Mental Health And Men's Health With Hearts Wide Open

In this powerful episode, Soroosh and Alican dive into the complex and often painful reality of toxic relationships with parents during the teenage years and even adulthood. As a teenager, dealing with toxic parental dynamics can be particularly challenging. The pressure to meet unrealistic expectations, constant criticism, and a lack of emotional support can lead to severe consequences such as de...

In this episode we tried something new! If you're able to, definitely check out the video version of this episode on Spotify or YouTube, because we're PAINTING as we have this conversation about a variety of thought-provoking topics that we as young men are faced with. It helps us a lot, if you take a moment to let us know what you think about this new format. This week Soroosh asked himse...

On this episode Soroosh and Dennis sat down with Lukas aka @vollblutvater who is an advocate for the equal parenting model and sharing his experience as an involved father on his social channels. Lukas explains what equal parenting or shared care means for him and his wife and why they chose this model. He shares about building a father son connection with his newborn and how equal care looks in p...

Soroosh had a talk with a friend recently and thought he'd bring the topic to the podcast to dive deep and discuss our thoughts on the pressure to perform. What is pressure to perform? What types of pressures are there that we can experience and where do they come from? How do these pressures affect us today and how do we still attach to them? We discuss all these questions and more around the...

We talked to Daley who went from being unhappy as a strategy consultant to working at the zoo. He talks about the dark side of being a strategy consultant, how he discovered his passion for animals and how working at the zoo feels more aligned to his purpose, which ultimately makes him much happier. Daley opens up about how being a "nice guy" worked against him and how he strives to beco...

Have you ever consciously or subconsciously talked about a past event using third person language? This can mean different things like creating distance to our past self because it doesn't serve us anymore or we evolved from this person. Take a moment and think about it. Why am I using third person language here? We also talk about s*xual abuse on men and that if it happens to a man, it can ch...

We invited Jaideep to the pod and the conversation that unfolded left us speechless 🤯 Jaideep is an award-winning barista at Wide Awake Coffee in Brussels by day, but he is so much more than that and you can witness this in his thoughts about a wide range of topics related to men's health. He's been working on evolving and becoming his best self a lot over the past decade and it shows. Jo...

Grab a pen and paper and join us on this episode, where we dive into the power of journaling. We begin the episode with some general chit chat between men, exchanging ideas and thought and our reflections on how the journey has been for Hearts Wide Open: From starting our first podcast 6 months ago, to regularly releasing better and better episodes for a growing audience of men who want to embrace...

On this episode we talk with Leon who's currently in training to become a neo-emotional release facilitator. Dennis and Leon met on a retreat last summer where they instantly connected as "tent buddies" in the camp. Leon's energy and capacity to hold space for people and their emotions is inspiring. Together we were able to go deep into our own emotions and experience what emotio...

Ever felt like you need to take a step back? There's too many things going on in your life and you know it can't go on like this? That's what Soroosh started to feel, before he took a break from a few things in his life, to get back focus and peace of mind. Now he's recharged and ready to go at it again. In this episode Soroosh takes us through the journey from realizing his overwhelm, considering...

Have you ever asked yourself whether we may all carry some sort of trauma with us? How do I know whether I have trauma? What is trauma and where does it come from? We'll dive into this and more with Tamara who is a Corporate Health Manager and Traumatherapist in training. Soroosh and Dennis met Tamara this past summer whilst on their trip to Portugal, check out the full episode about their tri...

This episode is perfect for you, if you're with family for the holidays and experiencing some sort of struggle or anxiety about it. In this epsiode Dennis interviews one of his oldest and best friends Jakob. Jakob is also a world traveler, journalist, political scientist, activist and so much more. Tune into this one as the two friends are having a conversation from the heart. They talk about...

In this episode, podcast host Dennis interviews Enes who he's met at the Men's Retreat this summer. #04 What Happens At A Men's Retreat? Join us, as Enes shares about his ongoing journey with self-worth, self-love and self-acceptance. The two discuss Enes' current training and focus in Spain, as he shares some valuable insights on changing his environment to create focus for a spec...

