Feel Better Every Day with Eve Menezes Cunningham

“We get a lot of meaning from creating spaces where people can come and connect, and feel like they’re in a place where they’re welcomed, and that some good things can happen.” ~ John Wilson, Co-director, Online Events
It was SUCH a joy to talk to Online Events’ co-director, John Wilson. As well as talking about his own ideal and actual self-care, Self care and collective care practices, he shares some of what he’s learned through co-creating such a nourishing online community for therapists, counsellors and supervisors.
Chapters
0:01–2:26 Introduction, movement and nervous system support
2:26–3:38 Welcoming John Wilson of Online Events
3:38–6:22 John’s work, community building and setting the context
6:22–9:10 The Feel part: movement, walking, and self-regulation
9:10–12:16 Sleep, flexibility, and adapting self-care when plans change
12:16–14:04 Letting go of perfection and allowing partial practices
14:04–16:59 The Love part: nature, presence, and remembering connection
16:59–19:01 The Heal part: community, meaning, and shared purpose at work
19:01–22:38 Leadership, slowing down, and staying connected under pressure
22:38–24:04 Advice to a younger self and sustaining long-term projects
24:04–26:39 Closing reflections, where to find John, and final notes
Links
Where to find Online Events:
Website:
https://OnlinEvents.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Online Eventscpd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Online Events
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Online Events/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Online Events_saz
Episode 86: Tracy Otsuka on the 43% of ADHDers with Excellent Mental Health
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Definitely movement is helpful for me. I’m not really a stationary person so anything that has movement in it is helpful for me. And that’s both physically and psychologically.
Hi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham, and you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. You can find out more, and access older episodes, at thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com, and you can also access loads of free resources, and find out more about the book 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing, the column I write for Platinum every month, other titles I contribute to, my work, loads of free resources I’ve created over the years.
I really hope you enjoy this episode, and if you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, it goes out on a Monday, Míle Buíochas Mondays. Míle Buíochas means a thousand thank yous in Irish, which I’m very slowly learning.
It’s polyvagal informed journal prompts, to help you each week. There’s the gratitude practice element, figuring out more of what brings you joy on a daily basis, what helps you feel in that ventral vagal, what I call Purr! when I use the rescue cats, with the Polyvagal Purrs approach and I also share some of my own gratitudes, some of the things that have helped me feel more in the ventral vagal that week. Some of those will be resources that might benefit you.
I also share news about upcoming events, special offers, things like that, but the journal prompts also include encouragement to look at what is creating sympathetic survival responses (that Hiss! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and, potentially, the dorsal vagal (Freeze!).
It’s really helping you learn to map your own nervous system, get to know yourself, and get to support yourself, and it’s

Sensory Soothers for Trauma and AuDHD this Brigid: Episode 96 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast
Do you want to learn to soothe and support your extra sensitive (whether through trauma/s, AuDHD (autism and ADHD) or anything else) nervous system?
The Goddess Brigid (we had a bank holiday yesterday to honour her, as well as her namesake, St Brigid, yesterday) is associated with so many wonderful qualities. Use her inspiration, healing and wisdom energies to protect and work with your sensitive nervous system instead of pushing through.
I share some of my personal journey with swimming and sensory challenges, offering practical strategies for finding activities that bring you joy (glimmers) as well as triggering more challenging sensory issues. Navigate sensory triggers with self-compassion and create a self-care practice that honours your AuDHD brain.
#brigid
#sensorydifferences
#sensitivenervoussystem
#audhd
#trauma
CHAPTERS
0:00–2:24 Introduction, AuDHD, balance, and nervous system support
2:24–3:13 Honouring Brigid and working with an extra-sensitive nervous system
3:13–6:03 Swimming as sensory soothing, regulation and coming home to the body
6:03–8:16 Glimmers, play, balance and how swimming supports ADHD symptoms
8:16–10:23 The Feel part: identifying glimmers, benefits and sensory blocks
10:23–12:28 The Love part: self-compassion, adaptation, and working with sensory needs
12:28–14:04 The Heal part: community, co-regulation and choosing when togetherness helps
14:04–15:50 Closing reflections, encouragement and next episode
FULL TRANSCRIPT
I love the balancing elements in terms of ADHD, balance is really helpful in terms of working with the cerebellum part of the brain and that’s really helpful in terms of some of our symptoms.
Hi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham and you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. You can find out more and access older episodes at thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com and you can also access loads of free resources and find out more about the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing, the column I write for Platinum every month, other titles I contribute to, my work, loads of free resources I’ve created over the years.
I really hope you enjoy this episode and if you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, it goes out on a Monday, Míle Buíochas Mondays. Míle Buíochas means a thousand thank yous in Irish, which I’m very slowly learning. It’s polyvagal informed journal prompts to help you each week. There’s the gratitude practice element, figuring out more of what brings you joy on a daily basis, what helps you feel in that ventral vagal state (I call Purr! when I use the rescue cats with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and I also share some of my own gratitudes, some of the things that have helped me feel more in ventral vagal that week.
Some of those will be resources that might benefit you and I also share news about upcoming events, special offers, things like that. The journal prompts also include encouragement to look at what is creating sympathetic survival responses (that Hiss! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and potentially the dorsal vagal (Freeze!). It’s really helping you learn to map your own nervous system, get to know yourself and to support yourself and it’s all free. If you haven’t already, you can sign up at selfcarecoaching.net and if you have any questions again, let me know eve at selfcarecoaching.net. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Welcome to episode 96 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast and this week we’re honouring the Goddess and Saint Brigid. It’s a new bank holiday in Ireland the last few years and Brigid has enormous associations with many, many things but particularly healing, inspiration, wisdom and protection.
I thought that for today’s...

