On Episode 78, Sunny Bahuguna sits with Chris Burnett.

In 2020, Chris started a personal project to reconnect with people in his life. It started with weekly calls to catch up. Then, he began asking if he could interview them about their lives.

To date, Chris has recorded more than 75 conversations. After seeing the impact this project had on himself and his people, he decided to share the idea with a broader audience. His book, Conversations: Connecting with People in Our Lives, was released in November.

Funnily enough, I was introduced to Chris by a mutual friend, another Chris, whom we have had on the podcast. Having these deep conversations with people we care about is so important. It strengthens our relationships and allows us a better perspective of our people and ourselves.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Chris’s earlier years: Struggling with bullying, growing up Scottish and being vulnerable in a masculine environment, and his relationship with his father.
• Chris’s project: how it began (catching up with one person a week) and how that grew into him reaching out for recorded interviews, and then, a book
• Interview format – the wording Chris used during his initial contact, and how he structures the phone conversations
• How these deep conversations can help the person “interviewed” feel special, and how the interviews rekindled lots of relationships for Chris
• My personal story on my relationship with friends and family
• How the experience helped Chris learn about his friends and family and reflect on his own life and childhood

Chris has invited us all to reach out to someone to reconnect, invite them out or call them on the phone. Let them know you want to catch up and find out how they are, showing them that they are important to you. You get to remind them of their worth, and in that, you will feel yours.

Podcast is available wherever you get your episodes - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. 💙

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There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding mental health so if there are any triggers for you please know there is support and there will be plenty of links in access below.

LifeLine (Australia) - Ph: 13 11 14 https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Banksia Project - https://thebanksiaproject.org.au/

Mr. Perfect - https://mrperfect.org.au/

NHS (UK) - Urgent mental health support https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline

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As always, Bottled Up is a passion project to help provide a voice to those many men who are going through the peaks and troughs of life. We are not trained professionals and if you're worried about someone close to you and their mental wellbeing, it's important to get professional advice.

Start a conversation with them and let them know that they're not alone and that there are many support resources out there - including friends, family, school chaplains and plenty more!

If you're feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Beyond Blue has a number of trained mental health professionals available 24/7 on 1800 512 348.

For immediate support, call Lifeline on 13 11 44 and in an emergency, always dial 000.

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Music: https://www.purple-planet.com