Self improvement meets comedy, by accident. Rose Honey Morgan is a chronically sleep deprived mother of two small children, with a catastrophic history of sticking to anything. So naturally she's spending the year testing self-improvement trends and wellness theories (with questionable methods and an anthropology degree) to work out what actually works, so you don't have to. The experiment episodes follow Rose as she tests the trend, consults human history to work out whether we've completely lost the plot, and reports back on what actually happened. The Guru and Granny episodes bring in Old Ma, Rose's mother, a boomer with strong opinions, no filter, and advice that is either accidentally profound or completely unhinged. Sometimes within the same sentence. Actually Trying is a podcast for frazzled women who want to sort their lives out - but don't want to waste time on it unless it really works. Funny. Honest. Occasionally mortifying. Always actually trying. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to Actually Trying. Same podcast, new name, new format. This week: have a lot of women got undiagnosed ADHD, or are we all just weird? I'm seeing a psychiatrist in two days. Old Ma thinks we should go back to the five original lunacies. She held that position for about ten minutes, until she found out there might be some legal speed in it for her. We cover: Why ADHD in girls gets missed entirely Object permanence and forgetting your friends exist Whether it's real or just Big Pharma cataloguing sweaty palms Getting diagnosed as an adult: private assessment, five-year NHS waits, and what £200 online actually buys you Ask Guru & Granny: a secondary school teacher of 22 years wants to jack it in and become a florist. Is 48 too old to start again? We get into midlife career changes, side hustles, and why women over 50 are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs globally. Next time: I report back on whether I actually got diagnosed. Timestamps 0:00 New name, new format 3:20 Have we all got undiagnosed ADHD? 3:50 The five original lunacies 10:30 ADHD in boys vs girls 12:00 Object permanence 13:50 Eight signs of ADHD in women 18:40 My missed diagnosis at school 27:50 Ask Guru & Granny: teacher wants to be a florist 39:20 Women over 50 and starting a business 49:30 The £200 private diagnosis ADHD in women, inattentive ADHD, ADHD symptoms in girls vs boys, object permanence, emotional dysregulation, private ADHD assessment, NHS waiting lists. I wrote that list for SEO, in case you didn't realise and just thought it was a random outburst. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A field report (and Guru & Granny) featuring Japanese walking, Hot Girl Walks, movement after meals, and using the Steppin app to earn screen time through steps. Click here to try the Steppin App - https://www.steppin.net/ Timestamps 0:00 Intro — reporting back on the walking experiment 1:00 Step In app review & my tragic step count 2:30 Why earning screen time through steps actually worked 4:10 The psychological cost of doomscrolling 4:45 Hostage-situation brand deals & choosing a secret code word 6:20 Japanese walking results 7:50 Why I abandoned the Japanese walking halfway through 9:00 Looking unhinged in front of villagers 10:00 Hot Girl Walks & mindset walking 10:45 My recurring imaginary hostage scenario 11:30 The gold eyeshadow plane defence plan 15:00 Krav Maga, Buffy & survival fantasies 16:30 Did Hot Girl Walks actually help? 17:15 Movement after meals 18:15 Finds & fails of the week 19:00 Hay fever, wasps & wanting to flee England 20:30 Guru & Granny: should you force a grown man to eat vegetables? 24:00 “You are not responsible for his asshole” 26:00 Tiny chopped vegetables vs letting nature take its course 27:00 Would Old Ma want another child in the family? 28:00 Final thoughts & term-time podcast plans Ask Guru & Granny Send your dilemmas, life problems and questionable decisions to: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week I’m testing whether walking really is the closest thing we have to a magic pill - and whether I can get my steps up without becoming the sort of person pacing the kitchen at 10pm to hit 10,000. I’m trying: • Japanese interval walking • hot girl walks • walking/moving after meals • using SteppIn app to earn screen time through steps • taking antihistamines so pollen can stop ruining my life Also: why 10,000 steps may be a marketing myth, why walking helps mood, and whether we’ve lost the plot with step counts. Click here to try the Steppin App - https://www.steppin.net/ Timestamps 0:00 Intro — this week’s walking experiment 0:45 Step In: earning screen time with steps 3:20 Why my step count has collapsed 5:00 Is walking a magic pill? 7:30 My current tragic step count 8:45 The 10,000 steps myth 10:00 Japanese walking explained 12:30 Hot girl walks 15:30 Walking after meals 18:00 My actual plan for the week 20:00 Hay fever, antihistamines and walking barriers 22:30 Have We Lost the Plot? Step counts vs human history 25:00 This week’s homework Ask Guru & Granny Send your dilemmas, life problems and questionable decisions to: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
