Rosie Viva: I've seen that you've done a podcast as part of this project with Koggno. There have been a lot of people you've interviewed; what has been the most inspiring thing that someone said to you? Has there been a moment in one of those interviews where they've said something that you’ve taken into your own life and used practically?

Kirsty Martin: I think it's really interesting because part of Koggno is having all of these very different voices on the podcast, so a lot of the advice comes through very different lenses. One thing that I think almost everyone has touched on, one way or another, is this idea of healing not being linear. As well as the power of being present, and I think those are two things that have really stuck with me throughout my own journey alongside Koggno—being able to forgive yourself when healing doesn't feel linear.

Kirsty Martin: There was an episode I did with Rob Rea; he does breath work, and I’ve done a few of his sessions. One thing that I asked him about after doing his sessions and one of the big things I learned is that when you're on a healing journey and you're doing practices like that, you have to be very present to really listen to what you're going through. But then remember that if it brings something up or you feel like you've set yourself back, it's not that you're doing anything wrong or you're not healing by doing that. It's part of an ongoing process, and I think for me, that's been so important and advice that I hope I can now reiterate through other people.

Photo credited from @robrea__ on Instagram

Rosie Viva: Yeah, and I was gonna ask, of all the people you've interviewed, are there any who have surprised you?

Kirsty Martin: There's definitely an element of each one that surprises me because although we do a bit of a pre-interview, I try to leave quite a lot for the podcast as well. My interview with Ben Curry, who plays rugby at a super high level for the country, I found fascinating because just hearing someone at such a high standard of professional sport really open up about their mental health alongside their physical health made me realize that everyone's going through something and we've really got to protect the mind and body together.

Rosie Viva: I think it's also just good to see someone who physically is at the top of their game and how even as much physical exercise as you can do, you can also be going through a rough time mentally, even if you are exercising every day. At some points in your life, exercise isn’t always enough, and you may need to seek therapy or other help, and that shouldn’t be seen as a failure.

Kirsty Martin: I guess to that point, something that I've really held on to as well and I'd never really thought of necessarily was in our interview with a therapist, Louise Wigan. She speaks about the suitcase that we all bring into relationships or to an environment and how we have to unpack that suitcase in order to understand where we are at mentally or understand how we react to certain situations. I’d recommend listening to the clip from the episode, but it’s been a really helpful analogy.

Listen to the Koggno episode here.

Rosie Viva: It’s amazing because you've had so many conversations through this platform with Koggno. What is one sort of motivation you would give to someone to encourage them to start moving their body and getting into exercise as a tool?

Kirsty Martin: I think that something I've learned quite recently with movement is that it doesn't have to be a really long form of exercise as a form of movement to help your mental well-being. Movement could literally be going for your five-minute walk in the morning, or it could be putting on your favorite song and dancing around the room. What it’s going to do is help remove cognitive blocks. You will release endorphins, and it will help your mind and body connect because you’ve done something with purpose, and you can have a feeling of achievement. It is about celebrating progress, not perfection, and I think movement in that sense can provide you with a routine as well. If you set yourself a goal and achieve it, that can be a really great thing.

Kirsty Martin: I think with movement, it’s so important just to try it. It might not be the be-all and end-all for many people’s mental health journeys, but it can be a really amazing tool if you find something that works for you.

Rosie Viva: Moving into, obviously, you've mentioned that you do running and you've spoken a lot about following people in the fitness world. What three things would you say keep you feeling your best? That doesn't just have to be exercise; it can be any three things you swear by.

Kirsty Martin: Journaling is one, and it's something that I used to talk about but not practice because you hear people saying journaling is so good, and I kind of just jumped on that. Write your three things that you're grateful for in the morning or something that you've learned in the evening or whatever the prompts might be. I started at the end of last year as my Master's was finishing, and a few other things were going on in my personal life. I was feeling like I was going back into a little bit of a path of destruction, and I recognized it, and I just started journaling as a way of trying to recognize where that was coming from and what was influencing that. Some stuff was really deep, and some really wasn’t, but just writing it down was a really useful tool. I think for anyone that is feeling stuck, whether creatively or struggling mentally, it is a really good way for self-reflection and self-awareness.

Rosie Viva: I find with a journal you can be so honest with yourself and go over points as many times as you need to process how you are feeling.

Kirsty Martin: I was talking about it with a group the other day, and I was saying, I think one of the most important things with journaling as well is to make sure that if you do really want to get into the practice, make sure that it's on your good days, your bad days, and your days where you're just so-so. That way, when you feel stuck or low, you have the practice in place to support yourself instead of just leaving it until suddenly you think, "I should be writing things down," and that doesn't necessarily happen.

Kirsty Martin: So, journaling is my number one. Movement is definitely my number two, but I would include just getting outside with that. Especially on days when I'm working from home, writing a research project, or editing a podcast—all these things that take a really long time—when I sit for too long, I'll get stagnant. I can definitely get in my own head, and that's where I think overthinking or slightly negative thoughts come in. Moving my body really helps with that. Lastly, I think it is, to the point that we were discussing earlier, making sure that I take time to detach from those moments of being really busy with work and ensuring that there's downtime, like a coffee with a friend, just some slow-paced moments in a very fast-paced environment.