Things I Wish I’d Known with Rachael Welford Rachael Welford

**TRIGGER WARNING - SEXUALITY**
On this episode of Things I Wish I'd Known, Rachael welcomes Anne-Marie Zanzal, to delve into the journey of coming out later in life. Together we'll explore Anne-Marie's journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Growing up in a conservative, religious household, she shares how it took her 50 years to find her true self as a later-in-life lesbian. From growing up with strict rules about sex and marriage and the fear of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s to realising her own sexuality, we talk about finding a supportive community, embracing diversity, and the importance of mental health. Rachael also shares a special offer for the celebration of Happy Habits Club's third birthday! This is not to be missed. 
 
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Things I Wish I'd Known is a podcast that aims to create positive change in your life through conversation, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Host Rachael shares her knowledge, emotions, and laughs, covering everything from mental health, suicide, and spirituality to makeup and skincare. With each episode, Rachael and her guests offer practical advice to help you master your mental health and fall back in love with yourself. Join the conversation by tagging @thingsiwishidknownpod on Instagram and Facebook. For more information on Rachael, visit her website. Listen and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or visit https://thingsiwishidknown.co.uk  for all links.




WORK WITH RACHAEL: 
Corporate wellbeing training on stress and burnout 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work-with-me-2
1:1 EFT Therapy work 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work
Join Happy Habits Club
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/happyhabitsclub
 
ABOUT ANNE MARIE ZANZAL




Anne-Marie Zanzal is a graduate of Yale Divinity School, an ordained minister, bereavement counselor, coming out and business coach, conversationalist, spiritual wanderer, later-in-life lesbian and change maker.Anne-Marie Zanzal Coaching offers two programs:  Lotus Group Coaching is for cis, trans and nonbinary folks coming out later in life to the LGBTQIA+ community.   Purposeful Empowerment is for the beginning online professional looking for clarity, visibility, branding and worth valuing. 
anne-marie@annemariezanzal.com
 
USEFUL LINKS: If you're struggling with mental health, reach out to these amazing charities for help:
Stonewall https://www.stonewall.org.uk/
Black Minds Matter https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/
addaction: https://www.addaction.org.uk/
Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Samaritans: Call for free on 116 123, or visit https://www.samaritans.org/
Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk

On this episode of Things I Wish I'd Known, our host dives into the topic of trust and navigating major life changes. Rachael, shares her personal experience with trusting the process and using affirmations to cope with difficult changes, including the challenges of long COVID and her own recent experience of leaving London after 17 years. Listeners will gain valuable insights on building trust in oneself and the universe, as well as how to cultivate patience and reframe setbacks as opportunities. 
We want to know who you are and who you want to hear on the podcast... complete the short survey here for a shout-out on the show! https://forms.gle/NpSNBrLzActfrUhq5
 
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Things I Wish I'd Known is a podcast that aims to create positive change in your life through conversation, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Host Rachael shares her knowledge, emotions, and laughs, covering everything from mental health, suicide, and spirituality to makeup and skincare. With each episode, Rachael and her guests offer practical advice to help you master your mental health and fall back in love with yourself. Join the conversation by tagging @thingsiwishidknownpod on Instagram and Facebook. For more information on Rachael, visit her website. Listen and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or visit https://thingsiwishidknown.co.uk  for all links.
 




WORK WITH RACHAEL: 
Corporate wellbeing training on stress and burnout 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work-with-me-2
1:1 EFT Therapy work 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work
Join Happy Habits Club
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/happyhabitsclub




 
USEFUL LINKS: If you're struggling with mental health, reach out to these amazing charities for help:
Black Minds Matter https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/
addaction: https://www.addaction.org.uk/
Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Samaritans: Call for free on 116 123, or visit https://www.samaritans.org/
Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk

On this episode of Things I Wish I'd Known, host Rachael Welford sits down with trauma expert and Reiki master Michelle Agopsowicz to discuss the often misunderstood nature of trauma. Michelle emphasises that not all trauma is caused by one big event, but can instead be a cumulative effect of different smaller experiences throughout life. The two discuss the different ways in which trauma can manifest in a person's life, from the physical to the emotional. They also delve into the concept of forgiveness and how it can be misunderstood. Michelle shares her unique approach to healing trauma, which combines traditional counselling with mindfulness techniques and other tools she has developed over time. They discuss the various responses to threats, the importance of accepting the body's response, and the need to destigmatise trauma by acknowledging it as something that happened but can be healed. 
 