DM me your Guru & Granny dilemmas: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod This week I tested three viral morning routines from an American wellness girl, a British productivity girl, and an aggressively glowing Australian woman. The result: • I gagged on expired coconut oil • got laughed at by my children while doing Chinese lymphatic movements • briefly became the kind of woman who makes her bed • and accidentally discovered a morning habit that might genuinely improve my life. Also: • why affirmations made me feel like I was gaslighting myself • the surprising psychological effect of making the bed • whether electrolytes are worth the hype • why “high-fiving yourself in the mirror” feels deeply threatening as an English person • and the moment I almost accidentally quit the podcast altogether. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — The field report begins 01:00 — Why the podcast vanished for 3 weeks 03:00 — Burnout, school holidays & trying to keep this running 06:00 — Coconut oil pulling: immediate failure 08:00 — Electrolytes: annoyingly effective 08:45 — Rebounding on a Peppa Pig trampoline 11:00 — Chinese lymphatic dance humiliation 12:15 — The Mel Robbins 5-4-3-2-1 rule 13:15 — Replacing doomscrolling with reading 15:00 — Ice rolling & why children ruin wellness routines 15:30 — High-fiving myself in the mirror 17:00 — What I’m actually keeping from the experiment 18:00 — Easter eggs, burnout & bizarre internet discoveries If you enjoyed this episode: • follow the show • send it to a friend who’s trying to become a functioning adult • or join the Actually Trying Book Club. DM me your Guru & Granny dilemmas: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Morning routines, productivity, wellness habits, dopamine, sunlight, gratitude, affirmations — do viral morning routines actually work? This week I tested 3 viral morning routines from an English woman, an American woman, and an Australian woman to see whether any of them could make me feel more energised, productive, and less like I’m running on fumes. The problem? I’m doing this with: a toddler who wakes up at 4:30am broken sleep a massive family bed and a deep resistance to bouncing on a Peppa Pig trampoline with coconut oil in my mouth So this is a very scientific experiment. In this episode my current chaos-morning routine Mel Robbins-style 5-4-3-2-1 habits oil pulling, electrolytes and gratitude Chinese lymphatic movements making the bed like a functional adult whether morning routines are modern madness… or actually quite anthropological Timestamps (ish) 0:00 Intro – today’s experiment 1:00 My current morning reality 7:00 The American morning routine 10:30 The British morning routine 17:30 The Australian “hot girl” morning routine 25:00 Have We Lost the Plot? Morning routines through an anthropology lens Join the book club Actually Trying Book Club: https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Ask Guru & Granny Send in your dilemmas, chaos, family drama and questionable life choices for Guru & Granny . DM me at: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Coming Friday I’ll report back on which bits of these morning routines actually survived contact with real life. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Luteal phase, PMS, hormone hacks, mood swings — do internet remedies actually work? This week’s field report: I tested some of the internet’s favourite luteal phase advice. That meant eating a suspicious number of carrots and sweet potatoes, attempting to “rebalance” my hormones, and keeping a list of everything that annoyed me during PMS week. Some of the advice helped. Some of it involved heavily salted vegetables and blind optimism. Here’s the honest verdict. Timestamps 0:00 Field report: testing internet luteal phase advice 1:00 My accidental vegetable discovery 2:00 The luteal phase irritation list 3:00 The real household tension revealed 5:00 Honest thoughts about the podcast and time pressure 7:00 A possible PMS supplement experiment 8:30 Ongoing trials: hormone hacks & brain headset 9:00 Next week: morning routines Experiments this week luteal phase awareness PMS mood tracking sweet potatoes & carrots for hormones magnesium & sleep support Coming next Next week I’ll test morning routines — the topic you actually voted for. Follow along Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Join