What A Time To Be Alive

Matt
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  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

What A Time To Be Alive is a podcast about modern life, mental health, mindset, self-improvement and personal growth. Hosted by Matt, each episode explores motivation, discipline, counselling, anxiety, stress, work, relationships, technology and the challenges of everyday life. Through honest conversations and real experiences, you’ll gain practical insights to improve your mindset, wellbeing and resilience while questioning the world we live in. New episodes every week.

  1. 3d ago

    I Got Rejected 10 Times — And It Changed How I See Fear

    What if fear isn’t something you need to overcome before you take action? In this episode of What A Time To Be Alive, I talk about something I’ve only recently realised about myself: for years, I was letting fear make decisions for me without even recognising it. I used to avoid risk, rejection and the possibility of failure. If I couldn’t guarantee the outcome, there was a good chance I wouldn’t even try. But somewhere along the way, that started to change. Over the last 10 months, I applied for 10 different jobs — and got rejected every single time. And strangely, those rejections taught me something important. The biggest change wasn’t that I stopped being afraid of failure. It was that I became more willing to find out what would happen. Inspired by Susan Jeffers’ Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, I explore fear, confidence, rejection, failure, taking risks, stepping outside your comfort zone and personal growth — and why confidence might actually come after you take the leap, rather than before it. Because maybe fear isn't always telling you to stop. Sometimes it’s just telling you that what you’re about to do is unfamiliar. This is a conversation about overcoming fear, dealing with rejection, building confidence and learning to take action even when you don't feel ready. And ultimately, it’s about one question: What could change in your life if you stopped letting fear make the decision for you? 🎙️ What A Time To Be Alive — real conversations about life, mental health, self-improvement, work, relationships, growing older and figuring things out as we go. #Fear #Confidence #PersonalGrowth #SelfImprovement #MentalHealth #Rejection #Failure #ComfortZone #FeelTheFearAndDoItAnyway #WhatATimeToBeAlive

    I Got Rejected 10 Times — And It Changed How I See Fear

  2. Sep 23

    I Heard This Song... And Suddenly I Was 13 Again!

    Have you ever heard a song and suddenly felt like you were somewhere else? Not just remembering a moment, but actually feeling like you’ve been transported back to another time in your life? That happened to me recently. I was on holiday, cooking dinner with my wife, kids and extended family, when the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” started playing. And within seconds, I was thinking about my sister. I was 13 when she died. Twenty-two years later, a completely ordinary song brought back memories I hadn’t been consciously thinking about. And what surprised me most was the mix of emotions that came with it — happiness, sadness, nostalgia, gratitude and that horrible feeling of knowing someone you loved never got to see the life you went on to build. She never met my daughters. But for a few minutes, that song reminded me that she was once part of my life. And it made me think about something bigger. Why does music have such a powerful connection to memory and emotion? Why can a song from our childhood instantly bring back people, places, feelings and moments we thought we’d forgotten? In this episode of What A Time To Be Alive, I explore the psychology behind music and autobiographical memory, why certain songs become so deeply connected to our past, why nostalgia can make us feel happy and sad at the same time, and why hearing a song can sometimes feel like being transported back to another version of yourself. Because maybe we don’t just remember the people we’ve lost. Sometimes, we remember who we were when they were still here. And perhaps that’s one of the strange things about getting older — the further you move through life, the more memories there are waiting to be unlocked by something as simple as a song. If you’ve ever heard a song and instantly thought about someone, somewhere or some point in your life, this one might resonate with you. Follow What A Time To Be Alive for more honest conversations about mental health, self-improvement, family, grief, growing older, relationships and the strange reality of being an adult and trying to figure life out. Take care, stay safe, and I’ll see you in the next one.

    I Heard This Song... And Suddenly I Was 13 Again!

