Beyond The Surface Podcast

In this solo episode, Belinda explores how the way we start and end our day influences what we think about, how we feel, what we focus on, and how what we repeatedly give our attention to doesn’t just fill our day, it shapes our life.
It’s not about creating the perfect morning or evening routine. It’s about becoming more intentional about what we allow into our minds, particularly in those first and final moments of the day.
From reaching for your phone first thing in the morning to taking the stimulation of the day into bed at night, Belinda looks at the impact of constant consumption, distraction and the stories we repeatedly tell ourselves.

We explore:
Why your day starts with what you give your attention to, not when you get out of bed
How reaching for your phone first thing can shape what your mind focuses on
Why natural morning light is important for your body clock, sleep, and mental health
How what you repeatedly consume can become the environment you create for your mind
Why boredom, silence and creating mental space can be valuable
How brain rot and constant stimulation can contribute to mental fatigue and difficulty concentrating
Why the way you end your day can affect how you wind down for sleep
How writing things down can help you put tomorrow’s problems down for the night
The importance of paying attention to the people, content, conversations and environments influencing you
Why the way you speak to yourself matters
A simple five-minute morning and evening ritual

Your attention is one of the most valuable things you have. If you don’t consciously choose where it goes, there’s no shortage of people, platforms and outside noise that will happily choose it for you.
Sometimes changing your life isn’t about adding more. It’s about becoming more selective about what you allow in.
Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/ and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

There’s no new episode this week, so instead, I’m taking you back to Episode 14, the most-listened-to episode of Beyond The Surface. It’s a short one at just 14 minutes, and if you enjoy it and want more, there’s a Part 2 in Episode 42: Estrangement Isn’t Betrayal Part 2: Healing, Boundaries & Brave Decisions.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/ and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

In this episode, Belinda sits down with coach Nick McCallum, owner of Outlier Performance, to unpack a different way of looking at pain, training and movement, and why understanding joint position, posture and the way we train can make such a difference to how our bodies move, function and feel.
Nick shares his perspective on back pain, pelvic control, stretching, glute and posterior-chain strength, the role of the nervous system, and why a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily define what your body is capable of.

We cover:
Why pain isn’t always coming from where you feel it
The connection between posture, joint position and pain
Common training mistakes that may reinforce dysfunction
Why back pain can be linked to pelvic position and muscle imbalance
The importance of glutes, hamstrings and abdominal strength
Stretching, mobility and reducing muscular tension
Why you shouldn’t become defined by an MRI or diagnosis
Why strength training matters
Rebuilding movement and coordination after experiencing pain
Nick’s perspective on peptides and why they shouldn’t replace addressing the underlying biomechanics

A valuable conversation that will have you thinking differently about pain, movement, strength and how you train.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, protein, creatine and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/ and add BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Nick:
Website: https://outlierperformance.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachnickmccallum/

In 2019, Kathryn Elliott’s life changed completely. Within six weeks, she stopped drinking after decades of binge drinking and was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer.
 
In this episode, Kathryn shares how sobriety and cancer became the catalyst for a much deeper transformation. We talk about her relationship with alcohol, facing her own mortality, leaving a 22-year marriage, rebuilding her life and career, finding love again in her 50s and learning to reconnect with herself.
 
Kathryn also shares why removing alcohol can bring difficult emotions to the surface, and how moving through grief, vulnerability and discomfort ultimately helped her find greater clarity, confidence, self-love and connection.
 
In this episode, we cover:
•              Kathryn’s relationship with binge drinking and the moment she decided to stop drinking
•              Being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at 46
•              Why sobriety can feel harder before it feels better
•              Leaving a 22-year marriage and rebuilding her life
•              Changing careers and becoming an alcohol mindset coach
•              The pressure around drinking for women in midlife
•              Learning to sit with grief instead of numbing it
•              Heart-led healing and reconnecting with yourself
•              What Kathryn has gained from seven years alcohol-free
 
This episode is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to create a life that feels aligned, and that midlife really can be a time of reinvention.
 
Podcast Sponsor:
 
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/andadd BTS10 for 10% off your first order.
 
Connect with Belinda:
 
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau
 
Connect with Kathryn:
 
Website: https://www.thealcoholmindsetcoach.com/
 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealcoholmindsetcoach/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thealcoholmindsetcoach/

Content warning: This episode discusses domestic violence, emotional abuse, coercive control, drug use and stalking.
Belinda sits down with Lauren Jane, founder of Find My Wild, to have an important and honest conversation about domestic violence and emotional abuse.
For years, Lauren was in an abusive relationship without recognising that what she was experiencing was domestic violence. She shares the moment her doctor helped her understand what was happening, what it took to leave with her children, and the challenges of rebuilding her life afterwards.
We also talk about recognising the signs of emotional and coercive abuse, how unhealthy patterns can become familiar, learning to trust yourself again, and the way Lauren realised she had started to become her own abuser through how she spoke to and treated herself.
Lauren’s experience ultimately led her to create Find My Wild, a survivor-led not-for-profit organisation and support platform in Australia providing free resources, community and guidance for people experiencing, leaving, or rebuilding their lives after domestic violence and emotional abuse.
In this episode, we discuss:
The early warning signs of emotional and coercive abuse
The moment Lauren realised she needed to leave
What life can look like after leaving an abusive relationship
Rebuilding your identity and learning to trust yourself again
How unhealthy behaviours can become familiar and feel normal
Why asking “Why didn’t you just leave?” can be so damaging
Lauren's WILD framework for supporting someone experiencing abuse
The story behind Find My Wild and its free app
WILD Conversations and Lauren’s next chapter
Creating safety, financial independence and a plan for leaving

If this episode brings someone to mind, consider sharing it with them gently. Sometimes simply knowing that someone believes you, sees you and is there when you’re ready to talk can make an enormous difference.

Podcast Sponsor:
Evolution Botanicals specialises in functional mushrooms, tonic herbs, and superfoods to support energy, immunity, focus, strength, gut health and wellness. Visit: https://evolutionbotanicals.com.au/andadd BTS10 for 10% off your first order.

Connect with Belinda:
Website: www.belindaanderson.com.au
(sign up to her Newsletter to receive updates on retreats, podcast episodes, and insights to help you heal, grow & thrive).
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belinda.anderson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belindaandersonau

Connect with Lauren :
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/find.my.wild_by_lauren_jane/
Website: https://www.findmywild.com.au/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@find_my_wildbylaurenjane
Book: https://www.findmywild.com.au/copy-of-your-journey
Free Support App: https://findmywild.lovable.app/
Domestic Violence Hotline: 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Australia's national 24/7 service providing free, confidential counselling, information, and support for people impacted by domestic, family, or sexual violence. It also assists friends, family members, and frontline workers supporting those affected.