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Episode Overview
It’s Christmas Eve, and today we’re sitting with one word that has shown up again and again this year: connection.
Not the glossy, picture-perfect kind we see in adverts, but the quiet, truthful kind that grounds us - especially when the season feels full, loud, or lonely.
In this short episode, we explore why connection becomes harder to access at the very moment we need it most, and how presence - with ourselves and with others - can bring us back to what matters.
Key Discussion Points
Listener Takeaways
Join the Conversation
How are you feeling heading into Christmas this year?
Is there someone you want to reconnect with - including yourself?
Send us a DM or voicemail. We’d love to hear what this season brings up for you.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
Episode overview
In this episode, we pause on one simple line that stopped us in our tracks:
“We’ll know our children as adults far longer than we’ll know them as children.”
We take a trip down memory lane talk about how quickly the “little years” pass, why those toddler days feel so vivid, and what it’s like to suddenly realise we’re parenting almost-adults. From Peppa Pig pyjamas and Iggle Piggle shows to mascara, moods and slammed doors, we look at how our kids have changed – and how we have too.
If you’re feeling that quiet ache of “when did they grow up?”, this one is for you.
Key discussion points
Listener takeaways
Join the conversation
If this episode touched that tender place of “they’re growing up so fast”, we’d love to hear from you.
Come and share a favourite toddler memory, or what this teenage season feels like for you right now. Send us a DM or voice note on Instagram @youkeepmesane.pod
Join us over on Patreon for this week’s Sanity Check and more honest chats about motherhood, identity and this season of life shifts.
BetterHelp Paid Partnership - Get 10% off your first month
If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/youkeepmesane for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
BetterHelp makes it easy to find a therapist who suits your needs. Their online platform connects you with credentialed therapists, and if your first match isn’t the right fit, you can switch.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
Episode overview
In this episode, we explore a sneaky belief many of us absorbed young: that the loudest person in the room is the strongest one - and that being quieter, reflective or sensitive somehow makes you weaker.
We talk about loudness as a shield, teenage friendship dynamics, being labelled “weak” for not being the loud one, and how that seeps into adult life - careers, friendships, parenting and the way we judge women who live differently.
Quiet strength, we’ve realised, often doesn’t get the spotlight… but it might be the most powerful kind.
Key discussion points
Listener takeaways
Join the conversation
If you can relate to this, share your story with us - leave a voice note or send us a message on Instagram at @youkeepmesane.pod. If this episode resonated, please pass it on to someone who might need the reminder that quiet isn’t weak and loud isn’t always strong.
And if you’d like extra support, reflections and mini deep-dives each week, join us over on Patreon for our Sanity Checks - all for about the price of a coffee a month.
BetterHelp Paid Partnership - Get 10% off your first month
If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/youkeepmesane for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
BetterHelp makes it easy to find a therapist who suits your needs. Their online platform connects you with credentialed therapists, and if your first match isn’t the right fit, you can switch.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
This week we’re joined by Monica Maldonado - the voice behind @thepowerofgoodenough - for a raw, hopeful conversation about how low self-worth can quietly shape our lives even when we’ve had a “stable” upbringing. Monica shares how being the youngest of four, people-pleasing, and staying “small” became an identity she had to unlearn in adulthood. We talk about awakening moments, inner-child work, nervous-system safety, micro-actions, and the difference between healing and transformation. If you’ve ever felt “average,” invisible, or only worthy when you perform — this one’s for you.
Key Discussion PointsFind Monica on Instagram: @thepowerofgoodenough. Tell us your micro-action this week - what tiny boundary or brave ask did you try? Share the episode with a friend who needs the reminder: you’re enough, even when.
Come hang out with us for weekly deep dives & Sanity Checks.
BetterHelp Paid Partnership - Get 10% off your first month
If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/youkeepmesane for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
BetterHelp makes it easy to find a therapist who suits your needs. Their online platform connects you with credentialed therapists, and if your first match isn’t the right fit, you can switch.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
Episode Summary: In this episode, Aileen and Julie explore the powerful, often difficult process of growth through adversity. Reflecting on their own life experiences—from heartbreak to major transitions—they discuss how challenging moments have fundamentally shaped who they are. Together, they ask whether personal growth always requires hardship and consider ways we can foster self-development even in calmer times. For anyone navigating a tough period or looking to cultivate growth without drama, this episode offers gentle encouragement and thoughtful perspectives.
Key Takeaways:
Quote of the Episode:
"To abolish all valleys is to get rid of all mountains." – Alan Watts, shared by Julie
Practical Advice:
Join the Conversation:
Share your thoughts on growth through adversity or how you encourage self-development in calmer times. Join our Instagram group, send a voicemail, or email us at [email protected].
Thank you for listening! Join us next week for another honest conversation about navigating life’s challenges together.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
We talk about the “always on” culture - phones, pings, and pressure to reply instantly - and how it hijacks presence, deep focus, and self-worth. From family group chats and school apps to work Slack and late-night DMs, we explore why constant accessibility feels normal (and even “kind”), how it fuels anxiety and perfectionism, and simple, compassionate boundaries that let you choose when you’re available. The goal isn’t a digital detox; it’s digital boundaries - so you can be in your life, not just in your inbox.
Key Discussion PointsTell us your favourite digital boundary. Do you have phone-free time? Do read receipts stress you out? Feel free DM us on Instagram @youkeepmesane.pod, or leave us a voicemail - we may feature your thoughts in a future episode.
