Well Enough
The Independent
Recent Episodes
Is "toxic positivity" ruining your mental health? In this episode, we speak to former UK government Youth Mental Health Ambassador, Dr. Alex George, and psychotherapist and author Anna Mathur to dismantle the pressure to be happy all the time and explore the science of finding joy in the small things.
We discuss the difference between dopamine hits and true happiness, why we wear "masks" to hide depression, and the biology behind stress and joy. Plus, Dr. Alex and Anna share actionable tools - like Alex’s brilliantly simple “2 minute rule” and cognitive reframing techniques - to help you build mental fitness, manage ADHD, and combat loneliness.
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Timecodes
00:00 The Role of Negative Emotions
00:51 Is Happiness Just Hormones?
01:29 Why Stress Blocks Joy (Fight or Flight)
02:14 Cortisol vs Serotonin
02:52 Dopamine Hits vs True Joy
03:41 The Dangers of Toxic Positivity
04:08 Depression and Wearing the "Mask"
05:27 Dr. Alex on ADHD & Vulnerability
06:55 Antidepressants and Breaking Stigma
08:05 The Loneliness of Hiding Feelings
09:28 Men's Mental Health & Fear of Abandonment
11:42 Mental Fitness vs. Mental Illness
13:43 Childhood Trauma & Suppressing Emotions
16:47 Neuroplasticity: Can We Rewire Our Brains?
18:32 Motivation vs. Discipline
19:55 Overcoming Self-Sabotage
22:26 Letting Go of Perfectionism
24:17 Combatting the Loneliness Epidemic
27:32 Decision Fatigue & Social Media Burnout
28:44 The Problem with Gratitude (And How to Fix It)
33:14 The 2-Minute Rule (ADHD Hack)
34:55 How to Build Healthy Habits (The Snowball Effect)
36:26 Reframing: "I Have To" vs. "I Get To"
39:20 Wellness Non-Negotiables: Rest & Nature
More from today’s guests:
Dr Alex’s new book ‘Happy Habits’ | https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Habits-Steps-Build-Life/dp/0241771463
Anna’s new book ‘The Good Decision Diary’ | https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Decision-Diary-making-decisions/dp/0241707226
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Over 500 million people follow the #fitness hashtag on Instagram — but behind the workout videos, transformation posts, and motivational reels, what’s it really like to be a fitness influencer?
In this episode of Well Enough, Emilie Lavinia is joined by two leading voices in online fitness: Alice Liveing and Shakira Akabusi.
Alice Liveing has half a million followers on Instagram and shares positive advice on staying fit, in a sustainable way. But that wasn’t always the case. She began her online career as ‘Clean Eating Alice’ - an approach to nutrition which ultimately caused an eating disorder and even affected her menstrual cycle. Today, she opens up on what that lifestyle was like, sharing tips from her brand new book. Shakira - AKA Strong Like Mum - has fitness in her veins. You’ll know her as a resident fitness expert on ITV’S Lorraine.
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Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
02:45 Why Lifting Weights Is Empowering For Women
04:00 "Influencer" vs Personal Trainer
06:50 The "Thinness" Trap & Misinformation
12:55 Best Self vs Thinnest Self
14:25 Performance Goals over Aesthetics
16:30 The Ozempic Era
18:30 Why We Hated PE at School
23:00 The Dangers of Viral Challenges
25:25 "Boring" Basics - Exercises That Work Best
27:30 Pros & Cons of Online Fitness Access
29:40 Gen Z, Longevity & Aesthetics
34:35 New Era of Female Sports Role Models
38:55 Cleaning Up Your Social Feed
40:05 Guide: Starting Fitness in Perimenopause
40:55 What is Progressive Overload?
42:15 Why Posture is Critical
44:55 Tips for Gym Anxiety
48:50 Wellness Non-Negotiables
More from today’s guests:
Alice’s new book ‘Give Me Strength’
Follow Shakira’s ‘Strong Like Mum’ Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Millie Mackintosh hit our TV screens in the early 2010s on reality show Made In Chelsea. Since then, she’s made the life changing decision to quit drinking. Now, she loves her sober lifestyle and supports a huge sober curious community online.
In this emotional episode, she shares her alcohol free journey with world-leading authority on alcohol and drug science, Professor David Nutt. Together, they discuss the normalization of binge drinking culture, why Gen Z is rejecting alcohol and bust a common myth about tequila.
You’ll hear strategies from Millie’s book ‘Bad Drunk’ - which she co-wrote with NHS GP Dr Ellie Cannon - charting her sober journey and documenting the profound mental and physical health benefits she experienced by quitting booze. Professor David Nutt will help you make informed decisions about your own alcohol consumption with an evidence-based look at how alcohol affects the body and brain.
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Timecodes
00:00 Millie Mackintosh: My Life-Changing Decision to Quit Drinking
01:07 The Normalization of Binge Drinking Culture
02:12 Why We Drink: Alcohol as a Social Lubricant
03:30 The Stigma of the "Problem Drinker"
04:30 Understanding Shame and Dependency
05:15 Does Tequila *Actually* Make You Happy?
