Menopause, Marriage and Motherhood

We've probably all heard the term "carbon footprint" but how many of us know what our carbon footprint is, why it matters and what we can do about it? And minimising or negating our carbon footprint goes way beyond planting a few trees. Carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, emitted by an individual, organisation, or community over a specific period. All creatures on earth have a carbon footprint, i.e. they produce carbon in many forms, and our atmosphere is designed to deal with that. What we're producing these days is way beyond nature's capacity to manage. You don't have to be an "eco-warrior" or live off the grid to reduce the impact that your life or business has on the planet or even to support the planet positively. There are a few easy things that we can all do as businesses and individuals that can make a big difference. Accredited carbon specialist, Richie Mulder from Carbonhalo, talks to us about how we can all make a huge difference to our community as well as the planet. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep209

In most Western countries, there's no requirement for GPs to have any knowledge of menopause and the complications it can cause. Indeed, in Australia, until recently, any study of Menopause was an optional extra in a medical degree even though 50% of women will suffer symptoms that impact their lives. A group of women have launched a petition to send to the government to request that keeping up to date with the latest research on menopause becomes compulsory for all GPs You're at work, in a meeting or giving a presentation to a room full of people and suddenly you have no idea what you were going to say, it's completely gone. You work in a scientific or high tech environment which involves technical terms that you've been familiar with for your entire life but suddenly you can't remember the terms or what they mean. You're picking your kids up from school and you go over to one of your child's friend's mothers, but you can't remember the child's name even though they've been to your house on multiple occasions. Sound familiar? When that happens to us, our first thought is probably "I've got early onset dementia!" So we get stressed out and anxious and we start noticing how many times this happens to us and it begins to happen more and more frequently until we feel like we're unable to function properly, so we quit our jobs because we don't feel like we're capable of holding that position any more. We go to our GP and they probably give us sleeping tablets and SSRI's. They might say to us, "It's probably menopause, you'll be okay in a few years". Years! What do we do in the meantime? We don't feel that we can function, so we get onto social media and, if we feel confident enough, join a few groups and discover that so many other women are experiencing this yet our doctors told us nothing about it. Join me in conversation with Julia Browne, co-founder of Peri-Pausers, a group determined to bring this lack of support and information to the attention of the government. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep209

The average separation/divorce takes three years to complete and 70% of people leave the relationship emotionally two years before they leave the relationship physically. Yet very few of us spend that time thinking about how the process will go and what they want the future to look like. How much easier would the process be if we could map the whole thing out and really think about all the possible variations of who gets what, who does what and when, how we're going to respond when our partner does why, what are our triggers? Separating is up there are one of the top three most stressful events in anyone's lives and there are whole stages of grief, anger, resentment, fear, upset, excitement, the whole kit and caboodle of emotions to go through. Yet many of us go through it alone for various good - and not so good - reasons. While it's important to have supportive friends and family around us, we also need experts and professionals on our team too, people who can be relied upon to give objective, honest advice and feedback because while friends and family are great, they may not be the most detached people in this whole thing! After experiencing her own traumatic separation and divorce, making a lot of mistakes and finishing with a lot of regrets, Bridgette Jackson now supports other people going through the same experience to hopefully come out the other end in the best frame of mind and feeling as good about everything as they possibly can. Whether you're in a happy relationship yourself or not, this kind of information is important to know because we all know someone who needs this support. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep199

When we're feeling anxious or depressed, we often feel very alone. When you add wanting to leave your partner into that mix, the helplessness and overwhelm can increase exponentially. Many of us hide just how unhappy we are with our lives behind facades, to ourselves as well as to everyone else, so even just making enquiries as to the process of separating from our partner can be something that we don't want to discuss with anyone. Should we stay or should we go? What's the process? What's the answer? When Carolyn Tate and her friend, Gillian Moody, found themselves going through separation and divorce, they realised that they were so lucky to have each other there to share the load because the number of new conversations with different people (lawyers, counsellors, teachers, family, friends, partners) that they had to have was overwhelming and downright terrifying. Yet most people who are thinking of separating do all this on their own. The two friends set out to create a resource where women could go to get all the information they needed to help them through this time in their life. They enrolled the support of solicitors, counsellors, psychologists and other experts and they created groups where women could go to share what was happening in their lives in a safe space without judgement. They called it The Women's Divorce Academy. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep198