BetterHelp Paid Partnership - Get 10% off your first month
If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/youkeepmesane for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
BetterHelp makes it easy to find a therapist who suits your needs. Their online platform connects you with credentialed therapists, and if your first match isn’t the right fit, you can switch.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
Episode Overview
We dive into that sticky space between empathy and exhaustion—the moment a caring friend becomes the “emotional sponge” (hello, emotional vampires 👀). We talk about invisible emotional labour, midlife capacity, Catholic/learned guilt, and why stepping back isn’t selfish—it’s self-respect. We share how chronic one-way “offloading” keeps both people stuck, and how gentle, clear boundaries help everyone grow.
Key Discussion Points
Listener Takeaways
Join the Conversation
Tell us your story on Instagram @youkeepmesane.pod or leave us a voice note -we’d love to hear how you navigate this. Share this episode with the friend who’s always “the strong one.”
BetterHelp Paid Partnership - Get 10% off your first month
If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/youkeepmesane for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
BetterHelp makes it easy to find a therapist who suits your needs. Their online platform connects you with credentialed therapists, and if your first match isn’t the right fit, you can switch.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
Episode Overview
Feeling stretched thin, foggy, or quietly burning out? You’re not alone. In this episode, we get honest about that midlife feeling of running on empty - when hormones, deadlines, and daily demands leave you wondering how it’s all sustainable.
Inspired by Dame Patricia Routledge’s beautiful reflection before her 95th birthday, we talk about what it really means to bloom again. From her role as Hyacinth “Bouquet” to her later-life creativity and peace, her words remind us that it’s never too late to come home to ourselves.
We explore how midlife isn’t a decline but a recalibration - a shedding, softening, and rediscovering of what truly matters. Whether you’re exhausted, in transition, or simply questioning who you are without the noise, this conversation is a reminder that growth doesn’t stop. It just changes form.
Key Discussion Points
Listener Takeaways
Join the Conversation
What does blooming again look like for you right now? Is it softening, starting over, or rediscovering joy in the ordinary?
Send us a DM or voice note - we’d love to hear your reflections.
If this episode gave you hope or made you pause, share it with a friend who might need the reminder that it’s never too late to bloom again.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
Episode Overview
In this episode we sit down with Kate Daly, co-founder of Amicable, to explore how self-worth, identity, and personal growth are intertwined with relationships - and what happens when those relationships end.
Kate shares her wisdom from years of supporting couples through separation and co-parenting, offering a compassionate reframe: divorce isn’t a failure - it’s a change in how a family operates so everyone can thrive.
Together, we talk about how easily self-worth becomes tied to roles - wife, mother, partner, provider - and what it means to reclaim a sense of identity beyond them. From people-pleasing and invisible labour to fear, shame, and rebuilding from the ground up, this is a deeply human, empowering look at what it means to rediscover yourself after loss.
Key Discussion Points
Listener Takeaways
AMICABLE LINKS
(2) Instagram
(25) amicable: Overview | LinkedIn
(1256) amicable divorce - YouTube
Join the Conversation
Have you experienced a time when your sense of worth was tied to your role in a relationship? Or found strength in rebuilding after a separation? Message us via the links below!
BetterHelp Paid Partnership - Get 10% off your first month
If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/youkeepmesane for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
BetterHelp makes it easy to find a therapist who suits your needs. Their online platform connects you with credentialed therapists, and if your first match isn’t the right fit, you can switch.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
Episode Overview
In a world that feels louder and busier than ever, finding peace can feel impossible - especially for introverts who need quiet to recharge.
In this episode, we sit down with Vanessa Marie Dewsbury, best selling author and podcaster, who opens up about how she embraced a slower, softer way of living after years of tying her self-worth to busyness. We talk about why stillness is essential for our mental and emotional health, how introverts can protect their energy in an extroverted world, and why learning to say no (without guilt!) is one of the greatest acts of self-care.
This conversation is a permission slip to pause, breathe, and reconnect with yourself - even if it’s just for 10 minutes a day.
More About Vanessa:
As well as being a best selling author, podcaster, and advocate for those wanting to embrace their quiet nature. She follows the path true to her heart rather than conforming to societal expectations. Through her journey of healing and growth, she has discovered the profound importance of trusting her voice and living in alignment with her deepest beliefs and values. Through her work, Vanessa encourages others to honor their authentic selves and cultivate confidence in their unique way of being. You can connect with Vanessa on Instagram @soulalivebarrie or on Facebook at Vanessa Marie Dewsbury.
You can grab Vanessa’s book, Living A Quiet Life: Daily Reflections for Peace, Purpose and Personal Growth.
Books Links:
US:
https://a.co/d/aOr4bvF
CA:
https://a.co/d/bWSKpSP
UK:
https://amzn.eu/d/9SKPMJL
AU:
https://amzn.asia/d/dFVCzM
Join the Conversation
Have you tried slowing down and living more intentionally? What helps you recharge when life feels overwhelming? We’d love to hear your thoughts - drop us a DM or a voicenote @youkeepmesane.pod
BetterHelp Paid Partnership - Get 10% off your first month
If you’re struggling, consider therapy with our paid partner BetterHelp. Visit https://betterhelp.com/youkeepmesane for a 10% discount on your first month of therapy.
BetterHelp makes it easy to find a therapist who suits your needs. Their online platform connects you with credentialed therapists, and if your first match isn’t the right fit, you can switch.
Links:
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.youkeepmesane.com/subscribe/
Hosts: Aileen Harvey & Julie Fahy
See https://www.buzzsprout.com/privacy for privacy information
Disclaimer:
Remember, we’re two friends sharing our personal experiences and discussing everyday challenges. We’re not qualified coaches or therapists, and our content is for general information and supportive conversation only. If you need professional help, please seek advice from a licensed therapist.
From the publisher's feed
For 10 years, Aileen and Julie have been each other's sounding board from opposite sides of the globe – Aileen in London and Julie in Melbourne.
They have navigated everything – motherhood,…