How long does it take to heal from trauma? The reality is that it can take far longer than it should according to my guest in this episode Dr. Ardeshir Mehran. He believes we should be emphasizing the importance of accelerated healing and the need to address shame and grief in the healing process. Ardeshir Mehran is a leadership excellence coach, who enables leaders to achieve their personal and operating goals, at faster and higher rates. Listen as he highlights the connection between mental health and the quality of relationships and environments, particularly in the workplace. He also discusses the prevalence of depression and anxiety in high-achieving professionals and the need for fulfilment in addition to achievement. We explore the themes of pain, change, and trauma as well as Ardeshir’s personal journey of realizing he was in the wrong role and the toll it took on his own mental health. "People can get traumatized in a matter of minutes, hours or days. It should not take so long to heal” - Dr. Ardeshir Mehran You'll hear about:   Chapters 02:17 - Accelerated Healing and the Journey to Wholeness 08:54 - The Impact of Shame and Grief on Mental Health 15:05 - Connections Between Mental Health and the Workplace 23:04 - Psychological Safety 25:15 - The Power of Brave Conversations in the Workplace 26:39 - Listening to Emotions and Pain 28:43 - Reclaiming Our True Selves and Setting Boundaries 33:29 - Being Present and Confronting Unhealed Trauma 37:21 - The Power of Connection: Belonging and Mental Health 49:44 - The Radical Change Needed in Mental Health   Ardeshir’s resources: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ardeshir-mehran-ph-d-a3457/ Ardeshir’s website - https://ardeshirmehran.com/   Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

How can I set boundaries and stick to them?   This is one of the most common questions I get asked. We all try and set boundaries but so often we beat ourselves up for not sticking to them. But all it takes is a little tweak to make it work, and that’s what we’re going to cover in this episode.   I delve into my own struggles with boundaries and addiction, and the shame I have felt when I didn’t meet them. I also share tactics you can use to set better boundaries and break the cycles of addiction by celebrating small wins, radical honesty, and accountability.   So start noticing what you hide in the cabin of shame from, so you can solve it and challenge your own bullshit.   “Anybody who says they have perfect boundaries all of the time, it’s simply not true” - Petra   You'll hear about:   01:02 - We're all making it up as we go 02:10 - Why the context we are in matters 06:53 - My definition of addiction 09:18 - My journey with addiction 14:31 - Tactics for sticking to boundaries 16:55 - Assessing if you need a boundary 19:51 - You need to learn to be honest   Episode resources: James Clear – Atomic Habits - https://shorturl.at/lqOW7  Dr Ramani – You Are Why You Eat - https://shorturl.at/drvBS    Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

When there is a suicide attempts trauma happens on all sides.   From the person attempting it now needing mental health support, to the loved ones needing to re-build trust in them. Everyone must deal with the ripple effects.   In this episode I am joined by Clarke and Carrie Carlisle. Clarke attempted suicide which led them both down a path of having to work on their mental health for very different reasons. They share their experiences in getting to a place where the trust in Clarke’s words was rebuilt, the challenges supporting family members face, and the misconceptions around it all.   Clarke also share his experiences around unconscious bias in the health system and their thoughts on what needs to radically change in wellbeing.   “It didn’t matter how well he was, if I wasn’t well, I still believed he was going to kill himself” - Carrie You'll hear about:   02:04 - An intro to Clarke and Carrie 11:25 - Rebuilding the trust after a suicide attempt 16:02 - Carrie on whether her mental health as the supporter 23:08 - What it takes to build healthy relationships 31:08 - Did Clarke experience unconscious bias in his treatment? 39:19 - The misconceptions people have 43:49 - The importance of knowing boundaries 48:32 - Adverse mental health vs emotional wellbeing 55:42 - The roles we give our children 59:24 - The most radical change we need in wellbeing   Clarke & Carrie’s resources: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/clarkeandcarriecarlisle/  Website - https://www.clarkeandcarrie.com/    Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/

