People Soup

Season 2: Episode 3 In this episode I talk about mental health at work - particularly in relation to men. I share some developments on the podcast and look at my wobble over this last week. I then focuses on one research paper. The research showed that when men experience psychological distress they are two times more likely to seek support if a friend or family member has shared their own experience of seeking help. Show notes at www.rossmcintosh.co.uk http://www.projecteightyfour.com/ https://www.samaritans.org/

Season 2 Episode 2 In this episode I speak to my friend, Jonny Line, who is an exciting new voice in organisational psychology. Jonny begins by reflecting on a particular skill that he draws upon in a variety of scenarios at work and then considers his own experience of using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). He describes the three step approach he has developed to support himself in noticing when he's expressed his core values of self development, creativity, fairness and supportiveness. He also sets out a way in which we can potentially enhance our efficacy in expressing what's important through turning our values on ourselves, based upon a model of positive social action. The challenge from Jonny is "how can you live out your values with others by turning them in on yourself." Jonny's ideas have taken my own practise to a new level so I'd really encourage you to have a go. We also consider what our own personal theme tunes might be and there is a chance to win one of three sets of values cards. We're so proud of this episode here at People Soup - it really brings together some of our values around the creation of the podcast, which include being of service to our listeners and guests, and creating a space of connection, friendship, love, learning and fun. Show notes at www.rossmcintosh.co.uk

Season 2 - Episode 1 Ross chats with Dr Nic Hooper - Senior Lecturer in Psychology at University of West England (UWE), ACT Researcher & Practitioner and co-creator of the the 2019 Diary for Valued Action. The boys cover a lot of ground in their conversation - Nic talks about how he discovered ACT and the impact it has had on his life. He describes his motivation to produce the Diary for Valued Action and gives us a glimpse into some of his other projects, finishing with a powerful take-away. Show notes with all the links to the diary and Nic's social media at http://www.rossmcintosh.co.uk/2018/08/dr-nic-hooper-act-diary-for-valued.html This is our first episode recorded over Skype. The sound quality is not perfect, it improves in the second half and we're learning new skills with each episode.

Episode 16 Going on holiday - listen to this essential guide to the science of vacations before you go! Shannon Horan is a PhD student at City, University of London and specialises, amongst other things, in exploring work recovery through vacations. You can hear about the theory of vacations from work, get an insight into Shannon's research, get some top tips and there's an opportunity to get involved in Shannon's next study. All in 22 minutes. If you're interested in work recovery check out Episode 6 - Getting Unplugged.

Episode 15 I welcome Dr Paul Flaxman to People Soup. We talk about the upcoming ACBS Conference in Montreal and give a glimpse of the research we'll be presenting about ACT Training in the Workplace. At the conference we're also planning to share the development of our ACT in the Workplace protocol. Episode notes at www.rossmcintosh.co.uk

Episode 14 This is part two of my conversation with friend and fellow organisational psychologist, Maddy Scott. We talk about how we've used ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) in our lives. Maddy talks about her mindfulness practice and how she introduced values on a family holiday leading to an adventure on the high seas (grand canal). I also talk about my values in relation to sharing and training skills in ACT. We finish with an invitation to have a go at an exercise - a suggestion for a playful way on how to practice bringing values to life using the list in the episode notes at www.rossmcintosh.co.uk

Episode 13 I'm in conversation with my very first guest - friend and fellow organisational psychologist, Maddy Scott. We're both students and practitioners of ACT. ACT is the acronym for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy which we use in our work in organisations and in coaching. Here we talk about what first caught our attention about ACT, how we got hooked and what we'd recommend in terms of resources for those who'd like to find out more. I'm pretty pleased with how this has turned out so let me know what you think.

Episode 12 Here I present some of my own research based on interviews with senior public sector leaders. In my research I explored the ways in which they fulfilled their leadership roles and experienced organisational politics - all through the lens of psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is something that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to strengthen. It's made up of six processes. In this podcast I represent those processes with the triflex. Listen on and see if you can spot the processes - be present; do what matters and open up - in your own workplace behaviour!

Episode 11 It's a bit different this week - I've had a few requests for a mindfulness practice recording so hear it is - a mindfulness meditation of the body and breath. There's a brief introduction then we're straight in to the exercise. Give it a go and let me know how you get on!

Episode 10 In this episode I use behavioural science to explore the decline in my sketching and cartooning activity and give some top tips on how to apply the same techniques to work and life in general. I commit to publishing a sketch or cartoon every day for the next 30 days on instagram and twitter - so you can follow my progress. The key questions I recommend to use to explore something that you've stopped doing at work that matters to you are as follows: 1. What's important to me about X or Y? Why does it matter to me? 2. What's my mind saying about X or Y? Episode Notes The song by David Gates is called 'If'. You can check out the work of the brilliant Christoph Neimann on instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/abstractsunday/ And the book by Tom Gallwey is called - The Inner Game of Tennis.