Feel like your phone is helping run your life? In this episode, we dive into the apps that we find help — from wellbeing and focus tools to budgeting and bedtime stories.With apologies for the occasional coughing fit.
🎧 Featured Apps:
Finch • Stress Watch • Trolley.co.uk • Petrol Prices • Duolingo • Yucca • Bento Focus • Picnic • Endel • Smiling Mind • Claude AI • Calm • Notion • Goodreads • Emma • Rise • Vinted • Splitwise • TikTok • Threads • Instagram

📰 Weird News Highlights:
🐊 Crocodile discovered in Derbyshire canal (spoiler: it was stuffed)
💪 Egyptian wrestler pulls ships with his teeth

💬 Join the conversation:
👉 What’s your favourite app that secretly runs your life?
👇 Comment below or tag us using #WhatsTheTeaPodcast

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube | 🎧 Follow on Spotify | 💻 Visit ymcaexeter.org.uk

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance? 👀

In this episode of What’s The Tea?, we ask ourselves, what advice would we give our younger-self. We talk feedback on our mental health and working episode, hotels in toilets, and Lydia keeping an eye on the pets.

🎧 Listen, laugh, and reflect with us — and maybe think about what you’d tell your younger self.Let us know.

What advice would you give the younger version of you?

💬 Episode Summary

Feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or like work has started running you instead of the other way around? You’re not alone — and this week’s What’s The Tea? is all about finding your balance again.

Andy and Lydia unpack practical mental health tips for working life, from building simple daily routines and setting healthy boundaries, to managing workload, stress, and communication with your manager. Whether you’re still working through burnout or returning to work after mental health leave, this episode offers encouragement, structure, and plenty of empathy — because you deserve to do well without falling apart doing it.

Looking at

How to build daily routines that actually stick.

Ways to manage your time and reduce stress.

Setting clear boundaries with work and technology.

Communicating your needs confidently and calmly.

Planning a successful, supported return to work after time off.

And as always, we finish with this week’s Weird News, featuring an incredible story about a $1 million treasure haul found off the coast of Florida. Yes, really — sometimes the gold’s still out there! 🪙

🧠 Key Topics Covered

Managing mental health at workCoping with burnout and work stressReturning to work after mental health leaveBuilding better routines and boundariesWorkplace wellbeing and communicationFinding motivation and balance again

________________________________________

☕ Thanks for Listening

Thanks for listening to What’s The Tea? — the podcast where Andy and Lydia talk about mental health, real life, and everything in between.

Don’t forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast app.

Leave us a comment or share the episode with someone who might need a little reminder: you’re doing better than you think. 💛

In this episode of What’s The Tea?, Lydia and Andy talk through the kind of week where everything feels a bitoff-kilter. There are stories about cats in inflatable collars, tweenagers turning thirteen, and small adulting wins that deserve recognition.

The main focus is neurodivergence — whatit means, why awareness is increasing, and how people experience conditionssuch as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s and sensory processingdifferences. The conversation also looks at practical ways to navigate everydaylife, sharing tools and resources that can make things easier, from wellbeingapps to sensory-friendly clothing.

As always, the episode rounds off withsome unusual news stories — including a mystery wedding guest at the wrongvenue and Chinese toilets that only dispense paper after you watch an advert.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Finch App – wellbeing & self-care companion• Endel – soundscapes for focus, relaxation, and sleep• Focus Keeper / Flow – Pomodoro timer apps with calming music• Comfort Clothing UK – sensory-friendly t-shirts for children and adults (comfa.co.uk)• Fidge Jewellery – fidget necklaces and earrings• Grammarly – writing support (with discounts via Student/DSA schemes)• Trello – task management and organisation• Notion + Todoist – notes, dashboards, and productivity planning• Sensory Soothing Toolkit – build a personalised toolkit for regulating overwhelm (worksheets available online)

👉 Subscribe on your preferredpodcast app or watch via the YMCA Exeter YouTube channel for more conversations that mix real-life experiences, wellbeing ideas, and the occasional odd newsstory.

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.
Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library todownload royalty-free music for your next project.
CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

🎙️ We're back from summer break! We talk holiday mishaps, weird news (slug prankster + astronaut scam), the kindness round-up, and a deep dive into building trust.👉 Don’t forget to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite app. You can also watch full episodes on the YMCA Exeter YouTube channel.

And hey — if you’ve spotted an act of kindness worthsharing, drop us a message. We’d love to give it a shout-out in a future episode!

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.
Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library todownload royalty-free music for your next project.
CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

In this episode of What’s the Tea?, Andy and Lydiachat with Jeremy, the Exeter Housing Manager at YMCA Exeter.

From the realities of youth housing support in the UK to the time he hung someone out the window! Jeremy shares an honest look at life behind the scenes of housing.

Links & Extras:
👉 Find out more about YMCA Exeter: https://www.ymcaexeter.org.uk
👉 Follow What’s the Tea? on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube for more conversations about life, work, and the random things in between.

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.
Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library todownload royalty-free music for your next project.
CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

In this remote edition of What’s the Tea?, Lydia and Andy share real anxiety and stress-busting tips from listeners, explore how music, connection, and even ridiculous dancing can help improve your mental health, and wander into tangents about car technology, Marvel movies, and K-pop.