Welcome to season 2! This episode is different! Tips, tools and advice from my story and hundreds of hours working with clients.  All too easily we can numb ourselves when we feel those tough feelings, we need to recognise the importance of feeling both the highs and the lows of life. In this episode I share my own experiences leaving life in a cult, overcoming addiction and suicidal thoughts, to being able to shift from a victim to a growth mindset. I also discuss how we can all truly connect to ourselves and embrace all the feelings life entails and why this can help us reach our potential and change your life.  “I spiralled into hopelessness, despair, suicidal thinking, the works” - Petra   You'll hear about: 03:12 – How I changed my life 08:14 - Shifting from victim to growth mindset 13:06 - The importance of understanding one's blueprint 15:26 - Take action to overcome fear 18:52 – The impact of complex PTSD and trauma 24:14 – Feeling the feelings is what makes us alive 26:34 – Why I think we experience depression   Resources: Website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

We’ve all seen the medical shows on TV, tears in the closet, all the drama. But what is it really like to train as a Doctor? In this episode I am joined by 3 Doctors in training to shed light on the realities they face and to bust some myths. They share the challenges they have faced throughout their training and the coping strategies they have developed to deal with stress and their mental health struggles. They talk about burnout, why Doctors experience it and whether it is being addressed by the profession or not. Also, we discuss the impacts social media and technology are having on mental health both personally and within society as a whole. “85% of doctors admitted suffering some sort of mental health problem” – Charlie Carey   You'll hear about:   00:00 - Start 00:40 – An introduction to the guests 05:09 – Misconceptions about medical students 10:51 - Medical school challenges and coping strategies 13:52 - Mental health struggles in medical school 19:26 - Burnout in the medical field 29:21 - Prioritising mental health in university life 35:55 - Social media's impact on mental health 44:35 - Technology's impact on mental health and well-being 50:31 - Mental health care improvements   Guest resources: https://www.bmj.com/content/352/bmj.i1238#:~:text=A%20recent%20Medical%20Protection%20survey,among%20the%20most%20common%20complaints. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e061331 https://www.bmj.com/content/379/bmj.o3066 https://futurecarecapital.org.uk/latest/half-of-doctors-struggling-with-their-mental-health/- https://youokaydoc.org.uk/ https://instagram.com/youokaydoc?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Many organisations see wellbeing issues as a problem with the individual not the system.  Emily Warren believes it’s time that this is flipped on its head and we look at the environments, the cultures, and the structures we place around employees instead. Emily is responsible for a portfolio of EX projects and initiatives within the Avanade business, aimed at continually elevating the employee experience. She works in partnership with teams across the organisation, looking after 18,000 people globally as Global Wellbeing Director for Avanade, to deliver genuine human impact for Avanade employees. In this episode Emily shares her own experiences with anxiety, mental health, and wellbeing. An experience that taught her a lot about how she works in the space. She discusses how she works in a global organisation but keeps the individual in mind and what is important to have in a wellbeing strategy. “We need to revolutionise where spend our time as wellbeing professionals” – Emily Warren   You'll hear about: 01:15 – What got Emily into this work 03:02 – Thinking of individuals in large-scale initiatives 08:49 – Emily’s mental health story 14:50 – Emily’s experience being signed off work 17:52 – Wearing masks throughout our lives 24:49 – Wellbeing in global organisations 34:35 – What should be in a wellbeing strategy? 38:40 – Emily’s thoughts on the future of work 49:50 – The most radical change needed in workplace wellbeing   Emily’s resources:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilylwarren/     Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