  3. Sep 16

    I Went To Therapy... And Discovered This About Myself

    Six sessions of therapy made me realise I don't actually know myself as well as I thought I did. And the strange thing is, the biggest realisation wasn't some huge revelation. It was something incredibly simple: I wasn't paying much attention to how I was actually feeling. I'd become very good at getting on with things. Work, family, responsibilities, whatever needed sorting — I'd just crack on. But somewhere along the way, I'd stopped noticing what was happening inside my own head. My therapist gave me a simple exercise: pause at different points during the day and ask myself how I'm feeling. And when I actually started doing it, I began noticing things I'd normally just push through — stress, frustration, anger, exhaustion and even boredom. Then therapy uncovered something else I hadn't really understood about myself. I'm a person who needs growth. I like learning. I like improving things. I like spotting problems and figuring out how to make them better. But when that stops, something changes. I withdraw. I lose motivation. I stop making the effort. I feel stuck. Understanding that has made me look at parts of my life very differently. I also came away from therapy with another realisation that genuinely surprised me: I'm actually comfortable with who I am. Not arrogant. Not "f**k everyone else, this is me." Just comfortable enough in myself that I don't need everyone to agree with me, approve of me or understand me. And perhaps the biggest lesson was that understanding yourself doesn't mean making excuses for yourself. It means recognising your patterns, taking ownership and deciding what you're going to do differently. This isn't an episode about me claiming therapy has fixed everything. It hasn't. Six sessions haven't given me all the answers. But they have given me a much better understanding of how I work, what I need and how I can approach things differently. It's an honest conversation about therapy, mental health, self-awareness, personal growth, accountability and what can happen when you finally slow down enough to listen to yourself. Because sometimes the first step towards changing something isn't finding the answer. It's realising there's a question you haven't been asking. What A Time To Be Alive. Follow for more honest conversations about real life, mental health, work, relationships, getting older, personal growth and all the shit we don't always talk about. Stay safe, take care, and I'll see you in the next one.

    I Went To Therapy... And Discovered This About Myself

  4. Sep 2

    Apparently, I'm The Problem

    Apparently, I’m The Problem. My brother and I were once best friends. We grew up together, shared the same parents, lost our sister and experienced the same childhood. Yet today, we barely speak. In this episode of What A Time To Be Alive, I talk honestly about family estrangement, sibling relationships, grief, resentment, childhood, family conflict and growing apart from someone you once loved. I explore the choices that changed our relationship, the impact they had on my parents, why I never saw family as a competition, and the belief that I was somehow the “golden child” who was given everything. I also reflect on becoming a father myself and how that changed my understanding of my own parents, unconditional love and treating your children equally. This isn't an episode about reconciliation. I don't want a relationship with my brother anymore. It's about trying to understand why the resentment exists, what I supposedly did wrong, and how two brothers who were once inseparable became strangers. And perhaps the biggest lesson is that being related to someone doesn't automatically make them family. If you've experienced family problems, sibling conflict, toxic family relationships, estrangement, grief, resentment or falling out with someone close to you, this one may hit closer to home than you expect. Sometimes you can love the memories of someone and still choose to leave the relationship in the past.

    Apparently, I'm The Problem

  5. Aug 26

    Im 35… And I Still Haven’t Figured My Life Out

    I’m 35… And I Still Haven’t Figured My Life Out I’m 35 years old — and I still haven’t figured my life out. When I was younger, I thought 35 would look very different. I imagined having the nice car, the big house, plenty of money, a successful career and the freedom to do whatever I wanted. I assumed that by this age, I’d have life, success and happiness all figured out. I was wrong. In this episode of What A Time To Be Alive, I look back at the expectations I had for adulthood and how dramatically my definition of success has changed. From leaving school without a clear direction, working in jobs I hated, getting into debt and becoming a dad at 21, to building a career, starting a family and learning more about myself through counselling and some difficult periods of life — this is an honest reflection on what turning 35 has taught me. I talk about getting older, personal growth, mental health, work-life balance, fatherhood, marriage, ambition, financial mistakes, career expectations, success, happiness and finding purpose in life. Because the things I thought would make me happy when I was 18 aren't necessarily the things I value today. At 35, success means something different. It’s less about having the best car or impressing other people and more about having control of my time, creating memories with my family, being present for my children and building a future where I have more freedom and choice. And perhaps the biggest lesson is this: You don't have to have your life figured out just because you thought you would by now. You’re allowed to change. You’re allowed to change direction. You’re allowed to realise the dream you were chasing no longer fits the person you've become. If you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s or beyond and feel like you're behind in life, this episode is for you. Because maybe you're not behind. Maybe you're just still becoming the person you're supposed to be. 🎙️ What A Time To Be Alive — real conversations about mental health, personal growth, family, fatherhood, work, ambition, relationships and trying to make sense of modern life. Follow the podcast and join me for the next episode. #PersonalGrowth #LifeAt35 #LifeLessons #MentalHealth #SelfImprovement #Fatherhood #WorkLifeBalance #Success #Happiness #PersonalDevelopment

    Im 35… And I Still Haven’t Figured My Life Out

  6. Aug 19

    I Forgot How Good THIS Can Be

    I Forgot How GOOD THIS Can Be Sometimes you don't realise how much you've been missing until you finally slow down. In this episode of What A Time To Be Alive, I reflect on something I didn't expect to realise: I'd forgotten how good life can actually be. For years, I've been focused on the next thing — career, money, success, home improvements, personal goals and becoming a better version of myself. But constantly chasing the future can make you completely overlook the present. A few days away camping, spending time outdoors, paddleboarding, exploring Wales and being with my family made me stop and think about what actually makes life feel good. Not the next promotion.Not earning more money.Not having the perfect house.Not constantly being productive. The simple stuff. Time with your family. Laughing with your kids. Getting outside. Going somewhere new. Sitting around doing absolutely nothing. Having conversations that don't involve work. Creating memories instead of constantly worrying about what comes next. This episode explores happiness, mental health, burnout, work-life balance, family, fatherhood, ambition, personal growth and finding meaning in everyday life. Because what's the point of working so hard to build a better life if you're too busy working to actually live it? Maybe we don't always need to change our lives. Maybe we just need to slow down long enough to realise that the life we've already got might be pretty f*****g good. If you've been feeling burnt out, stuck in a routine, constantly chasing the next goal or struggling to appreciate the present moment, this episode might give you a different perspective on what it means to live a good life. What A Time To Be Alive is an honest podcast about real life, mental health, personal growth, relationships, work, family, fatherhood, ambition, burnout and the search for happiness in an increasingly busy world. 🎧 Listen now — and ask yourself: have you forgotten how GOOD THIS can be? #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth #WorkLifeBalance #Burnout #Happiness #Fatherhood #SelfImprovement #WhatATimeToBeAlive

    I Forgot How Good THIS Can Be

  7. Aug 12

    We've All Forgotten This Simple Thing...

    Have we all forgotten how to slow down? After a week away at Dubbed Out Festival and exploring the stunning landscapes of North Wales, I came home with one question: why do we feel happier when life is simpler? In this episode of What A Time To Be Alive, I reflect on camping, paddle boarding, family time, the kindness of strangers, and the unexpected moments that reminded me what really matters. From surviving two days without a shower to helping a family member through an injury, this holiday became a lesson in gratitude, perspective, and appreciating the small things we take for granted every day. If you've been feeling overwhelmed by work, constantly chasing the next goal, or struggling to switch off, this episode is a reminder that happiness isn't always found in having more—sometimes it's found in slowing down. In this episode: Why modern life keeps us constantly busyLessons learned from camping and travelling around WalesThe importance of family and communityWhy kindness from strangers still mattersFinding gratitude in everyday momentsHow slowing down can improve your mental wellbeingIf this episode resonated with you, please follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Keywords: slowing down, mental health, mindfulness, self improvement, work life balance, happiness, gratitude, family, camping, Wales, Dubbed Out Festival, paddle boarding, kindness, wellbeing, personal growth, motivation, life lessons, modern life, podcast, What A Time To Be Alive

    We've All Forgotten This Simple Thing...

  8. Aug 4

    I Didn't Realise Work Was Changing Me Until It Was Too Late | Burnout & Counselling

    I Didn't Realise Work Was Changing Me Until It Was Too Late | Burnout & Counselling Have you ever felt like work was changing who you are? In this honest episode of What A Time To Be Alive, I open up about one of the toughest periods of my life. Between moving house, repeated job rejections, poor workplace feedback, toxic leadership, overwhelming work stress and the pressure of constantly proving myself, I slowly became someone I didn't recognise. I was more irritable, short-tempered and frustrated than ever before. What I didn't realise was that the stress wasn't just affecting my career—it was affecting my mental health, my relationships and the people closest to me. This episode explores how workplace burnout can build up without you even noticing, why counselling became one of the best decisions I've ever made, and the lessons I've learned about resilience, personal growth and protecting your mental wellbeing. We also discuss the research behind counselling and therapy, why talking to someone works, and how understanding your personal values can completely change the way you deal with stress. If you've ever experienced work stress, burnout, anxiety, career rejection, toxic workplace culture or simply feel stuck in your job, this episode is for you. In this episode:• Workplace stress and burnout• Job rejection and career setbacks• Toxic leadership and difficult managers• Mental health and emotional wellbeing• My counselling journey• The science-backed benefits of therapy• Personal growth and self-awareness• Building resilience after setbacks If this episode resonates with you, follow What A Time To Be Alive, leave a rating and share it with someone who might need to hear that they're not alone. #MentalHealth #Burnout #Counselling #Therapy #WorkStress #Career #PersonalGrowth #SelfImprovement #Resilience #MentalWellbeing #WorkplaceCulture #Podcast

    I Didn't Realise Work Was Changing Me Until It Was Too Late | Burnout & Counselling
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What A Time To Be Alive is a podcast about modern life, mental health, mindset, self-improvement and personal growth. Hosted by Matt, each episode explores motivation, discipline, counselling, anxiety, stress, work, relationships, technology and the challenges of everyday life. Through honest conversations and real experiences, you’ll gain practical insights to improve your mindset, wellbeing and resilience while questioning the world we live in. New episodes every week.

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