The Good Life Unravelled

Happy New Year. Yes, it's two week late, but it's a pandemic world and it has taken me this long to feel motivated and ready to share. In this episode I share where I have been at the for the past couple of months. I talk anxiety and coping. I am about to start my New Year Journalling process where I reflect on the past year, work on my current values, passions, and priorities, and finally plan and find focus for the year ahead. I decided to turn this into a free guide for you to download and use as a digital prompt or print at home. Join me in a gentle process of reflection, processing, and dreaming for the future year. It's free to subscribers on the mailing list. Unsubscribe at any time. https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/subscribe/ Let me know how you get on! #GoodLifeUnravelled @elizabethdhokia

Hannah Chapman is a 25 year old entrepreneur with a passion for home fragrance. She started her business Ava May Aromas in July 2018 and now runs the business alongside her Dad (Daryl) who is also her business partner. Alongside work she is also a full time dachshund mum to my pup Harley who goes everywhere with her.    In this episode we talk about: How Hannah got started with the business. The importance of the encouragement of her Dad. Understanding the power of Instagram and how she started business there. The importance of remaining approachable as a key value to her personally and in business. How she got to know Mrs Hinch - Sophie Hinchliffe - and how their business relationship /collaboration came about and their friendship. The positivity that can come from social media. The link between scent and wellbeing How a fragrance can impact our mood and association with a space. The importance of balance and structure in life and business. Making space and time to prioritise self-care Learning to delegate, an important skill. Self-care routines How having a dog makes you enjoy walks What is a wax melt? Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/hannahchapman/ #GoodLifeUnravelled     

In this episode I talk on day 1 of England lockdown 2 about: why I am limiting my screen time what mini moments of daily trauma can do to us acknowledging that lockdown 2 is different creating different seasonal routines whether we should bring out the Christmas decorations early the need to adjust in the longer term to a different way of living what it's like dealing with able-bodied reactions to lockdown my hope for more empathy why we need to be more creative in adapting to the new way of society functioning reaching out if you feel lonely what I did when I had a low day and an invitation to connect with me. Get updates on: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/subscribe/   Links mentioned: The Importance of Processing (ep.  37) Setting Boundaries (ep. 25) Holland Otik on being chronically ill in lockdown (ep. 50) My mailing list Core values worksheet   #GoodLifeUnravelled

In today's podcast episode we chat with Kayte Ferris from Simple and Season, a business coach and blogger who left the corporate marketing world and moved to Snowdonia in 2017. Since then she has helped over 100 creatives launch and build their businesses online, winning awards and launching a top-rated podcast along the way. Kayte's approach is all about creating a business that feels like you, ignoring the rules and should do's and trusting your soul. In this episode we talk about Kayte's approach to intentional business and slow marketing and what that looks like. We both share the belief in working from a place of intentional values and Kayte tells us how she's been able to craft a business that works well for her by staying rooted in those values. We also touch on whether business values and personal values need to be separate. I ask Kayte about being vulnerable in her work, and how to manage connecting with your audience in a way that is truthful. We talk about what success means and how business can function in a sustainable way. Other things we touch on include visualisations to make and direction your decisions, using tarot cards to journal and process you mind. Plus we talk about how self-care can be a prickly term. I very much enjoyed this chat with Kayte today. I think we come from a similar place in our approach to business and career. It's great to see somebody who has honed their core values and put them into action, somebody who has created a business that works best for them. Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/kayte-ferris/ #GoodLifeUnravelled 

In a culture that prizes being busy and productive, I argue that there is a value in procrastination.  For too long we have associated procrastination with laziness, emptiness, nothingness. We sometimes link procrastination with a poor sense of self-worth. But what if we reframe that? What if we look at why we are procrastinating and what the act of it can do for us? #GoodLifeUnravelled  

This is part 2 of the interview with Holland Otik. Listen to part 1 on episode 48 first. Holland Otik is a maker, chef, teacher, researcher, and animistic object enthusiast who incorporates magic and ritual into everything they do. In this episode we cover a range of topics in quite some depth. It's a super interesting discussion with some pretty profound and insightful ideas.  We cover:  How most of the spiritual and wellness industry in the west uses eastern philosophy, beliefs, and culture and repackage to make it accessible to white westerners. History of folk religion in the UK was linked to the natural world and a lot of that has been lost with disconnection through urban life. The importance of autonomy in our current way of life. Links with personal spirituality between autonomy. How capitalist society needs us to be disconnected to keep the system going. Personal art is essential and not a luxury.  Everyone is has a creative practice if you reframe what they do. Everyone is a curator and noticing that is liberating. The imperfections in relationships make them more meaningful. The good life comes from being yourself and giving space for others to be themselves. Living with chronic illness taught her to accept that it's not possible to always be happy or without pain, but finding a peace and accepting moves you forward. The pandemic has opened her eyes to how able-bodied people see illness. This is triggering for the chronically ill and disabled whose lives are always like that. How the wellness industry can make the chronically ill feel disempowered. The tragedy narrative attached to disabled people and the chronically ill.  How seeing disabled people thriving might change perception of illness. Even the perception of a wellness treatment can change depending on who it is serving. Wellness industry not accessible to the people who need it the most. What to say to somebody who is chronically ill. Holland's MA art work on tragedy narrative, child abuse, and self-harm. The problem with centring trauma response on authority figures and not the victim. The need the allow people to self-soothe in the way they know best. The power in truly seeing one another and appreciating their autonomy. Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/hollandotik2 #GoodLifeUnravelled

