What does it really mean to feel held – not just by others, but by ourselves, our bodies, and the rhythms of everyday life?

In this episode of A Thought I Kept, I’m joined by Lauren Barber for a conversation about anxiety, aliveness, self-trust, and the quiet practices that help us come back to ourselves when life feels loud or overwhelming. Together, we explore what it means to hold space – for others, for our emotions, and for the parts of us that are tired, tender, or still becoming.

Lauren shares openly about her lifelong relationship with anxiety and panic, including the experience of mistrusting even “good” feelings, living in a state of hyper-vigilance, and learning how to rebuild a sense of safety from the inside out. We talk about somatic support, nervous system regulation, motherhood, seasonal living, and the small, everyday acts of self-tending that can gently replenish our energy.

We also explore change – not as a dramatic before-and-after, but as something subtle, lived, and deeply human. From human design and creative work to sacred space, self-compassion, and choosing work that truly nourishes us, this conversation is an invitation to soften, to listen, and to trust your own unique rhythms.

At the heart of this episode is the thought Lauren has carried with her for years: life is too short to do work that you do not enjoy. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, motherhood, creative transitions, or a quiet sense of longing, this is a conversation to return to when you need reminding that it’s possible to feel held again.

About Lauren Barber

Lauren Barber is a Mentor and Sacred Space Holder for Mystical & Magical women who are walking the path of their Heart and Soul work. She is a Mother of two daughters, a Soulful Branding & Website Designer, Writer, Speaker, Human Design Guide, Women’s Circle Facilitator, Yoga & Meditation Teacher and all round multi-faceted human being

Find Lauren online:
Website | Substack | Instagram

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About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here.

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When your mind won’t settle, your thoughts won’t line up, or you feel like you can’t hear yourself think, what do you do? In this episode, Claire is joined by Katie Driver, founder of The Thinking Alliance, to explore how we can reclaim clarity in a world that demands constant noise, answers, and action.

This conversation explores how to think for yourself, how to listen deeply, how feelings shape thought, why compassionate self-talk matters, and how quieter people can find their own voice. As the year draws to a close, Katie offers guidance on how to navigate the pressure, pace, and expectations of December with more ease, clarity, and self-kindness.

04:52 The Power of Questions

12:46 The Thinking Environment

26:56 The Role of Feelings in Thinking

37:10 Empowering Quiet Individuals

41:08 Navigating Overwhelm and Burnout

Mentioned in this episode:

The Question Burst Technique, Hal Gregersen | The Extended Mind, Annie Murphy Paul | More Time to Think, Nancy Kline

About Katie Driver: Katie Driver is all about helping thinkers and thinking to flourish. Her typical coaching clients are quieter mid-career women who are tired both literally and metaphorically of trying to be ‘jazz hands’ leaders and want instead to reclaim their quiet strengths and get on with the work that matters. Katie’s clients find not only the clarity and courage which come from having time to think, but also the self-belief and quiet confidence to lead in a way that suits them. Katie is also a qualified Thinking Environment® Coach, Facilitator and Teacher. She trains coaches and leaders to use the Thinking Environment, a way of going about things which creates the conditions for independent thinking which supports better decisions and actions. LinkedIn | Substack | The Quiet Way newsletter | Website

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About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here.

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What if your energy is more than just a feeling? What if it’s your currency? In this conversation, host Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Georgina Jones about the invisible threads that connect us: joy, grief, presence, and the power of what happens when we stop trying to fix and start feeling. They explore how energy shapes how we show up, how we hold space for others, and how movement, music and humour help us access the full range of our emotions especially the ones we don’t have words for. Georgina speaks powerfully about holding joy and grief in the same space, and the everyday tools that can help us reconnect to ourselves in low-energy, disconnected times. In this episode, they talk about:

• Why your energy is your emotional currency
• The surprising companionship of joy and grief
• How Georgina created “Grief Discos”
• Rewriting the story of what grief has to look like
• What it really means to “turn someone’s lights on”

Timestamps

02:59 The Power of Energy and Presence

11:42 The Three Circles of Energy

24:42 The Healing Power of Grief Discos

25:43 Balancing Joy and Grief

30:05 Challenging Grief Narratives

Resources: Turn Lights On, Georgina Jones / Patsy Rodenburg's “Three Circles of Energy” / The Joy Reset, MaryCatherine McDonald / Grief Disco / Happy Startup Summer Camp / Ted Lasso / Mojo Moves

About Georgina Jones: Georgina Jones is a speaker, coach, facilitator, and the co-founder of Grief Disco — a movement that helps people honour their loved ones, process grief, and make space for joy again through music, movement, and community. Her mission changed profoundly after the death of her son Osian. Navigating grief while still reaching toward joy transformed not only her life but her work. Georgina now supports grieving people to rebuild confidence, reconnect with themselves, and create meaningful, purpose-led lives and she empowers others to run their own Grief Discos in their communities. Instagram | LinkedIn |

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About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here.

