Jo Hooper: How to Make Work Work For You (Without Sacrificing Success, or Going Too Mad)

The Breathe Like A Badass Podcast

This week, I’m talking to Jo Hooper, the founder of the Mad and Sad Club.

In her own words, Jo started grappling with her mental health in 2017, but before that had been developing a wildly unhealthy relationship with work for….ever.

Two breakdowns, three therapists, countless books, podcasts, pills and walks later, she spent two years trying to manage her mental health alongside a job as Head of Communications, and she was exhausted - and, as she says, had become a bit of an expert in being mad at work.

After 11 years in communications, she set up mad and sad club in 2019, and her mission is to help people manage their mental health at work so they can not just survive, but thrive.

In this episode, we talked about:

• The toxic beliefs so many of us have around work, “hustle culture” and burnout, and how to change them
• The glorification of “hard work” and why your self-worth does not need to be tied in to how many hours you put in
• The importance of managing your mental health at work, whether you work for a company or for yourself
• How to set up your working life so it fits around your mental health, and not the other way around
• Why setting boundaries for yourself in work isn’t the same as avoidance, or “not being able to cope”
• Why the concept of a “work-life” balance is such rubbish (and what to do instead)
• Why everyone deserves an employer that cares about their mental health
• How the Covid-19 crisis might just change how flexible work looks forever
• Why you don’t have to give up your goals of money and success while also working in a way that supports your mental health - you can actually make money AND have a life, who knew?!
• How changing the way you work can genuinely make you happier as a person
• And Jo’s own regular habits and routines that now allow her to manage her mental health while also setting up a successful business

We also had some seriously deep discussions about the meditative powers of gardening, plants, sourdough bread, and of course, biscuits (think Jammy Dodgers, Jaffa Cakes, Chocolate Chip Cookies...it’s all there).

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Resources + Show Notes

• The book Rootbound: Rewilding A Life, by Alice Vincent
• Patch Plants
• The book Four Tendencies, by Gretchen Rubin
• Quote (source unclear): “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.”

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Find out more about Jo:

• Website: madandsadclub.co.uk
• Instagram: @madandsadclub

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