Will you live to 100?

Medical science has added around 30 years to the average lifespan over the last century. But have we added 30 healthy years?

In this episode, Chris and Lily explore the difference between lifespan and healthspan — why living longer isn't enough if those extra years are spent dealing with illness, frailty or loss of independence.

Drawing on ideas from Peter Attia's bestselling book 'Outlive', they discuss the everyday habits that can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, while helping you stay active and independent for longer.

Whether you're in your twenties or your fifties, the choices you make today could shape the quality of your life decades from now.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why healthspan matters even more than lifespan

• The biggest mistakes Gen X and Gen Z make when thinking about ageing

• Peter Attia's four pillars of longevity: nutrition, exercise, sleep and emotional health

• Why strength, balance and muscle matter far more than appearance

• How healthy habits compound just like investing money

• Practical ways to reduce your risk of dementia, heart disease and other chronic illnesses

• Why it's never too early - or too late - to invest in your future health

From family experiences with ageing parents and grandparents to practical, science-backed advice, this conversation explores how both generations can give themselves the best chance of living longer, healthier and more meaningful lives.

If you enjoyed our recent episodes on wellness culture and why we're all so tired all the time, this is the perfect follow-on conversation.

Hit play now.

1.02 Live to 100 no matter what or 90 years healthily?

3.05 What Gen Z thinks about old age

4.09 What Gen X thinks

7.50 How healthy habits compound over time

9.23 Are we optimising for the wrong things?

11.32 What do you want to do in old age?

14.20 The Four Horsemen

15.05 Fast death vs slow death

16.58 Can you outrun your family medical history?

17.46 Nutrition

19.39 Exercise & stability

23.16 Sleep

23.57 Emotional health

26.19 Staying healthy for a 60-year Gen Z career

27.50 What you can do now

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

Have we become a little too obsessed with wellness?

From green powders and cold plunges to therapy talk, mindfulness apps and self-care routines, wellness has gone from a niche interest to a multi-trillion-dollar industry. But is it actually making us healthier and happier, or just giving us more things to worry about?

In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, Chris and Lily explore the rise of modern wellness culture and ask whether we've reached a tipping point. Looking at the issue through both Gen X and Gen Z eyes, they unpack what's genuinely helping us live better lives and where wellness might be doing more harm than good.

You'll learn:

• How wellness became one of the biggest industries in the world

• Why the 2010s and the COVID pandemic changed the way we think about health and wellbeing

• Whether therapy talk and self-diagnosis have gone too far

• The surprising downside of chasing the perfect body and perfect lifestyle

• Why corporate "wellness washing" often misses the point

• How wellness can become isolating instead of bringing us together

• Why community and strong relationships may be more important than expensive wellness trends

• What Gen X and Gen Z can learn from each other's approach to living well

Chris and Lily also discuss the uncomfortable truth that many of the people who could benefit most from wellness support are often the least able to afford it, and explore how we can build healthier lives without buying into every new trend.

Listen in and you'll discover that real wellbeing might have less to do with optimisation and more to do with connection, balance and belonging.

Hit play now and join the conversation.

0.58 What wellness means

2.44 The global wellness industry

5.56 Mental health goes mainstream and the COVID effect

8.49 the wellness response

9.55 has wellness got toxic?

10.33 therapy talk is now normalised

11.52 The focus on body image

13.48 Self-diagnosis culture

15.52 The dark side of wellness

17.32 Wellness washing

22.24 What the two generations can offer each other to make sense of wellness culture

23.38 The importance of community & relationships to our health

25.22 How wellness culture can be isolating

27.43 Our takeaways

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

How do you make a great first impression in a new job? And what separates the people who thrive in their first 90 days from those who struggle?

Starting a new role can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Whether you're beginning your career, changing employers, stepping into leadership, or navigating a fully remote environment, the first few months can shape your success for years to come.

In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, Chris and Lily explore what it really takes to start a new job successfully. They dive into Michael Watkins' renowned 'First 90 Days' framework, Chris's experience of leading teams and changing roles throughout his career, as well as Lily's perspective having landed her first professional internship, plus there's advice from Chris' LinkedIn community. They unpack how to build confidence, credibility and momentum from day one.

You'll learn:

• How to create a learning agenda for your first 30 days in a new role
• Three clues that help you quickly understand a company's culture
• The four types of people you should identify and build relationships with early
• How to secure early wins between from 30-60 days
• What great employees and leaders do during days 60 to 90 to build trust and reputation
• Four powerful problem-solving questions to ask when tackling new challenges
• The biggest challenge facing employees in today's remote and hybrid workplaces
• Five essential conversations to have with your manager at the end of your first 90 days

Chris and Lily also compare the different concerns Gen X and Gen Z employees face when starting a new role and share the lessons that surprise them most.

Whether you're starting your very first job, moving to a new organisation, or stepping into a leadership role, listen in and you'll discover how to navigate the first 90 days with confidence and set yourself up for long-term success.

