A Bit Of A Boost

Over the last few years there's been an explosion in the number of wearable health monitoring devices, gathering data on our heart rates, movement, and even sleep quality. One of the less well known variables is heart rate variability, which I had never come across until a few years ago when I saw today's guest giving a talk at Lords cricket club. Simon Shepard is a chartered physiotherapist, and he's been head of health and performance at Lords cricket for the last 30 years. In our conversation today we get into what HRV is and how it differs from HR monitoring, what it tells us about our stress levels, and what we can do about it. Optima-life.com

SMART goals, big scary goals, creating a vision of your success so that you're magnetically drawn towards it... There are many different approaches to goal setting and on this episode I share mine. Following the GOALS framework that my Great GOALS online course is based on (bygeorgeanderson.com/goals) I lead you through each element to help you set more meaningful goals that make a difference, not just when you reach them but at each step along the way.

For today's episode I'm joined by TV star Vicky Pattison, I'm a Celebrity winner, Masterchef finalist, author and host of the Vicky Pattison: The Secret To podcast. Our conversation revolves around the subject of the inner critic - that niggling, annoying little voice inside your head that chastises you, judges you and puts you down. We talk about her relationship with her inner critic, how it's evolved over the years, and how she deals with real life critics. Check out @vickypattison on Insta!

Why do some of us struggle to perform at our best when the pressure is on, whilst others seem to thrive? How is pressure different to stress, and how can we change our relationship with it so that it becomes a force for helping rather than hindering us? I caught up with accredited psychotherapist and performance psychologist Sam Bishop (sambishopcoaching.com), to discuss all of this, and he shares some fantastic insights, metaphors and strategies to help us perform at our best, under pressure.

I'm keeping it in the family for today's episode, as I'm joined by Kenneth Keavey, my brother-in-law and founder of Ireland's largest organic box delivery scheme Greenearthorganics.ie. We talk about repairing our relationship with food, understanding where it comes from, the benefits of keeping it local and what lead to the breakdown of the supermarket supply chain 12 months ago.

There are 5 Roles that we all have to play in our lives. Not roles for other people, but roles for ourselves - Director, Manager, Worker, Coach and Administrator. I've been using this basic framework to help me get clarity on which of the roles needs attention or support. In today's episode I explain each of them, and discuss how articulating your principles can help you more closely stick to them.

Today's interview with co-founder of Wolfhound Fitness in Mullingar, Katie Murphy, is absolutely jam packed with insights and nuggets of wisdom to give you a bit of a boost of motivation and positivity. We talk about how our values can influence our resilience, what it was like being given a life expectancy of just 13 years, and why the biggest compliment Katie ever received was 'I didn't notice you at all'. Follow Katie on Instagram at @Wolfhound_Katie and check out her website wolfhoundfitness.ie

If you drop your toast on the floor and it lands jam side down, do you automatically assume that this is how the rest of day is going to go? Are you a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person? Today's we're getting into the topic of optimism. What is it, why it is helpful, and how can we build a more optimistic mindset? In this episode I explain the '3 dimensions of optimism', and how a pessimistic or optimist mindset might view positive or negative events

Ultra runner and co-founder of 33Fuel, Warren Pole is one of the most positive and optimistic people on the planet. So when he suggested 'embracing negativity' as a topic for our conversation today I was intrigued! Turns out that throwing yourself a private pity party and having a bit of a moan, can actually be a great way of giving you back your mojo! Although this technique comes with plenty of warnings, Warren manages to turn the subject of negativity into something incredibly positive. 33Fuel.com

Is it possible to become more positive? Is it a habit that we can cultivate? I believe that it is! Nothing can guarantee that you'll never have another negative thought or emotion (and neither would you want it to), but there are certain things we can do to boost our positivity, optimism and sense of hope. Here, in this episode, are 5 such habits.