the book club Actually Trying Book Club: https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week dives into the luteal phase (PMS) - what’s actually happening hormonally, why your mood drops, and how to cope without doing a crime. We cover: what the luteal phase actually is why you feel more sensitive, irritable, and withdrawn whether it’s hormones… or your life being out of alignment practical ways to support your mood (from Instagram, obviously) and a slightly chaotic Guru & Granny segment involving vegans and king prawns ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS (ish) 00:00 Intro – why we’re ignoring the poll and talking PMS 05:30 What the menstrual cycle actually does to your brain 10:30 Why the luteal phase feels like low power mode 12:30 Have We Lost the Plot? (evolutionary take) 14:00 “You’re not moody, your life is out of alignment” 16:00 Luteal phase survival tips (food, magnesium, sleep) 19:00 Guru & Granny: vegan boyfriend chaos 📩 ASK GURU & GRANNY Got a dilemma? Relationships, family chaos, existential crises… DM your questions to: 👉 @rosehoneymorgan 👉 @field.notes.pod (You can stay anonymous) 📚 JOIN THE BOOK CLUB If you want deeper dives, experiments & slightly more structure: 👉 Join the Actually Trying Book Club : https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial 🎧 IF YOU ENJOYED THIS Follow the podcast, leave a review, or send this to someone who: becomes a different person before their period has ever thought “why is everything suddenly awful?” or needs a luteal phase survival plan Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week I tested 4 anxiety techniques … two from a Harvard-trained life coach and two from Old Ma. The methods: • orgasm (did not happen) • contemplating death (surprisingly helpful) • building a “sanity quilt” (tiny habits that actually regulate you) • visualising your perfect day (emotionally risky) Some worked. Some absolutely did not. Main takeaway: 👉 You don’t fix anxiety with one big breakthrough 👉 You fix it with small daily things that make life slightly more bearable Also: • no one is thinking about you as much as you think • you will be forgotten (freeing, not depressing) • and stroking your dog is genuinely medicinal If you feel constantly slightly on edge, overwhelmed, or like your brain is doing too much… this episode is for you. 🧠 What you’ll get: • realistic anxiety coping strategies • small daily habits that actually help • a brutally honest test of popular techniques • a reminder that your life doesn’t need to be perfect to be good ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Testing 4 anxiety techniques 01:00 Why orgasm didn’t make the list 02:00 Thinking about death (and why it helps) 04:30 The “life in weeks” reality check 05:00 The sanity quilt (best one) 08:00 Tiny habits that improve your day 10:00 The perfect day exercise (spiral warning) 11:30 Final thoughts + what actually worked 📲 Follow me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod 🔔 Subscribe for more: Weekly experiments in: • anxiety • self-improvement (without the cringe) • modern life • and trying to function like a normal person Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you live with that constant background hum of anxiety , you’ll understand the feeling of trying everything — therapy, routines, productivity hacks — and still feeling slightly on edge. So today we’re trying something different. This is a Mother’s Day anxiety special , featuring: • two anxiety techniques from my mother (Old Ma) • two techniques from a Harvard-trained life coach • and a conversation that includes orgasms, existential philosophy, and a surprisingly detailed death plan. In other words: a fairly normal episode. The Four Anxiety Techniques In this episode we explore four very different ways of dealing with anxiety: 1️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #1: orgasm as emotional regulation 2️⃣ Old Ma’s technique #2: contemplating death (memento mori) 3️⃣ The “Sanity Quilt” method from Martha Beck 4️⃣ The Perfect Day exercise Some of these are more sensible than others. The Sanity Quilt The Sanity Quilt idea comes from Martha Beck. Imagine a patchwork blanket where each square is a small activity that reliably calms your nervous system . Not big life changes. Just tiny stabilisers you can rely on when things feel overwhelming. Examples might include: • a quick walk outside • dancing to one song in the kitchen • lighting a candle • listening to music • texting a friend • reading a few pages of a book • making a cup of tea • eating a tiny cheeseboard (personal favourite) The idea is to build a toolkit of small things that help you regulate before you spiral . The Perfect Day Exercise The Perfect Day exercise asks a