In this episode of ConnectForHealth, Scott Armstrong and Maissa Al Khafajy are joined by chartered accountant and money coach Carol Glynn of Conscious Finance Coaching to explore one of the most universal sources of stress: money.

Drawing on years of coaching experience and audience insights, Carol explains why financial pressure affects every part of our lives - our sense of safety, our relationships, our wellbeing and how we make daily choices.

The discussion looks at why people across all income levels experience money anxiety, including those in senior, high-earning roles. Carol breaks down how mindset, self-esteem and inherited beliefs shape our relationship with money, and why earning more rarely solves the underlying problem.

They examine how men and women often view money differently, why couples can struggle to understand each other’s financial behaviour, and how arguments about money usually stem from emotional meaning rather than numbers.

Carol shares practical tools for getting clarity, understanding spending patterns, building a cash-flow plan, and aligning money with your values. The conversation also explores how financial stress affects families and how children absorb money behaviours from the adults around them.

Later in the episode, Carol explains the foundations of financial wellness, from budgeting and needs versus wants, to saving with purpose, building a cash cushion, managing debt and approaching investing with confidence and understanding.

This session is part of the ConnectForHealth series from Cigna Healthcare Middle East and Africa, supported by mentl.

Chapter List:

00:00:10 – Welcome to Connect for Health

00:02:03 – Why money impacts every part of our lives

00:03:55 – Mindset, self-esteem and stress around money

00:04:46 – Two families, same income story, different outcomes

00:08:27 – How men and women think differently about money

00:11:10 – What money means to you: audience perspectives

00:17:01 – Values, clarity and purpose: the core money mindset shift

00:20:24 – Are we living our values or the ‘hamster wheel’?

00:23:34 – What causes financial stress: clarity, planning and debt

00:43:37 – Building financial skills: budgeting, investing and long-term goals

In this special edition of ConnectForHealth, we take you inside the Cigna International Health Study (CIHS) 2025 - UAE Edition - the most comprehensive look at the state of well-being, vitality, and workplace health across the Emirates.

For the fourth consecutive year, mentl has authored the UAE white paper, tracking the nation’s wellbeing story as it rises year after year - even as global well-being softens. And this year’s findings are nothing short of remarkable.

Joining host Scott Armstrong, founder of mentl, and co-host Maissa Al Khafajy, Head of Government Affairs and Strategic Communications at Cigna Healthcare MEA, are two powerhouse voices:

• Leah Cotterill, CEO, Cigna Healthcare Middle East and Africa (excl. KSA)
• Hana Agil, HR Director, MEA, International Organizations, Strategy, International Health, Cigna Healthcare)

Together they unpack:

• Why the UAE is now a global leader in well-being and vitality
• What’s driving unprecedented gains in mental health, optimism, and quality of life
• The paradox of progress: rising vitality alongside persistent stress, loneliness, and financial pressure
• Why 67% of employees are actively job-hunting yet 80% say they’d work harder for their employer
• What Gen Z is telling us about unmanageable stress and loneliness
• How company culture - and manager behaviour - directly shapes well-being, retention and productivity
• Why healthcare benefits have overtaken flexible working as the number one most valued employee benefit
• How AI and digital health are transforming expectations
• The urgent call for employers: one size no longer fits all

This is essential listening for business leaders, HR professionals, policymakers, and anyone shaping the future of work in the region.

Chapter List

01:10 - Why CIHS matters
02:00 - UAE well-being and vitality outperforming global trends
03:20 - What makes the UAE different
05:10 - Stress, financial pressure and loneliness emerging as key tension points
07:00 - The UAE’s unique demographic resilience
09:00 - Government investment in well-being and mental health
10:10 - Mental health becomes the UAE’s number one priority
12:00 - Why ambition, mobility and personal development drive wellbeing
13:20 - The surprising rise of job-hunting (67%)
14:40 - Gen Z stress, unmanageable stress and loneliness
17:05 - Hybrid work, disconnection and the loss of workplace community
19:00 - The 53% manager-understanding problem
20:40 - Healthcare benefits become the number one preferred benefit
21:50 - Stress levels, family priorities and emotional load
24:00 - Social media, perfectionism and digital stressors
26:00 - Loneliness as a health risk (as harmful as 15 cigarettes a day)
28:30 - Why employers must take loneliness seriously
30:15 - Productivity, ROI and the business case for well-being
31:30 - Menopause, perimenopause and the cost of ignoring women’s health
34:00 - Manager training, empathy and psychological safety
36:00 - Gender wellbeing gaps and workplace realities
40:00 - The tension between ambition, parental guilt and family priorities
42:10 - The economic cost of disengagement in the UAE
43:40 - Why well-being is a business fundamental
45:00 - Leadership vulnerability and building trust
47:30 - Digital health, AI, telehealth and EAP adoption
53:00 - Trust as a barrier to digital and mental health support
54:00 - The employer–employee trust equation
56:00 - Final advice: the number one thing employers can do tomorrow
58:10 - Closing remarks and where to find the CIHS 2025 report

Men’s health is at a crossroads — and this conversation is one every man (and every employer, partner, teammate and friend) needs to hear.

In this episode of ConnectForHealth, host Scott Armstrong, Founder of mentl, and co-host Maissa Al Khafajy, Head of Government Affairs & Strategic Communications at Cigna Healthcare MEA, sit down with

Dr Ed Cody, Consultant Family Medicine at Mediclinic Middle East, to explore the hidden drivers shaping men’s physical and mental wellbeing.

From chronic stress to disrupted sleep, low mood, burnout, digestive issues and the symptoms men tend to hide - this is a practical, honest and surprisingly relatable look at what’s really going on in men’s lives today.

Dr Ed also opens up about his personal journey with stress, fear of getting help, and the realities men face when navigating modern pressures. This is one of the most impactful, human episodes yet.

Topics include:

•Why 84% of men in the UAE report high stress

•Why men delay seeking help until “something is leaking or falling off”

•How stress physically affects weight, digestion, energy and performance

•The link between cortisol, burnout and chronic health issues

•Why men struggle with emotional expression

•Mental health stigma in the workplace

•The pressures facing fathers, partners and working men

•How companies can support male wellbeing

•How to recognise the early signs of trouble — in yourself or someone you care about

This episode is part of ConnectForHealth, a well-being initiative by Cigna Healthcare Middle East & Africa in partnership with mentl, recorded live for Cigna members and available afterwards on podcast and YouTube.

⏱️ CHAPTER LIST

0:00 – Welcome to ConnectForHealth

1:08 – Introducing Dr Ed Cody

2:54 – Why vague symptoms often come from stress

4:57 – The mind-body connection for men

6:22 – Why men wait too long to seek medical help

11:52 – “Men don’t come in until something is leaking or falling off”

14:28 – Scott’s ADHD diagnosis & men’s fear of seeking help

17:36 – How stress shows up physically

18:54 – Cortisol, weight gain & stress-related symptoms

22:07 – Recognising when stress becomes chronic

24:25 – Pressure on men in work & family life

28:40 – How employers can support men’s mental health

33:10 – The truth about burnout

37:45 – What men can do to support their emotional health

41:50 – The role of sleep in men’s wellbeing

45:40 – Breaking stigma & normalising conversations

48:55 – Final advice from Dr Ed

50:50 – Closing comments