In this bite-sized January episode, Kathy (planner addict, colour-code enthusiast, and long-time hot water bottle evangelist) dives into the art of staying warm without melting your budget.Because it’s 2026, energy bills are still soaring, and frankly no one should have to freeze just to get through their inbox.From USB hand warmers to bubble-wrapped windows (yes, really), this cosy listen is packed with practical tips, historical oddities, and the science behind warm socks and better focus. You'll hear why heating you beats heating the whole house, how to build a “thermal productivity zone,” and what medieval straw-insulated floors have to do with your 3pm slump.Perfect for anyone trying to stay productive, semi-sane, and vaguely defrosted this winter.So, grab a brew (or two), wrap yourself in something fleece-adjacent, and enjoy.Stay warm, stay nerdy...and remember: the only thing that should be frozen in January is the peas in your freezer.

In this episode, Kathy is joined by the marvellous Helen Taylor for what might be the boldest experiment yet: attempting to break up with their phones. Or at least see less of them.

Inspired by How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price, they dive into the weirdly intense relationship we have with our screens. From dopamine doom-scrolling to the panicked need to check WhatsApp mid-Netflix.

Together, they explore:
– Why our phones are basically clingy exes in our pockets
– How they’re quietly trashing our attention spans (and possibly our empathy)
– What a 30-day digital detox actually looks like
– And which small changes have actually stuck

Expect shocking stats (yes, during sex), emotional confessions, and the sort of gentle accountability that only comes from trying to read Deep Work and failing because a dancing parrot popped up.

It's not about ditching your phone entirely, more about setting some boundaries, reclaiming your brain cells, and maybe remembering what it’s like to finish a book without checking three apps in between chapters.

Until next time: may your notifications be few, your focus deep, and your phone…occasionally face-down in another room.

Hello shiny new year, fresh notebooks, and big plans!

In this mini episode of Productivity Nerd, Kathy kicks off 2026 with a thought experiment inspired by productivity favourites Ali Abdaal, Will MacAskill (maybe?), and Stephen Bartlett.

It’s a bit of a mash-up - like most good ideas - and it all centres around how we spend our time.

Think of your hours like casino chips. You get 100 a week (after life’s essentials like sleep, snacks and showers). How are you spending them... and more importantly, would you choose to fast forward through some of them?

Kathy introduces the “Fast Forward Test” , a simple but brilliant way to check in with how you’re using your time.

Are you speeding through your days like a bad audiobook on 1.8x speed, or are you actually enjoying the moments that make up your life?

It’s a gentle nudge to be more present, notice what brings real satisfaction, and maybe tweak the parts of your week that feel more chore than choice.

Perfect for business owners, freelancers and permanently exhausted pigeons looking to make 2026 feel a little more intentional.

Nothing says “festive cheer” like a looming tax deadline, right?

In this not-at-all-scrooge-y episode of Productivity Nerd, Kathy is joined by resident tax whisperer Laura Green for a surprisingly comforting chat about self-assessment. Whether you’ve already filed, haven’t started, or are deep in denial, this one's for you.

Expect:

📆 The key dates you really shouldn’t ignore
💸 What happens if you miss them (brace yourself)
📎 Common mistakes people make (and how to dodge them)
🧾 When to call in an accountant (or just call it quits and outsource)
📬 And what to do if you open your return to find a scary number you can’t pay

Plus, Kathy shares a cautionary tale about one very lost Government Gateway number, a swearing fit, and a smug dad with two coffees and a completed return.

So, if you’d prefer your January to involve less panic and more smugness, pop this in your ears. Filing may not be fun...but it can be a whole lot less faffy.

It’s beginning to look a lot like… planner season!

Only joking - in this mini-episode of Productivity Nerd, Kathy’s resisting the urge to bang on about her favourite notebooks (again) and is instead diving into a festive round-up of productivity books.

Think of it as a Christmas wishlist for nerds. Or a gift guide for that one organised friend who colour-codes their inbox.

From timeless classics like Getting Things Done and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to the broccoli-in-book-form that is Deep Work, this is a whistle-stop tour through the titles that might just help you get your life together in the new year (or at least feel smug reading about how you could).

Expect strong opinions, some festive sass, and a reminder that “Eat That Frog” is both a book and a terrible breakfast idea.

Whether you’re shopping for yourself or trying to drop unsubtle hints to your loved ones, this episode has your productivity stocking fillers sorted.