different question: Instead of chasing big life goals, what does a good ordinary Tuesday actually look like for you? You imagine a realistic ideal day — from when you wake up to when you go to bed. Not a fantasy billionaire life. Just the kind of day your nervous system would actually enjoy living in. Because life is basically thousands of Tuesdays in a row . Also in this episode • how worrying brains invent problems that never happen • why modern life might be fuelling anxiety • why remembering death can sometimes make life easier • Old Ma’s surprisingly detailed end-of-life plan Ask Guru & Granny If you want Old Ma and I to attempt to solve your life problems , send us your dilemmas. Relationship chaos, family drama, existential crises — we’ll take it all. DM your questions to: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod You can remain anonymous if you like. If you enjoyed this episode Please follow the show, leave a review, or share it with someone who: • worries about things that never happen • enjoys slightly unhinged mother–daughter conversations • or might benefit from a sanity quilt and a small cheeseboard Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Earlier this week I began testing the Flow Neuroscience headset — a device that uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to stimulate areas of the brain linked to depression. In simpler terms: I’ve started plugging my forehead into a charger . This Friday Field Report is the week one update . I talk through: • What the headset actually feels like to wear • The slightly alarming wet electrode pads situation • Whether the electrical stimulation hurts (spoiler: mildly… but in a “strong skincare” kind of way) • The surprisingly good therapy app that comes with it • Why the behavioural therapy modules are actually better than a lot of therapy I’ve paid for • Whether the experiment is making me feel even slightly more motivated So far the results are… inconclusive. But I do feel a bit more like “come on then, let’s be having you.” Which is something. Inside the Flow app One thing that genuinely impressed me was the built-in therapy courses. The headset isn’t just about the electrical stimulation — the app includes: • behavioural therapy modules • mindfulness and meditation sessions • sleep support • habit-building exercises • diet and lifestyle guidance All delivered through a chat-style interactive course , which is surprisingly engaging when you’re struggling to focus. It’s a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure therapy conversation . Find of the Week The therapy format inside the Flow app — genuinely useful behavioural therapy exercises delivered in a way that actually keeps you engaged. If I find similar tools that don’t require a brain-electrocuting headset , I’ll link them here. Ok so there's one called Youper but it's not available in the UK annoyingly. Abby - your AI therapist looks good. Or Wysa the app looks good too. Haven't tried any of them though so... just going off the App Store sales pitch! Fail of the Week I currently have around 200 unanswered messages across email, WhatsApp and DMs. The longer I leave them, the more awkward the replies become. Classic. The experiment continues I’ll report back again once I’ve used the headset for the full three-week protocol to see whether it actually improves: • mood • motivation • executive function • anxiety Or whether I’ve simply been mildly electrifying my forehead for no reason. Join the conversation If you’ve tried anything that actually helped your mental health, motivation or executive function — send it my way. DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Join the Book Club We’re currently reading Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway inside the Actually Trying Book Club. Join here: https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today’s episode is about mental health, low mood, chronic anxiety, executive dysfunction, and a slightly alarming-looking headset that may or may not be about to change my life. I’m trying the Flow Neuroscience headset — a non-invasive medical device that uses tDCS (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) to stimulate the part of the brain linked to depression. In simpler terms: I am, apparently, going to start plugging my forehead into a charger . And honestly? At this point I’m open to it. In this episode I talk about: My long history of low mood, dread, anxiety, and general internal gloom Everything I’ve already tried: CBT EMDR Acceptance and Commitment Therapy medication exercise water sleep trying really hard not to lose the plot What the Flow headset actually is How it’s meant to work Why the NHS uses it The statistics that made me willing to strap an electrical device to my