Crappy to Happy

It's nice to feel content, peaceful and satisfied with life. But how long do you let yourself feel any of those things before you get twitchy? Let's talk about why you might find it so challenging to allow yourself to feel content. It might be guilt, or a fear that you'll get complacent, a history of struggle that makes peace feel foreign to you, or a core belief that you're not worthy or deservin...

If you’re feeling a little bored and uninspired, I get it. I noticed recently that after 9 years of podcasting, ideas were not flowing and creativity felt like a chore. (This is normal of course.) But after spending two days out of the office at The Podcast Show last week, I’ve discovered renewed enthusiasm.  I realised that getting out of my bubble was exactly what I needed, so I’m shar...

If you've ever wondered whether your sleep tracker is actually accurate, or whether meditation is doing anything measurable in your brain, this episode is for you.  Ariel Garten is the co-founder of Muse, the brain-sensing headband, and she's back on the show with a significant update on how the technology has evolved. The Muse Athena contains an entirely new technology called fNIRS that tracks re...

Working title was “How to Deal with Ar5eholes” but I thought Apple might ban me.  After being evicted from our rental in the UK, I had to sell our house in Australia from the other side of the world. I did not expect the amount of conflict and tension I would have to manage (uncooperative tenants, RE agents not communicating and a selling agent in London applying pressure to meet an impossibl...

If sex has slowly disappeared from your life - or started to feel like something you dread rather than look forward to - and you're not sure whether to blame your hormones, your relationship, your exhaustion, or just yourself, this episode is going to help. My guest is Dr Maria Sophocles, a board-certified OB/GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner who has spent 30 years working with wome...

We got evicted. The subsequent upheaval has revealed a lot to me about how my own nervous system patterns show up, especially when things feel uncertain or out of control. While my situation is personal, this experience is universal so in this ep, I'm sharing why our default stress response is often to push through, people please, overwork, or avoid decisions, even if we destroy ourselves in the p...

Tiff Hall has been part of Crappy to Happy since the very beginning, and she's a woman who knows reinvention better than most. She spent a decade building a powerful, values-driven fitness brand, showing up through pregnancies, injuries, illness, body changes and enormous personal pressure. And then she made a decision that surprised many people, selling TXO to 28 by Sam Wood and stepping out of h...

How do you embrace the "new year, new start" energy without overshooting your goals and setting yourself up to fail? Every January we're bombarded with resolutions, routines, and lofty promises about who we're supposed to become; and every year, many of us quietly abandon them, feeling guilty, unmotivated, and like we've failed. In this solo ep, I'm sharing my very deliberate anti-resolution appro...

AI is everywhere right now and it’s moving fast, from fake online personas and voice cloning to coaches selling AI versions of themselves. The pace of change is astonishing, and if you don't keep up, you'll be left behind. So what does this mean for small business owners, therapists and coaches? In this episode, I talk through what I’ve been learning as I’ve gone all in on understanding the potent...

Women with ADHD are still being overlooked, misunderstood, and misdiagnosed, and the consequences can be profound. In this episode, I sit down with Tracy Otsuka, ADHD Coach and bestselling author of "ADHD for Smartass Women', whose mission is to help women stop pathologising themselves and start recognising their inherent creativity, intelligence, and strength. Tracy shares her personal story, beg...

"Functional Freeze" is not a term you'll find in textbooks but it describes a nervous system shutdown response that develops when you’ve been in chronic stress for too long. Because you’re still “functioning” on the outside, it can be easy to miss. In this episode, I break down how this response develops, why it’s so misunderstood, and most importantly, what you can do to gently thaw and come back...

Megan Dalla-Camina is a globally recognised expert in women’s leadership, empowerment and feminine wisdom who spent almost two decades climbing the ladder in some of the world’s biggest corporate environments before a major burnout changed everything.  She’s the founder of Women Rising (a global leadership program in 68 countries), a best-selling author, and she’s completing a PhD in women’s spiri...