This episode mentions:

• Getting Things Done – David Allen

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey

• Eat That Frog – Brian Tracy

• The 4-Hour Workweek – Tim Ferriss (brace yourself)

• Deep Work – Cal Newport (aka productivity broccoli)

• Atomic Habits – James Clear

• Plus bonus nods to Michael Hyatt and Leena Norms

Snuggle up with a Baileys, embrace your inner nerd, and let’s get bookish.

Hiring a VA isn't just for fancy people with private jets and personal chefs. It's for normal, busy humans who are drowning in emails, double-booking meetings, and Googling “how to add hours to the day.”

In this episode, Kathy is joined by two brilliant minds from the virtual assistant world — Amanda Johnson (VA trainer extraordinaire) and Gwen Backhouse (head of the Society of Virtual Assistants, no less) — to bust myths, share war stories, and explain how to actually work well with a VA.

We talk about:
– Why expecting one VA to be a social media guru and your diary ninja is… optimistic
– What makes a dream client (hint: it’s not mind-reading)
– How to hire and onboard properly without the dreaded “LinkedIn free-for-all”
– Red flags to watch for on both sides
– And the future of VA support in a world full of AI and overwhelmed humans

If your to-do list is giving you mild hives, this one's for you.

👀 Grab Kathy’s book: How to Work with a Virtual Assistant: Outsource Everything but Your Brilliance

🔗 Find Amanda at the VA Training Academy
🔗 Find Gwen at the Society of Virtual Assistants

And remember: emails, like nettles, grow back the second you turn your back. You don’t have to deal with them alone.

Ever sat down to relax only to be ambushed by a mental to-do list you didn’t ask for? That’s the Zeigarnik Effect in action and in this mini episode, Kathy gets into it.

Named after psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik, this psychological quirk explains why your brain keeps circling back to things you haven’t finished (like that half-written proposal… or the dentist form from three weeks ago).

In this short and sweet episode, Kathy explores:

• Why your brain holds onto open tasks like it’s running its own internal tab manager

• How writing things down can calm your mind

• The surprisingly motivating power of starting just a little

• And the joy of telling your brain “shutdown complete”

If you’re feeling a bit scattered or find yourself thinking about emails at 2AM, this one’s for you.

In this episode Kathy steps away from the serious work books and into something a little more… fluffy. But in a good way. Think less hustle culture, more cleaning your bathroom while your hair mask sets.

Joined by Claire Ennion, Kathy chats about Getting Sht Done: Conquer the Chaos, One Small Habit at a Time* by Roo Day — aka @homewithroo on Instagram — a book for people who hate cleaning but enjoy living in a clean-ish house. It’s funny, feminist, full of “bare minimum” tips (feed yourself, water the dog, maybe wipe a surface), and gently life-improving.

They talk tiny habits, the mental load of home life, why perfection is overrated, and whether a one-hour speed-clean is the answer to everything (spoiler: sometimes it is). Kathy shares her favourite hacks (hi, shower scrubber) and Claire confesses what might hold her back from reading this kind of book.

So if your to-do list includes “get life together” but you're not quite sure where to start, pop the kettle on and join us.

Because productivity isn't just for the office — and you don't need to be a domestic goddess to conquer the chaos.

In this mini episode Kathy talks about what happens when you can’t be productive. Because sometimes, life lobs a spanner (or an entire toolbox) into your well-oiled workflow.

Whether its illness, caregiving, emotional overload - the sort of stuff that doesn’t fit neatly into a planner. Kathy shares her own tale of working through a slipped disc (spoiler: pomodoros + painkillers = unlikely productivity strategy), and reflecting on what real progress looks like when you’re not firing on all cylinders.

You’ll also hear:
– Why resting is productive (Stephen Covey would agree)
– What David Allen says about feeling good about what you’re not doing
– Tiny tools to keep you going when everything feels too much (hello, minimum viable productivity and the “I’m a human” list)

If today all you’ve managed is listening to this? Write it down. That’s a win.

This week on Productivity Nerd, Kathy’s voice is croaky (thanks UK germs), but spirits are high because she's talking about a long-time bookshelf survivor: How to Have a Good Day by Caroline Webb.Joined by Helen Taylor — operations oracle and podcast wrangler — they unpack how behavioural science, psychology, and a surprising gorilla can help us have better days at work (and not just on spa retreats or public holidays).Expect:– Why your inbox might feel like a tiger– The sandwich framework of a good day– Tiny shifts that actually do make a difference (no monkhood required)– And why your evening Netflix binge might need a strategic upgradePlus: some heartfelt rants, handy diagrams, and a reminder that your brain is filtering more than you think (including literal gorillas).No magic bullets. Just smart, human stuff to make life feel a bit less like wading through treacle.Stay nerdy. Stay kind. And remember: it’s probably just an email.