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What if self-care wasn’t about adding more to your to-do list but about rethinking what care even means? In this episode, Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Chartered psychologist, coach and author Suzy Reading about the often invisible emotional labor of women, the cultural messaging that teaches us to ignore our needs, and the radical act of allowing ourselves to be cared for.

Suzy, author of the new book “How to Be Selfish: Seven Steps to Taking Back Your Power,” shares her personal evolution with self-care from early moments on the ice rink to navigating motherhood, grief, and perimenopause. Together, they explore how guilt, hyper-independence, and people-pleasing disconnect us from our emotional needs, and what it takes to advocate for ourselves gently and clearly.

Topics Covered:

• Why so many women feel guilty for needing care
• Emotional health as a guide, not a flaw
• The hidden emotional toll of “being the strong one”
• Small, real-world ways to practice self-advocacy
• How to begin receiving help without shame

Timestamps:

01:07 The Importance of Self-Care

17:38 Embracing Emotions and Building a Toolkit

24:43 Reclaiming the True Meaning of Self-Care

26:49 Advocating for Yourself in Relationships

38:03 Reflecting on the Year and Setting Intentions

Suzy Reading is a Chartered Psychologist and one of the UK’s leading self-care and self-advocacy experts. She has three decades of experience in the health and wellbeing industry, drawing on her qualifications in yoga and personal training, together with psychology, to empower people with sustainable healthy lifestyle habits. Suzy is a monthly columnist for Top Sante Magazine; the Psychology Expert for Neom Organics and is a founding member of the ‘Nourish’ app. She is the author of many books including The Little Book of Self-Care, The Self-Care Revolution, Self-care for Tough Times, And Breathe, Sit to Get Fit, Rest to Reset and Self-care for Winter. How to Be Selfis

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About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here.

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What if your nervous system was quietly shaping everything — from your relationships to your resilience — and no one ever taught you how to understand it?

In this episode of A Thought I Kept, Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Beth Derry, resilience coach and founder of Lovely Messy Humans, about the deep and often overlooked influence our nervous systems have on how we cope, connect, and show up in the world.

They explore the relationship between emotional coping, overwhelm, and shutdown — and how self-harm among young people can be a misunderstood bid for regulation and relief, not attention or rebellion. Beth shares her own story of navigating emotional dysregulation, what she wishes adults knew about teen self-harm, and why nervous system literacy isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.

From the science of emotional responses to everyday tools for regulation, this episode offers a gentle, grounded invitation to rethink what it means to support ourselves — and those we love — with more curiosity and less fear.

Show Notes

04:59 The Power of the Nervous System

13:31 Understanding Emotions and Their Biological Purpose

29:27 Introduction to Lovely, Messy Humans

30:54 The Importance of Nervous System Education

36:51 Addressing Self-Harm and Emotional Regulation

39:42 Understanding the Science Behind Self-Harm

48:52 Practical Steps for Nervous System Regulation

Beth Derry is the founder of Lovely Messy Humans. After careers in zoology, sustainability, and communication, Beth now works as a resilience coach, speaker, and Havening Technique practitioner, helping people better understand their emotional worlds and find grounded, embodied ways of coping.

Website is www.lovelymessyhumans.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethderry/

References + Resources Mentioned

• Tad Hargrave – Marketing For Hippes
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Happy Summer Camp

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About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here.

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What if your creative energy didn’t need an algorithm — just some more self-trust and a room full of the right people?

In this episode of A Thought I Kept, Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with PR strategist, founder of The Inspiration Space, and self-described “idea-laying machine” Liana Fricker, about navigating creativity, burnout, and how we reconnect with ourselves — and each other — beyond the online world.

Together, they explore the emotional and energetic tension between abundance and overwhelm, visibility and vulnerability, and what it means to be seen without being online. Liana shares her experience of living with ADHD, finding clarity after burnout, and reframing the idea of consistency in a world that doesn’t work for every brain.

They also dive into the “dead internet theory,” the hunger for real-world gathering, and how the body becomes both compass and guide for meaningful creativity. It’s a conversation about rethinking the pace of life, redefining success, and remembering that sometimes… healing looks like Antiques Roadshow and a weighted blanket.

