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On this week’s Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about people pleasing, and what can happen when we prioritise other people’s needs, opinions and expectations over our own. We chat about getting to know ourselves better, setting healthier boundaries, and becoming more comfortable with the fact that not everyone is going to like us - and that’s OK. We also discuss why saying ‘no’ doesn’t always need an explanation, and how being more honest about who we are and what we want can ultimately lead to stronger, more authentic relationships. We hope you’ll find something interesting or helpful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about anxiety. Most of us are familiar with worrying about things that haven't even happened, but what do we do when anxiety starts becoming a problem? Lucy and I talk candidly about our own experiences of anxiety, as well as a few practical things that we can all do to try and allay those unhelpful thoughts and feelings. We hope you'll find something useful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about fitness. We each share what our own fitness routines look like, covering strength training, Sprint Interval Training (SIT), running, rebounding, and good old walking. Given that fitness is so important, especially as we age, we hope you'll find something useful or inspiring in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

This week on Thursday’s Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about optimisation, and whether our constant quest to look and feel better might actually be making us feel worse. We’re bombarded on social media with advice on how to optimise almost every area of our health and wellbeing. Add in wearables and apps tracking everything from sleep and steps to heart rate and recovery, and it can feel like there’s always something else we should be doing. But do we really need to optimise everything? We talk about why getting the basics right consistently – eating well, moving regularly, prioritising sleep and managing stress – is far more important than chasing the latest wellness trend or perfect score. We also explore the importance of tuning into how you actually feel. Data can be useful, but relying too heavily on numbers can mean we lose connection with our own bodies. We hope you find something useful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy xx Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about our tendency to keep striving for the next thing, rather than appreciating what we already have. We talk about the ‘hedonic treadmill’ - the idea that even when we achieve something we really wanted, the happiness it brings often doesn’t last, and before long we’re looking towards the next goal. I share how I sometimes forget that I’m living in the house I once dreamed of, while Lucy talks about the freedom she has in her work and how even having posts go viral didn’t fundamentally change how she felt. We also talk about gratitude, appreciating the small, everyday things, and remembering that fulfilment isn’t necessarily waiting for us at the next milestone. We hope you’ll find something interesting or helpful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about cultivating a beginner’s mindset, as well as the difference between fixed and growth mindsets. In our conversation, we talk about how people often avoid trying new things because they're worried about not being good immediately, when the truth is that we all start knowing nothing — and we learn through effort and failure.  I talks about my experience as a teacher and how I encouraged my students to resist comparison, recognise their different strengths, and understand that skills can be developed with practice.  We also talk about the fact that talent only goes so far without persistence and self-belief, and that successful, interesting people keep learning by asking questions, embracing vulnerability, and being willing to look 'stupid'.  We hope you'll find something interesting or helpful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about the ego and how it can hold us back from taking action. We explore how the ego often comes from a place of fear and judgement, making it one of the loudest voices in our minds. We also share ways to become more aware of that inner voice, question whether it's actually telling us the truth, and choose curiosity instead. We hope this episode gives you something to reflect on and leaves you with a few helpful takeaways. Love, Polly & Lucy xx Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week's Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking all about confidence and how to build more of it. We share why we prefer to think of confidence as a verb rather than a noun. Confidence isn't something you magically have before you start – it's something you create. It grows when you find a little courage, get comfortable with being uncomfortable, and take action anyway. Only then does confidence begin to grow. As you keep showing up, you build competence, which in turn fuels even more confidence. We hope you enjoy this episode. Love, Polly & Lucy xx Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On today’s Thursday Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about comparison. As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy, but we can all be guilty of it to a greater or lesser extent. And it’s even harder to keep it under control in this age of screens and social media. Rather than comparing ourselves to others and allowing them to make us feel bad about ourselves, let’s use comparison as motivation and inspiration to improve and evolve in our own lives. Because the truth is that the only person we should really be comparing ourselves to is the person we were yesterday. We hope you’ll find something helpful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week’s Thursday's Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about taking responsibility. How often do you avoid doing the hard thing, even though you know it’s exactly what needs to be done? The truth is, no one else can do it for us. We all have to choose our hard. Taking responsibility isn’t about blame or pressure – it’s about recognising the incredible power you already have to shape your life. And that’s a far more empowering way to live. We hope there’s something in this conversation that resonates with you and supports you this week. Love Polly & Lucy xx Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week's Thursday's Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about the mistake that so many of us make which is thinking that things will be better when… We’ve all done it, haven’t we? Things will better when I’m earning more money; things will be better when I’ve started the new job; things will be better once I move into the new home. Ultimately, those ‘big’ moments in life are fleeting, and the trick is learning how to enjoy all of the moments in between. We hope you’ll find something useful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