head Whether this is cutting-edge science or a sign that modern life has gone badly wrong Why our ancestors may have had lives that were more naturally protective of mental health than ours are now Also in this episode: A new Ask Guru & Granny segment on beauty, Botox, fillers, lipstick, tailored clothing, and why my mother believes a teaspoon of botulism could kill the human race. So, as usual, it’s a mixed bag. What happens next? I’m starting the headset experiment now. On Friday I’ll report back on: what it feels like whether it hurts what the app is like and whether I feel even slightly less like I’m permanently treading emotional water The bigger results, apparently, take a few weeks — so this is just the beginning Send in your dilemmas for Ask Guru & Granny If you want me and Old Ma to attempt to solve your problems, send them over. DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod And if I ignored your last one by accident, just bump it and send it again. Join the book club We’ve just started Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway inside the Actually Trying book club. https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial If you enjoyed this episode Please follow the show, leave a review, or share it with a friend who: is hanging on by a thread has tried everything or would absolutely try electrically charging their forehead if it meant feeling a bit more perky Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last week I tested the internet’s favourite anti-doomscrolling trick: turning your phone to gray scale (black and white) . The theory is simple: remove the bright colours that hijack your brain’s dopamine system and suddenly your phone becomes far less addictive. Did it cut my screen time in half? Well… not exactly. But it did reveal some interesting things about how our brains react to colour, stimulation, and the endless scroll. In this week’s Field Report we discuss: Whether gray scale actually reduced my screen time Why social media becomes weirdly less appealing in black and white How the experiment accidentally pushed me into a ChatGPT rabbit hole Why real life suddenly looked much more colourful and vivid A brief “Have We Lost the Plot?” anthropology segment on humans and colour stimulation The unexpected downside: trying to play phone games in grayscale Plus: Find of the Week Appreciating colour again (and the joy of bold interiors) Fail of the Week Spending another two hours helping June solve a murder in June’s Journey Links & Things Mentioned Join the Actually Trying Book Club 👉 https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Lucy’s interiors Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/lucycollierinteriors Follow the Show Follow the podcast so you don’t miss next week’s experiment. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who is also trying (and occasionally failing) to reduce their screen time. Next Week Next week’s topic may or may not make brands even more nervous about working with me… but at this point the damage is probably already done. See you then. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If your screen time is creeping up… If your phone feels impossible to put down… If the real world is starting to look a bit dull by comparison… This week I’m testing a free, surprisingly simple method that claims to reduce doomscrolling fast. No apps. No discipline hacks. No expensive “digital detox” retreats. Just one setting change. In this episode we discuss: How color and contrast hijack your dopamine system Why overstimulation can make the real world feel flat The “gray scale” method and how to set it up And why I realised I needed to fix this — urgently I’m committing to a full week of gray scale to see if it genuinely reduces screen time. If you try it too, let me know what happens. The Instructions To enable grayscale on an iPhone, navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters, then toggle "Color Filters" on and select "Grayscale" To turn on grayscale on Android, go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > Bedtime mode and enable "Grayscale" 📲 DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod I’ll report back with the results. ⭐ If this episode helps: Follow the show, leave a review, or send it to the friend who says “I don’t go on my phone that much” but somehow knows every trend Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
