The Badasscancerthriver Podcast
By Nicola Hadcroft
The show will share my insights, tools and techniques to manage the emotional and mental challenges of breast cancer with sassy attitude, intentional mindfulness and a zest for life that cannot be dampened down - even by cancer.
Every week I'll talk about a topic in only the way I can - with a little bit of humour, a sense of optimism and good old dose of badass attitude.
The Badasscancerthriver PodcastJan 09, 2023
Episode 15: Fear of the fear.....
Quiet a gloomy subject really - FEAR! But it's there, with us very often during our journey through breast cancer or any major life event to be honest and it can be something that if allowed to can really take hold and impact on how you manage and negotiate the challenges.
Fear can be overwhelming it's true but I believe there are some simple things we can learn and incorporate into our lives that makes the fear easier to live with and manage. My message here is really that being afraid is normal, it's okay and something we all experience but we do not have to allow it to be in control or controlling us.
Hope you find this message and podcast interesting and let me know if you have any thoughts , or if you'd like more information about my programmes click the links below:
Thrive through Breast Cancer Programme
Episode 14: Emotional Rollercoaster
This is a very raw podcast - it's something i recorded (safely) during a car journey. There are emotions, tears and absolute truths in this very quick podcast but I urge you to give it a listen if you are struggling with emotions, feeling unstable, on medication that might be numbing you.
Let me know what you think and as always I'm always here to answer any questions, just drop me an email.
Episode 13: Acceptance is the Key.....
This week I'm talking about a subject that's very close to my heart and was one of the instrumental changes I made in my life that started a big shift in the way I managed and approached difficult times - Acceptance.
For many people this is a battle and a challenging topic - many may confuse acceptance with resignation but they are very different. For me, acceptance is all about moving towards an experience and letting it in, whereas resignation is about holding on, giving up and letting go but with a sense of a grudge almost.
These tools are some of the initial ways that Mindfulness can be incorporated into your life generally but through your breast cancer journey these tools can be quite life changing in helping you navigate the emotions properly, fully and learning to be open and acceptant of how you are feeling. By starting to do this work you are opening yourself up to a new way of approaching and managing these challenges - gifting yourself some self-love.
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Episode 12: Embracing new possibilities
This episode is sharing with you how I made a massive shift in my behaviour and mindset over the last few years and the changes that has enable me to incorporate into my life and the way I approach challenges. It's so true that if you want a different result you have to try something different and that's what I did when I embraced a massive change for myself.
Give it a listen and at the end there is a cheeky little morning mediation that sets you up perfectly for the day ahead - obviously don't do this if you listen to your podcasts when driving the car or at work!!!
Episode 11 : Chemo Schmemo
In this episode I start to talk about my own experience with chemo, I share with you my first time going for treatment and how I handled it back in 2016, very different in 2021. I talk about the stigma around chemo and how I personally feel we should approach this treatment.
I strongly believe that we should start to create more positive words and images around chemo rather than building fear and anxiety around the subject from the off. Now I know this is not an easy ask and that everything we have ever learnt about chemo is negative, but if that is all we have in our minds then we are not going to have anything but an awful experience. If, however we start to talk about chemo differently, create new words and pictures to help build a new dialogue in our minds about this area of treatment.
Breast cancer, and all cancer for that is a journey and chemo is just part of that journey - and it's not part of everyone's journey, for some, there is not a need for chemo (and they breathe a huge sigh of relief!) but for those who do take that road then I want to help start to shape a different approach.
This is just touching on this subject and it's something that is a large part of what I do - helping women come to terms with diagnosis and then approach treatment with ease, eradicated the crippling fear and anxiety and replacing those emotions with acceptance, compassion and peace.
Find out how to work with me: Book a free discovery call
Episode Ten: Becoming a dog person
This is literally a ramble of thoughts from me after waking up this morning with my dog literally with her arm around me in bed 💞
Becoming a dog person after years of thinking dog people were a little - or totally- bad shit crazy 🤪 but this little bundle of fluff changed my mind and made my 2021 breast cancer journey far more bearable than it might have been.
