Wisdom For Working Mums

In this special bonus episode I'm going to share a simple but powerful way to welcome in this new year and new decade. But don't worry if you're not listening at the beginning of the new year this will come in hand any time.

Creating a meaningful and fulfilled life doesn't just happen spontaneously. But as busy working mums we don't often get the gift of time to consciously create it. Today I'm going to share with you three simple questions to help you reflect on your past and take the wisdom forward into this new year (and decade) to help you to thrive.

Most of us working mums know that to thrive in our busy lives we need to focus on our health and wellbeing. But trying to live a healthy life can leave us feeling stressed; we're already struggling for time and energy so how can we integrate healthy eating, exercise and self-care in our already hectic lives?

If you feel like this, then today's guest has the answers for us. In this episode I'm joined by Laura Butler who is a health coach and lifestyle intervention consultant. She helps ambitious busy women overcome overwhelm, burnout and crisis. Helping them to restore balance and confidence in their bodies, health and lives.

Laura is a busy working mum too, so is in the trenches with us juggling a successful and demanding career with motherhood.

In this episode not only does Laura share her wisdom on what it takes to feel healthy, vibrant and energetic, but she also shares health habits that are easy, fun and sustainable.

If you're a mum that often feels like you've got too much going on. That you're constantly thinking, worrying, planning and doing. If your mind feels like your browser that's got 101 tabs open. If you feel like you're spinning too many plates and your mind could explode with all things running through it, then this episode is for you. Today we're talking about meditation but before you might think "that meditation stuff is great for people who have time" take a listen to my guest Jo Royle. Jo teaches an effortless approach to meditation and it changed my life - I hope it does yours too.

If you're a mum that often feels like you've got too much going on. That you're constantly thinking, worrying, planning and doing. If your mind feels like your browser that's got 101 tabs open. If you feel like you're spinning too many plates and your mind could explode with all things running through it, then this episode is for you. Today we're talking about meditation but before you might think "that meditation stuff is great for people who have time" take a listen to my guest Jo Royle. Jo teaches an effortless approach to meditation and it changed my life - I hope it does yours too.

Going back to work after having a baby can be tough. Not only the emotional aspect of leaving your baby for the first time. But the logistics of finding childcare and working out how to combine work and motherhood can be overwhelming. Then there's the financial aspect.

For many women going back to work full time is financially, emotionally, logistically and sometimes physically impossible. Too many women end up leaving their jobs and even their careers because they can't find a way to combine their work and motherhood in a sustainable way.

The answer for many women is flexible working. And while the idea might seem like the solution to the working mum juggle, actually asking for and getting your flexible working request approved is a whole different story.

In this episode I interview a flexible working expert Anna Ives from HR Puzzle.

In this episode we explore:

• what actually is flexible working
• what are your legal rights around flexible working as a new mother?
• how do you decide if flexible working might be right for you?
• what's the process to ask for flexible working

Speak to any mother about their experience of motherhood and inevitably the topic of sleep comes up. Whether it's the question of does your child sleep through yet? Or what age they were when they did. It can be a pretty contentious issue.

The sleep deprivation that goes along with motherhood can be debilitating - impacting our mood, health and relationships.

When we add in having to function at work without adequate sleep then the situation can become chronically difficult. That's why I'm so grateful for this episode's guest to be sharing her wisdom with us.

My guest is the Founder and CEO of The Children's Sleep Charity Vicki Dawson. She set up this charity after her own struggle with her children's sleep as a working mum.

Vicki is one of the UK's experts on the topic of children's sleep. She's on the Board of the British Paediatric Sleep Association and a member of the British Sleep Society.

Do you ever feel like your high standards leave you feeling stressed? That your ambition causes you to beat yourself up for not being good enough or for achieving enough. Do you struggle to relax and switch off?

If so, you might suffer with perfectionism. It's a common trait in ambitious and achievement orientated women. It can leave us holding ourselves to impossibly high standards and it can actually get in the way of us succeeding and negatively impact our relationships, work and health.

Michaela Thomas is an expert on perfectionism and is here to help you if you suffer from it. Michaela is a senior clinical psychologist and a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Psychotherapist. She has a huge amount of experience in supporting people, particularly working mums, with perfectionism.

Do you ever feel like you're a fraud? That you're about to get found out? If so, you probably suffer with imposter syndrome. And you're in good company.

It's been estimated that imposter syndrome affects a whopping 70% of us. But it tends to hit women especially hard. And today's guest is going to share her incredible experience and expertise with us on this subject.

Dr Becky Quicke is a clinical psychologist who specialises in helping women let go of the anxiety and self doubt that holds them back. She's also a working mum.

As working mums we've probably heard a million times how important self-care is for us to have the energy to do everything. Most of the messages out there on the topic are quite frankly patronising or unrealistic.

My experience is that most of us know how important it is but find it damn difficult to carve out the time or space to actually do it. But if self-care is the answer to us having the energy to do everything we want in life without losing our sanity and wellbeing, how do we actually integrate it into our lives in a way that works for us?

Well today's guest on the Wisdom For Working Mums' podcast show has the answers for us.

Suzy Reading is a Chartered Psychologist specialising in wellbeing, stress management and facilitation of healthy lifestyle change.

She's passionate about empowering people with the tools of self-care to help them weather and recover from periods of stress, loss and change and to boost resilience in the face of future challenges. She's author of The Self-Care Revolution.

In this episode Suzy shares practical, down to earth and easily accessible strategies that she's developed not only as a health expert but as a working mum that's been in the trenches of life's challenges.

You can access the show notes at: http://wisdomforworkingmums.co.uk/podcasts/

Whether we like it or not our success in life is influenced by our ability to sell ourselves. Most women I've had the privilege of working with unfortunately have a difficult time with this. And they're not alone! All of the research indicates that women are more likely to undersell themselves and lean away from sales conversations.

Whether it's a lack of belief in their value or a lack of confidence in how to communicate their value - selling feels difficult for them. Whether it's fear or rejection or fear of being perceived as too pushy. Most of us lean away from having a sales conversation.

Today's guest is about to help if you have a difficult relationship with selling. Catherine Watkin is the UK's leading expert in authentic and heart-centred sales. She helps people fall in love with selling and do it in a way that is aligned with their values.

She helps people sell with more ease, more enjoyment and in full integrity. Catherine's an authentic and inspiring role model for how it is possible to create a successful business without resorting to sleazy or manipulative sales and marketing techniques. So I can't wait to share her story and expertise with you.