We kick off series five of the Happiness Hub Podcast with special guest, well-being life coach Fiona Johnson. We asked Fiona to come on and talk to us about well-being and her top tips on how we can all live better.After working in the early year's sector for 20 years and realising how the job consumed her, Fiona decided she needed a change. She realised she was that “go-to” person and that she wanted to help others achieve their goals. This is where Flourish Well-being came into being and Fiona took the brave step to set up her own business during lock-down.Fiona offers well-being life coaching to help others realise their potential and achieve their goal of a more fulfilled, happy life. We spoke to Fiona about what she does for her own well-being, how she helps her clients with theirs and of course what makes her happy. If you'd like to find out more about Fiona and how she can help you achieve your goals, you can find more detail on her Flourish Wellbeing Coach website and on her Flourish Well-being Life Coach Facebook Page and Flourish Well-being Life Coach Instagram Page.You can also give Fiona a call or send a text to 07986 536 472 or email her at: fiona@flourishwellbeingcoach.co.ukIf you would like to know more out about Happiness Hub Well-being groups head on over to our Happiness Hub Website and you can sign up here. The group is free to attend and we run them every Tuesday evening from 8 pm, at the Granary Arts Cafe with activities and guest speakers on our monthly well-being themes.

In this episode of the Happiness Hub, I spoke to Mandy Gorst, a professional massage therapist and qualified Bowen Practitioner and Scar Worker. We talked about the work she does with her clients and the different therapies she offers and of course what she does to look after her own mental health and what makes her happy. ​In 2010 Mandy became a member of the Healing Hands Network, travelling to Bosnia to work with civilian survivors of the civil war suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and physical injuries. When she returned to the UK she pursued her interest in working with UK forces suffering from the physical and mental effects of war.​In doing so, she became more interested in how PTSD affects people and began psychotherapy training in order to become more holistic in her work of treating the body and the mind.Mandy is currently working towards practitioner status via Human Givens and is offering FREE therapy sessions for (anonymous) case studies. So if you are troubled with mild to moderate anxiety and/or depression, have a phobia or anything that you feel a few free sessions of psychotherapy could help you with. You can contact Mandy via her Nantwich Holistics website or call her on 07904 520890. You can also find Mandy via her Nantwich Holistics Facebook page and down at our Happiness Hub Well-being group most Tuesdays.

In this episode of the podcast, Kedren talks to fellow counsellor Tracey Worrall who has just set up her own private counselling practice, Tracey Worrall Therapy.Tracey offers counselling in Warrington and surrounding areas with the option of online, telephone and face to face sessions. Kedren and Tracey studied together for two years at the Cheshire Therapy Centre in Warrington to complete their Level 4 Diploma's in Therapeutic Counselling and they both qualified this year. The pair talk about the benefits of counselling and their own experiences along with what they really love about the therapy and of course, Kedren asked Tracey for some well-being tips and what makes her happy.You can find out more about Tracey and the services she offers on her website Tracey Worrall Therapy and you can also follow her on her social media channels below:Tracey Worrall Therapy Facebook PageTracey Worral Therapy InstagramTracey Worrall Twitter

This week I spoke to Tianne Croshaw, founder of the Resilience Wellbeing Partnership. Tianne is a highly experienced Resilience Consultant working across a number of business sectors, an expert in delivering corporate programmes and also runs her own private practice working with individuals. Tianne kindly came down to our Happiness Hub Tuesday night wellbeing group a couple of weeks ago to talk to us about managing and reducing stress. In this episode, Tianne tells us more about her own experience of stress and burnout which led her to help others.You can find out more about Tianne and her services on her Resilience Wellbeing Partnership website, Tianne's LinkedIn profile and via the Resilience Wellbeing Partnership Facebook page.

