Inside the mdxMindset Podcast: Empowering Students Through Wellness Conversations

The mdxMindset Podcast is an engaging series hosted by Dr Yousra Osman, Senior Lecturer and Campus Programme Coordinator in Education at Middlesex University (MDX) Dubai, and Navya Pudhukkudi Chanolien, a Teaching Assistant in Law at MDX Dubai, also part of the MDX Wellness Office. This podcast aims to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing, lessen stigmas, and foster open conversations and help-seeking behaviour. Drawing from their own experiences, guest insights, and research-based evidence, the hosts address current student issues and broader wellbeing issues. Episodes have explored topics like imposter syndrome, the role of hobbies in wellbeing, and how routines can enhance productivity. We had the pleasure of discussing the origins and the journey of the mdxMindset Podcast with Dr Yousra and Navya. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Who originally started the podcast?

The idea actually came up during one of the Wellness Office meetings – it wasn’t intentional but as we went off topic during the meeting, the idea of the podcast was born. Since it was an initiative both of us were interested in and would like to learn more about, we decided to take action.

2. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind starting the mdxMindset podcast?

We originally had a blog for students to connect with wellness topics, which still exists, but to increase engagement, we thought a podcast would have a better reach so we could have an open dialogue with the wider community. Through a podcast, you can have two-way conversations that allow us to dig deeper into a topic, plus the discussion flows more freely.

3. Can you give us an overview of some of the key topics or themes you've covered so far?

So, the episodes we have so far are Bedtime and Burnout: looking at how the lack of routine and evening routines can impact your wellbeing and productivity; our next one is Fraud or Fear, which looks at imposter syndrome; and we also have Hobbies for Happiness, that looks at how to increase creativity and how hobbies connect with wellbeing. We are currently editing an episode from our mdxMindset panel discussion on self-diagnosing through social media.

4. How do you engage students, staff, and the wider community in the podcast?

Our topics are based on conversations we have had with students or issues that we see, but we are also inviting staff and experts from the community as guests on the podcast. We like to have a mix of anecdotal evidence, our own experiences, and research-based evidence.

5. Can you share some examples of memorable contributions or feedback you've received?

Having our two guest speakers, Rubiena Zahoor, MDX Dubai mental health counsellor, and Aakanksha Tangri, Founder and CEO of Re:Set on our podcast was extremely insightful; they raised topics we hadn’t thought of, and our listeners relayed the same feedback.

6. What kind of feedback have you received from listeners, and how has it influenced your approach?

We have received positive feedback about the topics being relatable. Our ideas for episode topics tend to come up quite naturally in conversations, and we like to keep the discussion as organic as possible while also, of course, grounding it in some relevant research. So, it was nice to also note that listeners enjoyed the chemistry that we shared during these conversations!

7. What are some challenges you’ve faced in producing the podcast, and how have you overcome them?

Mainly logistics: finding the time and booking the room, editing the audio—but a big shoutout to Vignesh (MDX Studios Assistant) for giving us his time and support in recording the episodes. Navya learned how to edit from a Middlesex University Dubai LLB Law alumna, Patricia Dela Cruz. It was great collaborating with different people, and it’s definitely still a learning process.

8. How do you envision the podcast evolving in the next few years?

We would like to record more episodes in the academic year and invite more experts in the field, but more importantly, have students join us as guests. It would also be great if the students themselves could host a session or two. It’s really about bringing different stakeholders together to have a variety of perspectives regarding mental health and wellbeing. As we grow, we hope to publish on more platforms as well.

We are still new and haven’t really distributed the podcast heavily yet, but from those who have listened, a few said they either had more insight on themselves or that they didn’t realise other people had such experiences, so it allowed them to develop a little more empathy and understanding.

9. What does the production process of an mdxMindset podcast episode look like?

First, we sit down and brainstorm topic ideas and based on that, we connect with potential guest speakers, although sometimes it can go the other way. We share general questions with our guests, but we like to keep it open so the conversation can go in any direction. Then it’s off to the recording studio, where all the fun is! Once we have finished the recording, Navya does the editing and publishes it on Spotify. We record in the MDX Podcast Studio and use the software ‘Audacity’ to edit.

10. What do you enjoy most about running the mdxMindset podcast?

We would say recording is the fun part, because that’s where the conversation is. We can connect with each other and with our guests while learning a whole lot. This is mainly because even though we plan and discuss very broadly what questions we want to answer BEFORE the recording, we do our own individual research and share during the actual recording instead of scripting it all!

If you're eager to catch up on the mdxMindset podcast, you can listen to their episodes on the mdxMindset Spotify Channel.