Dr Emma Hepburn: Forget Happyland – It Doesn't Exist

It’s season finale time! And, might I add, what a banger to conclude with: my interviewee this week is Dr Emma Hepburn a.k.a @thepsychologymum. Emma quickly became one of my all-time favourites interviewees within minutes of starting this recording. She is that magical combination of grounded, honest and astonishingly wise. One moment she’s your relatable close friend, the next she’s throwing out brilliant nuggets of wisdom that make you pause for thought.

For those who aren’t already familiar with her work, Emma is an NHS clinical psychologist known for producing beautiful illustrations that demystify mental health concepts for the masses. Her Instagram page, @thepsychologymum, has over 100,000 followers, and has proved a welcome balm for those struggling during lockdown (so...pretty much all of us then!). She’s also the author of A Toolkit for Modern Life, which is out now in hardback. 

I couldn’t think of a better way to end this season, and I know you’re going to fall in love with Emma like I did. Happy listening – and I’ll see you soon for season four.

Here’s some of what you can expect from the episode:

• 5:00 The significance of keeping boundaries between your professional and personal identity
• 9:30 Why we all need to build a mental health toolkit
• 12:25 ‘Effect anchoring’ - the process of predicting future feelings based on how we already feel – i.e. If we’re feeling lousy we think we’ll always feel lousy – and how we can counteracting it by holding on to ‘pockets of hope’
• 11:45 The difference between aloneness from choice vs. loneliness when you don’t choose it
• 18:00 Why getting into the state of ‘flow’ improves your mental health
• 20:00 Emma shares that doing illustrations is one of her own mental health coping strategies
• 27:30 ‘We’re never going to reach Happyland – it doesn’t exist.’
• 30:30 How lockdown has restricted our capacity for human connection
• 32:30 What causes loneliness in young people?
• 35:00 How talking about loneliness can make us feel less lonely
• 42:00 The significance of alone time for Emma – and why it’s a ‘luxury’
• 45:00 Tips for parents who want to spend more time alone
• 47:00 How alone time helps Emma dream up her illustrations
• 48:30 How to know when you need solitude or social time?
• 51:00 How to gain greater awareness in your life – and why you need a ‘Ta-da’ list

Emma Hepburn’s book, A Toolkit For Modern Life, discussed in this episode, is available to order now.

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My book, Alonement: How to be alone and absolutely own it, is available to order on Amazon, Waterstones, Bookshop.org and all good booksellers.

Social media

Instagram: @alonementofficial @chezspecter @thepsychologymum

Twitter: @ChezSpecter @@EmmaNeuropsych

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