I was watching Top of the Pops 1989 in the small hours of the morning one weekend last May. Martika was singing her classic song Toy Soldiers and I wondered: “What happened to her?” And that was the idea that kicked off my podcast, Celebrity Catch Up: Life After That Thing I Did.

It’s an unashamedly nostalgic interview show that catches up with stars who were involved with much-loved TV, film and music in the 1980s-early 2000s, where we reminisce and talk about how their lives unfolded after. 

I’ve had some amazingly lovely guests on my first series, including Sir Tony Robinson, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star Alan Ruck, director Dexter Fletcher, Fresh Prince of Bel Air’s Karyn Parsons and Zammo from Grange Hill.

In November I found myself at #2 in the Apple Podcast TV/Film chart – a surprising feat considering it’s literally just me making my podcast. No producers or researchers, no editors and no money to spend on marketing and promotion – let alone make the thing. Just me. In my spare room. With a microphone and Zoom.

If you rewind back to June, I didn’t even think I’d get the podcast off the ground. I booked my first two guests within a couple of days, but then hit a wall of “no” for four weeks. I bit the bullet and started releasing fortnightly episodes in July, thinking it would buy me time to secure more guests and I’d have an actual podcast to point people to. But I still hit a wall of rejection – this time for two months – and it hit me pretty hard.

Professional pride took over and after a few tears I was ready to throw in the towel. It was so frustrating, discouraging and disheartening. 

But then why would a celebrity give up their time to be on a podcast made by a ‘nobody’? Especially when they have nothing to promote. What was I thinking?! I should just accept that while it was a nice idea, in practice it was just too difficult for the Average Joe to pull off.

A mixture of hope and stubbornness made me persevere. One of my eventual guests followed me on Twitter and I asked him if he could spare the time to talk to me. He was my fairy godfather – he instantly legitimised the podcast and paved the way for others to say yes. (I’m sparing his name so he doesn’t get bombarded with lots of podcast requests!) Although it’s a testament to every guest I’ve had that they were so generous with their time in my early stages.

And then it happened. I was mentioned on Great British Podcasts’ weekly newsletter… two weeks later I was a pick in The Guardian and I slowly started gaining traction. My first series ended mid-November and I made it onto Apple Podcasts’ New & Noteworthy section. 

Despite being in the competitive – and arguably oversaturated – TV and Film category, I slowly climbed Apple’s chart. I watched in amazement as I overtook celebrity-fronted and “officially produced” podcasts – and then one day, I overtook Strictly Come Dancing: The Official Podcast, and found myself at #2 behind The Crown. I couldn’t believe it – I had achieved what I thought was unachievable.

It’s pretty unheard of these days for a podcast made by just one person to almost top the Apple chart in that category. The thoughts from my wobble a couple of months before disappeared and I was so chuffed. I’ve since gone on to hit the top spot in a number of countries around the world and I couldn’t be prouder. The pressure’s now on to replicate the success for series two though – and I’m not going to lie, booking guests hasn’t got any easier!

So if you’ve been thinking about launching a podcast, or if you’ve been at it for a while and feeling a bit despondent and wondering if you should continue, I hope my story will inspire you. Take the plunge. Persevere.

My podcast has obviously tapped into something people like, but it’s taken a huge amount of work (and some tears…) in the face of a lot of rejection to get there.

But I’m proof that one person with an idea – competing in a space full of celebrity-fronted pods and ones made by established media companies with big budgets for production and marketing – can cut through and take on the big boys.

If you make great content, people will listen.

——-

Listen to Celebrity Catch Up: Life After That Thing I Did on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all major platforms. 

The post The podcaster conquering the charts from her spare room appeared first on POD BIBLE.

With England settled into a second lockdown and the continuation of COVID restrictions all over the world, self care has never been more relevant or important. Enter the Self Care Club: Wellness, Road Tested – a podcast that tests out self care so you don’t have to. With new episodes coming out every Tuesday, women’s coach Nicole Goodman and birth doula Lauren Mishcon are trying it all: from menstrual cups to face yoga!

I interviewed Lauren and Nicole last month about the podcast and their process. I knew they’d be the perfect podcasters to speak to about what self care practices they would recommend to help us stay grounded throughout lockdown 2.0!

Give yourself permission to say ‘no’

In a desperate bid to implement those lessons learned in the lockdown first, it seems as if we all threw ourselves back into FaceTimes with friends, Zoom quizzes, and online social event after online social event. The first week of lockdown, I ended up completely overcommitting myself, to the point where I was left feeling exhausted and hoping that my friends would just forget about our plans. In that moment, I needed to give myself permission to say no and reclaim my time. In this sense, saying ‘no’ becomes a real act of self care – one that the Self Care Club ladies cover in their episode ‘Saying NO!’.