Hit play now and give yourself the best possible start.

If this episode resonates, you might also find episode 14 from 3rd December 2025 useful: 'Gen X, Gen Z, Boomers & Millennials: Gabby Rosely decodes how the generations can all get along at work'

1.01 Lily's new job

2.05 Stats of the first 90 days

4.11 First 30 days - your learning agenda

7.31 Three clues to company culture

9.01 Four types of people to look for in the culture

11.30 30-60 days: how to secure early wins

15.05 60-90 days: building consistency and developing your reputation

15.35 For problem solving questions

17.28 Five mini conversations to have with your boss at 90 days

19.30 The biggest challenge being new and fully remote

22.27 Top concerns of Gen X & Gen Z starting a new job

28.21 Quick fire advice from our LinkedIn connections

31.03 Lily's key takeaways

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

We don't have a full episode this week - there are two reasons for that you'll hear about in this preview.

Instead, here's a sneak peek of some of the topics we have planned. If there are any others you'd like us to discuss, let us know!

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

“Why am I always tired?” — even when you’ve had a full night’s sleep?

If you’re constantly exhausted, struggling with low energy, or feeling “tired and wired”, you’re not alone. And it might not be a sleep problem at all.

In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, Chris and Lily unpack why so many of us feel permanently drained — across both generations — and why the usual advice about sleep hygiene only scratches the surface.

Drawing on personal experience, sleep science and the realities of modern life, they explore what’s really going on beneath the surface — from stress and overstimulation to how we’re structuring our days.

You’ll learn:

• Why you can feel tired even after getting enough sleep
• The difference between sleep debt and sleep pressure (and why it matters)
• How stress hormones like cortisol keep you “tired and wired”
• Why screens, alcohol and caffeine quietly disrupt your sleep quality
• The surprising role of deep sleep in long-term brain health and dementia prevention
• Why modern life is leaving us mentally exhausted but physically under-recovered
• How to design your day to naturally improve energy and sleep

Chris and Lily also share practical ways to regain energy — from building real recovery time into your day to managing stress and creating routines that actually work in a busy, always-on world.

Listen in and you’ll discover that constant tiredness isn’t just about sleep — it’s a signal about how you’re living.

Hit play now to start designing a life that gives you energy back.

If you enjoy this episode, you might also want to dive into our episode on overcoming procrastination from 5th Nov 2025 or life design from 22nd Apr 2026.

0.52 Why are we all feeling tired all the time?

1.48 What do we mean by tiredness?

2.36 The basics of sleep

4.26 Sleep debt

5.15 The physiology of sleep - hormones and chemicals

8.30 Sleep and your long-term brain health

11.39 The effect of perimenopause & menopause on sleep

14.56 The hidden causes of constant tiredness

18.36 Why your tiredness is about your daytime, not just bedtime

19.39 Fatigue with modern life

20.40 The first of 3 things you can do to overcome being tired all the time

21.43 Sleep debt versus sleep pressure

25.15 The second thing we can do to overcome tiredness

28.47 the third thing to address constant fatigue

34.24 Things you can do this week to improve your energy levels

35.03 Our takeaways

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

What should you do with your life - when there’s no clear path to follow?

Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your direction later in life, figuring out what comes next can feel overwhelming - especially when traditional career paths no longer seem to fit.

In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, we're joined by Charlie Rogers, author of Undefinable Life Design, to explore a different way of thinking about careers, purpose and progression.

Charlie introduces the idea of the “Undefinable Ascent” - a more flexible, personalised approach to building a life and career that doesn’t follow a conventional path, but still leads to meaningful and sustainable success.

You’ll learn:

• How to figure out what you want to do with your life - at any age
• Why traditional career paths don’t work for everyone anymore
• How to find a 'good enough' job when you’re starting out
• What it means to develop a Signature Expression that AI can’t replace
• How to combine your skills and interests in the 'Semi-professional zone'
• How to avoid comparing yourself to others on more conventional career paths
• Ideas to rethink your direction without blowing up the life you’ve already built

We also reflect on how Charlie’s framework applies across generations - from figuring things out in your 20s to redefining what comes next in your 40s or 50s - and we share our own ideas on our 'golden threads' and next steps.

Listen in and you’ll discover a more flexible, realistic way to think about your career - one that works with who you are, not against it.

Hit play now and start designing a life that actually fits.

