The messaging, input and culture around women's bodies is horrid, toxic and mean. 

As humans, we naturally internalise that and turn it on ourselves, hoping that if we improve and get better, the problem will go away.  

But this is an abuse, and like any toxic, abusive relationship, the demand for us (the innocent) to change is insatiable, and the responsibility taken by the other party is nil. 

What happens is that we become horrid, toxic and mean to ourselves.  

But let's stop. 

Let's use our skin as the barrier. 

All that toxic messaging can stay on the external. 

Let's make our internal worlds places of safety, love and compassion.

I have created "From Insecurity to Body Confidence, A Self-compassionate" to guide you.  

Check it out here https://nicole-mathieson.thinkific.com/courses/Insecurity-to-body-confidence

About Nicole

Nicole Mathieson has impacted the lives of thousands of women through her writing,

speaking, podcasts and work as a counsellor.

In the therapy room, Nicole sees the Beauty Load doing its self-esteem-stealing damage in

real time as she helps her clients grapple with not feeling good enough to love. 

By sharing her own awkward stories and negative self-talk, Nicole inspires a deep exhale

of recognition from her clients and readers alike, who, for possibly the first time, realise they

are not alone, not crazy and absolutely not inadequate. 

The Beauty Load is Nicole’s first book.

About the Book

Do you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to others, and feeling like

you don’t measure up?

This is the Beauty Load in action, and here’s the thing: it’s not personal, in fact

it is inevitable in this world obsessed with beauty.

Our personal perception of our beauty, or the lack of it, can make us feel anything

from numb to anxious, stressed and ashamed, and at worst like we don’t belong and

that we are not worthy of being loved. 

In the Beauty Load, counsellor Nicole Mathieson exposes the damaging and

unrealistic beauty pressures society places on women, and shares how to lighten the

load for good through awareness, self-compassion and a realignment with your

deepest values.

Reclaim your freedom, confidence and self-love.

Website nicolemathieson.com/

Instagram @nicole.mathieson @the.beautyload

Buy the book nicolemathieson.com/thebeautyload

Get the course nicole-mathieson.thinkific.com/courses/Insecurity-to-body-confidence

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

We all go through life transitions, from one phase or stage of life to another. These days most of us are barely aware of the passing of stages but centuries ago our ancestors and still today in trobal cultures around the world, these transitions were marked with ceremony and reverance to herald in these new qualities, capacities and new wisdom gathered as we passed from one stage to the next. My guest today on the Beauty Load podcast is Sarah Durham Wilson. Sarah is a feminine rites of passage mentor and she is helping us reconnect to the archetypal transitions as a way of helping women move from the wounded maiden to the mature feminine. And oh my, does this have a lot to do with the Beauty Load. As Sarah shares, patriarchy has encouraged the pursuit of perfection, and as maidens we can become stuck in the insatiable quest to be validated. Whereas, the mature feminine validates herself.

Join Sarah and I in this episode, as we unpack the gifts of this transition from Maiden to Mother, which is the title of Sarah's recently published book with Sounds True.

This is actually Sarah's 2nd appearance on my podcast. She was first a guest back in 2016 with the episode named "you can't keep a good witch down", back when my podcast was named Unbreakable. You can listen to it here.

About Sarah Durham Wilson 

Sarah Durham Wilson midwives women from the wounded, patriarchalized feminine across the bridge to the archetypal Mother, or mature feminine. Before her service to the Goddess, she was a rock journalist in New York City, beginning with an internship at Rolling Stone and culminating as an editor at Interview magazine. She now lives on Martha’s Vineyard.

Where to find Sarah

Instagram @sarahofmagdalene

Website themotherspirit.com/sarahofmagdalene

Books soundstrue.com/products/maiden-to-mother

About Nicole

Nicole Mathieson has impacted the lives of thousands of women through her writing,

speaking, podcasts and work as a counsellor.

In the therapy room, Nicole sees the Beauty Load doing its self-esteem-stealing damage in

real time as she helps her clients grapple with not feeling good enough to love. 

By sharing her own awkward stories and negative self-talk, Nicole inspires a deep exhale

of recognition from her clients and readers alike, who, for possibly the first time, realise they

are not alone, not crazy and absolutely not inadequate. 

The Beauty Load is Nicole’s first book.

About the Book

Do you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to others, and feeling like

you don’t measure up?

This is the Beauty Load in action, and here’s the thing: it’s not personal, in fact

it is inevitable in this world obsessed with beauty.

Our personal perception of our beauty, or the lack of it, can make us feel anything

from numb to anxious, stressed and ashamed, and at worst like we don’t belong and

that we are not worthy of being loved. 

In the Beauty Load, counsellor Nicole Mathieson exposes the damaging and

unrealistic beauty pressures society places on women, and shares how to lighten the

load for good through awareness, self-compassion and a realignment with your

deepest values.

Reclaim your freedom, confidence and self-love.

Website nicolemathieson.com/

Instagram @nicole.mathieson @the.beautyload

Buy the book nicolemathieson.com/thebeautyload

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

My guest on this episode of the Beauty Load podcast is Dr Anita Vandyke, a qualified rocket scientist and medical Dr who has put on yet another hat, as an Instagram influencer over on @rocket_science where she channels her passion for sustainability and zero waste living.

 ​

Anita has written 2 books A Zero Waste Life and A Zero Waste Family. Highly recommend.

But As you will hear, Anita wasn’t always a minimalist – in fact she says in her early twenties she was a stiletto shoe wearing, designer bag chasing maximalist! She lived a life of excess, thinking that material goods would lead to happiness, but surprise surprise, it didn't! 

I only mentioned the environmental impacts of beauty related consumerism and fast fashion a tiny bit in my book despite it being something I am personally passionate about. So, I am so grateful to be able to explore the topic and share this conversation with Anita. I hope you find a spark of inspiration in this chat to edge a little closer to zero waste for you.

There is trigger warning on this episode. Anita tragically lost her husband earlier in 2022, the year we recorded the episode. We talk about this loss in our conversation.

Where to find Anita

Instagram @rocket_science

Website www.anitavandyke.com/

Books www.anitavandyke.com/books

About Nicole

Nicole Mathieson has impacted the lives of thousands of women through her writing,

speaking, podcasts and work as a counsellor.

In the therapy room, Nicole sees the Beauty Load doing its self-esteem-stealing damage in

real time as she helps her clients grapple with not feeling good enough to love. 

By sharing her own awkward stories and negative self-talk, Nicole inspires a deep exhale

of recognition from her clients and readers alike, who, for possibly the first time, realise they

are not alone, not crazy and absolutely not inadequate. 

The Beauty Load is Nicole’s first book.

About the Book

Do you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to others, and feeling like

you don’t measure up?

This is the Beauty Load in action, and here’s the thing: it’s not personal, in fact

it is inevitable in this world obsessed with beauty.

Our personal perception of our beauty, or the lack of it, can make us feel anything

from numb to anxious, stressed and ashamed, and at worst like we don’t belong and

that we are not worthy of being loved. 

In the Beauty Load, counsellor Nicole Mathieson exposes the damaging and

unrealistic beauty pressures society places on women, and shares how to lighten the

load for good through awareness, self-compassion and a realignment with your

deepest values.

Reclaim your freedom, confidence and self-love.

Website nicolemathieson.com/

Instagram @nicole.mathieson @the.beautyload

Buy the book nicolemathieson.com/thebeautyload

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