Former professional rugby player Ed Jackson broke his neck and was paralysed from the neck down in 2017 after diving into a pool. Classified as quadriplegic, he was determined to prove science wrong: from wiggling his toes after a week to climbing Mount Snowdon. “I’m a walking quadriplegic – and I’m quite proud of that. […]
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Former pro rugby player, Ed Jackson
Former Olympic Hockey Gold Medallist, Helen Richardson-Walsh
Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player Helen Richardson-Walsh first felt that something was wrong in 2008, and the team doctor suggested she might have depression. “In that moment, where I was mentally and emotionally, it was a relief to learn I could take control.” A long spell away from the game through injury led to a […]
Mindful Leadership Expert, Pandit Dasa
Pandit Dasa, the child of Indian immigrants, grew up in America. He joined a monastery in 1999, hoping to find clarity and purpose in a simpler life. He spent 15 years living as a monk in New York, before deciding he wanted to leave the monastic order to take his teachings into the corporate world […]
Irish Musician & Rugby International, Niall Breslin
Niall Breslin has been both a professional rugby player and a musician, fronting the band The Blizzards. He went through anxiety and depression when he was injured in his sport. He finds athletes are prone to ‘struggling with their heads’. Niall decided to talk in public about his mental health after experiencing a panic attack […]
Stress Coach, Anna Percy-Davis
Anna Percy-Davis is a career coach and mentor who advises her clients to seek more genuine, authentic versions of themselves in the workplace. Although she says we can’t wave a magic wand to sort everything out, we can tweak our perceptions and our behaviour gradually. Anna says self-care is vital, as is finding people who […]
All in the Mind presenter on Radio 4, Claudia Hammond
Claudia Hammond’s new book, The Art of Rest, looks at how we can learn to rest better and use rest to recharge ourselves more effectively. As an author, broadcaster and psychology lecturer, Claudia is undoubtedly a busy person. She’s learnt that taking breaks to do something you enjoy, such as gardening in her case, can […]
Former Gang leader turned Campaigner & Poet, Karl Lokko
Karl Lokko grew up on a south London estate where gang violence was all around him. He saw friends killed and became involved in crime himself, until he managed to turn his life around. Now he’s a mentor, campaigner and poet. Karl says he knew little about mental health when he was younger and that […]
Psychotherapist & Former Mental Health Nurse Lead, Owen O’Kane
Owen O’Kane is a psychotherapist with a medical background. He’s the author of Ten to Zen, a guide to meditation and mindfulness that he says anyone can use to calm their mind. Owen grew up amid the Troubles in Northern Ireland and has seen how anxiety affects a place and its people. He has also […]
Globally recognised teacher of Science-Based Mindfulness, Dr Reena Kotecha
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Sophrology Expert, Dominique Antiglio
When Dominique Antiglio arrived in the UK, she was surprised to find that Sophrology wasn’t widely known. Elsewhere in Europe, it’s a popular technique for relieving stress and is used in hospitals and schools. Dominique used it herself to overcome illness as a teenager. She now teaches others its combination of breathing, relaxation, movement and visualisation as […]
Ayurvedic Sleep Coach, Anandi
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Positive Psychology Coach, Charlotte Wiseman
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