📚 Book Club Free Trial : https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial Next month’s book: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway Link in show notes. Join us so I can reject brands with confidence. ANYWAY I’m back from the front lines. Four whole days. Zero processed food. Planned, chopped, cooked, washed up. Repeated. Never again. In this episode we discuss: The emotional toll of planning three meals a day like a Victorian housewife Whether chopping board dinners are secretly genius Why cheeseboard dinner is an elite parenting hack The M&S “non-UPF” range (sausages, buns, ketchup — full review) Migraines, morale, and missing Biscoff Being dropped by my first big brand deal and spiralling publicly Whether I should sell my soul for a podcast editor And if early death from crisps is simply a trade-off I’m willing to make The experiment verdict? Did I feel superhuman? No. Did I feel morally superior? Briefly. Did I miss ready meals with my entire being? Yes. 🧀 FIND OF THE WEEK Cheeseboard dinner. Elevated picky bits. Zero guilt. Highly recommend. ❌ FAIL OF THE WEEK Everything else. If you’ve cracked the code on eating well without turning it into a full-time job, tell me. 📲 DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode: Follow the show. Leave a review. Send it to a friend but pre warn them about which episodes are shite. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last week I tried going ultra-processed-food-free. I lasted one day. Then I got violently ill. Was it the chicken? Was it soft play? Was it karma for mocking chopping-board influencers? Unclear. This week is Take 2. Because the real question isn’t “Is processed food bad?” It’s: How on earth are we supposed to avoid it if we can’t cook and don’t have a private chef? In this episode we discuss: My catastrophic attempt at roasting a chicken Why I owe chopping-board people an apology Cottage cheese and berries (I’m still not convinced) The alarming bacteria situation on cutting boards The new M&S “UPF-free” range Why modern health advice quietly assumes unlimited time Whether there’s a realistic middle ground between crisps and grinding your own flour I’m trialling: The single-ingredient chopping board approach The M&S UPF-free range And whatever I can manage without poisoning myself again I’ll report back properly in Friday’s Field Report. If you have: Healthy ready meal recommendations Low-effort meal hacks Or thoughts on whether I’ve lost the plot Tell me. 📲 DM me on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod I read them. I respond. I occasionally take your advice. Private chef reel link : https://www.instagram.com/reel/CteX-QfMvkD/?igsh=cjR4bzNlOHM2eGU3 ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode: Follow the show, leave a review, or send it to a friend who owns a chopping board but still eats waffles daily. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week’s update is… brief. After confidently declaring I would attempt a week of ultra-processed-food-free living, I made it: 👉 One day. And now I am recording this hunched over a sick bowl in what can only be described as the pink fluffy gown of shame. Is it norovirus? Is it food poisoning? Is it my body rebelling against actual vegetables? We do not yet know. What we do know: • Cooking is dangerous • My stomach muscles are shot • The commitment to this podcast remains intact Full debrief on Monday — assuming I survive. — 📚 Join “Actually Trying” for the proper breakdowns (when I’m upright again): https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/freetrial 📲 Follow along for live chaos: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Like. Subscribe. Send electrolytes. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on Field Notes, we enter the land of: Ultra-Processed Food. According to certain very serious doctors on the internet, UPFs are now: “The leading cause of early death on planet earth. Ahead of tobacco.” Cool. Not dramatic at all. So naturally, I’ve decided to test whether cutting them out for a week will: Improve my migraines Reduce my exhaustion Fix my yo-yo weight history Or simply make me feral and resentful Because unfortunately… most of the things listed as “ultra-processed” are the things I actually eat. 🥪 In This Episode We Discuss: What actually counts as Ultra-Processed Food (and how inconsistent the definitions are) The claim that UPFs are worse than tobacco The inflammation / microbiome argument The counter-argument from registered dietitians Whether the research is observational or causal Food anxiety vs legitimate health concern My chaotic personal diet Growing up on enforced raw spinach Cheese-based GCSE breakdowns Yo-yo weight cycles and hyper-palatable food Ozempic changing the household food dynamic Whether non-UPF eating is realistic with children Why I eat like a 19-year-old boy with a student loan And whether “whole foods” are actually practical in real life 🍽 Personal Context (Aka Why This Is a Problem) My current diet includes: Fistfuls of turkey Salt & vinegar crisps Tuna pasta Mushroom coffee Minimal fruit Suspiciously little fibre Meanwhile the internet is telling me my gut lining is dissolving and my liver is weeping. So this week I attempt to go: 👉 UPF-Free (or as close as I can manage) And we’ll see whether: My energy changes My migraines shift My mood improves Or whether I simply miss crisps 🧠 Bigger Questions Are we pathologising modern food? Is this another wellness panic? Or is the hyper-palatable environment genuinely wrecking us? Can a busy parent realistically cook everything from scratch? And why does cutting processed food feel so emotionally loaded? 