Why are you so busy? Author Katherine May and Jane Lindsay of creative community Snapdragon Life talk to Viv Groskop about using busy-ness as anaesthetic, as distraction, as armour. They talk about making a business built on connection, not consumerism. They talk about drawing strength and purpose from times of difficulty. They talk about hibernating dormice, swimming in ice cubes and taking life advice from seagulls.

@VivGroskop
#wecanrebuildher

Katherine's book, Wintering: How I learned to flourish when life became frozen is out now.

You can find out more about Jane's community at Snapdragon Life.

Viv's books, including Au Revoir Tristesse: Lessons in Happiness from French Literature and Lift As You Climb: Women and the Art of Ambition are also out now.

Music is by Liam Grundy

Design is by Sean Brightman.

So - what do you do? Author (and former police officer) Clare Mackintosh and career coach (and jazz singer) Alexa Shoen talk to Viv Groskop about managing career change and rethinking your identity. Are you frozen at a crossroads? Are you investing in yourself? Do you know that Linked In is basically Tinder? And when it comes to money, are you following Cindy Gallop's advice and asking for "the highest amount you can say out loud without actually bursting out laughing"?

@VivGroskop
#wecanrebuildher

Alexa's book Entry Level Boss: a 9 step guide for finding a job you like and actually getting hired to do it is out now.

Clare Mackintosh's books, including After the End are also out now.

Viv's books, including Lift As You Climb: Women and the Art of Ambition and Au Revoir Tristesse: Lessons in Happiness from French Literature are also, of course, out now.

Music is by Liam Grundy

Design is by Sean Brightman.

When things mess up, how do we pick ourselves up? Author Michele Roberts and psychotherapist Julia Samuel talk to Viv Groskop about facing failure, coping with crisis and coming back from disaster. They talk work, love, big ideas, small solutions, negative capability - and kickboxing.

Michele's book Negative Capability: A Diary of Surviving is out now.

Julia's book This Too Shall Pass: Stories of Change, Crisis and Hopeful Beginnings is too.

And so are Viv's books, including Au Revoir Tristesse: Lessons in Happiness from French Literature and Lift As You Climb: Women and the Art of Ambition 

Music is by Liam Grundy

Design is by Sean Brightman.