I AM | Jen WIlson, The Healing Rebel

"You cannot set yourself on fire to keep other people warm." That's the quote from this week's guest, Jules Duncan, and it captures the whole conversation. Because both of us have done it. Both of us have paid the price. And both of us want you to not do the same. I'm Jen Wilson, The Healing Rebel, and I'm delighted to have Jules back on the podcast. Jules runs The Badass Business Club, she's been coaching business owners for a decade, and we've known each other pretty much the whole time she's been in business. This conversation goes into the reality of running a business without wrecking your health, and how to build what she calls a "rich life", which has nothing to do with money. What we cover: What a "rich life" actually means (and why it's more about your Tuesdays than your holidays) Why gratitude gets a bad rap and what to reach for instead Why every task, decision, and commitment needs to go in Google Calendar How to schedule your rest, holidays, and downtime months in advance The advantages of business ownership that most business owners never take Why you don't have to respond to messages within 20 minutes Business WhatsApp: what it is, why you need it, and how to set it up properly The two-phone system I use to protect my downtime Why fit isn't the same as healthy (and why fitness professionals often burn out first) The moment Jules realised she was so fatigued she was burning her own neck with a hair straightener The Crohn's flare that finally forced me to change how I ran my business Why "you can't set yourself on fire to keep other people warm" needs to be tattooed on every coach Whether hormones and perimenopause are part of why women in their 40s stop caring what people think Why every business is a service (and it's okay to think of it that way) Why failure is necessary, not shameful, in building a business A few questions we answer: What is a "rich life" and how do you build one? How do you protect your time and energy as a self-employed business owner? Why do so many fitness and wellness professionals burn out? Should you offer 24/7 support to clients? How do you know when your business is costing you too much? Why is failure necessary for building a successful business? Find Jules: Instagram: @thebadassbusinessclub For book recommendations: @badassbooksandbarbells Free download: my Lymphatic Drainage Self-Care Routine. A gentle, daily practice you can do in as little as one minute a day. Download here https://iamjenwilson.thrivecart.com/lymph/ If you're in or around Glasgow and you'd like to come in for a treatment, my Reset (90 minutes) and Recalibration (3 hours) sessions are designed for exactly this kind of nervous system exhaustion www.iamjenwilson.com/relax About Jen: Jen Wilson is The Healing Rebel, a holistic wellness practitioner with over 17 years in practice, supporting capable, first born daughters who give to everyone and struggle to receive. Working from her private home studio in Springburn, North Glasgow, Jen offers The Reset, The Recalibration, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Therapeutic Fascia Massage, Closing the Bones, Menopause Massage, Reiki, Reiki Drumming, and Sound Healing, plus online movement classes and an on-demand subscription library. Find out more at iamjenwilson.com

What matters to you right now? That's the question this episode is built around, because when everything feels important, nothing gets your proper attention. And when nothing gets your proper attention, you burn out trying to hold it all together. I'm Jen Wilson, The Healing Rebel, and this episode is about how to work out where to put your energy when your list of "important things" has quietly become unmanageable. It's inspired by a task from my book 9 Rules to Sort Your Shit, which is turning 10 this December. What I cover: Why "where the attention goes, the energy flows" isn't just a nice phrase Why the standard Wheel of Life headings (health, money, relationships) are too vague to help you How to make the Wheel of Life work for you by writing your own headings Why you can't get everything to 10 out of 10 at the same time (and why trying is a fast track to burnout) The link between not knowing what matters and running yourself into the ground Why knowing something intellectually and putting it into practice are two different things Why external support (therapy, coaching, bodywork) matters even when you already know the material The "confidence comes after competence" reminder, and why imposter syndrome often just means you haven't built the reps yet What I'm currently working on in my own therapy sessions and why A heads up on the 9 Rules to Sort Your Shit podcast launching this October A few questions I answer: How do I work out what to focus on when everything feels important? Why do I keep feeling stuck even though I'm doing loads? What is the Wheel of Life exercise and how do I use it properly? Why can't I just fix everything at once? How do I know when I need external support? Free download: my Lymphatic Drainage Self-Care Routine. A gentle, daily practice you can do in as little as one minute a day https://iamjenwilson.thrivecart.com/lymph/ 2027 Oban Wild & Well Retreat https://iamjenwilson.com/retreat Get my book 9 Rules to Sort Your Shit here - https://amzn.to/4eYtVnq Gut Friendly, Easy Recipe book here https://amzn.to/4gJsGIC About Jen: Jen Wilson is The Healing Rebel, a holistic wellness practitioner with over 15 years in practice, supporting capable, responsible women over 40 who give to everyone and struggle to receive. Working from her private home studio in Springburn, North Glasgow, Jen offers The Reset, The Recalibration, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Therapeutic Fascia Massage, Menopause Massage, Reiki, Reiki Drumming, and Sound Healing, plus online classes and an on-demand subscription library. Find out more at iamjenwilson.com Follow my social channels Subscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/iamjenwilson Like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IamJenWilson Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/iam.jenwilson

