Balanced Giving, Joyful Living
Do the inner work to do your outer work without overwhelm or resentment.
You’re here because you’ve reached a turning point.
Perhaps life has delivered a solid smack in the mouth. A relationship has irrevocably broken down. You have (or someone you love has) received a life-changing diagnosis. You’ve lost someone (I’m sorry). Or your latest challenge has tipped you over from ‘running-on-coffee-and-false-optimism’ to ‘wondering-if-running-away-to-join-the-circus-is-still-an-option’.
Perhaps your turning point is erupting from within. Enough is enough. You’re burned out. Your overwhelm is…well…overwhelming. Every day feels like a race to the bottom of your to-do list - but you never get to the finish line.
(And, while we’re talking about ‘to-do’ lists - ever feel like it’s less your ‘to-do’ list, and more a ‘things-I’m-doing-for-everyone-else’ list?)
While you’re spinning round that hamster wheel, not even wanting to do half the things you’re committed to, you’re also feeling guilty for not being more present with your kids. Regretting that you and your partner are like ships in the night. Angry because there’s never any bloody time for you (not that you’d take it if there was, because then you’d feel guilty, obvs).
You know things have to change, but you’ve been over-giving for so long, it’s hard to imagine being any other way.
You’re smart and passionate and driven and you want to do and be so many things! You know you’re trying to do too much, but you tell yourself you can’t possibly give these things up, and you don’t want to give those things up, which leaves…oh. Nothing.
**shrugs shoulders and carries on doing the work of six people**
Giving is part of who you are - you’re proud to help others. But you often tip from giving to overgiving. Which leaves you feeling exhausted and guilty and cross-at-being-under-appreciated, all at the same time.
You know you need “better boundaries” and you’ve tried putting them in place, only to see them crumble in the face of other people’s needs (you can’t stand the feeling of disappointing someone).
But don’t worry!
**cue inspiring music, swelling to a climax**
We’ve got just the thing to fix you.
Meditation! Yoga! Therapy! Coaching! Eat this! Take that! Here’s a productivity hack or ten! You simply need to find 5 extra hours a week to do it, and everything will be al…..
Wait.
Can you hear that?
That tiny, oh-so-quiet voice, deep inside, saying…
‘F*ck that sh*t. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.’
Boundaries are part of the answer, but it’s often sold as the whole answer. There is so much other work that needs to happen before you can set, and hold, healthy boundaries that will keep you giving joyfully, without depleting your own resources.
I help helpers help others without losing their sh*t.
I do that by connecting you with your inner voice (the badass one, not the annoying one that tells you you shoulda stopped at one bottle), and turning what that voice says into real-life change.
Your inner voice is a kick-ass, punk-rockin’, freedom-fighting zen-master who’s been sidelined for way too long (and is kinda pissed about it). It’ll come around when you start paying it some attention.
Here’s the thing about trying to fight overwhelm with meditation and yoga and therapy and nature and all the things.
They are all genuinely great.
(Weren’t expecting that, were ya?)
BUT, they’re falling short for two reasons:
1.
You’re trying to use them to reach entirely impossible expectations. You’ll never have a truly joyful life if you keep on trying to do everything for everybody. All. The. Time.
2.
They use the wisdom of your mind, or your body, but rarely connect the two. So you never have access to your full (kick-ass, punk-rockin’, freedom-fighting, zen-master) power.
Your challenge isn’t how to pack more things in your day. You do not need another productivity app. The challenges you really need to address are probably the ones you aren’t aware of.
Hello…
Magical thinking
You don’t really accept the bounds of time and space (you only have so much time, energy and attention, but you keep piling on more things and wondering why you can’t do it all). It’s literally impossible to do everything for everyone all the time. Magical thinking comes from internalising the unreasonable expectations handed to you, often at an early age. And it’s reinforced by seeing the curated images of other people who are seemingly able to do it all (spoiler alert: they’re not able to either). You “know” you’re trying to do too much, but you don’t know-know it.
Feeling boxed in
You feel like circumstances are out of control. The long hours you’re expected to put in, the lack of resources you’re constantly navigating, putting out fires as they spring up; it’s easy to feel like tasks keep coming at you, and there’s nothing you can do but add it to your list (shoving other priorities down to make room). How true this is, versus how true this feels, is worth investigating.
‘All or Nothing’ mindset
You bring incredible focus and drive, throwing yourself fully into each priority—so fully, in fact, that it sometimes feels like there’s no middle ground. This all-or-nothing mindset is your superpower, letting you excel in ways others might not, but it also has a dark side. It leads to burnout, a cycle of intense effort followed by deep exhaustion, and eventually, the feeling of being trapped. While this intensity can push you to accomplish great things, it’s a demanding cycle that rarely allows room for balance, which is what truly sustains you.
If you could think your way out of the overwhelm cycle, you’d have done it by now.
You need to build your mind-body connection.
