Taking time off shouldn’t feel like a panic attack waiting to happen—but for so many working mums, it does.

In this episode, I share how my own brain spirals before holidays and how I gently (but firmly) coach myself out of it. If your brain freaks out whenever you try to slow down, this one's for you.

You’ll learn how to listen to your thoughts without believing them and how to redirect your mind with compassion—not control. A powerful listen for anyone who's ever said, “I just can’t switch off.”

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

At what age do we become too old for personal transformation? According to Richard Hulley, a retired naval officer who began coaching at 79, that limit simply doesn't exist.

Richard's journey begins unexpectedly through an NHS diabetes course that evolved into a profound exploration of his mind. Growing up in what he calls an "Edwardian upbringing" where emotions weren't discussed, Richard initially couldn't even identify his feelings when presented with lists of emotions. "I didn't know I had emotions. I certainly couldn't describe them," he shares with remarkable candor.

What unfolds over a year of intensive coaching is nothing short of extraordinary. Richard gradually confronts decades of accumulated guilt, learns to understand unconditional love (a concept that took 42 sessions to fully grasp), and develops boundaries—what he now considers his most valuable tool. The process wasn't easy; Richard describes it as "terrifying" and "challenging," yet the results speak volumes: "I am me now. I'm not someone carrying guilt and shame and worries that I can do nothing about."

Most striking is how Richard's transformation occurred without any external circumstances changing. Same home, (although the cats are new), entirely different experience of life. Now 82, Richard continues monthly coaching sessions and reports being more confident, thoughtful, and genuinely happier. Perhaps most profound is his newfound peace with mortality, concluding that "if one is happy in this world, you just take it into the next one."

Whether you're 28 or 78, Richard's story challenges us to question what's possible when we're willing to explore our minds with courage and persistence. What emotional weights might you be carrying that could be set down? What transformation awaits when you're ready to do the work?

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Jess Snape joins me to shatter fitness industry myths with her refreshing approach to physical wellbeing. With 15 years as a personal trainer specializing in strength and mobility coaching, Jess shares wisdom that feels like a warm hug in a world of comparison and impossible standards.

"I see a lot of guilt," Jess reveals when discussing what she observes most in mothers she trains. This guilt manifests through constant comparison to friends with different body types, unrealistic time expectations for fitness routines, and shame around natural aging processes. For women juggling childcare, careers, and households, the belief they should somehow fit hours of exercise into already packed days creates a crushing pressure.

Jess challenges the common belief that motivation must precede action. "I am never motivated to exercise," she admits candidly – a surprising confession from a fitness professional. Instead, she advocates starting without motivation and allowing the good feelings that follow to naturally build motivation over time. This perspective shift removes a significant psychological barrier for many women.

The conversation takes a practical turn as Jess demonstrates simple scapular squeezes – exercises particularly beneficial for those spending hours at desks or looking at screens. By integrating these brief movements throughout your day – perhaps while waiting for the kettle to boil – you can prevent issues ranging from tension headaches to lower back pain. Her advice emphasizes small, manageable changes over dramatic transformations.

Perhaps most powerfully, Jess encourages a shift from punishment-based fitness to celebration-based movement. Rather than exercising to "fix" perceived flaws or achieve an idealized aesthetic perpetuated by influencers (many of whom have had undisclosed surgical interventions), we can move our bodies out of appreciation for their incredible capabilities. For mothers especially, acknowledging that pregnancy represents "the biggest biomechanical change a human being can go through" invites gratitude rather than criticism.

Ready to transform your relationship with fitness? Follow Jess on social media for daily inspiration and check out her new "Desk Detox" app featuring 15-minute workouts you can do at home with just a resistance band.

IG: @jessicasnapestudio

LI: Jessica Snape

website: www.jessicasnape.com

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to truly switch off, even when you finally have a moment to yourself? That constant whirring of your mind, the guilt that creeps in, the sudden urge to just check one more thing off your list?

