Mind Over Grind from Dark Coffee

Today’s special (full of laughter) episode celebrates the year anniversary of the Dark Coffee podcast, with guest Grace Hall interviewing host Alice Lyons on the motivation behind beginning the podcast, how it has evolved and what the future holds. Grace is a collaborator of Dark Coffee, focusing on content creation, including the editing of the Dark Coffee podcast and content writing. In this epi...

Often, when it comes to discussing emotions, men can consider vulnerability a weakness rather than a strength. The concept of sharing emotions, from a mental health condition perspective or generally, is viewed with apprehension and avoidance. In today’s episode, I discuss the benefits of men being more open about their emotions, how we view underdogs in popular culture and how this relates to the...

Today’s entertaining episode is part 2 of an interview with Lewis Kemp, discussing all things mindset, wellbeing and self-expression. Lewis is CEO of Lightbulb Media, a results-driven digital marketing agency who take a no-nonsense approach to getting SME’s in front of their ideal customers. They help good people doing good work to shout louder about what they’re doing and be seen by the right peo...

In today’s energetic, entertaining and enlightening episode, I’ll be talking all things business and social media with the human version of the ‘100’ emoji - Mr Lewis Kemp. Lewis is CEO of Lightbulb Media, a results-driven digital marketing agency who take a no-nonsense approach to getting SME’s in front of their ideal customers.  They help good people doing good work to shout louder about what th...

In the mental health discussion, there is a dichotomy emerging. The narrative seems to be split between an aggressive, ‘We’re broken!’ viewpoint, or a ‘We’re all okay!’ infantilised viewpoint. The discussion around mental health is still relatively new, but the language that we use now may dictate how it will appear in the future, meaning that it’s now more important than ever to be mindful of the...

Today's 'takeaway coffee' is a quick insight into suicide prevention strategies to mark World Suicide Prevention Day (on September 10th.)   I share my top 6 strategies for maintaining your own mindset as well as supporting other people who may be in emotional distress. These are based on my own experiences of managing my own suicidal feelings over a ten-year period. I’ve also collated some of the...

Why talk about rejection in a podcast about mental health and wellbeing? Because some of the fastest improvements in our mental wellbeing can be achieved through shoring up our weaknesses. A lot of us struggle with emotional heavyweights that impact us out of nowhere, such as grief and loss. But a lot of us can struggle with the emotional fallout that comes from the everyday choices we make in our...

What is your attitude towards risk? Are you an avid risk-taker, or do you try to avoid it at any cost? In today’s episode, I dive into my own interpretation of risk and the factors that determine which side of the fence we sit on. For me, it’s about understanding the relationship between possibilities, outcomes and our perception of them. The ‘risk model’ can even be applied to certain mental heal...

‘How can we prevent suicide?’ This is one of the questions I found myself asking this week when I sat down with Robert Jackson, the Director of Manchester and Salford Samaritans. I was interviewing Robert as part of an upcoming documentary which aims to delve into the murky waters of suicide to ask what we can all be doing to help combat the staggeringly high mortality rates. Happily, Robert had a...

More of Alice’s thoughts on grief brought about by the sudden loss of her family dog. Alice talks about the grieving process as it settles in, discussing communal grief, the humanising nature of loss and how it’s so damn hard to say the right thing to people who are suffering.   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that takes a light approach to our dark times.     Join wellbeing advocate Alice Lyo...

Today, Alice talks about the difficult and uncomfortable topic of grief. She talks about the parallels between grief and other heartbreaks, as well as other feelings that can accompany the loss, such as anger. She also explores different outlets for these heavy and challenging feelings, of family and friends don’t want to talk about them anymore.    Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that takes a...

In the rawest recording to date, Alice talks about managing her mental health during a depressive episode, where she explores her wandering thoughts and feelings in real time. She talks about oscillating between feeling a lot of overwhelming emotions at once, and a state of mental shutdown. She reflects on how this wave of depression compares to previous instances, and she talks through how she is...

