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I'm bringing NERVOUS back

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 10:05:05 GMT

I'm bringing NERVOUS back.

I've been thinking, maybe it’s time we brought the word nervous back into our vocabulary.

Because nervous is okay.

Nervous is normal.

Nervous means you care.

We don’t need to medicalise every wobble or turn every flutter into a diagnosis. Sometimes, it’s enough to say:

“I’m nervous… and that’s alright.”

Next time those feelings bubble up, ask yourself:

Am I truly anxious, or am I just nervous?

And if it’s more than nerves... if anxiety, stress or low confidence are starting to take over then please know you don’t have to face it alone.

I help people untangle their thoughts, calm their nervous system and rediscover what feeling amazing really means.

Through 1:1 therapy, mindset coaching, and cold water therapy, we work together to help you feel calm, confident and back in control.

Ready to take the next step?

Book a free, friendly discovery call or message me to chat about what you need.

Let’s help you feel amazing again.

Is September the New January?

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:21:56 GMT

You know that old saying, “New Year, New Me”? Honestly, I’ve never been a fan. I don’t think we need to wait until January to make a change — we can hit reset at any point of the year.

But there’s something about September. Whether you have children or not, the back-to-school feeling is in the air. Summer winds down, autumn edges in, and suddenly there’s a shift — almost like nature is saying, “right, let’s get back to it.”

When I became self-employed, I noticed how quiet summer could be. Everyone’s away, routines are out of sync, and life feels a little on pause. Then September arrives, and it’s like everything switches back on again. Networking events fill the diary, workshops pick back up, schools are back, the roads are busier — and there’s this buzz of fresh energy.

And the best part? Unlike January, there’s no pressure. We’re not weighed down with resolutions, new gym memberships, or leftover chocolates we’re pretending not to eat. September feels gentler. More intentional. A natural reset button.

This year, instead of piling on more to-dos, I’m focusing on a different kind of list — my Stop Doing List .

My “Stop Doing” List

Stop saying yes when I really mean no.

For me, this is about work–life balance. At the start of the year, I realised I was working more than I was living, so I made changes. But now I’ve tipped the other way. Just because I’m self-employed doesn’t mean “free time” is actually free. I need to be firmer at saying no to friends who assume I’m always available during the day.

Stop overthinking every decision.

Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough. I don’t need to analyse everything to death — action beats perfection every time.

Stop comparing myself to others.

Social media makes this so tempting, but it’s not real life — it’s the best bits. Even when I try to be authentic, I’ll still take three photos and choose the best one! I’m reminding myself that my path is mine alone.

Stop spending time on things that drain me.

Doom-scrolling is my big one. I’ve even put boundaries in place: I use Opal to block Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest between 1–4pm, Monday to Friday. It’s amazing how much headspace it frees up.

Stop putting myself at the bottom of the list.

Your wellbeing fuels everything else. If I keep putting myself last, everything suffers. So this autumn, self-care is staying at the top of my priorities.

✨ And that’s it — my September reset. Not about doing more, but about doing less of what holds me back.

If you’re feeling that September buzz too, maybe it’s time to write your own Stop Doing List. What could you let go of to make space for the things that matter most?

And if you’d like some help with your own reset, this is exactly why I run 1:1 coaching , cold water therapy sessions , business wellbeing workshops , and my Networking Blueprint course . September is the perfect time to refocus — and I’d love to support you in making those changes stick.

Sophie:

Is September the New January?

We’ve all heard the phrase “New Year, New Me” and unsurprisingly, I’ve never been a fan. Why wait until January to make a change when we can hit reset at any point of the year?

That said, there’s something undeniably powerful about September. Whether you have children or not, that back-to-school feeling lingers in the air. Summer winds down, autumn edges in, and suddenly there’s a shift, like nature is nudging us to say, “right, let’s get back to it.”

When I first became self-employed, I noticed how different the seasons felt. Summer is quieter as people are away, routines drift and life feels a little on pause. But once September arrives, everything springs back to life. Networking events fill the diary, workshops restart, the school run is back and there’s this fresh energy that’s hard to ignore.