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) can feel debilitating when you’re living with AuDHD (autism and ADHD). In this episode, I share some of my personal journey with RSD - even at age 50! - and introduce some practical tools that help me and which can support you in stopping rejecting yourself.
CHAPTERS
0:00–2:22 Introduction to RSD and nervous system–informed support
2:22–5:23 Why RSD is so excruciating and how self-rejection develops
5:23–8:15 Early criticism, negative conditioning, and the ADHD/RSD cycle
8:15–11:47 RSD in creativity, work, relationships, and self-worth
11:47–13:45 Self-acceptance, self-love, and healing RSD in community
13:45–15:58 Expanding life again: stopping self-rejection and finding support
15:58–19:40 The Feel Love Heal framework and non-violent communication
19:40–24:52 Giraffe and jackal energy: compassion, blame, and nervous system responses
24:52–27:54 Fear of rejection, shame, and a very human yoga story
27:54–31:55 Integration, encouragement, and closing reflections
LINKS
Episode 71: Shadow Work with Black Cats and Sharks
Episode 72: The “Independent Woman” Trap
365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing https://selfcarecoaching.net/book/
https://selfcarecoaching.net/2018/12/05/wellbeing-wednesday-advent-gratitude-practice-and-giraffes-and-jackals-for-better-communication-with-yourself-and-others/
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to Episode 95 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast and it’s part one of on RSD, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, which is so prevalent with AuDHD and that’s autism and ADHD. And it can feel debilitating.
Hi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham and you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. You can find out more and access older episodes at thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com and you can also access loads of free resources and find out more about the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing, the column I write for Platinum every month, other titles I contribute to, my work, loads of free resources I’ve created over the years.
I really hope you enjoy this episode and if you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, it goes out on a Monday, Míle Buíochas Mondays. Míle buíochas means a thousand thank yous in Irish, which I’m very slowly learning and it’s polyvagal-informed journal prompts to help you each week. There’s the gratitude practice element, figuring out more of what brings you joy on a daily basis, what helps you feel in that ventral vagal (I call Purr!) when I use the rescue cats with the Polyvagal Purrs approach. And I also share some of my own gratitude, some of the things that have helped me feel more in ventral vagal that week. Some of those will be resources that might benefit you and I also share news about upcoming events, special offers, things like that.
The journal prompts also include encouragement to look at what is creating sympathetic survival responses (that Hiss! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and potentially the dorsal vagal (Freeze!) It’s really helping you learn to map your own nervous system, get to know yourself and get to support yourself and it’s all free. If you haven’t already you can sign up at selfcarecoaching.net and if you have any questions again let me know either in the comments or at selfcarecoaching.net
I hope you enjoy this episode. I’m not normally someone who re-records things, my style is quite natural and unpolished and sometimes haphazard, but this is possibly the latest, since I...

