Thrive Solo

Send us Fan MailIn this week’s episode, I’m talking to the fabulous Caroline Magennis.Caroline is an Associate Professor in Contemporary Literature at the University of Salford. She’s also an author, and her brand new book from Icon Books, which came out in May, is called Harpy: A Manifesto for Childfree Women.She lives in north-west England and is happily childfree.Topics that Caroline & I cover are:how it never really occurred to Caroline to have children;how for many people, it’s a feeling rather than a decision, to not have kids;how much women’s experience of the stigma varies according to their cultural and socio-economic backgrounds;how people used to tell Caroline that she would change her mind about having kids;how the people who ask the most prying questions tend to not have very much going on in their own lives;why Caroline used the word ‘Harpy’ in the title of her book;the cultural messaging around childless women that motivated Caroline to write the book;the older women Caroline interviewed who didn’t regret not having kids, and who had led wonderful lives;why Caroline wanted to look into the nuance of childless women’s experiences;how almost all of Caroline’s interviewees spoke to the freedom of not having children;how there is a pressure on childless women to ‘do something amazing’, in order to justify their existence;why loneliness isn’t just reserved for single, childfree women;the different ways women without kids describe themselves;why being childfree is the least interesting thing about us!how Caroline’s Irish upbringing affected her experience of not having children.Follow Caroline on Instagram:@drmagennisBuy the book on Amazon UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harpy-Manifesto-Childfree-Caroline-Magennis-ebook/dp/B0CT7B2JYF  Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn today's minisode, I'm talking about finding your tribe.As single women, it's particularly important that we find other singles to spend time with, not least because it's the fastest way to feel less like there's something wrong with you.Whether online or in person, surrounding yourself with other single women is key to feeling good about yourself and your life, because we all need that shared experience that only other solos can relate to.Press 'Play' and let me know what you think! Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn this week's Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about resilience.Resilience is all about moving through the difficulties in life without allowing them to stop us in our tracks. It’s about picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off, and continuing to move forwards.We talk about why it’s important to build resilience, and how we can go about cultivating more of it.We hope you’ll find something useful in here!Love,Polly & Lucy x Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailThis week, my fabulous Thrive Solo members are back for Part 2 of our conversation: Victoria, Lindsay, Maddie, Jess & Kriss.In Part 2 of this ‘round table’ conversation, we delve into some of the crappy things about being single. Topics that we cover are:the importance of having other single people in our lives;the variety of conversation that happens between people who don’t have kids;how all of the stories we’ve been told about being single are made up;how what other people say can make us question our own lives;how hard it can be to deal with things by yourself;the single supplement, and how infuriating the high prices for solos can be;how much more expensive it is to live as a single person;the irritations and frustrations that come with being single;the perils of choosing ‘miss’ or ‘ms’ when filling out various forms;the times when we miss having a ‘go-to’ person;not having that special someone to share things with;how we sometimes don’t want to have to be strong;missing the ‘deep connection’ of romantic partnership;‘decision fatigue’ and why it would be nice to have someone else to make the decisions! Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn today's minisode, I'm talking about what makes someone interesting.There are so many things that can make a person interesting, not least their ability to be interested in others.In today's minisode, I share my thoughts on what I think makes somebody interesting, including embracing your inner weirdo, and being enthusiastic about life and the world.Press 'Play' and let me know what you think! Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn this week’s Thursday Thoughts, Polly and I are talking about the importance of following what feels good.The truth is that we are all 99% energy, and we’re all vibrating at different frequencies ranging from the more ‘high vibe’ states such as joy and appreciation, to the more ‘low vibe’ states such as anger and shame.Like attracts like, so when we’re feeling good, we’re going to attract people and circumstances vibrating at a similarly high frequency. And by the same token, when our general mood is low, we will attract more of the people and circumstances also vibrating at lower frequencies. So how we’re feeling is important, and it’s up to us to check in with ourselves on a regular basis so that we can intentionally raise our vibration wherever possible. The moral of the story is…follow what feels good as much as