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Things I Wish I'd Known is a podcast that aims to create positive change in your life through conversation, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Host Rachael shares her knowledge, emotions, and laughs, covering everything from mental health, suicide, and spirituality to makeup and skincare. With each episode, Rachael and her guests offer practical advice to help you master your mental health and fall back in love with yourself. Join the conversation by tagging @thingsiwishidknownpod on Instagram and Facebook. For more information on Rachael, visit her website. Listen and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or visit https://thingsiwishidknown.co.uk  for all links.
 




WORK WITH RACHAEL: 
Corporate wellbeing training on stress and burnout 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work-with-me-2
1:1 EFT Therapy work 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work
Join Happy Habits Club
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/happyhabitsclub
 
ABOUT MICHELLE AGOPSOWICZ




Michelle Agopsowicz has a Masters in Social Work, a Bachelors in Disability Studies and is a Reiki Master.  Michelle offers counselling and education opportunities from a holistic, trauma informed perspective.  She aims to create wellness and balance through the integration of traditional counselling and mindfulness techniques.  This approach has developed through her own journey of having an autoimmune condition, trauma, and anxiety. 
She offers practices and discussions that can guide us to live a more fulfilled and authentic experience with self compassion. She believes strongly that trauma is a universal human experience that affects the body, mind, and spirit.  She believes that addressing our suffering leads to a journey that is beautiful, painful and ultimately reconstructs our fundamental meaning of compassion, humanity and our place in the world.
https://linktr.ee/illuminatedpathcounselling
www.illuminatedpathcounselling.com
 
USEFUL LINKS: If you're struggling with mental health, reach out to these amazing charities for help:
Black Minds Matter https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/
addaction: https://www.addaction.org.uk/
Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Samaritans: Call for free on 116 123, or visit https://www.samaritans.org/
Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk

In this week's episode, Rachael chats with Lisa McHargue, a former teacher and digital organisation expert, about the importance of decluttering and organising your digital life.
Lisa shares practical tips and a step-by-step plan to help you streamline your digital spaces and save time and energy, emphasizing the connection between digital organisation and better mental health, and urging us to value people for who they are, not what they have.
Join us as we uncover the secrets to digital decluttering and, most importantly, staying on top and maintaining that new system. Get ready for a transformative conversation that will inspire you to take control of your downloads folder and digital clutter and enhance your well-being. 
 
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Things I Wish I'd Known is a podcast that aims to create positive change in your life through conversation, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Host Rachael shares her knowledge, emotions, and laughs, covering everything from mental health, suicide, and spirituality to makeup and skincare. With each episode, Rachael and her guests offer practical advice to help you master your mental health and fall back in love with yourself. Join the conversation by tagging @thingsiwishidknownpod on Instagram and Facebook. For more information on Rachael, visit her website. Listen and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or visit https://thingsiwishidknown.co.uk  for all links.




WORK WITH RACHAEL: 
Corporate wellbeing training on stress and burnout 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work-with-me-2
1:1 EFT Therapy work 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work
Join Happy Habits Club
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/happyhabitsclub
 
ABOUT LISA MCHARGUE




Lisa McHargue is a former high school Spanish teacher turned digital organizer. Since 2020 she’s been helping online business owners take control of their digital chaos and create systems to keep the backend of their businesses organized so they can focus their time on doing what they love instead of swearing at Google Drive. When she's not geeking out about digital organization or minimalism, she's probably hanging out with her family or pretending to be a contestant on The Great British Baking Show.
Website: https://lisamch.com
IG: https://instagram.com/lisajmch 
 
USEFUL LINKS: If you're struggling with mental health, reach out to these amazing charities for help:
Black Minds Matter https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/
addaction: https://www.addaction.org.uk/
Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Samaritans: Call for free on 116 123, or visit https://www.samaritans.org/
Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk

In this episode of Things I Wish I'd Known, Rachael talks with Anaurada about the importance of intentional learning and nourishing marginalised communities without replicating colonial structures. We dive into our personal experiences with managing mental health, the challenges of discussing sensitive topics, breaking out of echo chambers, and uncovering unconscious bias. Additionally, we explore how colonialism impacted the world, specifically the dance world, and the importance of centring diverse stories and lineages when we look at race and gender. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on questioning biases and avoiding harmful attitudes when we have open communication.
 
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Things I Wish I'd Known is a podcast that aims to create positive change in your life through conversation, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Host Rachael shares her knowledge, emotions, and laughs, covering everything from mental health, suicide, and spirituality to makeup and skincare. With each episode, Rachael and her guests offer practical advice to help you master your mental health and fall back in love with yourself. Join the conversation by tagging @thingsiwishidknownpod on Instagram and Facebook. For more information on Rachael, visit her website. Listen and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or visit https://thingsiwishidknown.co.uk  for all links.




WORK WITH RACHAEL: 
Corporate wellbeing training on stress and burnout 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work-with-me-2
1:1 EFT Therapy work 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work
Join Happy Habits Club
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/happyhabitsclub
 
ABOUT ANURADHA KOWTHA:

Anuradha is a neurodivergent, queer, Indian diasporic person who currently lives in greater London with their family. Anuradha's a speaker, catalyst, and the Chief Liberation Strategist at The Kowtha Constellation. Anuradha helps small business owners build ethical, accessible, and inclusive practices into their systems so they can sustainably grow their bottom line, do their work with more boldness, and improve customer and team retention.
 





https://www.thekowthaconstellation.com/
 
USEFUL LINKS: If you're struggling with mental health, reach out to these amazing charities for help:
Black Minds Matter https://www.blackmindsmatteruk.com/
addaction: https://www.addaction.org.uk/
Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Samaritans: Call for free on 116 123, or visit https://www.samaritans.org/
Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk

TRIGGER WARNING eating disorders. 
On this episode, Rachael speaks with Ana Velingard, a mindset and manifestation coach, about overcoming her eating disorder, facing self-doubt, and learning to build unwavering belief in yourself. Ana shares her personal journey of discovering self-love and starting a business to help others create unshakable mindsets to achieve their goals. The conversation delves into the power of affirmations and accountability to establish new habits and maintain balance in life. The episode ends with a discussion about the compound effect of small changes for achieving happiness in different areas of life, as well as the importance of creating a morning routine. Tune in for practical tips and insights on how to create the life you want.






ABOUT THE SHOW:
Things I Wish I'd Known is a podcast that aims to create positive change in your life through conversation, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Host Rachael shares her knowledge, emotions, and laughs, covering everything from mental health, suicide, and spirituality to makeup and skincare. With each episode, Rachael and her guests offer practical advice to help you master your mental health and fall back in love with yourself. Join the conversation by tagging @ on Instagram and Facebook. For more information on Rachael, visit her website. Listen and follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or visit https://thingsiwishidknown.co.uk  for all links.




WORK WITH RACHAEL: 
Corporate wellbeing training on stress and burnout 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work-with-me-2
1:1 EFT Therapy work 
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/work
Join Happy Habits Club
https://www.rachaelwelford.com/happyhabitsclub
 
ABOUT ANA:

Ana is a mindset & manifestation coach and a co-founder of a peak performance company.She empowers people by helping them transform self-doubt into self-belief and take consistent action so they can achieve their goals.Her mission is to give people the tools and support they need to create the life they want.

http://anamindsetmanifestor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/anamindsetmanifestor/
Free Gift - Personalized Affirmations Worksheet: https://anamindsetmanifestor.eo.page/affirmations


 





 
USEFUL LINKS: If you're struggling with mental health, reach out to these amazing charities for help:
addaction: https://www.addaction.org.uk/
Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Samaritans: Call for free on 116 123, or visit https://www.samaritans.org/
Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk