Sandra describes the many challenges she’s faced in her adult life as well and how her life experiences helped give her insight into the world of mindset coaching. We cover, debt, unemployment, loss, infertility and what factors contribute to our mindsets and approach to life. Why do so many of us feel as though we aren't good enough and live our lives based on the expectations of others?

Sandras story is truly inspirational and I know you will love hearing her share her story as much as I did.  

You can connect with Sandra on IG - @sandra_thepositivemindsetcoach and on FB - https://www.facebook.com/sandrangthepositivemindsetcoach/

Following your dreams isn't always plain sailing and Kemi shares the highs and lows she experienced, including some hard hitting lessons that are painful reminders of how she wants to support the families she works with.

We discuss what it means to find balance in the birth world and the seemingly opposing sides of birth, the medical institution on one side and the staunch opposition of anything medical on the other. We talk openly about the failings of the current maternity system so please take care of yourself whilst listening if you are currently pregnant or have experienced birth trauma yourself.

Kemi shares her experience of racism as a black midwife and what she’s learned by going through the system and coming all the way out the other side.

You can connect with Kemi on instagram @kemibirthjoyjohnson

Mandy says in her 20’s she was burnt out, working hard and playing hard and eventually that took its toll and she was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid at a young age.

Despite three years of very strong medication to try and make Mandy better nothing was working and her symptoms were getting worse, not better.

A close friend of hers suggested giving homeopathy a try and despite Mandy’s scepticism she did give it a go and that decision changed her life forever.

Mandy’s story is one of taking control of her own health and recognising what was important in her life in order to maintain a healthy balance. Mandy decided to walk away from her highly paid, well sort after job in TV and started her own business as a homeopath. This was a scary decision at the time but she has never looked back.

Mandy is a fellow cold water swimmer and she shares what regular cold water dips has done for her.

You can find Mandy online https://www.homeopathybymandy.co.uk/index.htm

This episode is a really uplifting chat, please share with a friend who you think will enjoy it.

When Sarah turned 49 she wrote a list of 49 things she wanted to do before she turned 50 and cold water swimming was one of those. She was hooked straight away. She describes how this list and the cold water swimming was part of a much bigger journey of self discovery. 

In January 2019, Sarah’s world was shattered by the death of a close friend and her mother’s dementia diagnosis, both within the space of two weeks. Sarah’s book, Salt On My Skin, details how she coped with these devastating events and the effect that cold water swimming had on her life.

In this episode we discuss some of the factors to consider to stay safe whilst wild swimming in the sea. Sarah has swum in the Orkney sea thousands of times and it was really interesting to hear what she’s learned in order to stay safe.

We touch on the mystique of living in Orkney and the importance of being immersed in nature, cold water swimming and the healing power of nature.

Sarah shares her experiences of supporting her parents whilst her mums dementia is steadily getting worse each day. It is an open and raw account of grief and worry about caring for a parent with such a devastating disease. Sarah says that although it is incredibly difficult there are still beautiful and tender moments that she will cherish forever.

You can find Sarah on Instagram @seasaltandsarah

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and share with a friend who you think will enjoy listening.

Love Katie x

Natalie previously worked as a GP and she remarks that, “Working in palliative care gave me the things that I’d wished being a doctor was all about.”

We discuss the often misunderstood specialism of palliative care and how actually accessing palliative care early on in the course of a non-curable disease can improve not only your quality of life but also increase life expectancy in some cases.

Natalie shares how she enjoys being able to spend proper time with her patients and focussing on the mental wellbeing is one of the most crucial elements of her role. It seems like this is certainly one area of medicine that the mind body connection is well recognised.

Natalie reflects on how working in palliative care has taught her to "not take a single day for granted, value things, enjoy people and to “not sweat the small stuff.”"

Natalie is a fellow sea swimmer and cold water enthusiast and she explains how the cold water immersion is like an intense exercise in mindfulness when you really can only focus on that moment and the tingling sensations all over your body. We discuss the benefit of having that quiet time outside, surrounded by nature and away from the stresses of family life.

As well as cold water swimming, we discuss what else she likes to do to try and tip the balance in favour of her mental health.

Hannah and I have both had VBAC births (vaginal birth after caesarean.) Hannah was my birth photographer and managed to capture my VBAC birth at home in 2019. I will cherish those photos and birth video for ever.

During my labour I was flooded with fears and doubts and it really caught me off guard. I was sure I had done "the work" and preparation to be able to sail through my second birth but it turned out I was wrong.

