leave the house, life has become very simple. I cannot plan anything. But I feel a duty of share a duty to share my experience and if by telling my Long Covid story I help only one person, I'll be happy.”

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Chris Mitton is the Lead Pastor at an Anglican church in Birmingham. A father of 3, he studied Theology at university and worked at other churches before arriving in the city. His father was a vicar until Chris was aged 4 and his mother also did administrative work in the Church. But it was not until Chris turned 18 that he decided his studies and career path would also lead him to becoming a clergyman, which he has now been for 7 years. 

Having contracted Covid at Easter 2023, Long Covid followed that summer. The impact of Long Covid on his health has been “mostly cerebral”, he says, citing headaches and brain fog. He loves running, has done one marathon (Edinburgh) and some HMs, but now feels “wiped out” if he tries to run. He believes reclaiming the ability to run may be the last stage of his LC recovery, which he currently puts at 80%.

On the subject of “Wealh”, unlike many in business, he doesn’t view his wealth monetarily. At school in exams, he got ‘A’s and it later occurred to him he could’ve chosen other career paths that attracted bigger salaries. “Sometimes I think it would be really nice to take the kids to Alton Towers or eat steak more often, but the satisfaction I get from helping people convinces me I made the right choice,” he says. “To me, ‘wealth’ is about making a positive contribution, going to bed thinking that people's lives have been improved due to my contribution. It's also about relationships, like spending time with my kids. Theology touches all aspects of life. I love the potential of helping people. That was the draw, to give them a sense of purpose.”

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Chris Moon MBE, double amputee & inspirational speaker, returns to Dr Ben’s podcast studio for a second conversation, this time about the topic of resilience and mental toughness. He believes people can learn to grow their Willpower, that it’s not something you are merely born with, or without, but a quality you can nurture. 

Chris devotes his working life to sharing his wisdom and approach with others through his public speaking and business workshops. He believes it’s important to develop self-awareness and recognise we need to do things to recharge our psychological batteries. He says: “It’s important how we talk to ourselves, our internal dialogue, how we think inside our heads, and important to make that constructive and positive. We should practise helpful thinking.”

Chris is usually up at 6am, he’ll often meditate in the morning, to “get his head in right place” and own the day. He offers listeners tips on exercises they can do to develop mental toughness. “We need to recognise that’s a constant journey, we need to make our thinking appropriate to our environment and do things that make you feel better,” he says.

He advises us to “develop healthy mental and physical habits”. Be gentle and kind to yourself, and others, he says, but you have to get yourself in order before you can help others. He believes it’s important to develop a support network and ask for help. “Don’t be a stranger. What makes us the people we are is a mixture of nature and nurture, but we are who we choose to be. You CAN learn willpower and help others develop it. 

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Chris Moon MBE is a double amputee who has triumphed despite adversity having been injured while clearing landmines for a charity in Africa. Today he’s well known as a Keynote speaker, big on the After Dinner Speaker circuit, a Director of corporate Workshops and a Programme Director, a Conference Facilitator, author and a Motivator, whose expertise lies in helping others improve their performance and resilience.

Despite physical challenges he overcomes daily having lost his right arm and a leg, he’s travelled widely, delivering inspiring talks on every continent, 100+ countries, to audiences of all ages, from schoolchildren to CEOs. A former British Army officer, he was in Mozambique, Africa (in 1995) clearing landmines when the accident happened. Becoming a double amputee didn’t put him off his stride in life. Less than a year after leaving hospital, he completed the London Marathon and, at the age of 62, he continues to run the world’s most gruelling ultra-marathons.

He’s also one of the few Westerners to have survived being taken prisoner by Cambodia’s ruthless Khmer Rouge guerrillas. “I am one of the luckiest people to be alive whom you’re likely to meet,” he says. In this episode, the first of two, he shares his life experiences and offers advice for people in business.

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Concluding the second episode of a two-part conversation with gut health expert Vaughan Wickins, says recent figures show that over half the UK population over 50 will suffer constipation, but stigma exits around talking about it. “Men regard it as equally embarrassing as talking about erectile dysfunction,” he says.

Episode 2 focuses on the importance of breathing. He says while people can benefit from improving their understanding of gut health, even less is known about the importance of breathing. “After experimenting with many strategies, there were still days when I found myself struggling. I learned what could really kick-start my gut. I discovered more about breath work and the importance of your diaphragm. This has the ability to activate your parasympathetic nervous system PNS. It's also one of the largest muscles in your gut.”

Vaughan’s interest in exercises around the diaphragm were sparked by a TED Talk he saw 3 years ago hosted by the Danish Freediving world champion Stig Severinsen, who holds his breath for more than 20 minutes. Vaughan also qualified as a Certified Breathology breathing instructor. He can hold his breath for two and a half minutes. People who suffer from constipation and poor gut health should start exploring freediving and holding their breath, he believes, as it's a natural way to stimulate your gut and activate your PNS system. 

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In the first of a two-part conversation, gut health expert Vaughan Wickins tells Dr Ben Sinclair about his passion for the topic. Vaughan’s website sells online mini-courses on gut health, he has a new book (‘Gutwise’), and he also hosts other digital courses, in-person live talks & workshops. Why is he devoted to raising people’s awareness of gut health? “It struck me how little gut health is understood. Breathing is even less understood,” he says.

Moving to the UK from South Africa in 2005 in his mid-20s, he spent 15 yrs in the City of London in mining finance. He worked “a minimum of 12-hour days, from before 9am to 9pm”, eating very late at night, takeaway food at his desk, sleeping around 6 hrs nightly, working “hunched over a desk and screen”. It was around this time his gut health issues surfaced, in his early 30s. It surprised him because he enjoyed exercise, had a voracious appetite and didn't put on a lot of weight. “But I thought I was healthier than I actually was.” 

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Emma Hewitt, born in Coventry, now based in Birmingham, is a hard-working solicitor who specialises in HR and employment law. She works 60 hours a week and has 2 small children. Supporting employers and employees, her job is very stressful, especially when it comes to helping employees, who turn to her in their darkest hour. “I would say that my role is 90% counselling and 10% law,” she says. 

Emma deals with clients crying on the phone “most days”. She’s also had clients with “suicidal thoughts”. She is dedicated to supporting her clients, whether they be “Employers” or “Employees”. Which does she prefer? “Both have their challenges,” she replies diplomatically. 

During her childhood at home, she and her family used to watch ‘Kavanagh QC’ and she decided “she wanted to do that, although at that age you don’t realise there’s a difference between a barrister and a lawyer.” The famous TV series ran for 6 years (1995-2001) with the title role played by actor John Thaw, who went on to star in 'Minder' and 'Inspector Morse'.

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