Many of us have experienced peer pressure and the uncomfortable feelings that come alongside it. But why do so many of us experience it and how can it impact us?

In episode 28 of What Really Works? hosts, Beki and Olivia, discuss Peer Pressure and how it impacts them both. They chat about forms of direct and indirect peer pressure. As well as the consequences of peer pressure and judgement on ourselves, as well as those around us.

You’ll hear about how boundaries, asking questions and understanding our values and self-worth can support us when we experience pressure from friends, family, and society.

In Episode 27 of What Really Works? hosts Beki and Olivia are joined by guest Dela, to discuss the topic of Mental Health for all. Dela chats with the group about advocating for a mentally healthy community and that this cannot happen until we reckon with system inequalities in our communities and healthcare system. 

You’ll hear discussions about barriers people from marginalised communities face in healthcare settings, creating safe and informed spaces to discuss personal experiences, the importance of recognising tensions, and what we can ask to understand if workplaces & individuals are proactive in making change.

Dela also shares about creating sustainable change, creating connections, being able to stop, wait & listen, as well as using rest as a form of resistance. All with the aim to create healthy and well communities.

Dela is a writer, community organizer, and mental health advocate. As a recent BA graduate from UBC’s Okanagan Campus, Dela likes to use an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to all of her work. With extensive diversity education experience and lived mental health struggles, Dela wants to encourage everyone to show up for themselves and continually strive to uncover their potential.

At the start of this episode, hosts Beki and Olivia, take a moment to pause, reflect and discuss the need for tangible acts of reconciliation, even more so after the discovery of the 215 Indigenous children buried at the Kamloops residential school. 

Following taking some silence, the hosts discuss guilt and shame, how these emotions can be tough to experience and move forward from. You’ll hear Beki and Olivia discuss where guilt and shame arise from, what can perpetuate these uncomfortable emotions and why we need to be able to move through them to make positive change as well as to be able to hold ourselves accountable. 

The hosts also chat about different ways we can support ourselves with guilt and shame, from self-compassion, to clarifying our values, to understanding our judgemental - all of which will hopefully aid us to get comfortable with trying to do the best that we can and grow from mistakes. 

You can find additional resources here

Many of us have experienced a song that gets us pumped, or maybe felt sad from a piece of music, or even really connected with a song - in fact, music can have a huge impact on our physical, emotional, and mental health!

In this episode, hosts Beki and Olivia, focus on music and how it can be a great tool to support our wellbeing! You’ll hear how music can increase our levels of dopamine, support us to recognise and process our emotions, and create connections with others. 

The hosts share how they find music impacts themselves, how they’ve used it as a supportive tool as well as how music can be much more than just melody and rhythm - but also has created safe spaces and be a form of reclamation of power.

In Episode 24, hosts Beki and Olivia are joined by guest, Salena, to talk about her experiences as a second-generation Asian Person living in Canada. Salena chats openly and honestly about living with the duality of western culture and her traditional culture, her experience of mental health and stigma,  what it took for her to reach out for support, and the pressure she experienced as a young person. Salena also discusses the impact of microaggressions, racism, and anti-Asian hate crime on herself, her family, and the Asian community. 

In this episode, you’ll also hear what Salena has found to be supportive for herself, from counselling, having allies, to mindfulness techniques to naps! 

For more resources and support, you can click here.

Want to know more about Salena? Salena (she/her) is currently pursuing a Teaching Degree at the Okanagan School of Education in Kelowna, BC. Having previously obtained her BA in Political Science and Sociology, she has a passion for Canadian Politics and Social Justice. She hopes to inspire her students to think critically and to empathize with others. When Salena isn’t studying or working, she can be found swimming, exploring new places to eat, and playing board games with her friends.

To celebrate and kick-off Mental Health Week 2021, What Really Works? hosted our first-ever live recording! This special podcast episode is the audio stream of this event.

In this special episode, you’ll hear Beki and Olivia chat about this year’s Mental Health Week topic - Naming it, Not Numbing it. The hosts discuss what emotions are, why naming our emotions is so important, and how we can support ourselves to name our emotions. You’ll also hear hosts answering questions submitted live from Facebook.

To make sure you don’t miss out on future live recordings, be sure to follow CMHA Kelowna on social media. You can also watch the video footage of this special episode here 

Note: This episode is taken directly from our recorded live event at Staples Studio Spotlight therefore, the sound quality may be a bit different than our other episodes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode discusses grief and what may lead to this emotion. The hosts share personal experiences of why they have experienced grief, including speaking about the death of a loved one, suicide, and overdose. What Really Works? encourages all listeners to take care of themselves when listening to this episode and reach out for support if you need it.

A link for additional resources and supports related to grief are included below.

Grief is a complex and tough emotion. In episode 23 of What Really Works? hosts Olivia and Beki discuss different forms of grief and how there are many reasons why a person experiences grief. You’ll hear the hosts discuss their personal stories of grief and how it has and continues to impact them. 

In the second half of the episode, the pair discusses what we can do to support another person who is experiencing grief, while acknowledging that grief is incredibly individual. Olivia and Beki also chat about ways we can support ourselves in the short term and long term with grief, such as small routines, finding meaning, celebration, and allowing ourselves to grieve. 

For additional resources and supports related to grief, click here.

Anxiety related to climate change and ecological events is something that lots of people experience but isn’t always spoken about. In episode 22, Beki and Olivia discuss climate anxiety, what it is, and why we might experience it.

In the second half of the episode, the hosts discuss how we can support ourselves when we’re being impacted by climate anxiety. You’ll hear about climate education, a sense of control, sustainable activism, and the importance of dialogue over debate. 

Experiencing rejection can be tough and hit us hard, but why does rejection feel like that and why does it affect each of us so differently?

In episode 21, hosts Beki and Olivia are joined by guest Malusi to talk about the many faces of rejection. You’ll hear conversations about the impact of rejection on our self-worth, values, and the issues we may face from fear of rejection and regret.

The group chats also openly about how they’ve learned or tried to cope with rejection. They share what's worked for them including tips like celebrating putting ourselves out there, having a support system, and asking ourselves why does this hurt? 

Want to know more about Malusi? Malusi is an African-Canadian who moved to Canada at the age of two. Having lived and travelled all over the country as a speaker, musician, and friendly face he's always happy to share his story in hopes of inspiring people around him. Follow his journey or get in touch on Instagram at: @malusigoosie.

NOTE: This episode mentions disordered eating and unhealthy exercise/diet habits.

With summer starting to get closer, we’re already seeing social media posts about getting ‘beach body ready’ and adverts for diets. So hosts, Olivia and Beki, thought now would be an important time to discuss body image.

In the Body Image episode, you can expect a discussion about what body image is before the hosts delve into some of the things that can impact our body image - from society to social media to personal experiences. 

Beki and Olivia, discuss what they find difficult with body image and what they’ve found to help create a healthier view. You’ll hear the hosts talk about how much emphasis we put on our body image over our overall view of ourselves, whether we want to put our energy towards high societal body standards vs towards what we value, and how we can truly appreciate the body we are in.