9: It's All About Balance...

Is there such a thing a living a life that is perfectly balanced? Hollywood actor Idris Elba has said that he has had therapy to shift his attitude to work, because he finds it more enjoyable to work than to spend time with his family. Can we relate? Hell yes!We discuss why work is more fun than parenting and partnering, but no one wants to admit it. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasteringMidlifePodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/

In this show we talk about our Four Things – the list that we compile every week of four things that we have done to fill our cup that have nothing to do with work. They don’t have to be impressive; they can be small things – like the joy of selling something you don’t want any more, or binge-watching a great TV show. Or it can mean literally filling your cup with something lovely, as our guest Helen McGinn from The Knackered Wine Mother’s Club, best-selling author and wine expert on This Morning and Saturday Kitchen explains. She shares her insights into why wine is such a staple of women in midlife, and whether ‘good’ or ‘bad’ wine is related to the price of the plonk.Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasteringMidlifePodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/Helen McGinn: https://www.knackeredmotherswineclub.com/about-me/

5 Marriages, 4 Children, 3 Divorces, 2 Dogs, 1 Joint Effort at Mastering Midlife. No one gets it right all the time. Especially when it comes to relationships, parenting, step-parenting and general ‘adulting’... Join Andrea McLean and Nick Feeney as they share their highs, lows and everything in between as they attempt to Master Midlife.Our theme today is surviving an affair, or in other words: ‘getting back to normal after a monumental f**k up’, and helping us look at this from a parenting perspective is Parenting Coach Jane Dockerill. Everyone will have their own view on whether or not it’s a good idea, as David and Victoria Beckham have found following their Netflix documentary last year, but as Jane explains the only opinions that matter are yours and your children’s.So, what’s the best advice for parents who decide to keep going, especially when it has been made public? And how can families overcome this monumental f**k up and come out stronger?Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasteringMidlifePodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/ Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/Jane Dockerill: https://www.befreelifecoaching.co.uk/about

In today’s show we look at the issues surrounding the Holy Grail of midlife – getting a good night’s sleep. We discuss the pros and cons of going to bed on an argument; is it always a bad idea, or is getting some shut-eye so you can think straight actually a sensible thing to do? We also talk about the big issues surrounding sleeping together; duvet hogging, snoring, larks and night owls… plus, are separate bedrooms the death knell of a relationship? And we find out who wins in the ‘snooze you lose’ debate!Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasteringMidlifePodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/

Our guests today are David and Carrie Grant, who have so much to share on today’s theme of communication. It’s one of the first things to break down when relationships are challenged, and as a couple who have lived, loved, parented and worked together for more than two decades, they have a lot of wisdom to share about how have they coped during their many ups and downs. David and Carrie have worked in entertainment for as long as they’ve been together, coaching pop luminaries such as Take That and the Spice Girls, as well as presenting and coaching on shows such as Fame Academy and The One Show. They are also the authors of ‘A Very Modern Family – Stories and Guidance to Nurture Your Relationships’ which explores their dynamics as a mixed-race couple and parents to four children – one of whom is adopted. Their challenges include mental health issues, neurodivergence, non-binary identities and various sexualities.  It’s a lot. And as you’ll hear in today’s show, it is love, humour, compassion and communication that keeps them on track.Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasteringMidlifePodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/Carrie and David Grant: https://carrieanddavidgrant.com/

Today’s episode is a juicy one! We uncover the truth behind those little white lies we all tell. Do they actually help a relationship stay on track, or are they building a web of deceit and mistrust? And during our chat about friends who don’t play fair when it comes to splitting the bill, Nick spills the beans on a deeply unattractive trait that a certain person has that will leave you never trusting your friends again! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasteringMidlifePodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/

Sometimes in midlife we have change thrust upon us, as was the case for our guest, comedian Helen Thorn, who found herself unexpectedly and heartbreakingly single just as the world went into lockdown in 2020.Helen is one half of the award-winning comedy duo Scummy Mummies. She is also a Sunday Times Best Selling author with her book ‘Get Divorced, Be Happy’. In today’s episode we discuss the shock of unexpected change, and how resetting our attitude to find health and happiness can sometimes bring its own challenges.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasteringMidlifePodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/Helen Thorn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmehelenthorn/  

The first Monday in January is the busiest day of the year for divorce lawyers, which is why our guest today is the world’s leading Divorce Coach Sara Davison, who specialises in supporting people through this really challenging time. We discuss how it works, what the most common reasons are for calling it quits, and how both the people who help you out, and the people who never call, are never who we expect in this time of crisis. We also play a very surprising (and revealing) game of Snog, Marry, Divorce!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteringmidlifepodcast/Andrea Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreamclean1/Nick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickfeeneycoach/Sara Davison: https://www.saradavison.com/

Our first episode is all about Surviving Christmas, which can be really difficult as a blended family, (which we are) so we are joined by the amazing family coach Jane Dockerill to talk us through solutions to sticking points, and how to navigate the challenges surrounding the first ever Christmas as a newly single parent. We also cover the important stuff as well - like which of these saves us all from festive fury: watching telly or playing board games? And are dad jokes the antidote to dinner time dramas? You know, the big things.