Today's chat is all about how to get more active and beat the winter blues.

More episodes & mental performance resources at www.mindunlocked.co

We explore the link between movement and mental health, how you might be able to help others around you on their movement journey or mental health journey, and how to become part of a growing international community to help raise your commitment and to get some support.

For wellness entrepreneurs, we also delve into why the health and wellness opportunity is still in its infancy and the pros and cons of incorporating technology like apps or Facebook groups into your business.

Inspired by the powerful transformative effects that physical activity had on her mum's mental health Hannah Beecham founded RED January.

RED January is a UK based international movement that's empowering people to get active every day during January to beat the blues away. Over the last five years, red January has empowered 155,000 people to embrace physical activity, to improve their own mental health and raised over £2.7 million for mental health charities!

Hannah has also created RED Together to help people keep the momentum and growth going all year round, not just in the winter. We hope you enjoy today's episode! 

The tables are turned as Mind: Unlocked co-founder Niraj is interviewed about his drinking habits (yes, there is still alcohol involved), mindful drinking, how alcohol affects our brain - apart from the obvious! - and most importantly how we can change our relationship to alcohol so that we are each happier with it whether that's as a drinker, non-drinker or somewhere in between. 

Club Soda is a mindful drinking movement and we are humbled to call them friends. Today's guest interviewer is Dru Jaeger, co-founder of Club Soda and mindful drinker (obviously!)

Check out their stellar work here: https://joinclubsoda.com

Another person we really rate in the low and no alcohol / mindful drinking arena is Camille Vidal, whose platform for conscious alcohol consumption is La Maison Wellness.

No... they're NOT exercise, nutrition, meditation or sleep!*

As the world continues to be uncertain and chaotic in so many ways - coronavirus, more lockdowns, emotionally charged elections and more - Mind: Unlocked co-founder Niraj Shah shares 3 unusual, practical and easy-to-use science-backed tactics to boost your mood and mental well-being today.

Find show notes, resources, special offers and more at https://mindunlocked.co/podcast.

00:44 - The KEY skill of today and the future. 

02:32 - Science-backed tip #1 and what to be careful of. 

05:10 - Science-backed tip #2.

07:29 - Science-backed tip #3 and how to make it really work for you. 

10:06 - Bonus tip #4: Niraj's biggest mental health tip for 2020.

12:52 - Bonus tip #5: something fun and super effective.

Key topics: mental health, mood, mental well-being, practical tips. 

*exercise, nutrition, meditation and sleep are *fundamental* physical and mental well-being pillars. We highly recommend integrating them all into your life at the highest quality that you can. 

Hear the Co-Founder of leading vegan protein powder brand Form Nutrition discuss the smart drugs that can help you to focus more and sleep better. We also cover the pros and cons of wearable health tracking technology, which specific nootropic Niraj takes with his morning coffee and the one to avoid to protect your long term sleep quality. As usual the conversation is stacked with practical tools and ideas around mental well-being, meditation and more.

Full show notes, resources mentioned and special offers can be found at: https://mindunlocked.co/podcast.  

An experienced MBA educated entrepreneur, Damian Soong has always run, started and raised funds for businesses driven by social purpose. Men’s Health named him a Nutrition Maverick and Protein Pioneer. With Form he has brought a social conscience to a self-obsessed industry, positively impacting the lives of some of the most underprivileged communities in the world. Outside of work you'll find him at the gym, on Peloton or out on a real bike.

Hear a neuroscientist's overview of several lesser-known tactics to change the shape and capabilities of our brains today. We also delve into the difference between our brain and mind, why that matters, the third factor that's rarely talked about and Kayla's cornerstone lockdown health optimisation practices.

Full show notes, resources mentioned and special offers can be found at: https://mindunlocked.co/podcast.  

Kayla Osterhoff is a health scientist, professional athlete, entrepreneur, health optimization practitioner, and a global leader in integrative mind-body medicine. She is formally trained across the spectrum of health sciences with a bachelor of science in health ecology, master of science in public health, and currently pursuing her doctoral degree in neuropsychophysiology and biochemistry.

From childhood to early adulthood, Kayla witnessed the true cost and devastation of mental illness and addiction. This was the catalyst for her career in the health sciences. She was determined to learn about the human body and understand why some people suffer illness and disease, while others don't. What she discovered was that illness and disease are not inevitable, and in fact, can be prevented and cured through lifestyle.

During undergrad, Kayla worked in physical therapy, gaining an appreciation for exercise science and movement modalities, which served as the basis for her athletic accomplishments. She went on to study behavioral science and public health in graduate school and worked for many years as a health scientist at CDC while studying for her Ph.D. 

Her unique background and expertise across the spectrum of health sciences led her to develop a truly holistic understanding and approach for health optimization, peak performance, and resilience of the mind and body.

Connect with Kayla at www.biocuriouskayla.com or via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biocurious_kayla

Hear how Adam has consistently created balance from chaotic and unexpected situations. We explore the ancient system (not yoga) that helped him take massive action when faced with financial uncertainty during lockdown, how Uber drivers can help you become a better communicator, and exactly how yoga helps you to develop your mind.

Full show notes, resources mentioned and special offers can be found at: https://mindunlocked.co/podcast.  

Drawing from a variety of lives lived off the mat, Adam brings a unique perspective to those who seek more from yoga than making pretty shapes. He offers creative, effective and clearly-sequenced teachings that focus on balancing flexibility and strength; physically and mentally. Educated by globally renown teachers, including Jason Crandell and Michael Stone, Adam specialises in a signature style of Alignment-Based Vinyasa— fuelled by a fascination with anatomy and a desire to ask ‘why?’ Adam leads workshops, trainings and teaches festivals around the world, has thousands of teaching hours under his belt.

