A Thought I Kept

In this episode, I talk to Dr MaryCatherine McDonald about what it means to make space for all that we feel, especially the emotions we’ve been taught to push away. We explore anxiety, grief, joy, and all the ways our nervous system tries to protect us, even when it leaves us bracing against life rather than living it. MaryCatherine shares how her understanding of emotions shifted from something t...

Sometimes the things we reach for to cope slowly become the things we feel trapped by. A glass of wine at the end of a long day. Something to take the edge off anxiety. Something that promises connection, relaxation, or a moment of relief from the noise of everyday life. In this week’s episode of A Thought I Kept , I talk to sober coach, sober mentor, and writer Ellie Nova about our relationship w...

What if the way to feel better isn’t about doing more but learning how to notice what’s already here? In this episode, I talk with occupational therapist Josephine Dolan-Dufourd about what it means to find beauty in everyday life, especially when you're not quite where you thought you'd be. We explore burnout, the pressure to keep producing, and the curious way our attention can get pull...

There are moments in life when everything looks fine on the outside, but something inside you is wondering, is this it? In this episode, I talk to Erica Moore about career change, rest, tea, and the small, pivotal moments that can shift the direction of a life. The bath before work. The cup of tea. The sudden clarity that life is short and this isn’t a dress rehearsal. Erica shares what happened w...

This week I’m joined by writer, ADHD coach and founder of The Quiet ADHD Club, Gabrielle Treanor. Together, we explore what it means to feel fully here in your own life, especially if you’re a quiet woman in midlife who has spent years trying to be smaller, more consistent, or more “together” than you actually feel inside. We talk openly about ADHD in midlife, including the experience of late diag...

What happens when the life you carefully built no longer feels like it fits? When the version of success you were chasing leaves you anxious, or strangely unfulfilled? In this episode, I sit down with Ray Martin to explore what it really means to live in surrender without losing yourself. Ray shares the story of a year that unravelled everything he thought he knew — his marriage, his business, eve...

Sometimes it isn’t a dramatic breaking point that tells us something needs to change. It can be quieter than that. Maybe just a sense of disconnect, or a feeling that the story we’re living no longer quite belongs to us. In this episode of A Thought I Kept , I talk to Hilary Salzman about what happens when you start to notice that misalignment — between who you are, how you’re seen, and the roles...

This week’s thought I kept comes from Edwina Jenner , and it’s one that fundamentally reshaped how she thinks about responsibility, self-trust, and the way we move through midlife. It’s a thought that can feel confronting at first but, when given some space, can open up a surprising sense of clarity and freedom. In this episode of A Thought I Kept , I talk with Edwina about what happens when we st...

In this episode of A Thought I Kept , I’m joined by Nicky Denson-Elliott for a conversation about the beliefs many women carry without ever consciously choosing them and what can shift when we begin to let those beliefs go. We talk about the emotional weight of comparison, competition, and feeling like we have to stay small or agreeable just to feel safe. About confidence not as a personality trai...

In this episode, I talk to Matthew Bellringer about what it can feel like to move through a world that doesn’t always seem to be made for you and how impactful it can be to realise that other people may be experiencing that same world in fundamentally different ways. We talk about neurodiversity, but always through lived experience rather than labels. About overwhelm, burnout, boredom, joy, and cu...

In this episode, I’m joined by Isabelle Fielding for a conversation about our emotions — the ones we try to manage, the ones we push down, and the ones that keep resurfacing when something important is at stake. We talk about what it’s like to live in a world that often asks us to be happier, calmer, more confident, while quietly struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, overwhelm, or a sense that we’r...

This is a great episode to start the year with as well as a new season of the podcast. I sit down with wellbeing writer Rebecca Frank to explore how curiosity might offer a way of beginning when we might not be quite ready. Rebecca and I talk about what curiosity looks like when life is full, messy, and changing. We explore how it can soften judgement, widen our view of other people, and help us s...

What does it really mean to feel held – not just by others, but by ourselves, our bodies, and the rhythms of everyday life? In this episode of A Thought I Kept , I’m joined by Lauren Barber for a conversation about anxiety, aliveness, self-trust, and the quiet practices that help us come back to ourselves when life feels loud or overwhelming. Together, we explore what it means to hold space – for...

When your mind won’t settle, your thoughts won’t line up, or you feel like you can’t hear yourself think, what do you do? In this episode, Claire is joined by Katie Driver, founder of The Thinking Alliance, to explore how we can reclaim clarity in a world that demands constant noise, answers, and action. This conversation explores how to think for yourself, how to listen deeply, how feelings shape...

What if your energy is more than just a feeling? What if it’s your currency? In this conversation, host Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Georgina Jones about the invisible threads that connect us: joy, grief, presence, and the power of what happens when we stop trying to fix and start feeling. They explore how energy shapes how we show up, how we hold space for others, and how movement, music and hu...

What if self-care wasn’t about adding more to your to-do list but about rethinking what care even means? In this episode, Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Chartered psychologist, coach and author Suzy Reading about the often invisible emotional labor of women, the cultural messaging that teaches us to ignore our needs, and the radical act of allowing ourselves to be cared for. Suzy, author of the ne...

What if your nervous system was quietly shaping everything — from your relationships to your resilience — and no one ever taught you how to understand it? In this episode of A Thought I Kept , Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Beth Derry , resilience coach and founder of Lovely Messy Humans , about the deep and often overlooked influence our nervous systems have on how we cope, connect, and show up i...

What if your creative energy didn’t need an algorithm — just some more self-trust and a room full of the right people? In this episode of A Thought I Kept , Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with PR strategist, founder of The Inspiration Space, and self-described “idea-laying machine” Liana Fricker , about navigating creativity, burnout, and how we reconnect with ourselves — and each other — beyond the on...

In this special episode of 'A Thought I Kept,' host Claire Fitzsimons is joined by Amanda Sheeren, her close friend and co-founder of ' If Lost Start Here ', a wellbeing company aimed at helping people navigate modern life's complexities with creativity, curiosity and humour.  This episode centers on Amanda’s thought that even in the dark times there is light. They discuss...

In this episode of 'A Thought I Kept,' host Claire Fitzsimmons engages in a heartfelt conversation with Katharina Geissler-Evans, founder and editor-in-chief of heiter. The discussion explores how to find resilience during exhaustion and overwhelm, and how to create intentional and joyful connections in our increasingly online lives. Katarina shares how the philosophy 'if there&apos...

Why do our hearts race at the sound of an email? Why does one glance at our phones send us into full-blown panic? In this episode, we're joined by massage therapist and author Carrie Ekins, who helps us understand what’s really going on in our bodies when everything feels like a threat. Carrie shares how the nervous system can get stuck in survival mode and why modern life triggers ancient fe...

In this week’s episode of A Thought I Kept , storyteller and creative leader Andrea Rathborne shares a memory so vivid, it feels like a short film stitched into the fabric of her life. This experience taught Andrea to appreciate the everyday small but meaningful moments, which she likens to a series of dashes and dots, forming a personal Morse code of memories.  Host Claire Fitzsimmons talks with...

In this episode of A Thought I Kept , host Claire Fitzsimmons invites Anya Pearse, a coach, mentor, and creative thinker, to discuss a thought that's stayed with her: 'Am I feeling my thinking?'  The conversation explores the origins of this thought, inspired by the works of Byron Katie and Michael Neil, and explores themes of self-awareness, self-compassion, and acceptance. Anya sh...

In this conversation, Claire Fitzsimmons and Emma Simpson explore the profound question of 'What's the worst that can happen?' as a guiding principle in life. Emma shares her journey of transforming fear into adventure, resilience through grief, and the balance between safety and freedom in parenting. They discuss the importance of emotional energy in nurturing friendships and the c...

In this episode of Thought I Kept , host Claire Fitzsimmons welcomes journalist and author Rosamund Dean, creator of the brilliant Substack Well, Well, Well . They discuss the complexities and contradictions of wellness including Rosamund's mindful approach to drinking and her experience with breast cancer.  This conversation explores how to make health choices fun and sustainable, the impact...