My blend of coaching and breathwork helps you soothe your nervous system, and process the stuck emotions and trauma that so often underlie our choices. This helps you to feel safe establishing and holding boundaries and make clear, conscious decisions about how to spend your time.
This is about listening to that kick-ass, zen-master inner voice that is so often drowned out by “The Noise”.
“The Noise”
Internalised expectations, inner critic voice, media (including social media), ideas/stories/values passed down in your family and community telling you “the right way” and “the wrong way” to live.
The Noise is what makes it so hard to say No. The noise is what keeps you in cycles of overgiving to depletion. You can’t start holding boundaries until you start listening through the noise to that inner voice.
That’s what we’re doing here.
Welcome to…Balanced Giving, Joyful Living
What you can expect
In your first month, we’ll meet weekly to set a strong foundation for our work together. While the format may vary depending on your needs, here’s a typical flow:
Week 1
2 hours online
Setting agreements for our relationship (contracts suck - this is where we make real-world commitments to each other, like the adults we are) and teasing out your goals (and how we’re going to measure them, coz I don’t know about you, but I like to see real-world progress).
Week 2
2 hours online or in-person in Sheffield
An introductory, straight-up breathwork session, in which I’ll analyse your breath pattern and teach you my breathing technique. We’ll have time for a mini-breathe-and-receive and I’ll give you a daily breath practice to take away.
Week 3
90 minutes online or in-person in Sheffield
A full, straight-up breathwork session, which will really get things moving, as well as getting you really tuned into the breathing technique.
Week 4
90 minutes online or in-person in Sheffield
A mixed coaching and breathwork session, where we’ll start bringing body and mind together. (Well, to be honest, we’ll be doing that in all the sessions, coz I’m sneaky like that!)
After that, we get real flexible.
You can have as many sessions a month as you like.
Yes, really. I don’t like to dictate how often we’ll meet, because real life doesn’t work like that. Sometimes it will help you to meet weekly, for accountability or because you’re wading through a challenging time; sometimes you’ll want more time between sessions, because you need space for reflection, or time to make changes. (It usually averages out to around two sessions a month, but if it turns out to be more, that’s cool).
You can have straight-up coaching, straight-up breathwork, or a mixture of both along with other techniques - whatever will be most supportive. You can even book in a 20/30 minute laser coaching session if you need in-the-moment support.
If that much flexibility freaks you the hell out and you prefer more structure, that’s cool too - we’ll work out the perfect session set-up for you once you’ve experienced the first four weeks (but I double-dare you! Try listening to that inner voice and going with what you need in the moment…)
Your investment
£300 per month. This includes as many sessions as you need, as well as free access to any of my workshops.
I know, I charge less than a lot of other coaches and breathworkers with my experience. It’s a conscious decision on my part - because I don’t think that giving and living joyfully should require the sale of your first born child (and no, I don’t want your first born child. I’m happy with my own). And before you ask, yes, I know my worth (and no, it’s not glued to my pricing like some weird art project).
Your commitment
I require a minimum commitment of three months, because we’re not playing. We’re in this to make real change (and when I say ‘we’, I mean it - I go ALL in for each and every one of my clients) - and real change takes time. Once the three months are over, you can stay with me as long as you like or you can cancel any time.
During our time together…
I’ll empower you to get clear on your truest, most beautiful dream for yourself - and where you stand right now.
We’ll chart a path from here to there, and start you stepping down that path straight away.
I’ll assess how well resourced you are (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually), and we’ll create habits, routines and rituals which will help you consistently resource yourself even more.
We’ll dig deep into how you spend your time, why you spend your time that way, and how you’d like to be spending it instead. Then we’ll craft a schedule that brings you more joy, right now.
We’ll uncover your beliefs around setting boundaries, and I’ll show you how to set the boundaries you need to keep giving and living joyfully.
We’ll pour some love into your most important relationships, giving you the tools to be more present, boundaried and intentional.
I’ll support you to safely process stuck emotions and old trauma, freeing you to step into your new, more joyful life.
I’ll set you challenges, gift you practices and keep you accountable…because the real work takes place between our sessions…and I want real change for you, as much as you want it for yourself.
Curious?
Your next step is to book a gift Space to Breathe session.
This isn’t a session to talk about working together.
It’s an obligation-free, guided exploration of what's most important to you—your dreams, challenges, and untapped potential - blended with a little gentle breathwork. Expect to leave with a clearer mind, a fuller breath, and bespoke journaling prompts to keep the insights flowing
It helps us to get to know each other and gives you a little taste of what we’ll be doing in Balanced Giving, Joyful Living.
If we both come away from that session feeling excited and like there’s more to explore, then we’ll book in a chat to discuss if Balanced Giving, Joyful Living is right for you.
Book your Space to Breathe session below.
“Mia made me feel safe, nourished and cared for. Her blend of coaching, breathwork and practices - such as journaling - was what helped me to finally make progress after all these years.
The breathwork soothed my frazzled nervous system so I could safely be with my emotions, and focus on the big life questions.