You can find his work and more at www.adamhusler.com and as a duo, Adam and his wife Holly Husler have an online platform, delivering; yoga, meditations and sound journeys on demand at www.thehuslers.com.

Hear the author of "How To Build A Healthy Brain" reveal the direct relationship between food and our brain health, including which three nutrients we all need more of. 

We also explore what parents need to know, the surprising link between breakfast and personalities, and most importantly, why fried eggs matter. 

Full show notes, resources mentioned and special offers can be found at: https://mindunlocked.co/podcast.  

Kimberley Wilson is a Chartered Psychologist, author and visiting lecturer working in private practice in central London. A Governor of the Tavistock & Portman NHS Mental Health Trust and the former Chair of the British Psychological Society's Training Committee in Counselling Psychology - the group responsible for monitoring and assessing the standards of Counselling Psychology training across the UK.  

She formerly led the therapy service at HMP & YOI Holloway, which at the time was Europe’s largest women’s prison (closed summer 2016).  Her book How to Build a Healthy Brain was published in March 2016.

In this chat we dive into a busy tech CEO's rituals and practices for staying focused, productive and happy whilst working from home. We also delve into Brain.FM's cutting edge tech that changes the blood flow in your brain, and the of future healthcare tech (including what's coming faster than you might think!).

Full show notes, resources mentioned and special offers can be found at: https://mindunlocked.co/podcast. 

As usual the conversation is littered with practical tools and ideas on what we can do to right now to feel better, live more fully and develop our mental muscles, so that we're ready for all the chaos and beauty of modern life.

Dan Clark is a serial entrepreneur, traveler and the CEO of Brain.fm, an innovative technology company that helps you be more productive through the use of functional music created by composers and artificial intelligence.

Dan has been in love with technology- and its potential to positively impact the world- for as long as he can remember. From building websites when he was 13, starting a design and advertising business at 18 and driving millions in revenue for multinational brands as a director for a boutique ad agency, he has truly been at the forefront of how technology can exponentially grow successful businesses.

He was one of Brain.fm's first users, and he called the company 12 times before they agreed to bring him in for an interview! When he did receive an offer, he jumped at it (even working for free for the first few weeks). He eventually moved up to Head of Technology, and is now the CEO. As CEO, Dan is constantly striving to build a company that can not only change the world through music, but also be one of the best companies for people to work for and grow with.

In today’s episode we explore the evolving world of therapy. If you’re not interested in therapy (or you don’t think you are), you’ll still find this chat both useful and - dare we say it - possibly therapeutic ;). 

That’s because we talk to a successful entrepreneur about her well-being rituals, challenges around cancer - especially during lockdown -  and her journey from staring at spreadsheets to changing lives. 

Full show notes, resources mentioned and special offers can be found at: https://mindunlocked.co/podcast. 

This episode could have easily been called “How a busy CEO with breast cancer navigates lockdown and homeschooling”!. 

We get into a fascinating discussion around technology and the future of therapy - chatbots, artificial intelligence, virtual reality - what we’re seeing TODAY and how we see these areas evolving. 

If you’ve ever wondered what happens in a therapy session or why therapy might work, we lift the veil on those things too, from the perspective of our guest.

Dr Sheri Jacobson is a retired senior therapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, after being accredited for 16 years.

During that time she worked for Mind, MENCAP, a women's centre, an alcohol advice centre, Britain's National Health Service, and with private clients. 

She established Harley Therapy in 2006 with the goal of providing first-rate therapy services by carefully vetted practitioners, as well as compiling educational resources for those who cannot access these services. 

Sheri oversees the hand-selection of highly skilled, warm and engaging practitioners to work from Harley Therapy's rooms in central London - and Harley Therapy is London’s largest psychotherapy clinic group -  as well as Harley Therapy Platform - a network of therapists accessible globally, with fees from as low at £25 per session. 

As Harley Therapy is our show sponsor, you can find a special offer from them on our podcast homepage at www.mindunlocked.co/podcast.  

Back to Sheri… 

She has been called the 'Mary Berry of Therapy’ for her dedication to the field of therapy, she is passionate about de-stigmatising mental health and therapeutic support and making it a positive mainstream topic. 

Enjoy the episode!

During seven years at Google, Connor Swenson learned and taught some incredible mindfulness, emotional intelligence and productivity tools, tested and approved by highly sceptical Google engineers!

Full show notes, resources mentioned and special offers can be found at: https://mindunlocked.co/podcast

In this chat he shares how you can use the same systems and tools today. We discuss 'busy culture', technology and productivity, and their effects on our mental well-being. You will leave with plenty of new ideas and actionable strategies.

Connor is a Speaker, Facilitator, Writer, and Coach who helps teams develop focus, increase effectiveness, and ultimately sustain high performance. Drawing on 7 years of experience at Google, where he taught internal programs on productivity, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence, he now shares that knowledge with businesses and entrepreneurs around the world. He believes we need to rethink our definition of productivity to create happier and healthier organisations.

He previously managed partnerships for Google for Startups in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Additionally, he ran marketing for Campus London, Google’s space for startups in East London. He has held various partnerships, marketing, and operations roles at Google in San Francisco, New York, and London and also helped found Silicon North Stars, a non-profit that inspires and educates future leaders in technology.