Addiction, Childhood Trauma And Depression With Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) | E60

Introduction

In this section, Stephen Bartlett introduces the podcast and discusses how things are not always what they seem.

Tears in the Podcast

• The first podcast of the year with tears.

• Humans feel the same emotions, regardless of their appearance.

Visualization and Legacy

• Visualization is a relevant word to start this conversation.

• Stephen talks about his vision for creating a legacy of getting kids across the country exercising.

• He mentions Jamie Oliver's success in changing school dinners and how he wants to do something similar for fitness and exercise.

Lockdown Happens

• Stephen talks about his desire to create national change around fitness and exercise.

• Lockdown happens, and Stephen has an idea for an online fitness program called "PE with Joe."

• He was supposed to go on tour but had to cancel due to lockdown.

PE with Joe

In this section, Stephen discusses how he came up with the idea for "PE with Joe" during lockdown and its impact.

Creating "PE with Joe"

• Stephen texts his brother Nikki at 12.15 am on Thursday night with an idea for an online fitness program called "PE with Joe."

• The program runs every day from Monday to Friday at 9 am.

Impact of "PE with Joe"

• The first day of "PE with Joe" had 850,000 live streams.

• Day two had a world record of 954,000 live streams.

• Stephen talks about the impact of "PE with Joe" on families and mental health during lockdown.

Conclusion

In this section, Stephen concludes the podcast by discussing his sense of purpose and how he wants to continue making an impact.

Sense of Purpose

• Stephen talks about his amazing sense of purpose in helping people during lockdown.

• He mentions that he never once mentioned lockdown during "PE with Joe."

Continuing to Make an Impact

• Stephen discusses how he wants to continue making an impact and creating change in the future.

The Success of the Body Coach's Lockdown Workouts

Joe Wicks discusses how his lockdown workouts became a global phenomenon and how he managed to maintain his connection with his audience.

Global Reach of the Lockdown Workouts

• Within days, Channel 4 offered to stream the workouts on their channel, but Joe declined as he wanted to reach a global audience.

• Sticking with YouTube allowed him to reach millions of people all over the world, including countries like Sri Lanka, South America, India, Madagascar and Maldives.

• By the end of 24 hours, there were 7-8 million views and a total of 80 million individual views over 18 weeks.

• Tens of millions of kids from families and schools around the world participated in these workouts.

Building Trust with His Audience

• Joe attributes the success of his lockdown workouts to building trust with his audience over eight years as "The Body Coach" through love, energy and positivity.

• He recalls that during an interview last year, he had expressed his desire to get kids exercising nationally. However, he ended up reaching a global audience instead.

Coping with Post-Lockdown Success

Joe talks about how he felt lost after achieving his goal and moving into a new house. He shares how reconnecting with his audience helped him find purpose again.

Feeling Lost After Achieving His Goal

• Joe experienced what he calls "gold medal syndrome," where people feel flat or confused after achieving something big like coming back from tour or Olympics.

• After moving into his new house, he felt disconnected from his purpose and audience, which made him miss his old house in Richmond.

Reconnecting with His Audience

• To reconnect with his audience, Joe jumped on Instagram to read messages and YouTube comments.

• He received thousands of letters and cards from people all over the world, including widows, single parents and people with anxiety and depression.

• Going through these messages reminded him why he did what he did during lockdown and helped him find purpose again.

• Although there is a new product coming out (the Body Coach app), Joe remains committed to delivering free content to his audience.

Importance of Connection and Contentment

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about the importance of connection and contentment in life. He shares his personal experience during lockdown and how it made him realize that material possessions do not bring happiness.

The Lesson Learned from Lockdown

• Despite having more space, Joe felt disconnected and left a part of himself behind in his old house.

• Lockdown has made everyone feel lonely and disconnected regardless of their living situation.

• Material possessions do not bring lasting happiness; true happiness comes from connections with others.

Self-Awareness and Happiness

• Joe realized that constantly seeking material possessions will never lead to true happiness.

• Happiness cannot be found by always wanting the next thing; it is important to appreciate what you have in the present moment.

• Being self-analytical can help identify negative thought patterns that prevent us from being happy.

Nature's Lessons

• Nothing in nature blooms all year round; it is okay to have quiet months and take time to relax.

• Constantly seeking external validation or material possessions is like chasing a mirage; it will never bring lasting happiness.

• Having empathy for others' feelings becomes more natural when becoming a parent.

Overall, Joe emphasizes the importance of connection with others, self-awareness, and finding contentment in the present moment rather than constantly seeking external validation or material possessions.

Joe Wicks' Purpose and Mission

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about his purpose and mission to inspire people to exercise and feel good.

Caring for Others

• Joe cares about other people's struggles during the pandemic.

• He believes that we are all connected, and he feels pain when others suffer.

