Well. Here it is. We leave 2025, with the Christmas Party Special.

No sign of anything approaching serious conversation

Just a couple of silly games. Can you guess Andy's character - before he can?

See you in 2026.

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CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

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It’s Christmas Eve… allegedly. In true What’s The Teafashion, Lydia is jingling with festive energy, while Andy is doing his best impression of a man emotionally allergic to tinsel.

Together we dive into the joys, stresses and social expectations wrapped up in the holiday season — fromHallmark movies in November, to secret Santas, to the pressure of “perfect Christmas dinners” where nobody sweats and nothing burns (so, definitely fiction).

We chat about boundaries, busyness, gift pressure, being alone at Christmas, and how to look after your wellbeing during a season that canfeel a lot.

Also… cucumbers. And cats. And time-traveling postcards.

Wherever you’re spending Christmas — with family, withfriends offline, friend online, with your cat, with your Switch, Playstation, XBox, or with the What’s The Tea crew — we’re glad you’re here.
Merry Christmas from Lydia & Andy!

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.
Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library todownload royalty-free music for your next project.
CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Any Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

We chat with Steve, our maintenance manager, about life behind the scenes of supported housing – from toilets and blocked drains to faith, hope, and why learning to paint a wall might be the most underrated life skill..

---------April showers by Kjartan Abel.Visit ⁠https://kjartan-abel.com/library⁠ todownload royalty-free music for your next project.CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

In this week’s episode, Lydia and Andy dive into a listener question that hits right at the heart of their work: “How did you become a support worker?”

Between the nostalgia of gold-star sticker charts, mac andcheese triumphs, swans derailing Scottish trains, and a French groom turning his wedding tux into a billboard (yes, really), the two former support workers peel back the curtain on their journeys into frontline youth work — the highs, the heartbreaks, the unexpected detours, and the long-term impact that still keeps them going.

Grab a cuppa (unlike our hosts who, predictably, forgottheirs) and settle in for a thoughtful, funny, and surprisingly moving conversation.

☕ Episode Summary

Lydia and Andy catch up on their week — Youth MattersAwards, chronic tiredness, garlic honey experiments, and a nostalgic love letter to sticker reward charts — before diving into a listener question from Jack:

“Why did you become a support worker in the first place?”

Andy shares how a computing degree, a tech-support job, and a well-timed email from a mate changed the direction of his life.

Lydia talks about losing her long-term dream of joining thepolice, her placement at Walk Ministries, discovering her faith, and realising the work she’d always been drawn to: helping young people change the trajectory of their lives.

They reflect on the long-term wins — former residentsinviting them to weddings, introducing their children, graduating uni — and why these moments made the hard days worth it.

Plus: YMCA Exeter updates (including the huge news about new homes opening in Paignton), the rise of the Untitled Gaming Podcast, and another round of Weird News.

🔗 Links

More information about the PaigntonProject: https://www.ymcaexeter.org.uk/urgently-needed-housing-for-young-people-in-torbay/

Walk Ministries (mentioned byLydia): https://walkministries.org.uk/

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.
Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library todownload royalty-free music for your next project.
CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Additional stock video thanks to Canva.

Feel like your phone is helping run your life? In this episode, we dive into the apps that we find help — from wellbeing and focus tools to budgeting and bedtime stories.With apologies for the occasional coughing fit.
🎧 Featured Apps:
Finch • Stress Watch • Trolley.co.uk • Petrol Prices • Duolingo • Yucca • Bento Focus • Picnic • Endel • Smiling Mind • Claude AI • Calm • Notion • Goodreads • Emma • Rise • Vinted • Splitwise • TikTok • Threads • Instagram

📰 Weird News Highlights:
🐊 Crocodile discovered in Derbyshire canal (spoiler: it was stuffed)
💪 Egyptian wrestler pulls ships with his teeth

💬 Join the conversation:
👉 What’s your favourite app that secretly runs your life?
👇 Comment below or tag us using #WhatsTheTeaPodcast

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube | 🎧 Follow on Spotify | 💻 Visit ymcaexeter.org.uk

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance? 👀

In this episode of What’s The Tea?, we ask ourselves, what advice would we give our younger-self. We talk feedback on our mental health and working episode, hotels in toilets, and Lydia keeping an eye on the pets.

🎧 Listen, laugh, and reflect with us — and maybe think about what you’d tell your younger self.Let us know.

What advice would you give the younger version of you?

💬 Episode Summary

Feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or like work has started running you instead of the other way around? You’re not alone — and this week’s What’s The Tea? is all about finding your balance again.

Andy and Lydia unpack practical mental health tips for working life, from building simple daily routines and setting healthy boundaries, to managing workload, stress, and communication with your manager. Whether you’re still working through burnout or returning to work after mental health leave, this episode offers encouragement, structure, and plenty of empathy — because you deserve to do well without falling apart doing it.

Looking at

How to build daily routines that actually stick.

Ways to manage your time and reduce stress.

Setting clear boundaries with work and technology.

Communicating your needs confidently and calmly.

Planning a successful, supported return to work after time off.

And as always, we finish with this week’s Weird News, featuring an incredible story about a $1 million treasure haul found off the coast of Florida. Yes, really — sometimes the gold’s still out there! 🪙

🧠 Key Topics Covered

Managing mental health at workCoping with burnout and work stressReturning to work after mental health leaveBuilding better routines and boundariesWorkplace wellbeing and communicationFinding motivation and balance again

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☕ Thanks for Listening

Thanks for listening to What’s The Tea? — the podcast where Andy and Lydia talk about mental health, real life, and everything in between.

Don’t forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast app.

Leave us a comment or share the episode with someone who might need a little reminder: you’re doing better than you think. 💛

In this episode of What’s The Tea?, Lydia and Andy talk through the kind of week where everything feels a bitoff-kilter. There are stories about cats in inflatable collars, tweenagers turning thirteen, and small adulting wins that deserve recognition.

The main focus is neurodivergence — whatit means, why awareness is increasing, and how people experience conditionssuch as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s and sensory processingdifferences. The conversation also looks at practical ways to navigate everydaylife, sharing tools and resources that can make things easier, from wellbeingapps to sensory-friendly clothing.

As always, the episode rounds off withsome unusual news stories — including a mystery wedding guest at the wrongvenue and Chinese toilets that only dispense paper after you watch an advert.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• • Finch App – wellbeing & self-care companion• Endel – soundscapes for focus, relaxation, and sleep• Focus Keeper / Flow – Pomodoro timer apps with calming music• Comfort Clothing UK – sensory-friendly t-shirts for children and adults (comfa.co.uk)• Fidge Jewellery – fidget necklaces and earrings• Grammarly – writing support (with discounts via Student/DSA schemes)• Trello – task management and organisation• Notion + Todoist – notes, dashboards, and productivity planning• Sensory Soothing Toolkit – build a personalised toolkit for regulating overwhelm (worksheets available online)

👉 Subscribe on your preferredpodcast app or watch via the YMCA Exeter YouTube channel for more conversations that mix real-life experiences, wellbeing ideas, and the occasional odd newsstory.

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April showers by Kjartan Abel.
Visit https://kjartan-abel.com/library todownload royalty-free music for your next project.
CC BY-SA 4.0 Attributi on-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

Additional stock video thanks to Canva.