Season 1

For this the twelfth and final episode of the first season of Emotions Matter. Really! Chantal and Matthew explore the C of their ABC of life teachings. Choose love, always. In line with their theme for the year - It starts with me - they delve deeper into what it means to love yourself. 
Music credit:  Olexy from Pixabay, Morning garden acoustic chill
Pay it forward
If you got value from this episode, we invite you to match this value by making a donation or paying what you want. 
Episode links
To stay connected and up to date about our work, join the 5th Place mailing list: https://5th.place/
To experience a recorded Emotional Fitness Class: https://courses.5th.place/courses/emotional-fitness-class
Learn more about Shape of Emotion on our Master your Emotions mini audio-course: https://courses.5th.place/courses/how-to-master-your-emotions

During a visit to the Big Tree in Hoekwil, South Africa, Chantal and Matthew drew inspiration to develop the Act like a Tree principles and the ABC of life teachings that grew out of that. This week they explore the B of the ABC - Bring the light.
What they mean by bringing the light, why it is important and how everyone can do it.
Music credit: Lesfm, Pixabay
Pay it forward
If you got value from this episode, we invite you to match this value by making a donation or paying what you want. 
Episode links
To stay connected and up to date about our work, join the 5th Place mailing list: https://5th.place/
To experience a recorded Emotional Fitness Class: https://courses.5th.place/courses/emotional-fitness-class
Learn more about Shape of Emotion on our Master your Emotions mini audio-course: https://courses.5th.place/

Last year we (Chantal and Matthew) went on a road trip to George, a town, in the Southern Coast of South Africa, to visit Tristan, Matthew’s son who he had not seen for over a year. The trip was full of learning and discovery and reconnection. On the last day they met the Big Tree. This meeting was important and impactful. It led to the Act like a Tree principles as well as the ABC’s of Life. A year later, Matthew is back in George with Tristan. 
Chantal and Matthew use this opportunity to reflect on that trip, the learning and growing that has happened over this time in relation to the Act like a Tree principles and the ABC of Life. Tristan joins them for this episode.
Music credit: CeeaDidIt, Pixabay
Act like a tree principles
Pay it forward
If you got value from this episode, we invite you to match this value by making a donation or paying what you want. 
Episode links
To stay connected and up to date about our work, join the 5th Place mailing list: https://5th.place/
To experience a recorded Emotional Fitness Class: https://courses.5th.place/courses/emotional-fitness-class
Learn more about Shape of Emotion on our Master your Emotions mini audio-course: https://courses.5th.place/

Burnout has seen an alarming increase and although it may appear that burnout is a 21st century ailment, it actually has ancient roots. Chantal and Matthew look at where the concept of burnout has originated from, what the symptoms of burnout are and what causes it. Some essential strategies to avoid as well as recover from burnout are discussed. 
Music credit: John Kensy Music, Pixabay
Pay it forward
If you got value from this episode, we invite you to match this value b y making a donation or paying what you want. 
Links of interest
The End of Burnout - a book by Jonathan Malesic.
Episode links
To stay connected and up to date about our work, join the 5th Place mailing list: https://5th.place/
To experience an online Emotional Fitness Class: https://courses.5th.place/courses/emotional-fitness-class
Learn more about Shape of Emotion on our Master your Emotions mini audio-course: https://courses.5th.place/

It is Freedom Day in South Africa, a public holiday that commemorates the first democratic elections held in 1994. Matthew and Chantal consider what freedom means to them and what not having freedom can do to one’s mental and emotional wellbeing. They look at different freedoms and the responsibilities they come with. Finally they address how one can be free from one’s own self imposed limitations and beliefs. 
Music credit: Liborio Conti - Inspire
Links of interest
And Still I Rise - A Book of Poems by Maya Angelou
Episode links
To experience a live Emotional Fitness Class visit https://5th.place/5th-place-offerings/emotional-fitness-class/emotional-fitness-class-on-insight-timer/
To purchase a video version of an Emotional Fitness Class visit https://courses.5th.place/courses/emotional-fitness-class.
Stay connected with Matthew & Chantal by visiting https://5th.place/.