Episode Nine: Your body is not your masterpiece...
This comes, yet again from the heart and is all about body confidence. Something that as women we struggle with - even when we know deep down we look good we have to find something to be unhappy about - we all know about that!!
But cancer has changed my body - not only with the removal of my left breast and the reduction of my right - I was a GG cup when I was diagnosed - that's Gigantic!!! What has also changed is the shape of my body - where I carry my weight, and although I know I can lose it again if I put my mind to it, it's hard to think about.
So when a friend shared a quote from Glennon Doyle - one of my favourite women - it shifted something inside me. You need to listen to the episode to get the point because I don't want to spoil it but it's more than just accepting what and who we are - it's putting a whole new layer onto that old message for me. Give it a listen and let me know what you think, I'd love to hear from you!
Email me at: nikki@badasscancerthriver.com
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Episode Eight: Looking good, feeling good
I'm going to start by apologising, this is a vert short and sweet episode...I'm fresh back from holidaying in Spain and catching up but wanted to share this message with you. There's more to come on this topic but for now this is my take on feeling good through treatment and beyond.
"Fake it til you make it" is a well worn saying and I'm not always a great believer.....sometimes I think it can be damaging to think that faking something will eventually lead to it becoming a reality. But for me during treatment I think this is what I was doing to some extent.
I always made sure whenever I was going to appointments, treatment, out out for anything (hospital appointments quickly become your social events 😜) that I made sure I put on make up, bronzer on my beautiful bald head (which I miss by the way 🤔) and made an effort to look good. And it works. If you can look in the mirror and say "I am looking good today...." then that feeling will resonate inside and it helps you feel better inside. Now I'm not saying that a bit of bronzer can take away the woes of chemo....that's not possible but for me it helped me face treatment with a stronger mindset.
At the end of the day you have to do what's right for you - but looking good, whatever that means for you can definitely help you feel even just a little better.
Want more tips, techniques and strategies to help you through your Breast Cancer journey - my new online course Thrive through Breast Cancer is full of mindfulness magic and coaching strategies to help you overcome the fear and overwhelm and instead feel calm, peaceful and stronger mentally and emotionally. Special offer for August only use the code AUGMIND at checkout
Episode Seven: Become the ruler of your mind.......and not the other way around!
Ever looked at someone and wondered how they seem to be able to hold it together when you feel bit shit crazy? Well, the chances are that they know about the rules of the mind.
In this episode I'm giving you a little sneak into the rules of the mind and how you can become a mindset master with just a little juggling of the way you are thinking. It's not rocket science by any means and when you've learnt about this you will probably wonder why you haven't been doing this all the time. In fact you might think you have but then all of a sudden you will realise there are narratives going on in your mind that could be upgraded, easily and effortlessly and have amazing outcomes.
So....off you pop.....give it a listen and then start practising and let me know how you get on.
Episode 6: Finding peace without the woo woo!
This breast cancer game is bloody stressful - I know this, please believe me! And even with masses of support you can still be sat feeling overwhelmed, anxious and just bloody confused! Where to turn, how to calm your mind and find some peace in all this craziness.
Well this week I'm continuing my discussion about mindfulness and expanding this to talk all things meditation - stop rolling your eyes - I know that so many people are still so sceptical about meditation but it really can help YOU right now to find some peace!
So many people still doubt the power of meditation - "does it really work?" they ask - the answer is a very loud 📢 YES!!!!!
There are so many benefits you can get from meditation - even 10-15 minutes a day.
- better mood
- better sleep
- more energy
- less stress
- less frustration
- less worries....well they will still be there probably but you will know how to deal with them in a more mindful way.