We live in a global pandemic world now. Six months ago when we first went into strict lockdown I think we all imagined and hoped that by autumn winter things would be back to semi-normal. But as this awful illness of Covid-19 continues to put so many at risk, our lives are still in a semi-lowdown state. We live in a pandemic world for the foreseeable future, and that is something that is both difficult to reconcile with, but it is important that we kindly find ways for ourselves to not just function but also begin to thrive in this new way of living.   We need to way to create space between work and home life. We need to give our brain time to switch where it's functioning from. We need our nervous system to switch gears.   https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/category/podcast/

In today's podcast episode I chatting with Holland Otik, a maker, chef, teacher, researcher and animistic object enthusiast who incorporates magic and ritual into everything they do. She currently owns a small shop and studio in Hereford. This conversation was epic. So much so that we ended up talking for twice as long as we scheduled, and this interview will be split into two parts. Our first two parter! So today's episode is part one of the two part interview with Holland Otik. In this episode we cover Holland's journey to this stage in her life and career including various job roles including lecturer, chef, and artist.  We talk about what a maker actually is and what a creative practice looks like. Holland shares her interest in animism and how that informs her current practice of making masks.  This leads to a conversation about symbols and rituals. And then onto how we can create our own spiritual practices.  We also touch on the topic of wellness and spiritual industries capitalising on practices from other cultures.  We finish by wondering whether it is possible to practice spirituality in a way that is ethical, responsible, and self-aware. Come back next week for part 2 of the interview. https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/hollandotik/ #GoodLifeUnravelled

How to choose a coach - For the 'too long, didn't read' crowd the simple answer is this - choose somebody you resonate with. It's a simple as that. But now for the explanation, because what does resonating really mean. What does it look like? How do we know who we resonate with? And how do we find them?   https://elizabethdhokia.com/podcast   #GoodLifeUnravelled    

Empathy levels have declined by a staggering 40% in the last 30 years and as Michelle Obama mentioned in her latest speech - the empathy deficit is having a devastating impact on personal relationships and our communities - causing polarisation, division and unhappiness.  Mimi Nicklin unpacks the science and value of empathy in her new book Softening the Edge. Revealing how we can become more empathetic and happier. Mimi Nicklin is a bestselling author and the host of the ‘Empathy for Breakfast' breakfast show as well as the Secrets of The Gap podcast. She is an experienced marketer and communications specialist, a well-known empathetic leader, and the Creative Officer and Regional Managing Director for a global advertising agency. https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/mimi-nicklin/ #GoodLifeUnravelled

What is the difference between a therapist, a mentor, and a coach? All operate in a kind of 'therapeutic' and personal one-to-one space and it's important to know how each functions and who will meet your needs. As I am about to start welcoming my first intake of coaching clients I make it absolutely clear that I am not a therapist. That is, I do not have the medical knowledge, training, or correct skills for any kind of therapy work necessary for those with any kind of mental illness, disorder, or poor health.    Whilst coaches do operate in a kind of therapeutic space, it's essential that we make it clear what we can and cannot do.    Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/podcast   #GoodLifeUnravelled

Alexandra Cuncev is runs Storisse – a platform aimed at inspiring positive change through the gentle art of storytelling. She believes that telling our stories, sharing our magic in the mundane can inspire others around us and leads to gentle, but sustainable change. She also hosts a unique podcast called My Beautiful Stories where Alex and her husband Pawel collect and share day-to-day stories, followed each week by a brief reflection and art recommendation.   The purpose of the podcast and all of Alex's work is that her community get inspired to draw more energy from their everyday landscapes. Our mundane experiences can be equally moving and joyful.   In Series 3 of the podcast, Alex and Pawel are collecting stories written by people from all over the world to form a narrative about 2020. Featured until now were stories that told about hope in loss, beauty in isolation, the experiences of key workers to name a few. Diverse, touching, uplifting and thoughtful, the stories line up to form a chronicle of lockdown and document the year when we have all collectively lived through history.   Alex also organised and hosted The Planet Project, a multi-media, international community project which took place online as a universal gesture of unity to celebrate the jubilee of Earth Day, on the 22nd April 2020. Over 300 podcasters, artists, creators and writers joined hands virtually in creating one piece of digital work each on the theme: Earth – our Planet.   The project set out to recreate the impact of the Baltic Chain. In the summer of 1989, two million people joined hands forming a human chain, in a peaceful demonstration of solidarity.   On Instagram, Alex runs #mybeautifulstories, which celebrates magic in the mundane in stories and has reached 20,000 posts.   #GoodLifeUnravelled

