Mindful Mondays with Shudu

Shudu Musida
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Meeting you where you are, not where you're expected to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4d ago

    Ending FGM: What Would It Mean for a Girl to Say No and Still Belong? | Grace Uwizeye & Michael Marwa

    In this episode of Mindful Mondays with Shudu, Shudu travels to Tarime, Tanzania, spending three days on the ground with police officers, social workers, families, survivors and faith leaders to understand what female genital mutilation looks like within the communities where it is still practiced. She is joined by Grace Uwizeye, a harmful practices and social norms expert at UNFPA, and Michael Marwa, CEO of C-Sema, who comes from the region and has spent more than 13 years working to end FGM from within communities. This is not simply a conversation about statistics. It is a conversation about systems: the economics, social power and deeply rooted norms that sustain the practice, the cost of saying no, and what it would actually take for a girl to refuse FGM and still belong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Sep 28

    My “I Don’t Know” Season

    In this solo episode, Shudu gets personal about what three months of 'nothing' actually looked like — and what it cost her to finally stop. This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about burnout that went deeper than exhaustion, the identity crisis that followed graduation, and the uncomfortable process of rediscoveringwho she is without the schedule, the stress, and the achievements. From crying because she didn’t know how to do nothing, to reading books that reignited her curiosity, to a UN mission in Tanzania that brought her back to her purpose —this episode is about the messy, beautiful work of getting to know yourself again. Shudu shares the books that shaped her break (Greenlights, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Unmasking AI, Maktub), why she’s learning to say “I don’t know,” and why gravitating towards what’s meaningful — not what’s easy — is the new compass. If you’ve ever felt like you had everything figured out and nothing figured out at the same time, this one’s foryou. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Sep 21

    Hope as a Driver for Change

    In this solo episode of Mindful Mondays with Shudu, recorded as part of the 2026 Be Hope Podcast Takeover, Shudu reflects on what it means to hold onto hope in a world saturated with despair. Drawing from her recent UN mission to Tarime, Tanzania — where she met young survivors of female genital mutilation and gender-based violence who still carried dreams of becoming lawyers, entrepreneurs, and champions for change — she explores how hope is not passive optimism, but an active force that drives real progress. Referencing Adrian Gore’s The Four Principles and the concept of nocebo versus placebo, this episode unpacks why we are wired to expect the worst, and why choosing hope is a deliberate, radical act. With data on global progress in girls’ education, gender equality, and community-driven change, Shudu makes the case that the good is happening — it is just not being documented. This episode is a reminder: hope liberated South Africa. It has liberated nations. And it remains the most powerful tool we have for building a future worth living in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Sep 14

    Mental Health in the Age of AI: Healing, Technology & What Must Remain Human | Dr. Thomas Insel

    In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Shudu sits down with Dr. Thomas Insel — psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and one of the world's leading voices in mental health innovation — for a conversation that began at a mental health retreat in Cascais, Portugal. Together they explore what AI can and cannot do for mental health, the difference between engagement and therapy, and why access to care is not the same as quality of care. From the Three Ps of recovery — People, Place, and Purpose — to a critical Fourth P that the system has consistently overlooked, this is both a science lesson and a deeply human one. They also confront the hard questions: What happens when chatbots become the primary mental health support for millions? What do communities in the Global South stand to gain — and lose — as this era accelerates? And what must remain irreplaceably human in the healing process? If you've ever turned to an app instead of a person, wondered what ethical AI in mental health looks like, or simply want to understand where we are heading — this conversation is for you. Note: This episode was filmed in April 2026. Any data or statistics referenced were current at the time of recording and may have since changed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Sep 7

    The Other Side of Sacrifice

    Shudu was graduating — and she had a lot to say about it.In this deeply personal solo episode, she reflects on what it took to get to the other side of sacrifice: the promises she made to herself as a child, the survival mode that followed her to New York, and the 20-minute conversation she had with herself in the kitchen that changed everything. She traces the journey from a PPE degree in South Africa, to winning Miss South Africa, to studying at the university she dreamed about at age 8 — and asks the question she couldn't answer: when has life actually disappointed you?This episode was recorded before her production break to practice what she preaches. Because you can't pour from an empty cup, and sometimes the bravest thing you can do is rest.If you've ever focused so hard on the 10% going wrong that you forgot to look at the 90% going right — this one is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Aug 31

    The Future Is Not a Spectator Sport: AI, Inclusion & Reclaiming Our Digital Lives | Sinead Bovell

    In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Shudu sits down with Sinead Bovell — strategic foresight advisor, founder of WAYE, and one of the clearest voices on making the future of technology accessible, ethical, and truly inclusive.Together they explore what it means to be an active participant in the future rather than a passive observer of it. From the hidden biases embedded in AI systems to the quiet erosion of human connection, from regulation that must be as innovative as the technology it governs to the personal boundaries that protect mental clarity in a world designed for dependency — this conversation holds nothing back.They also get deeply personal: about using AI for emotional support, about the hundred listeners who said they no longer feel safe with other humans, and about why disempowerment — not fear — is the most dangerous response to a world changing faster than we can comprehend.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by technology, excluded from conversations about your own future, or quietly dependent on a screen for something that used to require a person — this episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Aug 24 ·  Bonus

    Welcome Back to Mindful Mondays!

    We're back! After three months away, Mindful Mondays returns with fresh energy, new perspective, and a deeper sense of purpose. In this special welcome back episode, Shudu shares why she stepped away, what the break revealed, and what's ahead for Season 2. Season 2 is expanding: mental health in the age of AI, identity in the Global South, the impact of tech on children, and the stories and systems that shape how we look at ourselves and the world. Plus — Mindful Mondays is officially one year old!This is your invitation to come back, pull up a chair, and figure things out together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Jun 15 ·  Bonus

    We are taking a little break..

    A small note from my desk to yours. Over the past few months, we’ve had conversations about joy, purpose, leadership, identity, belonging, mental health, and what it means to build a life that feels aligned. But one thing I’ve learned is that those lessons only matter if we are willing to live them ourselves. As many of you know, I recently graduated, and after a season of pouring into coursework, research, work, and this podcast, I’ve realized it’s time to practice what I preach: you cannot pour from an empty cup. So I’ll be taking a short production break. The good news? We have incredible conversations waiting for you when we return. The second half of this season will explore AI, community, youth, and mental health in digital spaces — topics that are already shaping the future we’re stepping into. In the meantime, I’d love for you to revisit past episodes, send through your questions, and catch up on any conversations you may have missed. Many of the ideas we discuss build on one another, and there’s so much wisdom in the archive. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening, learning, and growing alongside me. I’ll see you soon. With gratitude, Shudu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Meeting you where you are, not where you're expected to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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