Working on Wellbeing

Chris Cummings, global workplace wellbeing thought leader and Founder of Wellbeing at Work, joins host Sarah Cunningham to share the personal reason that he set up Wellbeing at Work twelve years ago, and reflect on the journey he has been on ever since. This episode celebrates the release of Chris’ first book, The Wellbeing Centred Workplace, which is a practical book for all business leaders, det...

In this Season Three bonus episode, host Sarah Cunningham speaks with prominent political strategist, journalist, author, broadcaster and mental health campaigner, Alastair Campbell. Alastair is perhaps best known for his role in the historic 1997 UK election result which saw Tony Blair come to power, for his role as Director of Communications and Strategy throughout Blair’s time in office, and mo...

This week on the Working on Wellbeing podcast, we’re joined by two inspiring changemakers motivating us to prioritise movement and embrace community for our physical and mental wellbeing, whatever our ability or preferred way of moving. Our first guest, Kayla Jeter, is former professional athlete turned wellness strategist, athlete mental health coach and digital creator. Kayla is a passionate adv...

“The things that you like best, and value most in your life, already reflect - at a gut level - what makes your life meaningful.”   That is a key message from Prof Michael F Steger, a renowned expert in positive psychology and a global authority on the science of meaning, shared right at the start of this episode of the Working on Wellbeing podcast.   We may experience meaning...

On the launch day of their new book, ‘Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters’, Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and Dr George Ward join host, Sarah Cunningham, to explore the key research behind the book, and discuss why wellbeing matters for every workplace.  Going beyond the argument that looking after the wellbeing of employees is a moral imperative for any organisation, Jan and George reveal why an inv...

Beyond being academic institutions, schools should be places for optimism and holistic growth. By fostering wellbeing in schools, we can support young people not only academically, but also with social and mental health outcomes beyond their school years. In this episode, host Sarah Cunningham sits down with child and adolescent wellbeing experts Lucy Bailey and Leoni Boyle. Lucy is CEO and founde...

We all recognise the countless hours of intense physical training that elite athletes dedicate to their craft. But how often do we stop to consider the consistent and careful mental training that is just as crucial for Olympic success?    In this episode, Jess Thom, Lead Psychologist for Team GB, takes us behind the scenes of Olympic mental preparation, sharing exclusive insights into ho...

In this episode, host Sarah Cunningham is joined by Prof Amanda Kirby, a leading expert in the field of neurodiversity and workplace inclusion. With a unique background as a medical doctor, researcher, and entrepreneur, Amanda has dedicated her career to transforming how organisations, educators, and healthcare professionals understand and support neurodivergent individuals. She’s the founder of D...

In this episode, host Sarah Cunningham sits down with two inspiring leaders in the world of workplace wellbeing: Jen Fisher and KeyAnna Schmiedl. They share their personal and professional journeys, offering a refreshing perspective on what it means to create workplaces which truly put people first.    Jen Fisher is a best-selling author, award-winning podcaster and influential speaker....

In this exciting episode, our host Sarah Cunningham is joined by Dan Buettner, renowned wellbeing expert and creator of the Blue Zones, whose Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones captivated audiences worldwide. Dan’s research, and subsequent documentary, explores the unique communities where people live exceptionally long and vibrant lives, offering an exclusive glimpse into...

In this special bonus episode, recorded during the excitement of this year’s World Happiness Summit in London, host Sarah Cunningham is joined by CEO of WOHASU, Founder of the World Happiness Summit, and newly published author, Karen Guggenheim. After the sudden death of her husband in 2013, Karen made the inspiring decision to choose happiness, and began her journey to overcome trauma and positiv...

Welcome to the final episode of our second podcast series, for which we are thrilled to welcome Dimitra Manis, the Chief Purpose Officer of S&P Global.   Dimitra’s work advances workplace wellbeing both internally at S&P Global, and across the globe. In this episode, Dimitra shares how S&P’s people and purpose first culture drives their business success, and how her uniquely title...

