Welcome to Proper Mental episode 16! My guest today is Tasha Danvers! Tasha Danvers is a coach, painter, singer and public speaker.  She is also a 2-time Olympian who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Her story is incredible!  At the height of her career in sport, and whilst training for her second Olympics, Tasha fell pregnant and received an insane amount of backlash and scrutiny from people in and around athletics. Seven months after giving birth to her son, Tasha returned to top flight competition.  She won a silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and won a place in the final the following year at the World Championships. She faced more scrutiny after being selected for the 2008 Olympic squad as some people felt she should not have been chosen. In 2008, she overcame a series of injuries and the media backlash, to run the fastest race of her life and take Olympic bronze in Beijing. The scrutiny she faced during this period alongside personal issues and the pressure of an upcoming Olympics in London in 2012 led Tasha in to a period of depression which eventually came to ahead when she attempted to take her own life in 2011. This story is an incredible series of highs and lows and Tasha takes me through her journey with an openness that is truly inspiring!  Her mindset is an inspiration in itself and her way of looking at depression and mental health is brilliant! We chat about the loneliness of track sport, the importance of gratitude, the pressure of a games on home soil and the importance of asking for help. Tasha was just great to chat to!  She is funny and engaging and a lovely, lovely person.  I really enjoyed talking to her and I hope you enjoy listening! You can connect with Tasha via Instagram @tashatheolympian or Twitter @tashadanvers or via her website www.tashadanvers.com. Here is the link for her 2008 medal winning run – prepare for goose bumps! 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Womens 400m Hurdles Final - YouTube While you’re on YouTube you can subscribe to the podcast channel here: Proper Mental Podcast - YouTube And here is an article written in 2013 about Tasha: Tasha Danvers on motherhood, sacrifice and feeling suicidal - BBC Sport You can connect with me on all social media platforms @propermentalpodcast.  Please leave a review if you have a minute and as always, let me know what you think! Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 15! My guest this week is Alex Manzi! Alex Manzi is the host of In the Moment podcast and author of The Search for Clarity.  He is also a coach and works with all sorts of different people to help them to define their goals, be happier, be more present in their lives and feel more fulfilled. His podcast, In the Moment, is a platform for Alex to dive deep to hear stories and tips from some of the most inspirational people in the world to help inspire you to make a positive change in your life.  He has put out well over 200 episodes and I highly recommend giving it a listen! In ‘The Search for Clarity’, published in 2020, Alex shares his learnings and experiences of living from a negative headspace to now living from a place of happiness and clarity. I’ve enjoyed Alex’s podcast for some time and he was on my podcast “want list” from day one so it was awesome to get to sit down with him via Zoom and chat about his work.  He genuinely wants to help people and that compassion and generosity really comes across in how he talks and the things he talks about.  He’s a lovely guy! We chat about compassion, about all aspects of health and why they are equality important, we talk about his coaching process and Alex shares his own personal experiences with Depression and Anxiety and how he uses that experience to live a happy, fulfilled life and helps others to do the same. I really enjoyed this one!  We cover a lot of different topics in a relatively short space of time and I really got a lot from it.  Alex was incredibly generous with his knowledge and there is a lot of actionable advice in this conversation for anyone that needs it. You can connect with Alex on social media @iamalexmanzi or vis his website www.thedreamersdisease.co.uk and his website is the best place to go to purchase his book or learn more about his coaching process. In the Moment with Alex Manzi is available on all podcast platforms. If you’d like to connect with Proper Mental via social media, you can get me on @propermentalpodcast on all platforms. Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 14! This week my guest is Shareefa J! Shareefa J is a presenter, model and mental health campaigner.  She is at the forefront of promoting body positivity and race diversity in the fashion and advertising space. A couple of years ago, Shareefa used the hashtag #UOKHUN to connect with her followers and encourage them to speak up about how they were feeling and the overwhelming response to this led her to contact CALM and eventually become one of their mental health ambassadors. She is also a huge advocate for the power of running and does a lot of work to encourage everyone who wants to be a runner to give it a go regardless of gender, size or any other reason that puts people off going for a run.  She has featured on the cover of several running magazines to spread this message. Shareefa and I chat about the need for a mental health A&E, the good and the bad bits of social media, emotional maintenance and the long-term side effects of the pandemic on mental health. Shareefa’s positivity about everything is really infectious and it was a lot of fun to chat to her!  