A morning routine is the ideal way to set yourself up energetically for the day. I don't just mean physical energy, but also your mental, emotional, and spiritual energy. I share the one crucial question you should ask yourself when you first wake up. And why practising some kind of self-care and intentional activity can set you up for the day.  I give you a piece of homework to work on. My first podcast homework for my listeners! If you would like to download and print my free morning routine worksheet and template, head here: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/subscribe/ And let me how you get on. @elizabethdhokia on Instagram or Twitter #GoodLifeUnravelled

Katherine May is an author of memoir and fiction. We talk about her recent book - Wintering - all about how to embrace the inevitable darker times of our lives. We also talk about wellness and being neurodivergent. Plus her experience of getting an adult diagnosis of autism. Katherine also shares the joys of sea swimming, even in the winter! Katherine May is an author of fiction and memoir whose titles include Wintering, The Electricity of Every Living Thing, The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club, The 52 Seductions, Burning Out, and Ghosts & Their Uses. She is the editor of The Best, Most Awful Job, an anthology of essays about motherhood. Her journalism and essays have appeared in a range of publications including The Times, The Observer, Good Housekeeping and Aeon. Previously the Programme Director for Creative Writing at Canterbury Christ Church University, Katherine currently works as a literary scout for Lucy Abrahams Literary Scouting and a freelance editor for organisations including Faber Academy and Audible.She lives in Whitstable, Kent with her husband and son.   Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/katherinemay #GoodLifeUnravelled

In today's podcast episode I share my journey to simplify my life over the past five years of living in my home. It started with simplifying our home, but a mindset happened and I was able to apply this mentality to all areas of my life.  I share 15 tips on how to simplify your life.  LEARNING POINTS Know your values (subscribe to download your own values worksheet) Create boundaries (listen to the boundaries podcast here) Declutter your home Spend time cleaning  Consider slow living practices Create rituals Meal plan Control your finances Delete social media (listen to the how I quite social media podcast here) Create a filing system Pack light Use online tools Be mindful of relationships (listen to reason, season, lifetime podcast here) Allow for space What is enough for you? Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/how-to-simplify-your-life/  #GoodLifeUnravelled

In today's podcast episode we chat with Mita Mistry, a mindfulness-based cognitive therapist, acupuncturist, and newspaper columnist.  She talks about how she went from a career in the city to making a change and going back to university to learn acupuncture. Mita shares why she was drawn to the therapeutic profession.  Acupuncture is over 3000 years old. Mita shares a bit about the Chinese philosophy of energy meridians in the body, and how the acupuncturist can look help with unblocking when there are issues. There is a lot more depth to it including elements, and where patterns of disharmony lie.  Mita shares what actually happens in an initial consultation for acupuncture, the detail they go into to get a whole view of your life, lifestyle, health, etc.  We talk about moxibustion as an alternative to acupuncture for those of us with needle-phobias. There are several other options for those of us who would still like to access the acupuncture framework.  Mita shares some of the most common struggles she has noticed amongst us all. She tells us how to decide what the best therapeutic approach is for each individual and how to decide who the best therapists are. She reminds us the need for rapport with a therapist, and someone you feel safe with. Good life is a stress-free life, being around good people, and feeling like giving back. Being healthy and being in the moment. The key is to find what a good life means to you as an individual and living intentionally that honours who you are as a person.  We talk about how therapists, of all different kinds, can be such a useful way to help you figure out what you need as they are supportive with your own best interests at heart in a non-judgemental way. Walking meditation, awareness of sensations in the body as you walk. Meditation can bring more creativity.  Talk about mindfulness that brings us out of our auto-pilot of being in our head, and be more present with our body and less so with our thoughts.  Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/mitamistry/ #GoodLifeUnravelled 

What are mantras and how can they change your mindset and overall wellbeing for the better? Plus examples of 43 mantras you could use in you own life. #GoodLifeUnravelled Sign up for the new one-to-one unravelling coaching here: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/coaching/

In today's podcast episode I chat with Catherine Summers, an award-winning blogger of over-40s style blog Not Dressed As Lamb. Not Dressed As Lamb is one of the leading and most established over-40s fashion and style blogs in the UK and around the world. 47 year old Catherine's key message is to encourage women of all ages to oppose the outdated notion of age-appropriate dressing and to wear whatever they like (she is the founder of the hugely successful Instagram hashtag #iwillwearwhatIlike). An expert at pattern-mixing and bright colours, she describes her style as ‘preppy with an eclectic twist'. Always looking to challenge the norm, she blogs about her personal style and high street picks, as well as ageing issues, health and beauty, and weekly musings about her daily life. In this interview we chat about why fashion is important to Catherine and how the clothes you wear can make a difference to your overall wellbeing. Catherine shares what the term age-appropriate means and why she is opposed to it. Catherine shares lots of advice, wisdom and inspiration in this interview. It was a joy to speak to her. In fact, we recorded this interview just before lockdown so this chat exists in a place where the world was slightly different. As we start edging back into a certain sense of normality in our daily lives I thought it was a good time to share Catherine's inspiring perspectives about how fashion, style, and we dress ourselves can impact our overall wellbeing.   #GoodLifeUnravelled   Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/catherinesummers/