• He tries to inspire people to move, eat well, and exercise because it can counteract financial pressures or stress.

Inspiration Through Exercise

• Joe's gift is inspiring people to exercise and feel good.

• Even if it's once a day or once a week, exercising can change the way you feel about yourself and your life.

Emotional Fatigue

• After the success of his "PE with Joe" format during lockdown, Joe was emotionally drained.

• Performing on camera while carrying everyone's emotion and energy took a toll on him emotionally.

Refocusing on His Mission

• Despite having multiple options like his app or books, he still provides free content on Instagram and YouTube so that everyone can access it.

• After taking some time off to recover from emotional fatigue, he is back in the zone filming workouts again.

Joe Wicks' Mission to Get Kids Moving

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about his mission to get kids moving and the impact of his work on schools.

Continuing the Movement

• Joe discusses how his work was a temporary solution that kickstarted a movement.

• He explains that local schools have the ability to change their timetable and incorporate exercise into their curriculum.

• Joe emphasizes the importance of continuing to grow the mission by visiting schools, creating content, and potentially developing a separate platform for schools to use.

Challenges Ahead

• Joe acknowledges that motivation drops over time and that engaging teenagers in exercise is more challenging than younger children.

• He shares his goal of creating a TV show around his school visits and continuing the conversation about the power of exercise for children.

The Power of Early Years

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about how pivotal early years are in shaping our lives.

Childhood Psychology

• Joe reflects on how childhood experiences can shape our personalities and behaviors.

• He shares an example of how one negative comment can have a lasting impact on someone's self-esteem.

Chaotic Childhood

• Joe opens up about his own chaotic childhood with a drug-addicted father and unstable home life.

• He describes living in a council flat with thin walls where he witnessed frequent fights between his parents.

Childhood Trauma and Its Impact

In this section, the speaker talks about their childhood experiences and how it has shaped them as an adult. They discuss their father's addiction and how it affected their family, as well as the positive influence of their mother.

Childhood Experiences

• The speaker had a tough childhood due to their father's addiction but also had happy moments.

• The chaos caused by drugs put the speaker off from ever wanting to smoke weed or drink alcohol.

• The speaker attributes their love, generosity, and empathy to their mother's influence.

• Despite experiencing trauma in childhood, the speaker does not feel resentment towards their past.

Positive Influence of Mother

• The speaker's mother taught them values such as respect and responsibility despite having no qualifications herself.

• The speaker's mother was strict with curfews but it helped keep them out of trouble unlike some of their peers who were allowed to run loose.

• The speaker's mother went back to university to become a social worker so she could help others.

Overcoming Addiction and Evolving

In this section, the conversation shifts towards addiction and how it affects individuals. The speaker discusses how they have come to understand addiction through observing their father's struggles.

Understanding Addiction

• Despite his struggles with addiction, the speaker has a good relationship with his father now.

• Addiction never goes away completely; however, having a network of people for support can be helpful.

• Both the speaker's parents experienced trauma in their childhood, which may have contributed to their struggles with addiction.

Personal Growth

• The speaker finds purpose and happiness in helping others.

• The speaker has evolved and learned from observing their parents' experiences with addiction.

Understanding and Loving Family Members with Depression

In this section, the speaker talks about his relationship with his father who suffers from seasonal depression. He shares how he has learned to understand and love him despite his struggles.

Understanding Seasonal Depression

• The speaker's father suffers from seasonal depression during the winter.

• His mood is low during this time but improves after the holidays.

• The speaker has learned to accept and love his father despite his struggles.

Importance of Connection

• The speaker believes that real connection comes from spending time together and communicating.

• He shares a quote that says "the antidote to addiction is connection" and emphasizes the importance of not pushing loved ones away.

• Lack of connection can lead to depression and anxiety, as seen in the generational cycle in the speaker's family.

Forgiveness and Breaking Cycles

• The speaker encourages forgiveness for parents' imperfections, which often stem from their own traumas.

• Memories can shape one's beliefs and personality, but breaking cycles is possible through understanding and actively working against default behaviors.

• Pausing to take a breath instead of reacting impulsively can help maintain emotional control in parenting.

Overall, this section highlights the importance of understanding and loving family members who struggle with mental health issues. It also emphasizes the role of connection in preventing addiction, depression, and anxiety. Finally, it encourages forgiveness for past traumas while acknowledging that breaking negative cycles requires active effort.

The Body Coach's Busy Life

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about his busy life and how he deals with stress.

Dealing with Stress

• Joe acknowledges that everyone has bad days and it's okay to not be perfect.

• He apologizes to his wife for not being perfect every day and admits that he can be snappy when stressed.

• Joe talks about the impact of his busy schedule on his energy levels and mentions the need for a reset button.

• He plans to take a month off in January to recharge.

Coping with Workload

• Joe talks about how busy he is with the app coming out, book promotions, radio interviews, and live workouts through the app.

