Author

Dianne N Squires shares 6 ways she is managing her digital media consumption habits to protect her wellbeing.

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Staying well is essential for realising our big ambitions. But as I explore in this episode, one thing can threaten that well-being: our digital consumption habits, especially on social media.
As a seasoned communications practitioner and consultant, my work in digital media has made me acutely aware of the impact of social media on mental health. Despite limiting myself to just two platforms – LinkedIn and YouTube – I can still find myself trapped in a cycle of consumption that can lead to anxiety and distraction.
“The temptation to scroll and scroll and scroll and get little snippets and tidbits of information is still present on those platforms.”
I discuss alarming trends, such as the high levels of anxiety and limited attention span associated with extensive social media use. Countries like Australia have taken measures to protect young people from these effects, highlighting a growing concern that applies to many adults as well.

Timestamps
(00:00) Why well-being matters when you are chasing big ambitions
(01:10) A career built in marketing, communications, and digital media
(02:08) How working in digital media doubles the exposure to it
(03:25) Why social media platforms make consumption hard to manage
(04:14) What countries are doing about social media and young people
(05:44) The mental health risks that still affect adults
(06:08) Why LinkedIn comparison culture is especially draining
(07:24) How scrolling destroys focus and fragments attention
(08:39) Tip 1 – Keep your phone out of the bedroom at night
(10:25) Tip 2 – Rebuild focus through reading fiction
(14:39) Tip 3 – Use journaling to process your own thoughts
(15:52) Tip 4 – Choose long-form content over short-form scrolling
(17:16) Tip 5 – Put the device down and move your body
(18:12) Tip 6 – Set timers to cap daily platform use
(20:08) The six habits Dianne is using to manage consumption
(20:37) Closing thoughts on ambition, well-being, and responsible use

Connect with Island Woman
Follow the podcast, get direct access to upcoming masterclass updates, and secure private invitations for the Rooted and Ready 90-day program or the Island Woman Authority Suite by following our WhatsApp channel.
📲 https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7lcdnEFeXrxlKuY31L
or email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
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🔗Connect with Dianne N Squires
LinkedIn: @Dianne N Squires
linkedin.com/in/dianne-n-squires-a2389132

📈Work with Dianne as your strategic visibility coach
Email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
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Dianne N. Squires is a Strategic Communications leader, Founder of Dianne N Squires Consulting (DNSC), and host of the Island Woman Podcast. Her work centres on elevating voice, visibility and impact for Caribbean changemakers.

#islandwomanpodcast #digitalwellbeing #digitalmediaconsumption #socialmediaconsumption #Caribbean

We’re back from watching JAY-Z in Paris, and we brought along friend of the show Menzi XL as our guest co-host to unpack the whole experience.

We recap the trip, the show, the moments in between, and everything that went down in Paris. We also take some time to get to know Menzi XL properly — his story, his journey, and a few stories from the vault.

And because this is The Sobering, we obviously had to talk shoes.

Paris stories, music, culture, sneakers and plenty of banter. Tap in.

Sian Cuffy-Young, Founder of Siel Environmental Services Limited and environmental engineer wants people to think differently about waste. Sian describes the work of her company to host of the Island Woman podcast Dianne N Squires as waste systems architecture. This follows the entire value chain of inputs and outputs to evaluate where waste can be reduced or used as a resource.

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“…sometimes it makes me feel weird even saying the word waste because it’s such a valuable resource that we can use for so many other things. So it requires us to shift the way we think when it comes to what we know.” Sian Cuffy-Young

Sian Cuffy-Young remembers being at the beach with her father at ten years old, having fun in the water until a “loaded diaper” hit her in the face (ewww!). Most of us would have left it there but for Sian, that was the catalyst for her path into environmental engineering and her advocacy, education and entrepreneurial work in waste management.

Her energy and absolute passion for this area are infectious and her drive has led to the development of the first ever Caribbean Food Waste Summit.

But how does she balance her big ambition for changing people’s minds about waste with staying well? She’s learned the hard way to give attention to both.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Shan Young and her work in waste management
02:57 Big ambition: Transforming how we think and act towards waste
03:42 Daily rituals for staying grounded and focused
04:44 Evolving waste management strategies and education
07:38 Changing corporate perceptions about waste and cost savings
08:17 The role of ESG and sustainability in waste management
09:54 Quantifying waste savings for businesses
12:23 Regional expansion and Caribbean focus
13:02 Specialization in food waste and accreditation
15:20 Food waste certification and its regional significance
16:34 Addressing food waste in hospitality and events
18:46 Rethinking food production and consumption
22:24 The pros and cons of visibility and advocacy
28:25 the importance of strategic visibility
33:16 The Caribbean Food Waste Summit: Purpose and goals
41:39 Sian’s scores on the Ambition/Wellbeing scale
46:56 The importance of staying well to achieve big ambitions
48:43 Closing remarks and upcoming events

Connect with Island Woman
Follow the podcast, get direct access to upcoming masterclass updates, and secure private invitations for the Rooted and Ready 90-day program or the Island Woman Authority Suite by following our

WhatsApp channel.
📲 https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7lcdnEFeXrxlKuY31L
or email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com
—————
🔗Connect with Dianne N Squires
LinkedIn: @Dianne N Squires
linkedin.com/in/dianne-n-squires-a2389132

📈Work with Dianne as your strategic visibility coach
Email: diannensquires@diannensquires.com

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Connect with Sian Cuffy-Young and Siel Environmental Services Limited
WhatsApp: 1-868-381-9937

Websites: https://sielenvironmental.com/

LinkedIn (Sian Young): linkedin.com/in/sian-young-0675a342 –

LinkedIn (Siel Environmental Services Limited): https://www.linkedin.com/company/siel-environmental-services-limited/?originalSubdomain=tt

Instagram: @sieltt – https://www.instagram.com/sieltt/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sieltt/
X (Siel): https://x.com/limitedsiel

Caribbean Food Waste Summit:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caribbeanfoodwastesummit/
Web: https://sielenvironmental.com/food-waste-summit/

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Dianne N. Squires is a Strategic Communications leader, Founder of Dianne N Squires Consulting (DNSC), and host of the Island Woman Podcast. Her work centres on elevating voice, visibility and impact for Caribbean changemakers.

#islandwomanpodcast #foodwastemanagement #Caribbeanfoodwastesummit #wastemanagement #Caribbean