Summary

(03:32) The start of Laura’s entrepreneurial journey

• Laura moved to Australia and ‘fell into’ the fitness industry

• She got sponsored to stay in the country from one of the gyms she worked at

• She decided to start her own gym by converting an old video store into a personal training studio

• Eight months after opening the gym, it caught on fire

• Laura experienced burnout whilst running her own gym, so she quit the business and set up her own personal coaching practice working with business owners

(11:04) Some of the major signs of burnout

• The common physical signs are bloating, erratic energy levels throughout the day, issues with digestion, hormones or sleep

• Eating more or less, or drinking more alcohol

• The mental signs are feelings of hopelessness, ‘winging it’, or being more withdrawn

(14:04) The gut’s link with stress

• When we are stressed, we are in fight or flight mode

• The body will take energy and blood flow from your gut, and send it to areas of the body that need it to ‘run away’

• When you are in this state of stress on a regular basis, it triggers more chronic symptoms such as Leaky Gut Syndrome or IBS

(16:13) Why we live in a culture of not finding the root cause of health problems

• Society is generally more educated about health than previous generations

• The media is responsible for selling false ‘silver bullet’ solutions

• Real health and wellbeing come from our brains, which is the control centre of our body

(18:49) Tuning into your ‘gut feeling’

• Become more present and connected with yourself, so you are clearer with your values and beliefs

• ‘We are ultimately striving to be our most authentic selves’

(21:10) Why society is so fixated with productivity and being busy

• We are much more aware of competition over the internet, which sets us up for unrealistic expectations

• We work harder and longer due to our perceived ‘downfalls’

(22:50) How to make real, sustainable lifestyle changes

• It’s easy to make the change, the challenge is being consistent

• Communicate ‘safety’ to your brain, to counteract the fight or flight response, by finding the little things that make you feel good

• What we give our attention to grows

(29:58) What wellbeing looks like at a societal level

• We need to normalise that mental health and wellbeing is when you are at your optimum, and if it’s anything less than optimum, you should do something about it

(31:43) Burnout across different cultures

• The top three cities that experience the most burnout are Tokyo, Mumbai and Seoul

• All cultures experience burnout, but it might be that they handle it differently

(33:01) The mind-body connection to stress

• Our brain’s priority is to keep us safe

• Become more attune to our bodies so we can spot the warning signs earlier

(39:52) The difference between cause and effect

• If you live by ‘effect’, you live by blame and excuses, whilst living by ‘cause’ means you make things happen

• Put yourself in the problem-solving frame of mind

(41:45) Practicing meditation

• It puts the body in a calm state of mind

• The key is to keep the practice consistent

• Laura practises transcendental meditation

• Meditation apps are great to help you get started with meditation practice

(46:40) Advice on body image and having a healthy diet

• ‘Stop trying to lose weight and just try to be healthy’

• If you are not healthy inside, you will not get the sustainable long-term results on the outside

• Consider seeing an integrative doctor, who takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle

(52:23) Laura’s experience of writing the book ‘Unfaked’

• She was on a business program that set a challenge to write a 30,000 word book

• It was a creative process that is a blend of fact and fiction

(56:04) On journaling

• Laura mindmaps as she is a very visual person

• Journaling is a great way to get out of your own head

• It helps you to track and measure your progress

(58:54) The impact of relationships on our health

• It is really important to communicate with your partner about what is going on

• Give people the opportunity to be there for you

• When it comes to family dynamics that are challenging, consider how you react and perceive a situation

• Build a ‘bank of safety’ in your brain so you are in a better position to handle potentially toxic people