This week I spoke to Life Survival Coach Stu Mace about why he set up his business to help and guide people to achieve their goals, and how he looks after his own well-being.Stu came down to our Tuesday night well-being group at the end of 2021, and as soon as we got chatting I knew I wanted to invite him on the podcast. Stu captured the attention of all the members with his knowledge of meditation, cold showers and breathing techniques which he talks about more in this episode.Stu led a Happiness Hub session about Meditation in February during our month on learning and kindly agreed to be a guest on our podcast to talk about his own experiences which has led him to help others.As mentioned in the podcast Stu is offering a couple of sessions for free if you would like help setting your goals and achieving them and asks for a donation to MInd or any animal warfare charity. You can find Stu on his Life Survival Coach website, and often on a Tuesday night at The Granary Arts Cafe where we run the Happiness Hub.Here are the books and podcasts we also mentioned in the episode:Atomic Habits by James ClearConquest of Mind by Eknath EaswaranDr Rangan Chaterjee - Feel Better Live More

The dynamic duo is back for series four and this week Liz & Keds chat and introduces this series theme, all about chronic and hidden diseases and how these affect peoples mental health.During lockdown, both Liz & Keds had diagnoses of their own. Throughout the podcast's previous series, they have interviewed and spoken to others who have their own challenges and inspirational stories to tell.In this series, we'll be talking to people who have hidden and chronic diseases like PCOS, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis and MS to raise awareness, share peoples experiences and talk about the mental health challenges these type of diseases have on top of the physical and where to get help.We're also looking for guests to share their own stories, so if you'd like to be a guest please get in touch and complete our guest request form and Liz or Keds will be in touch.Come join us on our closed Happiness Hub Facebook group for news on future Happiness Hub events and news and visit our Happiness Hub website for more information about our 6-week wellness programme the Happy Appy.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects the central nervous system, the most common symptoms are chronic pain and fatigue. The condition is very common and estimated that 1 in 20 people in the UK may be affected by Fibromyalgia as not everyone who has it, is diagnosed and because the symptoms vary greatly from person to person.80 to 90% of people diagnosed are women although it does affect men and children too. There is no one main cause for this condition, like similar conditions, but can be caused by genes, injury or trauma.Dealing with the symptoms of conditions and diseases like Fibromyalgia can lead to depression and also low levels of certain hormones and dopamine associated with the disease can also make sufferers prone to depression. Laura who's been a guest on the Happiness Hub before kindly agreed to come on the podcast again and talk in-depth about her experience of living with Fibromyalgia, after being diagnosed at 23 having lived with the condition for 9 years.Laura talks about how frustrating it was trying to get a diagnosis and having to convince friends, family and health care professionals that there was something wrong with her and it wasn't all in her head.Listen in to find out Laura's top tips and how she deals day to day with the condition and what helps her manage her symptoms and her mental health.You can find out more about the condition and where to get help at Fibromyalgia Action UK and UK Fibromyalgia if you need some help and support.We're also looking for guests to share their own stories, so if you'd like to be a guest please get in touch and complete our guest request form and Liz or Keds will be in touch.Come join us on our closed Happiness Hub Facebook group for news on future Happiness Hub events and news and visit our Happiness Hub website for more information about our 6-week wellness programme the Happy Appy.

This week Keds catches up with previous podcast guest Hannah Guthrie to see what she's been up to since she last came on the show in December last year and to talk more in-depth about Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).PCOS affects 1 in 10 women in the Uk and is the most common female hormone condition. It manifests differently in each individual and can be incredibly devastating to a woman’s self-esteem and quality of life.Hannah's diagnoses when she was 16, was a shock and something that Hannah struggled to get her head around as very little information was given to her by her health care professionals.Hannah is very passionate about helping others through their diagnosis and supporting them with their own PCOS conditions and has become an ambassador for Daisy PCOS and helps others through her Instagram account hannahsjourneypcosweightloss.Hannah talks about how PCOS can affect women's mental health and some of the lesser know symptoms that can really impact sufferers mental health, and how the condition has affected her own since her diagnosis.Hannah is more than happy for any of our listeners to contact her via her Instagram account with any questions about the condition. And she also recommends the following websites that she herself found useful and that can help you live with PCOS too. All of which you can find on social media for updates on the latest PCOS news and research.https://www.pcosvitality.com/ https://www.verity-pcos.org.uk/ https://daisypcos.com/ If you, like Hannah would like to be more involved and support Daisy PCOS with their research, you can through participation, engagement, involvement or advocacy. See their website and social channels for more information and how to get involved.

Keds talks to nutrition, energy and wellness coach Jo Brimmell about her Inflammatory Arthritis and how she found following an elimination diet helped her reduce and remove her painful symptoms.Since treating the rare arthritis condition she was diagnosed with, Jo has gone on to train as a nutritionist and now helps others follow an anti-inflammatory diet that can help with many physical and mental symptoms of all sorts of conditions.Jo is passionate about how the diet transformed her condition her weight and her mental health, reducing her anxiety.You can find out more about Jo and the 6-week 123 New Me Course that she runs on her website at www.jobrimmell.co.uk and also follow her on Instagram and Facebook for tips and advice on why an anti-inflammatory diet is great for your overall wellbeing.

