Has it been 22 years since the first time we saw Derren Brown on our TV screens? Since he exploded into public consciousness, we've witnessed the psychological illusionist perform many feats, tricks, and stunts, including lottery predictions, bank robberies, and emergency plane landings.
Now the mentalist maverick is putting his Netflix TV specials, Broadway stage shows, and tricks of the mind to one side and turning to life coaching to enable listeners to ‘control’ their own minds.
In his brand new podcast, Boot Camp for Life, Derren Brown is here to help you get control of your life through helpful advice for managing some of the daily struggles we all face.
Adopting a boot camp mentality
The phrase 'boot camp' immediately conjures up a vision of pre-dawn wakeups and shouty sergeants in army combat, taking you through grueling challenges. The podcaster manifestation of Derren Brown is the polar opposite of this, giving his take on a series of listener-submitted questions from the comfort of his studio chair.
But don't let the relaxed, top-button undone shirt look fool you; this is hard-hitting and life-changing advice. This podcast is a boot camp about dedication rather than harsh discipline.
Life coaching isn't too dissimilar to the mind control, mentalism, and hypnosis world where Derren Brown made his name when you deconstruct it. Set aside the misdirection, illusion, and showmanship, and what you're left with is suggestion and psychology, which also forms the basis of any life coach's psychotherapy toolkit.
Answers to life’s biggest questions
For those who have already dipped their toes (and ears) into life coaching podcasts, you won't be surprised by the topics and challenges covered in these episodes. The classic questions about dealing with wellness, social anxiety, achieving fitness goals, managing weight loss, and improving your productivity levels are all there, but elevated by Derren Brown's unique style.
His delivery of life coaching advice is in equal measures, in-depth, and accessible for all. There's a minimal learning curve required to grasp the concepts he's discussing and a deep mine of psychological ideas to get stuck into.
The highlight is undoubtedly the real-world examples used to back upthe offered life advice. Each episode is packed full of scenarios that we can all relate to, explained in a way that makes the lightbulb moments immediately obvious.
Life coaching tools from the boot camp
This podcast series is choc-a-bloc full of pearls of wisdom. We've picked out a few that hit home to show some life coaching examples.
What do we get wrong about happiness?
Derren suggests that "happiness" is often seen as a noun - a thing that can be picked up and put in a box. The problem with that approach is that if we feel like we don't have it, or at least some of it, we feel like we've failed.
But happiness, like love and success, is better thought of as a by-product. Doing things that make you happy is far simpler than setting yourself a vague goal to be satisfied. If you've established that as your target and don't get the desired result, you'll see your efforts as a failure. However, the issue here is misunderstanding what you thought would make you happy in the first place.
How do you manage social anxiety?
Before a job interview, date, or any other unfamiliar setting, you'll often hear the advice to "just be yourself" - so… anxious, nervous, and introverted? That's the exact opposite of how you want to come across!
Derren explains that many people find it easy to be relaxed, funny, and friendly when with friends, but it's perfectly acceptable to be a different version of "you" in other scenarios.
You don't need to be someone else entirely, but you don't need to be the standard version of yourself either. If you're struggling to fit in when faced with uncomfortable situations, create mini personas for yourself that can be applied wherever you are. Have dials that can be slightly adjusted, not turned off, or up to 11.
Why do we keep worrying about things outside of our control?
Derren's response to things out of our control is based on Stoicism, a school of ancient philosophy that picks out the positives rather than the negatives; focussing on things you can't control will only ever lead to frustration. What you can control are your thoughts and actions. What you can't control are the consequences of your actions or the actions of others.
Having total control is encapsulated in the podcast with an example from tennis. You can only ever set out to play your best game. If your opponent is better and keeps hitting your best shots past you, that's out of your control. So don't focus on the goal of winning a tennis match. Instead, do your best and be in control of what's happening on your side of the net.
It's a complex concept to grasp, but remember that ignoring these things isn't letting go of control; you didn't have control of them anyway.
Can Derren Brown really make an impact through a podcast?
Adding "podcaster" to his never-ending list of job titles was the next logical step for the mind control expert, who has never been hesitant to test his mettle on a new medium.
But podcasts appear to bring out his most natural form. Take a listen now if you're after some guidance for your career, health, or relationship.
If you like this podcast, be sure to check out Derren Brown’s Boot Camp for the Brain as well!
