The Mindful Men Podcast

Welcome to Episode 14 - Exploring Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with Taylor Newendorp In this episode I sit down with Taylor Newendorp from NOCD.  We talk everything from fatherhood and raising anxious kids, to OCD and Taylor's therapy work with NOCD.  It's a great episode as it breaks down what OCD actually is, and highlights how debilitating this condition can be for millions of...

Welcome to Episode 13 - Mental Health Recovery In recent months, I've been struggling mentally. I've been angry, upset, sad, depressed... you name it, I've felt it! So in this episode, I wanted to highlight this fact, and reflect upon the rollercoaster ride that is mental health.  I frame this using the terms mental health recovery or mental health pathway, as these are often used to describe...

Welcome to Episode 12 – What is Health Anxiety? In Episode 9, David Day mentioned that he got Health Anxiety through the COVID pandemic.  And since then, I’ve been thinking about Health Anxiety, and what it actually is.  So in this episode, I'm shedding some light on Health Anxiety, otherwise know as Hypochondria. I'll take you through a few examples, before leaving you with some tips on...

Welcome to Episode 11 – 5 More Positive Affirmations to Inspire You Last week I bought you 5 positive affirmations to inspire you, and today I bring you 5 more (plus a bonus one!).  Why? Because the more tools we have in our belt, the easier it is for us to navigate the hard parts of life.  I really enjoyed reflecting on the affirmations in episode 10 and 11, because it gave me that litt...

Welcome to Episode 10 – 5 Positive Affirmations to Inspire You Today I walk you through 5 positive affirmations that have inspired me to push on, overcome adversity and look forward to the future.  Now before you click "next" because affirmations aren't your thing... hear me out.  I used to feel the same. I used to see the quotes and think "how corny!".  But when I was recovering fr...

Welcome to Episode 9 - Parenting and Mental Health During COVID with David Day Today I'm joined by an old mate of mine, David Day.  Dave is a proud husband, father and fan of NRL club Wests Tigers. Originally from central NSW, Dave turned his back on the shearing sheds to enliven his mind with english literature at University, before venturing into a career in the public service. In this epis...

Welcome to Episode 8 – Finding New Purpose as a Mature Age Student With the new university year about to start, I've been reflecting over my Masters of Social Work journey.  I finished my degree at the end of 2021, and I am so glad that I'm free of tutorials, lectures readings and essays! But at the same time, I'm also thankful.  I'm thankful for having done my Masters degree. Because it...

Welcome to Episode 7 – Filling Your Cup with Happy Hormones Today's episode centres on self-care and how you can fill your cup with Happy Hormones! When we think about self-care, we often think about hippies on a yoga retreat, or the girls going for a facial and massage. And this puts us blokes off. We think self-care isn't for us. It's almost like it's a dirty word that blokes dare not mention! B...

Welcome to Episode 6 – What it's Like to Live through Burnout As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on and on, Burnout is a condition that is finding its way into the news on a regular basis.  Put simply, Burnout is the result of long-term stress that doesn't get dealt with.  And it can happen to anyone. Workers, students, parents, carers, athletes, entertainers, business owners, and even podca...

Welcome to Episode 5 – What it’s Like to Live With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Today's episode talks about an often misunderstood, and highly trivialised disorder - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  OCD has been in my life for longer than anxiety and depression, but it wasn't until around 20 years from my first symptom, that I sort help for it.  It's an insight into a silent condition,...

Welcome to Episode 4 – What it’s Like to Live With Anxiety Today I look at anxiety, a mental health condition impacting 1 in 5 men in Australia. For me, anxiety started when I was in my primary school years, and it's stuck around ever since.  In this episode, I'll give you some insight into what anxiety looks and feels like, including some of the coping strategies I have used to try and deal...

Welcome to Episode 3 – What it’s Like to Live With Depression Today I discuss the dark cloud, or black dog, that many of us walk around with... Depression. I talk about the signs to look out for and how Depression has showed up in my life. From when it showed up in high school, to how it manifested in the lead up to my diagnosis in 2012.  I also share some of the things I have done to treat m...

Welcome to Episode 2 - Why You Don’t Need to be Famous to Talk About Mental Health Today's episode is one for the average blokes. It's one that centres on my purpose... to tell my story in the hope that it inspires other boys and men to tell theirs.  And why is this important? Because I believe that men need to speak up, because let's face it... we're not that good at it! By speaking up, we c...

Welcome to Episode 1 - Lets Get Men Talking! Today's episode is a brief introduction to what the Mindful Men Podcast is all about... opening up conversations about men's wellbeing.  I touch on issues that stop men from talking about their mental health, and the potential outcomes from not talking (think relationship breakdowns, to substance abuse, to violence and suicide). I also touch on a b...