Do you own your story, or does it own you?

The moment you take ownership of it is the moment you take power over it.

My incredible guest in this episode, Chana Buisson, experienced trauma in her childhood. Physical and mental abuse led to depression and suicidal thoughts later in life.

Chana shares with so much honesty what she went through, and beauty the lessons she has since learned. She discusses how she overcame her trauma to find empowerment. She also talks about the challenges of dealing with depression and finding the motivation to keep moving forward.

What Chana says resonated so much with me and my story. And it also shows that real self-care involves giving ourselves tough love to get us out of situations to get up and move forward.

“It’s worth being uncomfortable with your story so you own it and it doesn’t own you” – Chana

You'll hear about:

01:15 - An introduction to Chana

06:40 - The role Chana had in her family

10:50 - Was nursing a follow on from her childhood role

13:27 - Femininity and owning your power

19:09 - Things Chana still works on because of her past

23:40 - Perpetuating the idea of staying stuck

28:24 - Did anyone say anything useful to move from the dark?

34:51 - The self-care we really need

38:22 - What Gen Z need?

42:11 - The radical change we need in wellbeing

Chana’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chana-buisson-1922002b2/

Website - https://www.fullofnectar.com/

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Does the world around you impact your mental health?

The bad news we see daily, the world in trouble. I would argue that we have a responsibility to protect ourselves from it. And live in a way that doesn’t overload our mental health.

By all means be active on the issues important to you but recognise that you have the control over the information you consume.

In this episode I discuss how to navigate the troubles we see in the world. I want to encourage you to question your relationship with the news and prioritise where you place your attention and energy. We should be focusing on causes that align with our zone of genius, all while protecting our brain and nervous system.

Turning down the volume on negative influences and turning it up on things that bring us energy will enable us to create real impact in the world.

“What is our responsibility when it comes to navigating the amount of information that could be bad for our mental health?” - Petra

You'll hear about:

01:04 - How we navigate a troubled world

02:33 - Being prepared for the next bad thing

03:29 - Navigating all of the information out there

05:29 - The defences I often hear on this topic

06:58 - What causes are you connected to?

09:20 - Having intention on connecting to the world

11:43 - I don't watch the news at all

13:16 - Question what is in your control

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

True high performance in the workplace is not common.

But it is possible. So, what does it take to get there and stay there?

In this episode I am joined by Chinazom and Ije, a couple who are business and leadership coaches. They discuss the challenges and rewards of working together as a couple and as business partners.

They also explore the concept of mental fitness and its importance for performance and wellbeing. We cover the importance of psychological safety in teams and the role of leaders in creating a culture of mental fitness. Allowing employees to flourish and experience joy.

We also share our experiences of building trust and psychological safety within our teams, including the importance of leaders modelling vulnerability and creating a safe space for employees to share their challenges to build real trust.

“If there isn’t a sense of trust people will respond falsely” – Iljeoma

You'll hear about:

01:07 - An intro to Chinazom & Ijeoma

03:03 - Was learning about coaching transformative?

07:18 - The unsaid things in business

14:58 - The art of reflection and communication

19:50 - Chinazom's version of mental fitness

29:34 - Bringing wellbeing into the light

33:49 - How Petra talks about mental health in her organisation

41:39 - The problems in the modern workplace

46:46 - Recognising your partners mental health needs

51:48 - The most radical change we need in wellbeing

Chinazom & Ijeoma’s resources:

Website - https://www.dreamcatchersperformance.com/

Chinazom - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinazomsunnynwabueze/

Ijeoma - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ijeoma-jemie-nwabueze/

Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

Too often we make decisions without thinking if they will have a positive impact on our lives.

We need to be able to align our decisions with our truth. That means not just choosing what we think is a good decision but what we think is a great decision.

But how do we know what a great decision is?

In this episode, I discuss the concept of good versus great and how it relates to finding our purpose and living in alignment with our truth. That truth can change as we move through different phases of our lives. So, we need to embrace the idea of the 'dark night of the soul' and how it can be a transformative period of growth and self-discovery.

Ask yourself the question of what good versus great is in your life, and bravely say no to the good to pursue the great.

“Challenge the thinking that’s around you and think for yourself” - Petra

You'll hear about:

00:50 - Good vs great

01:35 - The different phases of life

05:25 - It takes self-awareness

08:16 - Hone in on your zone of genius

11:41 - How do we know the phase has changed?

