You OK?

We’ve been through a lot and much as a trip to the hairdressers or a pint in the local can be transformative, it’s going to take more than that to process everything. In the final edition of You OK? for this season, we highlight exercises and meditations to help maintain mental wellbeing as the summer progresses.

In this special episode, Executive Director of BeLonGTo, Moninne Griffith, Broadcaster and DJ, Kate Brennan Harding and Head of Fundraising & Events at Dublin Pride, Eddie McGuinness, talk about the importance of Pride, how vital self-acceptance is to mental wellbeing and the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on the mental health of LGBTQ+ people.

We’ve all spent so long in a state of hyper-vigilance now, that for some of us it’s proving difficult to adjust to the re-opening of the country. Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr. Claire Hayes explains why we’re experiencing re-entry anxiety, she shares some strategies for managing it and talks about ways to support others going through it.

We explore how the arts connect us with Philip King, poet Stephen James Smith talks about life as an artist in a pandemic and Dave Reid tell us about a new programme of supports designed to Mind Creative Minds.

Mental health advocate Mick Finnegan talks about the importance of prioritising our mental wellbeing, the power of kindness and how he went from sleeping rough on Dublin’s Grafton St, to studying at Trinity College in the space of 20 years.

Louise McSharry and Niamh Connolly on parenting in a pandemic, what is happening to our brains and bodies when we feel overwhelmed and what are some strategies that can help.

Donal Skehan talks about the stress of embarking on a transatlantic relocation during a pandemic, the mood boosting benefits of an early morning walk and how even he sometimes hasn’t a clue what to cook for dinner.

In 2012 an accident left Jack Kavanagh paralysed from the neck down. He explains how even the worst situations can afford us hidden opportunities.

Jan Ní Fhlanagáin reflects on the first 25 episodes of You OK?, which now exist as a handy bank of support that you can dip into at any time.

Head-chef and owner of MacNean House, Neven Maguire, shares his heartbreak at having to close his restaurant but the joy of helping others through this challenging time.