the mentl space

the mentl space is a podcast for open, honest conversations about mental health, wellbeing, leadership and the cultures that help people thrive. Hosted by Scott Armstrong, founder of mentl, the show brings together leaders, psychologists, doctors, authors, athletes, entrepreneurs, advocates and people with lived experience to explore what mental health means in real life, at work, at home and in the community. From workplace wellbeing, burnout, psychological safety and inclusion, to parenting, men’s mental health, resilience, digital wellbeing, leadership and the human stories behind change, each episode asks what it really takes to move from awareness to action. This is a space for practical insight, personal honesty and better conversations about how we live, lead and support one another. Because when we talk more openly, we make it easier for everyone to thrive.

the mentl space is a health podcast hosted by scottarmstrong@mentl.space, with 80 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

scottarmstrong@mentl.space hosts the mentl space, a health show with 80 episodes published.

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  Episode #80

  He Hit Rock Bottom. Now He’s Running 1,700km to Help Other Men Speak Up | Nick Coats

  Aug 9, 202658 minS1

  What happens when the life that looks successful from the outside is quietly falling apart on the inside? Nick Coats is a former British soldier, endurance athlete and performance coach. After seven years with the Royal Regiment of Scotland, he moved into oil broking and pursued the things he thought success was supposed to look like: career, money, status and more. But behind that outward success, Nick was becoming angry, isolated and deeply unhappy. Eventually, sitting at his desk, the pressure became overwhelming. He describes feeling “trapped by this invisible force” and reaching a point where he knew something had to change. In this deeply personal episode of the mentl space, Nick talks with Scott Armstrong about shame, masculinity and why asking for help once felt like admitting weakness. They explore the pressure men can put on themselves to appear successful, the danger of constantly saying “I’m fine”, and what can happen when identity, brotherhood and community disappear. Nick also confronts a more complicated side of endurance sport. Physical challenge became an escape and, at times, a form of punishment. His relationship with it has since changed. After completing a 230km ultramarathon through the Amazon rainforest, he began thinking less about collecting medals and more about purpose, values and what difficult challenges could mean beyond himself. Now he is preparing for an extraordinary 1,700km journey through Albania, Greece and Turkey, linking two ultramarathons and raising awareness and funds around suicide prevention and veterans’ mental health. But this conversation is ultimately about much more than running. It is about what happens after rock bottom, why the “lone wolf” ideal can leave men dangerously isolated, how we redefine success when money and status stop being enough, and why sometimes recovery begins with one conversation and one step forward. As Nick puts it, “everyone’s going through something.” His message is simple: do not let shame stop you reaching out. Having the conversation can itself be empowering. Chapters 00:00 The 1,700km challenge: why Nick is running from Albania to Turkey 04:15 From soldier and oil broker to a search for purpose 08:13 Rock bottom: “I felt trapped by this invisible force” 10:57 Shame, weakness and why asking for help felt so difficult 16:37 When endurance became punishment, and how that changed 23:21 Young men, masculinity and the search for identity and belonging 28:29 Losing the uniform, becoming a “lone wolf” and finding community again 34:46 Money, status and the arrival fallacy: redefining success 40:54 Why lone wolves still need a pack 49:14 What does a real man look like? Courage, action and doing the work

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  Episode #79

  Workplace Well-being Under Pressure | Burnout, Trust & What Good Employers Do Differently