In a week full of drastic ups and downs, Alice takes some time to work through some difficult feelings that came to the surface. The act of reflection can be a very challenging practice, but one that can help us heal past traumas and hurts. The key is to acknowledge and express our feelings. We call this ‘Emotional Honesty’ and we see it as a sign of strength.   Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast...

There are a lot of conflicting theories surrounding whether or not we should leave jobs if we find them unfulfilling. Do you stick it out in the name of demonstrating perseverance? Or do you quit to help preserve your sense of wellbeing? Today's subject is very close to my heart as someone who 'stuck it out' for more than 7 years in roles that were severely detrimental to my work satisfaction, hap...

'Self care' is a term that often gets used to help sell hair products and spa days, but what does it truly mean? In today's episode, Alice breaks down some ideas for developing your own self care routine. She uses the acronym S.P.A.C.E to explore Structure, Play, Activity, Clarity and Expression and provides lots of ideas of simple actions you can bring into your daily routine to lift your mood an...

The term 'fantasy' is often used to describe a vision or scenario which brings comfort to the person imagining it. So, what does it mean to experience a 'suicide fantasy'? Alice discusses this topic today with specific examples relating to her own experience. Listener discretion is advised.    Welcome to Dark Coffee; the podcast that shines a light on our darkest times. Join host Alice Lyons as sh...

At a time of year when most people set resolutions, I've decided to set an INTENTION centred around a single word. This year, I have decided the theme will be 'Strength.' Based on my ongoing experience of holding a yearly theme, this small but mighty word will help inform my decisions and focus my efforts, especially in times of difficulty.    Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that shines a ligh...

There’s no denying that New Year can be a difficult time for a lot of us. As a recovering ‘New Year Hater’ I’ve got my own short list of big reasons as to why this is. I’d like to use today’s episode to examine our discomfort around the season as a way of taking the edge off of it.   Welcome to Dark Coffee; the podcast that shines a light on our darkest times. Join host Alice Lyons as she and her...

With the Christmas season in full swing, I've been thinking about how this time of year can be loaded with complex emotions for those of us who have experienced a loss. I talk about how the expectations of how Christmas 'should' be often leaves us feeling dissatisfied, frustrated or sad, and how these feelings are worthy of acknowledgement. I share my own story of grief to explore how we can negot...

In this week's episode, I discuss the story of Scrooge and explain how this character's transformation can give us all hope. It's a powerful story of redemption and hope that reminds us that it is never too late to make a change in our lives.    Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that shines a light on our darkest times. Join host Alice Lyons as she and her guests explore their experiences with s...

Mistakes are a fact of life, but many of us can get trapped in the spiral of negative thinking that they invoke. Today's episode is a pep talk full of practical advice for moving on from mistakes, from brainstorming solutions in 'stupid idea time' to reframing your situation as an opportunity for growth.  Today, I speak about how damaging negative self-talk can be, including how it can impact situ...

How would you behave during a medical emergency? Have you ever been in a position to find out? What kind of training have you had to deal with the pressure a situation like this would bring? In this short episode, I draw parallels between medical emergencies and emotional ones, asking if this could help us reframe how we see suicidal episodes, also including points such as: - How suicidal thoughts...

Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that shines a light on our darkest times. Join host Alice Lyons as she and her guests explore their experiences with suicide ideation, in order to reduce the silence, stigma and shame that surrounds this issue.   In today’s episode, I speak with Sophie Turton from The Joyful Web; a digital marketing agency for mission-led businesses. She is also a mental health...

Welcome to Dark Coffee, the podcast that shines a light on our darkest times. Join host Alice Lyons as she and her guests explore their experiences with suicide ideation, in order to reduce the silence, stigma and shame that surrounds this issue. In this episode, I speak about my own personal experiences with suicide ideation, explaining what exactly suicide ideation is. Specifically, my own journ...