Get moving

It's that time of year again. Gotham City meets global warming. I found it hard last time out, in the midst of a personal dip. New parenthood fatigue meant my waking hours took place under a fog of fatigue, and this made me more vulnerable to threats in my environment, to the noticeable detriment of my creativity.

This week's 200th episode of The Creative Condition podcast was a sensitivity special, with Jenn Granneman, founder of 'Introvert, Dear' and co-author of Sensitive: The Power of a Thoughtful Mind in an Overwhelming World and adds to a growing number of episodes I've made to support highly sensitive people and good mental health.

Sensitivity is of both body and mind, which is why, in the upcoming The Creative Condition book, I've covered both the body and nutrition across a couple of key chapters. Not to preach - but to draw attention to some often overlooked aspects of effective creativity that each of us can start improving immediately.

This time last year, as those grotty dark, wet nights set in along with all their dangers to our mood, I had a chat with a former school teacher and friend of mine, who now works as a personal trainer and physiotherapist, Matthew McArdle . As a lifelong sports fan, I knew the importance of looking after the body to maintain a healthy mind, so we got into that on episode 176.

Now as we approach the same time of year, I have a chat with Zuzanna Karwowska coming soon, about her fascinating work around the microbiome, using AI, and Kimberley Wilson, a psychologist specialising in 'whole body mental health.' One of the steps I took to overcome my personal low was doubling down on a good diet. Mine was okay, but I was a fiend for biscuits and whatever other filth happened to be in the cupboard while working from home. Sorting that, and increasing my lunchtime vegetable intake has noticeably upped my afternoon energy and improved my mood. Kimberley's drive is to recognise the need to consider the entire human as one organism, to stop falling into the trap of separating the mind and body. The brain is an organ, after all. Her work is astounding, and Unprocessed: How the Food We Eat is Fuelling Our Mental Health Crisis is a real eye-opener. That episode is coming soon.

In the meantime, it's time to start increasing those steps.

If you haven't heard the episode of The Blindboy Podcast, I highly recommend this one about managing the rough weather. I bought a decent raincoat and wellies off the back of it last year, and have found myself enjoying the rainy dog walks.

You could, of course, providing you have the luxury of a roof, just stay in, but that doesn't work for everyone, and I've felt my fair share of the dangerous lethargy that awaits with that one.

The Creative Condition book Kickstarter campaign launches 24th October and I hope you'll be grabbing your first edition copy of a decade's worth of research on creativity!