• He mentions that he is getting more requests than ever before but doesn't feel burnt out because he takes breaks when needed.

• Joe explains how he copes with work by taking time off after working hard for a few months.

Impact of Pandemic on Life

• Joe talks about how the pandemic has affected him emotionally and physically due to all the chaos around him.

• He mentions that Nikki, his CTO, helps him manage things so they can both work equally as hard without burning out.

Marriage & Relationships

• Joe listens to an episode of a podcast where they talk about marriage. He thinks that although the host has everything on the surface, there may be something missing in terms of deeper connections with one person.

Finding Love and Building Relationships

In this section, the speaker talks about his experience with love and relationships. He shares insights on how to build a strong bond with your partner and the importance of being committed and honest in a relationship.

Falling in Love and Building Strong Bonds

• The speaker believes that falling in love is an emotional experience that cannot be forced.

• He shares his personal experience of proposing to his partner after realizing he needed something stronger between them.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of being committed to one person and not being sneaky or deceitful in a relationship.

• He believes that having children can change one's perspective on life and relationships.

Making Relationships Work

• The speaker believes that finding the right person can make a relationship easy and enjoyable.

• He advises taking every relationship seriously, maximizing it to the best of your ability, and avoiding negative thoughts about its potential failure.

• The speaker shares his belief that kissing is essential for intimacy in a relationship, emphasizing its importance over other physical acts.

• He acknowledges that everyone has different experiences with relationships but encourages people to give their all when they find someone they care about.

Learning from Partners

• The speaker admires his partner's patience as a parent, which he feels he could learn from.

• He believes that learning from each other is important in any relationship, especially when it comes to parenting skills.

Overcoming Negative Perceptions

• The speaker admits to having negative perceptions about romantic relationships, which he attributes to his parents' arguing.

• He compares relationships to a bird in a cage and acknowledges that his expectations may be too high.

• The speaker encourages people to keep doing things that make them happy in their relationship and not give up on finding the right person.

Overall, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being committed, honest, and loyal in a relationship. He believes that finding the right person can make a relationship easy and enjoyable. Additionally, he encourages people to learn from each other and take every relationship seriously.

Childhood Memories

In this section, the speaker talks about a childhood memory of his parents arguing and how it has affected his approach to confrontation.

Parental Argument

• The speaker recalls a memory of his parents arguing.

• The argument lasted for six hours, and the speaker's mother did not lose energy.

• The speaker is not confrontational and prefers to explain himself calmly rather than shouting.

• The speaker used to find it hard to apologize but has learned to do so more often.

Relationships

In this section, the speaker discusses relationships and expectations.

Finding Love

• The speaker advises that one should not expect their partner to be perfect in every way.

• It is possible to get different needs met from different people in your life.

• Therapy can be helpful for improving relationships.

Huel Saves the Day

In this section, the speaker talks about how Huel helped him during a busy workday.

Benefits of Huel

• Huel provides essential nutrients when you don't have time for meals.

• The founder of Huel saved the speaker's day on multiple occasions.

• Berry flavor is recommended by the speaker as his favorite flavor.

Note that some parts of the transcript were not included in the summary as they did not contain relevant information or insights.

Therapy and Psychedelics

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about his experience with therapy and his interest in psychedelics.

Therapy as Personal Training for the Mind

• Joe talks about how he dealt with stress through sports as a child.

• He shares that he had one therapy session with a counselor when he was in a relationship he didn't want to be in. The session helped him realize that he needed to walk away from the relationship.

• Joe sees therapy as personal training for the mind and is open to it if he feels like he needs it.

Interest in Psychedelics

• Joe expresses his interest in doing an ayahuasca ceremony and going into the Amazon to feel connected to nature.

• He mentions investing almost a million dollars into a psychedelic company that uses psilocybin to treat men's health disorders.

• Joe discusses how mushrooms and psilocybin rank at the bottom of the list of drugs that could possibly harm you or others. He wonders what the experience would be like for someone who isn't depressed or anxious.

Psychedelics and Personal Growth

In this section, the speaker talks about the potential benefits of using psychedelics for personal growth and shares his own experiences with them.

Benefits of Psychedelics

• Psychedelics can unlock beautiful memories and help individuals learn from their experiences.

• The founder of a leading company in psychedelics is going to be interviewed on the podcast to discuss different compounds in the space, such as ibogaine and psilocybin.

• The speaker suggests doing a retreat with a shaman for personal growth.

Personal Experiences

• The speaker discusses how reading books can also lead to personal growth but mentions that he is not well-read.

• The speaker's father participated in an Imperial College psilocybin trial and had a positive experience.

• Antidepressants are compared to opioids or amphetamines due to their addictive nature.

Regrets

• If the speaker had only one week left on earth, he would not regret anything because he has always maximized life at every moment.