What I love the most about this is that unlike January, September doesn’t come with pressure. We’re not weighed down with strict resolutions, expensive gym memberships or leftover Christmas chocolates. September feels softer and more intentional. Less about “fixing” ourselves and more about realigning .

This year, I’m taking a slightly different approach. Instead of writing another list of things to achieve, I’ve written a Stop Doing List.

My Stop Doing List

1. Stop saying yes when I really mean no.

This is a big one for me. At the start of the year, I realised I was working more than I was living, so I made some changes. But I’ve since tipped the other way. Just because I’m self-employed doesn’t mean my free time is automatically “free.” I need to be firmer in protecting my time and energy.

2. Stop overthinking every decision.

Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough. I don’t need to analyse everything to death - action beats perfection every time.

3. Stop comparing myself to others.

Social media makes this one tricky. It’s so easy to compare yourself to highlight reels. Even when I try to be authentic, I still take three photos and pick the best one! I’m reminding myself that my journey is mine alone.

4. Stop spending time on things that drain me.

For me, doom-scrolling is the worst offender. To tackle it, I’ve put boundaries in place. I use Opal to block distracting apps like Instagram and TikTok during the day. The extra headspace it creates is incredible.

5. Stop putting myself at the bottom of the list.

This one’s non-negotiable. Your wellbeing fuels everything else. If I keep putting myself last, everything else suffers. So this autumn, self-care is staying at the top of my priorities.

So, that’s my September reset. Not about doing more, but about doing less of the things that hold me back.

If you’re feeling that September buzz too, maybe it’s time to write your own Stop Doing List. What could you let go of to make space for the things that matter most?

And if you’d like some help with your own reset, this is exactly why I run 1:1 coaching, cold water therapy sessions, business wellbeing workshops and my Networking Blueprint course. September is the perfect time to refocus and I’d love to support you in making those changes stick.

Love Ruth x

Summer Survival Guide: Coping Strategies for the 6-Week Holidays

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 12:43:34 GMT

Whether you’re juggling childcare or just feeling the shift in pace, the school holidays can throw everything off. Between unpredictable weather, broken routines and the pressure to “make it special,” it’s easy to feel frazzled.

Here’s a real-life guide, from one human to another, to help you stay calm, grounded and maybe even enjoy a bit of it!

1. Make a Flexible Summer List (Kids or Not)

One of the best things I did when my two were younger was make a simple summer list. We split it into:

Free outdoor fun : beach walks, picnics, park games, nature trails.

Free indoor fun : crafts, movie marathons, board games, baking, screen time (let’s be honest – the messy fun lives here).

Low-cost stuff : soft play, swimming, even raising butterflies from caterpillars one year!

Big treats (within budget) : a cinema trip, a day at Flamingo Land, and yes, they loved a day at the Metro Centre.

We stuck it on the fridge, not as a to-do list, just ideas for those “what do we do now?” moments. We never ticked it all off. In fact, we kept adding to it. It became a tradition.

Now that mine are older, I still make a list: wild swims I want to do, places to visit, walks to try… and yes, the Metro Centre still feature s!

2. Working From Home... When the Kids Think You’re Off

Working from home can get extra stressful when your kids see you at your laptop and assume you’re free to hang out. Try:

Gentle boundaries : “I’m working until 11, then we’ll play Uno.” Timers or visual charts help.

Quiet-time baskets : Sticker books, audiobooks, puzzles — anything they can do without you.

Play to your strengths : Can you shift your work earlier or later in the day to fit your energy?

Drop the guilt : Toast for lunch? Extra screens? That’s OK. It’s survival, not perfection.

3. Going Away With Kids? Don’t Expect a Holiday

Family holidays are a mix of magic and mayhem. Keep your sanity by:

Lowering expectations: Forget the perfect Insta moments.

Planning one main thing a day, not ten.

Packing boredom busters: mini toys, card games, sticker books.

Tag-teaming if you’re with a partner: one takes the kids, one gets a breather.

