In his latest column, the Tameside Radio presenter has compiled some inspirational advice on how we can improve as people.

We all get a daily avalanche of e-mails, and I sometimes wonder how I filled idle moments before the days of deleting more offers for things I'd love to buy, but can't really justify. I'm an "empty inbox" kind of guy, and have to either file each message in a folder, or get rid of it. There is no middle ground. I got a great e-mail this week from Nails Mahoney and Tracey Lee, a couple of radio consultants who I subscribe to, titled "100 Ways To Be A Better Radio Person".

I've dissected ten of the best, with deference to On Air Coach for the inspiration, and believe these work no matter what job you do in life. Even if you take one of them on board and give it a try, it will hopefully make reading this with a cuppa worthwhile.

1) Take Twitter off your phone. Oh my goodness, I need to do this urgently. I spend so long scrolling through an endless feed of tweets I'm not all that interested in. I am vowing to delete the app from my creaky old Motorola whilst I'm on holiday in a couple of weeks' time, and use the time saved to crack on reading a book. I also need to remove Facebook, to be honest.

2) Cut down on the coffee. Two cups a day in the morning is more than enough. I'm also working on this one. I used to get through seven or eight black coffees when I first started presenting a breakfast show in 2017, but I'm down to a couple of espressos now, before switching to herbal tea. A couple's definitely sufficient, and you don't feel as delirious. I've done early starts now for almost six years, so I'm just about a natural morning person now!

3) Read news outside your immediate comfort zone. It's good to read a range of viewpoints, so I do make sure I pick up the Mail or the Express occasionally. Twitter can end up being an echo chamber at times, as you tend to follow people you like and agree with. The mute button is great for the really vile accounts.

4) Turn devices off once a day for ten minutes and listen to the power of silence. Whether I'm listening on one of our three Alexas or in the car, music and speech radio are never far from my ears. Silence is good for the soul.

5) Read an actual paperback novel. Especially before you go to sleep. It's so much better than scrolling through Twitter (see number one). An alternative is Audible for an audio book in bed. I've just finished Things We Do In The Dark by Jennifer Hillier, and wow what a twisty, dark, brilliant listen that was. Next on my list is And Away by Bob Mortimer, which came out last year. It's narrated by the man himself too!

6) Remember past glories but don't depend on them for future victories. I think this is great life advice, whatever your job. It's healthy to look forward, but a nod to the past is fine every now and then.

7) Not everyone will like what you do. Accept that. I have got a bit better at reading critical comments now, but have no idea how high profile media figures like Gary Lineker and James O'Brien cope with the amount of vitriol they receive. Once you stop trying to please everyone, you'll definitely feel happier!

8) Leave voice notes to people instead of written messages. I do this quite a lot nowadays on WhatsApp, and find that most friends appreciate it! Well, they haven't told me otherwise yet.

9) Buy a grown-up colouring book. They're great for unwinding and thinking. I have one that contains swear words that I can't ever say on the radio, unless I want a juicy fine from the regulator.

10) If there's a problem, address it as soon as you can and don't let it fester. They used to call this 'courageous conversations' at a previous employer, and it works a treat at defusing potential situations.

One final bit of advice from Nails and Tracey's list - "be the very best you can be when you are able. All other times, just relax".We all give ourselves a hard time sometimes, and when you stop and consider what we've all been through collectively over the last two and a half years, I think we're doing pretty well!

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on the 'Super Scoreboard' show on Saturdays from 3pm to 7pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM. Read more of Alex's recent columns here. 

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