Nutrition expert and author Jenny Tschiesche talks about building confidence in the kitchen. How do you get started with cooking healthy food? What are some of the time saving short cuts? What equipment do we really need? How can we avoid the cook book overwhelm (that has been my problem in the past!)? I could talk to Jenny all day about food and cooking, and we slide into chatting about gut health, the rise of popularity of plant-based diets, and asking Siri to convert cups to ml, but largely we focus on kitchen confidence! Her latest book 'Modern Vegetarian Instant Pot Cook Book' is out now!. Find out more from lunchboxdoctor.com

Freddie is a coach, speaker, and host of the Over The Influence podcast. In our conversation today he talks candidly about his mental health struggles, and own transformation from stressed-out city boy with an alcohol addiction on a fast track to oblivion, to an ultra running, world-record holding adventurer. We talk about these polar opposite lives, but crucially I wanted to find out how he started to make the changes in his life. Check out freddiembennett.com for more inspiration

Today's episode is a little different, as I'm the one who is being asked the questions! A friend of mine and host of the 'Focus on Why' podcast, Amy Rowlinson, offered to come on the show and interview me. Amy's super power is her ability to hear what's not said, and then ask questions to dig deeper. After a few stock answers I was disarmed by Amy's questions and curiosity and find myself sharing stuff that doesn't come up very often! Check out Amy's 'Focus on Why' podcast, and her website amyrowlinson.com

If you've ever got to the end of the day feeling wrung out and tired despite spending most of your day sitting down, you'll know what I mean when I talk about emotionally or mentally drained! Energy isn't just physical, although our approach to our physical wellbeing has a significant influence on how we feel. In this short episode I discuss a few practical strategies and mindset approaches that may help give your energy levels a bit of a boost.

I was introduced to QiGong last Summer by a friend of mine, and started doing a regular class over Zoom. I've really benefitted from this very practical way to slow down, and I've my preconceptions blown away by it! My guest on this episode is Tom Watson, a practitioner and lecturer in acupuncture and Chinese medicine in North London, who has been teaching Qigong for over a decade and has been practicing Taoist arts for almost 20 years having first come to the practice through martial arts. I ask Tom about the difference between QiGong and Tai Chi, the benefits, what draws him to the form, and why it isn't 'just for old people!

Last summer I realised my screen time was out of control. I was constantly distracting myself with an endless loop of checking messages, social media, news and email and I was clocking up an average of 6.5 hours a week on my iPhone. I knew I had to get a grip and over the course of the next few weeks I brought it down to a much saner 3-3.5 hours, which is where it still sits now. Our devices and the apps we use are addictive, and for all the value and convenience they can bring to our lives unless we pay attention it can quickly spiral out of control. In this episode I share some of the strategies I used to restore more of a digital balance to my life, without having to 'give up' using my device.

Known as 'The Five Element Wellness Woman' Rhiannon is an acupuncturist, coach, and host of the Sacred Rest Retreats and Powerfully Gentle podcast. She has such a calmness about her and her and in our conversation we talk about why so many people struggle to give themselves permission to slow down and just be, what the benefits are and actually HOW to do it. We talk about burnout, listening to your body and living more in sync with the seasons.

James Stott spent 14 years in the armed forces including time as a medic with the SBS. I met him a few years ago as he was transitioning out of the military and embarking on a career as a full time magician and we've been good friends ever since. In our chat today we talk about resilience, routines, virtual coffees, adventure and connection. I also ask him about meeting Simon Cowell at Britain's Got Talent last year, and how he got the other nickname 'Steel' (I was NOT prepared for the answer!) Check out James's Instagram for some of his mind-blowing card magic: https://www.instagram.com/themagicmarine And join his brand new Steel Mind Facebook group that we talk about in today's podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/steelmindchallenge/

Who doesn't love a great big long list of things! Sitting down at the end of 2020 I wrote this list of some of the lessons, habits, and revelations that I took from the year and this is the list that I'm sharing with you today. 2020 was a challenging year for most of us but I was determined to draw out some positive lessons from it, and in the process of making this list I felt a tremendous rebalancing boost. From the nutrition and exercise that's been working for me, to mindset and more practical techniques that have become established parts of my life, I'm sure there'll be something in here for everybody!

Whether it's a new weight loss program or writing a book, sometimes getting started is the biggest hurdle. We busy ourselves with planning and preparing for the perfect time to start, but when it comes to taking the action we need something stops us. The fear of starting is often the fear of judgement or the fear of rejection. Although this fear is there to keep us safe, understanding it can help us overcome it, and make a start.

In the first episode of A Bit Of A Boost, I kick off with a look at motivation, and 5 simple ways to give it a boost. This is a topic we'll be coming back to throughout the series, as I ask guests what motivates them personally. I wanted to start with a quick introduction to the podcast, and share some ideas that could be of use.