The Life of You – Ashley James on Girlfriends, Good Books and Late-Night Jigsaws

On this weeks bonus episode, Bryony sits down with writer, creator and “sober mum” Cat Sims for a brilliantly honest conversation about the three things that help her live her best life.

This week, I’m joined by writer, creator and fellow sober woman Cat Sims for a conversation that is raw, funny, uncomfortable in places, and deeply hopeful. We talk about what “functioning alcoholism” really looks like when you’re a mother, why so many women struggle in silence, and the strange loneliness of feeling completely out of control while still appearing to hold everything together.

Matt Haig is back for this bonus episode! After our main conversation about The Midnight Train and his mental health journey, I wanted to dig into the three things he actually leans on when his brain wants to sprint off in twelve different directions at once. Matt talks honestly about addiction, breakdown and why undiagnosed ADHD made his life feel like constant self-sabotage. He shares how the “boring” stuff – sleep, routine and structure – became his first line of defence, why sobriety turned out to be the most exhilarating decision of his life, and how love, friendship and family stopped him disappearing into the darkness. If your mind feels messy, addictive or out of control, this episode is a reminder that you don’t need perfect habits – just a few non-negotiables that help you keep going.

This week, I’m joined by Matt Haig – bestselling author, mental health advocate, and the man whose books have quietly sat on so many of our bedside tables, getting us through the dark nights. Matt’s new novel, The Midnight Train, returns to the universe of The Midnight Library and asks what happens when we stop chasing “what if” and start making peace with the life we’ve actually lived. We talk about depression, suicide, and what it really feels like to be trapped in your own mind – and why survival, not tragedy, is now the story we should tell about mental illness. Matt opens up about late-diagnosed autism and ADHD, agoraphobia, shame, and shoplifting, and how all of it somehow turned him into a writer. We also explore why books are still the bravest kind of media, how travel helped his recovery, and why he now dreams of opening a bookshop. If you’ve ever felt like the odd one out, like you’re “too much” or “not enough”, this conversation will make you feel a little more seen – and a little less alone.

In our first conversation, Paris Paloma talked about patriarchy, protest songs and mental illness; now I’m asking her a different question: what are the three things she absolutely cannot live without when the world feels too loud? From the chaos of the music industry to the emotional toll of being permanently online, Paris shares the small, grounding essentials that keep her tethered to herself and her joy. We talk about what really sustains her offstage, how she carves out space to be a human being as well as an artist, and why learning to ask for what you need is not “being a diva” – it is survival.