Are we rewarding our high performers for burning out?  Today’s guest, Rachel Fellowes, asked this question and sparked a new way of working at Aon, where she works as their first Chief Wellbeing Officer.  Rachel’s innovative work focuses on the idea of human sustainability, and sustainable performance. Aon now uses their Human Sustainability Index (HSI) tool to measure wellbeing, resilie...

Our guest this week is Tracey Crouch, a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom. She is the current Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford.    In today’s episode, host Sarah Cunningham hits the road to meet Tracey in her constituency office. They discuss Tracey’s career highlights, how she works on her own wellbeing, and her hopes for a government that truly prioritises wellbe...

What makes us happy?    Today’s guest, Prof Robert Waldinger, is the current Director of a study that set out to answer this exact question.     That study is the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has followed the same individuals for over 80 years in an attempt to find out what keeps people healthy and happy. Beginning in 1938, this is one of the longest ever runn...

CONTENT WARNING:     Before you listen to this episode, please be aware that the first part of this conversation covers the topic of grief and bereavement. If you would prefer not to listen to a conversation of this nature, please either skip forward to 07:45 or turn off this episode and look after yourself. Help and support is available from the links below.     BBC...

When we think about a country’s government, many of us are likely to conjure up images in our mind of our country’s Prime Minister, Taoiseach, or President ... or perhaps a senior Minister who is in the public eye a lot. But we shouldn’t overlook the large number of people who play an integral role in supporting these figureheads. In the UK, more than half a million people work for the British Civ...

In this week’s episode, host Sarah Cunningham chats to guest Dr Diana Han, Unilever’s Chief Health & Wellbeing Officer. Diana helps lead a global team of well over 100,000 employees, all with their own unique wellbeing needs.      She explains how she works to prioritise employee wellbeing at such a large scale and, importantly, reflects on the methods she has developed to...

Our inner voice is a powerful tool, but it can be detrimental to our wellbeing when we find ourselves stuck in negative loops of thought. Today’s guest is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. Psychologist and neuroscientist Prof Ethan Kross has dubbed these negative thought loops as ‘Chatter’, and his research suggests that getting lost in Chatter is one of the big...

Described as the ‘happiness tsar’, Lord Richard Layard knows a thing or two about the science of wellbeing: he literally wrote the book on it. He is a labour economist based within the London School of Economics and Political Science and a co-founder of both Action for Happiness and the World Wellbeing Movement. His long-standing research career – in which he has devoted much of his efforts to red...

Providing the right environment for people to thrive is fundamental to wellbeing. After all, if we don’t feel comfortable – in our place of work, for example – it can be difficult to make tough decisions or call out bad behaviour that would otherwise have an adverse effect on the way we feel. The concept of psychological safety is the belief that you can speak up with new ideas, ask questions, and...

This week’s guest has a unique career path: from professional athlete, via chart-topping musician, to mental health advocate and now PhD student.   Niall Breslin – better known as ‘Bressie’ in his native Ireland – speaks openly to Sarah about his own struggles with anxiety, and the journey he has taken to harness the power of his own mind.   Plus, he explains the evidence-based intervent...

What can rabbits teach us about living longer, happier, and healthier lives? This week's guest is better qualified than most to offer an answer. Dr Kelli Harding MD is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and author of The Rabbit Effect. In this episode, she shares with Sarah the importance of kindness and social connections to our wellbeing, both at work and...

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging to our wellbeing. In this episode, Sarah picks the brains of a global leader in this space, LaFawn Davis. In addition to her role as Vice President, Environmental, Social & Governance at recruitment site Indeed, LaFawn has been named in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Women of Impact, Fast Company’s Queer50, S...

Having the skills to do a job is only of use if we’re equipped with the confidence and support systems in place to use them. Crucially, this authentic confidence can help us unlock our true potential and flourish at work. In this episode, researcher and author Jacqueline Brassey talks to Sarah about her own crisis of confidence, and shares tips we can all use to improve our workplace wellbeing. Pl...