unstuck, by Nicole

You’re getting things done, managing what’s asked of you, and keeping going. But how much is it taking out of you, and have you become so used to the pressure that you no longer notice? In this episode, I explore how stress can start to feel normal, and the expectations we can place on one practice to help us feel better. I share why I’m beginning to think about supporting myself as a choreography...

How do you get someone to understand something they don’t seem willing to hear? Feeling unheard at work, at home or in your friendships can be incredibly frustrating. You might find yourself trying harder to explain, becoming irritated, or saying less and less about what matters to you. In this episode, I share three simple communication adjustments you can try in the conversation itself: lead wit...

Have you ever worked out exactly what is draining your energy, only to realise that none of it can easily be removed? In this episode, I explore a different way of thinking about balance. One that is less about dividing life equally and more about consciously making space for what restores you. Through a simple energy audit, we consider the people, tasks and roles that take from us, alongside the...

Have you ever found someone warm and playful one day, then distant or unusually direct the next, and immediately wondered whether you had done something wrong? In this episode, I explore how Reversal Theory can help us understand these shifts through two motivational states: Focused and Playful. What we want from an interaction, and even the amount of stimulation we enjoy, can change depending on...

Do the words “I’m busy” make your day feel heavier before you have even begun? In this episode, I explore the emotional charge carried by everyday language, and how a simple reframe can reduce some of the pressure we attach to a full workload. I unpack the difference between resourceful language, fake positivity and dismissing how we really feel. We look at a practical four-part habit: recognise,...

Are you the person everyone turns to when something needs fixing? In this episode, I explore the role of the fixer and what happens when being helpful quietly becomes an expectation. I look at why being needed can feel closely connected to belonging, how to recognise the repeated heaviness and resentment that may signal a responsibility is not yours, and how to return that responsibility without a...

Big decisions rarely arrive without competing loyalties, uncertainty and the fear of regret. So how do you know which choice is right for you? In this episode, I share the story of accepting an international role that required me to travel for almost 75 percent of my time, and the quiet afternoon in the Cotswolds that helped me decide. I explore why guilt does not necessarily mean a choice is wron...

How often do you place what you want before the word “but” and then allow the obstacle to have the final say? In this episode, I share the story of a rainy morning in New York when a warm hotel room, jet lag and a long to-do list nearly stopped me from finally walking the High Line. I explore how changing the order of one sentence reduced the weight I had placed on the rain, why avoidance can disg...

What if the ability everyone admires in you is also preventing you from seeing what your body needs? In this episode, I share how high-functioning anxiety looked like efficiency, proactivity, and achievement in my life, why a forced pause triggered an identity crisis, and what changed when I finally experienced enough safety to let go. I explore the emotional releases I experienced through Breathw...

Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things. We can have all the awareness, insight and intention in the world, yet still find ourselves stuck in the same place months, or even years later. In this episode, I’m joined by Ricky, founder of Raising Your Game, to explore the gap between knowing and doing. We discuss how learning can become a form of avoidance, the role iden...

Freedom is often imagined as a life with fewer rules, fewer commitments and fewer expectations. But what if the right kind of structure could actually give us more of it? In this episode, I’m joined by Pei Ling Lo, founder of The Art of Structure, to explore why structure can feel restrictive, and what changes when we stop trying to fit ourselves into someone else’s way of living and working. Pei...

In this episode, I share what it means for me to experience both anxiety and genuine confidence, and why one does not make the other any less real. I explore the assumptions people make when anxiety does not look the way they expect, how anxiety can sharpen my awareness while confidence helps me act on what I notice, and the point at which useful attentiveness begins to take over my thinking. If y...

There are moments in life when you've done everything you possibly can... and yet the outcome is still out of your hands. In this episode, I share the story of a recent journey home that reminded me of a lesson I'd learnt years ago, but experienced in a completely new way. We explore why our response to a situation can matter just as much as the situation itself, the difference between per...

People experience your presence long before they experience your expertise. In this episode, I share why I've become so fascinated by the quiet power of presence, and how the way we move, carry ourselves and make others feel can shape both how the world responds to us and how we respond to ourselves. I'll explore why confidence often follows behaviour rather than precedes it, the differenc...

In this episode of  Unstuck, by Nicole , I explore a question I've found myself reflecting on more and more: What if manifestation was never meant to do all the work? I believe in manifestation. I practise it myself. But over time, I've come to realise that perhaps we've placed too much responsibility on one tool, expecting it to create change on its own. In this episode, I share a sim...

There isn't always a dramatic moment when we lose ourselves. Sometimes it happens quietly. Through saying yes when we mean no. Through becoming who everyone else needs us to be. Through constantly performing, achieving, fixing or proving, until one day we realise we no longer recognise the person underneath it all. In this episode, I explore the subtle ways we disconnect from ourselves, why it...

Have you ever stopped to question the phrase  "Let's break the ice" ? In this episode, I explore why those three simple words might be creating the very thing we're hoping to avoid. Drawing on my own experiences in leadership, facilitation and human connection, I share why I've stopped trying to break the ice and started focusing on something much more meaningful. Because per...

In the very first episode of unstuck, by Nicole, Nicole explores a surprising idea: What if your greatest strength is also the thing holding you back? Drawing on her own experiences and observations from years of working with leaders, business owners and high performers, Nicole unpacks how qualities like helping, caring, problem-solving and taking responsibility can quietly shift from strengths in...