Welcome to The Talk Works Podcast, a space where we explore mental health, therapy, practical advice, and the tools needed to support wellbeing in the workplace.

In this episode, the first in our bite-sized series on mental health, Dr Jen Cottam explains why we sleep, what happens when we don’t get enough and what we can do to sleep better.

Jen explains how our circadian rhythm and melatonin decide when we feel sleepy, the different stages of sleep and why it is normal to wake briefly between sleep cycles. She explains how being awake for 18 hours can impair us as much as alcohol, what insomnia is and how menopause, sleep apnoea, anxiety and neurodivergence can affect our sleep. She also shares tips from CBT for insomnia, including keeping a sleep diary, the 20-minute rule and articulatory suppression, and explains why she recommends ditching your sleep tracker.

Visit Talk Works: https://talk-works.org.uk/

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: Jen Cottam

Download the Centre for Clinical Interventions sleep diary:

Sleep Diary – Centre for Clinical Interventions

Welcome to The Talk Works Podcast, a space where we explore mental health, therapy, practical advice, and the tools needed to support wellbeing in the workplace.

In this episode, Dr Jen Cottam is joined by Dr Richard Duggins, consultant psychiatrist, psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and author of Burnout Free Working.

Richard draws on nearly thirty years of working with health and social care staff, including his role leading staff wellbeing support across the North East and North Cumbria. He explains what burnout is, the three signs to watch for and why it is almost always a problem with the system rather than a weakness in the person. He also shares his radiators and drains model and the head, shoulders, knees and toes approach to building a support network. He also describes the five things to prioritise when you notice stress starting to take hold.

Visit Talk Works: https://talk-works.org.uk/   

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: Jen Cottam  

Connect with Richard:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-duggins-dr/

Richard’s Book:

Burnout-Free Working: Your Expert Guide to Thriving in a Stressful Workplace

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Burnout-Free-Working-Thriving-Stressful-Workplace/dp/1805012460

Welcome to The Talk Works Podcast, a space where we explore mental health, therapy, practical advice, and the tools needed to support wellbeing in the workplace.

In this episode, Dr Jen Cottam is joined by Rie Pearson, a former police officer, domestic abuse specialist and author of Be Kind, No Excuses.

Rie reflects on her 27 years in policing, specialising in Domestic Violence and Safeguarding. She talks about how control builds gradually, why leaving is far more complex than most people realise, and the red flag behaviours that are a precursor to abuse in intimate relationships.

Visit Talk Works: https://talk-works.org.uk/  

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: Jen Cottam 

Connect with Rie:

Instagram: @bekindnoexcuses_cic

TikTok: @riepearson (me.actually)

Website: riepearson.com

Be Kind, No Excuses (Book):

Available via Amazon