“Many of us are taught to be people-pleasers and say ‘yes’ automatically, even when we actually want to say ‘no’,” Nicole points out. “We don’t want a confrontation, we don’t want to let the other person down, we don’t want to seem selfish and we want to be likeable; but by always saying yes we risk causing ourselves stress, mental exhaustion and resentment. This leads you to be critical of yourself and spiral into negative self-talk, which can lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Not saying ‘no’ has serious side effects.” 

“Saying ‘no’ is also about the boundaries you set with yourself,” Lauren says. “The relationship you have with yourself very much depends on what you do and don’t allow into your space and learning how to say ‘no’ is a great place to start.” In lockdown, it may be tempting to lie in bed for hours, doom scrolling through Instagram and Twitter, and spend your waking hours numbing out and constantly consuming upsetting news. In this case, being firm with yourself and saying ‘no’ to activities that drain your energy and leave you feeling sad is a profoundly self-loving act. Keeping boundaries with yourself is just as important as keeping them with others. Although, don’t follow up your ‘no’ with an onslaught of self-shaming and guilt! It’s okay to not always be coping perfectly.

Saying ‘no’ is often the most generous thing you can do – for yourself and others. Asserting ourselves frees us from making shallow and insincere commitments and it ensures we spend time on the things we really care about. ‘No’ leaves space for us to say ‘yes’ to the things we want for ourselves. Show yourself love and honour your boundaries by saying no to activities or things that drain your energy. This is not a selfish act, but an honourable one.

Go on an ‘awe’ walk

Staying cooped up at home all day in your pyjamas can, for most people, be a one way ticket to Depression City. It’s hard to feel positive and energized when you’ve spent most of your day catatonic on the couch or in bed. For that reason, it’s good to get out of the house every once in a while for an ‘awe’ walk, a practice Lauren and Nicole tried out in October. 

“Scientists have revealed that a short awe walk – where you make a conscious effort to look for things to be amazed by – can combat negative emotions and help to maintain a healthy mind,” Lauren explains. “Feelings of awe increase positive emotions like compassion and gratitude, reduce self-focus and promote social connection. Our problems may seem big and overwhelming, but awe shifts our attention outward. When we feel awe, we feel small in the relation to the rest of the universe but we feel more connected to the world and people around us.”

“The benefits of awe walking are plenty,” Nicole adds. “It’s been found to boost your immune system, improve your memory and attention span, as well as reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease in middle age. A 20-minute stroll in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature is enough to significantly lower your stress hormone levels. It relaxes the brain.”

Awe can be found in any environment – whether you’re traipsing through a storybook forest or walking about your city neighbourhood. You are also more likely to feel awe in a new place where sights and sounds are unfamiliar. So, if you’re in the city, maybe try wandering around streets you would not normally go down – so long as you remember your way back! It’s not so much the destination that matters, rather the journey itself. “Wherever you are, the key is to be in the right frame of mind,” Lauren points out, “turning your ordinary walk into a series of awe inspiring moments.”

Declutter!

Although it may sound like more work, decluttering can actually do worlds of good for your mental health. Clutter and mess can cause distress, so why not spend a day or two restoring order to your surroundings?

“Decluttering is the process of putting the miscellaneous physical things around you away where they belong,” Lauren describes. “While it’s probably not something that you dream about spending your precious free time doing, decluttering can actually be one of the most successful forms of self care and one of the most effective ways of making you feel better in the long term.”

Scientific studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between clutter and stress. While we may not always realise it, clutter can have a negative impact on your life. What is the clutter in your home stealing from you? Definitely your time, space and energy. But it can also steal your peace as well. Living in a cluttered space is associated with reduced productivity and chronic procrastination.

“When there’s lots of clutter, you lose control over your physical environment – which  can feel very defeating and bring on stress, depression, or anxiety,” Nicole continues. “It can take a toll on your social life, too, if it gets to the point of embarrassment where you won’t have people over. Clearing out the clutter means you literally give yourself more space in your home. And more space means you create breathing space, making rest and relaxation easier.”

Sometimes we don’t even realise how heavy and overburdened our stuff makes us feel until we start letting it go. Once you start letting go, you can experience a huge relief as you feel lighter, happier and begin to feel the benefits of having less. It is freeing in so many ways. Letting go of the excess “stuff” that fills your home often feels like a weight is lifted from your life. Instead, you have the opportunity to fill your life with what matters most to you.

Lauren and Nicole just recently tried out decluttering, so give this episode a listen for tips on where and how to start.

——-

The Self Care Club has become a valuable tool for those who want to put more energy into taking care of their mental health, but who might be intimidated by the sheer amount of options available to them. This lockdown, put some time aside to take care of yourself – you deserve it! 

If you’re interested in self care and mental health,  or want to learn more about the practices we described, 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.

——-

This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com

The post Self Care Practices to Get You Through Lockdown 2.0 appeared first on POD BIBLE.