Understanding what gives you a sense of meaning and purpose in life is crucial to wellbeing, but we all have times where we feel lost or directionless. In today's ep, I'm sharing Michael Steger's Meaning Framework, and its three key elements of Coherence, Purpose, and Significance. These pillars help us make sense of our experiences and guide us towards living a more intentional and fulfilling lif...

In January, I commenced ADHD medication and now 11 months later, I'm sharing my experience of how it has impacted my productivity and mood. While my experience has been mostly positive, there are some negative effects that I wasn't expecting and even now, I'm still figuring out the right balance for me. In this episode, I'm sharing as honestly as possible what I was struggling with before, how the...

Dermot Whelan was one of Ireland's most successful radio hosts and television presenters for over 20 years. When he had a panic attack on the way to performing at a comedy festival, he decided to put aside his scepticism and explore how meditation could help him manage the stress and anxiety that came along with working in such a fast-paced, high pressure career. Dermot now combines mindfulness wi...

Our expectations shape our experience of the world, influencing not just our perceptions but even our physiology. In this episode, I'm talking about the Expectancy Effect. Our brain acts as a prediction machine, constructing our reality based on what we anticipate. This phenomenon affects everything from social interactions to health outcomes. By understanding how proactively priming our own brain...

Dr. Kate Mason unpacks the false dichotomy that suggests women must choose between being liked and being respected, and explains how this mindset leads to self-doubt and diminished confidence. Kate shares practical strategies for overcoming common communication pitfalls women fall into, such as over-apologising and minimising their contributions. This episode is a must-listen for any woman looking...

This year marks 8 whole years since we launched the Crappy to Happy pod! Join me to reflect on where it all began, which was with my friend and co-host, Tiffiny Hall, who is marking her own huge milestone this week. Moments like this in our lives remind us of the importance of pausing to appreciate how far we've come, both in our lives and in our pursuit of goals. As I reminisce about starting thi...

Jennifer Moss joins me to discuss the profound shifts in the workplace over the last decade and the impact they've had on our wellbeing. She shares compelling evidence that happier employees enhance the bottom line, making it clear that investing in effective wellbeing strategies is not just logical but essential. Jen emphasises the importance of getting the foundational elements right, like psych...

Anger is an emotion we often struggle to navigate. In this solo episode, I'm sharing the recent experience of one of my clients, who was grappling with intense feelings of anger. As a psychologist, I recognise that anger often masks deeper vulnerabilities like sadness and fear, but this episode isn't just about identifying what's underneath anger; it's about understanding the importance of express...

Couples Therapist, Tarah Kerwin opens up about how her past trauma affected her relationship with her husband EJ, also a therapist. Despite their professional expertise, they both realised they needed to address their personal issues to save their marriage and build a thriving partnership. Cass and Tarah discuss the importance of self-awareness, emotional safety, understanding the impact of early...

As adults, we don't often put ourselves in the position of being a novice. In this episode, I'm sharing why I've gone back to basics in my professional life, and the uncomfortable truth that despite years of experience, stepping back into a learner's role can trigger our ego by forcing us to confront our poor practices. Through my experiences, I highlight the importance of intellectual humility an...

Understanding the critical role of hormone therapy is essential for women at every stage of life, not just those who are navigating the complexities of menopause and beyond. In my second conversation with Dr. Louise Newson, we discuss how to know if your hormone levels are low, whether it's possible to take too high a dose, and also the potential consequences of not replacing your lost hormones as...

This week, we are kicking off a new 8-part series in the Beyond Happy subscriber-only podcast, focused on how to build self-trust so you can stop second guessing and start living freely and authentically, knowing you've got your own back. This first episode is available for all Crappy to Happy listeners and focuses on what it means to cultivate self-trust and why so many of us struggle with it. Se...

Dr. Louise Newson is a physician, hormone specialist and one of the world's leading voices in transforming menopause care. We discuss the misconceptions about menopause and hormone treatment, the benefits that HRT can provide even for women without overt symptoms, and how it can play a significant role in maintaining long-term health. Dr Louise highlights that hormonal changes affect every cell in...