Mind Your Head

Elliott Hagen
Mind Your Head
Latest episode

79 episodes

  • Mind Your Head

    Living Life to the Fullest: What Cancer Taught Tainui Kaihau

    13/04/2026 | 1h 41 mins.
    In this episode of Mind Your Head, I sit down with Tainui Kaihau for a real conversation about what it takes to keep going when life gets heavy — and how you rebuild yourself on the other side.

    Tainui opens up about the darkest parts of his cancer journey: the fear, the mental battle, and the moments that tested him most. We talk about how he stayed mentally strong through it all, and how it shaped the mindset he lives by now — determination, perspective, and a drive to live life to the fullest and inspire others along the way.

    We also get into sobriety and what changed when he stopped numbing things, the simple habits that keep him steady, and what it’s like learning to love and be loved while you’re still healing.

    Tainui shares how he stays authentic with an online presence, deals with negative comments, protects his peace, and keeps grounded when the internet gets loud. With his fiancé now pregnant, we talk fatherhood — the kind of dad he wants to be, the home he wants to create, and the values he wants to live by going forward.

    And we dive into his 100km charity run for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a cause close to his heart that supported him and his family during cancer — proof of what’s possible when purpose is bigger than pain. Tainui is one of the most positive, uplifting humans I’ve had the pleasure of talking to, and that energy is infectious. If you need perspective, motivation, or a reason to keep showing up, this one will land.

    This episode is brought to you by True Protein. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOP NOW!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don’t miss out - hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to stay updated with our latest episodes! If you found value in this episode, please leave a review, share it with your friends, and tag us on social media!
    Instagram: ⁠@mindyourhead.podcast
    YouTube: @mindyourhead.podcast
    Facebook: ⁠@mindyourhead.pod
  • Mind Your Head

    Saavanah Bourke: The Battle No One Sees

    29/03/2026 | 1h 30 mins.
    Saavanah is someone who’s always been driven — the kind of person who shows up, keeps moving, and gets on with it. But behind that strength has been a real internal battle that a lot of people would never pick.

    In this episode of Mind Your Head, Saavanah takes us through her upbringing, the moments that shaped her sense of self and the ways food and exercise became wrapped up in perfectionism, anxiety and the need to feel in control — even when everything looked fine from the outside.

    We talk about the reality of looking “high-functioning” while silently struggling, what self-doubt sounds like when it follows you everywhere and the turning points that forced her to start choosing herself. We also touch on what it’s like to live in a world where you’re constantly perceived and how that can feed the need for approval, perfection and pressure.

    This is a honest conversation about identity, self-worth, recovery and learning to be kinder to yourself. If you’ve ever felt like you’re fighting battles quietly, this one will land.

    If this episode brings anything up for you, support is available. In Australia, you can reach out to the Butterfly Foundation (eating disorders support) and Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    This episode is brought to you by True Protein. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOP NOW!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don’t miss out - hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to stay updated with our latest episodes! If you found value in this episode, please leave a review, share it with your friends, and tag us on social media!
    Instagram: ⁠@mindyourhead.podcast
    YouTube: @mindyourhead.podcast
    Facebook: ⁠@mindyourhead.pod
  • Mind Your Head

    Learning to Understand Your Emotions with Matt Runnalls

    25/03/2026 | 1h 23 mins.
    This week on Mind Your Head, I sit down with Matt Runnalls - mental health advocate, speaker and founder of Mindfull Aus.

    At a young age, Matt lost multiple close friends to suicide. Experiences like that don’t just pass - they shape you. They change the way you see the world, the way you see yourself and the way you carry pain.

    We talk about what that actually felt like.

    The grief, the confusion, the weight of it all and the pressure to keep going when everything inside you feels heavy.

    Matt opens up about his own struggles with mental health, the moments where things felt dark and the turning points that helped him start to see things differently.

    We get into the idea of being “the strong one,” what that really costs and why so many people are quietly carrying more than they let on.

    We also speak about masculinity, vulnerability, and the importance of learning how to sit with your emotions instead of pushing them away.