Am delighted to be sharing this interview with the fantabulous Dr Emma Bede. We met online when we were both presenting at Online Events’ Living and Working with Neurodivergence Conference last year and she is SUCH a joy.
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Here are some of my favourite quotes from our conversation:
“These are the structures I need to have in place. I think as someone with ADHD, I think if I think of that as like, ‘Come on, you’ve got to do this every day for the rest of your life,’ I just get angry.” ~ Dr Emma Bede
“I’m not very good at forming habits. Things don’t become autopilot except for the really unhelpful things. I played Candy Crush once and I’m going to play it every day for the rest of my life. But for the helpful things, I’m never on autopilot, you know, I always need the reminders, the prompts, the visual cues, the apps, the habit trackers. But I’ve been gradually adding more and more things.” ~ Dr Emma Bede
“I can’t do all of those things every day, but they go in waves and I’m getting better over time at noticing, oh, I’ve skipped a few days of this actually. And I quite kind of miss it and I want to come back to it. I want to feel how I feel when I do that thing and that might mean that I give up on something else a little bit.” ~ Dr Emma Bede
“I’m saying to other people, ‘Well, that’s OK. That’s how your body works. That’s how your brain works. Let’s find a way to go with that. Let’s find a way to go with the rhythm of that.’ And then to walk out of the room and swear at myself for doing the exact same thing? You can only sustain that for so long.” ~ Dr Emma Bede
“If you’re holding a screwdriver in your hand and everyone else is holding a spanner, you can sit there for years trying to use it as a spanner and it’s not going to work. But then you go, ‘Do you know what? This is a screwdriver. I cannot do the things that those people can do with their spanners, but screwdrivers can do amazing stuff. I’m going to go do some of those things!’” ~ Dr Emma Bede
JOURNAL PROMPTS
As you watch or listen to our interview, ask yourself:
· Who can you be that honest with in your life? Advocating for your sensory needs while also loving and accepting them?· How can you be kinder to yourself when you meltdown? What will help you repair? Remember, the reparation allows deeper healing and connection than if you were to somehow magically become the perfect parent/partner/therapist etc.Let me know in the comments or by email – [email protected]
le grá (with love),
Eve
CHAPTERS
0:00–1:54 Self-care without punishment: the paradox of acceptance and change
1:54–5:13 Welcome and introductions: Dr Emma Bede
5:13–13:02 Ideal vs actual self-care: ACT, gentleness, and finding a rhythm that works with ADHD/autism
13:02–20:06 Self-acceptance, perfectionism, and “acceptance permits change” (including the screwdriver metaphor and RSD moment)
20:06–28:21 Support systems and boundaries: co-regulation, humour, cats and spotting capacity before meltdown
28:21–33:06 Healing your Younger Self: reassurance, being more of you, and not being a “tribute band”
33:06–35:35 Where to find Emma, book mention and closing notes
LINKS
Emma Bede’s website:
https://www.willowpsychology.co.uk/
https://thefeelbettereverydaypodcast
for all episodes and more information
https://selfcarecoaching.net
for free resources (including Míle Buíochas Mondays), more...

GET YOUR FREE POLYVAGAL-INFORMED JOURNAL PROMPTS HERE
If it hadn’t been for the immediate pain relief from the endometriosis, I’d have run a gazillion miles in the opposite direction from yoga, breathwork and meditation. Back in 2001, I didn’t understand about the impact my trauma history had on my capacity to feel safe around other humans, let alone my differently wired brain and extra sensitive nervous system.
I’d adore elements (was getting up for 6.30am classes in London at one point) but be full of angst – which I blamed myself for – around many other seemingly inevitable parts of every class (e.g. other people’s feet waaaay too close to my face when I struggled with even my own feet being so close).
In this episode, I share some of my yoga glimmers as well as triggers and ideas – using the Feel. Love. Heal. framework – to help you give yourself the chance to experience calm and ease as you build strength, resilience, flexibility, focus, stamina, balance and reconnect with the peace and joy that are your birthright.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
As you watch or listen to this episode, ask yourself:
What do I hate about yoga, meditation and breathwork?
Might there be ways around it?
To get the benefits without wanting to run a gazillion miles in the opposite direction?
What do I LOVE about them? In the moment? For minutes, hours and even days afterwards?
What will you do differently (with your self-talk and communicating your needs and wants to others) as a result of watching or listening to this episode?
Let me know in the comments or by email – [email protected]
And if you’re feeling sad reading this because you can’t think of anything that supportive, let it be a cue to encourage you to be open to more of it in 2026 and beyond.
LINKS
Moving into 2026 with Roxy Romaniuk: https://youtu.be/3fZVHL_4wzk
Community as Self Care (with Elizabeth Potts): https://youtu.be/ukjngIR6U_w
Book bonus videos: https://selfcarecoaching.net/book/
Míle Buíochas Mondays: https://feelbettereveryday.kit.com/f7f730d651
Trauma-informed and neuro-affirming yoga, breathwork and meditation: https://selfcarecoaching.net/services/yoga-and-meditation/
Endometriosis:
https://selfcarecoaching.net/?s=endometriosis
CHAPTERS
0:00–4:12 Introduction and recognising the benefits of yoga, breathwork, and meditation
4:12–8:43 Trauma-informed and neuro-affirming approaches and adapting practice to your needs
8:43–11:34 Sensory considerations, self-advocacy and embracing self-love
11:34–15:34 Community, co-regulation and giving yourself permission to experiment
15:34–20:16 Resources, support and moving further into 2026
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Do you like the idea of yoga, breathwork, meditation, but think that with your trauma history, hypervigilance, AuDHD (that’s autism and ADHD) brain, you simply can’t?
This episode will share some of the things that I use with clients and students, as well as the things that have helped yoga, breathwork and meditation really become a way which I come home to myself, rather than a way in which it often felt quite torturous.
Welcome to Episode 93 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. I’m your host and producer, Eve Menezes Cunningham. I’m an author,...