In this special episode, I speak with a mate of mine, Aimee Hill.At the end of last year, when Aimee was 6 months pregnant, she went into a local optician for what was supposed to be a routine eye test.During the examination however, the optician identified something of concern, specifically in regards to Aimee’s left eye.This resulted in a referral to a local hospital, so Aimee could be assessed further.Mere weeks after that initial hospital appointment, and Aimee found herself in a specialist eye unit in Liverpool being officially diagnosed with malignant melanoma, as a cancerous tumour had been found at the back of her left eye.Not only was this of course, a complete shock, but Aimee then had to consider treatment options and the best way forward while heavily pregnant and during a global pandemic — I’m happy to say now though, that Aimee’s little boy Evan was born earlier this year!In this episode, Aimee candidly and bravely shares her experience in great detail from beginning to the present day. We talk about how she managed to cope emotionally and how ultimately, it was the the life growing inside of her, and the support of those closest, that kept her going at the most difficult of times.Aimee wants to share her journey in the hope that it’ll raise awareness about the importance of getting regular eye tests, and contribute to the removing of the stigma and fear surrounding the discussion of cancer openly, especially considering that 50% of people in the UK will be affected by cancer at some point in their lives. I feel really privileged that I’ve been able to help in some small way by sharing this story with our audience, and as I say during the episode, I'm really in awe of Aimee's strength and courage, in what has been and still is, a period of immense difficulty and uncertainty.Thanks for listening.Rhys X

This episode's theme is LISTENING TO YOUR BODY.I (Rhys) talk about a recent experience which reminded me about the importance of listening to my body, while Leila shares her theory that we human beings were engineered by aliens who created us by using monkey DNA...or something to that effect. Anyway...During the episode, we also chat about: Our own experiences with listening/not listening to our bodies. Understanding what our bodies actually need and when. How natural it is for animals to be at one with their bodies. How symptoms within the body are messengers trying to tell us something. The importance of considering health holistically when looking at our mental health. And a whole lot more.Just so you know, our conversations are completely unfiltered, unedited and happen very organically.Also to note, we’re not professionals — if you’ve heard us speak, you will know that. We’re just a couple with a passion for nattering about our mental health and trying to navigate our way through the mad old game we call "life".We explore these topics in real-time and figure out our opinions and share our experiences on the fly. We have no agenda, other than that we want to try and help. Often we miss things out and get things wrong. We're human — anyway, you know the score by now!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about LISTENING TO YOUR BODY.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

It’s Rhys here, and in this additional mid-week episode, I chat with special guest, musician, Kris Dawson.You might know Kris as one of the guitar players in banging British metalcore outfit, Bury Tomorrow, but did you know that he’s actually a man of many talents and also training to be a barber?Well, now you do…In this wide-ranging conversation, we chat about Kris’ journey of self-discovery, which led to a breakthrough and positive change in his mental health and wellbeing.A big piece of the puzzle for Kris, was for him to stop drinking alcohol because over time, he’d come to realise how much of a negative impact it had been and was having on his mental health.Kris goes on to share his experiences with anxiety and depression and how there were moments on tour when he really, really struggled day to day to cope. Following on from this, we talk about how and when Kris sought mental health help and the importance of sharing your feelings with those you trust.Along the way, we cover Kris’ passion for exercise and the positive effect it’s had on his mental health, and how it’s helped him focus over the past year in lockdown.Thematically, we also cover:Uncertainty, spending time in solitude, letting go of the things that you no longer enjoy and impinge upon your ability to live a happy life, letting go of the things we can’t control, focus, hard work, determination, ego, authenticity, change, counselling, travel and touring in a band, self-awareness and development, friendship and peace.I loved this chat because you know what I’m like by now, I love self-development and hearing stories of how people have managed to better their lives and mental health. It gives me hope and inspires me to keep heading in the right direction, and I know it’ll have this effect on you too!Also, after hearing it back, the stand out theme of this podcast is rooted in authenticity, which in Kris’ words, subsequently then leads to a sort of inner peace — I fully agree.I’m stoked to have had an opportunity to chat with Kris, as I’ve always been a big fan of his music, so please, enjoy!