14:38 - What should our zone of genius be about?

16:28 - Challenge the thinking that’s around you

Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Work life balance is a lie, it doesn’t exist.

We are all going from one aspect of our lives to the other, trying to keep everything afloat, but what of we reframed it as work life harmony?

This outlook on leadership and wellbeing is championed by my guest in this episode, Andre Young. He is the founder of You Evolving Now, author and leadership trainer helping create better work culture, and improved interactions between leaders and employees.

Andre shares his perspective on what work life harmony is and the importance of setting priorities and boundaries. Andre shares his own experiences with trying to maintain this harmony with 4 kids, his wife, friends and 2 businesses.

There is so much we are told about what our work life balance should look like, let’s get to the truth about what we are all going through.

“Once you know who you are, once you know who your people are, you don’t have to take things personal anymore” - Andre

You'll hear about:

00:57 - What's exciting Andre right now?

02:32 - The biggest thing Andre is currently learning

06:55 - Andre's role as a kid

13:18 - It starts with self-awareness

15:19 - Work life harmony according to Andre

29:00 - Everyone needs to know the vision

32:32 - The types of wins we celebrate

38:50 - Does work life balance have to look a certain way?

44:55 - The skill of intentional communication

52:50 - The most radical change Andre wants to see

Andre’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/youevolvingnow/

Website - https://youevolvingnow.com/author/andre-young/

Petra’s resources: Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

Do you have voices that influence your decisions?

Whether they are inside your head or out there in the real world, they exist for all of us.

The hard bit is finding the right people to hear you out and give you the insights you need to make your next move.

In this episode I discuss the importance of creating a circle of support in what can be a world of isolation. And that support may need to evolve over time. I explore the concept of the boardroom in our heads, where different voices influence our decisions, we need to listen to those just as much as the voices around us from the outside world.

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need, it will help you get the right kind of support at the right time.

“The boardroom that got you to where needed to go is not the same as the one you need for the next phase of life” - Petra

You'll hear about:

00:50 - Creating your circle of support

04:07 - Our personal board room

05:52 - Having blind faith in yourself

07:34 - Sitting with the darkness

10:03 - Authenticity over connection

17:24 - Identifying the voices in your head

20:25 - The in real life aspect

25:56 - Final thoughts

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Is your gut health impacting your mental health?

The connection between how our gut is feeling and how our brain feels is becoming more and more understood.

That’s why in this episode I invited Dana Chapman, a health and wellness expert, to talk us about how to look after ourselves by looking after our gut. She is trained in Nutrition Science, incorporating elements of how genetics, stressors, environment, food, movement and sleep all impact how we feel think and perform.

We discuss the connection between gut health and mental health, and where to start to look after ourselves if we are feeling stressed. We also touch on the impact of technology on our ability to listen to our bodies and the responsibility of organizations in promoting employee well-being.

“If the gut is not happy, you are not going to be happy” - Dana

You'll hear about:

03:02 - The Gut-Brain Connection

11:31 - Managing Stress for Gut Health and Mental Well-Being

16:59 – Happiness hormones

23:07 – Is tech helping us listen to our bodies more?

28:12 - Prioritizing Individual Well-Being in the Workplace

34:17 - The Impact of Technology on Body Awareness

38:05 - The Responsibility of Organizations in Promoting Employee Well-Being

Dana’s resources:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-chapman-85b73316/

DC-Nutrition - https://www.dc-nutrition.co.uk/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danachapmannutrition

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX

Are you overwhelmed by all the self-help advice out there?

Feeling like every expert is telling us something slightly different to get us to the destination of being healed. But it doesn’t work like that.

In this episode, I discuss how to get the most out of self-help. And I challenge the idea of healing as a destination and emphasize the importance of the self in self-help. We need reflection, radical honesty, and checking our own bullshit to really be able to heal.

I also give tips on how to reflect on your body and needs, assessing the basics before getting fancy, and consciously consuming information.

“You are the expert of your experience” - Petra

You'll hear about:

01:17 - Navigating Self-Help Overwhelm and Addiction

02:59 - Being the Expert of Your Own Experience

08:09 - Reflection, Radical Honesty, and Checking Your Bullshit

11:00 - The Power of Meaningful Connections and Community Help

16:48 – Reflecting on your own path

21:28 – Checking in with other people

25:08 - Making the Most of Therapy, Coaching, and Support

Petra’s resources:

Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397

Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX