Working on Wellbeing

• Kayla Jeter and Anne Wintroub on movement for a lifetime

  This week on the Working on Wellbeing podcast, we’re joined by two inspiring changemakers motivating us to prioritise movement and embrace community for our physical and mental wellbeing, whatever our ability or preferred way of moving. Our first guest, Kayla Jeter, is former professional athlete turned wellness strategist, athlete mental health coach and digital creator. Kayla is a passionate advocate for both mental and physical wellbeing, and an influential voice for diversity and inclusion in sport. She’s the founder of ‘100 Miles of Summer’ - a grassroots movement, empowering communities of women to come together to walk, jog, run, or wheel 100 miles each summer. In her own words, the goal is movement for a lifetime - and that starts with just getting up and out. Alongside Kayla is Anne Wintroub, Head of Social Impact + Engagement at lululemon. As a technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories company, lululemon are obvious advocates for physical health, but their work goes much further than that. They embody an inclusive approach to health and wellbeing through their social impact focus. Anne leads important work in corporate philanthropy, supporting community-driven initiatives that expand access to the resources and opportunities that foster wellbeing, particularly for those navigating systemic barriers. From grassroots movement challenges like '100 Miles of Summer' that encourage participation across all abilities, to programs like the 'Girls Opportunity Alliance' that empower girls and women to access sports and education, and even pioneering research into women’s health and athletic endurance through initiatives like 'FURTHER' - learn how lululemon, its partners, and ambassadors are taking serious action to improve global mental health and wellbeing – one step at a time. Tune in now and learn how you can get moving with your community today! *** We are all Working on our Wellbeing daily, but not everyone has access to the latest cutting-edge research into the science of wellbeing … until now. From our home at the World Wellbeing Movement, within the University of Oxford, we have created the Working on Wellbeing podcast so that you can be a fly on the wall during our conversations with the world’s leading wellbeing experts. *** We are all Working on our Wellbeing daily, but not everyone has access to the latest cutting-edge research into the science of wellbeing … until now. From our home at the World Wellbeing Movement, within the University of Oxford, we have created the Working on Wellbeing podcast so that you can be a fly on the wall during our conversations with the world’s leading wellbeing experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Prof Michael F Steger on finding meaning in everyday life

  “The things that you like best, and value most in your life, already reflect - at a gut level - what makes your life meaningful.” That is a key message from Prof Michael F Steger, a renowned expert in positive psychology and a global authority on the science of meaning, shared right at the start of this episode of the Working on Wellbeing podcast. We may experience meaning differently from one another, and even differently from one day to the next in our own lives, yet each person’s unique experience of meaning is, according to today’s expert, valid. And interestingly, despite this variation, research has revealed patterns and phenomena that can help us to better understand how people connect with a sense of meaning in life. In this episode, Prof Steger - Director and Founder of the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University - joins our host, Sarah Cunningham, to explore how people come to understand, create, and sustain meaning in their lives and work. Drawing on insights from his impressive body of research, he explains that there are three key elements that underpin our sense of meaning: significance, coherence, and purpose. Michael brings these ideas to life with relatable examples for each component and suggests important ways that businesses can help employees pursue truly purpose-driven and meaningful work. If you're interested in what makes life feel worthwhile, and how this connects to our wellbeing both in and out of work, you won’t want to miss this conversation! *** We are all Working on our Wellbeing daily, but not everyone has access to the latest cutting-edge research into the science of wellbeing … until now. From our home at the World Wellbeing Movement, within the University of Oxford, we have created the Working on Wellbeing podcast so that you can be a fly on the wall during our conversations with the world’s leading wellbeing experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and Dr George Ward on why workplace wellbeing matters

