Smell the Roses with Steph - Podcast

Stephanie Ackland
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Hi Gorgeous, I am Steph the host of Smell the Roses. This podcast is for anyone who wants healthier relationships and a more fulfilling, intentional life.I dive into relationships, mindset, mindfulness, manifestation, consciousness, and personal growth.Come with me as I explore into the way we think, feel and relate,  shapes everything we experience.Through real conversation, grounded wisdom and practical tools, this show is designed to help you break old patterns, deepen self-awareness and create relationships that feel aligned and nourishing.Whether you’re healing, growing or simply seeking more meaning, this podcast invites you to slow down, reflect, and consciously create the life you desire.I love helping people by spreading love & positivity through sharing my experiences one listener at a time. Hit the follow button and tune in for new episodes every - WednesdayI appreciate all your support and so grateful you chose me.

  1. MAY 19

    What If The Most Productive Thing You Do Today Is Pause

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" Your day doesn’t need more noise, it needs a pause you can actually feel in your body. Steph guides you through breathwork session number two, a simple six-minute breathing reset built to help you slow down, reduce your heart rate, and step into the day feeling grounded rather than rushed. If you’ve been waking up already behind, this is a fast, practical way to change the state you’re starting from.  Steph talks about the common trap of doing all the “outer work” like smashing the gym or eating clean, while skipping the inner work that makes those habits sustainable. Breathwork is framed as nervous system regulation, not hype: a way to soothe pressure, ease overwhelm, and support emotional control without burning yourself out. You’ll hear why longer exhales matter, how breath can shift mindset, and what it looks like to move from hustle to healing in real time.  Then Steph drops into a guided breathing practice: arrive, observe, inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth, and settle into a gentle rhythm of four seconds in and six seconds out. I add cues to unclench the jaw, drop the shoulders, and let tension leave “breath by breath”, plus a simple moment of reflection with your hand on your heart and one question to take with you: what do I need right now?  If this left you feeling calmer and clearer, subscribe so you don’t miss the next session, share it with someone who’s running on fumes, and leave a review to help more people find a daily breathwork practice that actually fits real life.

    11 min

  2. APR 28

    The Three C's - CALM. CLARITY. COURAGE.

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" Your day doesn’t fall apart because you’re lazy. It falls apart because too many inputs hit you at once, and you start reacting instead of choosing. We walk through a practical focus and productivity system built for real life: work deadlines, partners, kids, pets, hobbies, and the “me time” that keeps you sane. When everything needs your attention, a simple daily routine checklist can be the difference between spiralling into overwhelm and ending the day feeling accomplished.  Our framework is the Three Cs: Calm, Clarity, and Courage. We start with Calm, protecting the first part of your morning from avoidable stress so your mind stays steady and your energy stays usable. Then we move to Clarity, where you pick the few priorities that actually matter today and cut the noise. We also explain why doing the hard task first is one of the best time management moves you can make, because avoidance quietly drains your energy all day.  Finally, we talk about Courage as the missing piece that closes the gap between knowing and doing. You can feel grounded and you can have a plan, but without action nothing changes. Courage is showing up consistently, not perfectly, and building momentum that creates freedom. If you’ve been searching for focus tips, a better mindset, and a simple structure you can repeat daily, press play and try the Three Cs tomorrow morning. If it helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels overwhelmed, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

    8 min

  3. APR 14

    Live for You, Not for Them

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" If you’ve built a life around being “nice”, always available, always agreeable, this might be the wake-up call your nervous system has been waiting for. I’m talking about people pleasing, guilt, and the quiet burnout that comes from living for everyone else while your own dreams sit on the shelf. I share the mindset shift that changed everything for me: you have nothing to prove to others and everything to prove to yourself. When I finally learned to say no, the guilt didn’t get louder, it got smaller. The more I protected my time, my energy, and my self-worth, the more space I had to chase what I truly wanted and build a life by design. If fear, finances, timing, or self-doubt keep blocking your goals, we unpack why those desires keep returning and why that’s a sign you’re meant to follow through. Then we get practical with a relationship audit you can do today. I walk you through sorting the people in your life into three groups, thanking the ones who lift you up, making time for the ones worth investing in, and creating distance from the pessimists who drain you and tear down your aspirations. This is about boundaries, personal growth, positive relationships, and choosing who gets access to your story. If you’re ready to stop dimming your light, press play, do the challenge, and tell me what you notice. Subscribe, share this with a mate who needs stronger boundaries, and leave a review so more people can find Smell the Roses with Steph.

    12 min

  4. MAR 31

    Living in the Shadows

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" There’s a specific kind of ache that comes from being outshone by someone you love. It’s not just jealousy. It’s the slow, quiet belief that their success means you matter less, and that your life has somehow moved to the background. I want to flip that story on its head and show you how standing in someone else’s light doesn’t have to dim yours.  We explore a simple metaphor that changes everything: the sun and the moon. The moon doesn’t compete with the sun, it translates it, softening intense light into something you can live with in the dark. That’s how your confidence and identity can work too. You move through cycles. Some seasons feel bold and visible, like full moon energy. Others are quieter and internal, like new moon energy. Both are powerful. Both are part of growth, not proof you’ve fallen behind.  I also share a personal chapter from my life where I felt swallowed by roles and comparison while Chris was thriving publicly. Staying home with little ones left me understimulated, unsure of myself, and resentful, even though no one was trying to hold me back. The turning point was learning to “save a piece of the pie” for myself: boundaries, self-respect, and small choices that rebuild your spark before you hit empty.  If you’ve been shrinking, second-guessing your worth, or measuring your life against someone else’s lane, this is your reminder that you can change direction and redesign your future at any moment. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review telling me what helps you step back into your light.

