Jo & JJ Go Mental
Jo and J.J. welcome the inspirational Reb, Transformational Life Coach who is the driving force behind the Rise With Reb programs and community. Reb shares how she went from a wheelchair to walking, despite what the doctors said. She, Jo, and J.J. discuss why it’s so hard to let go of old habits, the responsibility we have of sharing our story on social media, the importance of advocating for yourself and doing your own research, and how not to live in a pity fest.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
Today Jo and J.J. focus on grief, both from the perspective of the griever and from the person trying to comfort others through their grief. They explore the right approach to carrying ourselves and others through grief. Jo also shares an experience about willfulness and effectiveness in DBT and why people really need to learn to let go of the need to be right and just accept what is. They talk about defining values, setting boundaries, and, on a lighter note, why #begrannymolly is Jo’s new life goal.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
They’re baaack! Jo and J.J. kick off Season 2 the only way they know how - by spelling out that sometimes we can get this emotional intelligence piece wrong. Many well intentioned leaders approach emotional intelligence as a tick box exercise, merely going through the motions, rather than really understanding the objective. That faux emotional intelligence in corporate societies will likely try to cover up a more self serving agenda.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
What a season! As Jo and J.J. wrap up Season 1, they identify a few of the themes that came up with the fantastic array of guests. Between fear, shame, embracing your weirdness and much more, Season 1 was chock full of learning from each other and calling in new perspectives. This week, they highlight a few stand-out moments and give us a sneak peek of what we can look forward to in Season 2.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
This week, Jo and J.J. welcome Faith Clarke, Organizational Health and Inclusion Specialist who works with value-driven and diverse teams so they can deliver on business and social impact promises at the highest level. Faith is extremely passionate about inclusion for BIPOC and neuro-distinct individuals and advocating for those who “don’t belong”. She discusses the importance of mental health and how her children taught her to focus more on wisdom than having control.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
Jo and J.J. welcome Reverend Erika Allison, Queer interfaith minister, speaker, author, and spiritual counselor. Rev. Erika talks about her own experience with conversion therapy, and how harmful it can be, causing long-term effects and even high cases of suicide.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
This week, Jo and J.J. are joined by Marie Louise Ashworth, President of The Network, a network of female entrepreneurs and professionals in Luxembourg. The Network is devoted to developing a supportive community of women and helping them build resilience, avoid burnout, and thrive as they meet their personal and professional goals.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
Jo is on her own this week and shares her reflections on how the attitude around burnout has shifted throughout the generations, especially since the pandemic. Jo discusses three perceptions of burnout that she has seen a shift: that if you burnout that means you are broken or weak; that burnout and exhaustion is just a side effect of being busy which is a good thing, and that life is just tough and you should just get on with it and not complain.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
They discuss why doing the deep work of anger is like wading through that infamous tunnel scene in The Shawshank Redemption, how anger signals that our boundaries are being crossed, and how letting go of anger needs to be a conscious choice. They also talk about how to process anger if you can’t really act on it right then and there, and why women have such a tougher time showing anger in public.
info_outlineJo & JJ Go Mental
This week, Jo and J.J. are joined by June Burgess, Equine Coach, Business Director, and Entrepreneur. She talks about how she began her Equine Assistance Workshops and why working with horses can be so powerful for our mental health. Jo shares her own experience in learning to relax around the horses and how that mirrored so much about business and the need for perfectionism.
info_outlineThis week, we sit down with Kim Kelly, managing editor of Local Women’s Magazine in Northern Ireland, to talk about multiple issues such as the worrying level of suicide among young men in Northern Ireland. We discuss the social attitudes and stories we learn that dictate our behavior, dealing with narcissists, teaching our kids how to be decent people, and dating in your forties while actually having fun!
Takeaway:
[5:02] Local Women’s Magazine shines a spotlight on the awesome women doing big things all around the world. The photoshoots are of ordinary women, and the readers are outspoken and very involved.
[7:37] The suicide rates for young men in Northern Ireland are particularly high and mental health is a massive issue in our community.
[13:37] Globally, there is a gross lack of emotional intelligence skills.
[14:10] There are many aspects of mental health that we don't talk about openly. Jo’s particular mission is to get more people talking about burnout at work. We don’t talk enough about burnout, and many people are left feeling ashamed and isolated rather than supported and able to learn how to fully relax and manage stress.
[18:02] Kim talks about her time working for the tabloid press, and the realization that we need to focus more on what we can do instead of focusing on our limitations and setbacks. Too often she would lead a conversation by telling everyone all the things that she couldn’t do.
[22:06] When you have a system for internal validation, it is quite freeing and you can better focus on being competent and aligned with your values and spend less time worrying about if you are likeable.
[26:22] Of course culture makes a difference (both Jo and Kim grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and there is a lot of baggage that comes with that), but J.J. discusses choosing your values and acting according to that. It doesn’t take away from the emotions we feel, but it’s up to us to change our story and know today is a brand new day to step out and even inspire others to live in their truest form.
[32:53] The stories we tell ourselves are often just one version of the truth, and there can be many different ways to approach them.
[35:32] Brilliant idea alert: when dealing with a narcissist, it is extremely powerful to just nod, agree, and not engage in an argument. Often their ranting will simply be down to them trying to get you to manage their stress. Another way to handle narcissists is to learn to accept that they will misperceive YOU to be the asshole in the relationship.
[39:30] Don’t get into it with delusional people! It’s not effective and will just create more resistance and is overall a waste of time.
[46:41] There is a dire need for more social learning in schools, as human social skills are everything for adapting in life and learning how to better navigate almost any situation.
Connect With Us:
Resources