"I don't know how I'm still alive. My burnout has burned out." That was a message from a client of mine recently, and it hit me hard. Because I've been that client. I spent the first 10 years of self-employment working seven days a week, from 7am to 9pm most days, telling myself that because I loved what I did, it didn't count as work. I was wrong. I'm Jen Wilson, The Healing Rebel, and this episode is about why rest needs to be part of your actual strategy, not something you do when everything else is finished. Because it never will be finished. And if you wait until you have time, you will never have time. What I cover: Why loving your work doesn't exempt you from needing rest The 10 years I worked without a proper break, and what it cost me Why it took years of scheduled downtime before I could switch off What rest looks like for different people How to pre-schedule social media, out-of-office replies, and downtime The dance between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system Why your best ideas come when you stop working How dopamine hits become addictive, and why slow satisfaction is better Why nothing you do is life or death How your values inform your rest strategy A few questions I answer: Why is rest important for business owners? How do you take a proper holiday when you're self-employed? What does rest look like when you love your work? How do you switch off when you've been "on" for years? How much rest does your nervous system actually need? Free download: my Lymphatic Drainage Self-Care Routine. A gentle, daily practice you can do in as little as one minute, in the shower or before bed. Access it FREE here: https://iamjenwilson.thrivecart.com/lymph/ If you're in or around Glasgow and you'd like to come in for a treatment, my Reset (90 minutes) and Recalibration (3 hours) sessions are designed for exactly this kind of nervous system exhaustion. www.iamjenwilson.com/relax FREE Posture for Health mini workshop: https://iamjenwilson.thrivecart.com/posture-for-health/ Get my book 9 Rules to Sort Your Shit: https://amzn.to/4eYtVnq Rebel and Divine Anarchist hoodies and t-shirts: https://iamjenwilson-2.teemill.com/collection/new/ Gut Friendly, Easy Recipe book: https://amzn.to/4gJsGIC About Jen: Jen Wilson is The Healing Rebel, a holistic wellness practitioner with over 15 years in practice, supporting capable, responsible women over 40 who give to everyone and struggle to receive. Working from her private home studio in Springburn, North Glasgow, Jen offers The Reset, The Recalibration, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Therapeutic Fascia Massage, Menopause Massage, Reiki, Reiki Drumming, and Sound Healing, plus online classes and an on-demand subscription library. Find out more at iamjenwilson.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/iamjenwilson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IamJenWilson Instagram: https://instagram.com/iam.jenwilson

