It’s not so long ago that people chose not to share their “feelings”. Now, among a certain grasping cohort at least, some can’t stop talking about them. Spreading the word of genuine expert advice among those who really need it can be tricky, which makes The Stigma Shift (Apple, Pocket Casts, Spotify) indispensable for everyday mental health challenges.
It was launched by Dublin’s St John of God University Hospital, and designed to open up conversations and dispense clear, actionable advice from the hospital’s clinical experts: psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers. Each episode has a theme – stress management, eating disorders, neuroplasticity, mindfulness, body image – with host Elaine McDonald chatting with experts in each field.
The launch show with senior clinical psychologist Dr Amy Watchorn discusses screen addiction, while senior social worker Shirley Gleeson’s focus on the role of nature in supporting mental health is persuasive: “The health of people and the health of the planet are deeply connected,” she says of the expanding area of planetary health, adding scientific data to back up her claims: how even a daily 20-minute walk in nature can help regulate our nervous system, and the restorative benefits of community gardens et al.
Setting achievable goals will always offer a better head start than over-ambitious resolutions. The late Dr Michael Mosley hit the nail on the head with Just One Thing, championing simple habits to improve our well-being; similarly 5 Minutes to Change Your Life (Apple, Pocket Casts, Spotify), hosted by Belfast/Brighton’s Joanne Mallon.
Mallon isn’t a health professional, however, she is an experienced career coach who here offers around five-minute episodes on stress management, self-esteem, meditation and digital decluttering in the sincere hope it might inspire a positive new habit or interest. Mosley would surely approve.
Jamie Oliver, for some reason, has Marmite appeal. Heck, even CMAT dissed him in a song. It’s a strange level of vitriol for a chef who also tries to improve food standards at policy level, but you can’t please everyone.
And so, depending on which side of the fence you sit on, you may take or leave Reset Your Health (Audible), his first ever podcast covering six topics over six episodes with various top-of-the-range experts, from discussing gut health with research scientist and nutritionist Dr Emily Leeming to how and when, during the day, food might help improve sleep quality with Professor Jason Ellis.