The Wellbeing Lab with Will Young

We've reached the final episode of Season 1 and I've saved one of my favourite topics 'til last. In this episode I explore the world of attachment with research scientist Dr. Suzanne Zeedyk. Dr. Suzanne's research begins with tiny babies, but she says our attachment styles can affect us into adulthood. It's fascinating stuff.

If you want to learn more, you can read up on attachment on Dr. Suzanne's website.

All being well, we'll be back with Season 2 soon, so make sure you're subscribed to the podcast to stay up to date with new releases.

And please keep getting in touch. I want the Wellbeing Lab community to continue so here's all the ways you can be part of that community:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

I'm trying out yoga therapy this week with the wonderful Colleen Lally. I went along to a session with Colleen to find out how yoga therapy differs from the yoga I'm used to and to discover who it helps. I describe the session later in the episode, but first you'll hear my chat with Colleen which we recorded a few days after our first meeting.

You can find out all about the Recovery Wellness Collective on their website.

Colleen recommends these resources if you're looking for support around the issue of substance use, as discussed in the episode:

Adfam gives information, local support groups and helplines for anyone affected by someone else’s substance misuse. 

Al-Anon Family Groups provide support to anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else’s drinking, regardless of whether that person is still drinking or not.

DrugFAM Are you affected by someone else's drug or alcohol addiction? Are you bereaved through drug or alcohol use? Contact their free helpline from 9am-9pm, 7 days a week on 0300 888 3853. 

National Association for Children of Alcoholics offers information, advice and support for everyone affected by a parent’s drinking.

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts about this episode, or any other. You can contact the lab on the links below:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

How do you feel when you think about your finances? Does it bring up difficult emotions? Money can be a hard thing to talk about and is often closely linked to our mental health. I decided to dig into the common issues that link money and mental health with Helen Undy, who's the Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.

If you'd like to access any of the helpful resources Helen mentioned in the interview, you can find them here.

If you have personal experience of mental health problems and would like to get involved in Money and Mental Health's work, you can sign up to their Research Community here. It's a chance to share your story, and to help break the link between mental health and money problems. 

The Samaritans can be contacted on the phone on 116 123 or click here for their website.

Please get in touch if you have anything to say about this episode, or any other. We'd love to hear from you. You can contact the lab on the links below:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

This week I'm diving deep into the complex world of abandonment with the psychotherapist and abandonment expert Susan Anderson. We talk about the universal experience of abandonment fear, why it affects some of us more than others, and the work we can do to overcome it.

If you're looking for further information on abandonment, you can find out about Susan's books and events on her website.

The book I mentioned was Healing the Shame That Binds You by John Bradshaw.

Please let me know what you thought of the episode. You can contact the lab on any of these links: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

Cold water swimming has exploded in popularity in recent years and many people say taking a chilly dip helps with their mental health, so I thought I'd try it out.

Now, I have to come clean and tell you that, although I was swimming outdoors in a lake, my swim wouldn't officially be classed as a cold water swim because the water was actually quite warm... but I still felt many benefits and I squealed when getting into the water.

My guest is Simon Kerslake who's the volunteer secretary for the Outdoor Swimming Society. Here are the books he recommends:

Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui

Waterlog by Roger Deakin

Haunts of the Black Masseur by Charles Sprawson

The Mindful Art of Wild Swimming by Tessa Wardley

The Outdoor Swimmers' Handbook by Kate Rew

Please get in touch if you have anything to say about this episode, or any other. You can contact the lab on the links below:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

In episode 15 I learn about the world of Chronic Pain, a condition that affects far more people than I realised. My guest is Dr Alan Fayaz, a consultant in pain medicine at University College London Hospital. He guides me through the science behind why we feel pain, explains what's happening when someone experiences chronic pain and educates me on the most up to date research in the field.

If you're looking for further reading or information on Chronic Pain, Dr Alan suggests looking at this page on the British Pain Society's website, which has a whole host of links and resources.

As always, let me know what you think about this episode, or any other. You can contact the lab on the links below:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

At the Wellbeing Lab this week I discuss eating disorders with Dr Omara Naseem. She's a counselling psychologist and a specialist in treating eating disorders. I came to this topic with great curiosity but knowing very little and I left having learnt a lot. We don't use any descriptive language in this episode, but if you feel like this may be a triggering topic please proceed with caution.

As ever, I'd love to know what you think. You can get in touch with the lab via the links below

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

And here are some resources that Dr Omara recommends if you're looking for further information:

Beat Eating Disorders charity

Getting Better Bite by Bite

Skills-based Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder

Dr Omara's website

Freddie Flintoff's documentary (available on iPlayer until Sept 2022)

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

This week I experience Reiki for the first time. "What's Reiki?" I hear you ask. Well, my guest Sushma Sagar, who is a Reiki Master and founder of The Calmery, tells me all about the healing and energy practice in this episode, plus you'll also hear what happened when I went along and tested it out for myself.

You can find out more about Sushma via her website and this is her book Find Your Flow.

As always, let me know about your experiences with Reiki. You can contact the lab on the links below:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

This week's episode takes a deep dive into the world of narcissism. Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Chetna Kang tells me about the spectrum of narcissistic traits, what to expect if you're in a relationship with a narcissist and how the disorder can be treated. It's a big topic and we could have talked for hours.

As always, let me know what you think about this episode, or any other. You can contact the lab on the links below:

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email: [email protected]

You can find out more about Chetna and her work on her website.

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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

Is there a good way to have an argument? My guest Ian Leslie thinks so. In order to better understand conflict, he spent time with hostage negotiators, interrogators and all kinds of people who have difficult conversations for a living. In this episode he tells me about what he learnt and how we can use some of the techniques to communicate better in our own relationships.

I'd love to know what you think. You can contact the lab on the links below:

Instagram @thewellbeinglabpodcast

Facebook @thewellbeinglabpodcast

Twitter @thewellbeinglab

Email: [email protected]

If you'd like to read more of Ian's work, the book 'How to Disagree' is here and this is his website.

The Wellbeing Lab is produced by AudioAF and is part of the Acast creator network.

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