The beauty of diversity is that we think differently, and those differences should be respected and celebrated while we work together.   This simple and elegant view of DEI in the workplace is that of my guest in this episode Dr. Asif Sadiq MBE. Asif is the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Warner Bros. Discovery, he was previously the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact at adidas and has a long and rich career in the diversity and inclusion space with senior executive roles at The Telegraph Media Group, EY Financial Services and the City of London Police.    In this episode he brings his wealth of experience to the discussion and talks about what the key things are to getting DEI at the workplace right, the challenges we have it making it happen and why DEI, mental health and wellbeing should all be combined into one discussion. “There is no textbook response to DEI in the workplace” – Dr. Asif Sadiq MBE You'll hear about: 01:24 - DEI progress Asif has seen 02:56 - What role did Asif take in childhood? 05:34 - The key themes to getting DEI right 10:53 - The challenges in bringing DEI to life 18:09 - Combining mental health, wellbeing and DEI 25:44 - Barriers to asking questions at work 32:00 - What is Asif most proud of in his work? 37:32 - What does Asif do to invest in his own wellbeing? 42:58 - The most radical DEI change the workplace needs   Dr. Asif Sadiq’s resources: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-asif-sadiq-mbe-b8a58b14/    Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

People’s houses are on fire because of burnout and corporate wellbeing is unable to address it. They focus on the wrong things, and until the root cause is dealt with the symptomatic manifestations of burnout will persist. This is the belief of my guest, Subira Jones, The Corporate Hippie, an award-winning high performance, lifestyle, and burnout coach. Subira has lived through a year-long burnout cycle after completing her degree whilst her mum was in a coma to almost dying from Sepsis herself 9 months later. This lived experience moved her to want to help others through the experience of burnout, and in this episode she talks about why we get burnt out in the first place, misconceptions people have about preventing it and how corporate has it all wrong when trying to deal with it.   “I am obsessed with burnout because it was obsessed with me” – Subira Jones   You'll hear about:   01:14 - An introduction to Subira 03:14 - Why do we get burnt out? 06:09 - The misconceptions around preventing wellbeing 11:17 - What could redefine how the working day looks? 15:43 - What was the role young Subira took? 19:40 - How did burnout show up for Subira? 25:01 – Subira’s journey to helping others 31:04 - Self-worth is not our achievements 37:00 - How Subira changed her life 45:54 - Thinking about how you want to feel   Subira Jones’ resources: The Corporate Hippie Website - https://www.thecorporatehippie.uk/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-corporate-hippie/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.corporate.hippie_/    Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Storytelling is a powerful way for humans to share what they are going through. It can also be a way for the stigmas of mental health to be lifted. My guest in this episode, Clare Munn, has been putting story telling at the centre of her efforts to disrupt how the world talks about mental health. Clare Munn is an entrepreneur, media executive & activist focused on disrupting irrelevant and redundant models by using story telling. She is the Award-winning Executive Producer of The Square - a 3 Emmy, Oscar Nominated film. She also coined and trademarked CQ: Communication Quotient: Expressive & Receptive Intelligence, and H2H, Human 2 Human. Both are being developed into APPS and video and animation vignettes.   She talks about the importance of clear communication to get the support needed, her personal experiences during the pandemic and how we need to value play and diversity. She also discusses gender inequality and how the communication quotient (CQ) is the new IQ. “Until there is equal pay for equal skills, we are going to continue to have massive problems in all fields” – Clare Munn   You'll hear about:   05:17 - Communication intelligence and self-awareness 11:03 - Mental health, assessments, and personal growth 16:55 - Valuing play and diversity 21:52 - Managing stress and anxiety during a pandemic 29:35 - The importance of having support 37:13 - Gender inequality and entrepreneurship 46:34 - The importance of clear communication 48:20 – Pro and cons of AI mimicking human work 54:13 - CQ is the new IQ 58:20 - Mental health stigma and the importance of storytelling   Clare Munn’s resources: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/claremunn/  IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6143693/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/ClareMunn  Boxplay website - https://www.boxplay.io/    Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Imagine not being able to say a word as a child. Imagine every time you stammered you were beaten. Imagine that this treatment cured you. This was the experience of my guest, Jon Smith. It was life changing and allowed him to pursue a career at the elite level of sport as a super-agent culminating in an OBE.  