The Richard Nicholls Mental Health Podcast

Send us a textEver wondered how you can hear a piece of music or smell some perfume and it generates an emotional response? This week I talk about how the brain makes this work and how to create new emotional responses that you can use anytime you like.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor...

Send us a textKindness is often linked with better mental health. It helps us to feel connected to others, creates a sense of belonging and reduces isolation.But I say there's a time and a place for it, and it might not be now and it might start closer to home.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichol...

Send us a textI think of assertiveness as a skill as much as anything.I guess we can think it as a personality trait but it involves behaviours. Self directed behaviours with an end goal in mind. A goal of establishing boundaries and setting expectations.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuth...

Send us a textAnhedonia is a symptom of many problems where the brain simply doesn't allow pleasure to exist.Often described as "An array of deficits in hedonic function" Anhedonia will even switch pleasure seeking off. After all, there's no point in trying to do anything pleasurable when it doesn't make you feel any better anyway.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twi...

Send us a textBecause mental health problems are invisible they aren't talked about in quite the same way as physical health problems. But there may be people in your life that need to talk about their mental health. You might need to talk too.So how do we do that?Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNi...

Send us a textThis morning's episode is about having a "growth" mindset vs a "fixed" mindset.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com/richardnicholls TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@richardnichollsauthor

Send us a text"Awe" tends to be defined as the emotion we experience when encountering something with such perceived vastness that our brain might find it hard to comprehend how it can exist.Being "awed" by an experience can have some surprisingly powerful, positive effects on us.Awesome LinksWatch All The Apple TV Aerial Video Screensavershttps://bzamayo.com/watch-all-the-apple-tv-aerial-video-screensaversElbow One Day Like This with the BBC Concert Orchestra and choir Chantage https://www.d...

Send us a textIn his letter from Birmingham Jail in 1963, after being arrested on the rather trumped up charge of marching without a permit, Martin luther king wrote, amongst other things, this quote. he said "There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love" in other words, if you feel disappointed it's only because you care about something. Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/...

Send us a textOften people will talk about the need to disappear away for a bit to "find themselves" when actually they already knew where they were they just didn't "know" themselves.Well, maybe we don't need to climb a mountain or hide in a retreat for a week to do this. Maybe we can get to really know ourselves a little bit more every day until we're fully clued up.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/r...

Send us a textResearch has shown that hope can significantly improve mental health outcomes. It boosts resilience, helps you to cope better with stress and setbacks and means that you're more likely to engage in positive behaviours that support your well-being.But hope isn't something that just happens; it's something you might need to cultivate and it could even save your life.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.insta...

Send us a textAre you living your life based on your values or your goals?What's the difference anyway?Let's find out.Link to values list https://richardnicholls.net/?post=episode-238Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com/richardnicholls TikTok https://www.ti...

Send us a textGaslighting is a phrase we use to mean being manipulated and to have your reality questioned.Cults have been doing it for decades, maybe even for thousands of years.Today I'm going to scratch the surface a bit.Come and have a listen.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtu...

Send us a textOne thing we can all guarantee is that we'll all receive some sort of criticism at some point.The trick is to not let it get under our skin. Easier said than done though, but don't let that stop you.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com/richard...

Send us a textWhen "future you" doesn't even exist, it can be really hard to stick to your plan in the "now" to ensure that future you gets their needs met.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com/richardnicholls TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@richardnichollsau...

Send us a textBack in 1995 when britpop ruled the charts and the UN designated it The United Nations Year for Tolerance, British Telecom started a friends and family service to make it cheaper to call a handful of your favourite people with the slogan It's Good To Talk.Everyone agreed.Hopefully we do still think that, don't we?Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter...

Send us a textIf you've ever set a goal for yourself and then found yourself deliberately sticking a spanner in the works knowing full well it'll cause you to fail then welcome to the human race. Because everyone does it.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com...

Send us a textI might not the young man I once was, but there is a certain childishness to me that I'm hoping can keep me young.Looking at the studies into attitude and ageing the odds are in my favour!Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com/richardnicholls Ti...

Send us a textHaving free will is generally thought of as a good thing but it also comes with responsibility.That's why decisions cause anxiety, whether it's about the little things or the big things.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com/richardnicholls TikT...

Send us a textMost people live their life based around making other people happy to some degree. It's just how far we take it that determines whether or not it becomes a problem.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.youtube.com/richardnicholls TikTok https://www.tiktok....

Send us a textPost Traumatic Stress Disorder, and its counterpart Complex PTSD, are life-altering conditions.And although the symptoms may often resemble Anxiety and Depression, they need to be worked on in slightly different ways.Support the show Social Media Links Threads https://www.threads.net/@richardnichollsreal Instagram https://www.instagram.com/richardnichollsreal Twitter https://twitter.com/richardnicholls Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RichardNichollsAuthor Youtube https://www.y...