Episode Chapters:

02:53 – Abundance, ADHD, and Access to Inspiration

08:01 – Designing Life Around Energy

09:36 – What If You Couldn’t Use Social Media?

13:42 – The Art of Gathering, Offline Connection & The Dead Internet Theory

17:56 – Fear, Overwhelm, and the Invisible Barriers to IRL

26:34 – Recognizing Burnout & Burndowns

About Liana Fricker:

Liana Fricker is a PR marketing strategist, speaker, and the founder of The Inspiration Space, a community and consultancy for creative entrepreneurs. Her work centers around sparking possibilities, creating collaborative momentum, and making space for human-first ambition. She’s passionate about future-facing business, radical self-trust, and finding creative energy beyond the algorithm.

Watch her TEDx talk: Inspiration as an Act of Resistance

Follow Liana on Instagram

Connect on LinkedIn

About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coa

Support the show

About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here.

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In this special episode of 'A Thought I Kept,' host Claire Fitzsimons is joined by Amanda Sheeren, her close friend and co-founder of 'If Lost Start Here', a wellbeing company aimed at helping people navigate modern life's complexities with creativity, curiosity and humour.

This episode centers on Amanda’s thought that even in the dark times there is light. They discuss how the hardest and best parts of life can coexist, touching on topics such as parenting, depression, Instagram, sobriety, and finding joy in small moments. Amanda shares personal experiences, underscoring the importance of embracing both positive and negative emotions. The conversation also highlights mindfulness, intentional living, and the significance of community and connection in wellbeing practices.

01:26 Navigating Life's Challenges

07:23 The Power of Tiny Joys

10:13 Balancing Emotions

21:28 Creative Practices and Wellbeing

22:32 Exploring the 10 Pathways to Wellness

23:45 The Challenge of Untethering from Technology

24:13 Navigating Connection and Purpose

24:33 The Dual Nature of Technology

28:28 The Sober Illustrator: A Journey of Connection

30:36 Misconceptions About Sobriety

33:53 Living a Values-Based Life

38:57 Finding Joy in the Present Moment

43:51 Concluding Thoughts on Wellness and Joy

About Amanda Sheeren:

Amanda Sheeren is with Claire Fitzsimmons the co-founder of If Lost Start Here. She is also a freelance writer, illustrator, and graphic designer from Marin County, California. Amanda is the creator of The Sober Illustrator and Okay, Yeah! Design.

About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives. Claire writes on Substack under MoreGoodDays.

Show notes

MaryCatherine McDonald, The Joy Reset: Six Ways Trauma Steals Happiness and How to Win it Back

MaryCatherine McDonald, UnBroken: The Trauma Re

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About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives and all their feelings, from anxiety to grief, overwhelm to joy. Claire writes on Substack at MoreGoodDays. For personal coaching, reach out to Claire here.

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In this episode of 'A Thought I Kept,' host Claire Fitzsimmons engages in a heartfelt conversation with Katharina Geissler-Evans, founder and editor-in-chief of heiter. The discussion explores how to find resilience during exhaustion and overwhelm, and how to create intentional and joyful connections in our increasingly online lives. Katarina shares how the philosophy 'if there's a will, there's a way' has guided her through challenges, and supported her through periods of perseverance. This conversation delves into the importance of small, joyful moments, and the value of community and gratitude practices during all life's seasons.

03:36 The Power of 'If There's a Will, There's a Way'

08:33 Overcoming Challenges and Finding Joy

10:31 Building a Community and a Brand

18:51 The Importance of In-Person Connections

23:17 Values and Future Plans

About Katharina

Katharina Geissler-Evans is the founder & editor-in-chief of heiter, an independent lifestyle publication and brand with a strong focus on supporting others in finding and celebrating joy in the chaos. If Katharina doesn’t write, curate and talk about all things heiter, she spends her time exploring different aspects of intentional living in her own life as well as fashion styling for other brands and indie publications. Katharina, who describes herself as “a multi-passionate creative”, lives with her husband and their two kids in Edinburgh.

Website | Magazine shop | Substack | The Heiter Society

Newsletter sign-up | Instagram: heiter & Katharina

Future events

About Claire Fitzsimmons

Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives, the messy middle, and all their feelings.

Read Claire's piece, Coming home to our emotions in heiter’s latest e-zine

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Episodes of A Thought I Kept go out on Monday mornings to hopefully inspire you and set the tone for your week ahead.

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