Field Notes

Rose Honey Morgan

FIELD NOTES is a weekly experiment in self-improvement, psychology and modern life, tested badly in public. Hosted by Rose Honey Morgan, a writer with an anthropology background, the show is for people who consume a lot of advice and still feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, and unsure what to actually do with it. Each week, one idea is filtered and tested in real life, outside of perfect conditions, then reported on honestly in short Field Reports. The aim isn’t optimisation. It’s clarity. Fewer tabs open. Less guilt. A better sense of what’s worth trying, and what can be safely ignored. New episodes every Monday, with short Friday Field Reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 10 UUR GELEDEN

    Field Report: I Tried Electrifying My Brain for a Week…

    Earlier this week I began testing the Flow Neuroscience headset — a device that uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to stimulate areas of the brain linked to depression. In simpler terms: I’ve started plugging my forehead into a charger. This Friday Field Report is the week one update. I talk through: • What the headset actually feels like to wear • The slightly alarming wet electrode pads situation • Whether the electrical stimulation hurts (spoiler: mildly… but in a “strong skincare” kind of way) • The surprisingly good therapy app that comes with it • Why the behavioural therapy modules are actually better than a lot of therapy I’ve paid for • Whether the experiment is making me feel even slightly more motivated So far the results are… inconclusive. But I do feel a bit more like “come on then, let’s be having you.” Which is something. Inside the Flow app One thing that genuinely impressed me was the built-in therapy courses. The headset isn’t just about the electrical stimulation — the app includes: • behavioural therapy modules • mindfulness and meditation sessions • sleep support • habit-building exercises • diet and lifestyle guidance All delivered through a chat-style interactive course, which is surprisingly engaging when you’re struggling to focus. It’s a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure therapy conversation. Find of the Week The therapy format inside the Flow app — genuinely useful behavioural therapy exercises delivered in a way that actually keeps you engaged. If I find similar tools that don’t require a brain-electrocuting headset, I’ll link them here. Ok so there's one called Youper but it's not available in the UK annoyingly. Abby - your AI therapist looks good. Or Wysa the app looks good too. Haven't tried any of them though so... just going off the App Store sales pitch! Fail of the Week I currently have around 200 unanswered messages across email, WhatsApp and DMs. The longer I leave them, the more awkward the replies become. Classic. The experiment continues I’ll report back again once I’ve used the headset for the full three-week protocol to see whether it actually improves: • mood • motivation • executive function • anxiety Or whether I’ve simply been mildly electrifying my forehead for no reason. Join the conversation If you’ve tried anything that actually helped your mental health, motivation or executive function — send it my way. DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Join the Book Club We’re currently reading Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway inside the Actually Trying Book Club. Join here: https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 min
  2. 4 DGN GELEDEN

    Could Electrifying Your Brain Fix Your Mood?

    Today’s episode is about mental health, low mood, chronic anxiety, executive dysfunction, and a slightly alarming-looking headset that may or may not be about to change my life. I’m trying the Flow Neuroscience headset — a non-invasive medical device that uses tDCS (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) to stimulate the part of the brain linked to depression. In simpler terms: I am, apparently, going to start plugging my forehead into a charger. And honestly? At this point I’m open to it. In this episode I talk about: My long history of low mood, dread, anxiety, and general internal gloomEverything I’ve already tried:CBTEMDRAcceptance and Commitment Therapymedicationexercisewatersleeptrying really hard not to lose the plotWhat the Flow headset actually isHow it’s meant to workWhy the NHS uses itThe statistics that made me willing to strap an electrical device to my headWhether this is cutting-edge science or a sign that modern life has gone badly wrongWhy our ancestors may have had lives that were more naturally protective of mental health than ours are now Also in this episode: A new Ask Guru & Granny segment on beauty, Botox, fillers, lipstick, tailored clothing, and why my mother believes a teaspoon of botulism could kill the human race. So, as usual, it’s a mixed bag. What happens next? I’m starting the headset experiment now. On Friday I’ll report back on: what it feels likewhether it hurtswhat the app is likeand whether I feel even slightly less like I’m permanently treading emotional water The bigger results, apparently, take a few weeks — so this is just the beginning Send in your dilemmas for Ask Guru & Granny If you want me and Old Ma to attempt to solve your problems, send them over. DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan@field.notes.pod And if I ignored your last one by accident, just bump it and send it again. Join the book club We’ve just started Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway inside the Actually Trying book club. https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial If you enjoyed this episode Please follow the show, leave a review, or share it with a friend who: is hanging on by a threadhas tried everythingor would absolutely try electrically charging their forehead if it meant feeling a bit more perky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  3. 6 MRT

