On today’s show Brian was first joined by Aoife Doyle, Occupational Therapist with the Health Service Executive’s Mental Health Services. This afternoon she discussed the concept of mental exhaustion, following on from last week’s concept of fatigue and its impact on our mental health. Aoife briefly discussed the signs of mental exhaustion and the functional impact that it can have on our lives and provided some simple tips and techniques that we can use to help alleviate this state and feel better.
As always, Aoife provided some links to simple, user friendly explanations and advice on how to help yourself to feel and function better.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-exhaustion#symptoms
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/ss/slideshow-signs-youre-mentally-exhausted
Today marked the reopening of indoor dining, and with retail having reopened back on the 17th of May you may be of the impression that those retailers should at this stage some 2 months later be almost fully back into the swing of things making huge strides in there recovery from the impacts of Covid.
But that is not the case for all. If you’re a retailer who serves a particular segment of Irish life and culture that is still restricted, then although you may be able to open your shop doors, you probably have very few customers walking through those doors.
Declan Mahon, owner of the fabulous gents outfitters, “Collar and Cuff” and Jane Byrne from “Studio Dance-wear” in Carlow are two such business owners, and joined Brian to talk about their challenges during these tough times.
Author and relatively recent stay at home da, David Diebold has produced a wonderful account of his experiences. His book, “Diary Of A Wimpy Dad’, has a special resonance for many and Brian discussed this experience. As his preface for the book says:
Some people have absolutely no business being in charge. Sadly, those people are also sometimes named ‘Dad’. A few years ago, David Diebold took the brave decision to give up a full-time job to be a stay at home Dad. Thing is, there was already a stay-at-home mum, three hairy monosyllabic teenage boys, and a pathologically cheerful, explosively hormonal pre-teen girl. What follows is a year at the coal face of parental ineptitude, a year in which David learns that helping to keep the well-oiled machine of a busy family home firing on all cylinders requires, well, oil… and a machine.
Live music events are slowly and safely returning. Highly regarded traditional/fusion group Moxie are to play at the Ballykeeffe Ampthiteatre as part of the hugely poplar series of summer concerts on July 31st. Brian spoke with band members Ted Kelly and Julia Spanu about this upcoming gig, the relationships between Irish and North African Cultures and their new single “Is Ainm Dom”.
Their video for this wonderful single is here
Tickets are available here
Mary Lou McDonald, TD, President Of Sinn Féin, was on a visit to Kilkenny and took time to speak with Brian about the reasons for her visit, her sense of the major issues at play, the past year and some other impending political issues.