Why we need to create space for processing and what I mean by processing How a lack of processing can lead to poor mental health or overwhelm. Having an autistic family member taught us how to recognise the necessity for processing. Awareness of my introvertedness - need for space after being around people helped understand need for processing. Every person has a different way of processing.  Figuring out how you work and how processing techniques would suit us best. Could include writing, painting, art, exercise, walking, nature How do we recognise when and if we need to process.   Creating space allows for processing.   Need to think about emotional health. Processing includes allowing emotions.   #GoodLifeUnravelled

I chat with my husband Raj and his best friend Sonehal about their new Instagram project - To The Baseline - a space to chart their fitness and health journey from day one.  We discuss their different goals and perspectives on fitness and general wellbeing.  We also talk about what it's like being overweight, and how it's not always a sign of fitness. We talk about the link between mental health and body image. We talk about what a good life means to both of them and their self-care routines and priorities. And start to chat about the importance of sexual wellness.  This is a slightly different format for the show as we recorded it in the same room with two mics but hopefully it still works and you get lots of value from the conversation. Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/raj-and-sonehal/ #GoodLifeUnravelled 

Imposter syndrome is when some of us feel like we aren't of value, or enough, to be worthy of a job, or relationship, or any kind of social role in society. This feeling worthlessness can hold us back in being our true selves, and living our full life.  I talk about how I let imposter syndrome ruin my twenties, and how to find a way out of it.  http://elizabethdhokia.com/podcast #GoodLifeUnravelled

Claire Baker is a life, health and menstrual coach and author of '50 Things You Need to Know About Periods'.    For nearly a decade Claire has taught thousands of women how to live in harmony with their menstrual cycle, rather than working against it.    Claire believes menstrual cycle awareness is the missing key in women's wellbeing, empowerment and creativity, and her immersive online courses and workshops inspire women to know their flow and become the authority in their own lives.    In this episode we talk about all things menstrual, so fair warning if this content might not be for you. Totally understand and we'll see you next week.   But I would recommend having a listen because there really is something for everyone. I promise.   In this interview Claire shares her story about how she got into being a menstrual coach when she realised the importance of the cycle on health and wellbeing.   We also chat about the taboo of talking about periods, where that stems from, and how language is such a useful way of empowering us to understand how our body works.   Claire shares details about the idea of the menstrual cycle being similar to seasons, and how understand this can help with knowing our superpowers and vulnerabilities.    We also talk about how food affects us differently at different points in our cycle. PLUS, Claire shares how people are not menstruating can use the moon cycle to follow this work.    Ultimately we find that the cycle really is the foundation of our wellbeing and by understand it we can feel more rooted, empowered, and can make better decisions based on it.     Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/clairebaker #GoodLifeUnravelled

Welcome to season 2 of the podcast. We chat about black lives matter, anti-racism work, and our roles in social change. Plus, why I took 3 months off for lockdown and my plans for the future. Show notes and links:  https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/seasontwo/ #GoodLifeUnravelled

In today's podcast episode we are chatting to Emily Leary. Emily is an award-winning blogger and author. She founded her blog, A Mummy Too in 2011 out of a love for family, food and photography. She is consistently voted in the top ten most influential food bloggers in the UK and regularly works as a recipe developer for a number of brands. She released her number 1 bestselling book - Get Your Kids to Eat Anything in 2019. In this episode Emily shares her current experience living in lockdown in the UK with her husband and two children. We chat about the Facebook Live cookalongs she is hosting everyday with her daughter which offers a sense of community with people all over the UK. We also chat about the process that Emily created in her book - Get Your Kids to Eat Anything - as a way to help families have variety in their everyday cooking. Emily is honest about the ups and downs of lockdown and we discuss how we've been communicating with our partners as we have days of struggle. Emily shares what a good life means to her, plus her favourite self-care activity that helps her feel strong and positive. I loved this chat with Emily last week. She has such an infectious positivity about her. We have actually met a few times in real life and she is as lovely in person as she sounds. Just the kind of smily face we need to see right now. I hope you enjoy our first interview back since the lockdown started. I was a little hesitant for a couple of weeks and wanted to make sure I shared podcasts that felt inspiring and empowering whilst being sensitive to this new world we're living in. I truly hope you are all keeping as safe as you are able, and I wish you all well. If you do enjoy this podcast and find it uplifting it would be great if you could share it with your friends and networks on social media. Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/emilyleary/ #GoodLifeUnravelled 

Today we are looking at the importance of hobbies and how they help improve our overall wellbeing. In particular I talk about how I discovered gardening last year. I share my journey from somebody who hated the idea of getting their hands mucky to being a fully fledged member of the green thumb gang. I talk about where this new hobby started, how it has been beneficial to my health and why I will keep going with it.  Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/newhobby #GoodLifeUnravelled 

