A Bit Of A Boost

Chocolate, ice cream, alcohol, smoking, checking social media… most of us have something we indulge in a little more than is really good for us. The level of indulgence will determine how much - if at all - it is a problem for you but even if you're not quite at the stage of sleeping on a park bench with a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag, there's a chance that overindulging could be having a negative impact on your life. My guest on the show today is coach and speaker Duncan Bhaskaran Brown who doesn't just have a remarkable story of getting over his own unhealthy indulgences, he's literally written the book about it! We talk about some of the most common indulgences, why they're so common, and how to start the process of breaking a habit that is no longer serving us. We unpack willpower and how it's possible that strengthening our resolve in one area of our life can have a positive knock on effect in others. We also talk about self-compassion and forgiveness as a critical starting point for boosting our ability to get over indulgence, along with all the usual fun chat that's become a part of these interviews! Whatever your vices or indulgences, no matter how rampant or inconsequential they may seem, I hope you'll find there's something of value in this episode for you. https://www.bhaskaranbrown.com https://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Over-Indulgence-Control-Stress-Free/dp/1999966570

One of the things you hear a lot about when it comes to motivation, goals or high performance is the importance of mindset. But what is mindset and how do we make sure that we have the right one? My guest today to discuss this topic is a man who I've learned a lot from over the years, business psychologist and coach Bret Freeman. I know Bret through Toastmasters International and he's forged a strong reputation for facilitating change and development programs in some of the world's largest organisations. We talk about mindset, why it's important and how to spot when your thinking is holding you back. Bret also shares a few tips for how to cultivate a non-toxic positive mindset and how to use implementation intentions to do more of the things you want to do. We also get into the subject of unconscious bias which is another of his specialist areas. The recent International Women's Day theme was 'beat the bias' so we get into discussing how we can try to uncover our own biases that crop up in all sorts of areas of our life. This is a great episode packed with insights and tips and if you're interested in mindset and performance then I know you're going to love Bret's approach. You can connect with Bret through his website or LinkedIn: https://bizvroom.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretfreeman

For a decade and a half exercise was more than just a passion, it was also my career. I trained clients as a personal trainer and boot camp coach, and also taught on PT diploma courses and delivered masterclasses to other trainers. I was fully immersed in it and although my work these days is more holistic, it's still clearly an important topic for me and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to share some of my philosophies, insights and approaches to exercise. In today's episode I talk about - The motivations to exercise - The difference between activity, exercise and training - The 5 minutes a day exercise approach that can bring surprising results - The 10000 steps a day myth and what to do instead - Exercise calories and the after burn effect - Benefits and approaches to fasted exercising - The importance of a flexible plan - The best time of day to train - The ultimate motivation for exercise I'll also share a few answers to some of the most common questions I've been asked over the last 20 years. Program references: Strong Arm Solution https://bygeorgeanderson.com/strongarm The Glute Plan https://bygeorgeanderson.com/glutes To The Core https://bygeorgeanderson.com/core

I live just outside a little town called Thame in Oxfordshire and one of the many things I love about the place is the independent health food store, Planet Health & Organics. It's run by Nutritional Therapist and Practising Naturopath Peter Dewdney, and over the years we've had many a long conversation about wellbeing, supplements and health and I was delighted to get the opportunity to record some of his wisdom for today's episode of the podcast. Supplements is such a vast topic and I wanted to find out how much it's changed over the last 15 years that I've known him. We talk about why somebody might want to supplement their diet and what some of the most common 'cover your bases' options are. Peter is also an expert in gastro intestinal illness, fertility and end of life care and will be qualifying as a phlebotomist from the London Medical School in summer 2022. He practices from Thame Therapy Clinic (http://www.thametherapyclinic.co.uk/therapies/peter-dewdney) and you can also find out more about his work and shop in Thame from his website: https://www.peterdewdney.co.uk Peter also owns and runs Planet Health and Organic, 8 Greyhound Walk, Thame, which is open 6 days a week and if you're passing pop in and say hello!

On today's episode I'm joined by fellow coach Laura Brunton to talk about living life more authentically and as 'Totally You'. When I first met Laura a few years ago she was in corporate and you wouldn't have known it to look at her but she was on the brink of burnout. We talk about some of the things that aligned for her to help her realise how she was holding herself back, how she was misaligned with her priorities and values, and what she did to start bringing about some pretty big changes into her life. As well as values, beliefs and burnout Laura shares some tips and techniques for identifying and challenging the stories we tell ourselves that could be limiting us, and how to get a grip on those moments in life when things feel like they're just overwhelming us. Whenever I read one of Laura's posts on LinkedIn or watch one of her videos it always gives me a boost of positivity and energy so I knew that she'd be a perfect guest for the podcast… she's one of those people who I can have an ad hoc conversation with and think to myself afterwards… 'that would have been awesome to have recorded and shared with other people!'… and now we've done just that! You can find out more about Laura and her work (including her incredible Spring 2022 offer!) on social media and through her website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-brunton-71b9289 https://membership.totallyyou.me/membership https://www.facebook.com/laura.mccourt.7 https://www.instagram.com/totallyyoucoachlaura

