A Wake Up Call

If you have ever wondered:“Why am I still exhausted when I am sleeping, taking weekends and doing less?”“Which kind of tired am I, and what does that kind actually need?”“What would a week of rebuilding my capacity look like?”- this episode is for you.In this solo episode, Layne Beachley and Tess Brouwer start somewhere personal: Tess has lost her spark. Layne reminds her it is dimmer, not gone, and the two talk about why joy is hard to feel when you are running on empty, and what it costs to hold the load for everyone else.Then they get practical. Layne and Tess name seven kinds of tired (physical, mental, emotional, decision, social, sensory and purpose), and Layne tells the story of the smart ring that went out the window and the week without data that followed. They run a three question Capacity Debt audit: what are you borrowing from, what keeps getting spent and never replenished, and what feels like rest but is not.They finish with the seven day capacity rebuild Tess has been using to get her spark back, from stopping the bleed to setting a weekly baseline. This week, pick the kind of tired that landed hardest and ask one question: what do I really need in this moment?You will hear about:The difference between a spark that is dimmer and a spark that is goneSeven kinds of tired: physical, mental, emotional, decision, social, sensory and purposeWhy turning off the inputs, and a week without data, can feel like reliefThe Capacity Debt audit: what are you borrowing from, and what never gets replenished?A seven day capacity rebuild: stop the bleed, true rest, one boundary, a weekly baselineLinksGet Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life.https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyAwakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactBook us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast.Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.

If you have ever wondered:“What do I do when I get it wrong with my kids, or my team?”“How do I stop being so hard on myself for not being perfect?”“What am I actually in such a hurry to prove?”- this episode is for you.You do not have to get it right every time. You only have to get it right about 30% of the time, and then repair the rupture. This week, Maggie Dent joins Layne and Tess for a warm, honest conversation about perfection, pressure and what to do when you get it wrong.Maggie Dent is one of Australia's most trusted parenting authors and educators, often called the queen of common sense. A former high school teacher, palliative care counsellor, funeral director and celebrant, she has spent more than 20 years working with parents, and especially dads, on how we raise boys and teenagers. She is the author of books including Mothering Our Boys, From Boys to Men, Girlhood and Help Me Help My Teen, a mother of four sons and a grandmother, and in 2026 received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wollongong. On A Wake Up Call she explains why you only have to get it right 30% of the time, how to repair the rupture, and the question that stopped her rushing to prove herself.Along the way: holding the no without nastiness, saying “I’ve got a deadline coming up” before the pressure shows, talking to boys, why good men stay silent, and two questions to ask your kids or your team. It closes with Maggie’s 21 lessons at 71 and the AIA Do It For Life toolkit: there is no perfect. Proudly brought to you by AIA Vitality.Content note: this episode includes discussion of a suicide attempt (from 42:44). If this raises something for you, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue is on 1300 22 4636.You will hear about:Why you only have to get it right 30% of the time, and how to repair the ruptureHow to hold the no without nastiness: “I know you’re unhappy. It’s still no.”Saying “I’ve got a deadline coming up” before the pressure showsTwo questions to ask your kids or your team: what am I doing that’s great, and what do I need to work on?The question that stopped Maggie rushing to prove herself: what was I in a hurry for?LinksGet Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life.https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyAwakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactBook us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactMaggie Dent: https://www.maggiedent.comDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast.Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.

If you have ever wondered:“Why do I feel off when my blood tests say I'm fine?”“How do I know if I'm stressed when I don't feel stressed?”“Where do I even start when I'm exhausted and overwhelmed?”- this episode is for you.You are getting everything done, and you still do not feel like yourself. The results say fine. Your body says otherwise. This week, Chinese medicine practitioner and Pagoda Tree founder Nat Kringoudis joins Layne and Tess to unpack why fine on paper can still mean running low.Nat has spent more than 20 years working with women on fertility, hormones, stress, perimenopause and menopause. She explains why in range is not the same as optimal, reads Tess's and Layne's bloods live, and shares the three-hour check-in that catches a silent stressor before it runs the day.It is a warm, funny and practical conversation about energy: starting with the basics, keeping the plan small enough to actually do, and asking for what you need. It closes with the AIA Do It For Life toolkit and a message for the partner listening.Full disclosure from us: Embody product and creatine were gifted to the hosts.You will hear about:Why in range is not the same as optimal, and what a blood test report leaves outThe three-hour check-in: one question, no fixing, just clock itWhy three or four things beat 65 supplementsHow to find the loudest signal and pull one lever instead of everything at onceWhat to say to the partner listening: ask, and listenLinksGet Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life.https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyAwakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactBook us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactNat Kringoudis: https://www.natkringoudis.com | Instagram @natkringoudis | The Pagoda Tree: https://www.thepagodatree.com.auDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast.Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.

If you have ever wondered:“Why does a ‘yeah, but’ show up the second I say what I really want?”“How do I know whose idea of success I am actually living?”“What does enough look like when I still want more?”- this episode is for you.In part five of their solo series, Layne Beachley and Tess Brouwer take on the limiting beliefs that come attached to success: the definition you inherited, the audience you are still performing for, and the “yeah, but” that turns up the moment you say what you really want.Layne goes back to earning $35,000 a year in the season she won her first world title, and the “not worth it yet” she heard from the outside while she built her own yes, and barometer on the inside. Tess works live through her own belief that success has to be a struggle, and the two land on a simple test for enough: how does your Sunday afternoon feel?They finish on the tool they use in their workshops. Every yeah, but needs a yes, and. This week, catch one and answer it.You will hear about:Why your definition of success is a belief too, and why leaving it unset means running on someone else'sThe audience you are still performing for, long after the room has goneWhat it takes to set your own value when the outside world says “not worth it yet”The Sunday test: no Sunday scaries as a metric for enoughHow to answer every yeah, but with a yes, and, live, with Tess's own belief as the exampleLinksGet Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life.https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyAwakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactBook us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast.Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.

