Kate James

Lately, I've been re-reading one of my favourite books about mindfulness, and it's been so lovely to be reminded of the basics.

It’s had me reflecting on all the ways mindfulness has changed my life, and I think maybe the most significant is how I try to show up in my relationships.

These tips aren't from the book itself, but if you're keen to explore the foundations from two of the best teachers, I recommend Mindfulness by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. It's an excellent read. ✨️

“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful – an endless prospect of magic and wonder.” Ansel Adams

I know it doesn't always seem this way, particularly lately, but moments like these are a lovely reminder that there is joy to be found in the smallest of things.

I hope you find a moment of magic or wonder in your week. ✨️

(And for those of you with a keen eye, the photo I shared in March included this little darling's big sister at the same age, with an earlier batch of chickens).

We had lunch with old friends who were visiting the Peninsula on the weekend, and before heading home, we decided to take a look at the back beach just as the sun was setting.

You wouldn’t know it from this photo, but the swell was huge, and the sea was wild, and there was a heavy sea mist in the air. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we were enveloped in that beautiful briny smell of the ocean. The wind whipped around my hair, and I had an immediate feeling of elation.

Later, I started thinking about how we don’t do enough of these impromptu things. We get so caught up in our everyday routines. And while I really do love a peaceful and predictable way of living, there’s definitely an aliveness that comes from doing something out of the ordinary.

So here’s an invitation for the week ahead.

Try mixing things up a little.

Doing something different doesn’t need to be significant, but it might feel slightly inconvenient. See if you can push past any initial resistance and just be curious about what might happen.

Take a different route to the shops. Visit a place you've never been. Call someone you've been meaning to catch up with for a while. Order something different from the menu. Walk along a beach at sunset when you hadn't planned to.

Small changes have a way of waking us up and making us feel alive again. ✨️

Every Monday morning for the past five years, I have hosted a live meditation on , focused on finding inner peace.

It felt daunting at first, but now it’s become one of the most meaningful parts of my week.

We often have around 200 people join from all over the world, and we’ve created our own little community. There is so much kindness in the group, which is a beautiful thing to see.

And perhaps most importantly, we’re not just practising inner peace – we’re committed to creating a more peaceful world around us. It feels like something we need now more than ever.

If you’d like to join us, you’ll find the link below. Download the Insight Timer app and join the live session for free. 🙏

https://insighttimer.com/katejames/events

Almost every woman I’ve worked with over the past couple of decades is high-functioning. All have done well in their chosen careers or life paths, yet still they put themselves under a lot of pressure.

And so often they feel not good enough.

A while ago, I wrote about how this shows up in many different ways, and how I believe these patterns are often linked to our stress responses (I’ve included a link to the article at the top of my bio).

We fight by pushing ourselves to burnout, comparing to others or putting ourselves under extreme pressure.

We flee by walking away from opportunities to shine, by not pushing ourselves to apply for a promotion or market our businesses with confidence.

We freeze when we procrastinate, and we fawn when we fall into people-pleasing – not setting boundaries and putting everyone else’s needs ahead of our own.

If this sounds like you, you might notice that you have a preference for one or more of these patterns, but it could be that you oscillate between a couple of them.

The first step in moving beyond these limiting behaviours is to raise your awareness.

This week, start to notice when your ‘not good enough’ story is running the show. Catch yourself before taking on another commitment. Acknowledge one of your achievements. Do something imperfectly and let that be okay.

But most importantly, pause that self-critical voice and replace it with words of kindness. Remind yourself that you don't need to be perfect to be loveable and you don't need to burn yourself out to be worthy. ✨️

Anxious thinking can sometimes feel like it’s helpful because it creates a brief sense of certainty or control.

But over time, your mind learns to keep returning to the same habit, not because something is wrong with you, but because your nervous system is trying to regulate, and the pattern has been reinforced.

What helps is not forcing thoughts to stop, but changing your relationship to them.

Noticing what’s happening.
Stepping back from your thinking.
Coming into your body and your immediate experience.
Meeting yourself with kindness.
Choosing habits that support you.

And over time, interrupting the patterns that keep the habit of worry going.

Eventually, small shifts in awareness alongside movement and reducing mental overload can make it easier to step out of anxious cycles when they arise. Giving you more space to feel grounded and at peace. ✨️