Interview with Melbourne Producer and ex-Comedian Sam Petersen. Sam recently released a documentary called Lady O’Loughlin about Comedian Fiona O’Loughlin, and he also has a weekly podcast called Confessions of the Idiots. Sam particularly enjoys having conversations about mental health and getting people to talk more about how they are feeling. Big thanks to Sam for allowing us to record in his studio for the first face-to-face MAA recording in a while.

We discuss: Everyone having a battle with something that you don’t know about, using comedy and then therapy to assist his own mental health, issues with alcohol and being a workaholic, the danger of bottling things up vs the benefits of talking about issues, recognising panic attacks as a sign to take time out for self-care, accessing bulk-billed counselling via Medicare, the importance of finding a supportive friendship group to share with, the pressure-cooker analogy of mental health, the impact of the pandemic and the resurgence of communication by telephone, Sam’s views on the best and worst elements about the lockdown, the positive and negative effects of the pandemic on social media, Sam’s love of swimming, the benefits of breathing exercises, relaxation music like the Teskey Brothers, breathing exercise techniques, Relax Lite and Calm apps, Sam’s super power, how telling people things they might not want to hear can be a form of kindness, and Sam’s message to reach out and seek help if you need it.

Interview with Lauren Bok, who has been performing comedy for 9 years. Lauren comes from a theatre background and loves adding puns, mime, burlesque and other fun/versatile skills to her shows. Lauren also runs a comedy workshop program called Gaggle, which is for women and non-binary people because she is very committed to finding more diverse voices for the stage. The next workshop will be at the Wit Incorporated Theatre Company on Sunday 26th July. Lauren and her comedian friend Claire Sullivan host a podcast called Elementary Springfield. Claire did not have access to the Simpsons growing up, so the pair watch and review " golden era" Simpsons episodes to give Claire a proper, cromulent education. Highly recommended listening!

We discuss: The benefits of doing a Mental Health First Aid course, the importance of listening non-judgmentally, the impact of the MICF cancellation, cleaning the house = cleaning the mind, the immense satisfaction that can be gained from gardening, views on productivity, the philosophy of taking each day as it comes, the strong connection that comes with spending more time with fewer people, the power of gratitude, lessons about balance from lockdown, spontaneous tattoos, giving others permission to do the things that doubt is holding them back from, Lauren coping with lockdown with solid support, care and respect from those around her, the benefits of developing a healthy routine of good nutrition and exercise, the simple but critical tip to drink more water, Lauren’s super power of having an excellent phone manner, and Lauren’s message to listen without judgment.