  Jul 2, 202657 minS1

  What does workplace wellbeing really look like when pressure rises? In this episode of the mentl space, Scott Armstrong speaks with Paul Firth, Founder and Managing Director of Lyra Wellbeing MENA, about what 2026 has revealed so far about workplace culture, leadership, trust and mental health. Recorded as part of the mentl awards 'Moving the Needle' series, the conversation explores how geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty, burnout, disengagement and always-on working are showing up inside organisations across the region. Paul explains how well-being can no longer be treated as a side initiative, awareness campaign or optional benefit. Like health and safety, it has to become part of business strategy. Together, Scott and Paul discuss: • Why you do not build resilience in a crisis, you build it before the crisis • How geopolitical uncertainty has affected employees, families and employers • Why internal communication and trust matter before pressure hits • What stronger organisations do differently during difficult periods • Why well-being should not be seen simply as a cost to business • The pressure now sitting on middle managers, and why they need support, training and boundaries • How managers can spot subtle changes in people before problems escalate • Why psychological safety is central to innovation, performance and trust • How workplace well-being links to productivity, disengagement, safety and business performance • What Paul saw as a mentl awards judge, and what stronger entries revealed • Why simple, practical well-being actions can be more powerful than big-budget initiatives • How organisations can use evidence, employee voice and storytelling to strengthen their wellbeing strategy • Why Lyra Wellbeing MENA is backing the mentl awards for the second year running • What employers should learn from the gap between tick-box wellbeing and a culture where support is lived This is a conversation about moving beyond slogans and into practical workplace change. Because when pressure rises, culture is tested. And when times are hard, poor leadership gets exposed quickly. Chapter List: 00:00 Welcome to the mentl space Scott opens the live conversation and introduces Paul Firth, Lyra Wellbeing MENA, the mentl awards and the question of what the first half of 2026 has taught workplaces. 01:29 Geopolitical tension, burnout and employee anxiety Paul explains how conflict and uncertainty in the region have compounded existing workplace pressures, including stress, disengagement and burnout. 03:59 What organisations got right and wrong under pressure Scott and Paul discuss how employers responded during the crisis, including remote working, business continuity, employee support and the risk of cutting well-being when it is needed most. 06:22 Why internal communication cannot wait for a crisis Scott reflects on how organisations shifted from external to internal communication, and why stronger businesses had already built trust before the pressure hit. 08:18 You do not build resilience in a crisis The conversation turns to resilience, business continuity, employee wellbeing and why culture has to be built before difficult moments arrive. 12:06 When pressure exposes poor leadership Scott discusses how personal safety and workplace insecurity can exist at the same time, and why difficult periods reveal leadership weaknesses quickly. 14:26 Psychological safety, trust and employee voice Paul explains why employees need to feel safe to raise concerns, challenge, suggest ideas and contribute to decisions without fear of humiliation. 17:26 Wellbeing as business strategy, not a cost Paul argues that wellbeing should be treated like health and safety: part of the operating strategy, not a discretionary cost or benefit. 21:02 The middle management bottleneck The discussion explores why managers carry pressure from above and below, why they are not proxy psychologists, and what support and training they need. 35:43 What the mentl awards entries reveal Paul reflects on what stood out from judging the awards, including employee voice, culture, simple practical initiatives, evidence, passion and genuine belief in the work. 49:23 From tick-box wellbeing to a lived culture Scott and Paul discuss the difference between low and high EAP engagement, why culture drives uptake, and what it means when well-being becomes part of every business decision. 53:21 AI, uncertainty and psychosocial risk The conversation turns to AI-driven workforce anxiety, productivity pressure and the risk that technology simply creates more space for more work. 55:43 Why organisations should enter the mentl awards Paul explains why organisations should share their well-being stories, why initiatives do not have to be huge, and why evidence and learning matter.

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  Episode #77

  Burnout, Silence and Survival: The Real State of Mental Health in Marcomms

  Jun 13, 202659 minS1

  The marketing and communications industry runs on creativity, relationships and judgement. But what happens when the people behind the work are exhausted, anxious, always on and afraid to speak up? In this special webinar and podcast episode, Scott Armstrong, founder of mentl, brings together leaders from across the regional marcomms industry to unpack the PRCA MENA Mental Health Report 2025 and ask what the findings really mean for agencies, clients, leaders and young professionals. The report points to a clear warning: anxiety, stress, exhaustion and depression are not isolated issues. They are signs of a system under sustained pressure. Joining the conversation are John Rynehart, Managing Director Middle East at Kekst CNC and Chair of the PRCA MENA Mental Health Committee; Sinead O’Connor, Senior Director at Current Global MENAT, Mental Health First Aider and Agency Culture Champion; Tania Kteily, Associate Director at Weber Shandwick MENAT and President of the MEPRA Youth Board; and Lester Posner, strategic communications advisor, Trustee of GamCare, and a voice on leadership, policy and compassionate workplace culture. Together, they explore why awareness is no longer enough, why burnout can be hidden behind performance, why younger professionals are challenging old ideas of boundaries, and why mental health must become part of business strategy rather than a campaign week or HR side project. This is a conversation about pressure, leadership, culture, clients, boundaries and the urgent need to move from talking about mental health to changing the way work is designed. Topics include: Why anxiety, stress, exhaustion and depression point to a system under pressure What burnout looks like inside agency life before someone says “I am burnt out” Why mental health awareness has not yet translated into consistent action The pressure on younger professionals and why Gen Z is challenging old work norms Why peer support matters, but cannot replace trusted managers and formal systems How stigma still stops people from speaking up at work Why leaders must stop passing pressure down to their teams What the Mental Health Charter offers the marcomms industry Why performative wellbeing can increase resentment and disengagement What agencies, clients and industry bodies can do next 10-point chapter list 00:00 Welcome and why marcomms needs this conversation 02:00 Anxiety, stress, exhaustion and depression: what the report reveals 04:25 What burnout looks like inside agency life 05:47 The younger professional perspective and Gen Z’s mental health awareness 07:15 Key PRCA MENA Mental Health Report findings 09:04 Awareness versus action: why ticking boxes is not enough 13:56 Leadership, stigma and why only some people feel supported 20:25 Psychological safety, peer support and trust in managers 22:05 The Mental Health Charter and moving from framework to action 25:06 What leaders should stop doing immediately 30:29 Gen Z, boundaries and the future of work 39:14 The business case: turnover, disengagement and culture 45:03 Compassion, psychological safety and collective responsibility 48:59 Performative wellbeing, well-washing and authenticity 53:04 Audience questions: values, courage and speaking up 55:19 Be brave: the closing message for leaders and teams

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  Episode #76

  Are Men Okay? Men’s Mental Health, Modern Masculinity & Silence

  Jun 10, 202641 minS1

  Why do so many men still struggle in silence? Recorded live on Afternoons with Helen Farmer on Dubai Eye 103.8, this special roundtable asks a simple but urgent question: are men okay? Helen Farmer is joined by Scott Armstrong, founder of mentl; Manny Djornor, founder of Mentality; and Mark Samways, Counselling Psychologist and Director of Wellbeing at Alkalma, for an honest conversation about men’s mental health, pressure, silence, community and what support can look like. This episode explores the realities many men carry but do not always say out loud: work pressure, loneliness, financial stress, fatherhood, relationships, anger, identity, therapy, friendship and the difficulty of asking for help. In this episode, we explore: • The pressure to be the provider, protector and problem-solver • How loneliness can show up in expat life and modern adulthood • Why men may reach crisis point before asking for help • How work, money, job security and family responsibility affect mental health • The role of social media, comparison and modern masculinity • Why depression in men may not always look like sadness • How partners and families can begin difficult conversations • What therapy can actually look like for men • Why community, connection and workplace support matter This conversation does not pretend to have all the answers. It opens the door to a question more men, families, workplaces and communities need to be asking. If this episode makes you think of someone, share it with them. If you are struggling remember you are not alone, and please reach out to someone close or a professional. Recorded live on Afternoons with Helen Farmer, Dubai Eye 103.8. 00:00 Are men okay? Why this conversation matters 01:05 Why this work is personal 03:21 Why the first step is still so hard 05:21 Identity, performance and the problem-solver role 08:29 Expat life, loneliness and finding safe spaces 11:13 Reaching breaking point and asking for help earlier 13:09 Job security, finances and modern masculinity 18:14 Boys, emotional literacy and parental shame 21:13 Anger, depression and supporting the men we love 30:22 Strength, therapy, community and workplace support (background music credit Dmitrii Kolesnikov / Pixabay)

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  Episode #75

  Neurodiversity at Work: What Actually Works

  May 25, 202658 minS1

  <p>Neuroinclusion is having a moment. But the real test is not what’s written in policy, it’s what happens on a normal Tuesday, inside a real team.</p><p>In this special Workplace Harmonics episode, supported by Viatris and AmCham Abu Dhabi, Scott Armstrong (mentl) is joined by Dr Khaled Kadry (psychiatrist, Sakina), Geoff McDonald (former Global VP of HR, Unilever) and Sara Boueri (CHRO, board advisor) to move the conversation beyond labels and into practical work design.This is a direct, candid discussion about psychological safety, meeting culture, interruptions, disclosure, and why “performance” can look fine on paper wh...

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