👵 Guru & Granny Returns This week’s dilemma: “I’ve narrowed it down to three husband contenders. How do I choose?” Featuring: The Strong Stomach Theory™ The Chap Olympiad Escape room testing Vomit resilience And a brief detour into secret families You’re welcome. 📚 JOIN “ACTUALLY TRYING” If you’d like to improve your life without becoming insufferable: Join the book club / self-improvement group chat over on Substack. This month: 👉 Atomic Habits by James Clear You’ll get: Weekly practical breakdowns Private podcast episodes Cheat sheets Knowledge topics And a place to collectively sort ourselves out Join here: https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/subscribe Or sign up free for the weekly notes. 📲 Follow & Share Follow on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod Share this episode with someone who: Owns at least three types of oat milk Is suspicious of emulsifiers Or eats crisps in the car and calls it “lunch” Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week’s Field Report is the follow-up on vagus nerve regulation, still-face parenting, and trying to soothe our fried nervous systems. I tested the homework: Ice water dunk. Breath work. Humming (unfortunately, in public). Links Mentioned Vagus nerve stimulation device - https://shorturl.at/Q0YQQ Breath work app - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/breathwrk-breathing-exercises/id1481804500 Gospel Sunday Service Choir track - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qre8LJVd3o (wait for SIA to come out and sing with them, it gets me every time. Also look up 'sunday service choir' on youtube or spotify and enjoy the full album. I love 'rain' and 'father stretch' the most. 📚 Join “Actually Trying” Private podcast episodes, book breakdowns, and practical self-improvement without becoming unbearable. https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/subscribe Follow on Instagram: @rosehoneymorgan @field.notes.pod New episodes every Monday (deep dive) and Friday (Field Report). In this episode we discuss: Full head ice dunk attempts (and whether they calm you down or just make you feel mildly feral) Why breath work felt surprisingly effective The school gate humming incident The still-face experiment and why scrolling in front of your kids hits differently Why regulation starts in the body, not the brain Whether overthinking (and over-ChatGPT-ing) makes stress worse The new vagus nerve stimulation device you can clip to your ear The gospel choir soundtrack that fuelled my public “moment” Why humans used to regulate naturally (and now need calendar reminders to breathe) 💀 Fail of the Week Public humming. Misread eye contact. A minor wellbeing check from one of the two hot dads. We move. 💡 Find of the Week Regulation is physical. You cannot reason your way out of stress when your heart is racing. Long exhales > spiralling thoughts. Unclench your jaw > rewrite your narrative. Body first. Brain second. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Vagus Nerve Tips, Stress & Still Face Parenting This week I force you to join in with whatever the mad reels tell us to do - so concentrate. My algorithm is obsessed with vagus nerve regulation : calm your nervous system, soothe your vagal tone, stop being on edge, stop snapping, stop doom-scrolling and just… relax. So naturally, I decided to look into it. In this episode I unpack why modern life feels so dysregulating, why scrolling feels calming but actually isn’t, and whether humming, cold water, jaw unclenching and breathing like an ancient human might help — or whether we’ve officially lost the plot. You may need to unclench your teeth while listening. 🧠 What We Cover • Why “just calm down” doesn’t work • The Still Face experiment — and why blank-facing kids backfires • What the vagus nerve actually does (without wellness nonsense) • Why your body has to feel safe before your brain can think • The most common vagus nerve tips from Instagram • Which ones felt useful, which felt weird, and which I’ll actually keep 🧪 The Internet Advice I Tested Including: • Humming & singing • Breathing out longer than in • Jaw and tongue relaxation • Cold water on the face • Slow movement instead of checking out No ice baths. No candles. No pretending we live in a monastery. 