Jon discusses his own experience with mental health and the attitude towards mental health in sports. He also discusses the lack of support he got when he needed it in his own life when dealing with depression and why mental health and mental wellbeing are not the same thing. Jon Smith gives motivational talks on how he conquered communication and the severe lack of confidence due to complete dysfluency as a child. He has also worked with some of the biggest sports stars in the world such as Diego Maradona and managed the off-pitch activities of the England Football Team for 10 years.  “I couldn’t talk for 15 years” – Jon Smith   You'll hear about: 01:34 - What is Jon working on at the moment? 06:22 - Does the NHS need to be ripped up and started again? 10:49 - From stammering kid to impacting the world 20:14 - How is mental health used as an excuse? 26:42 - Jon's experience with depression 28:59 - Jon's experience with mental health support 38:40 - Jon's thoughts on men’s mental health 46:16 - Pathologizing normal human emotion Jon Smith’s resources: Jon’s website - https://www.jonsmith.co/ X - https://twitter.com/jon1startist   Send your questions to jon@jsconsulting.london    Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Do you suffer from the Sunday night blues? Everyone has experienced that feeling of dread before you start work on a Monday. But what if that could be an indicator to so much more, not just to you as an individual but the organisation you work for. Then you would have the power to know where your energy and time should be spent rather than fearing the start of the week. In this episode I am joined by Kirstin Furber, who is People Director at Channel 4. She has been researching the Sunday night blues and how it can be used to develop a toolkit for employees. She discusses the research and its findings so far and how it can be used to help businesses. She also covers why wellbeing has become so important in the workplace, her own journey with difficult conversations and the wellbeing changes we need to see in the world of work.   “The purpose and soul of an organisation comes from humanity” – Kirstin Furber   You'll hear about: 03:43 - The Sunday Night Blues project 05:58 - Does Kirsten get the Sunday night blues? 07:43 - How the project will help businesses 10:40 - Why has wellbeing become so important 13:25 - An opportunity to connect the dots 15:19 - The last brave conversation Kirstin had 19:10 - What leading by example looks like 25:13 - What was the role given to Kirsten as a child? 33:38 - What do people choose not to see? 39:37 - Can profit & growth foster healthy work? 41:30 - What is the most radical change needed?   Kirstin Furber’s resources: Kirstin’s website - https://kirstinfurber.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstinfurber/ The Sunday night blues research - https://business-school-expertise.exeter.ac.uk/banishing-the-sunday-night-blues/   Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Are your life goals aligned with your job? We are all different and all require different things to maintain our wellbeing. You need to be able to align with your flow, your skills, your joy and not be influenced by something that can harm that. In this episode I talk to Stella Smith, Founder and CEO of pirkx, my collaborator on this podcast. Pirkx is a pioneering force within the benefits market working hard to make them inclusive for all.  Stella discusses her own wellbeing journey including the role her childhood had in making her who she is today. We also talk about how ambition and wellness fit together, the reasons for wanting to start this podcast and where we see the future of wellbeing and work. “Everybody is different and needs different things” – Petra Velzeboer You'll hear about: 01:13 - What drives Stella to create change? 04:43 - What role did Stella play as a child? 06:16 - One thing from Petra's childhood that made her who she is  10:56 - Can ambition and wellness co-exist? 16:27 - How our influences and conditioning affect wellbeing 12:19 - Definitions of mental health and wellbeing 28:49 - Why this podcast is being created 33:13 - Stella's mental health experience as a founder 37:39 - Will wellbeing change the future of work? Pirkx’s resources: Stella on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-smith/  Pirkx’s website - https://pirkx.com/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearepirkx  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pirkx/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pirkx/  Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397  Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Join me, Petra Velzeboer and founder of pirkx Stella Smith as we give you a snapshot of what's to come in this exciting new podcast!  We discuss many things, including:  Can ambition and wellbeing co-existApproaching a new world of work Guests and themes for upcoming episodes