Stronger After The Storm

Dougie Smith
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  • MENTAL HEALTH

You survived the heart attack — but now what?  Welcome to Stronger After the Storm, the podcast for men over 50 rebuilding their lives — emotionally, mentally, and spiritually — after a heart attack. I’m Dougie, and I know this road. At 50, I had a heart attack that changed everything. What came after wasn’t just physical recovery — it was fear, anxiety, silence, and a deep questioning of identity and purpose.  This show is for the men who lie awake wondering, “Am I going to die tonight?” “Will I ever feel like myself again?” “What do I do now?”  Each episode is real talk — no sugar-coating, no fluff. Just honest stories from a man who’s been there, still there, and still rebuilding. I’ll walk with you through the tough stuff: fear after heart attack, isolation, masculinity, emotional healing, connection, and reclaiming life on your terms.  We’ll explore topics like: - Anxiety and panic after heart surgery - Rediscovering identity and purpose after trauma - Mental health for older men - What strength really looks like now - How to reconnect when you're feeling alone - Honest reflections and conversations with other survivors  Some episodes are just me sharing my story and the lessons I’ve learned. Others will feature real men and heart professionals who understand what we’re up against. If you’re looking for hope, direction, or even just someone who understands — this podcast is for you.  You’re not broken. You’re rebuilding. Let’s do it together.  New episodes every week. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or your favourite podcast platform — and head to StrongerAfterTheStorm.com to join the private newsletter for reflections, support, and updates.

  1. 4D AGO

    Episode 21-Finally Some Steady Ground, The 7-Day Mind Reset Plan

    Episode 21-Finally Some Steady Ground, The 7-Day Mind Reset Plan The first seven days after everything changes can feel mentally relentless. Your body may be steady, but your mind can feel anything but. In this episode, I share the 7-Day Mind Reset Plan that helped me find some steady ground again — not by forcing positivity, but by calming the noise, slowing my thoughts, and giving myself something solid to lean on when my head was running ahead of everything else. This isn’t advice or instruction.  It’s lived experience — shared honestly — for men rebuilding confidence, control, and a sense of direction after a major life shock. This episode also marks an important turning point for Stronger After The Storm: moving from survival mode into rebuilding everyday life, one step at a time. 🔗 Find the plan and resources here: https://strongerafterthestorm.com/the-7-day-mind-reset-plan/   💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    5 min

  2. JAN 27

    Episode 20 - A Mind Reset — The First 7 Days After a Heart Attack

    Episode 20 - A Mind Reset — The First 7 Days After a Heart Attack What really happens in your head after survival — and why it makes sense The first week after a heart attack doesn’t feel like recovery.  It feels like shock. Your body might be stabilising — but your head often isn’t. The thoughts are loud, the fear is constant, and nothing feels settled yet. In this episode of Stronger After the Storm, I go back to those first seven days and talk honestly about what’s really happening mentally during that time. The constant checking. The nervous system stuck on high alert. The pressure to look “okay” when you don’t feel it. I reflect on how this links to earlier episodes — learning to live with new limitations and understanding the voice inside your head — and why the early days are about steadiness, not strength. This episode isn’t about fixing yourself or pushing through.  It’s about understanding why your mind reacts the way it does — and giving yourself permission to take it one hour at a time. I also share a quiet heads-up about a free guide I’ve been working on behind the scenes — The 7-Day Mind Reset Plan, releasing very soon — created to help men steady their head during those early days after a heart attack. If you’re in that stage now, or you remember it well, this episode is for you. 💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    6 min

  3. JAN 20

    Episode 19 — Understanding Limitations How a Heart Attack Affects Your Body and Mind

    🎧 Episode 19 — Understanding Limitations How a Heart Attack Affects Your Body and Mind After a heart attack, you don’t just lose fitness — you lose confidence in your own body. And what’s strange is… nobody really prepares you for that part. In this episode of Stronger After the Storm, I talk about limitations — not just the physical ones, but the mental ones too. The constant scanning. The inner checking. The quiet fear that can sit in the background even when nothing is actually wrong. I share what it felt like when my body started to feel unfamiliar, and how things began to change when I stopped treating limitations like failure… and started treating them like information. This episode is for any man who feels held back, frustrated, or like he “should be further on” by now — and needs to hear that this stage is part of healing, not proof you’re doing it wrong. 🎧 If this episode helped, please follow the podcast, share it with someone who might need it, and leave a quick review — it helps more men find Stronger After the Storm. 💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    7 min

  4. JAN 13

    Episode 18 — Meeting Yourself Where You Are-Letting go of pressure and finding steadier ground

    🎧 Episode 18 — Meeting Yourself Where You Are Letting go of pressure and finding steadier ground After a heart attack, a lot of pressure can quietly build — pressure to recover properly, to sound positive, and to cope in ways that don’t always match how you’re really feeling. In this episode of Stronger After the Storm, I reflect on a shift I didn’t expect: what it was like to stop fighting myself and start meeting myself where I actually was. I talk honestly about the mental pressure, the exhaustion of pushing through fear and tiredness, and how things began to change when I softened instead of forcing progress. This episode isn’t about fixing yourself or pushing harder. It’s about finding steadier ground by letting go of pressure and allowing recovery to move at a pace that feels honest. 🎧 Stronger After the Storm — real talk for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. 💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    5 min

  5. JAN 6

    Episode 17 — The Voice Inside Your Head- Finding a Gentler Way to Talk to Yourself After a Heart Attack

