She even applied her Byker Grove skills in her new venture. “As an actor, you’re learning about the character’s brain,” Holly says. The whole New Year, new me thing is tiresome and although I want you to use this time as a time to start fresh and catapult you to success, let's not set fantasy goals and get high off the idea. Holly’s Ted Talk has been watched by over 150,000 people and she has appeared on Lorraine, BBC, ITV, Talk Radio and featured in The Daily Mail, Mirror, The Sun, Closer, Hello, Psychologies Life Labs and Spirit & Destiny and Prima Magazine. Life is challenging enough without us being unkind to ourselves. Sometimes we just need to be reminded that even though their may be difficult stuff we are dealing with and our house might be a mess (my house is a mess!) we are still doing fabulous. Considering the prominence of mental health projects, I then asked Holly: “Aside from your passion for the project, do you find it perhaps a little concerning that there is clearly such a need for it?”

Maybe you are an old hat at meditation or brand new, either way you will enjoy this guided self love meditation.

3. Kindness

She’s best known in her home of the North East for playing Emma Miller in Byker Grove - and almost two decades on, Holly Matthews' Geordie roots are still very much present in her new career.

Holly has amassed over 60,000 followers across her social media platforms and her award winning YouTube Channel 'Happy Me TV' also offers regular advice on navigating life and all it's challenges. Holly used this space to vlog about the death of her husband to brain cancer, which generated huge press interest in her story and enabled her to help more people. Holly is a popular guest expert on podcasts, radio and TV, with a regular 'Monday motivation' slot on BBC radio. Geordies will get how I deliver it,” Holly promises. “I grew up around normal working-class people who say it like it is. I grew up in a family who were straight-talking, and debated, and looked the tiger in the eye - and I think that’s a real Geordie thing.”Whether you’re an old hand at this ‘self development’ stuff or brand spanking new, the key to keeping up with what you have learnt is accountability and community. Time is a manmade construct and yet we constantly compare ourselves and the timeline we are on to other people (and then shame ourselves for being behind everyone else). This was also part of a wider conversation around social anxiety in The Happy Me project membership and you can still get hold of that online workshop right now by joining the membership. However, I did feel that this book tries to cover so many things that nothing is really given the deep dive you may need. I suppose in those cases, you should seek out specific sources that do go deeper. So this is more of a jumping off point for self improvement. And for me, as I've read slightly wider in this genre, I did find it quite surface level. I enjoyed Holly's voice and the format of this book, but for anyone really struggling or going through a specific trauma or mental health struggle then this might not be as helpful as it would be for someone who just needs to get them out of a rut.

I like to keep things actionable and simple when it comes to our happiness and self development but that doesn't mean there isn't action to be taken.

Starting with The Happy Me Project, Holly’s online and in-person self-development platform, I asked: “The Happy Me Project is obviously something you’re very passionate about. How did it come about, and where would you like to go with it?” And then people like me can come along and be that accountability, and those that really need the specific deep therapy work will then be able to get access.”

In Holly’s words, it’s all about “recognising certain patterns we have in our brains, and the habits we have, and breaking the cycles of those habits down.” She gave a common example of “anchoring”, a technique that is all about invoking or anchoring a particular feeling to a specific situation. In the build-up to an upcoming talk, for instance, Holly may envisage the talk going really well, creating “a little button” between her finger and thumb to capture that feeling. The idea is that it “breaks the cycle” of the negative thoughts about the talk going badly and the anxiety that comes with that.’’ The Happy Me Project boasts 2 sell out workshop tours across the UK and has seen thousands of men and women go through it’s virtual doors. The Happy Me Project has a focus on simplifying self development and takes the ‘fancy’ out of positive thinking. Do you find yourself saying sorry constantly? Apologising for your very existence and then apologising for saying sorry too much? In this episode we dive into the topic of how to stop saying sorry and what to say instead.

Advance Praise

I shall be hosting a business and mindset masterclass with the CEO of Mums In Business international on the 29th November and you are invited to get involved. If you run your own business and want to learn some marketing and business strategy you can implement right now to end your year on a high and learn the mindset tools specific to being a business owner (side hustle or full time), then you'll love this. The perfect go-to if we ever catch ourselves at a low moment or in need of inspiration' - Jeff Brazier Her relaxed and relatable style of coaching allows you to feel that you aren’t being judged, patronised or lectured and she believes that you should ‘ take what you need and leave what you don’t’. We also discuss comparison of your life to other peoples and help you to feel happy about where you are. In The Membership you get the opportunity to work with Holly most days as she shares ideas and tools to support you in her community.