How Do We Manage?

As the dust settles from New Year’s Eve parties around the world, lots of us will be thinking about the changes we want to make to our lives in 2026. For many that will involve thinking about reducing alcohol, or even giving it up entirely. Challenges like Dry January are extremely popular among those who want to start living a healthier lifestyle, but what happens when February 1st hits? Is going cold turkey for a few weeks enough to fully embrace a sober lifestyle? Today, our guest is Jen Fairbairns from One Year No Beer - a company that helps sober-curious people on their journey to change their relationship with drinking. She talks to Stephanie about what it takes to really get to the heart of why we use alcohol as a crutch, gives tips on how to socialise sober when no one else is, and tells us what we need to look at within ourselves to overhaul our habit loops. Resources & Links  To find out more about One Year No Beer’s coaching schemes and challenges visit https://www.oynb.com/ If you have concerns about your own alcohol consumption or a friend or family member’s then you can seek support at Alcohol Change UK https://alcoholchange.org.uk/ Host: Stephanie von Bismarck  Guest: Jen Fairbairns from One Year No Beer Producer: Holly Fisher Production Manager: Angela Crago  Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino  The series was recorded and edited at Pod Shop studios.  Follow @HowDoWeManage

According to the World Uncertainty Index we’re living through the most uncertain times since the financial crash in 2008. Uncertainty can apply to so many things in our lives from wider issues like a turbulent economy, to decisions that might affect our future, for example choosing what to study at university, and even in the minutiae of our day-to-day lives like deciding which route will get us home in time to see our kids before bedtime. Uncertainty shows up in our lives multiple times everyday, but how do we push through it successfully without getting stuck? This is something that co-authors Sam Conniff and Katherine Templar-Lewis wanted to work out, and so they wrote a book called ‘The Uncertainty Index: How to feel calmer, happier and more confident in an uncertain world’. It serves as an interactive guide through how uncertainty shows up in our bodies and what we can do to recognise it and turn it into a positive feeling rather than a worrying one. Working alongside scientists, psychologists and case studies who have experienced some incredibly uncertain times, the book has resulted in the most extensive scientific study into Uncertainty. In this episode Stephanie speaks to Katherine about the tools we have to navigate uncertainty, why uncertainty means opportunity, and learns how you can take part in this ongoing study. Resources & Links  https://www.uncertaintyexperts.com https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/sam-conniff/the-uncertainty-toolkit/9781035060054 Host: Stephanie von Bismarck  Guest: Katherine Templar-Lewis, co-author of ‘The Uncertainty Toolkit: How To Feel Calmer, Happier and More Confident in an Uncertain World’ Producer: Holly Fisher Production Manager: Angela Crago  Executive Producer: Ellie Di Martino  The series was recorded and edited at Pod Shop studios.  Follow @HowDoWeManage

Throughout her forties, model and activist Mia Maugè felt lost, unseen and ashamed of her new older self.It took opening up on Instagram to change all that. She was immediatelyscouted by four model agenciesand has been a loud and proud advocate for aging and the beauty it brings ever since. She and Stephanie discuss the changing identities of women as they age, embracing grey hair in all its glory,the joy of female friendships in later life, and why we should celebrate every day of becoming older withrespect and gratitude. Resources & Links https://www.miamauge.com/@miamauge Host:Stephanie von BismarckGuest:Mia Maugè Producer:Tory Pope Production Manager:Angela Crago Executive Producer:Ellie Di Martino The series was recorded and edited at Pod Shop studios. Follow@HowDoWeManage

How different might your life be if you approached it with a more optimistic mindset? It’s a question thathas fascinated our guest, journalist, scientistand author Sumit Paul-Choudhury since a huge personaltragedy led him to try and reframe his own life through a lens of optimism. The experiment was such assuccess that it led him to take a deep dive into the history and philosophy of looking on the bright side, andwhat it can do to change our lives. His book–“The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Changethe World’, is the result. In this episode he and Stephanie discuss the difference between optimism and naivety, the tricks to stayingoptimistic even when the world around us seems to be falling apart, and how looking on the bright side canchange your life. Resources & Links alternity.com Host: Stephanie von Bismarck Guest:Sumit Paul-Choudhury, Author of "The Bright Side" and director of the creative studio Alternity Producer:Tory Pope Production Manager:Angela Crago Executive Producer:Ellie Di Martino The series was recorded and edited at Pod Shop studios. Follow@HowDoWeManage

Dwayne Godwin has a brilliant brain. He’sa neuroscientist, an educator, and an academic leaderworking as a Professor in Translational Neuroscience at the Wake Forest University School ofMedicine in the US. And in his collaboration with world-renowned cartoonist Jorge Cham, he’s hereto teach us that every one of us has a brain which is also completely brilliant. In their latest book-“Out of Your Mind-The Biggest Mysteries of the Human Brain,” they combine neuroscience andcartoons to explore questions like: What is consciousness? Where isyouin the brain? And do wehave free will? In this episode Dwayne shares the joy of bringing the brain to life in cartoons, the importance ofmaking neuroscience accessible to kids, and stories of extraordinary humans and what their brainshave done for them throughout history. Resources & Links https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714056/out-of-your-mind-by-jorge-cham-and-dwayne-godwin/ https://jorgecham.com/ https://school.wakehealth.edu/faculty/g/dwayne-w-godwinhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIjozY7sg4w https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwaynegodwin/ Host:Stephanie von Bismarck Guest:Dwayne Godwin, PhD Producer:Tory Pope Production Manager:Angela Crago Executive Producer:Ellie Di Martino The series was recorded and edited at Pod Shop studios. Follow@HowDoWeManage