My Possible Self

Conquering Hardship and Adversity with Dani Wallace

To mark the release of this episode coinciding with International Women’s Day, My Possible Self presents a conversation with a truly inspiring female; international speaker and entrepreneur, Dani Wallace. Having experienced growing up in the presence of alcoholism on the council estates of Preston, Dani then went on to face domestic abuse, homelessness, and single parenthood. A self-proclaimed (former) serial self-sabotager, determined not to accept the fate of her circumstances, Dani turned her life around through patience, hard work and resourcefulness. Dani talks to host Gabby about her journey from being below the poverty line to becoming a successful head honcho with a thriving business. Leader of the I Am The Queen Bee Movement and creator of the Fly Anyway Foundation, Dani helps people the world over 'Show Up, Wise Up and Rise Up' and is a reminder to anyone who enters her orbit that they too, regardless of their journey, can cultivate a better life for themselves.

Eating Disorders awareness with Gemma Oaten and Dr Joan Brunton

Eating Disorders are a distressing mental illness that is estimated to affect around 1.25 million people in the UK and at least 9% of the population worldwide. We are releasing this episode to coincide with Eating Disorders Awareness week in the UK, to learn more about the various types of Eating Disorders, how we can support loved ones and why early detection is paramount.
Gemma Oaten - is an actress best known for her work on Emmerdale, Holby City and most recently Coronation Street. She is also the patron and manager of SEED a charity offering Support and Education for Eating Disorders set up by Gemma’s mum and dad while they struggled to get the help  they needed during Gemma’s own 13 year battle with an Eating Disorder that almost took her life 4 times. 
Gemma is joined by Dr Joan Brunton - Clinical Director Eating Disorders from the Priory Healthcare, who has treated hundreds of patients with a wide variety of eating disorders.
*Content warning Some listeners may find some of the conversation around anorexia, bulimia and Eating Disorders triggering, so please take care when listening and proceed with caution. 

Pressures In Our Childbearing Years with Ashley James

The amount of pressure put under females during the childbearing years can be inconsiderate, overwhelming, and scary, taking its toll on our mental wellbeing. Societal and loved ones' expectations and interference, even if it is meant with good intentions, can leave a female feeling isolated, burdened, and lacking in confidence. The pressures are endless from ‘the clock is ticking’, to if you are ready or able to conceive, how you choose to raise your infant and even ‘snapping back’ to your pre-baby body... when do we ever get a break?
 
DJ, model, presenter, social media influencer and reality TV star Ashley James knows all about the pressures put on us by society, loved ones and even ourselves, when it comes to the childbearing years. And Ashley has spoken candidly in the past about not being ready to have kids. Now a new mum Ashley has shared the challenges she has faced physically, mentally, and emotionally to her audience, offering some much-needed comfort and reassurance on the subject. In this episode, Ashley dives deeper into her struggles getting to grips with motherhood with host Gabby, also looking at why old statistics only unnecessarily heighten ‘baby panic’ and responds to the backlash she received for breastfeeding her child on national TV.

Positive In Our Body with Kayley Sims

Not being comfortable and happy in our body is one of the biggest challenges to our self worth and self-esteem. So often, we can be our own worst critic, not helped by being bombarded with images of the ‘perfect body', in films, on social media, on TV, in magazines or on billboards which for the majority of us, is unachievable.
Health, fitness and positive body image coach Kayley Sims has built up thousands of fans on social media for going up against the machine and posting content of women of all shapes and sizes, loving life and feeling great in the skin they are in. In this episode Kayley shares some great advice on how you can get into the mindset to be more like the people she champions online, offering tips on how to tackle imposter syndrome and relentless negative thoughts, plus she explains why we should be really careful when using the word ‘body positivity’.