4. It’s OK to Do... Absolutely Nothing

f the weather’s rubbish or everyone’s wiped out, that’s fine.

Make a film nest with blankets and snacks.

Bake something.

Just be. You’re still making memories, even on the “nothing” days.

5. No Kids? It Still Affects You

Maybe you don’t have kids, or like me, your teenagers are too cool to be seen with you (unless you’re paying).

Summer can still throw you off, work cover, event overload or just feeling out of sync.

Try this:

Make space for your own fun, summer joy isn’t just for families.

Use the lighter nights to reset, walks, journaling, reading outside.

Try something new: a cold dip (hello, cold water therapy!), a vision board workshop, or a new creative outlet.

Protect your peace, boundaries are for everyone.

6. NEW: Free Guided Meditation – Just for You

When your head’s all over the place, sometimes the best thing you can do is pause and breathe.

I’ve recorded a short guided meditation to help you reset. Just a few minutes of calm to get you through the day (or help you drift off at night).

Want it? Just sign up for my wellbeing newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/The-FEEL-AMAZING-Therapist

You’ll get:

✅ A downloadable/streamable meditation

✅ A calm voice (mine!) to guide you

✅ Occasional gentle emails full of tips, events & feel-amazing vibes

Final Thought

You don’t need a perfect plan. Or perfect weather. Or perfect anything.

You just need:

✨ A few quiet minutes

✨ A bit of fun

✨ A reminder that you’re doing your best

And if you forget that?

I’ll remind you:
You are amazing.

With calm, care & cold water,

Ruth x

The Feel AMAZING Therapist

COLD WATER THERAPY

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 09:40:33 GMT

Hello! Truthfully, I’m not too sure where to start since this is my first ‘proper’ blog post, but someone I know suggested that I start writing to document my cold-water therapy workshops journey as this is something I’m creating at the moment. To be totally authentic, English and word-finding aren’t a strong point of mine, so I will be using a little bit of magic to help me out with some parts.

First a little bit about me, my name is Ruth Smith, and I am ‘The Feel Amazing Therapist’ a life coach and therapist based in Marske, my passion is changing people’s lives and ensuring they feel amazing by clearing the s**t from the past and providing tools to move forward. Although I do have a counselling qualification, I am very different from a counsellor, a client will never leave my office in a state of upset, they leave knowing they are amazing with tasks to do to help achieve their goal.

I do, however, offer so much more than life coaching and therapy! Whilst I do offer one-to-one sessions focused on personal growth and overcoming challenges, I offer a holistic approach which makes my services so unique. I incorporate a bunch of different workshops that explore everything from cultivating positivity to the art of manifesting your own dreams. And now, I’m excited to start something that has profoundly impacted my own life, cold water therapy.

I haven’t mentioned that I have Multiple Sclerosis, and I've experienced first-hand the benefits of cold-water immersion, whether it's sea swimming, cold water plunges, or cascading into a waterfall, the cold water has become a vital part of my wellness routine. It helps with both my pain and mental health. There is nothing better when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed to physically feel the emotions disappear into the cold water. It’s more than just a physical practice though it's a way to reconnect with nature, push personal boundaries, and find strength you never knew you had.

When I talk to people about my passion for cold water swimming, there is always a mix of curiosity and fear. Everyone is intrigued by the idea but hesitant about the cold, the sea, or even the thought of stepping into swimwear. This is why I’m launching workshops on cold water therapy, I will help clients every step of the way, from giving them the confidence to go in, to talking them through the breathing exercises needed before and during a dip.

Cold water therapy isn’t just about ‘taking a dip’ - it’s about stepping out of your comfort zone and into a world of new possibilities and a fresh mindset to go along with it. Whether you’re battling a chronic condition like MS, or simply looking for a way to challenge yourself, I can’t even begin to describe the mental and physical benefits that I’ve already seen in my own practices.

So here I am, a girl (I use the term loosely… I am 51) with a cold water tub, a sauna/steam tent, an overgrown garden, and an idea!