    Field Report: Did Gray Scale Actually Stop My Doomscrolling?

    Last week I tested the internet’s favourite anti-doomscrolling trick: turning your phone to gray scale (black and white). The theory is simple: remove the bright colours that hijack your brain’s dopamine system and suddenly your phone becomes far less addictive. Did it cut my screen time in half? Well… not exactly. But it did reveal some interesting things about how our brains react to colour, stimulation, and the endless scroll. In this week’s Field Report we discuss: Whether gray scale actually reduced my screen timeWhy social media becomes weirdly less appealing in black and whiteHow the experiment accidentally pushed me into a ChatGPT rabbit holeWhy real life suddenly looked much more colourful and vividA brief “Have We Lost the Plot?” anthropology segment on humans and colour stimulationThe unexpected downside: trying to play phone games in grayscale Plus: Find of the Week Appreciating colour again (and the joy of bold interiors) Fail of the Week Spending another two hours helping June solve a murder in June’s Journey Links & Things Mentioned Join the Actually Trying Book Club 👉 https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Lucy’s interiors Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/lucycollierinteriors Follow the Show Follow the podcast so you don’t miss next week’s experiment. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who is also trying (and occasionally failing) to reduce their screen time. Next Week Next week’s topic may or may not make brands even more nervous about working with me… but at this point the damage is probably already done. See you then. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 min
  4. 27 FEB

    Field Report: No Processed Food for 4 Days (Was It Worth It?)

    📚 Book Club Free Trial : https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Next month’s book: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway Link in show notes. Join us so I can reject brands with confidence. ANYWAY I’m back from the front lines. Four whole days. Zero processed food. Planned, chopped, cooked, washed up. Repeated. Never again. In this episode we discuss: The emotional toll of planning three meals a day like a Victorian housewifeWhether chopping board dinners are secretly geniusWhy cheeseboard dinner is an elite parenting hackThe M&S “non-UPF” range (sausages, buns, ketchup — full review)Migraines, morale, and missing BiscoffBeing dropped by my first big brand deal and spiralling publiclyWhether I should sell my soul for a podcast editorAnd if early death from crisps is simply a trade-off I’m willing to make The experiment verdict? Did I feel superhuman? No. Did I feel morally superior? Briefly. Did I miss ready meals with my entire being? Yes. 🧀 FIND OF THE WEEK Cheeseboard dinner. Elevated picky bits. Zero guilt. Highly recommend. ❌ FAIL OF THE WEEK Everything else. If you’ve cracked the code on eating well without turning it into a full-time job, tell me. 📲 DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode: Follow the show. Leave a review. Send it to a friend but pre warn them about which episodes are shite. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    12 min
  5. 23 FEB