Her journaling prompts helped me look inwards and find some kindness for myself.
Her coaching pulled it all together, making connections and pulling out insights that helped me move forward and make real changes in my life.”
- Charlie M.
A note on trauma and safety…
Breathwork is an incredible healing tool which can release stored and unprocessed trauma. It can be the missing piece when traditional therapy has helped, but things still feel unresolved and your healing has plateaued. I’ve supported many clients to process trauma with both straight-up-breathwork and through Balanced Giving, Joyful Living.
If you are currently processing ‘major’ trauma, I generally require you to have received therapy of some kind before we work together. Of course, there’s no way of defining ‘major’ trauma. We’ve all been exposed to trauma - what differs is the magnitude and impact of that trauma, our experience of it, and where we are in our healing journey. This is one of the reasons I gift you a Space to Breathe session before inviting you to Balanced Giving, Joyful Living - it helps me to ensure you’re getting the right support for you.
Wondering About…?
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I totally get that - in fact, I’d say it’s impossible to understand either of them without experiencing them. Which is exactly why I offer a gift Space to Breathe session - so you can get a taste of both. Then, if you’re interested in working with me, we’ll book a separate chat to talk about it and answer any questions you might have - I want us both to be completely confident that this will support you to make the changes you want in your life - that this is the very best use of your energy, time and money.
But seeing as you asked…Coaching is a process that helps you clarify your goals, overcome obstacles, and create a path toward personal growth, while breathwork is a practice that uses controlled breathing techniques to reduce stress, increase focus, and enhance overall wellbeing. Together, they support lasting change by aligning mind and body.
Think of coaching as your personal cheerleader with a map, helping you navigate life’s twists and turns, while breathwork is like hitting the 'reboot' button on your stress levels—because sometimes the best solutions start with an exhale.
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Snap! (go check out my About page for all the things I tried over the years!). Firstly, let me say that you haven’t wasted any time on those other things - they’re all helpful to an extent, even if they haven’t been the magic bullet you were hoping for. Truth is, there is no magic bullet (sorry).
I’m not going to tell you why working with me will solve all your problems, because I don’t know that yet! I don’t know you or your problems. Book in a gift Space to Breathe session, and if that goes well, we can book in a chat to make sure I’m the best person to support you reach your goals.
But what I will say is that Balanced Giving, Joyful Living has worked for lots of people who, like you, have tried lots of things. And that’s because a) it uses the power of our mind/body connection (which is often missing from the other things we’ve tried) and b) I’ve spent close to 15 years trying all the things myself, and blending the very best of those things to create change for and with my clients.
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This reminds me of that old zen proverb: ‘You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour.’
You know you need to make changes in your life. If you don’t have time to do that, then you definitely need to make changes in your life. And you need support to do it. Get that support from me or someone else, but please…get it.
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Let me stop you right there. I’ve worked with thousands of people on these issues, so I feel very confident in pointing out the most relevant word in your question is ‘seem’. To everyone else, you ‘seem’ to be coping too. Because we’re all amazing at putting our best face on, aren’t we? When I work with groups, hands-down the most common piece of feedback I get is ‘I didn’t know everyone else felt this way’.
You’re not in a mess. You’re doing your best to meet absolutely batshit-crazy expectations in a world that is not set up to support you. Let’s help you step off that hamster wheel, define life on your own terms, and start feeling like the lead character in your own life instead of a confused extra in someone else’s - because you deserve a headline role, not just a cameo.
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You mention vulnerability, so obviously I have to bring Brené Brown into the conversation!“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness. Vulnerability is the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it appears that it’s also the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, of love.”
Being vulnerable is scary. I am very, very good at making you feel safe when you’re being vulnerable. In fact, I’m known for it.
‘I was at such a vulnerable point when I started my journey with you. You created a space where I could feel safe and focus on my breathing to reassure and soothe my nervous system, which was so invaluable.’
‘I’d been struggling with some difficult family dynamics that had been triggering (I have PTSD) and was really concerned about 'getting too emotional in the sessions'. I needn’t have worried. I felt really held and safe throughout my sessions - your gentle words, presence and reassurance when I was emotional enhanced everything.’
‘You make me feel super-human – like I can do anything!’
‘You create a trusting, warm and open space – I always feel safe with you.’
‘When we coach, I feel like everything that was out of control can be dealt with.’
‘You always come with good energy – I know there’s going to be some fun, no matter how bad things are.’
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Nope, not at all.
JUST KIDDING! 🤣
Yes, it absolutely does. Breathwork is all about you, your breath, and your mind-body connection - as long as you’re with yourself, it doesn’t matter where I am! I’ve received separate training to be a breathwork guide both in-person, and online. Whilst you miss the additional benefit of touch found in in-person breathwork, it’s wonderful to have your session in the comfort of your own home, so that you can fully relax in your own environment and not have to travel anywhere afterwards.
Any other questions?
Drop me a line at hello@changefoundry.org.uk - I’m happy to help.