A Wake Up Call

When you understand what your brain is trained to notice, you can start choosing a life that feels richer, lighter, and more yours.

In this episode, Tess and Layne welcome back positive psychology expert Sue Langley for a science-packed deep dive into what actually helps humans flourish, and why most of us are wired to cling to the negative.

Sue breaks down positive psychology as the scientific study of human flourishing (not pop-psych), and explains how the field emerged after decades of psychology focusing mainly on what’s “wrong” rather than what’s working. From there, the conversation becomes a playful masterclass in how beliefs, labels, environments and tiny daily choices quietly shape our wellbeing.

You’ll hear practical frameworks like “Velcro and Teflon” (negativity sticks, positivity needs practice), how labels box us into invisible rules, and why autonomy and purpose can literally change health outcomes. The trio also explores “collective effervescence” (that buzzing group energy you feel at concerts, sport, churches or even Christmas chaos), plus newer research on psychological richness: the idea that an interesting, varied, eventful life matters just as much as pleasure and meaning.

They finish by touching on primal beliefs (do you believe the world is good or bad?), parenting language, and the idea that life tries to get our attention gently first (feather), then more firmly (brick), then with a full-on wake-up (truck).

In this episode, you will learn:
What positive psychology is (and why it’s not just “good vibes”)
Why negativity is “Velcro” and happiness is more like “Glad Wrap”
How your brain can be trained to notice more good, more often
The trap of labels and the “rules” we live by without realising
The nursing home study: how autonomy and purpose changed outcomes
“Collective effervescence” and why shared moments bond us
Psychological richness: why an interesting life beats a perfect one
Feather–brick–truck: how life escalates when we ignore the signs
Primal beliefs: how your view of the world shapes wellbeing
A mindset for 2026: be your best self, more frequently

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]

• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy

Connect with Sue Langley

• Follow Sue on Instagram @suelangley
• Connect with Sue on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suelangley
• Learn more about Sue’s work
https://suelangley.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the thing keeping you stuck isn’t your circumstances… but who you’re blaming for them?

In this episode, Tess and Layne unpack the blame game through sport, injury and a very real-life moment between the two of them. From sand sprints, stress fractures and the Australian Open final to world titles and wounded egos, this conversation dives into what happens when we look everywhere but within.

Watching Djokovic and Alcaraz battle it out, Layne reflects on the subtle signs of belief versus excuse: body language, composure, where the eyes go under pressure. She shares how, in her early career, every loss had a culprit, the boards, the judges, the wind, anyone but her. Until she realised the common denominator in all her disappointment was herself.

They explore the science behind blame as a survival mechanism. When we feel threatened, overwhelmed or unsafe, the brain looks for control. Blame gives the illusion of control. But it also keeps us stuck in stress, fuels shame, and quietly drains our energy.

Tess and Layne share a vulnerable moment where blame crept into their own dynamic, and how awareness, regulation and ownership shifted it from defence to growth. The lesson? Ownership without punishment changes everything.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
What elite athletes reveal under pressure: belief versus excuse
Layne’s early career pattern of blaming everyone but herself
The fear of success, fear of rejection, and how they drive blame
The neuroscience of blame as a safety response
How blame turns inward into shame and fuels negative self-talk
Why poor communication often sits underneath the blame cycle
Parenting through blame and helping kids feel safe and seen
A practical toolkit to interrupt the blame loop:
Name it without judgement
Regulate before you respond
Ask what’s in your control
Separate responsibility from personal attack
Replace blame with curiosity
Why people pleasing in conflict prevents real growth
The freedom that comes from owning your part and letting it go

If you’ve been blaming someone else, or yourself, for where you are right now, this episode is your invitation to pause. To breathe. To look within. And to choose growth over defence.

Because when you drop the blame, you drop the weight.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]

• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the real glow-up isn’t a new face, a new body, or a new role… but a new voice?

In this episode, Tess and Layne sit down with actor and creator Erika Heynatz for an honest, funny and empowering conversation about rejection, ageing, identity, and finally owning your voice.

They rewind to sunrise walks in Mona Vale, where a slow-burn friendship helped both women navigate self-doubt and rebuilding seasons. From there, Erika opens up about being assessed for a living, surviving constant rejection, and the resilience it takes to not let “no” define your worth. Her reframe? If you got the script, you’re already in the game.

At the heart of the conversation is Erika’s one-woman cabaret show Stupormodel , a bold exploration of the modelling industry, impossible beauty standards, shame, and the commodification of women’s self-esteem. Writing it, funding it and performing it became a cathartic act of courage: choosing to be seen, fully.

They also unpack perimenopause and menopause, from brain fog and insomnia to weight changes and anxiety, and what’s actually helped: hormone therapy, Chinese medicine, breathwork, sunlight, ocean time, and fiercely protecting non-negotiables.

The episode lands on a powerful reminder: you are the creative director of your life.

In this episode, you will learn:
Rejection and resilience in high-pressure industries
Beauty, brains, and being labelled “too much”
Shame, vulnerability, and taking creative risks
Perimenopause/menopause and real support strategies
Women backing women instead of competing
Why your looks never determines your worthiness

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve been living by someone else’s script, this episode is a reminder that you can rewrite it. You can get louder. You can get truer. You can take up space. And you can choose a life that actually feels like yours.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

Connect with Erika
• Instagram: @erikaheynatz
• Website: erikaheynatz.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your best self isn’t the version that pushes through… but the one that knows when to soften?

