Disrupting Wellbeing with Petra Velzeboer Petra Velzeboer

Is your gut health impacting your mental health?
 
The connection between how our gut is feeling and how our brain feels is becoming more and more understood.
 
That’s why in this episode I invited Dana Chapman, a health and wellness expert, to talk us about how to look after ourselves by looking after our gut. She is trained in Nutrition Science, incorporating elements of how genetics, stressors, environment, food, movement and sleep all impact how we feel think and perform. 
 
We discuss the connection between gut health and mental health, and where to start to look after ourselves if we are feeling stressed. We also touch on the impact of technology on our ability to listen to our bodies and the responsibility of organizations in promoting employee well-being.
 
“If the gut is not happy, you are not going to be happy” - Dana
 
You'll hear about:
 
03:02 - The Gut-Brain Connection
11:31 - Managing Stress for Gut Health and Mental Well-Being
16:59 – Happiness hormones
23:07 – Is tech helping us listen to our bodies more?
28:12 - Prioritizing Individual Well-Being in the Workplace
34:17 - The Impact of Technology on Body Awareness
38:05 - The Responsibility of Organizations in Promoting Employee Well-Being
 
Dana’s resources:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-chapman-85b73316/ 
DC-Nutrition - https://www.dc-nutrition.co.uk/ 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danachapmannutrition 
 
Petra’s resources:
Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397 
Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

Are you overwhelmed by all the self-help advice out there?
 
Feeling like every expert is telling us something slightly different to get us to the destination of being healed. But it doesn’t work like that.
 
In this episode, I discuss how to get the most out of self-help. And I challenge the idea of healing as a destination and emphasize the importance of the self in self-help. We need reflection, radical honesty, and checking our own b******t to really be able to heal.
 
I also give tips on how to reflect on your body and needs, assessing the basics before getting fancy, and consciously consuming information.
 
“You are the expert of your experience” - Petra
 
You'll hear about:
 
01:17 - Navigating Self-Help Overwhelm and Addiction
02:59 - Being the Expert of Your Own Experience
08:09 - Reflection, Radical Honesty, and Checking Your Bullshit
11:00 - The Power of Meaningful Connections and Community Help
16:48 – Reflecting on your own path
21:28 – Checking in with other people
25:08 - Making the Most of Therapy, Coaching, and Support
 
Petra’s resources:
Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397 
Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

How long does it take to heal from trauma?
The reality is that it can take far longer than it should according to my guest in this episode Dr. Ardeshir Mehran. He believes we should be emphasizing the importance of accelerated healing and the need to address shame and grief in the healing process.
Ardeshir Mehran is a leadership excellence coach, who enables leaders to achieve their personal and operating goals, at faster and higher rates. Listen as he highlights the connection between mental health and the quality of relationships and environments, particularly in the workplace. He also discusses the prevalence of depression and anxiety in high-achieving professionals and the need for fulfilment in addition to achievement.
We explore the themes of pain, change, and trauma as well as Ardeshir’s personal journey of realizing he was in the wrong role and the toll it took on his own mental health.
"People can get traumatized in a matter of minutes, hours or days. It should not take so long to heal” - Dr. Ardeshir Mehran
You'll hear about: Chapters
02:17 - Accelerated Healing and the Journey to Wholeness08:54 - The Impact of Shame and Grief on Mental Health15:05 - Connections Between Mental Health and the Workplace23:04 - Psychological Safety25:15 - The Power of Brave Conversations in the Workplace26:39 - Listening to Emotions and Pain28:43 - Reclaiming Our True Selves and Setting Boundaries33:29 - Being Present and Confronting Unhealed Trauma37:21 - The Power of Connection: Belonging and Mental Health49:44 - The Radical Change Needed in Mental Health
 
Ardeshir’s resources:
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ardeshir-mehran-ph-d-a3457/Ardeshir’s website - https://ardeshirmehran.com/
 
Petra’s resources:
Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397 Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

How can I set boundaries and stick to them?
 
This is one of the most common questions I get asked. We all try and set boundaries but so often we beat ourselves up for not sticking to them. But all it takes is a little tweak to make it work, and that’s what we’re going to cover in this episode.
 
I delve into my own struggles with boundaries and addiction, and the shame I have felt when I didn’t meet them. I also share tactics you can use to set better boundaries and break the cycles of addiction by celebrating small wins, radical honesty, and accountability.
 
So start noticing what you hide in the cabin of shame from, so you can solve it and challenge your own bullshit.
 
“Anybody who says they have perfect boundaries all of the time, it’s simply not true” - Petra
 
You'll hear about:
 
01:02 - We're all making it up as we go
02:10 - Why the context we are in matters
06:53 - My definition of addiction
09:18 - My journey with addiction
14:31 - Tactics for sticking to boundaries
16:55 - Assessing if you need a boundary
19:51 - You need to learn to be honest
 
Episode resources:
James Clear – Atomic Habits - https://shorturl.at/lqOW7 
Dr Ramani – You Are Why You Eat - https://shorturl.at/drvBS 
 
Petra’s resources:Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397 
Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX 

When there is a suicide attempts trauma happens on all sides.
 
From the person attempting it now needing mental health support, to the loved ones needing to re-build trust in them. Everyone must deal with the ripple effects.
 
In this episode I am joined by Clarke and Carrie Carlisle. Clarke attempted suicide which led them both down a path of having to work on their mental health for very different reasons. They share their experiences in getting to a place where the trust in Clarke’s words was rebuilt, the challenges supporting family members face, and the misconceptions around it all.
 
Clarke also share his experiences around unconscious bias in the health system and their thoughts on what needs to radically change in wellbeing.
 
“It didn’t matter how well he was, if I wasn’t well, I still believed he was going to kill himself” - Carrie

You'll hear about:
 
02:04 - An intro to Clarke and Carrie
11:25 - Rebuilding the trust after a suicide attempt
16:02 - Carrie on whether her mental health as the supporter
23:08 - What it takes to build healthy relationships
31:08 - Did Clarke experience unconscious bias in his treatment?
39:19 - The misconceptions people have
43:49 - The importance of knowing boundaries
48:32 - Adverse mental health vs emotional wellbeing
55:42 - The roles we give our children
59:24 - The most radical change we need in wellbeing
 
Clarke & Carrie’s resources:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/clarkeandcarriecarlisle/ 
Website - https://www.clarkeandcarrie.com/ 
 
Petra’s resources:
Petra’s website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 

Welcome to season 2!
This episode is different! Tips, tools and advice from my story and hundreds of hours working with clients. 
All too easily we can numb ourselves when we feel those tough feelings, we need to recognise the importance of feeling both the highs and the lows of life.
In this episode I share my own experiences leaving life in a cult, overcoming addiction and suicidal thoughts, to being able to shift from a victim to a growth mindset. I also discuss how we can all truly connect to ourselves and embrace all the feelings life entails and why this can help us reach our potential and change your life. 
“I spiralled into hopelessness, despair, suicidal thinking, the works” - Petra
 
You'll hear about:
03:12 – How I changed my life
08:14 - Shifting from victim to growth mindset
13:06 - The importance of understanding one's blueprint
15:26 - Take action to overcome fear
18:52 – The impact of complex PTSD and trauma
24:14 – Feeling the feelings is what makes us alive
26:34 – Why I think we experience depression
 
Resources:
Website - https://www.petravelzeboer.com/ 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/ 
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petra.velzeboer/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@petravelzeboer397 
Buy Petra’s book: Begin With You: Invest in Your Mental Well-being and Satisfaction at Work - https://shorturl.at/nyDOX