06:15 Why Gen Z is Rejecting Alcohol
07:22 The Immediate Benefits: Weight Loss and Clarity
09:20 Natural Dopamine Hits
10:35 Why Non-Alcoholic Wine Often Fails
11:30 The Science of "Functional" Alcohol Alternatives
14:35 How to Quit Alcohol
16:20 Navigating Pubs When You Don't Drink
19:00 Handling Peer Pressure and Social Cues
20:25 Losing Friends When You Get Sober
21:40 How to Tell If You Are Drinking Too Much
23:15 Helping a Friend: How to Talk About Drinking
25:40 Alcohol and Cancer Risk
26:45 Is Any Amount of Alcohol Safe?
28:05 The True Economic Cost of Hangovers
33:50 Advice for Partners
38:00 Sobriety and Parenting
More from today’s guests:
Millie Mackintosh’s book ‘Bad Drunk’ here
David’s book ‘Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health’ here
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Jules Von Hep spent 20 years as a celebrity spray tanner, working with Hollywood actors and Victoria's Secret models. What did he learn? That every single person, no matter how "perfect," apologised for their body. Joined by expert Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Brendan J Dunlop, this episode explores the staggering impact of beauty standards on mental health.
This episode tackles the body image crisis, exploring why we are all conditioned to dislike how we look. We explore the drivers - toxic masculinity, social media algorithms, and stagnant marketing and discuss the shocking stat that 48% of men are struggling in silence with body image problems.
Jules shares his powerful journey from body dysmorphia to true body confidence, and Brendan gives practical tips for mindset shifts to love your body. This episode will teach you how to normalize the "body wobble," reframe exercise as self-love, and finally build a better relationship with the person in the mirror.
More from Well Enough:
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Timecodes:
00:00 How Body Dysmorphia Shaped My Life
01:05 Launching a Body Confidence Brand
02:15 Expert Opinion: Are Male Body Image Issues Common?
03:09 48% of Men & Boys Struggle With This
05:10 Spray Tanner's Secret: Everybody Has Body Doubts
06:30 Common Body Image Triggers
08:00 Where Do Male Beauty Standards Come From?
09:35 How the Social Media Algorithm Feeds Body Image Insecurity
10:30 The Truth About Men's Underwear Models
12:10 Wellness Culture and the "Homogenization" of Looks
13:30 Why the Male Body Standard is "Stagnant and Boring"
14:20 Ozempic, Steroids & the Warped View of the Male Body
16:20 Internalized Phobia: Body Image in the Queer Community
18:05 Strategy: How to "Flip the Script" on Negative Self-Talk
20:55 "Don't Punish, Nourish" Your Body
23:10 The RuPaul Rule for Self Compassion
25:05 The "Drip in the Ceiling": An Analogy for Mental Health
30:15 Mindset Shift: Confidence is a Journey, Not a Destination
32:00 Two Practical Tips to Build Self-Love Today
More from today’s guests:
Jules’s book ‘The Confidence Ritual’ here
Brendan’s book ‘The Queer Mental Health Workbook’ here
Resources:
Been There - Been There is a charity with an app that connects people aged 18 and over with a vetted and trained Mentor to help with any body image issues they may be experiencing.
Young Minds Body Image support here
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Why are 12 million men in the UK suffering in complete silence?
Men and boys are told to "man up," but suicide is still the biggest killer of men under 50. To mark Men’s Mental Health Awareness month, we’re joined by therapist to Lewis Capaldi and Sunday Times Bestselling author Owen O’Kane, and broadcaster and mental health campaigner Matt Johnson.
Together they discuss the most common symptoms of anxiety and depression that men, their colleagues, family and friends can look out for - and share simple tools for addressing the men’s mental health crisis.
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Timecodes:
00:00 This is What Good Therapy is About
00:30 Defining Depression & Anxiety
01:15 Matt Johnson: My Experience with Severe Depression
02:20 The Hidden Symptom of Men's Depression
03:38 When To Seek Help for Depression
04:26 The Exhaustion of "Faking It" (Matt's Story)
05:27 A Therapy Technique: How to Relate to Your Depression
06:42 My Suicide Attempt: Learning Self-Compassion
08:12 The "Grim" State of UK Men's Mental Health Services
09:59 Has 'Diagnosis Culture' Become a Problem?
11:00 The 3 Parts of You: How To Rescue Your Inner Child
13:32 Why Men Struggle with Therapy (Wanting a Quick Fix)
15:30 The Problem with "Alpha Culture" and Self-Optimization
17:37 Toxic Masculinity: A Therapist's Personal Story
21:38 Men ARE Ready to Talk (But We Have a Problem with Teens)
23:13 Breaking Free from "What a Man Should Be"
29:22 "I Don't Want to Do The Feeling Stuff" - Why Men Fear Therapy
39:12 Free Tools to Use When You Can't Afford Therapy
44:43 The Practical Power of Hope (Even in Palliative Care)
50:47 The Dangers of the "Big Wellness" Industry
Resources if you’re in need:
Mind Charity | Useful contacts – suicidal thoughts
Campaign Against Living Miserably
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