When you're the one everyone relies on, it's easy to believe your own needs can wait. You keep going. You juggle work, family, the mental load and everyone else's expectations, telling yourself you'll slow down when life gets quieter.  But what if looking after yourself isn't selfish at all? What if it's the very thing that allows you to keep showing up without losing yourself in the process? In this episode, I'm joined by Alex Smallman, founder of Ubermummies, personal trainer and mum to three-year-old identical twin boys.   Alex shares her fertility journey of six and a half years, IVF, and becoming a first-time mum at 40. We also talk about the challenges of perimenopause, the chronic joint pain that left her searching for answers, and how HRT, movement and simple lifestyle changes helped her feel like herself again. This conversation is an honest reminder that taking care of yourself isn't something to squeeze in once everything else is done. It's the foundation that allows you to show up for your life and care for the people you love without constantly running on empty. In this episode, we discuss: Alex's infertility journey, IVF, and becoming a first-time mum at 40.The realities of balancing motherhood, business and perimenopause.What helped Alex regain her energy, confidence and quality of life.Why consistency and commitment matter more than perfection.Simple ways to support your wellbeing without adding more pressure.Whether you're navigating perimenopause, motherhood, or simply feeling stretched by the demands of everyday life, this episode will remind you that your wellbeing matters. Because the more supported your body and nervous system feel, the more capacity you have to enjoy your life instead of simply getting through it. To find out more about Alex go to: https://www.instagram.com/ubermummies Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On this week’s Tuesday Motivation, Lucyband I are chatting about the importance of movement. As we get older, we naturally lose both muscle and bone mass, so keeping our bodies moving is one of the best investments we can make in our long term health and wellbeing. We talk about how consistency matters more than perfection, how to make movement enjoyable, and simple ways to fit it into your everyday life. It’s so easy to find reasons not to exercise but the benefits for your body, mind and future self are enormous. We hope this conversation gives you the nudge you need to get moving. Love Polly & Lucy xx Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

On today’s Thursday's Thoughts, Lucy and I are talking about how important it is to find the joy in life, rather than being constantly weighed down by all of the ‘shoulds’. The truth is that life is short, and we sometimes forget to enjoy the ride. Instead of taking it all so seriously, let’s remember that we’re all travelling on a giant sphere hurtling through space - so we might as well enjoy it while we’re here! We hope you’ll find something useful in here. Love, Polly & Lucy x Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/

Have you ever stopped and wondered, Who am I now? Midlife has a way of prompting those questions. As our lives, priorities and responsibilities change, many of us begin to realise that the identities we've carried for years no longer feel like the right fit. In this week's episode of Take a Breath, I'm joined by Jen O'Brien, who shares her inspiring journey from aeronautical engineer to founder of Music Broth, Scotland's musical instrument library. But this conversation goes far beyond changing careers.  Together, we explore identity, intuition, creativity and what it really means to live in alignment with yourself. We talk about learning to trust your inner voice, letting go of old labels, embracing change, and giving yourself permission to create a life that feels authentic and deeply fulfilling. In this episode, you'll discover: Why midlife can be the perfect opportunity to question old identities and reconnect with who you really are.How learning to pause and listen to your intuition can help you make decisions with greater confidence and clarity.Why creativity isn't just for artists or musicians, but a powerful way to regulate your nervous system, express yourself and experience more joy.How to let go of the expectations, labels and self-beliefs that may be keeping you stuck.Why it's never too late to make meaningful changes and create a life that feels more aligned with the person you're becoming.To connect with Jen go to:  https://www.musicbroth.org/ https://jenobrien.net/ https://linktr.ee/steeljoy Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time. Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now. Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible. To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace Email me at:  [email protected] https://www.pollywarren.com/ https://www.instagram.com/pollywarrencoaching/