Lively Minds, the UK Mental Health Podcast

About Lively Minds, the UK Mental Health Podcast

Lively Minds is a monthly podcast about mental health challenges that go beyond the ebb and flow of the everyday. Led by people with lived experience, the show looks at how developing an understanding of our mental health influences how we address the challenges we face. Episodes are released on the first Friday of each month. Find out more at www.anyamedia.net/livelyminds (https://anyamedia.net/livelyminds)

Publisher

Ellie Page & Will Sadler

Category

health & fitness · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Mar 2023

Latest episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

60 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Oct 2026

   S3E22 - I thought I was talking to aliens, with Will

   On the Lively Minds UK mental health podcast, Will and Ellie discuss a teenage episode of Will’s OCD from the mid-1990s, before he knew what OCD was. After an infatuation, Will developed intrusive harm fears about the person being hurt, followed by a dread that aliens were listening to his thoughts and might treat them as instructions; his compulsions included mentally sending “no/don’t” messages, then symbols, and finally looking at drawings by his bed. The distress was intense for about a year and lasted roughly two years, mainly internally and worse when alone, while he remained outwardly “high functioning.” They explain OCD as intrusive thoughts plus compulsions, ego-dystonia, doubt, and maintained insight. Will sought help but was not diagnosed, only recognizing it as OCD about 20 years later; the alien theme later returned briefly and he dismissed it, and he notes guilt and black-and-white moral thinking as key drivers. They mention OCD Action and OCD UK as support resources. Our content does not constitute medical advice and should not be considered a replacement for seeking professional support. Signposting to resources can be found on our website livelymindspod.com Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts by searching Lively Minds in your favourite podcast app. Please consider leaving us a rating or review, it really helps others to find the show!

2. 

   7 Aug 2026

   S3E21 - The mental health of Green and Blue Spaces, with Ellie

   Host Will Davies interviews PhD researcher Ellie about how disabled youth in Cumbria perceive green and blue spaces, challenging romanticized assumptions about nature's mental health benefits.

3. 

   26 Jun 2026

   S1E22 – Speaking publicly about your mental health, with Kema Sikazwe (Rerun)

   Host Will explores the benefits and challenges of public mental health disclosure with musician, actor, and broadcaster Kema Sikazwe in this interview.

Who has been a guest on Lively Minds, the UK Mental Health Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kema Sikazwe
• Kema Kay
• Paul Wilshaw
• Olivia Dieterich
• Matt Ottley

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

17 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

48

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

Contact Lively Minds, the UK Mental Health Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Lively Minds, the UK Mental Health Podcast