What I've discovered after years of coaching many people now is that this isn't simply a time management issue—it's actually neurobiological. Your brain and body have become addicted to the state of overwhelm. Drawing from fascinating research by Dr. Joe Dispenza, we learn that the cells of our bodies literally become dependent on the neurochemicals produced by our most frequent emotions. If you're constantly rushing and anxious, your primitive brain essentially thinks, "Well, we're not dead, so this must be working!" This creates a cycle where stillness feels deeply uncomfortable.

The most amazing news? You're not broken. You're simply not practiced at resting. When uncomfortable emotions surface during moments of stillness—guilt, restlessness, inadequacy—it's not evidence that you should get back to being busy. It's actually clear proof that you need more rest, not less. Even more compelling is the emerging research showing that rest periods are when our brains cement learning and when our bodies heal from both physical and emotional stress.

In this episode, I share three practical tips to develop your "rest muscle": scheduling dedicated rest time like you would an important meeting (starting with just 5-10 minutes), naming the uncomfortable emotions that arise during stillness to reduce their power, and creating simple rituals that signal to your brain it's safe to stop. These practices have transformed my clients' relationship with rest and productivity.

What could you accomplish if your brain were truly rested? How might your relationships improve if you weren't constantly operating from a place of depletion? Try just one 10-minute rest this week, and let me know how it affects you. Your future self will thank you for developing this essential skill that so few of us have been taught.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Feeling confused about whether you need a coach, counsellor, or mentor? You're not alone. The boundaries between these support systems often blur, leaving many wondering which path might best serve their growth journey.

Counselling and therapy shine when addressing past events or current traumas. They operate on the premise that the event itself is the problem—a powerful framework when you're struggling with unprocessed experiences. In contrast, coaching approaches difficulties differently, suggesting it's not the event but your thoughts about it that create your reality. This distinction offers tremendous freedom: while you can't change the past, you absolutely can transform how you think about it.

Hypnotherapy serves as a gentle introduction to mind management, especially valuable for those experiencing high anxiety or seeking to change specific habits. Meanwhile, mentoring provides direct advice from someone who's already walked your path successfully—telling you exactly what to do based on their experience. This directive approach works wonderfully in business contexts but may not build your self-trust muscles in the same way coaching does.

Life coaching is perhaps the most misunderstood practice. Unlike sports coaches who instruct specific techniques, life coaches don't dictate how you should live. Instead, we build your emotional resilience and mind management skills, helping you access your own inner wisdom to create the future you desire. While we might discuss the past, we won't let you remain trapped retelling the same stories that keep you stuck.

What matters most? Finding someone whose energy resonates with you on a level that transcends credentials or methodologies. Have conversations with different practitioners, notice how you feel in their presence, and trust yourself to recognize the right fit. Ready to explore how coaching might support your journey? Let's have a conversation—no pressure, just possibility.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

When was the last time you genuinely asked someone with a disability what they needed to succeed? In this eye-opening conversation, Sarah Petherbridge shares her journey as a profoundly deaf professional navigating workplace challenges with growing emotional resilience.

Sarah's story highlights the powerful shift from the outdated "medical model" of disability—where individuals were expected to "fix themselves"—to the empowering "social model" that recognises external barriers as the true disablers. "We're not disabled by our disability," Sarah explains, "but by the barriers in the workplace that are disabling us." This perspective transforms how disabled employees advocate for themselves and how colleagues can become meaningful allies.

The heart of this episode explores what true allyship looks like. Sarah defines an ally beautifully as "someone who has your back"—a person who intentionally includes rather than unintentionally excludes. She emphasizes that being an ally doesn't require perfection, just willingness: "You don't need to be perfect from the start, but you can make a start and just ask the right questions." Simple questions like "How can I help you?" demonstrate genuine care and open pathways to meaningful support.

We discuss how emotional resilience helps disabled professionals set healthy boundaries, advocate for accommodations, and overcome the "low-level anxiety" of navigating a world not designed for them. Sarah reflects how developing self-compassion transformed her relationship with past workplace challenges: "It's about not blaming myself for what happened... giving myself more compassion and understanding."