Happier, Healthier Kids with Lucinda Miller

Research has shown that children who eat more nutritional diets, with more fruit and vegetables, have better mental health and wellbeing. Good nutrition can help a child grow strong and healthy whilst also enhancing their cognitive function and brain development. However, what many parents don't realize is that what your child eats can also impact their mental health and learning capabilities negatively, if their diet is lacking in nutrition and made up of unhealthy foods.
Naturopath, Iridologist, Herbalist & Functional Medicine Practitioner Lucinda Miller specialises in working with families, nutrition and mental health. Author of two children’s recipe books ‘The Good Stuff’ and ‘I Can't Believe It's Baby Food!’ Lucinda reassures parents that it is never too late to reap the rewards from improving your child’s diet, eating habits and their relationship with food.
During this episode, Lucinda shares some simple tips on how to sneak healthy ingredients into picky and stubborn little one’s food. She also offers advice on the type of supplements that could work wonders to improve a child’s development, and explains why, when possible, family meal time should be prioritised.

Self Love with Jules Von Hep

February is International Boost Self-Esteem Month, an annual event dedicated to improving self-esteem among people across the globe. While having low self-esteem isn't a mental health problem in itself, living with low self-esteem can be detrimental to our mental health and lead to serious illnesses, such as depression, anxiety or an eating disorder. 
The key to combating low self-esteem is self-love. Self-love is to practice a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. It means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Which many of us will find easier said than done. 
Jules Von Hep founder of the extremely popular self-tanning range Isle of Paradise, is a celebrity tanning expert, lifestyle podcast host and social media influencer that champions body positivity. 
Jules talks to Gabby about the hard work that goes into being body positive, sharing tips on how to treat ourselves more kindly and explaining why loving yourself, needs to be a daily practise. 

Finding The Right Therapist for You with Jo Love

If you haven't been to therapy before, the thought of seeing a therapist can be intimidating and scary. The fear of opening up to a complete stranger about deeply personal issues is a common one for first-timers, but if you can work through these feelings and take that step, the rewards can be tremendous, even life-changing.
 
Author, influencer, mental health advocate and trainee psychotherapist Jo Love believes everyone could benefit from seeing a therapist and has peeled back the curtain on what to expect from the chair in her debut book 'Therapy Is Magic'. Jo discusses the common excuses used for avoiding seeking professional help, shatters the stigma that therapy is only for those who have a mental illness and advises on the steps you can take to make sure you find the right therapist for you.

Sex, Sobriety & Self Love with Millie Gooch

Alcohol misuse interferes with chemicals in the brain that are vital for good mental health. So while initially after a drink we might feel relaxed and less stressed, in the long run the damage from the misuse of alcohol is highly likely to contribute to feelings of depression, anxiety and later down the line, dementia. 
Millie Gooch, founder of the Sober Girl Society, an online platform for sober, sober curious, and mindful drinkers and author of The Sober Girl Society Handbook joins host Gabby to share insight into living life sober free as a young adult. Millie dispels many of the myths and excuses that surround turning to, or turning away from, the hooch... including why we feel we need to bring booze into the bedroom! 
Note, this episode is not trying to condemn or judge those who drink alcohol, but aims to encourage everyone to be a bit more mindful of the way they drink.

Strategies For Stress with Jess Henley

There’s very few of us that escape the clutches of stress and yet are we doing enough to keep it at bay? Stress can take its toll physically, emotionally and mentally. When stress continues for long periods of time this can be detrimental to our mental health and lead to mental illness such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse. But on the flip side if you know how to manage stress you are much more likely to live a longer and healthier life. Jess Henley, psychotherapist and author of The Stress Relief Workbook, is an expert in the subject of stress, and shares some simple yet highly effective coping strategies to both tackle stress and prevent it from escalating. In this episode Jess also advises on how to deal with those who project their worry onto others and explains why getting to the root reason behind your stress is key.

Disengaging with Depression with James Withey

James Withey author of the best-selling book ‘How to Tell Depression to Piss Off - 40 Ways to Get Your Life Back’ is no stranger to clinical depression. The author and editor of five books about mental health and mental illness talks to My Possible Self about why depression is such a life-threatening illness and should be treated as such, drawing from his own lived experience with the sickness. James also offers coping strategies on how to distance yourself from the disease, discusses why it's important to do the opposite of what depression is telling you to do and explains why the key to recovery, is in finding meaning. Trigger warning, this episode contains content on the subject of suicide which some listeners may find upsetting.