🏺 Have We Lost the Plot? Probably not. Humans have always regulated themselves through: • movement • rhythm • cold exposure • shared calm We just used to do it naturally — now we have to remember. 🔁 Field Report Coming Friday I’ll report back on whether any of this helped in real life, or whether it joined the long list of things that sounded promising and didn’t survive a weekday. 📚 JOIN “ACTUALLY TRYING” If you want help actually applying this stuff (without becoming insufferable): 👉 https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/subscribe This month’s book: Atomic Habits – James Clear You’ll get: • Weekly breakdowns you can actually use • Private podcast episodes • Cheat sheets & summaries • Anti-brain-rot knowledge topics You can also join free for the notes via email. 📲 STAY IN THE GROUP CHAT Follow along on Instagram: • @rosehoneymorgan • @field.notes.pod And come back Friday for the field report. Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
📚 JOIN “ACTUALLY TRYING” at https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/subscribe This month’s book: 👉 Atomic Habits by James Clear You’ll get: • Weekly breakdowns you can actually implement • Private podcast episodes • Cheat sheets & summaries • Anti-brain-rot knowledge topics Or sign up free for the notes part in your email. Field Report: Psychic Signs, Spirit Messages & When “Woo-Woo” Gets a Bit Much This week’s Field Report is the follow-up to Monday’s episode on signs from the universe, mediumship, and whether humans secretly need meaning to function. I promised to test it myself. So naturally, I: ✔ Went to a celebrity psychic ✔ Asked the universe (and possibly my dead dad) for a very specific sign ✔ Emotionally spiralled slightly ✔ Learned an unexpectedly useful life lesson This episode contains psychic predictions, Ocado logistics, grief anthropology, and the first ever Guru & Granny agony aunt segment — which immediately descends into curtain-related chaos. You’ve been warned. 🔮 PART 1 — The Psychic Visit I revisit the psychic reading I had while pregnant and unpack: • The eerily accurate pregnancy and birth prediction • The very weird pocket watch story • The food/content creation prediction that aged… suspiciously well • The possibility my mum believes psychics just hire private investigators • The big question: coincidence, cold reading, or something stranger? 👻 PART 2 — Asking the Universe (and My Dad) for a Sign I tested the theory properly by requesting one specific sign: 👉 The name “Tim” 👉 Offline only 👉 Within three days The results include: • Stick-based desperation • Ocado driver Timothy (plum van edition) • The Reticular Activating System explained in real life • Why looking for signs made grief feel… louder, not lighter 💔 FAIL OF THE WEEK Why deliberately searching for spiritual reassurance actually made my mental state worse — including: • Emotional dwelling • Grief resurfacing • Incense-fuelled crying sessions Not exactly the influencer wellness journey promised. 💡 FIND OF THE WEEK Turns out: 👉 Asking actual living humans for support works surprisingly well Featuring: • Asking Old Ma for help • Adult children still wanting their mum to tidy their room • The emotional science of support vs isolation 👵 NEW SEGMENT — Guru & Granny Our first listener dilemma arrives: “How do I persuade my husband to fund bespoke home renovations without murdering him?” Expect: • Alarmingly traditional advice • Weaponised porridge window insulation • Manipulation strategies that should absolutely not be peer reviewed 🧠 Bigger Takeaway Looking for signs might comfort some people. But this experiment raised bigger questions about: • Grief processing • Pattern-seeking human brains • Why meaning matters psychologically • And when “self-help spirituality” quietly becomes avoidance ✉️ WRITE INTO GURU & GRANNY Send your dilemmas, chaos, or questionable life decisions via DM or to my instagram @rosehoneymorgan or @field.notes.pod You can remain anonymous. Highly encouraged after this episode. 🎙 ABOUT FIELD NOTES A self-improvement podcast for people who are: • Chronically online • Mildly overwhelmed • Trying to improve their lives without becoming insufferable Each week I test internet advice so you don’t have to. ⭐ If You Enjoyed This Episode Please follow, rate, and share with someone who has either: • Googled angel numbers at 2am • Booked a psychic once “just for fun” • Or owns at least three types of incense Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/ For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpod Youtube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morgan For brand enquiries: rhm@intertalentgroup.com ***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
