The Little Peace of Mind Podcast

" What you're looking for is a quiet mind" – Sydney Banks. When you're struggling with an anxious, panicky experience – it's easy to feel as far as you possibly could be from a quiet mind. Peace. Quiet. Calm. Where does that come from? What's possible from that space? How do we get there? All of these questions and more are answered by John El-Mokadem in this special podcast episode.

In this episode, James and I share his story. James' anxiety was caused by the traffic noises outside his house. Or so he thought. Then he saw that the thing that he thought was causing his anxiety wasn't. This is the story of what happened after that life-changing insight....

"What do I have to do to GET this so it makes a difference to my anxiety today?" is a question I'm often asked. My answer is always - "Less than you might think". Today's podcast is a short snippet of a coaching conversation with a client as we discuss what it takes for change to occur in our lives.

Dr Aaron Turner has been a mentor of mine for many years and I've had the privilege work alongside him closely as I've created A Little Peace of Mind this year. And he knows a thing or two about anxiety. In this episode Aaron shares his own journey through anxiety (which I had never heard before in full) and how the principles have transformed his experience with it. He also shares more about the principles underlying the work that all of us who share this understanding point to as well as we can. Aaron just happens to do it particularly clearly! What he's helped me see far more clearly this year is the freedom that comes with getting comfortable being uncomfortable. I just know you're going to love this episode.

There's something about this conversation that makes the impossible possible. For me it was being able to travel freely, live a life (pretty much) free of migraines, take my kids to school easily and be in my business and relationships with far more ease and grace than I thought could be possible for me. What looks impossible to you right now? Michael shares a completely fresh perspective.

When we're up to something in the world, it can sometimes feel like our fears hold us back. Whether it's writing a book, starting a business, creating a wonderful family or home or travelling the globe – what could be possible for us if we were truly fearless. In this episode Rachel shares her own struggles with Morning Dread – that churning fear we can often have first thing in the morning and we go off on a tangent about money worries (!) before returning to the whole point of this podcast and Rachel's new book: what does it mean to live fearlessly?

Many of my female clients put their anxious symptoms and behaviours down to the menopause and this got me curious....can anything other than anxious thinking cause anxiety? What about hormones? Surely those cause mood swings? Surely the changes in our body and what those represent are scary? I hooked up with Tania Elfersy, an expert in this area, and asked for her opinion. What followed was, for me personally, one of the most impactful podcast episodes I've yet to record. Enjoy. And share this with every woman you know.

A common question I sometimes get from people new into this understanding is 'Why does it get worse before it gets better?' (or actually just 'Why is it getting worse?' as they have no idea it will actually get better). Here's a snippet from a recent coaching group where I addressed this issue.

A lot of people reach out to me to share their concern about their children who are experiencing anxiety. I've had my own experience through this journey with my own son, but for this podcast I decided to call in the expert: Brooke Wheeldon-Reece. So what exactly do you do when your child is anxious? As ever, it's simpler than you might think!

When we don't understand how the mind really works, we tend to look outside of ourselves to try to change our feelings. Feel unsettled in the evening? Drink a glass of wine to calm down. Unhappy in your job? Get a new one. Don't like the way your kids are behaving? Make them change. Unhappy that you're not out working at the moment? Force yourself to get a job. But did you know it's impossible to change a feeling by changing your circumstances? Did you know it's way simpler than you think? Jill Whalen and I discuss this and much more in today's podcast episode.