Episode NotesThis week’s theme is THE ROAD TO PARENTHOOD.First off, TW on this one for baby loss and miscarriage. Another thing to note is that I (Rhys) am flat as a pancake in this episode — not really selling it well, am I? Leila's must have a bad back this week...because she carried this one!Anyway, in the business of full disclosure and with us being a mental health pod, I thought I should put it out there: I had a shit week. It has now improved though, and I'm back to baseline once more...ready for the next dip. Anyway, in this episode, Leila and I have a candid chat about the continuing winding and uncertain road we're currently walking, in an attempt to become parents and how it's impacted our mental health through the years. We talk less about the specifics of what happened but more about how the events made us feel and how we've navigated our way through. For those wanting to listen to our full baby loss journey with specifics, we did a podcast with our mates over at The Worst Girl Gang Ever, who do amazing work breaking the taboo surrounding miscarriage and baby loss. Go follow them on Instagram!During this episode, we chat about: Our baby loss and miscarriage experiences. How the situations made us feel.How we both grieved in different ways. How we found a way through and what helped us. Coping with ongoing uncertainty.Just so you know, our conversations are completely unfiltered, unedited and happen very organically.Also to note, we’re not professionals — if you’ve heard us speak, you will know that. We’re just a couple with a passion for nattering about our mental health and trying to navigate our way through the mad old game we call "life".We explore these topics in real-time and figure out our opinions and share our experiences on the fly. We have no agenda and often, we miss things out and get things wrong. We're human — anyway, you know the score by now!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about THE ROAD TO PARENTHOOD.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is FEAR.I talk about where my fear of small spaces started after being trapped in a tardis made of UPVC doors in B&Q as a kid and we discover that Leila takes pleasure in a lot of the things that others find fearful (she's a strange gal). During the episode, we chat about: What fear is and where it stems from. The different types of fear. Whether worry is the same as fear. Our own fears and our experiences with them through the years. Examples of fears we've learned to overcome in our lives. How to overcome fear in your own life by getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Just so you know, our conversations are completely unfiltered, unedited and happen very organically.Also to note, we’re not professionals — if you’ve heard us speak, you will know that. We’re just a couple with a passion for nattering about our mental health and trying to navigate our way through the mad old game we call "life".We explore these topics in real-time and figure out our opinions and share our experiences on the fly. We have no agenda and often, we miss things out and get things wrong. We're human — anyway, you know the score by now!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about FEAR.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is SELF-AWARENESS.This is a topic that's come up so many times during our Sunday morning chats, we thought it's about time we made an episode about it. We think it's the foundation for starting any personal development journey or improving your mental health. What is self-awareness? Why is it important? How can you cultivate a better sense of self? All of these questions and more are chit-chatted about during this episode.We also cover:What self-awareness actually is. How having a lack of self-awareness can be detrimental to our relationships. Identify unhelpful habits and behaviours that negatively impact your mental health. How empathy and self-awareness link together. How self-awareness links to emotional intelligence. Our own path to becoming more self-aware and how the journey never ends. How to improve your sense of self-awareness, using things that have helped us both. Just so you know, our conversations are completely unfiltered, unedited and happen very organically.Also to note, we’re not professionals — if you’ve heard us speak, you will know that. We’re just a couple with a passion for nattering about our mental health and trying to navigate our way through the mad old game we call "life".We explore these topics in real-time and figure out our opinions and share our experiences on the fly. We have no agenda and often, we miss things out and get things wrong. We're human — anyway, you know the score by now!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about SELF-AWARENESS.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

In this mid-week episode, I (Rhys) chat with artist Russ Morland, who goes by the name, Lurk (@lurklovesyou on Instagram) — all of Russ' links can be found here. Russ is based on Vancouver Island in BC, Canada, and with his art, he creates weird worlds and inhabits them with strange creatures. His work is trippy, psychedelic, fun and vibrant.Russ draws inspiration from the worlds of lowbrow, street art, skateboarding, and board games, and throughout his career, his work has been featured on shoes, guitar pedals, underwear, skateboards, card games and a whole load more, for prominent clients including Mastodon, Britney Spears, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Etnies Shoes, and RedBull. In this conversation we talk about Russ’ tough upbringing in the north of England and how he found his way to creating art from a young age, feeling like a bit of a “weird, loner kid”, as he puts it in his own words.We talk about his early influences and how he developed the vivid, strange and unique style that his work is synonymous with today.We also talk about a mural that Russ was commissioned to create by the city of Nanaimo in Vancouver, as part of the Hub City Walls Project.Russ was chosen by the project to inject a bit of fun and colour onto a grey wall in an area of the city that would benefit from having such a cool, interesting piece of art painted onto one of its walls.The city approved his proposed piece and he got to work on creating the mural, which took about 10 days to finish.After its completion, the mural attracted some negative social media attention, with a small number of people who misinterpreted and misconstrued the work, deeming it to be “inappropriate”.This then sparked an online conversation about art in public spaces, with many people — including the project and city — jumping in to praise the piece, as well as defending their right to have it there in the first place.This was a difficult and entirely unexpected thing for Russ to navigate, especially as the intention behind the piece was never to offend or be provocative, quite the opposite, it was meant to be fun, vibrant and interesting. Something that could breathe a bit of life back into the surrounding community.Thematically, we also talk:The lowbrow art movement, British/Canadian cultural differences, music, developing as an artist, being a father, sobriety, self-awareness and reflection, anxiety, the NFT art world and therapy.I’m a huge fan of Russ’ art and after having spoken to him back and forth in DMs a fair bit, I knew we were going to instantly click when in conversation, so hopefully that came across.Hope you enjoy our chat!