    Episode 17 — The Voice Inside Your Head Finding a Gentler Way to Talk to Yourself After a Heart Attack After a heart attack, the noise around you often fades — and the voice inside your head becomes harder to ignore. In this episode of Stronger After the Storm, I reflect on the inner critic that grew louder during recovery, the pressure it created, and what began to change when I stopped fighting it and started responding with more honesty and less force. A quiet, personal look at self-talk, emotional recovery, and learning to live again without turning healing into another test. 💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    5 min

  6. 12/30/2025

    Episode 16 Embracing These Early Changes After a Heart Attack- Adapting to a New Lifestyle

    Episode 16 Embracing These Early Changes After a Heart Attack- Adapting to a New Lifestyle. After a heart attack, the early changes don’t always arrive loudly or clearly. Often, they show up quietly — in how you move, how you feel, and how you begin to listen to yourself differently. In this episode of Stronger After the Storm, I reflect on those early shifts after survival. The physical adjustments, the emotional undercurrent, and the gradual process of adapting to a new lifestyle without rushing to label it or fix it. This isn’t about discipline or reinventing your life overnight. It’s about awareness, patience, and learning how to live differently at a pace that feels honest. If you’re in the early stages of recovery — noticing that things feel slightly “off,” uncertain, or unfamiliar — this episode offers space to reflect and feel less alone in that experience. 🎧 Stronger After the Storm — real talk for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. 💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    5 min

  7. 12/23/2025

    EPISODE 15 — Building a Life Worth Living What a “second chance” really means — and why this time, it’s personal

    EPISODE 15 — Building a Life Worth LivingWhat a “second chance” really means — and why this time, it’s personal After a heart attack, people love to say things like “You’ve been given a second chance.” But what does that actually mean when you’re the one waking up every day trying to piece your life back together? A second chance isn’t about becoming some perfect version of yourself.  It’s not about pretending you’re suddenly grateful or fearless or full of purpose.  It’s about choosing — slowly, quietly — to build a life that feels meaningful, honest, and true to who you are now. In this episode, we explore what it really looks like to rebuild a life worth living after everything has been shaken. In this episode: – Why the idea of a “second chance” can feel strange or heavy – What changes inside you after a close call – How your priorities, boundaries, and relationships shift – The pressure men feel to “get it right” this time – What rebuilding actually looks like day to day – Why meaning grows slowly — and why that’s ok A second chance isn’t a performance.  It’s a direction — one that you shape moment by moment. Next week: Episode 16 — Courage in the Quiet Moments: Why the real breakthroughs happen when no one is watching. 💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    6 min

  8. 12/16/2025

    Episode 14: Gratitude isn't Weakness - How Thankfulness Turns Survival into Strength.

    EPISODE 14 — Gratitude Isn’t WeaknessHow thankfulness turns survival into strength A lot of men hear the word “gratitude” and think, Aye right… that’s no’ for me. It can feel soft, forced, or completely out of place after a heart attack. But real gratitude isn’t weakness — it’s awareness.  It shows up quietly in the small moments you used to rush past: a steady breath, a warm voice, a cup of tea you actually taste, or the nudge from the dog that reminds you you’re still here. In this episode, we explore how gratitude becomes part of recovery — not because you’re trying to be positive, but because your perspective has changed. In this episode: – Why gratitude can feel uncomfortable for men – How it arrives in tiny, unexpected waves – The shift from survival mode into meaning – Why anger and gratitude often sit side by side – The everyday moments that stitch your life back together – Why gratitude doesn’t mean pretending you’re fine Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard bits — it helps you make sense of them. Next week: Episode 15 — Building a Life Worth Living: What a “second chance” really means — and why this time, it’s personal. 💻 Visit StrongerAfterTheStorm.com — the home of the podcast and weekly Reflection Letters. 📩 Each week I write an honest letter for men rebuilding life after a heart attack. You can join in on the site. 🎧 Make sure to follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next episode. ⭐ If something in this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple or Spotify — it really helps more men find us. 🤝 And if you know someone going through the same storm, share this with him. It might be just what he needs today.

    6 min
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About

You survived the heart attack — but now what?  Welcome to Stronger After the Storm, the podcast for men over 50 rebuilding their lives — emotionally, mentally, and spiritually — after a heart attack. I’m Dougie, and I know this road. At 50, I had a heart attack that changed everything. What came after wasn’t just physical recovery — it was fear, anxiety, silence, and a deep questioning of identity and purpose.  This show is for the men who lie awake wondering, “Am I going to die tonight?” “Will I ever feel like myself again?” “What do I do now?”  Each episode is real talk — no sugar-coating, no fluff. Just honest stories from a man who’s been there, still there, and still rebuilding. I’ll walk with you through the tough stuff: fear after heart attack, isolation, masculinity, emotional healing, connection, and reclaiming life on your terms.  We’ll explore topics like: - Anxiety and panic after heart surgery - Rediscovering identity and purpose after trauma - Mental health for older men - What strength really looks like now - How to reconnect when you're feeling alone - Honest reflections and conversations with other survivors  Some episodes are just me sharing my story and the lessons I’ve learned. Others will feature real men and heart professionals who understand what we’re up against. If you’re looking for hope, direction, or even just someone who understands — this podcast is for you.  You’re not broken. You’re rebuilding. Let’s do it together.  New episodes every week. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or your favourite podcast platform — and head to StrongerAfterTheStorm.com to join the private newsletter for reflections, support, and updates.

Information

  • Creator
    Dougie Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Stronger After The Storm
  • Show Website
    Stronger After The Storm