Podcast #10 - This Sunday we’re sitting down with Head Coach Ben and Head of Ops Vic to reflect on our chat with Ella Mills (aka Delicously Ella).

A short part two that delves into the why's and what’s of identity. Coach Ben tells us about what Gestalt says about identity and what can happen when our view of ourselves gets challenged. We also talk about how your physical health can ultimately affect your mental health.

So sit back, download and subscribe. Enjoy the sun and some mental health nourishment.

Music:

Good Vibes by Dj Quads https://soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/FQrKSf-Nk-Q

Believe it or not, Deliciously Ella's first name isn't actually Deliciously.

Ella Mills is the real person behind Deliciously Ella and it's her identity which shines through on her social media as she engages with an audience that's in the millions.

Behind the instagram, Ella's story of her own mental health isn't something she's ever been able to fully share, until now.

We hear about her growing up, her confusion around her identity, her illness, her mental health through all of that, her relationships and how, even now, being truly herself isn't always easy.

Thanks for sharing with us Ella, we're excited to share your story with others.

We'll be following up this episode with another, where James, Ben and Vic discuss the broader themes of identity and relationships in the world of mental health, stay tuned for that next week.

Music:

Good Vibes by Dj Quads https://soundcloud.com/aka-dj-quads

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/FQrKSf-Nk-Q

When we think of professional athletes we might think of success, drive, ambition, determination and victory.

We all know perseverance is a fundamental requirement to be a professional athlete and to compete at the highest level of any sport, yet do many of us know what it really takes? Do we know what it's really like?

Tom Ford was a professional squash player, ranking as high as 60 in the world. He'd dedicated his life to squash from as early as 9 years old.

He reached the peak of his game and decided to stop, why? His mental and physical health were fatigued from a going all in on squash.

Tom shares his story very openly and gives us all an insight into the world of a professional sportsman.

In this episode, we also welcome Vic Lloyd & Ben Graham from Sanctus who join us to discuss Tom's story and draw out any themes and insights that we believe are worth sharing.

Enjoy!

We've all got voices in our head. We might have been taught that it's only "crazy" people who do, but we all have that inner voice who tells us what we can and what we can't do.

In some cases, that inner voice can be loud, it can tell us we're not good enough, we can't do this or we can't do that.

Steve Chapman knows his inner voice well and his inner voice spent a long time telling him he wasn't good enough to do certain things.

He's began to recognise that voice now and has got to know it a little better.

Art and drawing is one way for him to express his feelings, get in flow and observe the inner voice.

I was always told at school that I was rubbish at Art and for years I quietened my creative spirit. Steve's story inspired ey to think about art and expression in a completely different way.

Instead of listening to your inner voice for an hour, listen to this one...

It's not every day that you get the opportunity to sit down with someone who is actually famous.

I remember Will Young winning Pop Idol, beating Gareth Gates and then smashing the charts with Evergreen and Leave Right Now.

I didn't know that when he reached the highest of highs, when he was famous, when he was rich, when he had a number one album and was winning Brit Awards - underneath it all, he was miserable.

In his words; "Oh shit".

A hilariously candid interview on his journey touching the extremities of fame, fortune and mental health.

Thanks Will, enjoy guys!

p.s check out Will's podcast with Chris Sweeney - Homo Sapiens.

Given it's Eating Disorder Awareness Week, it made sense for us to touch on this subject in our latest podcast. We're lucky enough to have Jess Robson as part of the Sanctus community, who was willing to share with us her story of disordered eating and bulimia.

It made me really think about my own relationship with food and how we all have a relationship with it, because we can't get away from eating. It was also important for me to understand what labels like 'Eating Disorder' and 'Bulimia' actually mean to Jess. Sometimes, the labels can feel scary, so they stop people actually talking about them.

It felt good to hear the underlying feelings behind the big scary words and phrases.

Jess has found her outlet in running and I was also glad to hear someone honestly admit that therapy didn't always work.

It's a powerful story, from a brave person on an important part of mental health. We all eat, we all have a relationship with food, it really made me think and I hope does for you too.

Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments, and tag in any friends who you think would appreciate this.

Ranj and I connected over a year ago after I'd first published a heartfelt blog post called mental health in startups.

She shared with me that she'd felt the same, that she'd been burned out and that she felt like nobody talked about it.

When we sat down, Ranj shared with me her full story and spoke about how she'd felt, where she'd got to and how she moved past it.

I came away reminded that whilst something like burnout can be hard and difficult to face, the self-knowledge and self-awareness you can gain afterwards can be invaluable.

Thanks for sharing Ranj x

James

Links:

https://sanctus.io/mental-health-in-startups-14726f22c5d1

https://sanctus.io

The Sanctus podcast on mental health shares people's mental health stories.

It's raw, intimate and authentic, unlike most things you see on social media.

This week, we heard from Matt Miller, founder of legendary design studio - ustwo. He's build a 300 person global business and he's talked openly about his mental health along the way.

Thanks for sharing with us, Mills - you're a legend and Sanctus has a lot to thank you for x

The Sanctus podcast on mental health shares people's mental health stories.

It's raw, intimate and authentic, unlike most things you see on social media.

This week, we sat down with Amelia Grant to hear her story which centres around an 8 year eating disorder whilst pursuing a career in TV and Dance.

Thank you Amelia, enjoy guys x

The Sanctus podcast on mental health shares people's mental health stories.

It's raw, intimate and authentic, unlike most things you see on social media.