A Thought I Kept
A Thought I Kept is a podcast about the ideas that stay with us, long after we’ve forgotten the rest. In each episode, a guest shares the one thought that shaped their life — the one they couldn’t let go of, and maybe you won’t either.
A Thought I Kept
Reimagining Self-Care in a World That Teaches Us to Be Selfless with Suzy Reading
What if self-care wasn’t about adding more to your to-do list but about rethinking what care even means? In this episode, Claire Fitzsimmons speaks with Chartered psychologist, coach and author Suzy Reading about the often invisible emotional labor of women, the cultural messaging that teaches us to ignore our needs, and the radical act of allowing ourselves to be cared for.
Suzy, author of the new book “How to Be Selfish: Seven Steps to Taking Back Your Power,” shares her personal evolution with self-care from early moments on the ice rink to navigating motherhood, grief, and perimenopause. Together, they explore how guilt, hyper-independence, and people-pleasing disconnect us from our emotional needs, and what it takes to advocate for ourselves gently and clearly.
Topics Covered:
- Why so many women feel guilty for needing care
- Emotional health as a guide, not a flaw
- The hidden emotional toll of “being the strong one”
- Small, real-world ways to practice self-advocacy
- How to begin receiving help without shame
Timestamps:
01:07 The Importance of Self-Care
17:38 Embracing Emotions and Building a Toolkit
24:43 Reclaiming the True Meaning of Self-Care
26:49 Advocating for Yourself in Relationships
38:03 Reflecting on the Year and Setting Intentions
Suzy Reading is a Chartered Psychologist and one of the UK’s leading self-care and self-advocacy experts. She has three decades of experience in the health and wellbeing industry, drawing on her qualifications in yoga and personal training, together with psychology, to empower people with sustainable healthy lifestyle habits. Suzy is a monthly columnist for Top Sante Magazine; the Psychology Expert for Neom Organics and is a founding member of the ‘Nourish’ app. She is the author of many books including The Little Book of Self-Care, The Self-Care Revolution, Self-care for Tough Times, And Breathe, Sit to Get Fit, Rest to Reset and Self-care for Winter. How to Be Selfish is hot of the press
About Claire Fitzsimmons
Claire is the host of A Thought I Kept, a wellbeing writer and the co-founder of If Lost Start Here, a company on a mission to get people to a better place, sometimes literally. As an ICF Associate Certified Coach and a certified Emotions Coach Practitioner, Claire helps women navigate the everyday lost moments of their lives. Claire writes on Substack under MoreGoodDays. Interested in working with Claire? Details here.
Like what you heard?
Subscribe to A Thought I Kept for conversations about the ideas that last a lifetime. Follow the podcast on Instagram
Affiliate links: Edited on Descript and Buzzsprout