Some of my own big fitness goals recently have been just that - fitness goals. Not so much the running or the swimming, but all round fitness that includes strength, endurance and power. But how do you motivate and test yourself with these less linear goals? Well for me, Turf Games came along and gave me the answer. My guest on the podcast today is Turf Games founder Andy Manteit, who tells us more about what the Turf Games involves, who it's for, and some of the benefits. We talk training and competing, motivation, community and teamwork, and at the end of the interview I give Andy some quick fire exercise-related questions! There may be a bit of less-than-common terminology in this episode so here are some explainers: AMRAP A workout where you complete As Many Reps (or Rounds) As Possible in a given time EMOM A workout where you do an exercise for a given number of reps Every Minute On The Minute for a prescribed number of minutes Ski Erg An indoor cross country ski machine like this one: https://www.concept2.com/skierg/concept2-skierg Double Unders Skipping rope exercise where you pass the rope underneath your feet twice for every jump Clean Bringing a barbell (or dumbbell or kettlebell) from the floor to the front rack position on the shoulders Snatch Bringing a barbell (or dumbbell or kettlebell) from the floor to an overhead position D-Ball to shoulder A D-Ball is a heavy medicine ball that lands on the ground with no bounce ('dead'). In the D-Ball to shoulder exercise you pick the ball up from the floor and place it on one shoulder before returning it to the floor The Worm A long, heavy sandbag typically lifted by 2-4 people at a time. Coordination and teamwork are everything! https://youtu.be/VykOrx4c-q8 If you train in a gym and haven't yet discovered Turf Games get yourself over to their website once you've listened to today's episode. And even if 'putting yourself in the bin', as they say, isn't for you, then still listen in because I think you'll find it interesting to hear how this fitness-as-competition movement is gathering momentum. https://turfgames.com https://www.instagram.com/turfgames

My guest on the podcast today was the RAF's second ever female fast jet pilot, flying the Tornado GR4 on the front line, completing three tours of duty and 45 missions over Iraq. Mandy Hickson talks to me about mindset and motivation, resilience and imposter syndrome, stress and confidence, both in and out of the armed forces. I saw Mandy speak at an event a few years ago and recently read her book, 'An Officer not a Gentleman', which is like a guidebook for how to set and accomplish your most ambitious goals, but also packed with edge-of-your-seat stories and humour. In our conversation Mandy shares some great tips about how to bounce back from setbacks, how to manage immense pressure and also how to 'debrief yourself' objectively to help learn from mistakes. You can find out more about Mandy's work through her website and I highly recommend picking up a copy of her book An Officer, Not A Gentleman. https://www.mandyhickson.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyhickson

Do you ever feel like you're stuck and unable to find a way forwards? Do you procrastinate, self-sabotage or hold yourself back some other way? If so then you are in the right place as my guest on today's episode has over 25 years of experience helping people with overcoming precisely these challenges. Moira Geary is known as the Recombobulator. She spoke at Momentum last month and her presentation on the subconscious mind, fear and positivity was a huge hit so I invited her on the show to dive a little deeper into some of these topics. With a background in nursing, Moira has been in the personal development space for over 25 years and among many other qualifications holds a Master Practitioner in NLP and a masters in psychotherapy. In today's episode we chat about where fear comes from, the different ways it shows up and what we can do to create a better understanding and response to it. Moira shares a number of simple tools and techniques that can help us deal with overwhelm and stuckness, as well as some powerful reframing methods that allow us to work with some of the more negative emotions such as fear, anxiety and worry. Moira's no-cost Positivity Project is worth checking out if you want to find out more about her work and discover more of her tried and tested strategies. https://www.moirageary.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/moirageary https://www.facebook.com/recombobulator

Through my work as a speaker I get invited to present at a lot of company wellbeing weeks and events. A topic that I've noticed an increasing number of organisations have been including on their agendas lately is the menopause. The more people I spoke to about this the more I came to realise how important it is for all of us - men and women - to understand the menopause and how we can have more constructive and supportive conversations about it, both at home and in the workplace. I'm delighted today to have on the podcast a guest who is a world class expert on the subject, Catherine O'Keeffe - AKA the Wellness Warrior. She is Ireland's first menopause coach and founder of the Menopause Success Summit being held later this year, and in our conversation today I asked her to lay out the 'menopause basics'. We talk about the difference between menopause and peri menopause, some of the common symptoms and how these can affect confidence, performance and mental health. We discuss the various treatment pathways and also how men can support women at home and in work who are going through the menopause. I was fascinated to learn that in some languages the equivalent word translates as 'renewal', and Catherine looks at the more empowering aspects of the journey. Of course we also had to briefly discus the male menopause which it turns out it is a real thing and in fact something that 30% of men will go through. You can find out more about Catherine's work here: https://wellnesswarrior.ie https://www.menopausesuccesssummit.com In the interview Catherine references a number of resources, the links to which are here: Symptom checker: https://menopausesupport.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/MENOPAUSE-SYMPTOM-CHECKER-Nov-20.pdf CBT https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/cognitive-behaviour-therapy-cbt-menopausal-symptoms Understanding menopause for partners https://menopausesupport.co.uk/?page_id=13696

We're often told when we're trying to build a new habit that we should try and carry it out at the same time of day, in the same place and in the same way. This makes sense as it uses the 'Reminder, Routine, Reward' process that James Clear describes in his book Atomic Habits. But what happens when that routine changes, such as when you go on holiday, when you're unwell or just hit the weekend? This simple tip can help you build a habit that is context independent, and becomes just a part of what you do.

In today's mini-motivation episode I share one simple idea: your energy flows where your attention goes. With all the noise in the world today it's up to each of us to decide in advance what we're going to pay attention to.

20 years ago when I started my career as a personal trainer clients would come to me asking the question 'George, how should I be eating and exercising in order to lose weight, tone up and get fit?' This is the bread and butter of many personal trainers and although I think things have got a bit more sophisticated over the past couple of decades with out understanding of the other more immediate benefits of diet and exercise, ultimately the question of 'what should I be eating' is still very much at the front of most people's minds when it comes to making positive changes In today's episode I want to get into the subject of diet, sharing with you my personal approach as well as some of the Food Foundation Principles that I believe can be overlaid to any diet you choose to follow I'll share with you some mindset tips and tricks that may also help you do more of the things you say you're going to do

This is a brand new series of podcast episodes I'll be dropping into the show throughout the year, where I'll aim to share just one quick idea with you in just 2 or 3 minutes. It's actually a part of one of my own goals to improve my ability to be concise, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback about how useful or interesting you find them! This first Mini-Motivations episode is about the different ways we can measure progress, and how it can affect our motivation.

My first guest of 2022 was also my first guest of 2021, and I'm thinking maybe this will become a thing as long as he's happy to keep coming back on! James Stott, AKA the Magic Marine joined us last time to talk about motivation, and he returns today with to talk about adventure, magic, myths and motorcycles. We also talk about taking ideas we read about in books and applying them to our own lives. James is an ex-Royal Marine turned professional close up magician and if you want to see some of his skills in practice make sure you take a look at his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/themagicmarine

The end of one year and the start of another is a great time for reflection. Among other things it's a good time to look back over the previous 12 months and identify some of the things that you're going to take forwards into the next 12, and some of the things that that you'd rather leave behind. In today's episode I want to share some of the things that have made my list. The 6 things I will be taking forwards into 2022 are: Planning Disconnection Attention Flow Creation Implementation The 6 things I'll be working on leaving behind are: Disappointment Over consumption Distraction The Quick Check Clutter Attachment to outcome Thanks for tuning into the A Bit Of A Boost podcast this year, I hope you've managed to take something positive away from the solo episodes and guest interviews. Don't forget you can join my podcast wellbeing email list here and if you subscribe, rate and review the podcast it really does help more people find it who may also benefit!

Every experience we have in life has the potential to teach us something about ourselves, and if we pay enough attention to it we can take these lessons and transfer them across to other areas of our life. My guest for today's episode is a living breathing masterclass of precisely this. Following a 21 year career in the RAF flying combat helicopters, Sarah Furness has taken what she has learned about performing under pressure in war zones and the resilience required to resist interrogation, and transferred her wisdom to building a second career as a performance coach and speaker. I asked Sarah about what it was like to fly helicopters on the front line, as well as using them to usher elephants out of the way in Kenya. We talk about making big bold changes in your life, why wine and mindfulness go together so well, and how your choice of underpants can never be taken away from you! Find out more about Sarah here: https://wellbeitcoach.com https://sarahfurness.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjfurness

Are you outgoing or reserved? People or task focused? Are you an influencer, a supporter, decisive or cautious? Although your answers may change from situation to situation, we all have a set of general tendencies that we otherwise know as our 'personality'. Personality profiling is the topic of today's podcast, and I'm joined by award winning DISC coach Vicky O'Farrell. Vicky recently did my own DISC profile and we spent some time together going through the results, and I figured it'd make for an interesting discussion, especially if you've never done any profiling before and are wondering what it's all about. We talk about the benefits of understanding yourself and others better, what this can mean for relationships, emotional intelligence and team work. I ask Vicky about how to use something like DISC without feeling like you're putting yourself and other people in a box, and the all important question given the time of year we recorded this; is leaving your Christmas shopping to the last minute despite every year swearing you're going to have it all done by the end of November, fundamentally linked to your personality or is it something we can change? You can find out more about Vicky and her work over on her website: https://queenofbehaviours.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaofarrell

My guest on today's episode is Jess Robson, mental health activist and creator of the global movement 'Run Talk Run'. Jess is doing some tremendously important work in the world of mental health, and has created a space for a growing number of people to talk about their mental health in a supportive and positive environment. I asked her about her own mental health journey and some of the strategies that have helped her over the years, and the power of saying 'no' which ironically is how Jess came onto my radar in the first place. Visit the Run Talk Run website for more information TW: Episode continues references to eating disorders

NSDR, or Non-Sleep Deep Rest, is a relaxation technique where you bring your mind and body into a state of deep relaxation, somewhere between being awake and asleep. NSDR is a term coined by Dr Andrew Huberman, professor of neurobiology and opthamology at Stanford University and it's similar to a form of yoga called Yoga Nidra. It brings numerous benefits that I've been enjoying recently and I want to share it with you today. NSDR is a powerful stress-buster as it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the opposite to your fight and flight stress response. Any time you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed out and you need to take a moment to reset yourself, this tool can be great way to accomplish that. NSDR can also help clear your mind, opening you up to fresh ideas or inspiration. I sometimes do this in the mornings immediately before a bout of journaling, and always find that I can think much more clearly and have more 'ah ha' moments. It also helps to embed new information as a part of the learning process, and this is another areas that I have found it to be particularly valuable. If you struggle to get to sleep or fall back to sleep once you wake in the night, it can be a great help with this. Even though it's called 'Non-Sleep Deep Rest', it will move you away from ruminating and dwelling on worries, and towards a state of relaxation that will help you get back to sleep again. As you work through the 10 minute NSDR that I'm going to share with you today your brainwaves will slow down similar to how they would in a state of deep sleep, yet you remain conscious throughout. In fact I encourage you to set your intention to stay awake right at the start. But that said, this is definitely not a podcast episode to listen to if you are driving, operating heavy machinery, or in water. You want to find yourself a quiet space where you won't be disturbed for at least 10 minutes. References: Huberman Lab podcast: https://hubermanlab.com

When many of us define success we think of things such as those that we are able to have or to do, but my guest on today's episode has a different take. Jennifer Merritt is a success mentor, and after a successful corporate career you might expect her to fall in line with the traditional society views of what success is. Although she sees success as something we can all create as a feeling, it's not something that needs to diminish our drive to strive for more. In our conversation today she shares some of her top tips for reframing success, how to put yourself first, and why it's so important to be clear on why something is important to you if it stands any chance of bringing you any kind of happiness. Jennifer also shares some of her own incredible story, about burnout, about loss, and about a life changing medical diagnosis just before she got married about 10 years ago. This episode is packed with inspiration and information, and although Jennifer and I clearly share lots of similar ideas and philosophies, her approach is unique and there are many ideas you can take aways and start applying to your own life today. Find out more about Jennifer and her work on her website: https://www.jennifermerritt.com

If there's been one positive from the pandemic it's that it has shone the spotlight of attention even more fiercely on the conversation about mental health. Although the statistics inform us that 1 in 4 of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in our lives, every single one of us has 'mental health' that needs looking after. Today's episode is less about the general societal challenges with mental health, and more of a conversation with you as an individual. I share a dozen different ways you can take care of your mental health, not just to avoid ill-health but to boost positive health. This Sunday October 10 is World Mental Health Day, but no matter when you're listening to this episode and whatever is currently going on for you, I hope that it gives you a bit of a boost! Resources: Mind.org: https://www.mind.org.uk Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org (call 116 123 to talk to somebody) Time To Change: https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental-health-and-stigma/help-and-support

The early bird catches the worm, but the early worm gets eaten by the bird. You don't have to be a 'morning person' to benefit from some kind of morning routine. In this week's solo episode I get into one of my favourite subjects, why I believe they can make such a big difference to how your day goes, and how to set up your perfect routine. There's some more general advice and observations on habits and routines, and how to get back on track again when you hit an obstacle that knocks you off course. One of the resources I mention in this episode is journaling, and you can now get a free 3 part video series on how to get started with journaling from the website: http://mywipjournal.com

Journaling is one of those things that lots of people know they could probably benefit from, but struggle to get started and turn it into a habit. I've been writing in a journal since I was about 13 years old and these days it's one of my most important tools for maintaining my motivation, performance and personal development. A couple of years ago one of my coaching clients Alexa Whitten - herself a book coach and author-maker and another avid journaler - approached me to suggest we collaborate on creating our own journal. Fast forward almost 3 years and we published the wonderful Work In Progress journal - essentially a beginner's guide to building a journaling habit. In today's episode, which is being sponsored by the WIP journal - available from mywipjournal.com! - I speak to Lex about journaling. Not just the WIP, but her own experiences of journaling and how she uses it. I always find it fascinating that despite having many similar beliefs about the value of journaling, we have very different ways of using the tool! We discuss some of the common challenges that many people face when it comes to starting to journal, and how you can overcome these blocks. If you're already journaling then hopefully this episode will reinforce this wonderful habit, and if you're just curious about it or have struggled in the past to keep it going then perhaps this will be the beginning of a long and positive relationship. The Work In Progress is available from the website here: http://mywipjournal.com And the WIP Insta is here: https://www.instagram.com/wip_journal You can also find out more about Alexa Whitten and her work as a book coach and 'author maker' here: https://www.thebookrefinery.com And her 'Pen To Published' podcast is another great resource for anybody interested in publishing their own book: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-pen-to-published-podcast/id1565327859

For today's episode I'm joined by the award-winning host of the Game Changers podcast, Sue Anstiss MBE to talk about women in sport. Sue has been a major player in driving change in women's sport for over 30 years. She's a founding trustee of the Women's Sport Trust and co-founder of the Women's Sport Collective and was recognised for her services to women's sport with an MBE in 2018. More recently though, she has written a book that charts the history of women in sport and exposes many of the inequalities that are still hiding in plain sight I was lucky enough to have a read of 'Game On: The unstoppable rise of women's sport' ahead of publication and I can honestly say that my eyes have been opened! I was delighted to have this opportunity to interview Sue and ask her some questions about the book, and of her own experiences of sport. We talk about how girls are so often put off sport and exercise in general at a young age, both through practical barriers but also societal beliefs about things like femininity and acceptability. I asked Sue about how the media and major sports sponsorship are helping or hindering progress, and the role that men have to play in actively supporting and encouraging, but also calling out inequalities that simply don't make any sense. Whether you're a man or a woman, a participant or a spectator, Game On is a fascinating read and I hope that you find it as enlightening as I did! 'Game On: The unstoppable rise of women's sport' is available on Amazon and all good book stores from September 2 2021: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Unstoppable-Rise-Womens-Sport/dp/1800180624 Sue's website https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk is the access point for more information about the book, her 'Game Changers' podcast, and all the other work and services she offers as part of her mission to promote and bring equality to women's sport. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueanstiss https://twitter.com/sueanstiss https://www.instagram.com/fearlesswomen__

Much as I love the holidays I know that I'm at my best when I have routine in my life! In today's episode I share 5 of the key areas of my life I regularly reset. Not just after a break, but any time I sense they're starting to drift away. 1) Morning routine 2) Planning 3) Training 4) Evening routine 5) Goals You may have other areas that benefit from a bit of a reset, but the principles I share in today's episode can be applied anywhere. I'd love to hear from you if you have any comments or questions from today's episode - please get in touch by emailing me at [email protected]

Welcome back to Season 3 of the A Bit Of A Boost podcast! And what a start to season 3, as I welcome back a guest from episode 27, positive psychologist, happiness expert and all round wonderful person Vikki Barnes! During my time off I relaxed by reading her brand new book 'Free Happiness', made many notes, and decided that I'd ask her to join me again here on the podcast for another chat about happiness, positivity and life in general. We talk about festivals, working with Sir Richard Branson, optimism, acceptance and enjoyment, as well the difference and overlap between vulnerability and authenticity. You can find Vikki's book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Free-Happiness-art-science-positivity/dp/B0997RJW3L Follow Vikki on social media here: https://www.instagram.com/drvikkibarnes https://www.linkedin.com/in/drvikkibarnes https://twitter.com/DrVikkiBarnes And her website here: https://www.drvikkibarnes.com

A couple of weeks ago I was in the North East visiting my mum and I dropped my friend Dean Coulson a line to see if he was around for a workout. Dean is a coach and trainer with a very similar set of beliefs to me when it comes to how to approach holistic wellbeing, and our training sessions are always peppered with fascinating conversations. I knew Dean would make a great guest for the podcast, and the timing was perfect as his brand new book THRIVE! is published today! (July 22 2021) Dean's personal story is inspiring, and he ended up leaving a career in IT to open a gym and become a lifestyle coach working predominantly with men. He's been practicing martial arts for 30 years and we talk today about some of the lessons he's taken from the sport that other non-practitioners could also benefit from. We get into talking about Dean's 4 elements of health and wellbeing - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - and keep coming back to a central question that we are always asking ourselves - though usually subconsciously - "am I safe?" The answer to this question is often the reason why we struggle to do the things we said we were going to do, and keep repeating patterns of behaviour that we know are harming or limiting us. As well as delving into the book, I wanted to make sure that through our conversation we extracted a few solid takeaways that you can begin to apply immediately to your own life. You can order a limited edition hardback copy of THRIVE! from Dean's website here: https://www.theleanwarrior.com/thrive-pre-order-page You can also follow Dean on social media here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanncoulson https://www.instagram.com/dean_n_coulson https://www.facebook.com/DeanNCoulson

One of the things that continually intrigues me is how people perform consistently at a high level. Whether it's in their work, their sport or any other area of their lives, pushing and holding themselves to higher standards seems to be a hallmark of the high performer. My guest on today's episode is ex-professional rugby player Leon Lloyd, who now works with individuals and organisations to help them build high performance habits, teams and culture. Leon started playing professional rugby union for Leicester Tigers at the age of 16 just as the sport turned pro, and went on to have a successful International career. After retiring from rugby, Leon gained a first-class honours degree in Leadership and Management, followed by an MBA where he received a distinction. In our conversation today I asked Leon about what it was like to choose rugby as a career at a time where it hadn't previously been an option, and being around the likes of Martin Johnson and Neil Back in that early Tigers professional team. He talks about setbacks and mistakes, and how he recovered from them to improve his own game and cement the high performance mindset he now shares with others. We also talked about the challenge that professional sports people often face as they transition out of the structure of full time sport, and have to create their own routines to help them stay motivated. Leon gives us a fascinating insight into the world of professional rugby, and how some of these lessons translate across to life outside of sport. You can find out more about Leon and the work he does at the following links: Website: www.leonlloyd.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leon-lloyd-mba-ba-hons-b409201a Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeonLloyd13

In today's solo podcast I get into the vast topic of exercise. With so many different approaches, is it really possible to claim one way is the 'best'? And what 'results' are we looking for anyway? We talk about the difference between activity, exercise and training, the WHO recommendations and what they really mean, the FITTA principles of exercise, the 5 components of physical exercise, the strength / endurance continuum, and why some people are 'low-responders' to exercise.

My guest on today's episode is double Paralympic gold medalist archer Danielle Brown. After becoming disabled as a teenager, Danielle realised that even in adversity we have a choice. Choose to let the things outside your control defeat you, or choose to control your response to it. Taking up archery on her fifteenth birthday, Danielle made the Great Britain team three years later, jumping straight in as world number 1. She hung onto that position for her entire career. Danielle is a five time World Champion and 2 time Paralympic gold medallist, winning gold in Beijing 2008 and retaining her title on home soil in London 2012. She also became the first disabled person to represent England as an able-bodied competitor at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, where she won gold. Danielle was awarded MBE in 2013 and now works as a keynote speaker and mentor. She specialises in helping others unlock their potential, break through barriers and achieve more. Always wanting to put something back, she is very passionate about helping young people achieve all that they are capable of and develop strong foundations for success. I got to know Danielle through her work as a speaker and she has such an amazingly positive mindset I knew she'd be a brilliant guest and I certainly wasn't disappointed. In today's interview we talk about the book and some of the incredible stories she shares in it, as well as her mission to educate boys and girls, men and women about the importance of inclusion. I ask her about archery, and what kept her going after back for more her first experience despite not being a 'natural'. Oh, and we clarified that the middle bit isn't actually called the bullseye as I originally thought! This conversation is really all about resilience and mindset, put into practice in the most stunning of ways. Danielle's published works include: Be Your Best Self: Life Skills For Unstoppable Kids Run Like A Girl: 50 Extraordinary and Inspiring Sportswomen One Hundred Reasons To Hope, curated with Captain Tom Moore's family's support You can find out more about Danielle and her work here: https://www.daniellebrown.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-brown-mbe https://www.instagram.com/daniellebrownmbe https://twitter.com/danibrownmbe

The theme of today's episode is happiness, and my guest is a man who knows a thing or two about the subject - Raj Nayak. Raj left a high flying job in one of India's largest media networks to launch his own business driving positive change and bringing happiness to workplaces around the world. But how do you even begin to talk about happiness when there is so much devastation in the world right now, especially in India, where Raj is based? We get to talking about this among many other topics in today's episode of the podcast. Raj spent over 3 decades in media. He was one of the founding members of Rupert Murdoch's company Star TV in India, he launched India's largest news network NDTV, and then joined Viacom where spent 8 years, ending up as the chief operating officer. He shares how and why he quit his job to start his new mission, some of the challenges he's faced already and those that he anticipates are up ahead and we talk about one of his old companies that had a tattoo allowance, and whether or not Raj took advantage of this unusual perk! Raj has also started a 'global happiness campaign' which you can get involved in by filming a 45- 60 second video in horizontal mode about what happiness means to you, with your name and location and emailing it to [email protected]. You can find out more about Raj and follow him on social media here: https://happyness.me https://www.linkedin.com/in/raj-nayak-53a15b69 facebook.com/Rajcheerfull

My guest on today's podcast is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Chris Fensom. We've known each other for a long time now and he's a real goldmine of wisdom and insights. When I was going to his classes he would regularly drop a thought bomb that would stop me in my tracks, and I wanted to see if we could capture some of that essence in today's conversation. Typically, Chris came to the interview armed with questions for me! So what you're about to listen to is very much a 2 way conversation which was great fun to record! They say that a BJJ black belt is a white belt who never quit, as it typically takes over 10 years to get there. Chris is also an analyst for Battle Arena TV on Sky, a former ISKA British MMA Champion at middle weight and light heavy weight, coaches more than 200 kids in karate, and is a proud father to 4 of his own. We talk about failures and mistakes, ego and the Beginner's Mind, Stoic philosophy and SAS Who Dares Wins, parenting and why I never post pictures of my kids on social media - which was one of his questions! Find out more about Chris's classes here: https://a1martialarts.co.uk

In the world of ultra endurance, one thing I've come to realise is that no matter how much you're doing or how far you're going, there's always somebody doing more or going further. Logically then, there must be a person who is doing the most and going the furthest, and it's quite possible that this person is my guest on today's podcast, Adam Holland. We recorded this episode on a Monday, the day after he had completed a 24 hour ultra marathon. I've done a couple of these in the past, and I can tell you I was good for nothing for more than a few days! This particular ultra marathon - which he won with over 118 miles of running - was preceded by cycling over 500 miles as a part of another challenge. He's run over 1000 miles in 28 days, he holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon on a treadmill, and also the record for the fastest average time for 10 marathons in 10 consecutive days. And he does all this whilst holding down a full time job and raising a family. In our conversation we talk about motivation, comparing ourselves to others, how 10 back to back marathons becomes 'easy' after you've done it a few times, and how you would even start preparing for the next challenge he has his sights set on… which will be bigger than anything he's done before, if you can imagine that such a thing exists! You can find more inspiration from Adam over at his Facebook page.

We all know that feedback is valuable. It can lead to growth, accelerated improvement and see things from different perspectives. But it can also feel uncomfortable and we put up defences that stop us from benefitting from it. Whether it's solicited or unsolicited, the 6 steps I talk about in today's episode will increase your chances of getting the best from what's being offered.

It's another podcast first for me today, as I welcome not just one but TWO guests to speak to! In 2019, Nigel Pattison, Steven Gregory & I completed the Frog Graham Round, a 42 mile ultra marathon in the Lake District that included swimming across 4 of the lakes. These guys have been hugely inspirational to me both for a long time, and I gain a lot by watching their approach and attitude to whatever they take on. They're both fitness industry pros (Steve runs a local gym (https://www.fitlife.co.uk) and Nigel is an exceptional personal trainer and class instructor) and they share their enthusiasm and passion for fitness and wellbeing with everybody around them. They're both currently training for Iron-distance triathlons, and I wanted to ask them some questions about their sources of motivation, and what changes they've seen in the world of fitness over the last 14 months. It's quite possible that you'll want to get up and go for a workout or sign up for a marathon after listening to these two guys, but for now get ready for a bit of a boost of motivation! https://www.instagram.com/fitlife.steve https://www.instagram.com/nigelpattison

My guest today is a Katherine Blackler, CPO Certified Professional Organizer, a London-based decluttering expert who was the first certified professional organiser in the UK, and for the last 3 years has been president of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers. Yes, such an organisation exists and has been enjoying a period of tremendous growth over the last few years. In our conversation we talk about the difference between tidying up and decluttering, why some people have tendencies towards hoarding or just general untidiness, and the reason I started folding my underpants in a 'special way' a few years ago. Katherine is a goldmine of life hacks and ideas to help create the systems that make it easier to maintain order and calm and she shares a ton of useful ideas in this conversation. If your life could do with a bit of extra order and little less 'stuff', you're going to love today's episode. You can find out more about Katherine on her website SortMySpace.co.uk and to find a helping hand in your area go to APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers www.findanorganiser.co.uk Katherine can also be found on social media here: Facebook: @sortmyspaceuk Instagram: @sortmyspaceuk Twitter: @sortmyspaceuk LinkedIn: @katherine-blackler-sortmyspace

We're returning for season 2 of A Bit Of A Boost after a short break, and I was delighted to speak to my first guest Jen Martin LLB MAaPPCP to kick things off. Jen is a Psychological Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. Through her research with business, government and sporting leaders, she specialises in vulnerability and psychological safety. In addition to her work in Ireland, Jen has spent the last decade working with non-native English speaking C-suite executives, politicians, diplomats, and actors, in Europe, Russia and Asia, where she leverages her vulnerability research to optimise their performance and communication. Other areas of work and research interest include self-efficacy, imposter phenomenon, psychological capital and optimal performance. She is deeply passionate about human connection, belonging and inclusion. In our conversation today we talk about the impact that Covid has had on our collective vulnerability, and she explains more about what 'psychological capital' means. You can connect with Jen and follow her updates on her work over on LinkedIn.