Regrets and Work-Life Balance

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about regrets and work-life balance. He shares his thoughts on living life without regrets and not getting stuck between the future and the past. He also discusses how traditional businesses can make it hard to have a good work-life balance.

Living Life Without Regrets

• Joe believes that it's a shame to live your life with regrets.

• He thinks that people who are always looking back and wishing they had done things differently are stuck in a depressing mindset.

• Joe reflects on how he has learned from both good and bad experiences, which has made him a better person.

Work-Life Balance

• When asked about regrets, most people reflect on a lack of balance in their lives.

• Traditional businesses like Eddie Hearn's boxing promotions or football teams require constant travel, making it difficult to maintain stability.

• Joe's success has come through an iPhone in his kitchen, allowing him to have more control over his work-life balance.

• Joe spends quality time with his family every day by having set routines for breakfast, dinner time, bath time, and storytime.

• By optimizing his time with his family, he doesn't feel like he's missing out on important moments.

Social Media Dilemma

In this section, Joe Wicks talks about social media and its impact on mental health. He shares his thoughts on the addictive nature of social media and how it can affect people's mental health.

Social Media Addiction

• Joe admits to having an unhealthy relationship with social media.

• He watched "The Social Dilemma" on Netflix and was shocked by how addictive social media is.

• Joe believes that social media has its pros and cons, but he hopes that we can learn to control the mental health epidemic associated with it.

Impact on Mental Health

• Joe doesn't want his kids to be on social media because of its negative impact on mental health.

• He believes that we need to find a way to control the narcissism of Instagram and be kinder to each other.

• Although he recognizes the trade-off between success and privacy, he hopes that we can learn to use social media in a more positive way.

The Impact of Social Media on Self-Image

In this section, the speakers discuss how social media affects people's self-image and confidence. They talk about the comparative nature of social media and how it can lead to negative thoughts and feelings.

Comparing Ourselves to Others

• Social media creates a comparative environment where people compare themselves to others.

• People start to compare themselves regardless of who they are or what they look like.

• This constant comparison can affect one's confidence subconsciously.

• To avoid this, it is important to unfollow accounts that do not serve you.

Our Brains are Wired for Comparison

• Our brains are wired for survival, which makes us lazy in making snap decisions.

• We tend to pick the middle option when presented with three choices because we think it is the safest choice.

• This extends across everything, including food choices and shopping habits.

• Our brains make snap decisions at super speed, which affects our behavior on social media.

The Negative Effects of Social Media

• Social media creates an environment where people feel less than others even if their value has not changed.

• The creators of social media products advise against children using them due to their negative impact on mental health.

• Social media affects people's mental health and self-esteem, which can be irreversible in some cases.

Using Social Media Positively

• It is possible to use social media positively by promoting healthy food and fitness.

• Focusing on people who bring good content to social media can help us use it positively.

Responsibility and Money

In this section, the speaker talks about his responsibility to not be a show-off on social media and how he makes decisions based on his close friends list. He also discusses the role of money in his life and how it has allowed him to have more freedom.

Responsibility on Social Media

• The speaker feels responsible to not be a show-off on social media.

• He posts quotes instead of buying things just to post them.

• He doesn't have a place to put things, so he makes decisions based on his close friends list.

Role of Money

• The speaker talks about the uncomfortable topic of money and its unavoidable consequence of success.

• Money allows him to have more freedom and take care of his family.

• He didn't have any money growing up, so making money removed a lot of stress from his life.

• His motivation for making money has decreased over time as he focuses more on helping others through his work.

Gradual Success

In this section, the speaker talks about how he gradually became successful rather than winning the lottery overnight. He also discusses how sudden fame and fortune can affect one's ego differently.

Gradual Success

• The speaker's success was gradual, starting with one person signing up for his online plan and growing from there.

• This gradual success allowed him to become closer with his followers over time.

Sudden Fame and Fortune

• The speaker believes that sudden fame and fortune can affect one's ego differently than gradual success# Responsibility and Money

In this section, Joe and Steven discuss the responsibility that comes with success and how money plays a role in their lives.

The Responsibility of Success

• Joe talks about his responsibility not to be the person who buys things just to post them on social media.

• He mentions that he doesn't have a place to put things, so he makes decisions based on his close friends' list.

• Joe explains that he doesn't base his decisions on social media because only a few close friends will know about it.

The Role of Money

• Steven asks Joe about the role of money in his life.

• Joe talks about how money has removed stress from his life and allowed him to take care of his family.

• He mentions that growing up, they didn't have much money, which affected the food they ate and caused stress.

• Joe explains that making money was gradual for him, which allowed him to become closer with his followers.

• He also mentions that being thrown into fame with money would affect someone's ego differently.

• Lastly, Joe talks about how not arguing about money has made his marriage easier.