Falkirk mental health podcast features a lot of bravery and a bit of banter

A man started a podcast to help him come to terms with his own troubles and help others who have had their own struggles with mental health.
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Earlier this month John Macdonald (28) broadcast the first episode of his Heathy Distraction podcast and impressed viewers with they way he and his guests tackled hard issues without becoming too intense about them and keeping the banter and good advice flowing freely.

John, from Falkirk, said: “I went through a bit of a troubled time last year. I found myself in a bit of a black hole, going off for long walks and distancing myself from my family and friends.

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“I started searching for answers to see how I could stop feeling like this and I started wishing there was some kind of distraction in my life. I actually thought about opening my own cafe as a place where people could come and talk about things happening in their lives.”

John Macdonald, left, with his guests of the week on the Healthy Distraction podcastJohn Macdonald, left, with his guests of the week on the Healthy Distraction podcast
John Macdonald, left, with his guests of the week on the Healthy Distraction podcast

A chance meeting with a stranger in Glasgow gave John food for thought and he decided against his cafe idea.

“She said people who come into a cafe would just sit there with their phones and not talk. Then she said, what about a podcast, so that’s when I decided to set up Healthy Distraction.”

The first episode of the podcast, entitled Pain in the Brain, was broadcast on July 14 and featured John and three guests talking about the stigma surrounding mental health and their own ways of coping with problems.

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“There were a few people who said it’s not really for them, but the majority said they think it’s great. I wanted to bring people from Falkirk together from all different backgrounds to talk about troubled times they may have gone through and then share what it was they did to get through it, what their coping mechanisms are.

John Macdonald's Healthy Distraction podcastJohn Macdonald's Healthy Distraction podcast
John Macdonald's Healthy Distraction podcast

“What worked for them might work for someone else.”

John quickly found the Healthy Distraction podcast, which is available to view on Apple and Spotify, was not only helping him, but it was also helping other people.

"I started to think, maybe I’ve got something going here. The first podcast went very well. I didn’t want it to be too long, maybe 35 to 40 minutes.”

The next episode will be dealing with the anxieties caused by the COVID-19 lockdown – something almost everyone in the world has experienced over the last few months – and guests will include a mental health therapist.

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“The lockdown has had positive and negative effects,” said John. “There are a lot of people I know who have taken up baking or have learned a new language. I definitely think something like the lockdown was needed for people to step back and take a break.”

John’s podcast has gained interest of teachers at Braes High School, who have asked him if they could include it in their curriculum.

“I’ve also had teachers get in touch saying they had already got mental health teaching in place – so that's definitely a future podcast we can do about the importance of education when it comes to mental health.”

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