Even though I had spent the best part of 2 years preparing and planning for my home VBAC I found the labour incredibly challenging. You can read my birth story and watch my birth video here.

In this bonus episode Hannah shares her experience of preparing for a VBAC for her third baby after 2 emergency caesarean births. We discuss how her preparation for her third baby differed from her other 2 births. We focus on the mental aspect of preparing for birth after previous traumatic birth experiences and how crucial that can be.

You can connect with Hannah via her website or instagram

Please share this episode with someone who you think will benefit from hearing this uplifting chat.

Love Katie x

Laureys new book, 'The No-Nonsense Meditation Book,' is released in the UK on 15th April 2021. The book has been translated into 9 different languages and this is the first publication in English. The book includes fascinating research on expert meditators such as Matthieu Ricard, Buddist monk and translator for the Dalai Lama and as Laureys described him, "a rock star of buddism."

The book scientifically proves the positive impact of meditation, and shows how we can easily add meditation to our routines. I love how Laureys makes meditation feel accessible to everyone. Meditation costs nothing and you can do it anytime and anywhere. "Do what you can," this is the basic philosophy of Laureys.

Laureys admits himself that he used to be a skeptic but after a personal crisis in 2012 he started to discover the benefits of meditation and now he prescribes it to his patients in his clinic.

The benefits of meditation are far reaching. Delayed ageing, anti-inflammatory effects, reduced stress and anxiety, pain management. These are just a small number of positive side effects of meditation!

Laureys is also involved in some other truly fascinating work researching hypnosis, consciousness of comatose patients and near death experiences.

I felt so excited after reading this book as I felt as though there was a very real possibility of living a less burdened life with more joy and less suffering, all available to me through my own brain and for free. I can't wait to continue on my meditation journey and to feel the benefits.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and share with a friend who you think will enjoy listening.

Love Katie x

In this episode Helen takes us through the journey of her life where she says the first 20 years were close to perfect and the next 20 years seemed to go from one major trauma to another. This left Helen with severe PTSD but she is now in a place where she feels content and happy with life.

Helen lost her mother to a brain tumour when her mum was only 43 years old and after Helens daughter was born she started developing headaches. To her shock and disbelief Helen also has a brain tumour in the same place as her mum. Thankfully Helen's tumour is benign and not related to her mums tumour in anyway.

Helen suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a Police baton whilst on duty at a music festival in Manchester and this left Helen needing neurological rehabilitation for 9 months.

Helen shares how her life events have shaped her and what she’s learned along the way. Helen has taken control of her own healing on several occasions. When she discovered Dr Joe Dispenza that helped her take control of her own personal healing journey after suffering PTSD after years as a Family Liaison Officer for the Police. We discuss how one size does not fit all when it comes to recovery from physical and mental health trauma.

Helen is cofounder of iX global. It is primarily a financial education company that also encourages self development and personal growth. They offer in-depth beginner to advanced Financial Education Courses in Forex, Binary, Crypto, & Equity. They also offer a network marketing scheme for those interested in growing their own business.

Helen is co-author of an exceptional book, 'She Is Unstoppable." with a group of outstanding female authors who have risen through adversity and became true inspirations to all. The book uncovers the lives of 12 global leading influencers, thought leaders and change makers by stripping back the glitz and glamour and deep-diving into the real, authentic rollercoaster, the wonderful and the heart-breaking moments of their lives. If you’re looking for inspiration, a shift, a change in perspective, the motivation to take action, then this is a must-read for you. 'She Is Unstoppable,' is available on Kindle and Amazon.

Helen is truly an inspirational woman and I know you will really enjoy hearing her tell her story. Please remember to subscribe to the show and share with someone who you know will enjoy hearing these uplifting and inspirational stories.

Money can be such a taboo subject and for women especially, even in 2021, it’s still all too common for women not to be in charge of their own finances.

We debunk the myths around financial freedom and what that might mean for different people. Financial freedom doesn’t have to mean zipping around the world on yachts and sipping on champagne (although that does sound rather nice!) Caroline shares how you can have a more open mindset when it comes to money. We all have a relationship with money, we have conditioning and our beliefs to go with it. Do you know what your beliefs are around money?

“What do you want money to do for you? What dreams do you want brought into reality? That’s all money does, it brings dreams into reality.”

Caroline asks, "Do you give money “jobs”? Money that doesn’t have a job tends to disappear! You can start taking more control of your finances even if you only have £1. It can help to get you psychologically in the right place."

