This week’s guest is Ruby Wax. A comedian, writer, and mental health advocate, who has wisdom to spare. When she was younger, Ruby often felt lonely - like she didn’t fit in - and she turned to comedy. A reinvention that gave Ruby a taste for attention and led her to drama school, and eventually her own television show in which she met the biggest celebrities of the day. After 25 years in television, Ruby reinvented herself once again. She studied mindfulness-based cognitive therapy at Oxford University. And she now works to remove the stigma around mental health. Not least in her book - ‘I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was’ - a very personal account of depression and the adventures she followed to find meaning in her life. Related links Ruby’s website Ruby’s books, including I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was and A Mindfulness Guide For Survival Ruby’s tourWhen Ruby Wax Met (BBC series) Frazzled Cafe

NHS Guide to Local Mental Health Services

Mind’s Guide to Crisis Services

Esther Perel (one of Ruby’s heroes)

The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Dr Dan Siegel

Sam Harris

Jon Kabat-Zinn on mindfulness (00:03) Introduction (02:14) Soft toy vs green juice (04:22) Ruby’s book ‘I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was’ (12:00) Depression, and coming off antidepressants (13:38) EMDR, ECT, and other treatments (17:19) De-stigmatising depression, while taking it seriously (20:24) Psilocybin therapy (22:41) Mindfulness and a 30-day silent retreat (28:24) Ruby’s mindfulness practice (37:36) The addict label and the victim mentality (39.55) Ruby’s heroes, including Esther Perel, Bessel van der Kolk, Dan Siegel and Sam Harris (42:17) Reinvention (and the addictiveness of fame) (45:15) Ruby Wax Meets (Pamela Anderson, Carrie Fisher, Donald Trump & Liza Minnelli) (48:42) Ruby’s tour (and playing all the parts in her book) (51:26) Matt’s outro

Matt is putting himself in the hot seat for today’s episode! We’ve rounded up some of your most pressing questions for an honest, judgment-free Q and A session, where Matt shares some of his own personal experiences in hopes that some of you guys will resonate.

We’re diving deep into the aspects of sobriety nobody talks about, how to deal with anxiety, managing family life, and much more.

If you have a question that Matt didn’t cover, we’d like to do more of these! Just leave a reply in the Q and A box below.

(00:00) – Introduction

(00:31) – Daily gratitude

(03:54) – How am I? (struggling with sleep)

(06:40) – How to manage your time better

(07:56) – Quick breathing exercise for anxiety

(11:00) – Following a 12-step programme for sobriety

(16:24) – Maintaining a schedule

(18:08) – Has being in a band made addiction harder?

(21:26) – Setting boundaries

(23:16) – Busted tours are better sober!

Matt meets Andy Ramage, a footballer who became a commodities broker, when injury ended his career.

While Andy's career was a success, something was missing. He felt broken. And so ten years ago, he embarked on a journey to transform his life.

Andy realised that alcohol was impacting how he felt, and his ability to get things done. So, he set his sights on a 90 days booze-free challenge. And he’s never looked back.

If you need a bit of motivation right now, whatever challenge you want to take on, Andy’s the man for the occasion.

Related links:

Andy’s website (with free resources and coaching workshops)

Andy’s books: Let’s Do This & The 28 Day Alcohol-Free Challenge

The Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast with Andy Ramage

The Dryy App

Dryy Fest

NHS Alcohol Support Services

Nick Littlehales’ Sleep

BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits

(00:00) Introduction

(01:23) Andy’s move from football into broking

(05:40) Andy’s definition of “middle-lane drinking”

(08:42) Wanting to try alcohol-free (and the social pressure around drinking)

(14:37) Andy's diagnosis of coronary artery calcification

(16:32) Living optimally alcohol-free - the health benefits

(20:46) Matt’s experience of people asking him about their own drinking

(21:58) Andy’s advice for starting an alcohol-free journey (moving past the excuses)

(25:33) The effect that middle lane drinking has on your sleep, performance and health

(31:00) What’s going on in your brain (chasing that dopamine spike)

(34:32) Relationships with people who aren’t alcohol-free

(37:57) The red wine myth (resveratrol) and “magic grannies”

(40:34) Socialising, alcohol-free drinks, and Dryy Fest

(46:57) Studying in later life

(48:22) Willpower and motivational psychology

(49:48) Andy’s advice for building exercise habits (and core values)

(54:40) The stages of change and accepting that you will slip up

(58:14) Matt’s outro