    How to Avoid Processed Food When You Hate Cooking

    Last week I tried going ultra-processed-food-free. I lasted one day. Then I got violently ill. Was it the chicken? Was it soft play? Was it karma for mocking chopping-board influencers? Unclear. This week is Take 2. Because the real question isn’t “Is processed food bad?” It’s: How on earth are we supposed to avoid it if we can’t cook and don’t have a private chef? In this episode we discuss: My catastrophic attempt at roasting a chickenWhy I owe chopping-board people an apologyCottage cheese and berries (I’m still not convinced)The alarming bacteria situation on cutting boardsThe new M&S “UPF-free” rangeWhy modern health advice quietly assumes unlimited timeWhether there’s a realistic middle ground between crisps and grinding your own flour I’m trialling: The single-ingredient chopping board approachThe M&S UPF-free rangeAnd whatever I can manage without poisoning myself again I’ll report back properly in Friday’s Field Report. If you have: Healthy ready meal recommendationsLow-effort meal hacksOr thoughts on whether I’ve lost the plot Tell me. 📲 DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod I read them. I respond. I occasionally take your advice. Private chef reel link : https://www.instagram.com/reel/CteX-QfMvkD/?igsh=cjR4bzNlOHM2eGU3 ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode: Follow the show, leave a review, or send it to a friend who owns a chopping board but still eats waffles daily. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
  6. 16 FEB

    Ultra-Processed Foods: Are They Actually Killing Us? (Because I Eat Them Constantly)

    This week on Field Notes, we enter the land of: Ultra-Processed Food. According to certain very serious doctors on the internet, UPFs are now: “The leading cause of early death on planet earth. Ahead of tobacco.” Cool. Not dramatic at all. So naturally, I’ve decided to test whether cutting them out for a week will: Improve my migrainesReduce my exhaustionFix my yo-yo weight historyOr simply make me feral and resentful Because unfortunately… most of the things listed as “ultra-processed” are the things I actually eat. 🥪 In This Episode We Discuss: What actually counts as Ultra-Processed Food (and how inconsistent the definitions are)The claim that UPFs are worse than tobaccoThe inflammation / microbiome argumentThe counter-argument from registered dietitiansWhether the research is observational or causalFood anxiety vs legitimate health concernMy chaotic personal dietGrowing up on enforced raw spinachCheese-based GCSE breakdownsYo-yo weight cycles and hyper-palatable foodOzempic changing the household food dynamicWhether non-UPF eating is realistic with childrenWhy I eat like a 19-year-old boy with a student loanAnd whether “whole foods” are actually practical in real life 🍽 Personal Context (Aka Why This Is a Problem) My current diet includes: Fistfuls of turkeySalt & vinegar crispsTuna pastaMushroom coffeeMinimal fruitSuspiciously little fibre Meanwhile the internet is telling me my gut lining is dissolving and my liver is weeping. So this week I attempt to go: 👉 UPF-Free (or as close as I can manage) And we’ll see whether: My energy changesMy migraines shiftMy mood improvesOr whether I simply miss crisps 🧠 Bigger Questions Are we pathologising modern food?Is this another wellness panic?Or is the hyper-palatable environment genuinely wrecking us?Can a busy parent realistically cook everything from scratch?And why does cutting processed food feel so emotionally loaded? 👵 Guru & Granny Returns This week’s dilemma: “I’ve narrowed it down to three husband contenders. How do I choose?” Featuring: The Strong Stomach Theory™The Chap OlympiadEscape room testingVomit resilienceAnd a brief detour into secret families You’re welcome. 📚 JOIN “ACTUALLY TRYING” If you’d like to improve your life without becoming insufferable: Join the book club / self-improvement group chat over on Substack. This month: 👉 Atomic Habits by James Clear You’ll get: Weekly practical breakdownsPrivate podcast episodesCheat sheetsKnowledge topicsAnd a place to collectively sort ourselves out Join here: https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/subscribe Or sign up free for the weekly notes. 📲 Follow & Share Follow on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Share this episode with someone who: Owns at least three types of oat milkIs suspicious of emulsifiersOr eats crisps in the car and calls it “lunch” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min

Info

FIELD NOTES is a weekly experiment in self-improvement, psychology and modern life, tested badly in public. Hosted by Rose Honey Morgan, a writer with an anthropology background, the show is for people who consume a lot of advice and still feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, and unsure what to actually do with it. Each week, one idea is filtered and tested in real life, outside of perfect conditions, then reported on honestly in short Field Reports. The aim isn’t optimisation. It’s clarity. Fewer tabs open. Less guilt. A better sense of what’s worth trying, and what can be safely ignored. New episodes every Monday, with short Friday Field Reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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