Join us for a deep dive into the world of self-expression. In this episode, Dennis and Soroosh explore the reasons behind expressing ourselves and share real-life examples of the different ways they personally like to express who they are and how they experience this. From verbal communication to ecstatic dance, discover the many dimensions of self-expression. As the conversation unfolds, we unrav...

This episode is special! Why? Because it's Movember? Because it's number 11? Yes, but also: Soroosh challenged himself last week! He's never been a "runner", but now he calls himself one! Why? How? That's exactly what we'll be discussing in this episode. Join us as Dennis interviews Soroosh on running the Haarlem Urban Trail, the why behind his decision to run, his pr...

Join us on our 10th episode ! What a milestone and what an opportunity to talk about the holiday that Dennis and Soroosh went on most recently. They said it themselves: Let's go on an active holiday Let's limit social media and phone usage Let's connect with each other, but also connect with strangers like you would on a solo trip Dennis and Soroosh are unpacking all this and much more...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Movember Distance Award Winner Anil Toraty, who's embarking on an incredible challenge this November, as he has committed to run 600km throughout the month to support men's mental health through his #Movember600 campaign. Discover why and how he pushed boundaries last year, running 465km and raising over £20,000. How far can you push yourself is n...

In this episode we dive deep into the topic of safe spaces and support systems. We explore the journey of finding, defining, and utilizing your support system to navigate life's challenges. For far too long, the stigma surrounding masculinity has pressured men to bear their burdens alone, to be strong without vulnerability. But the truth is, we all need support, especially during difficult tim...

Soroosh takes the mic to share his summer reflections: Exploring being present in the moment, reconnecting with loved ones after a long time apart, and the invaluable art of keeping a cool head when everything seems to go wrong. Soroosh also shares about his personal journey of reuniting with family after a long separation. This episode covers the emotions, challenges, and rewards that come with r...

This week we're trying a different format and are sharing a conversation Dennis recently had with Musa on the Being Borderless Podcast. In this insightful interview, the two "long lost friends" discuss Dennis' journey, which is far from ordinary: Dennis shares about growing up with two (not so similar) cultures, his post-study experiences, the birth of Hearts Wide Open, men's...

In this conversation, Dennis and Soroosh discuss the intricate relationship between social media, mental health, and the relentless pursuit of happiness. Join them as they unravel the impact of social media on our perceptions of self-worth, contentment, and well-being. In a world where we're bombarded with advertisements and ideals, let's explore how the pressure to be 'enough' oft...

This summer, Dennis went on a Men's Retreat. A Men's Retreat? WTF is that? Sounds weird? Why would you go there? This is not for me! Feeling triggered? Let's fill in the blanks together. In this episode Soroosh interviews Dennis about his recent experience at the Reconnection Men's Retreat by Freedom Of Movement . Discover what a men's retreat is really about, how it can look l...

This episode goes back to the core of why Dennis and Soroosh started Hearts Wide Open to begin with: To open and hold a space where men can be their full, true, vulnerable and most authentic selves. Take part in this very raw and honest conversation about vulnerability. Dennis and Soroosh explore what vulnerability means to them and why it holds immense importance, also and particularly for men. J...

This is our first viral episode which has already been streamed over 500 times! In this episode the two friends Dennis and Soroosh talk about the power of self-kindness, self-appreciation, and the intriguing dynamics between self-love and self-care. In this thought-provoking conversation, they explore the question: Is there a difference between self-love and self-care? In a world where it is not n...

Welcome to Hearts Wide Open, a podcast created by two friends Dennis and Soroosh who are passionate about men's health and specifically men's mental health. Dennis and Soroosh regularly sit down to talk about what's going on in their lives and discuss their own mental health, traumas, life experiences and personal growth topics with each other. During one of these conversations, the tw...