Season 8, Episode 9: Prioritising Rest for Better Health with Poppy Jamie.

" I used to have so much guilt if I didn't feel exhausted by the end of the day, because I thought, Oh, well, I could have done more, I could have worked harder. And actually, I've had to really decondition this idea of working harder, not smarter. working longer doesn't necessarily mean better work."

The lessons we learn during our Saturn Return can be extremely challenging, deeply personal and hard hitting. But ultimately, they’re there to teach us how to live our most authentic and fulfilled lives. In today’s episode, I delve into the inspiring journey of Poppy Jamie, a recognized Forbes’ 30 under 30 luminary, UN Global Goals advocate, British wellness entrepreneur, TV host, and best-selling author on a mission to empower mental wellbeing. At 25, Poppy was running three businesses, splitting her time between New York and LA, as well as keeping up with friends, family and socialising. But by 29 she was hospitalised with chronic fatigue and was forced to slam on the brakes. Poppy takes us through her quest to decondition her attitudes towards her own working habits. From addressing the guilt she faced if she felt she hadn’t done enough, our need for perfectionism, to observing the ways in which stress and exhaustion was manifesting in her own body. Deconditioning created space for flexible thinking and new and healthier ways of living her life.

She talks about how movement such as walking and dancing has been essential for good mental health and how she now prioritises rest above all else. A concept which may seem quite alien to most of us but something I think we can all relate to needing more of. She discusses the global impact of her mental wellbeing app, Happy Not Perfect, and her latest role as co-founder of a stealth start-up. Poppy also opens up about the power of female friendships, her personal and professional growth, the challenges of life in Los Angeles, and her battle with orthorexia. Sharing Saturnian lessons learned while launching three businesses, she touches on the cultural attitudes towards therapy in the UK and US, the struggle for identity in entrepreneurship, and the vital shift from overworking to the art of unwinding. Lastly, Poppy reflects on the importance of spiritual practice and embracing vulnerability with a good dose of humour.