Contact Charlie here:

https://www.undefinablelifedesign.com/

Buy the book here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/undefinable-life-design-unique-sustains/dp/1919392300/

0.49 Introduction to Charlie

3.00 What is an 'Undefinable'?

3.43 The Undefinable Ascent explained

9.30 Mapping your interests

12.10 Finding a 'good enough' job to start with

16.58 How to develop your Signature Expression that AI can't replace

18.15 The semi-professional zone and how to combine your strengths in unique ways

19.50 Parallels between people in the 20s and 40s/50s

21.21 How to stop comparing yourself to others taking a more conventional route

25.45 How to break out of the conventional career ladder without blowing everything up

29.19 The Energy Toolkit: managing your energy - do you need a holiday or a midlife rethink?

31.33 How to combine your skills in the semi-professional zone

34.22 Your Golden Thread

35.03 Choosing your next mountain

39.30 Charlie asks us what we think our Golden Threads are

41.55 The importance of having someone to work with on your ascent

42.50 Contacting Charlie and getting the book

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

Do you ever say yes when you mean no — just to avoid awkwardness, conflict, or disappointing someone?

If so, you’re not alone. People pleasing is far more common than we think — and it can shape our work, relationships and sense of self.

In this episode of The Gen X/Z Exchange, we unpack our own experiences of people pleasing, why it happens, and what it’s really costing us when we constantly prioritise others over ourselves.

Together, we explore how social conditioning, fear of confrontation and the desire to be liked can lead us to overcommit, over-explain and ignore our own needs — often without even realising it.

You’ll learn:

• What people pleasing really is — and why so many of us fall into it
• Why fear of being seen as “difficult” keeps us stuck saying yes
• How social conditioning (especially for women) shapes this behaviour
• The hidden cost of overcommitting and ignoring your own needs
• How to say no at work and in life without feeling guilty
• Why over-explaining undermines your boundaries — and what to say instead
• Practical ways to set healthier boundaries without coming across as uncaring

We also challenge each other to change our own behaviour — sharing simple, realistic ways to become more intentional with your “yes” and more confident with your “no”.

Listen in and you’ll discover how to stop defaulting to people pleasing, start setting boundaries, and make choices that work for you as well as everyone else.

Hit play now and take the first step towards saying what you really mean.

1.00 Our own experience with people pleasing

2.24 A definition

2.55 How many of us in the UK say we're people pleasers

3.35 Why our fear of confrontation should not be perceived as being difficult

3.47 social conditioning for women and more stats on why we should be comfortable setting boundaries

5.28 The impact of saying yes when we mean no

6.00 How the problems arise

9.55 Giving yourself breathing space

10.55 Things we can do to change our behaviour

13.55 How to say no at work

16.54 How to stop over-explaining

18.15 Setting healthy boundaries without coming across as a flake or uncaring

20.00 How to be more intentional with your yes's

20.34 Challenging each other to get better at this

24.40 Our takeaways

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

Why do teenagers take risks with alcohol and drugs - even when they know the dangers? And how do you talk to them about it without shutting them down or pushing them away?

In this episode we're joined by Diana Hu McDowell, founder of East West Prevention, to explore how parents and young people can navigate one of the most difficult conversations in modern life.

Drawing on her own journey and years of experience in prevention and recovery, Diana explains why teenagers are drawn to risk-taking behaviours, the role dopamine plays, and how today’s pressures - from social environments to wider culture - shape those choices.

You’ll learn:

• Why teenagers are more vulnerable to addictive behaviours than we might think
• The early warning signs that drinking or drug use may be escalating
• How to talk to teenagers about alcohol and drugs without triggering shutdown or secrecy
• Why “no questions asked” policies can build trust between parents and teens
• The risks of vaping, marijuana use and so-called 'legal highs'
• How harm reduction approaches can keep young people safer in real-world situations

We also explore how attitudes have shifted since 80s anti-drug campaigns, whether prevention initiatives at festivals help or hinder, and why addiction should be understood as a health issue rather than a personal failure.

Listen in and you’ll discover how to have better conversations, build trust, and help young people make safer choices - without cutting them off from the world they’re growing up in.

Hit play now and start the conversation that really matters.

Contact Diana:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-hu-mcdowell/

https://www.eastwestprevention.com/

If this episode resonates, you might also find our conversations on social media and teenagers and friendship and peer pressure helpful.

1.48 Diana's story

5.15 Diana's recovery

6.44 Why teenagers are drawn to addictive behaviour

8.01 The biggest pressures young people are facing today

9.57 80s anti-drugs campaigns and how the perception they created differed from reality

12.40 Early warning signs of things escalating

17.10 How parents can start the conversation with teenagers without them shutting down

19.08 Tips for parents to avoid overreacting

25.35 How the 'No questions asked' policy can work to build trust

27.15 Legal highs - how safe are they?

30.35 The consequences and risks of vaping and marijuana use

34.54 Are prevention initiatives at festivals encouraging certain behaviours or helping reduce harm?

37.19 Diana's successes with prevention and early intervention

39.20 Framing addiction as a health issue not a personal failure

The Gen X/Z Exchange is a UK podcast exploring career change, purpose, wellbeing and modern life through honest conversations between a Gen X dad and his Gen Z daughter - helping you navigate life’s transitions with perspective across generations.

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/