Did you know over 3 in every 100 adults deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) on an annual basis? 

SAD is often dismissed as not serious, but it is still a form of depression, so if you think you struggle with your mental health at this time of year you need to take action. 

In this episode of the podcast I apply the 8Wise principles to SAD and show you how you can implement simple activities right away to help you manage your happiness through the winter. 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:28) Things are changing for us 

(04:37) Daylight is so important 

(08:51) Winter sun 

(13:04) SAD needs treatment 

(16:13) Never underestimate physical exercise 

(19:09) Embrace the autumn 

(23:09) It’s all about sleep 

(25:19) Make time for social wellness 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook

If you would like to find out more about 8Wise, please come to one of my upcoming masterclass events:

5th October 2022

14th October 2022

Click the link to find out more and register now!

Do you find yourself raiding the fridge after a bad day? 

Perhaps you find solace in alcohol, the escape of TV or even hitting the gym several times a day? 

These are all forms of dysfunctional behaviours. In fact, anything you do as a way of coping with stress that isn’t dealing head on with the stress is a dysfunctional behaviour. 

For me it was eating, and for years I had a major problem with food. It got so bad I had to take drastic measures, but even then, once the eating stopped I found myself with all of this unmanaged stress and anxiety – what was I supposed to do?! 

In this episode I help you identify your own dysfunctional behaviours and explain how these habits are made and broken, so that you can start to get your behaviour under control and live a happy, healthy life. 

Here are the highlights: 

(03:30) How are dysfunctional behaviours formed? 

(04:53) My battle as a stress eater 

(11:06) Obesity is NOT about laziness 

(17:04) What do you use to cover up the pain? 

(22:14) Embedding a functional behavioural cycle 

(25:17) Anything can be dysfunctional 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook

If you would like to find out more about 8Wise, please come to one of my upcoming masterclass events:

5th October 2022

14th October 2022

Click the link to find out more and register now!

Loss affects us all in different ways, and it’s something we will all experience in our lives. This has been no more pertinent across the UK than now, as we come together to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II. 

However, bereavement is also a very personal experience and it can come from places you might not expect: the loss of a job and the ending of a relationship through to the loss of a loved one can all trigger grief. 

As unique and as personal as it is, there are some shared characteristics and stages in the grieving process. In this episode I help you understand what they are and share some advice to help you navigate your own journey in whatever way works best for you. 

This is all about ensuring that we grieve in a healthy and appropriate way, so that in the long term we can find the closure and comfort we need to continue living a healthy life. 

If you are currently experiencing 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:46) Making support and advice accessible to all 

(03:15) Grieving for someone you don’t know 

(07:33) A self-defence mechanism 

(13:21) Everyone grieves at their own pace 

(17:46) Adapting to a new role 

(22:29) Are you looking for support? 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook

If you would like to find out more about 8Wise, please come to one of my upcoming masterclass events:

5th October 2022

14th October 2022

Click the link to find out more and register now!

In the last episode we covered all the unpleasant emotions we’re usually so scared of, and looked how to understand and accept them as tools our body uses to help us navigate life. 

In this episode we’re going to build on this, by looking at how these emotions create different cognitive thinking processes in our brains. 

Don’t worry, I’m not about to go all super sciency on you! It’s really just about understanding what emotions we feel, how they trigger our thought processes, how they trigger our overall feelings and how that affects our body and behaviour. 

By learning to take ownership of our feelings and gain better control over the behaviours those feelings can trigger, we can take better control of our lives and manage our mental health and wellbeing more effectively. 

So let’s do this! 

Here are the highlights: 

(02:19) The internal dimension of the 8Wise model 

(10:15) We live in a comparative world 

(12:59) Common distortions linked to anxiety and depression 

(21:17) Overcoming negative thought patterns 

(25:37) Failing forward 

(28:59) Start dialling the noise down 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook

Anger, disgust, sadness – they’re not just characters from Disney’s Inside Out. They’re real emotions, we’ve all experienced them, and it doesn’t feel great. Our physical responses to these emotions means we pigeonhole them as bad or negative, but actually all of our emotions serve an important purpose.  

At a really basic evolutionary level, our emotions help us make the right decisions in order to survive, so it’s really important to understand why they make us feel the way we do. 

In this episode I am going to explain the connection emotions, feelings and moods. I look at some of our most unpleasant emotions and break down the reason we have them, and why our bodies tend to react in pretty unpleasant ways to them. 

Here are the highlights: 

(02:46) We may not want unpleasant emotions, but we need them 

(04:04) The difference between emotions, feelings and moods 

(08:32) It's part of our survival system 

(14:15) It's getting hot-headed in here 

(18:54) Understanding Anger 

(20:56) Frustration is no game 

(22:55) Disgust is why you don’t eat rotten apples 

(25:12) Regrets? I’ve got a few. 

