Practice Makes Progress

The first episode in our featured mini series in honour of Pride this year, I sat down with 21-year-old Charlotte Woodman, a White cis, queer woman from Muswell Hill, who has just qualified as a primary school teacher. Charlotte and I attended the same secondary school, which was incredibly homophobic and not as inclusive as it poses to be. We talk about the problematic language and culture of British secondary schools as well as Charlotte's hope for future generations of education.

This week's guest is fellow podcaster (and YouTuber!) Michael Collins. Growing up, Michael was taught to hide his emotions, there wasn't any time for vulnerability and it certainly wouldn't get you very far. It wasn't until he reached adulthood that Michael began to embrace how he felt, letting go of those societal expectations as a man, as a Black man, to be 'strong' and not fear negative emotions. It's a really hard transition to make, especially when these mindsets are so deep-rooted in childhood, but both Michael and myself can see the magic and power that vulnerability gives you. 

Trigger warning: self-harm, suicide, suicidal thoughts, anti-semitism, anti-semitic bullying, depression. Neither Elliott nor myself would recognise the people we were 18 months ago, and we credit a lot of that growth to changing our mindset. Once you're open to good things happening and you create little habits for yourself that help keep you on track, life just feels that little bit easier. Elliott has created a fantastic platform that normalises poor mental health, by documenting the days that are good. I think even I had fallen into a headspace where everything felt pretty overwhelming, but Elliott is a fantastic reminder that small progress is still progress. We don't have the magic recipe, but we're willing to try as many as we need to, to figure out what suits us best. We can't always control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond.

Trigger warning: self-harm, suicide, suicidal thoughts, anti-semitism, anti-semitic bullying, depression.  Neither Elliott nor myself would recognise the people we were 18 months ago, and we credit a lot of that growth to changing our mindset. Once you're open to good things happening and you create little habits for yourself that help keep you on track, life just feels that little bit easier. Elliott has created a fantastic platform that normalises poor mental health, by documenting the days that are good. I think even I had fallen into a headspace where everything felt pretty overwhelming, but Elliott is a fantastic reminder that small progress is still progress. We don't have the magic recipe, but we're willing to try as many as we need to, to figure out what suits us best. We can't always control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. 

Trigger warning: self-harm, rape, sexual assault, addiction, PTSD. Journalist and public speaker, Jaz Khan, is one of the most intelligent, inspiring, eloquent and all-round beautiful human beings I've ever met. From an incredibly early age, Jaz learnt to put others first and themselves second. A survival technique and trauma response to their upbringing, Jaz became as small and quiet as possible as a way of avoiding pain or sparking big reactions. Believing you were strong because you hid all the mental pain you were enduring, is something that really resonated with me from Jaz's story. It wasn't until an incident at university, Jaz was able to identify their anger as PTSD. Through therapy, painting, writing and self-reflection, Jaz has begun to understand their behaviour and place the often people-pleasing tendencies in the context of their childhood trauma. Jaz is a phenomenal speaker and will no doubt validate the experiences of so many.

Trigger warning: self-harm, rape, sexual assault, addiction, PTSD.  Journalist and public speaker, Jaz is one of the most intelligent, inspiring, eloquent and all-round beautiful human beings I've ever met. From an incredibly early age, Jaz learnt to put others first and themselves second. A survival technique and trauma response to their upbringing, Jaz became as small and quiet as possible as a way of avoiding pain or sparking big reactions. Believing you were strong because you hid all the mental pain you were enduring, is something that really resonated with me from Jaz's story. It wasn't until an incident at university, Jaz was able to identify their anger as PTSD. Through therapy, painting, writing and self-reflection, Jaz has begun to understand their behaviour and place the often people-pleasing tendencies in the context of their childhood trauma. Jaz is a phenomenal speaker and will no doubt validate the experiences of so many. 

Pain is uncomfortable, but inevitable, and often it’s these experiences that teach us most about ourselves, our resilience, and our strength. Pain also enables us to grow, as we overcome things we previously never thought we would. In less than a year, Jack has taken on and succeeded in physically demanding challenges that he never thought possible. Exercise has been his therapy and become almost a measurement for his mental progress.  Like a lot of us, Jack had his world turned upside down in 2020, which caused a lot of the issues he had been dealing with in recent years to hit the surface. Trying to give people an honest insight into managing his mental health with exercise, self-help tips, and a positive mental attitude, Jack has created a wonderful community on Tiktok to show others that change is possible.

I had the pleasure of chatting to 34-year-old Ana Caroline from Brazil. Teacher, basketball podcaster and all-round gem. Those who struggle with low self-esteem will relate to never feeling 'enough'. Pretty enough, smart enough etc. But 'enough' based on the colour of your skin is a privilege so few of us ever questioned. Ana and I talk self-love, self-acceptance and the commitment to loving yourself unapologetically, even on the days you don't want to.