    10 min

  5. MAR 17

    The Power of Validation

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" Do you ever catch yourself silently asking, “Do you see me?” “Do you hear me?” “Is what I’m doing okay?” Those questions can feel small, but they shape how we show up in relationships, at work, and in the private moments where we decide whether our dreams are “reasonable” or “too much”. Today we slow down and name what’s really going on: the very human need for validation, belonging, and being understood, plus the surprising freedom that comes when you stop outsourcing your worth. I talk about why emotional validation matters, how self-validation creates space for truth without judgement, and why you don’t need anyone else to approve your calling. If you feel pulled toward change or a dream you can’t shake, you’ll hear a grounded reminder that you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to take one step at a time, keep listening inward, and honour what keeps showing up in your heart. You’ll also get three practical steps you can use straight away: honour your vision, celebrate small wins, and trust your journey by letting go of comparison. We close with a gentle invitation to sit in silence, ground yourself, and ask the deeper questions that lead to self-discovery and real confidence. If you’re ready to feel lighter, bring meaning into your everyday life, and keep growing in awareness, press play then subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find this path.

    9 min

  6. MAR 10

    Tap Out

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" Ever notice how a relationship can feel heavy even when no one is shouting? We go straight at the quiet habit that does the most damage: keeping a running list of old hurts and using it to punish the person you’ve chosen to stay with. Through Steph’s candid story about the early years with Chris—betrayal, apologies, and a cycle of emotional payback—we trace how resentment sneaks from “self-protection” into self-sabotage, stealing sleep, softening joy, and shrinking the best parts of who you are. We unpack why waiting for one more apology never delivers peace, and how shifting responsibility back to yourself changes everything. Forgiveness here isn’t denial; it’s deciding to stop bleeding from the same wound. We explore practical tools to move forward: replacing global accusations with clear plans, setting boundaries you can actually honour, and choosing language that builds safety rather than debt. You’ll hear how letting go restored ease in our home, from better sleep to quicker recovery after disagreements, and why living in the murky middle—staying while punishing—hurts both the relationship and your self-respect. If you’re torn between staying and simmering, this conversation offers a humane, actionable path: truly forgive and rebuild, or walk away with honesty. Along the way, we share a simple weekly challenge to help you close the book on old stories and reclaim presence, play, and warmth. Subscribe, send this to someone who needs it, and leave a review with the one belief about forgiveness you’re ready to test next. Your peace, your boundaries, your joy—start here.

    11 min

  7. MAR 3

    Let's Dance

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" Ever felt the distance sneak in—not through a big fight, but through the constant hum of work, kids, deadlines and screens? We’re unpacking how couples can find their way back without drama or a grand overhaul, using intention, safety and small rituals that actually stick. Drawing on real moments from our 19-year relationship, we share the sacred difference between connection—the spark that begins everything—and reconnection, the choice to return to what’s true after life gets loud. We start with a gentle reset: interrupt the chaos and create space where your body can settle and your heart can open. A few slow breaths, phones down, eyes up. Say “I miss us” or “I want to feel close again,” and notice how safety changes the room. From there, we explore seeing your partner with fresh eyes. Instead of tallying tasks and misses, ask simple, brave questions: What’s draining you? What do you need more of? Then listen to understand, not to correct. That’s where respect returns, softness appears and the wall between you starts to crumble. Finally, we get practical with rituals and micro-gestures that keep love warm: a longer goodbye kiss, a hand on the back as you pass, a no-phones coffee, a weekly walk or a monthly, low-key date night. Rituals build rhythm, and rhythm builds harmony. Emotional safety often precedes physical intimacy, so give yourselves permission to go slow and let desire meet attention. Reconnection isn’t about going back; it’s about meeting who you both are now and choosing each other with intention. If you’re ready to replace drift with presence and routine with meaning, press play and take the first small step with us. If this spoke to your heart, subscribe, share it with someone you love and leave a review so others can find their way back too.

    13 min

  8. FEB 18

    Blanket Breathwork

    "Let me know if this episode has helped you" We guide a gentle breathwork journey to lift the “blanket” of overwhelm and reconnect with ease, clarity, and self-trust. Safety cues, clear counts, soft imagery, and a grounding close make the practice accessible and repeatable. • intention to create a safe, still space • reasons the protective blanket formed • four-count inhale, four-count hold, seven-count exhale • releasing tension in shoulders, chest, and jaw • reframing from exposure to emergence • full-body grounding and sensory return • self-hug to seal regulation and care • invitation to repeat the practice when heavy feelings return If this resonated with you, feel free to replay this episode as many times as you need I'd love to hear if this practice worked for you. Leave a comment or message on my social media

    12 min
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About

Hi Gorgeous, I am Steph the host of Smell the Roses. This podcast is for anyone who wants healthier relationships and a more fulfilling, intentional life.I dive into relationships, mindset, mindfulness, manifestation, consciousness, and personal growth.Come with me as I explore into the way we think, feel and relate,  shapes everything we experience.Through real conversation, grounded wisdom and practical tools, this show is designed to help you break old patterns, deepen self-awareness and create relationships that feel aligned and nourishing.Whether you’re healing, growing or simply seeking more meaning, this podcast invites you to slow down, reflect, and consciously create the life you desire.I love helping people by spreading love & positivity through sharing my experiences one listener at a time. Hit the follow button and tune in for new episodes every - WednesdayI appreciate all your support and so grateful you chose me.

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