Ending a long term relationship is difficult enough with all the fears and uncertainties that go with that but the thought of getting back onto the dating scene after a 20- or 30-year relationship can be even more daunting. We all hear the horror stories of the current dating scene, particularly online dating, and we're already battle scarred from the breakup of our long term relationship so why would we get back into the dating scene and how do we make sure we end up with the relationship that we want and not a repeat of the relationship that we've just come out of? THE most important thing in all of this is to know yourself. We all think we know ourselves but how many of us can truly pinpoint what we want? If you're like me, you know exactly what you don't want but what you do want? That's a different matter. And what was your role in the breakup? What ways of behaving do you have that contributed to your unhappiness? Unless you can recognise what you're doing, you'll probably end up in the same relationship feeling the same way that you did before. With a host of qualifications around relationships, including Internationally Accredited Dating & Relationship coach, NLP Master Coach, Certified Master mBIT Coach and an Authorised Gottman Seven Principles Leader, Debbie Rivers helps and supports people to get the life and the relationships that they've always dreamed of. Key points: Join us now and find out what it's like to get back onto the dating scene, how to embrace the process, have fun, and be confident in your worth and what you bring to a potential partnership. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep197

What do you do when you find out your partner has cheated on you? Or they've been lying about something? How do you rebuild trust? Can you rebuild trust? All good relationships are built on some kind of trust and when that's broken by one or both of the parties, it can be almost impossible to overcome. Almost impossible... Dr Deirdre Tozer is a psychologist who specialises in supporting couples going through this kind of pretty much irretrievable breakdown crisis: infidelity (ongoing or one off), lying about money, lying about other things, gambling, constant arguments, all of it. The difference between Dee and other relationship guidance counsellors is that she has a 90%+ success rate in rebuilding relationships and one of the reasons for that is that she doesn't just sit the couples down together and have them talk through things, she speaks to them individually. Key points: Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep196

Reading people is a crucial skill that enhances our understanding of others, fosters empathy, and improves communication. Through observation of facial expressions, body language, and verbal cues, we gain valuable insights into a person's emotions, intentions, and thoughts, often going beyond what they explicitly convey. Some of us are good at reading people, some of us are maybe not so good but the bottom line is the ability to read people is a crucial skill in all our relationships... if we want them to be successful. We've all experienced those situations where someone just won't shut up or they don't listen, they cut people off. Maybe you have a partner who, when you try to talk your way through something that's bothering you, interrupts you and tells you how to fix what they think is the problem (and most of the time, they've missed the point!). In a business situation, the ability to read people will win or lose you sales. In a personal relationship, poor connection, not listening to the other person will put an enormous strain on the relationship. Alan Stevens is an expert in profiling and reading people and he talks to us about what he does, why this is so important and how we can use it in our daily lives all our relationships, familial, personal and business. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep195

Body image, overeating, bingeing, overexercising, self image, they all go hand in hand. You can't change any of them permanently without getting to the reasons behind the beliefs that cause that behaviour Self-awareness and understanding one's emotional relationship with food play a pivotal role. Recognising triggers, such as stress, boredom, or emotional eating patterns, allows us to develop healthier coping mechanisms. But how do we recognise those behaviours? Dr Kirsty Seward is fascinated by behavioural change, why some of it works, why most of it doesn't and how do we as individuals find what does work for us and then apply it. This is not your average podcast talking about body image or eating disorders. This is a deep dive into the why's, into how we begin to recognise our behaviours, understand them and how we put new behaviours in place, ones that are more beneficial to us and our goals in life. Join us now... Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep192

Leaving a relationship is an emotionally challenging - and charged - decision, but if there's nothing particularly wrong, if the relationship is just a bit meh, how do you justify even going to counselling, never mind separating? This can be one of the biggest problems: if there's not much wrong, how do you do something about it? If you're not happy but you're also not unhappy, how do you have that conversation with your partner? It's easy to look at an abusive relationship and say, "You need to leave" but when the relationship is okay, it can be very difficult to explain why it's not working for you to yourself. And it can be even more difficult explaining how we feel to other people. Self-awareness can be both a blessing and a curse in this situation because if we are 100% responsible for everything that happens in our lives (this is not about fault or blame, it's about being responsible for our behaviour and reactions to events) then how do we correct something and tell someone else that the relationship isn't working for us and we want to change or end it without causing them no end of pain? Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep193

We get to certain points in life and struggle to find meaning or purpose for our lives and ourselves any more. Midlife / Menopause is one of them. What do you do when you just don't see the point in what you're doing? When everything is 'meh' and there's no spark in life? Most of us have hit that point where we feel like we're going nowhere and we're just marking the passage of time... and it's not a happy place to be! But it can be very difficult to work out what it is we want from our lives, what we're good at, what we want to do, even who we want to be. Often, we can feel like we're groping in the dark with little hope of finding what it is we want to know, partly because we don't really know what it is we want. Pip McKay supports people to find their purpose in life and reignite their passion in all areas of life from money to career to relationships, and one way she does this is through the use of Archetype. Archetypes can serve as a powerful guide as we're looking for our purpose in life. It allows us to focus on figuring out what it is we love, what it is sparks joy in us, rather than the usual focusing on what we want to do. It means that we're open to doing many more things because we're looking at them from the space of whether that job or relationship or whatever will satusfy us at a much deeper level. Join us for this conversation and then register for Pip's FREE one day program on Saturday 29th July 22 Principles of Success, Love and Happiness. You will discover the secrets of achievement while having fantastic relationships and incredible well-being Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep192