It sounds appealing, right? So, if you want to gain those desirable feelings of well-being, calmness and happiness tune in and give it a listen.....I've even included a beautiful visualisation meditation 😜
Enjoy and Namaste 🙏
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follow me on: https://instagram.com/badasscancerthriver
contact me: nikki@badasscancerthriver.com
website: https://badasscancerthriver.com
Introduction to Mindfulness course: https://bit.ly/3yki9yQ
Thrive through Chemo course: https://bit.ly/3wGMs1P
Episode Five: Those pesky bloody thoughts.....😶🌫️
It's so easy to get consumed in our thoughts - believing everything we think - I used to do this myself, especially all the negative shit we think about ourselves. It's quite easy to get completely ruled and controlled by them.
So how do we move ourselves away from this - it's not by ignoring or fighting with our thoughts, because let's face it some of them are true - for example my bloody dog starts barking every time I start to record a podcast episode - I love her dearly but she chooses her timing well!!!
Want to understand more about our thoughts then and how they play such a controlling role in our feelings and emotions - and how we can support ourselves better and find some peace then give this episode a listen.
Episode Four: A little Mindful Magic!!
In this week's episode I start to share with you how I discovered Mindfulness and what's enabled me to do and get through.
To be honest with you I don't think I would be mentally intact (many would argue that fact) if it wasn't for Mindfulness.
Being able to find peace with myself and my situation has been no mean feat - when Mark died I struggled I'll be honest with you, I couldn't let go of the "what might have been's" and the "what if's" and I was consumed with playing over and over in my mind the last few months and what I could've, should've done to help Mark. The truth was there was nothing I could do at the time as I did not have the knowledge, appreciation or wherewithal to be able to do anything - and so I had to watch him die and then try to re-build my life.
Without Mindfulness and some of the things I learnt I don't think I would have been able to move forward with my life with so much grace, forgiveness and acceptance. It's been hard. I had to forgive him, myself and close friends who let me down - but that's a whole other story!
For now, please give this a listen and I hope if you think Mindfulness would help you that you find some peace - and if you are moving through this tricky little bugga called breast cancer then i have just finished an online introductory course for Mindfulness for breast cancer. The link for more is below.
Beginners Guide to Mindfulness - https://bit.ly/3yki9yQ
Episode Three: I'm calling bullshit on this 👊🏻
This is a weird one because it is quite controversial - not that I shy away from controversy - I like to be a little risky and I certainly speak as I find. So this episode is from a conversation with myself that I had last year about "Is it okay to feel okay during treatment?"
It's tricky because as I thought I felt good, I questioned whether that was okay, whether i should be feeling like that and how, if i said that people would react. Would they think that everything was good with me now that, in reality I was recognising that I was having a good day really - and that the next day could be less good (or I suppose it could be better!!).
But what does that matter? Does it really matter if people think I'm okay, if I'm good?
I don't know…..I really don't know the answer - and this stumped me then and still stumps me a bit today!
The real 'thought' on this is this.....
Is it that sometimes we're stuck in an identity of suffering? Are we worried that if we say "I’m okay" people might take away their sympathy? If you know me you’ll know I’m not even big on tea and sympathy, so I really don’t know the answer to that one.
But I’m calling bullshit on it, I’m calling bullshit on the societal thing about cancer ‘sufferers’, I for one don’t ever want to be called a ‘sufferer’.
So when I'm having a good day, I’m going to shout it from the bloody hills!! And I want to encourage you to do the same!
The one thing we need to be careful about is that this can trip us up....because we then do too much!!! Sound familiar?
And then what bloody happens when I do have a good day is that I'll try and do too much. Does that sound familiar? We think of all the things we haven't been able to do because we've been feeling ropey - the ironing, the kitchen floor, that podcast you need to record! - but I want you to step away from that ironing pile, look past the dirty paw prints on the kitchen floor and do something that lights you up instead!
It could be a walk in the park with the dog, coffee with friends or getting lost in a book for 10 minutes.