Saskia Lightburn Ritchie has a collection of hidden and chronic conditions and came on the Happiness Hub to share her experience and how she manages her symptoms and mental health daily.Saskia talked mainly about her diagnosis of Bipolar but also how this led her to be diagnosed with other conditions such as diabetes and ulcerative colitis. Saskia's story will help anyone with a chronic or mental health condition, the things that Saskia does daily to help manage her symptoms and take care of herself will help anyone living with a hidden disease.Saskia talked about The Spoon Theory and how it's a useful way to describe your energy levels or lack of to others when you live with a chronic condition and how the book An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jameson really helped her understand her own Bipolar condition.Saskia is also the CEO of a local domestic abuse charity called Cheshire Without Abuse. The charity is dealing with twice the amount of people needing their support at the moment due to COVID. Visit their website if you would like more information about the services they offer and if you'd like to help, support or volunteer for the charity too.

This is the first part of a two-part podcast talking about all things MS.Kedren one-half of the show's hosts was diagnosed with MS in January 2021 and wanted to invite others she had met on her journey who have helped her get her head around the diagnosis and to share their own stories.Nichola was diagnosed in 2011 when living in the US and has secondary progressive MS and her symptoms affect her daily life. She very kindly came on the podcast to tell us about her experience and different treatments she's had for the condition and how she manages her physical and mental symptoms day to day.

In this second MS podcast, Keds talks to Karen Makin about her diagnosis, treatment and self-care whilst living with MS.Karen is very much an all or nothing sort of person and was running two self-employed businesses when her MS really took hold and prevented her from pursuing one of her businesses and taking stock of what the future might hold.Karen shared with us tips and tricks she and her family have implemented to help budget her energy better and manage her MS but also to remove stress where possible from her life which can be a major trigger for chronic conditions.If you'd like to know more about Karen's photo booth business you can find her at www.jollygoodphoto.co.ukListen to part one with Nichola Brain here and don't forget to visit our Happiness Hub Blog where we have weekly posts around the topics we discuss on the podcast.And of course, we'd love to know what you think about the podcast and the subjects we cover and we're always looking for guests. Here's how to contact us and click here to be a guest.

In this week's episode, we welcomed Life and Style Coach Annie Taylor back on the podcast to talk about her own chronic condition.Annie was diagnosed with both ME and Systemic Candida several years ago, causing her great pain and chronic fatigue, making everyday tasks and attending work incredibly challenging.As luck would have it, a work colleague was able to spot Annie struggling having suffered from similar conditions herself and told her to go home, which resulted in Annie getting the help that she needed.You can find out more about Annie and the work that she does on her website www.onelifeandstyle.co.uk.

This weeks guest, Sarah Palmer came on to talk about why she decided to go alcohol-free and set up Sobalicious to help others live alcohol-free too.Sobalicious is an alcohol-free community group with over 300 members who meet weekly online or at face to face events with activities like outdoor swimming and foraging walks. Sarah shared with us her story of how she went alcohol-free three years ago and what led her to make the decision, and how she hadn't realised at the time the impact of alcohol was making on her mental health as well as her physical health.There is still stigma and shame attached to admitting you may have an addiction to alcohol and society does have a strange way of viewing drinking with it often being used to celebrate. When you give up alcohol it can make you feel very isolated and awkward at social events but it's something that we can change by talking about it.Thank you to Sarah for coming on and sharing her story so that others don't have to face going sober alone. Talking about alcohol and how it might be impacting your life with a supportive group can help you cut down or quit and also stay sober.If you would like to know more about Sarah's Sobalicious group, visit the Sobalicious website, and you can also join the Sobalicious closed Facebook group and follow Sobalicious on Instagram.

In the first episode of our 3rd series, we introduce our 6-week online wellness programme called the Happy Appy. Liz, Keds and Benjamin Stubbs, chat about their own journies and how we've come up with the 6-week programme and the weekly themes that will help you change your mindset and lead you through simple activities to improve your mental health and wellbeing.Listen in to find out more about the course and what it offers, including: Daily wellness and mindfulness promptsResources and videos to live a happier and healthy lifeA private chat area where you can chat and engage with the Happy Appy Team and other participantsWhich you will be able to access all from the App, and on top of all that!You'll be invited to weekly ZOOM sessions with the team and special guestsPart-funded by a grant from the Cheshire Crime Commissioner Fund, we've ​15 places up for grabs, and anyone in CW5 can take part from the comfort of your own home. It's FREE to take part, and we ask for a £25 refundable deposit to secure your space which will be refunded when you complete the course. If you would like to take part please complete the form below:www.nantwichbuddies.org/happyappyAnd if you would like more info and news about the podcast and the programme, come and join us on the Happiness Hub Facebook Group.

In week two of our 3rd podcast series and week one of the Happy Appy wellbeing programme we introduce Gratitude and how it can help you with your mental health and wellbeing.Benjamin Stubbs who is a Mindset Coach already uses this with his clients and has already seen the benefits it can bring. Ben talked about how we need to practise gratitude as it doesn't come naturally to us, especially as it seems to us Northerners!Tune in to find out more, and there is still time to sign up for our Happy Appy programme as we have extended the sign-up date till Friday the 16th of April.You can find out more about the power of Gratitude on our new Happiness Hub Website, where you can access past episodes of our podcast and find out how to take part in our 6-week wellness programme.

This week's podcast and Happy Appy theme is self-care. This week we talked to Transformational Coach Liam Hand about self-care, why it's so important and what self-care techniques he uses with his clients and himself to look after his clients and his own mental health and wellbeing.Liam describes himself as a transformational coach, aiming to help people change, release what has been holding them back, and move towards their true potential. His focus is on helping people to release fear and anxiety as quickly as possible and to build real confidence and self-esteem. To make huge, rapid shifts in their mindset and to discover resilience by accessing their own inner resources.Liam uses a combination of coaching and therapy, combining hypnotherapy with other fast techniques and strategies such as TFT (Thought Field Therapy) tapping and a variety of coaching approaches from NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming).Liam talked about always keeping things as simple and as practical as possible, his view is that 'simple gets done' so finding simple techniques and strategies are the most effective way for people to incorporate them into their routines. When it comes to self-care, he feels consistency is more important than the length of time you practice.You can find out more about Liam on his website: www.liamhand.com and @liamhandcoaching on Instagram and on Facebook: Liam Hand Coaching.We now also have a Happiness Hub website, with more details about our 6-week wellness programme, Happy Appy, all episodes of our podcast and a brand new mental health blog, come and join us on the site. Let us know what you think and what you'd love to see too.

In this episode the tables are turned and Liz Parkin is interviewed by Benjamin Stubbs. Giving and connecting are strong values that Liz holds and she talks about how making time to connect with friends, colleagues her community and her husband helps her to stay happy and fulfilled.

This week, Keds and Ben talk about New Habits and how they can help you with your mental health, changing the little things you do can give you more time and make you feel less stressed.New Habits is the theme of this week's Happy Appy and we'll be asking participants to reduce the time they spend on social media, watching the news, but also consciously choosing the media that they watch.Ben also talks about how getting outside for 20 mins a day in daylight will help your mood, just by sitting in the garden, going out on your break... anything to get some natural light.Then it's thinking about what you can do with your new-found time (due to minimised scrolling and cutting down on binge-watching TV) to pursue things that interest you... be it art, dance, DIY, walking, playing, catching up with a friend/family member, researching something of interest, playing an instrument or learning a new skill. What could you do with your new-found time?Also if you'd like to learn more about Keds fundraiser and how she's getting on with hitting that 200 miles in May for MSTrust you can visit her JustGiving Page.

This week Keds invites Nutritionist Janie Bishop back on the show to delve further into the link between our gut and our brain.Janie talks about the things she eats and the supplements she takes that have helped her with her mental health.Janie also discussed recent research that shows the types of food that will help you with anxiety and depression and the food to steer clear of.If you've any questions you'd like to ask Janie or would like a free 15-minute consultation you can contact her on 07866 482873 or email her at: janie.bishop1@icloud.com.You can also find out more about nutrition and the anti-inflammatory diet as mentioned on the podcast from Amelia Freer and Dr Michael Mosley.Come find out more about the Happiness Hub on our website and Blog and join the conversation on our Happiness Hub Facebook Group.