My guest today is clinical psychotherapist Emma Reed Turrell, who I first heard being interviewed on one of my favourite podcasts, How To Fail with Elizabeth Day. Emma was talking about her new book 'Please Yourself' - 'how to stop people-pleasing and transform the way you live'. In our conversation today we talk about the 4 people pleasing types that Emma has identified through her clinical practice, and how most of us will have tendencies towards each one in different situations. I asked her about some of the steps we can take to start saying 'no' and set up firmed boundaries, but without swinging so far the other way that we end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I was also interested in Emma's views on people pleasing in men, as this isn't just a female trait (I personally identified with many of the stories she shares in the book!). I highly recommend reading the book, which is available from all good book stores. Emma also puts out some great content on Instagram and you can find her here: https://emmareedturrell.com https://www.instagram.com/emmareedturrell https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-reed-turrell-mbacp-accred-42328436 https://twitter.com/etcounselling

I'm being completely self-indulgent today and dedicating this whole episode to giving myself a bit of a boost! I have a goal for 2021 that I've been stalling at rather than starting, and need to draw a line in the sand and fully commit to doing what needs to be done. As Jim Rohn once said, 'don't set a goal for what you will achieve but for what it will make of you in order to achieve it'. I know that working towards this goal will reveal some as-yet undiscovered aspects of my character. I know that it will teach me the answers to questions I haven't even been asked. I know that it'll help me grow and... look, I just need to get started! In this episode I explain WHY I'm doing this, HOW I'm doing it (with my 8 session training program!) and what challenges I anticipate needing to overcome (including regulating my core temperature which was a surprise problem in a previous marathon treadmill run!) Training starts on Sunday and I feel ready for it :)

We talk a lot about energy on this podcast, whether that's physical, emotional, mental. But my guest today works with energy in a very different way, in his role as a Pranic Healer. I've known Mark Willis for over 15 years, and in that time I've watched him consistently apply his teachings to himself as well as his clients. It's made a dramatic difference to his life, and also to the many others he works with. Energy, life force, Chi, Prana… it can all sound a bit spiritual and unquantifiable, but in our conversation today Mark explains how it connects with more commonly held understandings and beliefs. We talk about how you or I might notice a 'block' in our energy flow, and some of the things we can do about ourselves without necessarily having to see a healer, including meditation. The session today ends with Mark leading us through a simple 10 minute meditation and if you would like more of these then head over to ukpranichealing.co.uk where you'll find a number of similar resources. Mark is a fascinating guy and he's also incredibly down to earth. One of my favourite sayings from him is a reminder to be an 'open minded skeptic'. Don't blindly believe everything you hear, but don't close yourself off the possibility of different approaches either. That applies not just for this podcast episode, but for any new information you encounter elsewhere as well. You can follow Mark here: https://www.instagram.com/markdwillis https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdanielwillis https://www.facebook.com/MarkWillisPH http://www.ukpranichealing.co.uk/markwillis

"Vague wishes to improve my work life balance which have been in my mind for the last 5 years, have now been clearly detailed and actioned" This was part of a review somebody left on this podcast a few weeks ago and it really intrigued me. How many of us have listened to a podcast, or read a book or watched a video and felt motivated or inspired to do something, but then nothing changes. We can't (and don't need to!) put absolutely everything that we learn into action, but I also know that the thing most of us struggle with is bridging the gap between knowing and doing. Doing things differently enough such that it brings about positive change. I was delighted to track down the lady who wrote those words, Karen Gibson, and was even more grateful that she agreed to come on as a guest herself! In our conversation she explains a little more about what she did, what had stopped her in the past, how she started to put the ideas into practice, and the difference it's made to her. Everybody's situation is different of course, and there are plenty of general lessons in this that could be applied to yours.

This is a topic that's come up a lot lately, with many people saying that they either always or regularly struggle to switch off. Lying in bed at night tired but wired, with thoughts from the day buzzing around your brain can really disrupt your sleep. Mulling over work problems in your mind when you're playing with the kids or socialising with your friends can take you away from the moment and lead to disengagement and a lack of deep connection. Today's episode examines 3 questions: 1) What does 'switching off' really mean 2) Is it necessarily a bad thing if you can't switch off (and why we should be talking about switching gears instead) 3) What can we do to help avoid intrusive thoughts and the associated stress that goes with it