Menopause is a challenge in and of itself but when you add in the fact that thyroid issues are likely to appear during peri/menopause, it takes things to a whole new level. One day you're feeling on top of the world, the next, your thyroid decides to throw a wild party, leaving you exhausted, irritable, and wondering where your energy disappeared to. We can look at the symptoms of peri/menopause as being solely due to those hormonal changes, but those changes have an impact on all our body's systems... or maybe it's vice versa, maybe the body's systems affect the menopause symptoms... we just don't know. What we are sure about are the results: weight gain, our metabolism takes a nosedive, our energy levels plummet, sleep becomes a distant memory, and we go from cold to sweating like a marathon runner in the blink of an eye. All of these symptoms can be caused by peri/menopause. But they can also be caused by thyroid problems. Emma Drady, a naturopath who specialises in female hormonal and thyroid issues, gives us an insight into what is and isn't a thyroid problem, what symptoms there may be and how to best deal with them. With the right treatment and a bit of perseverance, Emma assures us that we can navigate this thyroid (and menopausal) rollercoaster. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep191 Listen to the Menopause, Marriage and Motherhood podcast on all platforms!

Here's the question: since there's been a big rise in childhood obesity in recent years, should governments have more of an involvement in what children do and don't eat? Should they be monitoring the foods they're given? Should they be monitoring the food we're all given, beyond just the safety regulations they currently have in place? What are the problems that might result from a heavier government involvement? While there's definitely a need for government involvement in our diets, particularly that of children, the question is where to draw the line around that involvement. What does the optimum government involvement look like? Whilst we want protection as consumers, should governments be banning us from eating things like McDonald's more than once a week? Should they be making people buy fruit and veggies and banning the more unhealthy pre-prepared foods? Should they be ensuring we all eat as well as we can? The problem is ready made meals and fast foods are often cheaper and much more readily available than fresh foods, plus with our work hours getting longer each year, we have less time to devote to meal preparation. On top of that, overregulation can result in a black market for unhealthy foods, promoting illegal trade and potentially unsafe products and it may stigmatise certain foods, leading to an unhealthy relationship with food and the development of eating disorders, exactly the kind of thing the regulations would be trying to prevent. Join me in conversation with Ryan O'Connor as we look at diet, weight issues, body image, obesity and discrimination and the need - or not - for more government involvement. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep190

Have you ever stopped to consider the potential of a heartfelt letter to the most intimate parts of yourself? Let's face it, you probably haven't but it might just be the missing piece in your life. Firstly, think of the therapy it could provide. Pouring out your thoughts and feelings onto paper, addressing them to your lady bits, could be a cathartic experience like no other. It's like having a deep, meaningful conversation with yourself. Secondly, imagine the self-discovery that awaits. As you pen your thoughts, you might uncover hidden desires, discover new sensations, or even stumble upon a few giggles. Your vagina might even surprise you with a response – though, be forewarned, deciphering its cursive might be a challenge! Danielle Dal Cortivo believes that writing this letter can transform our whole lives and is passionate about the changes it can bring to women. Listen to the conversation and then sign up for the workshop, let your creativity flow, grab a pen, and unlock the hidden power of penning a love letter to your vaginal wonderland. Who knows what delightful surprises await? Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep189

Women face numerous barriers when trying to achieve many things in life, but when they enter politics, those gender biases and stereotypes go up to a whole new level. From discrimination and harassment, both online and offline, to traditional gender roles and societal expectations, to media focus on female politicians' appearance, when women enter politics their experience is completely different - and much more challenging - to that of their male counterparts. In Australia recently, there's been a lot of focus on gender bias and inequality in government at all levels and what's become obvious is that women are much better represented in the Labor Party than in the Liberal Party. This is mainly due to the work of EMILY's List. EMILY's List was originally started in the US in 1985 by activist Ellen Malcolm that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favour of abortion rights to office. EMILY's List Australia was founded in 1996 by Leonie Morgan and its founding members include Joan Kirner and Australia's first (and only) Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. Join me in conversation with the CEO of EMILY's List Australia, Pamela Anderson, as we discuss the unique challenges aspiring female (and minority) politicians face and what support is needed and given to help overcome those challenges. We also have a good conversation about why it's so important that our government representatives are a true reflection of society and the different kinds of misogyny that women face in the workplace today. Because ultimately, achieving gender equality in political representation is not just a matter of fairness; it is a prerequisite for creating a truly democratic and inclusive society. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep188