(27:18) You never need to struggle alone 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

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Facebook

It’s no secret that our mind and our body are deeply connected, and this is no more obvious than when we are stressed or experiencing issues with our mental health. 

When our psychological or emotional wellness is being challenged, we often see an impact to our physical wellness, so in this episode we are going to take a closer look at what you body is telling you about your own wellbeing. 

I talk you through an exercise which will help you identify the areas in your life where you are struggling the most, because once you identify the issue you can start to manage it AND prevent it from becoming a bigger, more unmanageable beast further down the line. 

This podcast is all about helping you manage and prevent mental health issues so that you can live a healthy, happy life, and understanding the relationship between your emotional and physical wellness is absolutely key. 

Here are the highlights: 

(00:54) Commit to some self-reflection 

(03:25) We are built for stress 

(10:25) Physical reactions to emotional stress 

(15:58) The strong connection between our physical and mental health 

(18:48) How can emotional stress impact your life? 

(20:13) The Stress Test 

(26:58) Implement strong self-care strategies today! 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook

It’s always said that art of acting is about reacting, but the same could be said for us in everyday life too. We spend most of our lives learning how to deal with whatever the universe throws at us, which is why in this episode I am going to cover what those big things are and how they may affect our mental health. 

Transitions come in all shapes and sizes, from the almost unnoticeable transition of learning a new skill to bigger life events like buying a house or having children. Transitions can also be negative experiences, such as being evicted or losing a job, but whether good or bad, these transitions can often trigger mental health issues. 

Having the tools and the mindset to deal with all of the transitions life throws our way, no matter how unexpected, will help you live the happy, healthy life you deserve, so let’s do it! 

Here are the highlights: 

(03:11) Let’s be honest, life is tough! 

(06:17) Most of us struggle with change 

(10:10) The four types of life transition we all experience 

(14:20) Unanticipated transitions 

(16:52) Non-event transitions 

(19:31) Sleeper transitions 

(23:07) Transitions come in good and bad forms 

(25:42) How to manage and process change 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

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Facebook

In the podcast so far, I have broken down the core elements of the 8Wise methodology, so that you have the tools and resources you need to start managing your mental health better to live a healthier, happier life. 

In this episode I wrap this all up and show you how all of these elements co-exist and work together. I show you how important it is to consider all of them together and not just focus on one. For example, there's no point having amazing physical wellness, if you really neglect your emotional wellness. 

This podcast is designed to give you an introduce to the 8Wise program, so that everybody can start implementing the techniques to improve your mental health right now. The tools are not just designed to manage mental health, but stop the onset of preventable mental health issues. 

You deserve to live your best life, and I am here to help you do that! 

Here are the highlights: 

(00:50) How do you use 8Wise in everyday life? 

(05:11) Building a framework to support your mental health 

(10:34) We don’t have goals, only milestones 

(18:51) Grab the low-hanging fruit 

(22:59) Only you are responsible for your mental health 

(26:12) Embrace your emotions and learn to regulate them 

(28:22) The 8Wise Discovery course 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

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Twitter 

Facebook

Habits are always so easy to create but very difficult to break! I bet every single one of you has a habit you wish you could break, be it as small as nail-biting or something more significant which may be impacting your mantal health. 

I used to have a bad habit of comfort eating, and it had a big impact on both my physical and mental health. However, once I put in practice the principles of the 8Wise methodology I was able to get my habits under control. 

So in this episode I am going to explain how habits are formed and what you can do about it. 

I will also share the resources and the tools you need to not only combat your bad habits, but create healthy new ones so that you can keep your mental health and wellbeing firmly in the green! 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:53) Changing habits is hard 

(05:41) 40% of our actions are driven by habits 

(08:55) Cue, craving, response and reward 

(13:01) Creating the loop 

(19:45) Small change creates a big lasting impact 

(24:16) Using habits to create a self-care routine 

(27:13) How to create new habits 

(30:29) You can change 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

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Facebook

TEXT

Stress affects us all. Whether it’s our finances, our job, our relationships, or a combination of many things, if we do not have the tools to manage stress effectively, we set ourselves on a path towards anxiety, depression and a number of other mental health disorders. 

In this episode I want to help you manage your stress. 

I am going to give you practical tips and advice so you can understand your triggers and get control of them before they impact you. 

I talk about the different types of stress, from acute to chronic, and the physiological affect it can have. I know, because stress drove me to agoraphobia and an eating disorder, but you can beat it! 

Here are the highlights: 

(01:55) Stress is the gateway to mental health issues 

(06:17) I was an idiot 

(08:01) Your mental health is like a gun 

(13:06) How the brain processes stress 

(19:11) The three different types of stress 

(23:35) How to understand your stress triggers 

(27:56) Creating a negative conditioned mindset 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast, share with friends and leave a review so others can find us. 

You can also find out more about the 8Wise™ Way here:

The 8Wise™ Website 

LinkedIn 

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook