πΈ This morning, I restocked the most important piece of equipment in my office. βοΈ Crisis averted.
πΈ This morning, I restocked the most important piece of equipment in my office. βοΈ Crisis averted.
πΈ Up in Oxfordshire for an overnight work trip and this is the view from my hotel bedroom.
Back from a hectic few days at a psychology conference in Sheffield. My brain is full of new knowledge and ideas, and my heart is full of gratitude for getting to spend quality time with good friends.
That just leaves my liver, which is in a very sorry state indeed.
Some last-minute checking of my packing list before I head off to a three-day conference later today. I’m always afraid I’ll forget something really important. But I’m going to Sheffield, not the North Pole, so I’m sure I can buy anything I leave behind…
Currently packing for yet another trip - this time to go to a conference in Sheffield until Friday.
Nothing but wall to wall psychologists! π¬ It’s the annual occupational psychology conference, organised by the British Psychological Society. And it looks like I’m going to be a busy bee.
I’m a discussant in a panel session on evidence-based practice, and I’m also co-facilitating a workshop on coaching skills. But that’s all on one day, so for the rest, I’m free to go to the sessions I’m interested in.
It’s always nice to catch up with my peers - some of whom I only ever see in person at this particular conference. I’ve already booked in two dinners with colleagues for just that kind of catching up. And thankfully I’ll be home by 5pm Friday.
And if previous conferences are anything to go by, slightly tired and worse for wear.
πΈ Work podcasting face
Recorded another podcast episode today, edited a difference episode, and created two new videos. It’s been a day and half. And now time to prep some slides for a psychology conference I’m presenting at in a couple of weeks.
You know what I’m not loving?
Comments on my videos, and direct messages on LinkedIn, from purported ‘professional video editors’, pointing out how shit my content is, then offering to ‘fix’ my channel for a fee. All written in the worst possible English.
Lads, fuck you very much for the unsolicited feedback, but I won’t be needing your services any time soon. Are there better videos on YouTube? Of course. Have I got a lot still to learn about video editing? Undoubtedly.
But am I likely to part with my hard-earned cash to reward this kind of crass approach?
I am not.
Next!
Finally home from my overnight to Chichester to speak at a conference.
The presentation went really well, almost making up for last night’s food poisoning and projectile vomiting at 2am. π₯
Haven’t slept since and, at this point, I think I can see sounds and taste colour.
Good evening from Chichester.
My first ever visit. Overnight to speak at a conference. All I can say so far is that the Guinness is excellent.
More to follow…
I’ve had insufficient sleep and insufficient caffeine today and it’s taking all my self-control not to fly into a Wolverine-style berserker rage at the imbeciles who keep making so much noise in the office building.
Specifically, in the corridor outside my office.
Which is not the place to have loud conference calls using speakerphone you absolute twat.
I’ve been awake since 3am due to the mother of all headaches.
Today at work is going to be pure joy…
Keeping things neat.
I’ve set up a separate micro blog (and account) to write about life as a psychologist. You can find it here. It’ll be shared to my professional Mastodon and Threads accounts too.
A thing I’ve been working on for weeks and weeks has finally gone live and I’m very excited (and nervous).
The first video in a series, all about how to develop your psychological flexibility and deal with pressure and stress more effectively. An evidence-based, effective and impactful approach.
All in all, a very good day at work.
Enjoyed coffee and a catchup (and plans for more work) with a client in the West End and then delivery of a workplace wellbeing workshop for a new client.
Now heading home to head to the gym. I know! But after all that talk about investing in our wellbeing, I can hardly collapse on the sofa with a beer, can I?!
Iβve had a much better day today
Had a very productive morning in the office and an even better afternoon working from home.
Just back from the gym and now itβs time to pack for tomorrowβs trip to Edinburgh.
Heading into the office after yet another weekend that felt just too short.
Thankfully, this is a three day week for me and then Iβm off to Scotland to see family.
Better get cracking on my todo list then!
TFI Friday
It’s been quite the week and I’m feeling not one bit guilty for finishing work early today.
Despite everything else that happened, I somehow managed to be insanely productive yesterday and this morning. So it’s time to get outside, get some air and move my body around.
On reflection…
I should have booked today off work to recover from yesterday’s adventures. But we are where we are. So instead, I left the office early and I’m chilling at home.
After some annoying work news and a general feeling of being blocked creatively, I did the only sensible thing: I bought a new notebook. Time to return to the bullet journal and get back some clarity and focus.
It’s not been a typical few weeks, what with Japan and hospital, so I think it would be useful to pause and take a step back. Time to put on the kettle and get writing.
After a couple of weeks off due to my visit to Japan, I’m back into the weekly habit of posting an update of the week that was.
The main update here is my return from Japan. It always feels like a wrench to leave Tokyo, but this was somewhat lessened due to my excellent journey home. Though it was far from efficient.
I flew with Malaysia airlines from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur and then from Kuala Lumpur to London. With a six hour layover in the middle. Both flights were an absolute delight and I can wholeheartedly recommend Malaysia airlines for any long-haul travel. Just like they mention in their impressive onboard safety video, they bring Malaysian hospitality to life.
I have a few of short-haul trips in the schedule in the coming months: Edinburgh, Dublin, Sitges and Mallorca. I’m also looking at visiting Malaga for the first time. And then, hopefully, we’ll be back in Japan come November - for my first ever visit to Hokkaido. Exciting!
Not that it’s my main focus in life, I now weigh less than I did before my visit to Japan! This is despite all the food and drink and lack of gym visits. I can only put it down to all the walking I did and the healthy nature of a lot of Japanese cuisine.
Today is all about preparing for tomorrow’s hospital visit. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but my focus is 100% on getting some results (which should be immediately after, once I’m fully conscious again) and have a plan of action.
I went to see Dune 2 yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s arguably better than its predecessor and I barely noticed its impressive 2hrs 47mins runtime. The special effects were incredible, the score absorbing and the story compelling. If you enjoyed the first one, this will definitely impress.
I’ve been re-watching Battlestar Galactica from the start - again! It was initially reserved for sessions on the elliptical trainer in our gym, but I actually ended up watching six episodes on my flights back from Tokyo. I’m now on season two and, while there are a few rocky episodes and evidence of cheaper set design, it’s still an impressive piece of TV drama.
I also finished Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and really enjoyed it. As I noted when I posted about it, it reminded me of one of my favourite books of all time, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay which is the biggest compliment I can give it.
Finally, given recent news of how Wordpress is abusing the content creating by its users, I’ve started over with a personal long form blog and will be shutting down my Wordpress sites in the coming week. I’ll also be posting my longer posts over there, but linking back to them here on MacPsy.ch. I find Ghost to be a much better solution for those kinds of posts, where Micro.blog is perfect for sharing quick thoughts and cross-posting to other platforms.
And that was the week that was…
Back in the office for the first time since Japan.
And I’m not going to lie, I could feel better. I slept from 9pm until 6am this morning, so it’s not a lack of sleep. It’s a lack of Tokyo!
π₯ Yesterday, I published a new video on my professional YouTube channel, answering one of the most frequently-asked questions I get about my job as a psychologist: “Does your job ever make you sad?"
Another summary of the week that was…
I’ve had ups and down on the health front. On the one hand, I’ve stuck to my healthy diet and got to the gym after work. I’ve now lost 3kg since the beginning of the year. On the other hand, my gastro symptoms and associated pain have slowed me down several times. I’m just focused on my hospital appointment on March 4th and getting some clarity and a plan of action after that.
Doctor Google has not been my friend, and I’ve had to force myself to stop looking at articles about my disease and routes through surgery. None of it has brought clarity and instead has left me feeling worried. Which is never helpful.
Despite my wellbeing issues, I’ve managed to have a stellar week at work. I received two pieces of feedback about my work podcast which set my heart soaring. Feedback isn’t a constant, so when I hear from listeners, it makes all the difference. And it wasn’t just the usual ‘thumbs up’ or ‘well done’, they provided some context and helped me understand what they’ve taken from the various episodes.
Client projects continue apace and I’m working on an exciting set of new coaching programmes for clients to purchase. After the rather unwelcome rise in corporation tax (thanks for nothing, Tories) I need to work extra hard and more efficiently to bring home to the same money from my business. So I’m also reducing my fixed costs and looking for subscriptions I can end.
You’re probably sick of hearing about it, but yes - my upcoming trip to Japan is less than a week away and I’m still just as excited. I’ve been doing more research, making a prioritised todo list of venues and experiences, and watching videos about the JAL First Class cabin (and, more importantly, the on-board food service!).
You can read my extended Japan-related gushing over on This Guy Flies.
My Dry January streak came to an end on Wednesday this week, when I went out for an after-work drink with a friend visiting from Newcastle. And while it was lovely to head to the pub and have a natter, I regret the pint. Not at a deep, existential level, but because it was possibly the worst pint of Guinness ever pulled in the history of pints. It almost brought a tear to my eye. I wish Dry January had ended on a more positive note!
I also went out to the pub with friends on Friday night and noticed my tolerance of alcohol seems to have evaporated in the last five weeks. I felt a bit grim the following morning, so I got right back up on the saddle of… let’s call it ‘Dry February’. My epiphany was this: booze is expensive, is basically a poison, makes me sound like I’ve had a blow to the head, and makes the following morning a real effort. I don’t need that in my life.