We cover an amazing number of topics during the conversation and it was great for me to learn a bit about the body positivity movement and the modelling industry as neither of these things were previously on my radar. You can connect with Shareefa via Instagram @shareefa_J and @shine4diversity. You can also connect with CALM via social media @calmzone or read about their work with Shareefa at this link: Meet Shareefa: CALM’s newest ambassador and body positivity champion  - Campaign Against Living Miserably (thecalmzone.net) You can connect with me and the podcast @propermentalpodcast and I’d love to hear what you thought of this, or any other episodes!  I’m always happy to chat. Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 13! This week’s guest is Nick Hogben! Nick is an artist, podcaster and mental health advocate. He is the host of The Mouth of Manliness podcast where he speaks to all sorts of guests about mental health and the general ups and downs of being a human being.  Because of the amount of people that Nick has spoken to, and the topics he’s covered, he has great insight in to mental health and it was awesome to chat to him about all stuff. Nick is also a patron of My Black Dog who are an online support service for people struggling with their mental health which is manned by volunteers with experience in these types of struggles. Nick has struggled with his own mental health related issues since the age of 9.  He’s is incredibly open and honest about his own journey and we chat a lot about his experiences in different aspects of mental health. We chat about masculinity, medication, therapy, the importance of being honest, the power of conversation and juggling life and work with depression and anxiety.  We also chat a lot about podcasting, art, music and all sorts of other things in between! This is a great episode and I really think it has everything!  It’s an open conversation, between two blokes, about dealing with mental health day to day.  It’s not particularly question led and we just go where the chat takes us, which is all over the place! You can connect with Nick via social media Instagram @mouthofmanliness @nickhogben @lovess_artist   Twitter @MofmanlinessPD   and please check out his back catalogue of guests as it is incredible and there are new episodes every week.  www.mouthofmanliness.co.uk You can also check out Nick’s artwork @loveless art and lovelessart.co.uk. It would be great if you could have a look at My Black Dog, who Nick is a patron of, as they are doing incredible things! @myblackdog_co www.myblackdog.co.uk And the link for the fundraiser mentioned in the intro is: https://gofund.me/55f90c37   Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 12! This week I’m joined by Dr Emilia Thompson! Dr Emilia Thompson is a PhD Qualified Nutrition Consultant, University Lecturer and Bikini Competitor. She is a Registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition (RNutr Sports / Exercise), Lecturer and Educator in Sports Nutrition and qualified Life Coach. She has a BSc degree in Sports Biomedicine, an MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and a PhD in Exercise Physiology. As well as being a PhD Qualified Nutrition Coach, Emilia is a former bodybuilding competitor so she knows first-hand the complexities of food and our relationship with it.  We talk about disordered eating and common behaviours around food and really get in to where some of these negative behaviours come from and the thought processes behind them.  Emilia goes in to her coaching process and how she begins to help her clients unpick and unpack how they feel about themselves and how that reflects how they think about food. How you think and how you feel can have a massive impact on how you eat and food can be used to cope with or to deal with, any number of mental health related problems.  Emilia’s approach goes so much deeper than food.  She has a complete holistic approach to all facets of health and we chat about how what you’re feeling affects what you’re eating and vis versa. We chat about the importance of knowing yourself and understanding your values.  We chat about meditation, gratitude, self-talk and loads of other powerful concepts that you probably never thought related to your diet but are actually completely linked to your diet and in turn linked to all aspects of health. I asked Emilia some big questions and the amount of knowledge she had at her fingertips, ready to go, was staggering.  Her approach to her work and her clients has such an incredible level of depth to it and although we talk a lot about nutrition, her methods could be applied to any aspect of mental health. It’s a great listen and I definitely took a lot away from the conversation and I’m sure you will too! You can connect with Emilia via social media @emiliathompsonphd or for education via @eiq_nutrition. Her website is www.emilia.fitness You can connect with the podcast @propermentalpodcast on all the usual platforms! Let me know what you think by leaving a nice review and please feel free to share with anyone you think will benefit!  (Spoiler alert: everyone will benefit from hearing this one!) Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 11! This week Tom sits down with England International Cricketer Kate Cross! @crossy is an England regular who also plays for Lancashire domestically. At the age of 16 she was the first female to be accepted into Lancashire's cricket academy and in April 2014, she was one of the 18 women to be awarded the first professional contracts by the England Cricket Board. A few weeks ago, Kate put an incredibly honest and brave post on her social media about her struggles with mental health.  