Self Care Club: Self Care to the Test

Self Care Club: Wellness, Road Tested is one of Stakhanov’s most recent podcasting ventures. Founded by Nicole Goodman and Lauren Mishcon, Self Care Club is part reality and part experiment – testing out various self care techniques so you don’t have to! The podcast launched in April of this year, and since then the ladies got straight to work. From trying out menstrual cups to digital detoxing and Shakti mats, Lauren and Nicole review different methods of self care with the signature wit and relatability that their listeners can’t get enough of. 

Both Nicole and Lauren have worked with women for decades; Nicole as a women’s coach and Lauren as a birth doula. “We realised how aligned we are in our passion for women’s wellness and self care,” Lauren explains. The idea for the podcast sparked out of the blue after the two met for a coffee one morning and were discussing how women’s mental load seems to be increasing by the day and how even self care has slowly become just another chore. That day, The Self Care Club was born! “We wanted to figure out what really works so women can concentrate on looking after themselves without wasting more of their precious time,” Lauren and Nicole enthuse.

In the week leading up to a recording session, the ladies give one form of self care a good old college try with an emphasis on how it made each of them feel as well as the science and research behind each method. Throughout the experiment, Lauren and Nicole record their impressions and take stock of their reactions and experiences as they go along. Once the week is up, they sit down together and compare notes to answer the big questions: is this form of self care viable? Is it worth your time? Does it make a noticeable difference?

The show’s setup is rather unique, what do you think are the benefits of this format?

“We are so different – what one of us despises, the other adores,” Lauren laughs, “We do exactly the same practice each week but walk away with such unique responses—” 

“Which we hope mirrors the different reactions a broad spectrum of women listening may experience themselves,” Nicole chimes in.

“We never discuss how we have found the practices (which is hugely challenging as we speak at least twice a day, every day!) so when we meet in the studio to record the podcast each week we come to it completely fresh with no idea what the other will say.”

Both women thoroughly enjoy the practices and challenges they set for one another each week—“It’s a great exercise in pushing our boundaries and going outside of our comfort zones.”

“We always ask the same questions at the end of the show so we can summarise what we have learned and how the listeners can apply it to their own lives in a way that doesn’t create extra work.”

If all were to fall into place and money were no object, what would be your dream episode?

“A silent retreat in Bali where no one can make contact,” Nicole quips, “No phones, no work, no kids, no washing, no one – just silence, massages and lots of cauliflower.”

As for Lauren? “A weekend with the guys from ‘Queer Eye.’ In the daytime, doing Equine therapy on a fabulous ranch somewhere in America run by cowboys who all look like Bradley Cooper and in the evenings having wine, one on one life coaching, and personal book group sessions with Oprah.” Nothing too flashy, really.

All in all, The Self Care Club’s innovative format and bubbly, lighthearted tone make the podcast an invaluable tool for those who want to put more energy into taking care of their mental health, but are intimidated by the sheer amount of options available to them. Lauren and Nicole remind their listeners to maintain a learning mind, empowering women as they go. If you’re interested in self care and mental health, listen to Self Care Club: Wellness, Road Tested every Tuesday via Spotify, Acast, or Apple Podcasts.

Blandine Hoge is a Podcast Production Assistant at Stakhanov and lives in London.

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