So, no more casual trips to the pubs with the sole goal of drinking. I might have the odd drink at home when entertaining, or for a special occasion. But I think I’m leaving my beer monster days behind me.
And that was the week that was…
I’ve had quite a fun and productive day!
I started my morning by editing a podcast episode and then edited the video version of the same. I’m now using Descript for the podcast and I’m loving it. It’s the perfect, pragmatic solution for a non-techie like me. Although I noticed quite a few glitches in the video, courtesy of my Elgato webcam, but after lots of back and forth, I decided to publish it anyway and let the audience be the judge of how annoying it is. The stats will tell me all, I’m sure, in time.
I had a couple of client calls and some writing time for a new project, then headed back to Canary Wharf to meet an old friend visiting from Bath. He was in town for business, but had a gap in his schedule to come see me. We had time for a quick coffee and catch-up before he had to go catch his train home.
And I found a whole new (new to me!) floor and coffee shop in the local ‘Market Halls’. It was great and I can definitely see myself heading there at the weekend with my laptop if I wanted to do a bit of writing in a different environment.
I then headed to the gym, caught up on my podcasts while on the elliptical machine, while also capturing some ideas for future podcast episodes of my own.
I know I’m not the only person who gets inspired while exercising, right?
Now it’s time for a chicken salad and something good on TV. I’m filing today under ‘mission accomplished’.
Another summary of the week that was.
It was a really productive week on the work front. I kicked off two new client projects, both super-interesting and with nice clients. This really makes all the difference!
I recorded another couple of podcast episodes, so I don’t run out of content while I’m in Japan later this month. I also recorded a few more videos for the YouTube channel, which I’m going to slowly edit over the coming couple of weeks.
I finally had my consultation with the gastroenterologist and it went as well as can be expected. He was very nice and very thorough and definitely wants me in hospital for some tests. I was worried it would coincide with the Japan trip, but he’s actually not available until the first week in March. And so I can try to put it all out of my mind until then. Which is hard, considering the ongoing discomfort.
In more positive news, my weight continues to drop, slowly but steadily. I’m still avoiding alcohol and exercising deadly. My diet is healthy, but not overly restrictive. No fast food, no snacks, fruit instead of desert, and virtually all homemade meals. Simple, but effective.
Just last night, my Japan trip plans changed quite a bit. My other half found that a couple more seats had opened up on a flight two days earlier. With a minimal fee, I still have a First Class seat with wonderful JAL, but I arrive on a Saturday afternoon, rather than the following Monday. An additional weekend in Japan - what could be better?!
He also managed to find me a room for these extra two nights in the same hotel I’m booked into, in Shinjuku. Yes, it’s the Godzilla hotel!!
I’ve also arranged to go on an overnight trip to an onsen hotel down in Hakone with one of my Tokyo-based friends. I haven’t been in Hakone since my very first trip to Tokyo back in 2013. And our hotel has both public baths and an individual private bath, which again, will be a new experience. Can’t wait to get soaking β¨οΈ
This morning, while on the elliptical trainer in our gym, I agreed with the same friend (via WhatsApp) to go on a two-day trip to Sendai with him while I’m in Japan. This will be my first visit there, so I’m looking forward to seeing something new.
So yeah, I’m quite excited about this trip, for so many reasons.
And that was another week that was…
I’ve had a super productive morning
I went into the office as soon as I was showered and dressed this morning. Yes, on a Saturday morning! I wanted to take advantage of an empty building to record some content for my podcast and YouTube channel.
And what do you know, as long as nobody is slamming doors or making loud phone calls in the corridor outside, I can get a lot of recording done. In just a couple of hours, I managed to record a solo podcast episode and three videos for YouTube. And I’m finally happy with the backdrop for the podcast (it’s a video recording too) and the one I’m using for youtube content.
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3* makes recording a breeze and I’ve basically decided to sell the Sony camera I bought for this project a few years back. It’s overly complex, tends to overheat too easily and has the worst user interface of any device I’ve ever bought.
The DJI is light, incredibly portable, turns on instantly and has a wonderful wireless mic. Far less fiddling around with the set-up means more time spent actually recording. Which is a win all round.
I did a quick promo video for a free event I’m running later this month, the latest in my behind the scenes vlog series, and a video all about the importance of a ‘chemistry’ session when working with a coaching psychologist. That’ll keep the channel fuelled for a few weeks!
Now it’s back to life admin: cancelling subscriptions I no longer need, finishing my packing list for Japan, and deciding which bag I’m going to bring as carry-on luggage on the fight.
And then, completing the assignment for my Japanese course. Because the deadline is tomorrow afternoon π¬
(* Affiliate link!)