We grew up being told bread was bad and so was gaining weight. It's so difficult to unlearn these societal expectations and judgements around food and exercise, but even more difficult when we're young and these ideas are reinforced by our parents. This week's episode is incredibly vulnerable, where 25-year-old Sophia Liu shares accounts of a painful time in her life that has not only made her who she is, but informed her content and built a community centred around body acceptance.

I discovered Rosie on Tiktok (as @weightlosswithrosie) back in June 2020 and immediately fell in love with her positivity and body confidence. Whilst documenting her weight loss journey is the primary aim of her account, it was the self-discovery of belief and fighting that inner critic that struck me. Rosie’s self-belief has not only transformed her life, but almost 100,000 others. Fighting that inner critic isn’t easy, but my god does it pay off when we do.

From an incredibly young age, we are told there is one way to look: slim. Particularly as young women, we spend years pining after this "perfect body" that is so unrealistic and unattainable, that we devote all our time and energy into chasing an aesthetic that's not only dangerous to our self-esteem and mental health, but we forget it's not all we have to offer the world.

As an ex-perfectionist, I know first hand how debilitating trying to live your life according to unreasonable, unattainable standards can be on your mental health. From my appearance, to grades, to how I spoke to myself, nothing was ever good enough. I was so scared of getting things wrong that I never even gave them a try. But the worst part about it all is that I was suffering in silence. It wasn't until I broke down during my second year of university, and had no choice but to open up and face my demons, I realised other people could relate. I started this podcast to encourage open, honest, and stigma-free conversation around mental health and empower people to talk about their emotions. I used to think vulnerability was a sign of weakness, but now I see it as my greatest strength. Chances are, you open up about how you feel, someone out there will say "no way! me too".

🌟 New Episode Alert🌟 On this episode of the Practice Makes Progress podcast, Ryan Smith talks us through his experience of anxiety, specifically health anxiety. Ryan shares his journey of learning the difference between his rational and irrational thoughts, how to manage them and his toolbox of techniques. 🎙✨ #HealthAnxiety #PracticeMakesProgress #Empowerment #PodcastLife #MentalWellbeing

🌟 New Episode Alert! 🌟 ‘Be More Cal’. This week on the Practice Makes Progress podcast, I’m joined by Alan and Joolz Stuart, who share their raw and moving journey after losing their son, Cal, to suicide. Discover how they channeled their pain into powerful advocacy, creating a legacy of awareness and support via the Calzy Foundation. Join us in this episode for a deeply personal and inspiring story. 💬❤️ #PracticeMakesProgress #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealthMatters #CalzyFoundation #Podcast #HopeAndHealing #InspiringStories

🌟 New Episode Alert! 🌟 "Navigating Your Twenties" - Join me, Ellie McGrath, on the latest episode of the Practice Makes Progress podcast. 🎙 This week, I'm thrilled to have Molly, the inspiring mind behind @mindfulness_with_mol, share her journey navigating mental health in her twenties. From handling social media comparisons to powerful solo travels, Molly's story is a beacon of hope and resilience. Tune in for an open and heartfelt conversation. 💬✨ #PracticeMakesProgress #MentalHealthAwareness #MindfulnessWithMol #PodcastEpisode #SelfCareJourney #InspiringStories

This episode I sat down with my boyfriend, Dan, who has been struggling with insomnia for over ten years. He talks about how isolating it can feel, not only when you're lying awake at night desperately trying to get back to sleep, but when you try to carry on with normal life as if it never happened, or because you feel like no one understands. Talking about our mental health is a really important part of our relationship and always has been. It can be difficult to show your partner the unhealed parts of you, but as long as you communicate openly, the struggle becomes a little bit easier.

First (official) guest is 23-year-old Jordan Edwards, Masters student. I asked Jordan what one piece of advice he feels his teenage self would've most benefited from knowing. We discuss familial expectations, relationships and talking kindly to yourself.

TW: suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts.  This episode features 24-year-old Arjan Chaggar who I met on Instagram about a year ago. Arj speaks so openly and articulately about the troubles he's faced, but how proud he is to have never given up. He speaks so beautifully about the changes he's made and the help he's accepted to get to the place he is now and the only way is up. He's learnt the value of the company he keeps, the importance of stepping outside his comfort zone and wants to do all he can to help others that are struggling. 

In this episode I got the chance to sit down with the incredible, Antonio Ferreria. Activist, disruptor, consultant and public speaker (whilst also being a student), Antonio takes me through his lived experience with schizophrenia and how telling his story transformed his life. Like a lot us when we first hear the mental health diagnoses we shake our heads and say it must be a mistake, we're not like other people who actually have a mental illness. Of course when we begin to realise that we are actually in need of help and start accepting it and owning it, we see the change in our progress and recovery; but Antonio also appreciates these phases as part of that journey and understands they made him the person who he is today. 

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Practice Makes Progress podcast! Since it's been a little while, I thought I would use this episode to give a mental health update from myself, the progress I've made and milestones I never thought I'd reach. Thank you all for your continued support and I can't wait for stories we've yet to tell.