I asked if she would like to join me on the podcast and she signed up straight away! This is such a great conversation!  Kate is genuinely passionate about mental health and is so honest and open about her story.  She has done a huge amount of work to unpick what she went through and because of this she is able to have a real insight in to mental health.  There were a couple of points we discuss that really resonated with me and have actually led me to explore them further and begin to gain more understanding about my own mental state.  It’s that type of chat! We talk about the different ways that anxiety presents itself, the pressures of high-level sport and everything that comes with that.  We also discuss identity and expectations.  We get in to the importance of building a support network, asking for help and being honest with the people around us. You can connect with Kate on social media Instagram - @crossy16 Twitter - @katecross16  She also hosts ‘The No Balls’ podcast which you can follow on Twitter @noballsTCP. Please let us know what you think by dropping us a message, we are always happy to chat!  Give us a follow and a DM @propermentalpodcast on all platforms.  If you have a minute spare to leave a 5-star review on iTunes it really would be appreciated! Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 10! This week Tom is joined by Paul Mort! Paul Mort is a husband, father, podcaster, international speaker and the UK Master coach of the year for 2020 and 2019.  He is the author of two bestselling books, Unstoppable and Paul Mort Will Save Your Life. In December 2014, after building a successful business and moving to Marbella, Paul ended up Suicidal.  Crippled by bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety as well as being 4 stone overweight and exhausted.  He found himself standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to end it all.  His wife stood in front of him and talked him out of it. Since then, he’s managed to dramatically transform his entire life. He set upon seeking out the world’s foremost experts to help him fight for his life and now Paul spends his time coaching men and women around the world to reclaim their power, take control and find inner peace and direction. Through his personal experiences and results, his book, videos, world class coaching and keynote speaking, he’s been able to have inspired thousands of men to do the same and get their shit together for their business and their families. He has spoken on stages both big and small across Europe and America educating and inspiring thousands of people to level up their lives and upgrade their mindsets without burning out.  And now he’s doing the same on The Proper Mental Podcast! A few weeks ago, Paul wrote on his Instagram story that he had a space to be on a podcast so I fired him a message and couldn’t believe my luck when he responded! This is a huge conversation!  Paul dropped so much knowledge that at times I almost struggled to keep up!  We chat about his story and how he ended up on that cliff, we chat about mental health and why he thinks so many people are struggling and the importance of routines and taking control. You can connect with Paul on social media @paulmort1 or via his website www.paulmort.uk his newest book ‘Paul Mort will save your life!’ is out now via Audible. You can follow the podcast on all socials @propermentalpodcast and if you like what you hear drop us a message and let us know! Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 9! This week Tom is joined by Andrew Greenway who is the Project Development Champion at Andy’s Man Club. Andy's Man Club is a talking group for men to come together and talk about issues or problems they may be facing or have faced. It was founded in 2016 by Luke Ambler and his mother-in-Law Elaine after Elaine’s son Andy tragically took his own life. The club started with one location in Halifax and on the very first night 9 men attended.  They now have 50 clubs all over the U.K with around 900 men attending every week! I chat to Andrew about how the organisation started and what they do, about how he got involved and we really get in to men’s mental health and why it’s important for blokes to talk about how they’re feeling. I cannot speak highly enough of Andy’s Man Club and what they are doing up and down the country every single Monday night! What these guys are doing is nothing short of incredible and hearing about how it all started and where it’s going was a fascinating listen.  So much thought has gone in to how the meetings are structured and how everything is set up.  Every last detail has been covered to help as many men as possible.  Every club in the U.K even meets at the same time, on the same night so you can drop in at any location if you just happen to be passing through.  It really is an amazing set up! This feels like an important episode and it would be great if you could listen then like and share because you just never know who’ll hear it and maybe start going along to their nearest club and that could literally save a life. You can connect with AMC via their website www.andysmanclub.co.uk or on social media @andysmanclubuk on all platforms. You can connect with us @propermentalpodcast and if you’d like to leave us a review on iTunes we would love you forever. Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to this BONUS episode of Proper Mental! This week Tom sits down with his wife Kim to chat about mental health and how it affects the whole family. Tom chats to Kim about what it was like listening to Episode 7 and we get her side of the story.  They talk about what it’s like to live with someone who is depressed, why it’s important to talk and how she navigated the ups and downs of her husband’s mental health battles. This is a deep one!  