For leaders and organizations, Sarah offers practical guidance for creating inclusive environments through personal storytelling, awareness training, and making disability a comfortable rather than taboo topic. The business case is clear—inclusive workplaces enable everyone to contribute their best work.

Whether you have a disability, work alongside disabled colleagues, or simply want to become a more compassionate human, this conversation offers invaluable insights into creating workplaces where everyone can thrive through curiosity, empathy, and emotional resilience.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

Something a little bit different this week my friends... I was a guest on my friends podcast recently and we had such a lovely conversation that I wanted to share it with you all.

What happens when life coaching principles merge with divine guidance? This thoughtful conversation explores the profound transformation that occurs when coaches embrace both professional techniques and spiritual support.

The heart of our discussion centers on the remarkable shifts we both experienced when finally inviting God into our coaching practices. Having initially approached business from purely secular perspectives, we share the dramatic "explosion" of possibilities that emerged through surrender to divine guidance. This conversation shatters the notion that spirituality and professional coaching must remain separate domains.

We dive deep into how life coaching helps create healthier relationships – first with ourselves, then with everyone around us. When we learn to be kind to ourselves, we honor the divine creation that we are. This ripples outward, transforming how we parent, partner, and move through the world. Rather than controlling others' emotions or making them mean something about us, we create space for authentic connection.

Whether you're religious, spiritual-but-not-religious, or simply curious about maximizing your life's potential, this episode offers powerful insights on "drawing a line in the sand" – acknowledging your past without being defined by it, and consciously choosing who you want to become. Discover how coaching complements faith to create a foundation for truly extraordinary living.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach

What if your child's brilliance is being masked by a reading and writing system that simply doesn't match how their mind works? In this eye-opening conversation with dyslexia expert Lou Barnes, we explore the hidden world of dyslexic thinking and the extraordinary capabilities these unique brains possess.

Lou shares how after 20 years as a primary school teacher, she left the profession determined to find better solutions for the bright, articulate children who struggled with reading and writing despite their obvious intelligence. What she discovered challenges everything we think we know about learning differences.

Have you noticed your child can read perfectly one day but not recognize the same words the next? Or perhaps they can create incredible designs but panic when faced with a page of text? Lou explains her concept of the "storage cupboard" – the neural pathway that allows most people to retain visual information about words but is often missing in dyslexic minds. This explains why someone might read a passage beautifully but have no recollection of its content moments later.

Most fascinating is Lou's innovative approach to creating new neural pathways. Rather than drilling letters and sounds, she begins by having children visualize imaginary creatures, helping their brains learn to create stable, clear mental images before applying these same skills to text. The results have been transformative for countless children and adults.

As a working mother who personally resonates with many dyslexic traits, I found our conversation both validating and hopeful. Lou emphasizes that neurodiversity isn't something to "cure" – these differently-wired brains are essential to human progress and innovation. Her mission isn't to change how dyslexic minds work but to give them tools to navigate a world built around reading and writing.

Ready to understand your child's unique learning style better? Visit Lou's website at unlock-learning.co.uk where you'll find resources, blogs, and courses designed to help parents support their children's learning journey.

Here are the links to learn more about Lou:

Website – www.unlock-learning.co.uk

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-barnesunlocklearning/

Pinterest. https://uk.pinterest.com/unlock_learning/?kuid=7f594b05-bf70-4abe-89cd-edc9abd2e3e4-1742899291&kref=N0sd2zKuVlXc

You are also welcome to send Lou an email too: louise@unlock-learning.co.uk

You can also watch this episode on YouTube with Captions - https://www.youtube.com/@TheWorkingMumsLifeCoach

If you'd like to have a chat about how I can help you further, please don't hesitate to click here & book a time with me, I'd love to meet you.

You can also follow me on IG @NickyBevan_LifeCoach