317 episodes

The Just Checking In Podcast is another step in Vent’s mission to give people a voice, change the conversation around mental health and provide an outlet where everyone, but especially men and boys, can express themselves.

Each pod we check in with a special guest. We have a natter and a chat about all things mental health as well as anything and everything else they're passionate about.

If it helps that person with their mental health, we'll discuss it!

The Just Checking In Podcast The Just Checking In Podcast by VENT

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.9 • 46 Ratings

The Just Checking In Podcast is another step in Vent’s mission to give people a voice, change the conversation around mental health and provide an outlet where everyone, but especially men and boys, can express themselves.

Each pod we check in with a special guest. We have a natter and a chat about all things mental health as well as anything and everything else they're passionate about.

If it helps that person with their mental health, we'll discuss it!

    Behind The Mic - VICTORS - Part 3

    Behind The Mic - VICTORS - Part 3

    In this episode of Behind The Mic we checked back in with UK band VICTORS for the third time.

    This time we checked in with Simon who plays lead guitar in the band.

    In this episode we discuss Simon’s music journey and how he came to form the band with Harry who came on for Parts 1 and 2, playing in various indie-rock bands in his school days and a fond discussion over a shared love of the mid-00s UK pop-punk and rock scene.

    For industry issues, we discuss social media and the instability and unpredictability of the music industry.

    We also discuss the band's recent experience as headliners of Just Checking In Live #5 and the launch of their new single 'Nothing Seems to Matter Now', which was released the day before the show.

    For Simon’s mental health, we discuss the death of a good friend of Simon’s who took his own life on October 30th 2023. Simon had known Ben since childhood and they were part of a group who regularly went climbing together.

    We discuss the shock of his death, the grieving process and how we can stop other men like Ben from taking their own life and help them find the release valve that works for them.

    As always, #itsokaytovent

    Listen to VICTORS on streaming platforms below:

    Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/163g9TCjT…hwS7Gs2Ka3bPfubA
    YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCq-H6qmB1U59D2XqRNl2EcQ
    SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/victorsofficial

    Follow VICTORS on social media platforms below:

    Instagram: www.instagram.com/victorsofficial/
    Twitter: twitter.com/victorslive
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/victorsofficial/

    You can listen to Parts 1 and 2 of VICTORS' journey below:

    Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/behind-the-mic-v-i-c-t-o-r-s?in=venthelpuk/sets/behind-the-mic
    Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/btm-victors-part-2

    Support Us:

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk
    GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health
    Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop

    Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk
    Outro: VICTORS - Nothing Seems to Matter Now: https://open.spotify.com/track/3YktaxfQzXAAVY5utLFdKP?si=cea98896ea8a4d35

    • 1 hr 27 min
    JCIP #232 - Samuel Mace

    JCIP #232 - Samuel Mace

    In episode 232 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with academic and writer Dr Samuel Mace.

    Sam currently works as a teaching fellow at the University of Leeds and has a SubStack called ‘Theory Matters’. He also holds a BA and MA in Politics and a PHD, which specialised in political theory and middle-eastern studies.

    We came across Sam through an article he wrote in The Critic entitled ‘Beyond mental health awareness’. The piece explores a lot of the uncomfortable conversations around mental illness and proposes some solutions we need to have if we are to truly tackle the issue.

    In this episode we discuss Sam’s academic journey, a deep dive into the article, socialisation and the lack of connection in today’s society and how that specifically affects men and male loneliness.

    For Sam’s mental health, we discuss a year out he took from university between his second year and third year in 2014/15 and the positive affect that had on his mental health and the importance of having strong and supportive networks in your life.

    We finish by discussing the grief of losing his dad a few years ago and the metaphorical ‘bolt of lightning’ which it had on him and caused him to make some positive changes in his life.

    As always, #itsokaytovent

    You can read Sam's article we discussed in The Critic in full here: thecritic.co.uk/beyond-mental-health-awareness/

    You can subscribe to Sam's SubStack here: theorymatters.substack.com/

    You can follow Sam on social media below:


    Twitter: twitter.com/thoughtgenerate

    Support Us:

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk
    GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health
    Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop

    Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

    • 1 hr 20 min
    JCIP #231 - Elliot Pearce - Part 2

    JCIP #231 - Elliot Pearce - Part 2

    In episode 231 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with a very old friend of ours, Elliot Pearce.

    Elliot first came on the podcast way back when in JCIP #2!

    At the time we recorded Part 1 he worked at Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA), a very important organisation who deliver Mental Health First Aid training to organisations across the UK.

    Elliot worked his way up to the role of Community Engagement Manager before he was unfortunately made redundant during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    He now currently works as Senior Partnerships Manager at Oviva, a company who empower everyone to change their eating and lifestyle-related habits, improving their long-term health through personalised support and technology.

    In this episode we discuss the work he does with Oviva, the mental health impact of his redundancy from MHFA and how he needs to work harder to employ mental health tools in his day-to-day life, now he is outside the bubble of the mental health sector.

    We also discuss how Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects his mental health and the importance of routine for him.

    We then discuss his love of running and the importance of it for his physical and mental health, the Covid-19 pandemic and how it affected him then and his behaviour now and his desire to work in the office as often as possible.

    We finish with a reminisce about Elliot and our Founder Freddie's friendship, the gigs they went to together to see long-time friends of the pod and sadly disbanded band Patawawa, who also provide the theme-tune for this podcast and a chat about the future.

    As always, #itsokaytovent

    You can listen to Part 1 of Elliot's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-2-elliot-pearce

    Support Us:

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk
    GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health
    Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop

    Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

    • 1 hr 14 min
    JCIP #230 - Sam Evans - Part 2

    JCIP #230 - Sam Evans - Part 2

    In episode 230 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with Sam Evans.