    This isn’t a conversation with all the answers. It’s an honest one about pain, healing and what it looks like to slowly rebuild a relationship with yourself.

    If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected or like you’re carrying something you don’t fully understand - this one will resonate.

    This episode is brought to you by True Protein. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOP NOW!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don’t miss out - hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to stay updated with our latest episodes! If you found value in this episode, please leave a review, share it with your friends, and tag us on social media!
    Instagram: ⁠@mindyourhead.podcast
    YouTube: @mindyourhead.podcast
    Facebook: ⁠@mindyourhead.pod
  • Mind Your Head

    Learning to Understand Your Emotions with Matt Runnalls

    25/03/2026 | 1h 30 mins.
    This week on Mind Your Head, I sit down with Matt Runnalls - mental health advocate, speaker and founder of Mindfull Aus.

    At a young age, Matt lost multiple close friends to suicide. Experiences like that don’t just pass - they shape you. They change the way you see the world, the way you see yourself and the way you carry pain.

    We talk about what that actually felt like.

    The grief, the confusion, the weight of it all and the pressure to keep going when everything inside you feels heavy.

    Matt opens up about his own struggles with mental health, the moments where things felt dark and the turning points that helped him start to see things differently.

    We get into the idea of being “the strong one,” what that really costs and why so many people are quietly carrying more than they let on.

    We also speak about masculinity, vulnerability, and the importance of learning how to sit with your emotions instead of pushing them away.

    This isn’t a conversation with all the answers. It’s an honest one about pain, healing and what it looks like to slowly rebuild a relationship with yourself.

    If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, disconnected or like you’re carrying something you don’t fully understand - this one will resonate.

    This episode is brought to you by True Protein. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOP NOW!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don’t miss out - hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to stay updated with our latest episodes! If you found value in this episode, please leave a review, share it with your friends, and tag us on social media!
    Instagram: ⁠@mindyourhead.podcast
    YouTube: @mindyourhead.podcast
    Facebook: ⁠@mindyourhead.pod
  • Mind Your Head

    The Signs You’re Not Okay & When to Speak Up with Jack Davis

    18/03/2026 | 2h 1 mins.
    This week on Mind Your Head, I sit down with Jack Davis — founder of It’s Cool To Cry and someone I genuinely have a lot of respect for.

    In his twenties, Jack lost his girlfriend Elle to suicide. A moment that completely changed the course of his life. What followed was a period of deep grief, numbness, anger, and trying to make sense of emotions he never really learned how to process.

    In this conversation, Jack opens up about that experience — the love he had for Elle, the aftermath of losing her, and what it looked like trying to navigate life while carrying that kind of pain.

    We speak about mental health, masculinity, identity, and the pressure a lot of men feel to hold everything in. Jack shares how he went from shutting down emotionally to doing the work on himself, and how that journey led to creating It’s Cool To Cry — a movement helping people feel more comfortable opening up about what’s really going on in their heads.

    We also dive into practical conversations around mental health — the signs to look out for when you’re not okay, when it might be time to speak up, and why you don’t have to wait until things get really bad to ask for help.

    This is an honest, grounded conversation about grief, healing, and turning pain into purpose.If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone who might need it.

    This episode is brought to you by True Protein. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOP NOW!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don’t miss out - hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to stay updated with our latest episodes! If you found value in this episode, please leave a review, share it with your friends, and tag us on social media!
    Instagram: ⁠@mindyourhead.podcast
    YouTube: @mindyourhead.podcast
    Facebook: ⁠@mindyourhead.pod

More Health & Wellness podcasts

About Mind Your Head

Welcome to Mind Your Head, a space for people to share their stories, talk openly and honestly about their own mental health challenges and to give listeners some comfort in knowing you’re not alone. Im Elliott Hagen and my aim is to give people the courage and confidence to have difficult and vulnerable conversations with love ones, to better understand each other and to improve their mental health. It’s not easy and it never will be but conversations change mindsets. This podcast is brought to you by On Track Studio.
Podcast website

Listen to Mind Your Head, Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features