Happiness is...

... blimey, screwed if we know. That's a massive question, and we probably bit off more than we could chew when we asked that.

Today we start a bit of a deep dive into happiness. What's the difference between being in a good mood, and finding existential contentment?

Told you we got deep.

Plus, find out what our audience think happiness is (those that could bother to respond to our Instagram polls, anyway 😂)

Part two of Happiness is coming next week!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes… but not the “moving house / new job” kind.

This week, Tim and J talk about an unnerving kind of change: the mental shift from running on autopilot to actually feeling like the main character in your own life.

J opens up about getting help after months of anxiety "stealing" his time – the work spirals, the constant “what if I panic?” loop, and what’s changed since meds and starting therapy (including the urge to “answer therapy correctly”… because obviously).

Then Tim gets into what quitting smoking has unlocked: more friction, less reactive decision-making, more patience, and that strange lightbulb moment of realising “I’m in control here”. They get into dopamine, comfort habits, exercise “snacking”, sugar, and why progress doesn’t always feel dramatic – sometimes it just feels… quiet.

(Themes include anxiety, addiction, medication, and therapy.)

Okay this week Tim & J turned into proper hypochondriacs, and maybe conspiracy theorists – it's hard to tell these days.

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what about when you're freaking out about every ache, pain, wheeze, whistle, localised numbness or random bit of bleeding? That might call for more than your run of the mill Grannie Smith.

So the guys huddle up and try to untangle what “healthy” even means nowadays – real health vs “healthy” as a marketing tool, and the rise of health kicks that promise quick fixes and deliver new anxieties.

They get into diets, smoking, sugar cravings, the GLP-1 boom (Ozempic, Wegovy, the lot), and how the word “healthy” has been hijacked and distorted into a guilt-ridden, expensive piece of abstract performative live art.

And Tim completely loses it when he hears they stopped manufacturing Prozac to make more GLP-1 meds… which is either the most cynical thing you’ve ever heard, or the moment you realise we’re all living in a massive scam.

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This one is a bit ad-hoc. Because life gets in the way sometimes.

As The Four Tops famously sang: Reach out, I'll be there, you can always depend on me.

And those lyrics couldn't be more appropriate for Man vs Mind this week – when J's had a proper, proper, week of it.

We go into why reaching out to a friend, a therapist, whoever, is the single best way of helping to manage your problems.

(Oh, and why quitting smoking has made Tim feel like a 15 year old...)

If you’re enjoying the show PLEASE consider leaving us a 5* rating and a few words to review the show - the algorithm loves it and it’ll help more people find the show ❤️❤️

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Get in touch! Email us with your questions or comments at [email protected], send us a message (or a voice note!) on Instagram @ManvsMindPod, and head to www.manvsmindpod.com for our full list of episodes.

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This week, Tim quit the tastiest coping mechanism you'll find on the streets today – vaping.

Having been an on-off smoker for most of his adult life, it reached the point where it didn't feel like a choice anymore, and something needed to change. But for the sake of search/discoverability let's call it a New Year's Resolution...

Quitting absolutely wrecked his head – and it still does. So in this catch up with J, Tim speaks candidly about it all: shame,loss of control, the uncomfortable truths and the mental health impact of rehabbing from addiction.

And, crucially, it's about why he smoked in the first place.

This episode talks about addiction, beyond just smoking/vaping, but there's nothing but empathy here from the guys 💙

If you wanna get in touch and chat (with your privacy totally respected), please hit us up on Instagram @manvsmindpod – we promise we'll listen.

If you’re enjoying the show PLEASE consider leaving us a 5* rating and a few words to review the show - the algorithm loves it and it’ll help more people find the show ❤️❤️

Head to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Just click here or search for Manvsmindpod on Patreon today!

Get in touch! Email us with your questions or comments at [email protected], send us a message (or a voice note!) on Instagram @ManvsMindPod, and head to www.manvsmindpod.com for our full list of episodes.

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Woohoo it's a brand-new year, a brand-new season and the guys are audibly PUMPED to be back in the studio.

Back with a fresh new sound for 2026, the guys take a bit of time to look back on how their mental health changed over the course of 2025.

J speaks publicly for the first time on how ADHD treatment recently changed his life, Tim reveals the moment he realised he'll NEVER stop managing his mental health (note: this is very different from not trying), and the guys ask ChatGPT to explain how its seen them change over the past year...

... and Tim was livid with what it said to J...

Back to it, back with a bang(ing new soundtrack), back to attack 2026, and back with another one of those blockrockin' beats!

Love you all, oh and get in touch plz k thx bye x

If you’re enjoying the show PLEASE consider leaving us a 5* rating and a few words to review the show - the algorithm loves it and it’ll help more people find the show ❤️❤️

Head to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Just click here or search for Manvsmindpod on Patreon today!