In today’s episode, Tess and Layne get real about the days where life is lifing. Injury. Pain. Fatigue. The spirals. The inner critic turning the volume up to stadium levels. And the big question underneath it all: can you still be your best self when you’re not coping?

They open with a grounded, vulnerable check-in. Tess shares the joy of a “dawn dance” that made her feel alive again, followed by the brutal crash that reminded her she’s still living in a body with limits. Layne mirrors it with her own healing journey in a moon boot, and the familiar high-performer reflex: turn recovery into another mission… until one disrupted day sends everything sideways.

From there, the episode becomes a practical toolkit for the “down days”. The moments when your calendar needs clearing, your expectations need adjusting, and your nervous system needs gentleness more than grit. Tess and Layne walk through six steps that help you stabilise early, avoid the shame spiral, and recover with more compassion (and less negotiation with reality).

It’s an episode for anyone who’s been feeling broken, behind, or frustrated that they “should be better by now.” Because sometimes being your best self isn’t doing more. It’s choosing the smallest, wisest next move, and letting that be enough.

In this episode you’ll learn:
What “being your best self” actually looks like when you’re injured, exhausted, or overwhelmed
The crash after the high: why adrenaline can mask your limits… until it doesn’t
The head-noise spiral and how pain can pull you back into old trauma stories
The body whispers before it screams: spotting the warning signs sooner
The six-step “inner rehab” toolkit:
Surrender (stop negotiating with reality)
Clear the calendar (delay what can wait)
Stock up (set your environment up to heal)
Fill your cup (restore gently, not performatively)
Get help early (SOS before you suffer in silence)
Pamper, don’t push (softness that speeds recovery)
Why rest with devices isn’t always rest, and how stimulation keeps your body “on”
Treating yourself like someone you love: what you’d recommend to a friend in your shoes
The reframe: slowing down isn’t weakness, it’s leadership

If you’re in a season where you’re trying to hold it together but you feel like you’re running on fumes, this episode is your permission slip to come back to basics: accept what is, soften the pressure, and take the next right step.

And if listening brings up something tender, Tess and Layne remind you you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to your people, or join them inside the Awake Collective for deeper support, tools, and coaching that helps you keep doing the work.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]

• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if self leadership isn’t about doing more… but about learning to listen sooner?

Today, Tess and Layne sit down with global leadership expert, author, and “conversation architect” Holly Ransom for a deeply human chat about resilience, purpose, and the tools that stop high performers from quietly burning out behind the scenes.

They rewind to the sliding doors moments that shaped Holly’s life, from being spotted by Richard Branson and thrown into the world of hosting and interviewing, to a raw early chapter where overwhelm, exhaustion and a heavy diagnosis forced her to rebuild from the ground up. Together, they unpack the difference between being clinically unwell and being chronically overworked, and why so many of us reach for labels before we look at sleep, stress, nutrition, movement and recovery.

From there, the episode becomes a practical masterclass in energy management. Holly shares the shift that changed everything for her: manage energy, not time. They explore how wearables like the Oura Ring can be a powerful mirror (if you actually listen to it), why sleep hygiene matters more than you think, and how micro breaks, breathwork, and play can downregulate your nervous system in minutes, not hours.

This is an episode for anyone who feels like they’re “coping”… but running on fumes. If you’ve been pushing through, overriding your body, or living in permanent upregulation, this conversation will bring you back to the simplest question: what do I truly need right now?

In this episode, we talk about:

Holly’s sliding doors moments and how one opportunity can reroute a whole life
The early burnout chapter, the weight of labels, and what “push through” culture costs us
The difference between depression and being overwhelmed, overworked, and overtired
Why self leadership starts with self awareness, self knowing, and conviction
Managing energy, not time, and matching your best hours to your most important work
The Oura Ring effect: how data can change behaviour (and why it’s useless if you ignore it)
Sleep hygiene shifts that dramatically improve recovery, even with the same hours in bed
Upregulation vs downregulation and why most of us only train one direction
Micro breaks: how 90 seconds to 3 minutes can reset your nervous system
Breathwork basics, box breathing, and why it works even when you think it’s “woo”
Energy vampires and learning to notice who or what drains you after the fact
The itty bitty shitty committee, courage zones, and doing the scary thing with a meaningful why
How kids reintroduce play, presence, and joy (whether you’re ready or not)
What leaders like Amal Clooney, Obama, Brené Brown, Venus Williams and McConaughey taught Holly about self leadership
Betting on yourself, not letting Plan B become Plan A, and asking people to help you stick the landing
If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect” window to take care of yourself, this episode is your reminder that regulation isn’t a luxury. It’s a skill. And you can start with the smallest reps, the tiniest resets, and the simplest choices that bring you back into your body.

And if you’re listening thinking, “I want support, accountability, and tools I can actually use,” Tess and Layne share how you can join The Awake Collective for monthly coaching, community, and practices that help you keep doing the work.

Connect with Awake

• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales

• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself

• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy_

• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley

• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer

• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy

• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]

• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.