💬 In this episode we talk about:

• 🧠 Coping with Anxiety & Stress – music playlists (Divorce Dadcore), daily check-ins, and Andy’s Drunk Giraffe Dance stress release technique.

• 🐾 Special Guest Wanda the Cat.

• 🚗 Advancements in Car Tech – from manual sunroofs to app-controlled heating and Microsoft Teams in your car.

• 🎬 Movie Reviews with a Mental Health Twist – Marvel’s Thunderbolts (grief, imposter syndrome, comparison) and K-pop Demon Hunters (identity, second chances, ridiculously catchy music).

• 📰 Weird News – The banned “Send Me to Heaven” phone-throwing app and a highway closed by thousands of runaway hot dogs.

🎵 Playlist of the week: Divorce Dadcore (Spotify)
🦒 The Drunk Giraffe Dance: Doctor Who clip

Listen & Subscribe:
🎧 On your favourite podcast app
📺 Watch on YMCA Exeter YouTube Channel

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library to download royalty-free music for your next project.CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

How do you support someone with addiction? Welcome back to What’s The Tea? – where two former support workers (and current professional tea drinkers) catch up over a cuppa to chat life, adulting stuff, and the weird news stories you didn’t know you needed.In this episode, Lydia and Andy dive into the challenges of supporting someone with addiction – not just the individual, but the supporter too. If you've ever found yourself helping someone through a tough time and wondered, “Am I doing this right?”, then this one’s for you.🧠 Lydia shares three wise, grounded tips for anyone walking alongside someone struggling with addictive behaviours – from setting boundaries to staying sane.☀️ Also this week:• The chaos and charm of summer holidays• Star of the Week nominations• A wild story of surviving 438 days at sea (seriously, what?!)• And yes… there’s an AI influencer at Wimbledon. She’s flawless. She’s blonde. She’s… not real.

________________________________________🧭 Need support or want to help someone who does?:Local addiction services for Exeter and Devon - https://www.waythrough.org.uk/find-support-near-me/together/

The Mind website has information on UK based organisations: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/recreational-drugs-alcohol-and-addiction/drug-and-alcohol-addiction-useful-contacts/

The NHS Nation Centre for Gaming Disorders: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/national-centre-gaming-disorders ________________________________________🫖 We’re not experts – just two mates having honest chats about things we all go through but don’t always talk about. So pour yourself a brew and press play.🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast app📺 Or watch us on the YMCA Exeter YouTube channel💬 Subscribe, share, and tag us with your Stars of the Week or weird news you’ve stumbled across.See you next time – and don’t forget to stay hydrated (with tea, obviously).________________________________________📢 Get Involved:Want to support YMCA Exeter’s new Torbay project? Whether you’re local, skilled in DIY, into sea sports, or just want to pray or donate, Click here https://www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/establishedpathways/ to get connected.Don’t forget to find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify: https://podfollow.com/whatsthetea ---------April showers by Kjartan Abel.Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library to download royalty-free music for your next project.CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.Additional stock video thanks to Canva. Video by jessica politi on Pixabay

What does stress look like to you?

Welcome to What’s The Tea? – the podcast where twoformer support workers grab a cuppa and try to make sense of life, stress, and whatever’s going on with zoo bears and aggressive dog leads this week.

From silent stress alarms to journaling hacks and NHSdog-walking injury stats (yes, really), this one's for anyone who's ever felt just a little bit overwhelmed… or tugged over by a Labrador.

❤️ Like what you hear?

📺 Watch the full episodeon the YMCA Exeter YouTube Channel
🎧Listen on your favourite podcast platform
☕Subscribe, leave a review, or tell us your weirdest dog-walking disaster

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.
Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library todownload royalty-free music for your next project.
CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

A lighthearted look at anxiety — what it is, why it shows up, and how to manage it with tools like therapy, breathing, gaming, and the occasional lasagna.

🧠 In this episode:
Lydia and Andy dive deep into the world of anxiety — how it works, why it shows up uninvited, and what you can actually do about it.
Spoiler: it's not just yoga and herbal tea (though those are fine too).

🔧 We cover:

• What anxiety really is and how it affects your brain (hello, amygdala)

• Generalised anxiety vs. social anxiety

• Medication, therapy, and that ever-elusive thing called balance

• Practical tools that actually help:

  • Breathing techniques

  • Weighted blankets

  • Journaling

  • Video games as escape (Fortnite fans, unite)

  • Dancing it out like no one's watching

  • The sacred ritual of comfort movies and hot chocolate

• Why your brain thinks emails are lions 🦁

• The magic of Red Dead Redemption and Pride & Prejudice

🎮 Also featuring:

• Weird news: Sheep stuck on a roof & Winnie-the-Pooh-style bear break-ins

• Lasagna-based adulting

📚 Resources & Support:
Struggling with anxiety or want to learn more?
Visit: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
Mind offers brilliant tools, symptom explainers, and guidance on how to speak to your GP.

🎵 April Showers by Kjartan Abel
Royalty-free music for your next project: https://kjartan-abel.com/library
Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International)
Additional stock video thanks to Canva
Video by Matthias Groeneveld – Pixabay