As the UK goes into lockdown, now more than ever we need to practice daily self-care to keep our body, mind, and soul healthy. Self-isolation might be tricky, especially given the general anxiety in the world right now. I share tips on how to practice different types of self-care that nourish your body, mind and soul.  Plus I share my quarantine routine to help add variety to the day that includes something for the mind, body, creativity, and rest.  I know it's a scary time, and I hope this podcast gives a tiny bit of reassurance and encouragement for those of your staying home. And even more so, I hope that any key workers listening might find some ideas to help them with any spare time they might have.  Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/self-care-in-self-isolation #GoodLifeUnravelled

I kept a physical diary of all elements of my daily health, both mental and physical. I found that by making such a mindful act to really reflect on my body and mind for each day I felt a much deeper understanding for how I function. I ultimately felt empowered with this understanding and it has transformed my relationship with my body and physical health. 

in today's episode we are chatting to Tamu Thomas, a holistic life coach and former social worker. She specialises in supporting women in the transitional period of their late thirties and forties. Allowing them to flourish through a period that is often met with resistance.    In this episode Tamu shares her journey from working as a social worker for 15 years and moving to create her own wellness business using her skills to help people learn to thrive rather than just survive.   Tamu teaches us what the difference is between surviving and thriving, and how to spot that in our own lives.    She shares how our modern society is set up to keep us in a scarcity mindset that stops us from being who we truly are.   We chat about how we teach boundaries to ourselves and our children.   We discuss how to figure out our true selves, and find where joy really sits for us. We touch on how we've learned that joy and happiness and wonder are seen as vulnerable and often deny it to ourselves.   We talk about the body-mind connection and Tamu shares examples of how our mind and lives are manifesting in our body. We discuss body wisdom and how to listen to it.   Tamu shares a bit about what shadow work is and how that can be a source of finding your true joy and sense of self.    Plus, we chat a bit about flow state and it's importance to our self-care routines.    Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/tamuthomas   #GoodLifeUnravelled

Self-limiting beliefs are often rooted in fear, doubt and resistance.  They are thought patterns that hold us back from achieving, from living our fullest life, from making progress. This episode is about how to recognise self-limiting beliefs, tips on how to stop them, and ways to shift your mindset.  Show notes:  https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/self-limiting-beliefs/ #GoodLifeUnravelled

Medina is the author of the book - Home Sweet Rented Home, the creator of the series - How I Rent, and the voice behind the blog Grillo Designs where she shares creative and affordable ways to decorate your home with a DIY approach.  Her goal is to inspire creativity and her tagline is, ‘Just your Average renter, Making a house a home!' In this episode we chat about Medina's journey from her profession in healthcare as a nurse and midwife to being a content creator and creative. Medina shares how her creative spirit helped her make her rented home a place that is welcoming and inspiring.  We chat about what the difference is between upcycling and hacking. In particular, Medina shares her thoughts on the importance of just getting stuck in and not being afraid to fail. Medina emphasises the point that failure is important as failing is the point in which we learn and grown as people.  We talk about how, as a society, and particularly now through social media, we hide our failures. But Medina has found that as she has become more authentic and sharing her truth online she has becoming more who she wants to be, a person who makes change whether it's challenging the stigma around renting a home, as well as being a Muslim person living in the UK.  Medina stresses how a home is a feeling and how our homes are important to our overall wellbeing. It's all about changing our mindset and blocking out the noise of other people's perspectives. I love Medina's down to earth enthusiasm. When I came across her instagram a year or so ago I felt totally engaged with her approach to creating her home and lifestyle a place that feels right to her.  Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/medina-grillo #GoodLifeUnravelled

In this episode I share: My history of boundaries, or lack thereof Whether I like being a nurturing person How is setting boundaries a form of self-care What are boundaries? Examples of setting boundaries How to deal with the fall-out of setting boundaries Tips for setting boundaries 6 types of boundaries What do healthy boundaries look like? Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/how-to-set-boundaries/  #GoodLifeUnravelled 

Zena El Farra, the founder of MasterPeace Creative Studios, a drop-in art experience in central London where guest who want to learn to paint mindfully and express themselves creatively.    In this interview Zena shares a bit about her background and journey from a career in banking to opening her own art and wellness business.    We talk about how painting can be a great alternative to mediation, and how creativity can be such a restorative experience, and is important to our overall wellbeing.   Zena explains how she understands that painting can be intimidating for a beginner, or somebody who hasn't practiced art since high school, and how this helped her create a technique at MasterPeace that takes away some of the barriers that prevent people from enjoying painting.   We talk about all kinds of aspects of creativity, from how being relaxed is importance to be in the creative process, the importance of play, how different artists find inspiration, and how creativity is a practice that needs nurturing.    One of the key takeaways from this discussion, for me, was that creativity is a lesson in self-acceptance. As someone who was repeatedly told at school that I was no good at art, it is encouraging to hear as an adult that creativity, in it's many forms, is a part of all of us.   I also found it interesting that painting, and art in general, can be a great processing tool for some people. Not everyone is going to be into writing as a means to reflect, so this was a great perspective to hear about on this podcast.    Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/zenaelfarra   #GoodLifeUnravelled  

