Rest and Recreation

How to manage the conflicting demands of work, career ambitions and family aspirations and not be a burned out working Mom? A raw, relatable, and quietly powerful episode of Rest and Recreation for anyone trying to juggle work, identity, and a brand‑new baby. In this conversation, licensed mental health counsellor Christi Gmyr shares with host Michael Millward the truth behind returning to work af...

Kate Hendrickson is a business coach and author whose first novel Christmas Switch draws on her own experience to tell the story of Ali, a woman who experiences burnout and decides to switch life with Tommy, her husband to create a better life for herself and her family. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Kate and host Michael Millward discuss burnout an...

Reverend Sydney Francis provides trauma-informed spiritual healing who helps people transform emotional pain into spiritual purpose In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Rev Sydney and host Michael Millward discuss her latest book Activating Lunar Alchemy . During their conversation Rev Sydney and Michael cover: Rev Sydney’s journey to ordination, and the f...

Numa , defined as the singer of SELF EMPOWERMENT, is a multifaceted and eclectic artist engaged in humanitarian and animal rights activities. Singer, songwriter, producer and artistic director, she has released several successful musical singles, (in Italian, Spanish and English) and, in combination with the message of "positive thinking", promotes her music all over the world. In this episode of...

Mark Steven Porro’s Multi-Tasking Adventures of Caring for Mom. And How He Survived to Tell the Tale Mark Steven Porro is an entrepreneur, actor and writer, who gave it all up to become the full-time carer for his mother. What do writers do when they have a life-changing experience? They write about it! That is exactly what he did and created A Cup of Tea on the Commode. My Multi-Tasking Adventure...

The mental health benefits of Jigsaws. Bethany Ofosuhene is passionate about jigsaws. Not just as a fascinating hobby, but also as a tool for improving mental health and well-being. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Bethany describes to host Michael Millward how the ideas for her business Jigsaw and Gist developed. During their conversation Bethany expl...

Understanding stress is the first step to achieving balance in your life? Noel McDermott is a psychotherapist, founder of Mental Health Works a comprehensive mental health service and host of The Well Being Show a weekly live video-based podcast available on YouTube and Facebook. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Noel explains to host Michael Millward w...

Is Workaholism a mental health issue? Taking an alternative approach to mental health led to Lilia Bogoeva being known as the Inner Demon Crusher . Lilia advocates for a more constructive approach to mental health that goes beyond the diagnosis of a problem and focuses on understanding how someone functions. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Lilia and h...

Making it possible for disabled drivers to participate in motorsport A motor cycling accident resulted in Paul Fullnick , having a leg amputated. Devastating, but the prospect of not being able to ride his bike was worse. Then Paul discovered Team Brit and the prospect of being involved in motorsport was rekindled. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Paul...

Building self confidence and self-awareness is the key to recovering from trauma and mental illness. Anu Verma has lived experience of numerous different types of abuse. Anu now works to support other survivors to understand their experiences and learn how to develop the confidence and self-awareness so that they can regain their individual power and live authentically. WARNING This episode of Res...

Sometimes it takes a kick in the teeth for us to start living our best life. Amie Yaniak has a successful career as a music therapist, until the COVID lockdown. Then Amie received a stage four cancer diagnosis. That news was the catalyst for Amie to change her life for the better. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Amie and host Michael Millward explore...

Friends are hard to find, but when life gets busy, friends are very easy to lose. That is the reality for many people. Regardless of our age, life throws all sorts of demands on our time, it is often if not usually our friendships that get left on the sidelines. That was the predicament that Daniella Granzotto was in until she discovered the Wednesday Waffles concept and decided to turn the weekly...

B. Able stands at the forefront of a new narrative: one that challenges stereotypes and demands that the world “see the able, not the label.” Revolutionary recording artist, songwriter, actor and saxophonist B. Able blends hip-hop, R&B, soul, and jazz influences to create music that awakens awareness as much as it entertains. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and R...

A fascination for facts led to a curiosity about the people behind the facts Rashad Woods is the host of T.R.O.N. the hit podcast that developed out of his fascination with facts and the people who worked on the projects that resulted in the fact. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation, Rashad describes to host Michael Millward how having the encyclopaedia Br...

Exploring empathy and understanding how to teach empathy. After a career in paediatric health care Roxanne Daleo decided to focus on helping children and the adults who care for them to manage their stress levels by understanding themselves and other people. That explains Roxanne in this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation is a good summary of what empathy is. Rox...

Exploring how LBGTQ+ people experience life and how we can all ally to be more supportive. For Zach Randles-Friedman podcasting started as a hobby, but the success of his two podcasts, Everything & Anything… and a Bit Gay, a long-form interview podcast and the daily short-form LGBTQ+ new programme Listen Up Girl provided him with the opportunity to consider becoming a full time podcaster. Zach...

Exploring what we mean by work life balance and considering if there might be a better way. Cindy Koehler is a transformational business and life coach, and founder of Mind Garage . In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Cindy explains to host Michael Millward that we are wrong to view success in life as the achievement of a good work life balance. Instead, C...

Karen Rudolf introduces the tool she has developed to help people live their authentic life. Karen Rudolf is the founder of the Tranquil Soulution and creator of the Mind Mosaic Clarity Tool. The Mind Mosaic Clarity Tool helps people to understand how they can avoid the pressures to just follow the crowd and instead live their authentic life. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podca...

A.I. could be the secret to you having more successful dates and finding your ideal partner. Rakesh Naidu is the founder of Fate, a connection app that uses Agentic AI to bring empathy and authenticity back into how people meet. Fate users don’t have to engage in endless swiping. Instead, Fate users engage in voice-first interactions and adaptive matching guided by AI that learns from human tone,...

The way we work impacts how much leisure time we have and how well we can enjoy that leisure time. Jessper Maquindang is the founder of Familead Consulting a specialist in improving employee productivity and engagement. The expression is, work life balance, but many people believe that the order should be reversed, life work balance. This they argue is because life is more important than work. The...

Successful entrepreneur Aaron Christy describes how he spends his leisure time Aaron Christy is the founder and CEO of the Indianapolis based roofing company Indy Roof and Restoration . In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Aaron describes to host Michael Millward how he likes to spend his leisure time and the how his leisure time decisions impacted the way...

Myla is a Ukrainian American DJ and producer of rave music. In this episode of the Abeceder work life balance podcast Rest and Recreation Myla and host Michael Millward discuss Myla’s career and how she likes to relax. Myla has an international profile on the dance scene. She has played on specialist rave Caribbean cruises, in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the Netherlands, as well as the United St...

When something unexpected happens, it is amazingly useful to have the key information in one place. As Suke Ridler lay in hospital listening to a doctor saying that they could not do anymore to help her, her first thoughts were not about herself. Suke was worried about the mess that she would be leaving behind for her family to sort out. Administering modern life is complex. Just like Suke very fe...

Why do high achievers find it so difficult to adjust to life in retirement? Elizabeth Zelinka Parsons was a high achieving lawyer in a big firm, until the day she decided that she didn’t want to be. Moving into retirement was hard work. Once settled into a new lifestyle Elizabeth wrote the guide for transitioning from work to retirement. That book is Encore A High Achievers Guide to Retirement. In...

Dylan Garcia, uses funk and neo-soul music and his smooth vocals to tell stories about the emotional side of being a man Dylan Garcia is a successful singer and songwriter of songs that tell the emotional rollercoaster of life from the perspective of a man’s man. His lyrics evoke the inner strength of an honest man who is not afraid to show his vulnerability as he deals with the highs and lows of...