After a few 'heavy' episodes, it's time to turn to the lighter side of the workplace. Richard is joined by Dr. Mike Rucker for a discussion all about how to have more fun, inside and outside of work. Mike discusses his book about fun, the relationship between run, wellbeing and performance, the downsides of putting too much emphasis on 'future happiness'.  You can find the full show notes for this episode at worklifeposych.com/podcast/173 Thanks for listening!

In this latest episode of our 'Thriving at Work' series, Richard takes a fresh look at the concept of self-care. While it may conjure up images of bubble baths and cups or tea, there's a lot more to it than that. Richard outlines some quality markers to bear in mind when selecting self-care activities and flags some common pitfalls to avoid.  Full show notes for this episode can be found at worklifepsych.com/podcast/172  Thanks for listening! 

In this episode, which is part of our Thriving at Work series, Richard is joined by two experts in ostracism at work, to discuss what it is, how it impacts employees and what we can do about it. Dr. Ian Tyndall and Dr. Daniel Waldeck discuss their research and why they got involved in this specific topic. Unlike the loneliness experience we discussed back in Ep 135 with Dr. Sarah Wright, where people aren't feeling enough connection with others, ostracism centres of feelings and beliefs...

In this episode, Richard is joined once again by Ross McIntosh for a discussion about how increasing our psychological flexibility can improve our wellbeing.  This episode is part of our 'Thriving at Work' series, which focuses on wellbeing at work and what individuals and organisations can do to improve it. Richard and Ross look at what we mean by wellbeing, and explore how increasing psychological flexibility can make a positive contribution to our physical, psychological and social...

In this episode, part of our Thriving at Work initiative, Richard is joined by Dr. Rachael Skews for a discussion about employees with chronic health conditions. They look at what constitutes a chronic health condition, while employees may be reticent to speak up about their condition or ask for assistance, and the ways that organisations can unintentionally exclude people from the workplace due to inflexibility about how work is organised. They then explore how we can look at the experience...

In this episode of the podcast, the first in our new 'Thriving at Work series, Richard is joined by menopause researcher Kara Daly for a discussion about how menopause impacts women at work.  It's a big topic, affecting so many people in the workforce, yet very often neglected. From myths and misconceptions, to the impact menopause has on women's identity and careers, through to the simple things organisations and managers can do to make the experience easier for women. FIND OUT MORE Our...

In this episode, Richard is joined by Antonina Pereira, Professor of Neuropsychology and Neuroscience at the University of Chichester. They explore Antonina's research into prospective memory - our ability to remember to do things in future - and how it relates to our wellbeing, our productivity and effectiveness at work, and discuss some simple ways to improve our ability to 'remember to remember'.  Full show notes for this episode can be found at...

I'm recording this episode just before I turn on my 'out of office' and head to Spain for my annual review. In this solo episode, I outline my reasons for taking an annual retreat each year, why you don't need to leave the country to do this, but why regular reflection is a great idea.  Find the show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/166 Thanks for listening!

In this final episode of our series on Psychological Flexibility, Richard and Ross reflect on what it was like to create the episodes, share listener feedback and answer some more of your questions.  You can find all the resources for this series at https://www.worklifepsych.com/PsychologicalFlexibility and some more detailed show notes at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/165  Thanks for listening! 

In this, the latest episode in our series on Psychological Flexibility, Richard is one again joined by fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh. They explore the importance of noticing the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves - which we collectively call our self-concept - and holding these stories lightly.  Full shownotes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/164 Thanks for listening!

Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Sarah McLellan for a discussion about the role of organisational culture and the importance of shaping it intentionally.  For full show notes for this episode, visit our website at worklifepsych.com/podcast/163 Thanks for listening! 

In this episode, Richard is joined by friend of the podcast Dr. Rachael Skews. They discuss a recent coaching psychology conference they both presented at, the nature of coaching research, the importance of evidence-based practice and ask the killer question: will your coach be replaced by a bot?  Full show notes for this episode can be found on our website at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/162  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Richard and Ross take a look at another important skill for increasing our psychological flexibility: acceptance. This doesn't mean a passive acceptance of the status quo, or simply pushing through difficulties with gritted teeth. It means authentically accepting the discomfort and other stuff we don't like in situations, while taking helpful action to get through it. Once we make room for it, we don't have to struggle with it, or delay action until the discomfort has gone. ...

In this episode of 'My Pocket Psych', Richard and Ross turn to the next skill in our psychological flexibility toolkit: committed action. This is all about taking our values and putting them into action. Doing more of the stuff that matters, not because it's easy or fun, but because it's important. You can find all the resources we mention in this episode on our dedicated series page at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility 

In this video, we continue our series focused on the skills that boost our Psychological Flexibility. This time round, Richard and Ross discuss the benefits of being clear on what really matter to us in life - our values. We look at what values are (and importantly, what they're not!), ways that we use values in our coaching practices with clients, and some simple ways to bring additional clarity to your own values. Remember, you can find all the resources for this series in one place,...

This is the third part in our series exploring Psychological Flexibility. Richard and Ross look at the skill called 'Cognititve Defusion', where we learn to see our thoughts in a different light.  You can find show notes and all the resources we mention at our dedicated online resource page: worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility  Thanks for listening!

In this second part of our series on how to develop your psychological flexibility, we look at the importance of being in the present moment, and minimising 'mental time-travel'. Richard and Ross look at some of the unhelpful ways our attention and focus are pulled from the here and now, along with some simple ways you can start to develop your capacity to just notice. We make the distinction between day-dreaming and all the benefits this can bring, and unwanted mental time-travel, where we...

This is the first of a new series of the podcast where we focus on the skills that develop our psychological flexibility. Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh, the host of the excellent People Soup podcast.  In this episode, they discuss what psychological flexibility is, what it feels like to experience psychological inflexibility, and what you can expect from the remainder of this series.  You can find the full show notes for this episode at...

In this episode, Richard is joined by fellow coaching psychologist Lucie Ilbury for a look at the common pitfalls to avoid when it comes to our values.  Shownotes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/155  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we take a look at deadlines and how to handle them effectively. Whether it's a deadline we've been given, or one we've decided upon ourselves, they can either be a motivating target or a mark in the calendar that fills us with dread. So we look at some of the ways we can make our deadlines actually work for us.  Full show notes can be found at: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/154 Thanks for listening! 

In our last episode. Richard and Rachael explored some of the reasons goals and goal-setting can work against us and make behaviour change even more difficult.  This time round, Richard outlines some of the common reasons we can find it hard to stick to new habits. Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/153  And if you'd like to watch this episode as a video, you can find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/RiRhu1hrC48  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Richard is joined by Dr. Rachael Skews for a conversation about goals, goal-setting and the downside of focusing too much on goals.  You can find the full show notes for this episode by visiting our website: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/152 Thanks for listening! 

A quick reminder of our upcoming webinar all about coaching. On Jan 25th, I'll be facilitating a free session to demystify coaching, explain what's involved and how it can contribute positively to your goal attainment, wellbeing, productivity and career clarity.  To find out more and reserve your free place, simply visit https://www.worklifepsych.com/ConsideringCoaching  Thanks for listening - and I look forward to seeing you there! 

In this episode, Richard is joined by fellow podcaster and expert in ACT, Ross McIntosh, for a discussion about leadership at work. Ross is the host of the excellent 'People Soup' podcast, and regularly trains professionals int he ACT skills that support psychological flexibility.  Richard and Ross walk through a model of Authentic Leadership, exploring the skills and personal qualities that contribute to quality leadership performance. Looking at leadership through the ACT 'lens', Ross then...