For the majority of us we will, at some point in our lives, experience friendships that come to an end. This can be an incredibly upsetting, confusing or even just weird.   As most friendships are based on trust and mutual appreciation with another human being, they are mostly positive and enriching parts of our lives. Friendships bring joy and pleasure into our lives. They offer relief from the hardships of life, much needed support and guidance, sometimes they even take the place of family. Friendships often form a fundamental part of our daily lives.   How do we cope when some friendships seemingly come to an end? It can be incredibly upsetting or confusing experience. I have found that a great strategy to cope with this is to think about the following phrase: Friendships are for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

In today's podcast episode I am chatting to Victoria Jackson. Victoria is a content creator, coach and community leader focused on teaching the art of manifestation and helping people create a life filled with magic, from positive mindset tricks, to increasing motivation, goal setting ideas and putting the action into the law of attraction. Just expect all of the above to be served with a large helping of spirituality and talk of the universe. In this episode Victoria shares her journey from journalist and editor to fashion and interiors blogger through to her current work focusing on the power of manifestation. Victoria tells us exactly what manifestation means and how it looks in practical, everyday terms. She shares personal examples of how manifestation has worked for her and changed her life for the better. We chat about whether it is coincidence or manifestation at work. As well as how the fundamentals of the positive mindset shift is beneficial in all areas of our life. Victoria shares some tips on how to get started with manifestation, plus how to think about manifestation if you are feeling cynical about it. Plus, Victoria shares her self-care routines, what a good life means to her, and a super useful tip to help you figure out what a good life means to you. It was a joy to speak to Victoria for this podcast, she is so passionate about her work and you can really hear that enthusiasm in this episode. Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/victoriajackson #GoodLifeUnravelled  

Here is my mini guide on how to practice meditation. I've put together 18 tips to help you get started. Meditation and mindfulness has many benefits for mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/meditationguide #GoodLifeUnravelled

Alice Vincent is a journalist, author, and avid balcony gardener. We chat about how connecting with nature through gardening can have a transformative effect on our wellbeing. In this episode we chat about her upcoming her brand new book Rootbound: Rewilding a Life which is a nature memoir.    Alice shares how she got into gardening and why it has been so important to her life in her twenties.    We also talk about the resurgence in gardening amongst young people and Alice shares some of the reasons for this.    Alice gives some advice for how to get into gardening for those that possibly haven't even considered it. Plus how to start container gardening if you have a small space or a balcony.    Alice also shares what a good life means to her and what her self-care routines looks like.   I first came across Alice via Instagram @noughticulture last year when I first started dabbling in gardening myself. I have loved watching her mini tours of her balcony garden and have gleaned some useful and inspiring knowledge along the way.  Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/alicevincent #GoodLifeUnravelled

Body neutrality - today I share the 7 moments that helped me realise I should no longer be talking about my body either publicly or in real life to friends and family. Beyond health, the appearance of my body is not up for discussion. I share why I think that thin and thin-passing women like myself should not be taking up space in the #bodypositivity movement and by practicing body neutrality we are stating that our bodies should not be objectified or discussed as we are not discriminated against.  This is why I no longer talk about my body. Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/body-neutrality #GoodLifeUnravelled 

In today's podcast episode I chat to Eulanda Shead Osagiede, co-founder of Hey! Dip Your Toes In, an award winning blog that promotes creative digital content with a focus on global travel and food culture.  She has helped travel and food culture brands like Coca-Cola, IBM, Etihad Airways, and tourism brands around the globe to tell their stories and create compelling digital content. Notably, her work has been featured in Forbes, Lonely Planet, House of Coco magazine, Culture Trip, Matador Network, Voyager, CULTURS, Blogosphere magazine, and others. With her authoritative voice on global travel, food tourism, and influencer marketing, Eulanda has been sought out as a workshop facilitator, brand ambassador, and guest speaker at events around the world like The Photography Show, WTM London, Borderless Live, TBEX, WITS, and TEDx in Morocco. In the episode Eulanda shares her story of how she went from studying medicine, to teaching dance and owning a dance studio, to being a photographer, and through to her current calling, proving a space for storytellers. She shares how figuring out your purpose is part of the your life journey and how important it is to trust the experiences you have  Eulanda is a true storyteller, she answers every question with stories and examples. She has a wonderful way with words.  We talk about how identities are fluid, and Eulanda shares a life-changing moment in Spain recently that inspired her to reevaluate how she perceived travel. Eulanda talks about her work as the BAME Executive Officer for the Women In Travel organisation and how that came about. We discuss why diversity and inclusion is necessary in the travel industry. We also talk about intersectionality and intersectional feminism and how we can only move forward with feminism if it is intersectional. Finally Eulanda shares her perspective on what a good life means, and what her self-care routines include.  Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/eulanda-osagiede #GoodLifeUnravelled 