    Sam is a mental health advocate and works in the healthcare industry. He first came on the podcast way back when in JCIP #31.

    In Part 1, we discussed his exposure to mental illness when one of his friends tragically took his own life and it ignited his desire to help men with their mental health.

    He has since put his words into action and took part in mental health campaign ‘Movember’ several times and was recently made lead of his internal mental health group at work.

    In Part 2, we discuss that promotion, how his understanding of mental health and mental illness has changed and how he has learned more about his own mental health in the last three years.

    We also discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on his mental health and when is the right time to healthily detach from supporting someone’s mental health?

    This is an uncomfortable conversation the mainstream mental health conversation refuses to have because the ugly side of mental illness isn’t surface-level awareness campaigns.

    Sometimes mental health support requires huge levels of patience, perseverance and the awareness to recognise there may come a point when a person needs to take personal responsibility for their mental health.

    As always, #itsokaytovent

    You can listen to Part 1 of Sam's journey here: https://soundcloud.com/venthelpuk/jcip-31-sam-evans

    You can follow Sam on social media below:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_evans23/

    Support Us:

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk
    GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health
    Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop

    Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

    • 55 min
    JCIP #229 - Andy Hayward

    JCIP #229 - Andy Hayward

    In episode 229 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with conflict journalist, Andy Hayward.

    Andy currently works as a freelance journalist and has previously worked for VICE News in their international team producing news pieces and documentaries.

    Andy also previously worked on VICE’s flagship, Emmy Award-winning show VICE News Tonight on HBO.

    We came across Andy through friend of the pod Jake Hanrahan who interviewed him on his podcast Popular Front about an upcoming documentary he has produced within Russia called ‘Warped by War: Inside Putin’s Russia’.

    The film covers the suppression of the Russian regime of public dissent against the war in Ukraine, speaks to the family members of Russian soldiers who are currently serving and those who have been killed.

    In this episode we discuss the film in-depth through a mental health lens, his previous films he has done in Russia and Belarus and his wider journey in conflict journalism.

    For industry issues, we discuss work-life balance and the responsibility he feels as a journalist to capture the stories of those who speak out against the regime but not put their lives in danger.

    For Andy’s mental health, we discuss the importance of having positive relationships in your life as a release valve from the day-to-day of conflict journalism, the stress and paranoia that come with working in a repressive country like Russia and how that bleeds out into his personal life.

    We finish by discussing his family's military background and how that’s shaped his attitude towards mental health.

    As always, #itsokaytovent

    You can find links to watch all of Andy's films we discussed on the podcast in full below:

    'Protesters in Belarus Are Being Jailed and Killed, But That Isn't Stopping Them': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSnZp7_TM28&pp=ygVSUHJvdGVzdGVycyBpbiBCZWxhcnVzIEFyZSBCZWluZyBKYWlsZWQgYW5kIEtpbGxlZCwgQnV0IFRoYXQgSXNuJ3QgU3RvcHBpbmcgVGhlbeKAmQ%3D%3D

    'Nationalism or Nothing: Life in Modern Russia': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w56s1tTS9io&t=495s&ab_channel=VICENews

    'Putin's Russia: A Country at War with Itself': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rnFtnDa_Oo&ab_channel=VICENews

    You can follow Andy on social media below:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyJohnHayward
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr_andy_hayward/

    Support Us:

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk
    GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health
    Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop

    Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk

    • 1 hr 39 min
    Behind The Mic - Le Dionisos

    Behind The Mic - Le Dionisos

    In this episode of Behind The Mic, we checked in with artist, producer and DJ Le Dionisos.

    Dion puts out brilliant, balearic disco and funk music that is a joy to listen to.

    Hailing from the Netherlands, Dion studied keys and production at The Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

    In this episode we discuss his music journey, the self-confidence you need to succeed in the music industry, how he fell in love with DJing and having his first original single played by the iconic DJ Harvey, as well as a couple of his edits.

    For Dion’s mental health, we discuss the challenge he felt transitioning from high-school to university and the choice he made to spend an extra year in high school to prepare for university.

    We then discuss the ‘hole’ he fell into after completing university and figuring out what he wanted to do with his life full-time.

    We finish by discussing growth, personal development and his outlook on his life now.

    As always, #itsokaytovent

    Listen to Le Dionisos on streaming platforms below:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/60Fms0yhF4pUvCxJ6eEnzH?si=4c16a59fdd5b44bb
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ledionisos4198
    Bandcamp: https://le-dionisos.bandcamp.com/album/wanderlust-album

    You can follow Le Dionisos on social media below:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ledionisos/

    Support Us:

    Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpuk
    GoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-health
    Merchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shop

    Music: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvk
    Outro: Le Dionisos - Over and Over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q3r6mQDPHU&pp=ygUZbGUgZGlvbmlzb3Mgb3ZlciBhbmQgb3Zlcg%3D%3D

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
46 Ratings

46 Ratings

Winstable ,

Great listen and very informative

Freddie does a fantastic job in making the guests feel comfortable and open about their experiences. A great way to help break the stigma around mental health and I’m sure people listening to these podcasts will find it very helpful

Mmmmychaynegsuje ,

Insightful and thought-provoking

Freddie tackles some tough issues in this podcast. His questioning is thoughtful and he gives his guests the space to really give considered and honest answers. It makes for a captivating listen. Highly recommended.

TIMBHT ,

Just checking great

A brilliant podcast that highlights the different struggles and triumphs people go through mentally. So many great podcasts that I’m sure topics come up that anyone can relate to and also get great advice on how to overcome and support their own mental health. As well as been a great podcast to find out more about people you most likely have never met!

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