  On the launch day of their new book, ‘Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters’, Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and Dr George Ward join host, Sarah Cunningham, to explore the key research behind the book, and discuss why wellbeing matters for every workplace. Going beyond the argument that looking after the wellbeing of employees is a moral imperative for any organisation, Jan and George reveal why an investment in improving employee wellbeing is also the savvy approach for business success. From improved productivity to increased talent attraction and retention, and even stronger financial and stock market performance, work wellbeing – their evidence shows – is no longer a nice-to-have, but rather a business imperative. In addition to being the co-founder of the World Wellbeing Movement, Prof De Neve is Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, where Dr Ward is a Research Fellow. The two leading wellbeing science experts first met at University College London in 2011, where Jan supervised George’s Master's thesis exploring the relationship between economic growth and happiness. Since then, they have developed a strong research partnership, published multiple high-end academic papers, and now this ground-breaking book, which is a must-read for all business leaders. Explore the most compelling findings from nearly 15 years of research together and uncover why prioritising workplace wellbeing isn’t just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do. If you’re trying to convince your Chief Financial Officer that investing in employee wellbeing is a business imperative, then this episode is a must-listen, and Jan and George’s new book is a must-buy! Order your copy of ‘Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters’ here: https://wellbeing.hmc.ox.ac.uk/workplace/ *** We are all Working on our Wellbeing daily, but not everyone has access to the latest cutting-edge research into the science of wellbeing … until now. From our home at the World Wellbeing Movement, within the University of Oxford, we have created the Working on Wellbeing podcast so that you can be a fly on the wall during our conversations with the world’s leading wellbeing experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Lucy Bailey and Leoni Boyle on fostering wellbeing in schools

  Beyond being academic institutions, schools should be places for optimism and holistic growth. By fostering wellbeing in schools, we can support young people not only academically, but also with social and mental health outcomes beyond their school years. In this episode, host Sarah Cunningham sits down with child and adolescent wellbeing experts Lucy Bailey and Leoni Boyle. Lucy is CEO and founder of Bounce Forward, a charity dedicated to fostering psychological fitness in schools. Leoni, who joins us from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, has recently contributed to the first-ever chapter on childhood and adolescence in the 2024 World Happiness Report, and co-authored the Wellbeing for Schoolteachers report, produced in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organisation. Today’s conversation covers the predictive power of childhood wellbeing for later life outcomes, the profound impact of teacher wellbeing on student wellbeing and academic performance, and the challenges of introducing wellbeing-focused lessons into already jam-packed school schedules. Tune in now and join this insightful discussion that reimagines education, highlighting the important role schools can play in nurturing the whole child, and not just their academic outcomes. Beyond being academic institutions, schools should be places for optimism and holistic growth. By fostering wellbeing in schools, we can support young people not only academically, but also with social and mental health outcomes beyond their school years. In this episode, host Sarah Cunningham sits down with child and adolescent wellbeing experts Lucy Bailey and Leoni Boyle. Lucy is CEO and founder of Bounce Forward, a charity dedicated to fostering psychological fitness in schools. Leoni, who joins us from the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, has recently contributed to the first-ever chapter on childhood and adolescence in the 2024 World Happiness Report, and co-authored the Wellbeing for Schoolteachers report, produced in collaboration with the International Baccalaureate Organisation. Today’s conversation covers the predictive power of childhood wellbeing for later life outcomes, the profound impact of teacher wellbeing on student wellbeing and academic performance, and the challenges of introducing wellbeing-focused lessons into already jam-packed school schedules. Tune in now and join this insightful discussion that reimagines education, highlighting the important role schools can play in nurturing the whole child, and not just their academic outcomes. *** We are all Working on our Wellbeing daily, but not everyone has access to the latest cutting-edge research into the science of wellbeing … until now. From our home at the World Wellbeing Movement, within the University of Oxford, we have created the Working on Wellbeing podcast so that you can be a fly on the wall during our conversations with the world’s leading wellbeing experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  49:47
• Jess Thom on mentally preparing Olympians and lessons beyond sport

  We all recognise the countless hours of intense physical training that elite athletes dedicate to their craft. But how often do we stop to consider the consistent and careful mental training that is just as crucial for Olympic success? In this episode, Jess Thom, Lead Psychologist for Team GB, takes us behind the scenes of Olympic mental preparation, sharing exclusive insights into how she helps British Olympians build focus, confidence, and resilience to perform at their best. She explains the proven psychological techniques that help world-class athletes to perform at their best. Beyond her work with Team GB, Jess also leads MindForPerformance, an organisation that helps individuals and business leaders apply lessons from sports psychology to improve their own wellbeing and support others. She and her team advise on evidence-based techniques from elite sports psychology to enhance mental health and performance. She shares many of these practical strategies with host Sarah Cunningham in this episode! *** We are all Working on our Wellbeing daily, but not everyone has access to the latest cutting-edge research into the science of wellbeing … until now. From our home at the World Wellbeing Movement, within the University of Oxford, we have created the Working on Wellbeing podcast so that you can be a fly on the wall during our conversations with the world’s leading wellbeing experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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