I want to share with you my process of choosing a Word of the Year. It's something I have been doing for years now and I have found the act of choosing a Word of the Year way more effective than setting New Year's Resolutions.    As we are at to the end of the year, and starting a new year, I thought now would be the perfect time to share what has worked so well for me, in the hopes it might inspire and empower you to do the same.    In this episode I will cover: What is a Word of the Year Why I prefer it to setting New Year's Resolutions.  My past word of the years and how they manifested  How to choose a word of the year - the process I follow What to do throughout the year with your word of the year I have created a FREE workbook to help you choose your Word of the Year. You can download and print it for free here: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/subscribe/ #GoodLifeUnravelled

Sophie Cliff aka The Joyful Coach, is a coach, podcaster and writer from Leeds, Yorkshire. She aims to help people live a more joyful life, figure out their values, and pursue a life of gratitude. In this episode Sophie shares her journey from a traditional career route to one that know aligns with her values. She shares how a family tragedy helped her reassess everything she'd been taught, and set her on a new path. Sophie shares insights into what joy really means, how we can redefine it individually, how joy is not a selfish practice, and why learning what our own values are help us making better decisions.  We learn some great tips and advice from Sophie with loads of inspiration to get us started.  Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/sophiecliff #GoodLifeUnravelled  

Will Adoasi is founder of watch brand VitaeLondon. They donate a percentage of profits to charities in Africa supporting children in education. Will shares how and why he started his business and how a positive ripple effect can change the world. Will's other achievements include being selected as one of Richard Bransons Virgins ambassadors for entrepreneurship in the UK. And he was named on the Future of Ghana's top 30 under 30 global list. Will started his first business at 19 years old and in this episode he shares how he went from working in the corporate world to wanting to start a business that combined his love for fashion and creativity with one that made a positive difference in the world.    Will shares his inspiration to focus the philanthropic work of his business thanks to the inspiration from his father, who was the first person in his family in Ghana to learn to read and write. Will has experienced first hand the incredible ripple of effect just one person making a positive difference can have.   We discuss how Will approaches working with organisations already established within the countries they support. He shares his perspective on empowering local people who understand how best to support those living in poverty.    Will shares his view on what a good life means and how he believes we need to prioritise our wellness in order to make the best impact we can on the world.    Will also shares the importance of his faith and how wellness is a feature within scripture.   One of the key takeaway's from this interview is how vital the right mindset is, from taking care of ourselves the right way all the way through to look after each other and the world around us. Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/willadoasi #GoodLifeUnravelled

Today I am making a call to Australia to chat with Jo ChunYan. Jo is a brand designer, intuitive coach and author of The Intuition Journal, which has just recently been published.    In this episode Jo shares her journey from engineering student, to graphic designer, a move to Japan, and to her current work as a brand designer and intuitive coach. We chat about what intuition actually means. What it looks like. The different levels of intuition. And how we need intuition along with ego and mind chatter. Jo tells us how transformative honing her intuition has been and the profoundly positive impact it can have on not just an individual but all those around them. She also shares why and how she came to create the Intuition Journal including exactly how it's structured to help you over the course of a year. I ask Jo to delve into what ritual means and why she finds it so important and what it can look like practical. Jo shares her own personal self-care routines and what a good life means to her. We also chat about Ayurveda medicine and some of the similarities with Chinese medicine. And Jo tells us how much of a difference discovering Ayurveda has had on her this year. The conversation ends up on cycles and energy fluctuations and how the work on a daily, weekly and monthly level.   Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/jochunyan/ #GoodLifeUnravelled 

Tejal is a New York City-based yoga teacher, community builder and podcaster. She is a passionate advocate for the Indian American teacher in the Western offerings of yoga. She believes in the diverse representation for all people of colour (POC) in yoga. And seeks to create offerings that are inclusive and accessible for all body types, income and experience levels. She aims to offer a practice that raises the power of all individuals and communities in yoga. Tejal organises the ABCDyogi community to increase the visibility of south asian yoga and mindfulness teachers so that all people can learn about diverse ways to practice and increase knowledge. Tejal, along with her co-host Jesal, hosts the podcast Yoga Is Dead. A space to have critical conversations about power, privilege, fair pay, harassment, race, cultural appropriation and capitalism in the yoga and wellness worlds.   We chat about what yoga really is, its origins, diversity of practice, and paths to it. Tejal shares that yoga is a practice that goes beyond the physical practice or studio time. Tejal shares how she got into teaching yoga and what it means to her. We chat about what inclusive yoga looks like.  We then go into detail about the Yoga Is Dead podcast and why these conversations are so important. We touch on the white-washing of yoga and how the aspirational idea is counterintuitive to the meaning of yoga. And how white people need to learn to be allies, and even an accomplice in disrupting systems and structures of inequality and supremacy. Tejal shares we she also learnt through the process of hosting a podcast including the negativity and positive changes. Tejal tells us what cultural appropriation is in yoga and how to work out what you are doing is appropriative.  We learn more about what the ABCDYogi community is about, how it is a community and learning space. Tejal shares her self-care routines, what the good life means to her, and what advice she has for the listeners. Show notes: https://elizabethdhokia.com/tejalpatel #GoodLifeUnravelled

