The Mental Fitness Podcast

Anthony Taylor

We look at what it takes to be mentally fit. It's that intersection between mental strength, emotional intelligence and good mental health. We'll be talking with some of the best people from the sporting, business and psychological worlds to bring you their stories and advice on how to build your mental fitness. read less
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Episodes

How to Change Careers – Matt Wilkinson
05-04-2021
How to Change Careers – Matt Wilkinson
Are you happy really happy in your career? Feeling fulfilled? If so, I’m delighted for you. The reality is many people aren’t. They are the ones who get the Sunday blues, that can ruin an otherwise great weekend. Many people dream of changing careers or even going self-employed. Some like me, want to do both.It’s a scary thought though, full of self-doubt, insecurity and anxiety. Yet it is possible. In today’s episode I talk to one person who has done just that and not just lived to tell the tale, but is thriving with it.Matt Wilkinson, is a strategic marketeer and the founder of Strivenn (https://strivenn.com/) you can connect with him on LinkedInWe talk about how we measure success, the importance of values to help sustain us. We also talk about the difference between need and wants and how to make the leap of faith while minimising the risk and assessing our risk tolerance. We also talk about I/R theory and the importance of creating the Chinese wall between the two components. Matt shares a very simple technique he uses daily to keep his self-esteem high and to manage his stress levels even now he's successfully made the career transition. We also talk about the influence of a 2,000 year old philosophy and how that can support us as we make the career transition.Our mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.Please join the conversation on Instagram @AntTaylor72 and @the_mental_fitness_podcastThe podcast music is “Where To Run” by Strength to Last. It’s created by the musical talent of Adrian Walther, a Canadian living in Nashville. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube music.threefifty9.com
Unbroken: The Power of Forgiveness – Madeleine Black
29-03-2021
Unbroken: The Power of Forgiveness – Madeleine Black
Please note this episode contains discussion of rape.Madeleine has an unusual personal story which she uses to inspire and motivate others. A deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity. We are not defined by what knocks us down – we are defined by how we get back up.Violently gang raped when she was thirteen years old, and raped three more times before the age of eighteen, Madeleine has experienced more trauma in her life than most ever will. Living in a state of shock and self-loathing, it took her years of struggle to confront the buried memories of that first attack and begin to undo the damage it wrought, as men continued to take advantage of her fragility in the worst possible way.Yet, after growing up with a burden no teenager should ever have to shoulder, she found the heart to carry out the best revenge plan of all; leading a fulfilling and happy life. For Madeleine, forgiveness was the key. True forgiveness takes genuine effort. It takes a real desire to understand those who have done us so much harm. It is the ultimate act of courage.You can find her on LinkedIn or via her website https://madeleineblack.co.uk/Our mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.Please join the conversation on Instagram @AntTaylor72 and @the_mental_fitness_podcastThe podcast music is “Where To Run” by Strength to Last. It’s created by the musical talent of Adrian Walther, a Canadian living in Nashville. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube music.threefifty9.com
Why settle for basecamp? Embracing adversity to build resilience with Alex Staniforth
22-03-2021
Why settle for basecamp? Embracing adversity to build resilience with Alex Staniforth
Aged 24, Alex Staniforth is an ultra-endurance adventurer, international motivational speaker, author, brand ambassador and director of Mind Over Mountains, a charity to restore mental health through outdoor experiences. By sharing his adventures through adversity in live and virtual events and conferences, he inspires organisations to re-define success, build resilience, and improve their well-being. We don't always get to choose our challenges, but we can choose our response.Alex is no stranger to adversity. Throughout school he suffered epilepsy, stammering, extensive bullying and a subsequent lack of confidence. Aged 18, he made two attempts to climb Mount Everest in 2014 and 2015, when the expedition was aborted following an avalanche. Despite an 'ordinary'​ background, he raised the £35k expedition costs in just one year and returned in 2015 to survive an avalanche below Camp 1, triggered by the Nepal earthquake, sadly killing 22 people at base camp including 3 teammates. His debut book '​'Icefall'​' tells the story, endorsed by Bear Grylls.In July 2017 he became the fastest person ever to climb all 100 UK county tops in 72 days, a 5,000 mile journey by bike, foot and kayak and winning the Pride of Britain Granada Reports Fundraiser of the Year 2017. Alex has raised over £100,000 total for charities through his challenges. His second book 'Another Peak' was published by Trigger Press in July 2019.Having suffered with episodes of mental ill health since being a teenager, he co-founded Mind Over Mountains in 2020, a mental health charity to help people restore mental health through outdoor experiences. He then ran the National Three Peaks Challenge - 452 miles in 9 days and 12 hours.You can find Alex on LinkedIn, email alex@alexstaniforth.com or via his website www.alexstaniforth.comOur mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.Please join the conversation on Instagram @AntTaylor72 and @the_mental_fitness_podcastThe podcast music is “Where To Run” by Strength to Last. It’s created by the musical talent of Adrian Walther, a Canadian living in Nashville. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube music.threefifty9.com
Using Psychology to develop Resilience: Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones
15-03-2021
Using Psychology to develop Resilience: Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones
Dr Fiona Beddoes-Jones is a leading psychologist on the subject of cognitive fitness and authentic leadership. She is the author ofDivided by Gender, United by Chocolate: Differences in the Boardroom from which she designed the Leadership Psychometric Assessment tool. She has spent several years working with and studying athletes competing in one of the world’s most gruelling endurance races, the Montane Spine Race along the length of the Pennine Way. The Pennine Way is one of the most demanding National Trails in Britain, and certainly the most iconic. The trail crosses some of the most beautiful and at times difficult terrain found in England, including; the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall and the Cheviots; finishing at the Scottish Borders. She is a leading coach and trainer in executive development and a regular keynote speaker on the subject of authentic leadership and cognitive fitness. In our conversation we the upside and downsides of mental toughness, the importance of self-talk and seeing awareness as a life-long journey.You can find, Dr Fiona Beddoes-Jones at www.cognitivefitness.co.ukOur mission is to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.Please join the conversation on Instagram @AntTaylor72 and @the_mental_fitness_podcastThe podcast music is “Where To Run” by Strength to Last. It’s created by the musical talent of Adrian Walther, a Canadian living in Nashville. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube music.threefifty9.com
Inspiring Others: Steve Hill MBE
08-03-2021
Inspiring Others: Steve Hill MBE
Steve Hill MBE is a modest teacher from Oldham. Yet through his actions he has inspired thousands of young children to dream big, to exercise and to have a mindset of ‘I can and I will’. In a world of fake news, of bluff and bluster and big ego, Steve shines as an example of mental fitness. A man who has developed mental toughness through physical adversity such as running marathons on Mount Everest, both North and South Poles and 230km through the Amazon with one and a half shoes. He marries that with the emotional intelligence and self-awareness to be able to accomplish those feats.He’s also founded a charity which is making a big difference to many people in his home town. Steve is one of life's genuinely humble and yet inspiring people. This is a conversation that will leave you with a warmth in your heart and feeling like you can take on the world.You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn he's Steve Hill MBE and find him on Instagram as @team_hill_charitable_trustOur mission to help people develop their mental fitness so they can achieve more than they thought themselves capable of.Please join the conversation on Instagram @AntTaylor72 and @the_mental_fitness_podcastThe podcast music is "Where To Run" by Strength to Last. It's created by the musical talent of Adrian Walther, a Canadian living in Nashville. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube music. Anthony Taylor - https://www.instagram.com/anttaylor72/ & https://www.instagram.com/the_mental_fitness_podcast/