Caroline gives loads of practical steps to help you unpick what your relationship is with money and how you can take simple steps to be better in control of your finances. I learned so much from my conversation with Caroline and I know you will too. If what you hear today resonates with you please do share this episode with your friends.

Caroline gave birth to her second baby during the lockdown in March 2020. "It's a very weird time to have a baby," Caroline recalls. "I went into the hospital on the 6th of March and the world seemed normal, my mum was allowed to be with me the whole time. Two weeks later when I left the hospital the world was a different place."

You can connect with Caroline through her website: https://moneymindsetcoaching.co.uk/

Toni has had a complex medical history and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 30. She set up a charity to help others called MS Positive

During our chat she explains how she sees a link between addiction and trauma caused by illness. As Toni says during the interview, shame survives in the dark but dies in the light and she hopes that by sharing her experiences this might help others who are dealing with addiction at the moment.

Doing this podcast interview marks one year since going into recovery and I think you'll agree Toni is a remarkable woman. It takes strength, courage and bravery to open up about these topics, especially in a public forum. I am so grateful that I met Toni last year and so proud of the work she's done and continues to do on herself, not only for herself but also for her family and friends.

As I explain at the start of the interview I found the topic of death and dying quite difficult and I recognise that it was a fear of mine. Once I discovered Anna and Louise and read about their work and their approach I started to become more interested and felt more able to think and talk about the subject.

It started to bring into sharper focus the fragility of our life and has spurred me to try and live life as fully as I can. One question I find myself asking on a regular basis is how might I reflect upon situations when I am on my death bed. I find that helps me keep things in perspective and to try and focus on the things that really matter.

Anna and Louise have a new book called “We all know how this ends,” out on March 18^th. Throughout the interview we discuss the book and I reflect on the emotions that it bought up for me and what I learned by reading it.

The conversation is open and honest and I don’t think I have read any other book that will have taught me as much as this one. I know there may be many people who have lost a loved one recently or caring for a loved one who’s unwell so please take care of yourself whilst listening.

You can find Life. Death. Whatever. on their website: https://www.lifedeathwhatever.com/ and on instagram

"We all know how this ends." is available now (ships on March 18th 2021) from all good book retailers. You can follow the link here to get your copy. (You can support independent bookshops by purchasing the books on the Life. Death. Whatever website through Bookshop.org, an online bookshop with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.)

This book has made me feel much less afraid and has opened up some great conversations in our house. I hope it does the same for you.

She has created cheeky viral content for organisations such as The World Wildlife Fund, Getup, The Climate Council and The Sum of us generating millions of views on some of the most complex issues facing our world through engaging and entertaining content.

At the age of 31 Briony was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins lymphoma and in this episode Briony shares her journey through treatment and thankfully into remission. Briony was dismissed many times by her GP before her diagnosis. If it hadn't been for the insistence of her concerned parents Briony may not have ever had the referral to the specialist doctors she so desperately needed. She’s been in remission for three years now and Briony talks about the lessons she's learned and the way she’s implemented changes in her life since going through cancer.

We discuss how our health is the most important thing in our lives and the beauty in holding our nearest and dearest close to us.

You can connect with Briony on instagram @briony_benjamin and you can view the amazing video content she has produced on her website.

Follow Briony on social media and keep your eyes peeled for her new book launching in August 2021!

Anna references how doing "the work" by author Byron Katie has transformed her life. We work through several examples during our conversation. I found this to be a real lightbulb moment and I'm sure you will be able to apply these questions to some situations in your own life.

There are lots of hilarious parts to this conversation and I am sure you will enjoy it as much as we did. I love Anna's openness and the way she is able to speak so candidly about her life experiences. Anna and I are good friends and that makes this conversation flow easily and beautifully.

You can find out more about Byron Katie here: https://thework.com/ or look for her book 'Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life' from any good book retailer.

In today’s episode we discuss the barriers to providing holistic care in the NHS as well as why communication and compassion are so important. Rebecca shares her advice for preparing for birth and how you can take steps to try and reduce the likelihood of having a traumatic birth.

We talk about self care and how Rebecca thinks this is an important model to show our children. Our health and needs are just as important as those who we love and care for.

You can find Rebecca on instagram @drrebeccamoore and her website is: https://www.doctorrebeccamoore.com/

Make Birth Better is a fantastic resource for parents and professionals and you can find them here: https://www.makebirthbetter.org/ and on instagram @birthbetter

If you are feeling upset about your birth experience please reach out, there are lots of sources of support available.