Get in touch! Email us with your questions or comments at [email protected], send us a message (or a voice note!) on Instagram @ManvsMindPod, and head to www.manvsmindpod.com for our full list of episodes.

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Since it's the end of the year and, y'know, life has got a bit nuts for Tim & J, we thought we'd say a quick thank you for everything this year, and sorry we've not been around since the Xmas special.

To everyone, have a wonderful and hopefully restful holiday season with loved ones. We'll be back with new episodes in January once we're done with festivities, viruses and entertaining the kids!

Big love, thanks for everything so far, and we'll see you on the flipside of the new calendar

Tim & J

x

If you’re enjoying the show PLEASE consider leaving us a 5* rating and a few words to review the show - the algorithm loves it and it’ll help more people find the show ❤️❤️

Head to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Just click here or search for Manvsmindpod on Patreon today!

Get in touch! Email us with your questions or comments at [email protected], send us a message (or a voice note!) on Instagram @ManvsMindPod, and head to www.manvsmindpod.com for our full list of episodes.

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Christmas time, mistletoe and… panic attacks.

In this festive episode of Man vs Mind, Tim and J get properly honest about Christmas – not just the cosy fairy lights version, but the pressure, money stress and forced fun that come with it. They talk about trying to keep the magic alive for their kids (and the emotional gymnastics of the whole Father Christmas lie), the logistics of in-laws and long-haul family politics, and why the build-up to the big day can feel heavier than the day itself.

They get into Secret Santas, gift-giving anxiety, being skint in December, office Christmas music wars, broken trees, exploding lights, and that weird guilt that comes with presents you never use but can’t quite throw away. And, because it’s still Man vs Mind, they land on the small, quiet moments that actually make Christmas feel worth it – kids in terrible Christmas pyjamas, twinkly lights, croissants and coffee, and seeing how much the people you love love this time of year.

Oh and Tim's radical idea for making Christmas more manageable for parents...

There’s also a Patreon-only Man vs Mind Uncut bit after the main episode – no ads, and some extra chat. If you want to support the show and get the full thing every time, head to patreon.com/manvsmindpod.

If you’re enjoying the show PLEASE consider leaving us a 5* rating and a few words to review the show - the algorithm loves it and it’ll help more people find the show ❤️❤️

Head to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Just click here or search for Manvsmindpod on Patreon today!

Get in touch! Email us with your questions or comments at [email protected], send us a message (or a voice note!) on Instagram @ManvsMindPod, and head to www.manvsmindpod.com for our full list of episodes.

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Can we ever be 100% unapologetically authentic all of the time?

In this ep, Tim and J look back at the different versions of themselves they’ve tried on, and ask how much of it was real… and how much was playing along or trying to fit in?

We all like to think we’re totally authentic throughout our lives. But were there moments where the mask slipped? Times we performed a bit, adapted a bit, acted a bit, or tried on a persona that didn’t quite fit?

Expect stories about post-uni rebellion, ski season escapism, dabbling with corporate personas, ridiculously expensive wine, parenting authenticity, and the unexpectedly revealing new segment: Real or Superficial? (And, yes, there's a new jingle too...)

If you want the extended edition, check out Man vs Mind Uncut on Patreon – ad free, extended, and usually even more honest (just don't ask Tim about his neon dreadlock phase...)

If you’re enjoying the show PLEASE consider leaving us a 5* rating and a few words to review the show - the algorithm loves it and it’ll help more people find the show ❤️❤️

Head to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Just click here or search for Manvsmindpod on Patreon today!

Get in touch! Email us with your questions or comments at [email protected], send us a message (or a voice note!) on Instagram @ManvsMindPod, and head to www.manvsmindpod.com for our full list of episodes.

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School. That smell of anxious teenage fear, disinfectant, plastic chairs and wooden floors.

For many it invokes stress, more fear, anxiety, deep-seeded trauma. For others it was the time of their lives.

Today, Tim & J introduce a new game to go through the highs and lows of school life, and how it shaped our adult selves: Formative or Traumative?

From rogue teachers who really needed sacking, to years of bullying, the positive life experiences and the lifelong lessons learned about self-assurance, they go through it all... they needed a therapy cat in the room for this one.

And in Man vs Mind Uncut – J tells us how a house party he went to as a teenager resulted in all of the house's doors getting lost... seriously.

YOU can get in on the Uncut (and ad-free) action by signing up to the Man vs Mind community on Patreon! Just $5 a month – just something to consider (and click on). www.patreon.com/manvsmindpod

If you’re enjoying the show PLEASE consider leaving us a 5* rating and a few words to review the show - the algorithm loves it and it’ll help more people find the show ❤️❤️

Head to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Just click here or search for Manvsmindpod on Patreon today!

Get in touch! Email us with your questions or comments at [email protected], send us a message (or a voice note!) on Instagram @ManvsMindPod, and head to www.manvsmindpod.com for our full list of episodes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.