That's what we all need to do on a good day (and from now on you’ll all know about it), we need to do things that lift our spirits, that actually add to our good day rather than things that make us tired or maybe make us feel like we're having less of a good day and we need to admit that we're having a bloody good day and feel good about it - because you know what, next week you might not be feeling like this so why not enjoy it for what it is, right now……which is a bloody good day.
I hope you have a good day today and if not then very soon!
Episode Two - The Comparison Game
I'm not here to tell people what to do - all I can ever do is lend my opinion, support and help.
In this episode I talk candidly about the comparison game, about how tricky it can be to navigate your own journey without being and getting caught up in other peoples' stories; this can be so difficult. With support groups all over the place and so many different factors surrounding your diagnosis it can be a tricky and terrifying time at the beginning of your journey. It's important to find your people, those who can cheer you on rather than tear you down.
Comparing with other people on this journey can be dangerous - our journeys, like us are all unique.
This episode comes with some very humble and well meant advice from me - a voice of experience not just with my journey but with talking to my clients and other women I have met on my own journey.
The one thing I will say for sure is step away from Dr. Google - I swear I will kill that man with my own bare hands on your behalf 🤪 - he does not know your story and will only lead you into dangerous territory. I've been there, got the T-shirt and appeared in the movie!!
I'm loving this journey of re-visiting the things I discovered and sharing with you some of my little gems 💎 of wisdom - there are more to come! If there is a subject that you would like me to cover drop me a DM over on Instagram. If you like this podcast please subscribe and share, and if you've got time to spare leave me a little review 💞
Episode One: How I became the Badasscancerthriver!
In my first episode I want to tell you a little about my story, how I got to where I am now and what has shaped me and made me take on the mantle of the Badasscancerthriver.
It's true to say that life has thrown it's fair share of challenges my way in the last 7 years; two breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, broken ankle, two pulmonary embolisms, chronic gastritis, 17 days in hospital and in the middle of all that I became a widow - WOW 😳 ! Even I sometimes struggle to believe everything that's happened to me. Someone only this morning asked me how I stay so positive despite all the "things that have happened to you".....to be honest sometimes I'm not even sure myself - maybe it's a little bit of grit, a lot of sheer bloody mindedness and tonnes of ways I've learnt in the last few years to help me cope with the mental and emotional turmoil that to be honest we all face from time to time - sometimes it just comes wearing Doc Marten's.
This episode touches on my story, but what I also start to share with you is how I have come back from all of this stronger, more resilient, tenacious (nice word 😜), courageous and with a badass attitude - that's not to say that I am unflappable - sometimes I have been known to not practice what I preach. But those moments are rare and hard to find.
Coming up soon I'll be talking about the stigma around chemotherapy, the waiting game, scan-xiety and loads of other topics......some a little more of a tenuous link but I promise they'll be fun and interesting.
So for now - please subscribe now and make sure you don't miss out!
Introduction
I'm Nikki and this is the Badasscancerthriver Podcast, the podcast for women who've either been through breast cancer, are going through breast cancer or perhaps love someone on this journey.
This is where I'm going to share some of the unique ways I approach breast cancer and all her little foibles using my tenacity, sassiness and intentional mindfulness to still find joy and happiness during the journey - and help you achieve this too.
You'll get to know more about me, I'm a twice breast cancer thriver, widow and former Marketing head in corporate world and my sassy, badass attitude to breast cancer, chemo and life generally - the trick is not to take it too seriously, even the shit stuff!
In the show you'll learn how I've blended intentional mindfulness, gratitude, spirituality and my natural high vibe personality to live my life with purpose, passion, joy and laughter - despite cancer.
If you're looking for some insight into how you can come unstuck from the belief that you have to suffer, how you can navigate the murky waters of diagnosis and treatment with less fear and more peace and calm whilst giving your emotional and mental well-being a well deserved boost then look no further - you're in the right place.
The show will be dropping every Wednesday covering a range of topics related directly and sometimes tenuously to breast cancer - it'll be a lot of fun!
Want to know more about me - hop on over to my website https://www.badasscancerthriver.com