Why your feet might be the key to your whole body feeling different is what we're getting into today.I'm Jen Wilson, The Healing Rebel, and this week just about every client who's walked into my studio has ended up on the table getting foot work done. Neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, pelvic floor issues, postural collapse. When I've looked at their feet and listened to them walk up and down the room, the story has been the same. The feet need attention first.Your foot is an architectural masterpiece: 26 bones (28 if you include the ankle), 33 joints, over 100 ligaments and tendons, 25% of your muscles and bones, five arches, and around 7,000 nerve endings in each sole. When your feet aren't working properly, the ripple effect goes all the way up.What I cover:The five arches of the foot and what each one actually doesHow your feet connect fascially and energetically to your pelvic floor, diaphragm, and thoracic systemWhy collapsed or overly stiff arches disrupt your posture, pelvic floor, and breathingThe link between your feet and your nervous system stateWhy thick-soled shoes desensitise you and cause dysfunction up the chainHow working on your feet with a tennis ball, cork ball, or resistance band changes everythingTwo client examples from this week where we only worked the feet and their posture completely changedThe connection between your feet and reflexology pointsFeet, circulation, lymph flow, and why it's never too late to startWhy silicone toe spacers help but aren't the whole answerHow to work with your feet without holding your breath and clenching everything elseA few questions I answer:Why do my feet hurt?Can foot problems cause back pain, neck pain, and posture problems?How are your feet connected to your pelvic floor?What's the best way to release tight feet at home?Why do arches matter?Do minimalist shoes really make a difference?Free download: my Lymphatic Drainage Self-Care Routine. A gentle way to build a daily body-listening practice, in as little as one minute a day. Access me FREE Lymphatic Drainage Routine here https://iamjenwilson.thrivecart.com/lymph/If you'd like to work on your feet more deeply, I've got a Foot Mobility and Strength course that includes the fascia foot spa recording. Details in the show notes.If you're in or around Glasgow and you'd like to come in for a treatment, all the booking details are in the show notes too.About Jen:Jen Wilson is The Healing Rebel, a holistic wellness practitioner with over 15 years in practice, supporting capable, responsible women over 40 who give to everyone and struggle to receive. Working from her private home studio in Springburn, North Glasgow, Jen offers The Reset, The Recalibration, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Therapeutic Fascia Massage, Menopause Massage, Reiki, Reiki Drumming, and Sound Healing, plus online classes and an on-demand subscription library.Get my book 9 Rules to Sort Your Shit here - https://amzn.to/4eYtVnqRebel and Divine Anarchist hoodies and t-shirts here https://iamjenwilson-2.teemill.com/collection/new/Gut Friendly, Easy Recipe book here https://amzn.to/4gJsGICFor all information on working with me:www.iamjenwilson.comFollow my social channelsSubscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/iamjenwilsonLike my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IamJenWilsonFollow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/iam.jenwilson

"Safety isn't the absence of threat, it's the presence of true connection." That single sentence has been running through my mind for a week, and this episode is me thinking out loud about it.I'm Jen Wilson, The Healing Rebel, and today I'm exploring the tension between self-soothing, self-regulation, and the idea that we actually need community and connection to regulate our nervous systems properly. The conversation started when I heard someone say that self-soothing doesn't really work, that you need to be in connection with other people to soothe and regulate. My honest response was, yes and. Because there's nuance here. There's a level of self-responsibility we need to take, and there's a time and place where you absolutely need other humans around you. The answer depends on where you are on your journey, what you've already learned, and what's available to you in the moment. In this episode: Why self-soothing alone isn't always enough. The difference between being alone and being lonely. What self-regulation actually looks like in practice (drumming, blankets, fascia work, smoothies, the lot). Why some classic self-compassion techniques like self-hugging make some of us feel agitated rather than soothed. The role of true community and safe people in nervous system regulation. Why talking ideas through with another human beats running them in your own head. Where AI tools fit (and where they fall short) when you need to actually be heard. The cultural nuance in how we communicate, and why it matters. A few questions I answer: What's the difference between self-regulation and co-regulation? Can you regulate your nervous system on your own? Why doesn't self-soothing work for everyone? How do you know when you need community versus when you need solitude? What are some practical ways to self-soothe that actually work? This episode is a thinking-out-loud in the moment one. I want to know what you think. Drop your thoughts into the comments wherever you're listening. How did that opening statement land for you? What came up? Let's make this a real conversation. About Jen: Jen Wilson is The Healing Rebel, a holistic wellness practitioner with over 17 years in practice, supporting capable, responsible women over 40 who give to everyone and struggle to receive. Working from her private home studio in Springburn, North Glasgow, Jen offers The Reset, The Recalibration, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Therapeutic Fascia Massage, Menopause Massage, Reiki, Reiki Drumming, and Sound Healing, plus online classes and an on-demand subscription library. Access my FREE Lymphatic Drainage Routine here https://iamjenwilson.thrivecart.com/lymph/