Depression can be all consuming and as much as the person struggling feels like they are drowning, they can also be pulling people around them under.  This chat is a real insight in to watching someone you love suffer. They also have a laugh with it.  Life has a way of throwing up funny stories and it’s not all doom and gloom!  They also discuss how Tom’s problems brought them closer and by nearly ruining their marriage, actually made it stronger. One of the main aims of Proper Mental is to be relatable and this is a fascinating look at another side of mental health. You can let us know what you think of it via social media @propermentalpodcast. Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 8! This week we chat to the UK’s first NHS specialist in Integrative Health Practice, Dr Joe Delaney! Dr Joe is a Consultant in Integrative Medicine. He holds a PhD in Medicine and specialises in the neuroscience of stress and addictive behaviour and its management.  He is a Nationally and Internationally renowned expert in empowerment, motivation, behaviour change and emotional resilience. We chat about stress and how it affects your biochemistry, how to tap in to your inner resourcefulness and live more authentically.  We also chat about the heart-brain, mind-body connection and Joe gives us insight in to breathing techniques that will allow people to “hack their physiology in order to change their psychology”. It’s a really deep dive!  Joe also talks us through his own journey through mental health, addiction, homelessness and a stint in psychiatric care.  It’s one hell of a story. Dr Joe is a really funny, engaging speaker and this conversation was a lot of fun!  I think you’re going to get a lot from it and there are some really simple, actionable breathing techniques that Joe goes through that will be a very useful tool for anyone that might need them. You can connect with Joe on social media @drjoedelaney or via his website at www.drjoedelaney,com. Please let us know what you think by leaving us a review, tagging us in your stories or telling one of your mates all about us! Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 7! This week is Tom’s turn to take the stage. My name is Tom Davies and I’m the other host of The Proper Mental Podcast.  I am also a movement coach, yoga teacher and mental health advocate. In 2016, after the birth of my first child, I started to struggle with my mental health.  It was the start of a long journey towards recovery and put a huge strain on my life and family.  I spent 2 years pretending that nothing was happening before my wife intervened.  Last year, after a particularly rough few months, I decided to close my business and focus purely on recovery. While dealing with all this, I took strength from hearing other people talk about their own mental health and it was this that eventually led to The Proper Mental Podcast. Chris and I chat about my journey, not asking for help, meditation, medication, self-talk and self-care.  It’s a big chat and we cover a lot of ground!  As usual we tackle some pretty dark subjects but there’s humour in there too.  I hope you find it relatable and I hope you get something from it. I’ve got to admit I feel a bit nervous about putting this out!  I’m happy to chat to my family and friends about mental health and I consider myself open about the subject but putting it out to the world on a podcast is quite intimidating to say the least! I want to encourage people to speak up and ask for help but I don’t want to skip over the fact that speaking up is incredibly hard to do.  It’s not easy, there’s a million reasons why people feel like they can’t.  I don’t believe in regrets but if I could change one thing then I would have asked for help sooner.  That’s something that really comes across in this chat. You can connect with me via the @propermentalpodcast social pages or my own page @movementrestored. Thank you for listening, hope you enjoy and if you could leave us a lovely review it would be much appreciated!

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 6! This week Tom chats to 3 x CrossFit champion Amanda Allen! Amanda Allen has qualified for The CrossFit Games 6 times.  On 3 of those occasions, she won.  Her third win (in the 50-55 age group) came just 7 months after having 4 kg of tumours removed from her abdomen. In 2006 she ran 1000km across Australia for mental health awareness.  She is a cycling and canoeing champion at world level, a state champion mountain biker, a firefighter recruit and the Australasian Grape Spitting Champion!  She is also an author, coach and podcaster. This time last year she was homeless and living in her van.  She currently resides in a rain forest with her two white wolves.  She has been sober for 16 years and is incredibly open about her struggles with suicidal depression, anxiety and trauma. Amanda and Tom navigate the time difference to chat about depression, CrossFit, nature, rituals, meditation, nutrition and loads of other things relating to mental health.  Amanda is just a lovely person!  Her life to date has been an incredible journey of dizzying highs and crushing lows and it all gets covered during this conversation.  She has been to hell and back on more than one occasion and continues to be a compassionate, caring human being. She is truly inspirational! Amanda has her own line of supplements and nutritional products that you can find at www.amandaallen.com.au and if you enter PROPERMENTAL at the checkout you’ll get 10% percent off your order! You can connect with Amanda on Instagram @amandaunicornallen.

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 5! This week is our very own Chris Redmond! Chris is the co-host of The Proper Mental Podcast.  He is also a running strength and endurance coach and mental health advocate.  In 2015 Chris experienced a nervous breakdown. After a long time suffering with anxiety, stress and depression, which was proceeded by a long period of recovery. Overall, he considers this the most harrowing time of his life. Throughout his recovery, Chris utilised running to aid his progression and to manage the symptoms of his ill mental health. This resulted in what has mostly been a successful transition in to a ‘normal’ state of mind. In 2019 he founded Running Head First, a not-for-profit organisation which utilises walking, jogging, running and physical activity to improve the mental health of the population in the North West England. Chris and I chat about his life, his experiences with anxiety and depression, his passion for running and everything in between.  It was an honour and a pleasure to chat to my friend in this way and hear about his journey and I think you’re really going to enjoy hearing a bit about one of the men behind the microphone. You can connect with Chris on social media @chrisredmondcoaching and @runningheadfirst. www.chrisredmondpt.co.uk www.runningheadfirst.org

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 4! This week Tom & Chris chat to award winning film maker Hannah Currie! Hannah Currie is an BAFTA-winning filmmaker from Glasgow, Scotland.  She is a very passionate campaigner for mental health awareness and recently attended parliament to ask the prime minister to provide a mental health spokesperson at future press briefings during the pandemic. Rather than fill this space with details from the podcast we’ll just put links to Hannah’s films.  Please go and watch them.  They are all incredibly powerful, beautiful, heart breaking and inspiring all at once.  They deserve to be seen by as many eyes as possible. Lumo Too Young to Die: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00054s7   That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000kt06/next-big-thing-series-2-1-that-joke-isnt-funny-anymore   Not Your Average Influencers: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000q7l3/not-your-average-influencers   Blogs:   The making of my award-winning documentary | Mind   I asked the PM to provide a Covid-19 mental health spokesperson | Mind   You can find more about Hannah on her website www.Hannahcurriefilm.com.   Twitter @hannahcurrie Instagram @hannahmilk

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 3! This week Chris & Tom chat to former professional football player Alex Hay! Alex Hay is a former professional football player.  He signed for his local club Tranmere Rovers at the age of 10 and came through their school of exigence and making his full debut at the age of 19.  He went on to play for Rushden & Diamonds and Morecombe and also worked as a scout at Tranmere, Chester and Stockport County. Alex is hugely passionate about mental health and really open about his journey.  It was great to get some insight in the life of a professional football player and what it’s like to sign for your home town club at such a young age. We chat about pressure, the impact of isolation, early retirement and adjusting to life after football.  Alex spoke very honestly about everything he’s been through and we also chat about managing mental health and looking to the future. Alex runs Blossom Skills which offers 1 to 1 football coaching with a strong focus on engagement and confidence.  Alex uses his knowledge of football and his life experiences to help children develop new skills and play with a smile. You can connect with Alex on social media @AlexHay2 and @BlossomSkills.

Welcome to Proper Mental Episode 2! This week Chris & Tom chat to ultra endurance athlete Brutal Claire Smith! Claire competes in triathlon as well as Ironman distances including Decca and Double Decca! That’s 20 consecutive Ironman triathlons! Last year she ran the length of the UK from John O Groats to Lands’ End completely unsupported and wrote about the 900-mile run in her book ‘No Easy Days’. She also runs an endurance events company and organises ultra-races all over the country. They discuss mindset and mental resilience, managing mental health in extreme conditions and the importance of failure!  It’s a great chat and Claire was very open and honest throughout.  She brings a really positive energy that is incredibly infectious even over Zoom. WARNING: This conversation may inspire you to start triathlon or at the very least get your running shoes out the cupboard! You can find Claire on social media @brutalclaire and @brutalevents.  As well as www.brutalclaire.co.uk and www.brutalevents.co.uk. Thanks for listening!  Enjoy!

Welcome to Proper Mental episode 1!  In this episode Tom and Chris chat about why they decided to make a podcast and why they are both so passionate about the subject of mental health. They talk about why its good to talk and why it's so important to have open and honest conversations about all aspects of mental health. Neither of the lads are here to offer help, advice or tell you what to do. They aren't qualified to do any of that.   What they are here to do is be relatable and if just one person listens to this and feels a little bit better, even just for an hour, then both Chris and Tom will consider it a job well done!   Proper Mental on Facebook Proper Mental Podcast | Facebook Proper Mental on Instagram The Proper Mental Podcast (@propermentalpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos Proper Mental on Twitter Proper Mental Podcast (@Propermentalpod) / Twitter