Man Up – Man Down

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25813062/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Ep_8_sleep_MIXED_FINAL.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”25813062″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] In this episode we speak about sleep. For David, sleep has always been an issue. We are both light sleepers, and if we didn’t have a good night sleep, we could be quite grumpy. Volker loves getting up at 5 am. It’s quiet and he has a morning routine which includes exercises and meditation. But he has to be in bed between 9 and 10 pm, in order to get a good 7 hours of sleep. Plus, he loves a 10-20 minutes nap at lunch time. Particularly when he had a busy morning, the nap resets his brain and he functions better post nap. He trained himself to take naps during his university days, working as a warden in halls of residence. It also helped him to get a better degree. Weekends could

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25611027/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Fiona_MIXED.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”25611027″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] We welcomed Fiona McKinnon on the podcast, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Moment Company. Originally from the North East of Scotland, Fiona lives close to where David and I live, in Sussex. She has over 22 years’ experience in the advertising, media & AdTech industry. From building start-ups to working in large organisations, she has worked and partied hard like many people in the media industry. However, in 2014, she suffered severe physical and mental burnout. She had no wellbeing practice beyond extreme exercise and dirty martinis. She did not believe that meditation and therapy were for her. However, burnout led her to learn Transcendental Meditation,  study Mindfulness & Breath-work and to become a Neuro Linguistic Programming & Reiki Practitioner. She is 4 years sober and it’s fair to say

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25619061/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Ep_7_mindfulness_MIXED_FINAL.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”25619061″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] This week’s topic is Volker’s expert topic. He started meditating over 15 years ago and after noticing so many benefits in his life, he wanted to pass it on. He now teaches the benefits of mindfulness to organisations. Without his mindfulness practice, Volker thinks he has been able to better cope with challenges throughout his life, such as multiple redundancies.  The difference between mindfulness and meditation is simple. Mindfulness is about being present in the moment. Buddhism principles are split in gratitude, self-awareness, compassion and mindfulness. Those are expressed through selflessness, generosity, moral conduct, patience, perseverance, strong effort and meditation. Therefore, you could argue meditation is just a tool to be more mindful, helping you to be in the moment and be more aware of yourself, giving thanks. We discussed how we do

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25463064/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Lurata_MIXED.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”25463064″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] Our first female guest, and the first guest of 2023, is Lurata Lyon.. Many of us start the new year, with the goal of getting healthier and fitter. So we invited Lurata along to talk about nutrition and give us hands on tips. However she also gave us a lesson in resilience, gratitude and strength of human spirit.  As a survivor of civil war in the former Yugoslavia, Lurata endured the trauma of being held captive, starved, tortured and abused. Eventually escaping to the United Kingdom, she had to retrain herself to eat properly. She worked hard to educate herself and is now a qualified personal trainer and nutritionist.  Working with charities to tell her story, she is now also a motivational speaker and written a book about her journey – “Unbroken” –

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25341000/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Xmas_special_MIXED.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”25341000″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] Not a lot of notes, just a big thank you for your support. Have a great Christmas and holiday season, and a Happy New Year! David and Volker

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25275786/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Work_MIXED.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”25275786″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] This week’s podcast follows on from our discussion with Matthew Knight, discussing the future of work and how things are changing. David and Volker thought it would be good to discuss this topic as a ‘special’, looking at the changing world of work. Particularly for freelancers, people with mental health and middle aged men. Poor mental health costs the British Economy £118bn a year, according to LSE. And the Financial Times is warning that we’re heading for a Mental Health Recession, with support phonelines, provided by employers in the private sector, being swamped.  However, according to Deloitte, there is not enough investment in mental health, to combat the impact of the pandemic.  Are we all doomed? We discuss our history of employment and whether a full time, PAYE, job is more secure than

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/25134495/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Matthew_MIXED_FINAL.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”25134495″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] Our first guest, Matthew Knight, joined us on this episode to talk about his journey as a freelancer, his mental health challenges and the Leapers network, which he created. Leapers is a community for freelancers to support each other and Volker has been a member for many years. The support is for anything from mental health to tax questions, IR35 and technology. A community that understands the challenges all freelancers have, they ‘just get it’. It’s sometimes a bit like a virtual water cooler where you can meet and discuss almost anything. With the pandemic, at least in Volker’s mind, the community grew closer together, and the peer support got even stronger.  One topic we discussed was about coworking space and the new way of working. Freelancers are often working from home and

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/24979785/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Ep_6_MIXED_FINAL.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”24979785″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] This was a true revelation for Volker to listen to David and his challenges with adult autism, ADHD (attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder) and neurodiversity. There seems to be a “trend” of more people being diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and unfortunately the NHS is too overwhelmed to actually give everyone the attention they need. They list the top signs of adult ADHD on their website. There are superpowers we all know from the 1980ies movie Rainman, from sketching a building after only seeing it for seconds, to counting toothpicks on the floor (Rainman) – not everyone with autism can do that, and David doesn’t have any of those superpowers. David has been researching it for over 8 years, and he isn’t satisfied that he doesn’t know everything about the subject yet which

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/24865191/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/Ep_5_Puppy_Love_MIXED_FINAL.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”24865191″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] This episode might not sound obvious for a podcast, however, in our social circles dog ownership seems to have been a major trend. Both David and Volker have become dog owners over the last 18 months.  And we’re not alone. In 2010/11, 22% of UK households were dog owners, which remained stable until 2020/21, when it jumped to 33%. Similar levels of increase were seen in the dog population – since 2010 it’s increased from 7.6m to 12.5m today. The share of households owning a pet in the UK remained relatively stable between 2011/12 and 2019/20, hovering around 45%; however, this changed significantly during the pandemic, which saw a rise to an unprecedented high of 59% in 2020/21. So what is it about “man’s best friend” (a phrase that was coined during a

[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/24700566/height/360/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/484848/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/4aa7e0ae-44af-4eb3-b873-3ecf634b537c/MUMD_Ep_4_MIXED_FINAL.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”24700566″ height=”360″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”484848″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”Download Episode!” /] Most of us, particularly in our age, have piled on some pounds over the years. Covid didn’t help, lockdowns and less exercise, binge eating and drinking (see episode 3), would have contributed to weight gain. Not to mention the binge eating at McDonalds or the cheeky kebab on the way home. A six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym. Volker lost 10kg a few years ago, partly through exercise but mainly through eating less calories than he took in and watching what he eats. He repeated this again recently and lost about 7kg. But the metabolism changes as you get older, and it is harder to lose weight. As we age, our metabolism slows and the rate at which we break down food decreases by 10% each decade after