Last year Maddie was diagnosed with a rare cancer, ocular melanoma, which affects less than 5 in a million people. Maddie talks about the need for holistic care, good communication and the nuances around positive thinking.

We discuss the benefits of wild swimming in cold water and how that was something that helped to bring her out of a deep depression during her treatment. Maddie says that, “her biggest tip for anyone dealing with a crisis, physical or emotional, to get out and start wild swimming.”

Maddie has written several books and we talk about her latest book “why mothering matters."

“The motherhood experience has been mostly overlooked by feminism, and women are still the ‘social skivvys’ ”

We talk about the fallacy of equality when we now live in a world where women work full time, as men have always done, and we also still do all or most of the traditional female roles of childcare and running a household.

You can find Maddie on facebook @maddiemcmahon and the developing doulas website is: https://developingdoulas.co.uk/

Ami is well known for being very open about her own challenges with her mental health. Ami talks to me about being in a coercive controlling relationship and how that taught her to set strict boundaries with everything in her life.

We discuss toxic positivity, self care, the power of gratitude and journaling and the joys of being your own boss. Ami has been consciously working on herself for the past 2 years to implement huge positive change in her life and Ami admits this is a daily practice that requires discipline.

Ami goes into detail about the things that have really helped her to try and tip the balance in favour of her mental and physical health and I personally found this interview incredibly insightful and uplifting and I’m sure you will too.

You can find Ami on instagram @the_woman_and_the_wolf

Charlie's business encompasses all that she is and loves,

"It all began with an idea. to live life slower, more intentionally, to transform everyday life into something more. Embracing our rural surrounding and authentically live a life that is ours. Capturing every moment through photography and creative means.”

Charlie explains how slow living is a state of mind and how we can all live our lives more intentionally and authentically. Charlie and I unpick some of the most common misconceptions about slow living and our shared experience of how slow living has benefited our mental health

Charlie shares her experience of Postnatal anxiety and depression and how that has taught her the importance of setting healthy boundaries and acknowledging the pressures we feel to conform to societal expectations.

Charlie explains how she quit her full time job to start her own business and how that has been absolutely liberating for her. You can find Charlie on instagram @ourkindred and her website is https://www.ourkindred.co.uk/

Charlie designed my branding for @thebalanceddoula and the branding for this podcast! She's great!

Hannah’s husband died in 2019, and Hannah talks about her experience with grief and how that took a toll on her mental and physical health. Hannah’s has had to work through so many challenging stages in her life and the way she approaches balancing her mental health is truly inspirational. I am sure you will love hearing her share her story.

You can find Hannah on instagram @hannahpalamarahonestlyyou

We go into depth about her previous life that involved being in an abusive and controlling relationship and what she's learnt about herself and life amidst all of that.

Sobriety is something really important to Sophie and we discuss this during the episode. If you are affected by a close family member or friend dealing with alcoholism you can contact Al-anon via their website for advice: https://www.al-anonuk.org.uk

In 2011 Andy was morbidly obese, bankrupt, divorced and living with his parents. This is when his journey into the field of human development started, "I’d been realising that life wasn’t where I wanted it to be, that my relationships were not right, that I was working too hard and getting nowhere and that my own health and mental capability had suffered as a result." He discovered NLP and started to take back control of his life and rediscover balance. Andy now helps so many other people in their lives through his coaching practice.

We discuss how being married and a busy dad to three children brings many challenges with regards to maintaining balance in all areas of our life.

The way Andy describes his life experience is really motivational and I know you'll have lots of "ah-ha!" moments whilst listening.

You can find Andy at https://www.andycoley.com/about-andy-coley

Throughout this podcast I explore this idea with a wide range of guests and ask what balance means to them and how they try to tip the balance in favour of their mental health.

Many of the guests of the show have had to overcome adversity in their lives; mental and physical health problems, addiction, abusive relationships and bereavement.

It's by going through challenging times that we can learn the most valuable lessons about what matters to us and how important our mental and physical health really is.

I have learnt so much through these conversations and I know you will really enjoy listening to these shared stories.

Tipping the balance is a series of relaxed conversational style interviews where long form conversation is preferred over short form. The length of each interview varies but is usually around an hour long.

The music used throughout the show is "Elevate" by Yes King Records. Used with permission. You can find more awesome music from Mark Rae here: https://markrae.bandcamp.com/music