Donna Lancaster is a coach and therapist, best known as the co-creator of The Bridge, a retreat designed to help attendees navigate grief and loss, and the author of a book of the same name. More recently, Donna has published a pocket book called Wise Words for Women, full of advice on how to live a rewarding, connected life. I know we hear a lot of these buzzwords like authenticity and pain, but equally I think what a lot of us are searching for day to day is that person who emanates gentle, universal wisdom, that comforting phrase that catches you at the right time. Donna refers to herself as a ‘trainee elder’, and to those she touches with her work, that’s what she is. This is a conversation about how to find wonder and creativity in alone time; how to connect with nature; and just generally how to find a bit more joy in our lives.

We discuss, among other things:

• Why Donna feels most authentic when she is alone [3:53]
• Donna’s struggle with loneliness growing up [6:31]
• How Donna’s relationship with nature makes her feel more connected to the world [12:!6]
• Are you a mountain person, a sea person or a forest person? Donna believes we all have a ‘natural leaning’ [19:08]
• How to have a ‘Date with Wonder’ [24:40]
• Why wealth can make you feel lonelier, according to Donna [28:39]
• Is loneliness something we should accept in our lives? [39:30]
• Donna’s love of colouring books as an alone time activity [45:19]

You can purchase Donna’s latest book, Wise Words for Women, now online and in bookstores.

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You can also order my book, Alonement: How To Be Alone and Absolutely Own It, which is based on this very podcast, now from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

Thank you so much to WestLab for sponsoring this season of the podcast. Their bestselling Dead Sea bath salt range is a skin hero, containing a unique blend of magnesium, calcium and potassium, which is brilliant for protecting and repairing your skin barrier and managing conditions like eczema, psoriasis, acne and sensitive skin. Visit westlabsalts.co.uk/products/dead-sea-salt and quote the code ALONEMENT15 for 15% off when you spend £10 or more, excludes subscriptions,T&Cs apply. Code expires 31st August 2023.

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