17: Ancient Wisdom: Modern Science with Michelle Hammond - Episode 1717: Ancient Wisdom: Modern Science with Michelle Hammond - Episode 17
UK Health Radio Podcast
Michelle Hammond talks with bestselling author and resilience guide Jilly Mulford about trauma, grief and the practical choices that build genuine resilience. Through personal experience and everyday tools, Jilly shares how small, consistent actions can grow strength from life’s deepest cracks.
41:08•1 Oct 2026
Where Dandelions Grow: Jilly Mulford on Resilience, Grief and Choice
Episode Overview
- Resilience is not just endlessly pushing on; it begins with recognising you have conscious choice over how you label and respond to feelings.
- Pausing in moments of overwhelm and asking whether a thought is actually a fact can quickly reduce anxiety and catastrophising.
- Simple, consistent habits like morning gratitude, scheduled pauses and playful distractions help create a more stable emotional baseline.
- Contentment, rather than constant happiness, is presented as a realistic and healthy foundation for life.
- Asking for help can be made easier by agreed signals, such as sending a specific emoji to trusted friends when support is needed.
“"You have the power of choice in everything you do, and every decision you make, every feeling that you have and the way you label it."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s *Ancient Wisdom: Modern Science* centres on emotional resilience, grief and everyday self-care, offering practical support for anyone feeling overwhelmed, including those rebuilding life after addiction or loss. Host Michelle Hammond chats with writer and resilience guide Jilly Mulford, whose number one bestseller *Where Dandelions Grow* was born from "so much trauma"—bullying, breakdown, divorce and the devastating loss of her son, Ollie, to suicide.
Jilly shares how people kept asking, "How do you stay so upbeat and so positive?" which eventually pushed her to put her tools and practices into a book after a friend said, "You saved me." You’ll hear Jilly challenge the usual idea that resilience just means "plowing on" until you hit a wall.
For her, resilience starts with choice: "You have the power of choice in everything you do." She explains how reframing thoughts, pausing when overwhelm hits, and asking "Is this a thought or a fact?" can shift anxiety, catastrophising and obsessive mental loops. The episode has a gentle, honest tone, mixing heavy themes with light touches of humour (including naming her inner critic "Dave").
Jilly talks about using simple, repeatable habits—gratitude over morning coffee, short breaks, games on her phone, and even sending a pre-agreed emoji to friends—to build sustainable self-care. Her dandelion metaphor is especially moving: dandelions grow where the soil is poorest, "spreading seeds of strength through roots"—a picture of resilience growing from life’s hardest ground. This is a thoughtful listen for anyone dealing with grief, mental health challenges, workplace stress or recovery, and for those supporting others.
Could it be time to pause, question your thoughts, and start scattering a few seeds of strength in your own life?
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