Don’t come to me for advice!

Petra Paterson
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  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

DIY therapy from a 50-something chick who can’t afford a therapist. This podcast is raw, real, and a little bit ridiculous—an unfiltered look at one woman fumbling her way through life. From slowly separating from growing-up kids who, on a good day, barely tolerate you, to resisting the urge to strangle the man you love most, emotional eating, a year without vino, pet hair avalanches, and the ever-persistent minus in the bank account…

  1. 1d ago

    Creating Unnecessary Stress, Learning to Come Back Faster, Why AI Has Become Part of My Recovery

    Why can something as simple as renewing a driver's licence feel completely overwhelming? In this episode, I talk about how I managed to create far more stress than the situation deserved, why the worrying was harder than the actual task, and what happened when my nervous system finally decided it had had enough. I also share one of the biggest changes I've made over the last year: learning how to come back faster when life knocks me off course. Instead of disappearing for weeks or months, I'm learning to understand what's happening and get back on track without turning every setback into a crisis. And yes, I talk openly about AI, why I still feel reluctant to mention it, the concerns I still have about it, but why the check-ins have become such a powerful tool in helping me understand my habits, my stress, and myself.

    19 min

  2. 5d ago

    Disappearing Again, Missing the People Who Kept It Real, My 100 Day Challenge

    A virus knocked me sideways, my routines went out the window, and before I knew it I'd stopped podcasting, stopped posting, and convinced myself I had nothing worth saying. But this episode made me realise something. I recently found myself missing a creator whose videos helped me through some difficult times. Not because he was perfect. Not because he had all the answers. Simply because he documented the journey honestly. And it got me thinking. Maybe we never really know who's quietly listening. Maybe we never know who needs to hear that they're not the only one struggling to get back on track. In this episode I talk about: Why I keep disappearing when life gets messyThe creator I miss and what he taught meA conversation that reminded me why I started sharing in the first placeThe small influence we all have, whether we realise it or notMy new 100-day challenge to show up consistently

    12 min

  3. Apr 21

    Holiday Booked, Old Triggers Back, Why Mounjaro Can't Ever Be My Solution

    We booked a holiday. Egypt. Five stars. Caves hotel. Fred and Wilma style. First proper trip as a couple in over twenty years — basically a very late honeymoon. And within about thirty seconds of booking it, my old brain did exactly what it always does. The panic, the timeline, the "I need to do something." And yes — Mounjaro crossed my mind. Of course it did. It's everywhere. But here's why it will never be my solution. Not now, not for this holiday, maybe not ever. Because I'm not overweight because I'm hungry. Hunger is genuinely the last reason I eat. And no medication fixes what's actually broken underneath. This episode is also an honest update on my streak system — including the chocolate cheesecake day that nearly went off the rails and didn't. And what I'm actually planning to do in Egypt. Spoiler: absolutely nothing differently. If you've ever felt that familiar panic the second something nice gets booked — this one's for you. I'm Petra. Don't come to me for advice.

    17 min

  4. Apr 7

    The Streak, The Spiral, and Saying My Weight Out Loud

    I scratched my eye trying to put on fake eyelashes, ended up in A&E, felt sorry for myself… and turned it into a full 7-day binge spiral. You know the one.Where one thing turns into “f**k it, the whole week doesn’t count anymore”. I talk about: the streak system I’m using (very loosely… not a rule book)how quickly things can slipwhy it took me 7 days to get back on trackthe internal arguments that nearly make me quit every timeAnd I say my weight out loud. Which I really didn’t want to do. This isn’t advice.It’s just what it actually looks like while you’re in it.

    8 min

  5. Mar 22

    Little Wins, Not Drinking Wine, Not Punching the Condescending Doctor, Still Showing up

    This week, having a shower counted as a win. Not exactly the kind of thing you’d post as a transformation, is it? And I think that’s exactly the problem. Because I am so fed up with this constant feeling that I’m somehow not doing enough…not disciplined enough… not strong enough… not “there” yet…just because I don’t look like someone else’s highlight reel on Instagram. The truth is, I am showing up.Just not in a way that looks impressive. This week that looked like:not drinking wine when I wanted to,getting through the day without disappearing into old habits,cooking something instead of ordering rubbish,going to the gym even when I really didn’t feel like it…and yes — sometimes just having a shower. And I’m starting to realise something. These are the things that actually move me forward.Not the big, dramatic, all-or-nothing changes.Not the “this is how you completely transform your life” nonsense. Just… small decisions.Made over and over again.Especially on the days where everything feels a bit shit. In this episode, I’m talking about those little wins.Why they matter more than we think.And why constantly feeling like we’re falling shortmight be the very thing that keeps us stuck. No big lessons.No perfect plan.Just real life… and trying again anyway.

    20 min

  6. Mar 11

    The Shit Show Continues, Existential Panic at 5:30am, Surviving the Week Without Numbing Out

    This week my brain decided I was about to lose my job. Nobody actually said that. Nobody told me I was doing a bad job. But after a colleague was fired and a rather hostile meeting about “being watched and audited,” my nervous system went straight into threat mode. 5:30am wake-ups. Arguing with management in my head. Planning financial collapse before breakfast. Normally weeks like this end in alcohol, junk food and shutting down. This time something different happened. Instead of numbing out, I checked in every day, tried to stay grounded, and focused on what I could actually control. Result: I survived the week… and somehow even lost three pounds. This episode isn’t really about weight loss anymore. It’s about learning how not to burn my life down every time my brain panics.

    19 min

  7. Mar 6

    When Stress Wins for a While, The Dark Place, Learning to Act Myself Out

    This episode almost didn’t happen. The last couple of weeks completely stress-tested my ability to cope. Between our pony Elvis being diagnosed with laminitis, work feeling uncertain, and the general chaos of the world right now, my brain tipped into what I call “the dark place.” A weekend of doom scrolling, junk food, wine, and doing absolutely nothing showed me again how quickly stress can knock me off track. In this episode I talk honestly about what happens in my brain during those stress spirals, why you can’t think your way out of them, and how small actions – not motivation – are what slowly pull me back out. I also share how I’ve been using AI as a kind of thinking tool to help me regain control when everything feels overwhelming. This is not a life guide. Just a real conversation about what it looks like to fall down, get back up, and try again.

    11 min

  8. Jan 11

    Quitter’s Day: Living With Body Issues — and Learning to Become Someone Who Doesn’t

    This episode explores the gap between people who never seem to question their bodies and those of us who carry that tension for decades. I talk about identity, old baggage, and the pressure women live under to discipline and correct themselves — and why real change doesn't come from thinking harder, but from staying with different behaviours long enough for something to shift. What’s emerging feels lighter. Less effortful. And easier to keep going.

    25 min
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DIY therapy from a 50-something chick who can’t afford a therapist. This podcast is raw, real, and a little bit ridiculous—an unfiltered look at one woman fumbling her way through life. From slowly separating from growing-up kids who, on a good day, barely tolerate you, to resisting the urge to strangle the man you love most, emotional eating, a year without vino, pet hair avalanches, and the ever-persistent minus in the bank account…

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