The menopause years, where we become experts in the fine art of standing up for ourselves. It's like getting a Ph.D. in being an unstoppable force. When you reach a certain age, it seems like we're surrounded by people who think they can dismiss our opinions because we don't know what we're talking about. Unfortunately for them, they quickly find out that we've got the ultimate weapons in our arsenal: a lifetime of experience, a low tolerance of bull**** and a sharp tongue. Whether it's politely reminding someone that we have an opinion and we're not afraid to share it when required or whether someone thinks they can steamroller us into doing something that isn't quite what we wanted to do, we menopausal women know how to make our presence known. The problem is we can often feel like we're doing that alone when that need not be the case. It's time to build the village around ourselves. Join me and Liza Baker in conversation about the benefits of growing older and how we can connect and support each other. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep187

I wonder how many people if they were being completely, 100% honest with themselves would admit that somewhere in the dark, hidden recesses of their minds, they believe, even just a little bit, that obesity is the result of laziness. Our minds are incredible things but we process so much information constantly that it's necessary to create ready made boxes that we can easily fit people or situations into. It saves us time and energy, it allows us to build on our past experience, and it also helps us to make decisions much more quickly. Unfortunately, these boxes also result in unquestioned beliefs and prejudices. When was the last time you sat and questioned something that you believe? Probably not that recently, nor are you likely to do that frequently, because it's hard work. Life is much easier if we can glance at something, apply a label to it and shove it into the relevant box. It takes effort to look at something with fresh eyes and mind and really see things from a different perspective. I mean, let's face it, most of us aren't even aware that these boxes exist, that we have these little labels and preconceptions that we unthinkingly apply to everything in our lives. Join us as we delve into the world of judgement, prejudices and discrimination. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep186

When you're not feeling good about yourself but you also want to get back into shape, going to the gym can be a challenge, to say the least. Most gyms are places where people go to show off their abs, their biceps, their glutes, they're not places where anyone who doesn't feel amazingly good about themselves feels comfortable. And then there's the fact that some of us don't like going to the gym at all so even just getting there is a major achievement. Like most of us, Tracy Taylor knew that she needed to go to the gym, she knew that she needed to lose weight and get into shape. But just getting to the gym can be a major challenge and when you do get there, the gym junkies with their toned bods and perfect, skimpy, body hugging outfits can be very intimidating. Being a natural rebel, rather than trying to fit in and compete, Tracy decided to create her own set of gym wear, clothes that allow you to step to one side and not feel like you have to compete with everyone else. And it's called... CBF Clothing. CBF stands for "Can't Be F*cked" Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep185

Overhearing a conversation between two male relatives as a child where they're discussing the fact that it was a shame that you were born a girl because with your personality and gifts, you should have been born a boy, will have a huge impact on how you view yourself and your gender. The fastest growing age group for divorce is in the over 55's and recently I've had personal experience in why that's the case. Devoting yourself to others should be a role that gives us the highest respect, yet it isn't. I've had several conversations with experts about the growing divorce rate of couples as they head towards retirement age is caused by the women realising that they've had enough of being treated like a second rate person. Unfortunately, it generally takes their husbands/partners completely by surprise because they're in the space of, "well, she's done this for years, why can't she just carry on being happy with it?" Listen and watch the episode and then let me know your thoughts and experiences. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep184

You might not think of peri-menopause or painful periods as being traumatic, but any woman who's experience one or both knows how debilitating they can be both mentally and physically. The brain fog, the forgetfulness, the lost work days, the concern that you're losing your mind, the stress about all these weird symptoms you're suddenly experiencing, the ridiculously heavy periods, the pain. All of these things lead to one thing: stress. And stress leads to mental and physical sickness. Chana Studley talks to us about how we hold trauma and stress in our bodies, how our natural human tendency is to focus on that stress / pain / trauma, and how much that negatively impacts on our lives. She also talks about how we can move beyond all that! This is fascinating, insightful and informative listening. Come and join us and let us know what your thoughts are on what we talk about. Listen, watch and find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep183

It's no secret that men are often emotionally immature and it can be a huge source of frustration and resentment - and the major cause for separation - for their partners. Emotional immaturity in a partner can lead to unhealthy relationships, lack of communication and trust, and ultimately, an inability to build meaningful connections. Whether it's a lack of emotional intelligence or an inability to express feelings, emotional immaturity can have a huge impact on relationships. Unfortunately, because of this immaturity, many women end up acting as a parent to their partners and taking on the responsibility for their behaviour and acting as their moral compass. Whilst it might work in the short term, it's like having to be permanently responsible for 3 year old who's never going to grow up. And it's exhausting. Listen to this episode and let me know your thoughts. Find out more here: https://www.mmmpodcast.me/ep182