you can!We hope you find this helpful.Enjoy!Love,Polly & Lucy x  Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailIn this week’s episode, I’m talking to five of my Thrive Solo members: Victoria, Lindsay, Maddie, Jess & Kriss.In Part 1 of this ‘round table’ conversation, we delve into the topic of loneliness and find out how these women deal with feeling lonely. They are all single and childfree.Topics that we cover are:comparison, and the life we feel we should have had;how feelings of shame can go alongside loneliness;the importance of sitting with our feelings;the benefits of a having a good cry;how Friday evenings can be the worst;some strategies for coping with loneliness;getting ‘stuck’ in loneliness;how we become convinced that everyone is having a better time than us;noticing and accepting feelings of loneliness;the parts of our body where we physically feel loneliness;how breathwork can be incredible for reducing anxiety;how the research has shown that loneliness has a negative impact on our health;how loneliness doesn’t have to be a state of being - it’s just an emotion brought on by our thoughts;why we have to learn to connect with ourselves, and spend time with ourselves;how we do have agency over our feelings, and why we have to choose to shift our focus;how some of us still have moments of feeling sad about not having had kids;how not all women feel broody. Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn today's minisode, I'm talking about 5 places that are great to travel to as a solo woman, three of which I've been to, and two of which I haven't. Enjoy! Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailOn today's Thursday Thoughts, Polly & I are talking all about habits.We discuss some of the ways to start cultivating a habit, such as making it easy and making it obvious.We also talk about the importance of knowing your 'why' when it comes to starting (or kicking) a habit, as well as getting back up when we inevitably fall off the wagon.Finally, we briefly touch on bad habits, and how we can start to eliminate them.We hope you'll find something useful in here!Love,Polly & Lucy x Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!

Send us Fan MailIn this week’s episode, I’m talking to the wonderful Rachel Mills.Rachel is the founder of Rachel Mills Literary, a modern London-based literary agency representing a community of prize-winning and internationally bestselling authors. Rachel previously worked as Literary Agent at Furniss Lawton agency, within the James Grant Talent Group, and before that as Agent and International Business Director for Peters Fraser and Dunlop agency, where she was a member of the Executive Board. Prior to that she worked in publishing at Penguin and Random House. In the 20 years she has worked in the industry, Rachel has secured major publishing and screen deals for a diverse range of authors. Her clients include bestselling authors like Sam Baker, Nuno Mendes and Catherine Gray. In 2015 she was awarded The Bookseller Rights Professional of the Year Award and in 2011 was nominated a ‘Rising Star’ by The Bookseller magazine.Rachel lives in London and is happily childfree.Topics that Rachel & I cover are:Rachel’s experience of setting up her own literary agency;the trials and tribulations of running a small business, but how it’s worth the hard work;how the publishing industry has changed dramatically over the last century, and the role of an agent involves;how, when it comes to not having kids, it’s so strange that people feel compelled to ask women about something they haven’t done;how Rachel never entertained the thought of having kids;how most of her friends are childfree, and how that can make a big difference in terms of how you feel about it;the many, many different paths in life that make the ‘regret question’ pointless;the hedonic treadmill, and how happiness has to be found in the present moment;the myth that childfree women are heartless career women, without a maternal bone in their bodies;how there are many other ways to care for and nurture other people, than having your own children; how the misconception that childless women cannot be fulfilled is actually offensive to women with kids;the importance of slowing down and being present when it comes to creativity;the drudgery of being a parent;how infuriating it can be when people imply you’ve never known real love of you haven’t had kids;how important it is to find your tribe;some of the books that Rachel is currently loving.Follow Rachel on Instagram:@rachelmillsliteraryCheck out Rachel’s website:https://www.rachelmillsliterary.co.uk/  Support the showBuy my book, SHINY HAPPY SINGLES (UK) / THRIVE SOLO (US & Canada) at: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/bookJoin my membership community for single women, Thrive Solo: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/thrivesoloDownload my FREE PDF 'Top 10 Comebacks for the MostAnnoying Questions Single Women Get Asked' Go to: https://www.lucymeggeson.com/comebacksCheck out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivesolowithlucymeggeson Join my private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1870817913309222/?ref=shareFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivesolowithlucymeggeson/Email me: lucy@lucymeggeson.com And thank you so much for listening!