Rewriting Wellbeing: The Teachers' Health Podcast

Why does the same situation feel like it breaks you one day, but barely touches you another?

Why do some days spiral from a petrol light, a snooty email, or a wet breaktime - while others, we somehow ride the wave?

In this first episode of 'Car Diaries' (it's just me talking in my car on my way back from delivery school workshops!), I share a very hard-earned lesson about how our brains colour in the black-and-white outlines of life!

It’s not toxic positivity, it’s not pretending things are fine...

It’s about the glimmers, the slithers, the tiny shifts in perspective that change how we live it!

Because it’s almost never about the event...It’s the meaning we attach to it.

Heading into September with that familiar knot in your stomach, the “back-to-school scaries,” or the Sunday night dread?

In this episode, I’ll walk you through the 3Cs framework (Calm, Clarity, and Certainty) a simple, practical way to settle your nervous system and steady your mind before term begins!

Whether you’re glued to your laptop, comparing your classroom to the perfect ones online, or just feeling anxious about what’s to come, this episode explores why your brain reacts the way it does, and how to work with it rather than against it.

We’ll dive into the science of stress, why uncertainty feels so overwhelming, and how tools like breathwork, mind-dumps, timelines, and mental rehearsal can help you feel prepared instead of panicked!

If you want to step into the new school year feeling calmer, clearer, and more in control, this one’s for you!

If you'd like to hear more from me, you can find me on ⁠Instagram⁠ or on ⁠YouTube⁠!

Are you heading into the summer holidays feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure how to actually switch off?

In this episode, I’ll talk you through how to truly rest, recover and reset using the R.E.N.U.E. model, a practical and bitesize framework designed to help school staff feel like themselves again.

Whether you tend to collapse into a Netflix coma, stay stuck in school-mode, or feel guilty for slowing down, this video explores why traditional rest often doesn’t work for teachers, and what to do instead...

We’ll break down the 7 types of rest (based on Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s research), how adrenaline, cortisol and decision fatigue affect your recovery, and how to stop waiting for rest to be earned!

If you want to feel calmer, more energised, and actually enjoy your summer without guilt or burnout, this one’s for you!

If you'd like to see more from me, you can find me on Instagram or on YouTube!

In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing how to head into the summer holidays feeling positive, accomplished, and ready to reset:

• Why teacher-tired is real, and why a good night's sleep isn’t always enough to recover.

• The impact of adrenaline overload, thought fatigue, and emotional exhaustion on our wellbeing.

• How our brains focus on the negative, and how you can break that cycle.

• Three simple strategies to end the year on a high:

If you, like so many, feel like this has been the toughest year of your teaching career so far...

This episode is for you!

This week’s episode is all about something I know so many of you are grappling with right now:

How on earth do we actually create change in school?

Whether it’s wellbeing, behaviour, or something else entirely, leading change in a school can feel like trying to push a rock uphill… in the rain… with one hand tied behind your back!

So in this episode, I’m diving into one of the most powerful things I’ve learnt this year: the Law of Diffusion.

It’s a simple framework from the world of psychology and behaviour change that explains exactly why change is so hard, and what we can do about it.

We’ll break down:

• The five key staff personas you’ll find in every school

• Why most initiatives fail before they’ve begun

• How to reach the tipping point where real change finally happens

• Three practical ways to create ripple effects that last

This one’s especially for the wellbeing advocates, middle leaders, and heads who are trying to shift culture without burning out themselves in the process!

Stick around to the end for some actionable ways to take this into your school this term.

This chat with Dr Emma Kell might just be the one you didn’t know you needed!

In this episode we talk everything from burnout to boundaries, the current "cake culture" of wellbeing in schools and letting go of that nagging voice telling you you’re not doing enough!

Plus the real reasons why so many of us in education feel like we’ve got to prove ourselves, constantly, to everyone!

Emma shares her story, from barbed wire school gates to the TEDx stage, and we dig into what it really means to be good enough in a system that tells you otherwise!

You’ll hear coaching questions that stop you in your tracks, reflections on what actually matters, and honest thoughts on staff wellbeing, leadership, and letting go of the pressure to be everything to everyone.

No wishy-washy wellbeing, no toxic positivity...

Just two educators talking real life as a teacher and what it might take for us to build something better, together!

I hope you love this episode!

In the the third part of this mini-series on stress, I chat with Olly Layton, breathwork coach and founder of Spira Breath, about how breathwork can be a game-changer for teachers dealing with stress, anxiety, and burnout!

Olly takes us through his personal journey, from his time as a teacher to discovering the profound impact of breathwork on his own wellbeing.

We discuss the science behind breathwork, how it can regulate the nervous system, and why it’s an invaluable tool for teachers navigating the chaos of the classroom.

Olly shares practical, easy-to-follow techniques that anyone can use, whether they’re in the car park before work or in the middle of a hectic school day.

With an emphasis on the importance of slowing down, embracing breath, and using breathwork to reclaim calm and presence, this episode is packed with insights that will help you manage stress in your everyday life!

Find out more about Olly and his work:

• Instagram: @spira_breath

• Website: spirabreath.co.uk

In this episode, I tackle one of the biggest myths in education: the belief that teachers should keep pushing through, no matter the cost...

You’ll hear why this mindset is fuelling your stress, draining your energy, and quietly leading you towards burnout.

Plus, I share simple, practical ways to add tiny moments of Daily Decompression to your day, so you can calm your brain and body before the overwhelm takes over.

Ready to feel more in control and less like you’re running on empty? This one’s for you!

Very soon we're opening up 3 spaces in the Building Better Balance Programme! If you'd like to find out more, just drop me a message with the word "LIST" and I'll send you all the details!

If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to keep yourself afloat during term time, feeling like you're almost completely submerged in stress, wondering “Why does this keep happening?!” , this episode is for you...

Today Charlie is joined by Dr Bernadette Dancy, a stress management coach with a background in sports science, health psychology, and education, who also knows exactly what burnout feels like from the inside. She’s lived it, studied it, and now helps others rebuild after it!

We explore:

• What’s really happening in your body when you’re stuck in stress

• Why guilt, boundaries, and burnout are more connected than you think

• How to start resting and recovering (without quitting your job or joining a yoga retreat)

• And why our schools, systems and brains weren’t exactly set up for balance in the first place!

It’s compassionate, science-backed, and filled with insights that’ll help you better understand yourself, and the culture we’re all working in.

I hope it's helpful!

If you have any questions or if you'd like chat about anything from the episode, drop me an email at [email protected] or over on Instagram!

In this solo episode, I share five simple but powerful ways you can rebuild balance and beat burnout this term, without needing to overhaul your entire life!

rom the client story that sparked the episode to the everyday habits that make the biggest difference, this is a practical and honest guide to finding breathing space again.

I hope it's helpful!