Pause Purpose Play

Do you dream of working for yourself, but procrastinate starting or thinking you won't be good enough? In this episode I talked to Polly Lavarello about the struggles and benefits of entrepreneurship as a ‘company of one’, and how perfectionism used to hold her back from finding freedom, balance and purpose.  Polly Lavarello is the go-to Facebook Ad Strategist for coaches and online course creator...

Do you recognise the signs of overwhelm in your life?  Do you know what to do to slow down? Do you know what's getting in the way of you taking better care of yourself? In this episode I explore the physical and mental signs that you might be suffering from overwhelm, and with the help of a visual metaphor, the stress bath tub, discuss methods to cope with stress without reaching the point of over...

In this powerfully vulnerable and honest episode with Mandy Lehto, we explore the ongoing journey of healing from overachieving and not feeling good enough. Mandy shared her own experience of this work in progress, of trying to no longer base her worth on achievements and praise, and instead on feeling worthy for being who she is, imperfections and all. We explore the signs that her body was sayin...

Notice how hard it is to slow down, in a world which promotes rushing We are caught in an illusion that rushing saves us time, makes us more productive and wins us greater success – in fact, it’s the polar opposite. In this episode, I'm going to bust some productivity myths around rushing and set you straight on why it helps to rush less.  I'd love you to join in with my challenge to rush less, pa...

In this episode, I'm speaking to leadership coach Katy Murray (Katy Catalyst) about how to step up to your ambition, passion and potential - without burning out.  Katy leads Catalyst Collective a boutique consultancy focusing on Equity Inclusion and Diversity. She coaches change making leaders and entrepreneurs 1-1 and leads the Mastermind Change Making Women.  02:39 Katy explains how she works wi...

In this episode, I expand on a metaphor for how we all cope with stressful times differently - as we are all sailing on the same stormy seas right now, but we all do so in differently equipped boats. This can help you step out of blaming and shaming yourself for your reactions to our current circumstances.  Here I consider why it is that you can validate your loved one's feelings, and provide help...

This week I’m talking to Clio Wood, a Women's Health and Sex Positivity Advocate, and the Founder of &Breathe - award-winning wellbeing and fitness retreats for pre/postnatal, parenthood and peri-menopause. Clio created &Breathe following the birth of her daughter in 2014 and her experiences with trauma, postnatal depression, and painful sex/pelvic floor issues and is passionate about helping othe...

In this episode, I’ll talk about how busyness kills productivity and how flexibility saves it, through softening rigid rules and SHOULDs into softer COULDs. I discuss the different reactions I hear from clients to a full to-do list, and three actions you can take to find a more sustainable pace in your work.   Find me at www.thethomasconnection.co.uk Instagram @the_thomas_connection Facebook www.f...

In this week's episode, I talk to Suzy Reading about self-care in tough times. Suzy is a mother of two, an author, Chartered Psychologist and Coach. She specialises in self-care, helping people manage their stress, emotions, and energetic bank balance. It was her life experience of motherhood colliding with the terminal illness of her father that sparked her passion for self-care which she now tea...

In this episode, I talk about the problems that come from trying to please all the people, all the time - and how this is especially problematic in your relationship.  Do you struggle to say no to others, even when saying yes means less time with your family, or less time for you?  Do you find it hard to ask for your needs to be met? Or are you living with someone who finds it hard to articulate w...

In this episode, I talk to Executive Coach and founder of Wisdom for Working Mums, Nicky Lowe about when her body told her in no uncertain terms to pause. She experienced burnout in a corporate career, following her high standards and need for striving.  Nicky is a qualified and accredited Executive Coach who is an advocate for achievement orientated, motivated, ambitious women who also want to be...

This episode focuses on how a lack of problem-solving can get you stuck going around in circles in your life, and your relationship, but even if you’re not in a relationship, this episode is still for you. I will tell you about getting started, continuing and completing problem-solving, guiding you through a step by step approach to productive problem solving, if you stay with me to the end of the...

In this episode, I talk to actor, personal branding coach and host of Dreaming and Doing podcast, Nicky Raby, about her career, how we find the courage to pause and reflect on what we want from our careers. We touch on making mistakes in business and finding play through flexibility. And we finish with Nicky's one piece of advice for you. Nicky is a huge advocate of the portfolio career; she’s an...

A tricky lesson from Eastern philosophy is about the impermanence of things, of how everything changes rather than stays the same. This is a hard pill to swallow in the Western world, where we focus so much of our time and efforts around chasing and clinging onto happiness. Especially now, as we have spent almost half a year in the global pandemic of the Corona virus. But these lessons are valid r...

In this episode, Natalie Costa, performance coach, author and founder of Power Thoughts, talks about how we support our children’s emotional wellbeing, to build greater confidence and resilience by noticing their inner critic and also sitting with their big feelings. We end this episode thinking about how we can support children returning back to school in September, after the Coronavirus crisis....

It's hard to get started. When we fear something, we are more likely to procrastinate. The inner critical voice shows up and has an opinion. It’s fearful of failure, so naturally it would show up when we're trying to do something new. Something which means stepping out of the comfort zone. If you only look at where you currently are, and seeing all that you haven’t yet mastered, you’re likely to f...

Welcome to this new podcast. I hope you’ve tuned in because in one way or another, you’re looking for some more pause, purpose and play in your life. This trailer covers what Pause Purpose Play is all about - finding balance over burnout so you can follow your ambition without drowning in it.  The first season has 12 episodes, with a mixture of solo episodes and guest interviews, to help you find...