This week’s theme is BODY IMAGE.Leila talks about her experiences being a tall kid and I (Rhys) chat about how I thought the only way to become happy within my body was to strive to become a Marvel superhero...During the episode, we chat about: Our own unique experiences with body image growing up — both good and bad.TW: eating disorders and how body image plays a huge part. TW: baby loss and post-partum body image. Ageing, changing and going with the flow. Social media, societal expectation and advertising, and how that plays into body image. Achieving body neutrality and learning to be grateful for what our bodies do for us. How to improve your self-worth, confidence and body image. Just so you know, our conversations are completely unfiltered, unedited and happen very organically.Also to note, we’re not professionals — if you’ve heard us speak, you will know that. We’re just a couple with a passion for nattering about our mental health and trying to navigate our way through the mad old game we call "life".We explore these topics in real-time and figure out our opinions and share our experiences on the fly. We have no agenda and often, we miss things out and get things wrong. We're human — anyway, you know the score by now!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about BODY IMAGE.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

In this episode, Rhys speaks with musician and lecturer, Dan Stevenson.You might know Dan as one of the guitar players in Scottish mathcore band, Frontierer.Frontierer are known for their heavy, erratic and aggressive form of technical metal. Having seen them perform live at ArcTanGent in 2019 (which seems like a lifetime ago now) I know firsthand that they bring an intense amount of energy and enthusiasm to their live shows.But, in direct contrast to the “noise terror” of Frontierer, Dan has just finished writing a solo record which is at the complete opposite end of the sonic spectrum.The record is called “There Is Beauty In Everything” and it relates heavily to a breakthrough Dan had with his mental health.It’s unconventional, raw, interesting, moving and most pertinently, uplifting — I say this because Dan has aptly named and released the record under the name “Lift”.Dan created this record during a difficult period last year in which he experienced a loss. The record was born out of a sort of necessity to process what'd happened and to comprehend the emotions he was experiencing.Even though he was in an extremely low place, Dan had the idea to try and write songs that would reflect the mood he wished to be in, rather than the state of mind he was then in. This is when the record really started to take shape. In this conversation, we talk about:Dan’s history with his mental health and being a really emotional kid.We talk about his time at uni and how he had spells of poor mental health before discovering fitness as a means to cope.We also talk about how a mental health breakdown and psychotic episode, prompted a big change in Dan’s life.We also talk about burnout, setting boundaries and self-care.Thematically, we also talk:Creativity, baby loss, meditation, the Scottish/Welsh music scene, burnout, setting boundaries, self-care and reconnecting with nature.I really loved chatting to Dan and really connected with the record too. Any of you Bon Iver fans out there, you should definitely pick this one up via Venn Records when it's released. Peace.

This week’s theme is MANIFESTATION.Is it a load of crap or is there some actual truth to it?Leila talks about manifesting a canary in a cage and Rhys talks about manifesting…ill health due to health anxiety.During the episode, we chat about: Our own unique experiences with manifestation — both good and bad.Experiences that other people have had with manifestation.Visualisation and goal-setting.Health anxiety (again).“The Secret”.The Law of Attraction.Hope, faith and belief.Whether a low mental state/mood manifests more of the same.Whether there is any truth to manifestation — in our opinion.Whether there’s a scientific explanation for manifestation.How to manifest.Just so you know, our conversations are completely unfiltered, unedited and happen very organically.Also to note, we’re not professionals — if you’ve heard us speak, you will know that. We’re just a couple with a passion for nattering about our mental health and trying to navigate our way through the mad old game we call "life".We explore these topics in real-time and figure out our opinions and share our experiences on the fly — anyway, you know the score by now...we're idiots!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about MANIFESTATION.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