When it comes to physical wellbeing, one of the most important habits we can try to create is around getting a good night's sleep. We all know that this is important, and I'm sure we've all experienced the fall out of a bad night's sleep, but it's easier said than done. My guest today is sleep expert and author of 'Navigating Sleeplessness', Dr. Lindsay Browning. We talk about how to improve the quality as well as quantity of your sleep, the different stages of sleep and some of the common myths. How Covid has affected our sleep patterns, caffeine, shift work, getting up in the night for the loo… It's a packed session and if you do ever have trouble sleeping - that'll be nearly all of us then! - then definitely make sure you have a pen and paper to hand as you listen. You can find Lindsay on her website and social media at the following links: https://troublesleeping.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08SMSPGX5/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbrowning https://twitter.com/DrBrowningSleep https://www.facebook.com/DrBrowningSleep https://www.instagram.com/drbrowningsleep

In 2014 I wrote the book 'Beginner's Luck Guide for Non-Runners' and since then it's helped thousands of complete beginners build the confidence to go out enjoy all of the benefits of running. In today's episode I introduce 3 practical tips that many beginner runners seem to find useful, as well as 3 mindset tips and 3 common mistakes. It's a bit of a niche episode and if running isn't your bag then you might want to skip over this one, but if you've secretly wanted to learn how to run for a while now, this could be just the start that you need!

My intention with this podcast has always been to try and give you a bit of a boost of positivity, or a boost energy, or a boost of motivation. But ultimately what I think we're all trying to achieve, is to give ourselves a bit of a boost of happiness. My guest today is Dr Vikki Barnes, a clinical psychologist and specialist in positive psychology and the science of happiness. Vikki delivers workplace wellbeing programs, she runs retreats, and she's just finished a book on happiness that will be published soon… and she's promised to come back on the podcast when it's released to tell us more about it! In this conversation Vikki talks about what happiness means to her, why she thinks so many more people are practicing habits like gratitude, and how to do it in case you're not familiar with this wonderfully simple yet effective happiness habit, and we also get into the prickly subject of what to do about 'happiness guilt', where some people have a tendency to deny themselves happiness because there's so much other bad stuff going on around them. https://www.drvikkibarnes.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/drvikkibarnes https://www.instagram.com/drvikkibarnes

Pat Divilly is one of Ireland's leading resilience and wellbeing coaches, a sought after corporate speaker and host of The Pat Divilly podcast. We've been friends for many years and for the last 5 have hosted the annual Momentum New Year kick off alongside Gerry Duffy. Pat runs meditation, journaling and personal development programs, retreats, mountain expeditions, and puts on hugely popular sell-out events in the personal development space. He's also in the process of finishing off his 4th book which will be published in December 2021, and we spend a bit of time getting into what it's about in our conversation today. There's so much I could have spoken to Pat about, but I decided to keep it fairly broad and talk about the subject of personal development. When we've realised that it's possible to work on ourselves, the next obvious question is 'how?' We explore this question and Pat being the natural teacher that he is, shares some real gems of wisdom right from the start of this podcast. I highly recommend checking out Pat's website https://www.patdivilly.com, and subscribing to The Pat Divilly Podcast for a weekly dose of inspiration! I hope that today's episode gives you a bit of a boost!

On today's episode I speak to mental health campaigner, adventurer, speaker and coach Dan Keeley. I almost met Dan recently at an event we were both speaking and was intrigued enough by the title of his talk to get in touch with him afterwards. After our initial 'virtual coffee' I knew I wanted to get him on the podcast to share his story, and also ask him a few questions about his work. Dan had a 5 year battle with bipolar, and I realised that I knew embarrassingly little about this mental health issue, so I figured this was my chance to ask! We talk about the power of vulnerability, what it was like to run from Rome to London in 63 days, and a shared favourite Viktor Frankl quote that made it into the title of this episode. I also wanted to get Dan's opinion on HOW to ask for help or talk to somebody when we're not feeling great. We know that we SHOULD talk more, but I wanted to hear about some of the ways we can do this practically without the fear of being invalidated, judged or even worse (for me anyway!), fixed. This is such an inspiring story and I know that you'll be drawn to Dan's openness and generosity with his answers to my questions. You can find out more about Dan and the work he does to promote mental health awareness and action through his website https://www.dankeeley.co, or on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram at @iamdankeeley.

Most of us are familiar with the expression 'use it or lose it', but my guest today is a man who has been living by that mantra for almost a century. I first met Garry Garretts at a Toastmasters speakers club meeting last year, which he had recently joined because he wanted to 'keep his mind active'! In our conversation today Garry shares some of the other things he does to stay physically and mentally fit, and why at the age of almost 99 (it's his birthday next month!) it's even more important now than ever. His stories of being blown up as he tried to put out a German fire bomb in the Blitz (before returning to work 3 days later once they had removed the 19 pieces of shrapnel from his legs!) and joining the RAF on his 19th birthday are both inspiring and grounding. If I have half the spirit, energy and enthusiasm for learning new things when I'm nearly 100 years old as Garry does, I'll be more than happy! If you want to find out more about Garry and his 30 year career in the RAF (including flying on the Berlin Airlift), Legasee have done a nice series of biographical videos you can access from here: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/garry-garretts/

One tool that's massively changed things for me in the last few months has been my approach to planning, which has elevated my sense of effectiveness and productivity from 40% to 80%. In today's episode I outline the different elements of my personal process and why I include them. My system may not be the perfect solution for you, but my hope is that there are a few elements you can take and experiment with, and experience some of the same benefits that I have enjoyed.

Chris is the race director for one of the UK's most popular ultra marathons, Endure24. With running events starting to look more likely to take place again this Spring, I wanted to get the inside scoop on what's happening with events in the UK, what's going on behind the scenes, and what we can expect to see with these races. He also gives some pretty eye-opening insights to what it's like being the race director for an event like Endure. RaceSolutions.co.uk