Journalist Rachel Kelly was working in a stressful job when she had her first serious attack of anxiety and depression which put her in hospital; later, her second episode lasted for two years. Rachel found that her love of words and poetry helped her recovery. She built up from reciting one line at a time […]
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Head Talks aims to inform, inspire and engage those interested in mental health and wellbeing.
Find people speaking from the heart and from their own experience, as well as a wide range of experts and healers sharing their tips and insights to help us work towards better mental health and wellbeing.
Inspiring Head Talks
My strength is made perfect in weakness, Rachel Kelly
Own your breath, own your peace, Leon Taylor
Three-time Olympic diver and silver medallist Leon Taylor trained hard for his success but his body paid the price. ‘If you were a horse,’ he was told when he retired from the sport, ‘we’d have to shoot you.’ As with many athletes, it took him a while to recover both physically and mentally from the […]
You can do hard things, Adrienne Herbert
Adrienne Herbert was a professional dancer with much to look forward to — a new husband and a new baby — when her husband’s sudden illness turned their lives upside down. Adrienne took up running as a way to get out of the door and get her energy back. She now runs road races and […]
Being Friends with Your Own Mind, Matthieu Ricard
Buddhist Monk Matthieu Ricard is a French writer, photographer and Buddhist monk. His life is divided between the seclusion of a hermitage in the Himalayas and the whirlwind of modern life. Matthieu says that our state of mind can override our circumstances, whether good or bad. He says that our mind can be our best […]
#coronatalks
Three breaths practice
Struggle & success
Yogi Divya Kohli has prepared a series of short in-the-moment-practices for us to do when we feel stressed or overwhelmed, or when our thoughts start to overcome us. Each practice will give us a tool that’s easy to remember and simple to do. The first one is called Three Breaths.
Feel, write, delete
Struggle & success
Christine Steel At this time of year – particularly this year – we are all too aware of the pressures put on young people today, as they start a new school or a new university. I have seen the pressure first-hand with my daughter: to achieve academically, in the workplace, and socially, all while conforming […]
Tomorrow might be great
Josh Zitser has had suicidal thoughts, but recent therapy has changed his life. “When you’re having those thoughts, it’s time to seek help. You’ve lived through 100% of your worst days. They might feel horrible but they will pass. It will get better. Not every day will be great – but it might […]
Re-evaluate your purpose
Struggle & success
Success coach Nicolina Werther suggests this is a really good time to re-evaluate what gives us meaning and purpose, considering our lives have changed significantly in 2020. “While the world may be slowly getting back to ‘normal’, you may have changed significantly as a result of the pandemic,” she says. “We need meaning […]
Awake breath practice
Struggle & success
Sometimes known as the espresso breath, we share the awake breath practice from our friends at Breathwrk. It is designed to give you a boost when you need it the most. Let us know how you get on using #breathwrkit! You can download the app here.
Sleep breath practice
Struggle & success
This week’s practice from Breathwrk will help you fall asleep – and stay asleep – and features an extended exhale, which directs us into relaxation and sleep. The long hold of breath after the inhale will engage the diaphragm to help work on the parasympathetic nervous system. Let us know how you get […]
MASTERCLASSES and Workshops
Dive even deeper into the world of mental health and wellbeing by signing up to our Masterclasses and Digital Workshops. Delivered by today’s leading voices, HeadTalks’ Masterclasses will give you exclusive access to insight, exercises and lifestyle tips – taking you deeper into the beautiful realm of what it means to be human.
Building Resilience To Deal With Hard Times
A toolkit for accessing our natural resources
see online workshop
Dr Rangan Chatterjee,
Pioneer of Progressive Medicine
New Medicine
see video and read more
Elif Shafak,
Famous Turkish author
On discovering the power of the written word.
see video and read more
Podcast highlights
Hijacking your mind, Jada Sezer
Jada Sezer says the lockdown has meant a rollercoaster of emotions to her, a process of grieving for our past life and its routines. The model and campaigner said: “Every week is different. I might start the week happy and end the week collapsed on the sofa. There’s a heaviness in the world. Some days […]
Dream Yourself Better, Charlie Morley
Lucid dreaming is a state where you’re asleep, but aware that you’re dreaming. Charlie Morley says that almost anyone can learn how to do it. He’s a teacher of lucid dreaming and a student of Buddhism. Charlie says that not only is lucid dreaming fun — like a virtual reality simulation — but it has […]
A Bridge to the Future, Jonny Benjamin MBE
Mental Health Campaigner Ten years ago, Jonny Benjamin was at a low point. He was talked out of a suicide attempt on Waterloo Bridge. His quest to find the man who rescued him, Neil Laybourn, became famous. Jonny’s now written a book about his story, his illness and his progress towards recovery. Jonny talks to […]
The Proven Power of Being Kind, Dr. Kristin Neff
The Self-Compassion Pioneer Having compassion for oneself is really no different than having compassion for others, says Dr. Kristin Neff. Yet we turn out not to be very good at the first. Neff, a leading expert on self-compassion, is an associate professor at the University of Texas in Austin. She is a professor, bestselling author […]