So, we’ve been off for a few weeks on one of our impromptu, bi-annual pod breaks due to one/both of us having a breakdown…Therefore, this week’s aptly appointed theme is:THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL(Sounds very eerie and ominous, doesn’t it!?)DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL - according to Eckhart Tolle:“A term used to describe what one could call a collapse of a perceived meaning in life…an eruption into your life of a deep sense of meaninglessness.  The inner state in some cases is very close to what is conventionally called depression. Nothing makes sense anymore, there’s no purpose to anything. Sometimes it’s triggered by some external event, some disaster perhaps, on an external level.”So, yeah. Both Leila and I have had a bit of a tough time of it of late and we share our experience quite candidly — expect jokes, though. And funny voices. Always.During the episode, we chat about: Our own unique experiences with “the dark night of the soul” and what it is.How an existential crisis is similar/the same in some ways.Our experiences with medication.My health anxiety experiences.Shedding vices.Taking responsibility for your own mental health.Helping a loved one in need with their mental health.How we found our way out of mental turmoil.Just so you know, our conversations are completely unfiltered, unedited and happen very organically.Also to note, we’re not professionals — if you’ve heard us speak, you will know that. We’re just a couple with a passion for nattering about our mental health and trying to navigate our way through the mad old game we call "life".We explore these topics in realtime and figure out our opinions and share our experiences on the fly — anyway, you know the score by now...we're idiots!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is all about: SELF-SABOTAGE.(Did you think of the song by The Beastie Boys?)During the episode, we chat about: What self-sabotage is.How to know if you might be self-sabotaging.Why we might self-sabotage ourselves.Lesser forms of self-sabotage.Examples from our own lives in which we’ve self-sabotaged ourselves.How we might go about stopping our self-sabotaging ways.This episode is also a little “no edit” experiment, so we can now say that our conversation is completely unfiltered, unedited and completely organic!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about SELF-SABOTAGE.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is all about: IDENTITY.In this episode, we chat about: The meaning of identity and how it is shaped.Our own perceived sense of identity and what that means to us.How social media has an effect on identity and how we can have multiple online personas which are strands of our core identity.The relationship between identity and mental health.Living out of alignment with who you know you are deep down.We also talk ways in which you can get to know yourself better and we cover Rhys’ bi-monthly identity crisis and how he overcomes that.Thematically, we also cover:Counselling, therapy, the Johari Window model, values, self-esteem, body image, stress and a whole lot more.Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about IDENTITY.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is all about: SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS — we also cover a bit of IMPOSTER SYNDROME.We chat about our experiences with our own self-limiting beliefs: how they’ve held us back, where they came from and how we’ve tried to overcome them.Is it conditional, genetic or experiential circumstances that leads us to having these beliefs in the first place?We talk how certain negative experiences as children really shaped our belief system growing up.We also chat finding a mentor, positive encouragement and learning to fail.We (I mean me, Rhys) also talk about Elon Musk, more than once — fanboy much?Thematically, we also cover:Growing up, parental influence, mentors, childhood trauma, Elon Musk’s inventions, inner child work, therapy, the hero’s journey, ADHD, shame, embarrassment, self-awareness and self-reflection.Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS. Remember: the person who says they can and the person who says they can’t are both right.------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is all about: BREAKUPS.We’ve all been through one and no doubt every time, forget how much they can really suck!We both talk about experiences with breakups in the past. How it felt and what we did in order to piece our lives back together.We talk amicable breakups, chaotic breakups and complicated breakups.We discuss whether you can really be friends with your ex.We talk about dealing with, processing and rebuilding your life after a breakup.We chat support networks, coping methods and having a little help from your friends — even, who retains what friends post-breakup!?Thematically, we also cover:Pain, heartache, change, grief, compromise, dating, social media and anger.Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about BREAK-UPS. ------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is all about: BOUNDARIES. We talk about why boundaries are so important for our mental health and the different types of boundaries there are: physical, mental, emotional, time, material etc.We talk about how you are the custodian of your own energy. You are responsible for its management because you can’t get spent energy back!We talk about respecting your own boundaries and those of others, as well as both of us being “people pleasers” naturally.We talk about boundaries in relationships, friendships and in the workplace.We also chat about the importance of communicating what your boundaries are and explaining to people when they’ve crossed them.Thematically, we also cover:Respect, protecting your energy, burnout, communication, people pleasing, taking care of yourself first, control, relational boundaries and more!Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about BOUNDARIES. ------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is all about: PETS. Specifically, how having a pet affects your mental health.Both Leila and I have had dogs in the past and those of you who’ve followed a little while will know that we recently rescued a dog from Romania. A handsome chap named ‘Leon’.We talk about our experience so far with Leon and the adoption process.We talk about our own experience having dogs (and cats) in the past, and how this has been a source of support for us through the years for our mental health.We talk about the responsibility and sense of routine that comes when having an animal, and how in turn, this has a positive affect on our mental health.We talk about the soothing presence an animal can have by just being around and hanging out with them — there’s nothing more comforting than watching your pet asleep by the fire.We also chat about how our pets mirror our energy and can offer us support when we most need it — what we give to them, they give back in abundance, as well as the fact that they make us laugh so much! They can really help take the edge off a bad day.We talk about how especially now, our animals help us from getting lonely. Because anybody with a pet knows, you’re never alone when you have them!We also chat what lessons we can learn from animals, in that they’re more in tune with nature than we are. Something human beings appear to have lost somewhere along the way!Thematically, we also cover:Responsibility, routine, mindfulness, depression, being present, stress, caring for others, therapy, the bond between animals and humans,And Leila’s now retired career as a writer for the stage!?Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about PETS. ------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is all about: CHANGING YOUR MIND.We discuss all the times we've both changed our mind throughout the years, in our choice of work and personal lives. Both Leila and I have had many different careers and identities, until we've arrived at the ones we have now!We talk about really thinking you want to be or do something, before realising it isn't for you. But are you quitting because it isn't for you or because you haven't given it enough time? We discuss the difference!We talk about the time we both did the same counselling course at college as we thought we both wanted to be counsellors, but then realised that...we didn't. We discuss the shame that's associated with changing your mind when you've made a public declaration that you intend to change. We also talk about the stigma sometimes associated with the changing of one's mind!Thematically, we also cover:Work, passion, purpose, direction, being open-minded, trying different things, sunk cost bias and being open to the opinions of others, and many other things...Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about CHANGING YOUR MIND. ------If you're not already following us on Instagram, what're you waiting for!?

This week’s theme is: MUSIC and MENTAL HEALTH.We discuss how important music was in both in our teenage years and as we grew up — for Leila, it was Blink-182 and for me, probably Linkin Park. We talk about the records we loved and how they shaped our youth.We talk about how music bonded us as kids. Spoke for us. And how the scene gave us a home. One that allowed us to mix with other like-minded folks.(RIP MySpace.)We talk about how the music you choose to listen to can influence your mood — or is it the other way around?We also talk about Leila fainting when she saw Travis Barker in the flesh and the time I thought I was rapper — Leila embarrasses me by singing a rap I wrote when I was 13.We also talk about how music can be used as therapy. How it’s a deeply-rooted part of who we are as human beings — it’s in our bones!Thematically, we also cover:Growing up, relationships, dance, anger, the alternative scene, the South Wales music scene, gangster rap, metal, nu metal, pop punk, somatic dance, creative expression, trauma release exercises and whether our physical bodies hold onto feelings.Anyway, please enjoy our chat, all about MUSIC and MENTAL HEALTH.

This week’s theme is: WORKING WITH OTHERS and COLLABORATION.We discuss how best to work with others, whether that be at your job, in your relationship or even, a collaborative creative project — such as a mental health podcast…We talk about our journey as a couple working on a creative project together — the highs, the lows and the in-betweens — and how you can improve your working relationship with people who are completely different personalities to you.We chat about accepting your colleague and/or collaborator as a unique individual with different needs, strengths and weaknesses.We talk about how you can effectively work together to produce great work!We also chat about how to coexist in new workstations post-lockdown!Thematically, we cover:Accountability, romantic relationships, professional relationships, parent/child relationships, collaboration with people completely different to you, mind over matter, personality differences, growing up, jobs, the workplace, work ethic, punctuality, management, perfectionism, making mistakes, love languages, lockdown office situations, flow and knowing yourself.(If anyone out there has seen Peep Show, I’m more of a Mark Corrigan (Rhys) and Leila is more of a Jez.)Anyway, please enjoy our weekend chat, all about WORKING WITH OTHERS and COLLABORATION!If you're not already following us on Instagram, please do!If you'd like to support the pod, we currently have a sweet t-shirt for sale.