Last winter I quit social media for 2 months. I unfollowed everybody, I deactivated accounts, deleted apps, and logged out. In this episode I share why I made that decision, my history with social media, how I went about quitting, and what the results of the experiment were. I chat about the benefits of quitting social media for improving your wellbeing and why I would recommend it to everyone as an act of self-care and to help your mental health. Show notes: http://elizabethdhokia.com/quitsocialmedia  #GoodLifeUnravelled 

In todays episode we hear from Emma Cossey, a coach for freelancers. She has been freelancing for 11 years and a coach for 4 years.   We chat about how Emma got into freelancing after burning out in the corporate world. Emma tells us how she thinks of freelancing as ideal for introverts and creatives, and likens in it to a ‘career buffet'.    Emma's approach to freelancing as a career is approachable and realistic. We discuss the different terms people use to describe their job role as a freelancer.    We talk about the benefits and challenges of going freelance and whether it suits everybody.   I ask Emma what a good life means to her, plus she shares her advice for those seeking to create a good life for themselves.   We go on to talk about listening to your gut and how Emma shares a practical exercise to help us listen.   Finally Emma shares her self-care routine and tells us why she has found meditation so transformative.    Show notes: http://elizabethdhokia.com/emmacossey #GoodLifeUnravelled

This is my first solo episode on The Good Life Unravelled! I hope you like it. Today I want to share with you my experience and insight from learning and confronting my ego, recognising it's role in my life, and how it has impacted me. I talk about how I've learned to differentiate between my ego and my true self. And I share some examples of how the ego takes over as an automatic response and when I recognised that it was derailing my true purpose. I hope you find something helpful and empowering from me today. Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/theego/ #GoodLifeUnravelled

Jen is a certified Happiness Trainer, Digital Consultant and Travel Blogger. She lives in the beautiful Peak District, UK.  Jen shares her lifelong association with volunteering and how this is the root of her new business - Feel Good, Do Good. She shares with us the benefits of volunteering, how to find a cause or organisation for you, and why you should get involved. We also talk about what a Happiness Trainer does and why you might need one.  Plus Jen shares her daily self-care routine and her advice on how to live a good life. Show notes: http://elizabethdhokia.com/jenlowthrop #GoodLifeUnravelled 

In today's podcast episode I am talking to Lex Gillies, also known online as TalontedLex. She is a Northerner living in London with her husband Aaron. She spends her days either working on Pinterest (as a freelance Pinterest manager, coach, and consultant) or on her blog where she talks about beauty, rosacea, and skin positivity. Lex is is at the forefront of the Skin Positivity movement in the UK. She has had the skin condition rosacea for many years. In this episode we first talk about what rosacea is and how she's worked to manage the condition. Plus she shares the difficulties in accepting a lifelong condition such as this. She shares her advice for people struggling with their wellbeing following a diagnosis. We also go into detail about what the term ‘skin positivity' means along with the some of the prejudices and discrimination people with visible skin conditions face. We chat about the importance of representation of skin conditions in both mainstream media and social media. Despite the NHS suggesting that 1 in 10 people in the UK suffer with rosacea there is very little visibility in the public sphere. And when there is it is often with negative connotations. Lex tells us about the recent issue she had with Instagram banning her from promoting a photo on her account as, in their words, it was ‘undesirable'. We go on to talk about advice Lex would give to those wanting to share their natural skin online. Lex shares her self-care practice and advice for living a good life and what it truly means for her. Plus, we talk about the joys of having uncool hobbies.   Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/lexgillies

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Sara Tasker is a writer and creative business consultant who credits Instagram with changing her life (you might know her as @me_and_orla). Sara is a podcast host, best-selling author, and her work is regularly featured in the press. Last year she was named ‘content creator of the year' by Cosmo magazine. She also runs super-popular online courses.  Sara has a chronic health condition that makes it hard for her to access traditional work. She is, therefore, passionate about helping others build lives and businesses that a play to their strengths and allow their struggles. In this interview we talk about the importance of prioritising creativity daily, the alternative way to being a businesswoman that isn't rooted in the extrovert culture, and the shift in defining success and how that looks different to different people.    Sara shares a bit more about her chronic health condition and how she has to work around this in her life and business.    We chat about Sara's self-care routines and how she has cultivated healthier practices over her summer break from the internet and can now introduce into her daily life.    We also talk about Sara's idea of a good life and the advice she would give to others looking to create a life they love.    Show notes:https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/saratasker/

Binny Shah-Patel is a food and travel blogger in the UK who is passionate about advocating for ethical animal tourism. Growing up in Kenya she has seen first-hand that wildlife that was once in abundance is now becoming endangered. We talk about how to discover which animal experiences are unethical and why it's so important. We also talk about Binny's approach to wellbeing following burnout working in the finance industry. We discuss the benefits of scheduling in self-care, how to use affirmations and why you should remove toxic people from your life.  Show notes: https://www.elizabethdhokia.com/binnyshahpatel/ #GoodLifeUnravelled