Here at 5th Place we do love poetry and being creative. In this podcast Chantal and Matthew look at what poets themselves have said about poetry, how poetry and poems can support emotional fitness, creativity and the concept of flow. They discuss how poetry has impacted them as people and they share a few of their favourite poems.
Links of interest
Book: Poetry Rx: How Fifty Inspiring Poems Can Heal and Bring Joy to Your Life
Episode links
To experience an Emotional Fitness Class: https://5th.place/5th-place-offerings/emotional-fitness-class/emotional-fitness-class-on-insight-timer/
To stay connected with Matthew & Chantal join the 5th Place mailing list. Go to: https://5th.place/ to do so.
 

World Health Day was last week. The theme for 2022 is Our World, Our Health. We are all part of the environment, nature is key to our emotional wellbeing. In this episode Chantal and Matthew explore why looking after our planet is key to our emotional health. They look at how climate change and environmental concerns are fueling our mental health concerns and share what small things can be done to make ourselves feel better about this apparently huge and overwhelming problem that faces humanity. 
Links of interest
"The Parting of the Plastic Sea" - An installation made from 168,000 used plastic straws.
What is an eco-brick? 
Want to try worm composting or bokashi?
4-Tray Worm Compost Kit
Countertop Compost Bin with Lid
Bokashi starter kit with bucket and bran
Replacement bokashi bran for food waste disposal
Episode links
To experience Shape of Emotion or to let go of your eco-anxiety feelings, find out more about an Emotional Fitness Class, what it is and when the next one is being held.
We also invite you to stay to stay connected with us, Matthew & Chantal from 5th Place.

April is International Stress Awareness Month. We are all so stressed out but do we actually register that fact or has this thing called stress become such a part of who we are we don’t even notice it any more? Chantal and Matthew explore just what stress actually is, how it affects us and some strategies to attend to our stress, especially if we have perfectionist, over-achieving, superwoman, rescuer or boundary challenges.
The episode is once again closed out with the reciting of a poem by Chantal. 
Episode links
For more ways to manage your stress try out our mini audio-course called How to Master your Emotions and develop your emotional fitness.
To let go of anything stressing you out, find out more about an Emotional Fitness Class, what it is and when the next one is being held.
And we invite you to stay to stay connected with Matthew & Chantal from 5th Place.
 

Although we all have a body, we tend to either take it for granted, see it as a vehicle for our superior brains or denigrate it as not being up to some societal or self imposed standard.
In this episode Chantal and Matthew explore why bodyfulness and coming back and reconnecting to the intelligence of your body is so necessary to feel better, live better and make the world a better place.
Find out more about how to experience an Emotional Fitness Class, what it is and when the next one is being held.
To stay connected with Matthew & Chantal from 5th Place, visit their website.
If you want to learn How to Master your Emotions and develop your emotional fitness, take our mini audio-course. It comprises 10 modules where you will learn about the science of how emotions are made, the importance of being able to regulate how you feel and a way to work with emotions that is both easy to learn and easy to use called Shape of Emotion.
References
This podcast episode references the following research papers(s) and or books(s).
Books about coming back to your body
Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment, and Waking Up in This Life by Christine Caldwell
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine by Candace Pert
Seven And A Half Lessons About The Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett
 

In this episode of Emotions Matter. Really! we are going to look at what we mean by the acronym BAN, and what it has to do with emotions. We explore the multitude of ways we BAN as well as some of the more resourceful ways we deal with the way we feel. 
If you want to learn How to Master your Emotions and develop your emotional fitness, take our mini audio-course. It comprises 10 modules where you will learn about the science of how emotions are made, the importance of being able to regulate how you feel and a way to work with emotions that is both easy to learn and easy to use called Shape of Emotion.
Find out more about how to experience an Emotional Fitness Class, what it is and when the next one is being held.
To stay connected with Matthew & Chantal from 5th Place, visit our website.