Catastrophising, Clogs and Dick Van Dyke’s Rules for Life

Your weekly Dig It round-up is here!

Hello Diggers,

We all deserve a little guilt-free rest every now and then, so sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy your weekly round-up of all things Dig It.

Enjoy!

JO + ZOE

In Case You Missed It…

On Monday’s Dig In… listener Jo shared an extraordinary story of caring, grief and catastrophising, and Becky asked us for advice on decorating her new home. Plus, we heard from an anonymous parent who wants to raise the alarm on rising teen sextortion.

On Wednesday… Jo took us behind the scenes at a very bare Glastonbury and the pair unpacked Sara Cox’s amazing challenge for Children in Need. Nemo the kitten also made a chaotic return, being equally mischievous and adorable - if that’s not a reason to watch Dig It on YouTube, we don’t know what is!

🪴 Watch on YouTube 🪴 Listen on Apple 🪴 Watch/Listen on Spotify

👡 Dig The Look

Jo has been loving these Holland Cooper clogs with a cosy fleece lining - perfect for slipping on for a bit of garden pottering in winter.

Zoe was influenced by Jo to get some of these Birkenstock mules - and she’s not sorry about it!

But the real debate is to Croc not to Croc? Jo is a definite no, but Zoe says she can enjoy a colourful Croc every now and then. Ugliest shoes on the planet or the perfect practical garden shoe?

🧘‍♀️Trouble slowing down?

We had a lovely voice note this week from Jo who struggles to rest without guilt after years of caring for others and extraordinary hardship. Jo and Zoe shared their advice for grounding yourself when your mind wants to catastrophise:

• Give Yourself Permission to Slow Down

  Enjoy the little moments of living for you. Taking joy in the small things is a way of honouring the people you’ve lost, not abandoning them. We all rush around so much now and life is already chaotic, so remind yourself that rest isn’t indulgent - it’s recovery from years of being ‘on alert’.

• Start Small

  If you’ve been in fight-or-flight mode for a long time, sitting down or relaxing for longer periods can feel scary and overwhelming. There are plenty of smaller ways that you can start to retrain your body and relax, like going for a short walk, buying yourself a cup of tea when you’re out and about, watching an episode of mindless telly or even taking yourself to a pottery café.

• Talk to a Professional

  Even if you have a strong support network of friends and family, talking to a professional is always a great option, especially if your family has experienced a trauma such as the loss of a loved one. A therapist can help reset patterns that have been shaped by years of emergencies and caring for others.

Hear Jo and Zoe’s own experiences with catastrophising and guilt, as well as more tips on what they do to slow down in the full episode.

🕺 Dick Van Dyke’s rules for life

As Dick Van Dyke nears 100 he gave a great interview to The Times on his rules for life. These were our favourites:

• You will miss your friends
  Aging means losing people you love. It can feel lonely and frustrating, but recognise that sadness without letting it define you. Stay open to connection and let memories be comforting, not crushing.

• Nobody has to be a grumpy old person
  Happiness is a choice. Don’t give in to bitterness, regret, or the negative news of the day. Keep a joyful, curious outlook and treat life as something to embrace, not endure.

• Dance your way to the breakfast table
  Movement and playfulness are daily medicine! Dance, sing, and laugh with your loved ones - even first thing in the morning - to keep your energy and spirit alive.

• Don’t live in the past
  Reminisce fondly but stay anchored in the present. Don’t dwell on bygone days - focus on what’s happening now and what’s next.

💻Teen Sextortion

We are always so honoured to hear and read your messages on Dig It, and we knew immediately that we wanted to share a voice note we received this week about sextortion. An anonymous parent told us about how their teen had been blackmailed into sending money to a scammer who threatened to share AI-generated sexual images of them. Luckily, this teen eventually spoke to their parents, but not before handing over nearly £300. You can listen to the full story on YouTube.

As always, the Dig It gang has come together and listener Nerys, who works for The Children’s Society, wanted to share some resources for any parents or teens who may be going through this.

• Financially Motivated Sexual Extortion explained

• What is Financial Exploitation?

• And this report where they spoke directly to teenagers about financial exploitation.

If you have any more expert advice to share, send us a voice note on WhatsApp on 07477 038795 or a message to questions@digitpod.com

🖼️ Dig the Design

Listener Becky got in touch this week asking about how to add more colour into her new home.

Joanne McNally photographed by Alex Cameron for Irish Independent.

Zoe: I used to be very neutral with colours but I have really embraced colour and patterns as I’ve got older and I love it. I adore Joanne McNally’s style - she has so many vibrant, bright colours and quirky features in her home. You can’t beat flicking through a magazine either. They often show you these amazing interiors and then they will find high street, budget-friendly versions of the same pieces for you.

Jo: One of my favourite things now is wallpaper. It’s such an amazing way to get colour and pattern into your home - you can have this amazing artwork on your wall that looks so dramatic and changes a space so completely. I generally have quite a lot of neutral walls though and then have a lot of bright, gaudy art decorating them. There are a few online shops I often go to for inspiration:

• Rockett St George

• Not on the High Street

• Cox & Cox

• Garden Trading

• Zara Home

• M&S Home

What are your go-to homeware stores?

💿 Crate Digging

Jo: I was so caught up in Sara Cox’s amazing challenge last week that I didn’t make it down to a record shop. So, my crate digging this week is the classic Elvis’ Christmas Album. Maybe it’s too soon for some of you, but in our house we’re trying to make plans with the kids and for Christmas parties already. On this we’ve got Blue Christmas, White Christmas, Silent Night and loads of others to get you in the festive mood.

Zoe: If we’re getting in the Christmas spirit, it’s got to be A Charlie Brown Christmas on vinyl for me. Christmas starts in our house when we watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special and the soundtrack is great. The vinyl is so beautiful as well - I always think it would make a great present!

👉 Don’t forget - you can listen to all of our picks on Spotify

🌱 Digging Into Next Week…

On Monday’s Dig In we’ll be answering your questions on when it’s too early to decorate for Christmas, armpit hair and dogs on HRT?!

If you want to hear Monday’s episode right now, you can listen and watch by becoming a member of The Potting Shed.

👉 Sign up to The Potting Shed here

The more of you, the more we can do! If you think a friend would love this newsletter or the podcast, why not forward this on?

Chat next week,

Jo + Zoe