If you have ever wondered:“Why do I still get so nervous when I have done this a thousand times?”“How do I stop one bad result from deciding who I am?”“What should I actually be thinking about when the pressure is on?”- this episode is for you.This week Layne and Tess sit down with Olympic diver Sam Fricker: Tokyo Olympian, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, founder of Sam’s Straws and one of Australia’s biggest athlete creators, with more than nine million people following along. He has come straight from training, and he brings the same energy to the couch that he brings to the platform.Sam talks about the lockdown slump his coach called out in one honest conversation, the two keywords he thinks on the board while the judges are watching, and what it was like to win Australia a quota spot for Paris and then miss the team by a single place. Layne catches him on one word he keeps using and hands him a reframe he leaves the studio with. Tess shows how a diver’s process translates to bath time with a toddler.Underneath it is a bigger idea we come back to a lot at Awake: pressure does not fade with experience, so the work is learning to point that energy somewhere useful, keeping your self-worth separate from yesterday’s result, and always asking what the next best move is.You will hear about:The honest conversation from his coach that ended a lockdown slump, and the three changes that brought Sam’s energy backWhy nervous excited and nervous overwhelmed feel different, and how Sam tells them apart on the dayReach and bang: the two keywords Sam uses on the board, and Layne’s three things on a 50-foot waveThe word Layne banned mid-interview, and why trusting the work beats straining for the outcomeHow coming dead last as a kid gave Sam the tools to miss Paris by one place without an identity crisisSam’s three guardrails for a positive life: sleep, the people around you, and a dream worth getting up forLinks textFollow Sam Fricker on Instagram and TikTok @sam.fricker and listen to his podcast Diving Deep.Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-salesGet Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyAwakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactBook us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast.Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are telling you.If you need support now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Australia).

If you have ever wondered:“Why do I feel guilty every time I take an hour for myself?”“I know exactly what I should be doing. Why can I not make myself do it?”“How do I back myself when the results have not been going my way?”- this episode is for you.Episode 50 is a milestone and a launch. For six years Layne and Tess have surveyed every AWAKE workshop room before and after, and one question kept coming back: what do you need right now? 1,750 responses later, across around 100 businesses and everyone from CEOs to the frontline, five answers stood out. Inspired by Bronnie Ware’s top five regrets of the dying, they flipped it. These are the Top 5 Needs of the Living, the research behind AWAKE’s white paper, The Capacity Debt.Need one was time, and it never arrived alone. It came wrapped in guilt, and the barrier was confidence, not calendars. Need two was to feel alive again, with most people arriving at a workshop near empty and nothing left for the people they love. Need three was purpose: the quiet why underneath the busyness. Need four was something that holds on the hard days, small enough to survive a real week. Need five, the quietest in the room, was self-belief.Along the way: Layne on the post-event comedown and the two days off every leader should mandate, Tess on the family at the beach who cancelled Saturday sport, Julia Gillard’s cones of silence, why breath is the most portable tool in the room, and the moment the masks come off in a room full of leaders. The line that holds the whole episode: it is not a knowledge problem, it is a capacity problem.You will hear about:The number one need in six years of data: more time to myself without guilt, and why the barrier is confidence, not hours.Culture writes the permission slip: how leaders build the trust that makes asking for rest possible, and why two days off after a big delivery is not optional.The capacity debt: the visible output and the invisible borrowing underneath it, and why depleted people cannot drive growth.Why purpose was the second thing people named, time after time, and how agency and gifts build ownership faster than another values statement.One size fits one: breath as the simplest regulator under pressure, compounding micro-habits, and why recognising self-doubt is how you shorten it.Mentioned in the episode:The Top 5 Needs of the Living and The Capacity Debt white paper, published at https://awakehumanperformance.com (copyright Awake Academy)Bronnie Ware, The Top Five Regrets of the DyingBook Layne and Tess to present the Top 5 Needs of the Living or run a workshop for your team: wakeup@awakeacademy.com.au or https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactJoin the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasseshttps://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-salesGet Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life.https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyAwakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactBook us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours) or visit lifeline.org.au.

If you have ever wondered:“I feel fine, so why would I book a check-up?”“Is one glass of wine really affecting my sleep and next day?”“Which health checks am I actually meant to be having at my age?”This episode is for you.This week on Ask the GP, Layne and Tess put Dr Preeya Alexander, practising GP, author and AIA health expert, in the hot seat with the health questions high performers Google most and act on least.Preeya starts with the pattern she sees every week: people coast while they feel fine, put off prevention because there is no symptom forcing them to act, then arrive when something is already wrong. Her message is simple: don’t wait for symptoms, and if one does show up, go early.The conversation covers AI and where it helps or fails as a health tool, bowel cancer screening, gut health and the SMILES trial, GLP-1 medications including Ozempic, unregulated peptides, alcohol, sleep and the health checks people commonly miss.You’ll hear about:Why prevention matters even when you feel completely healthy.Where AI health advice can help, where it gets things wrong, and the risks of treating it like a doctor or therapist.Bowel cancer screening: two pinpricks, microscopic blood, free screening from 45, opt-in from 40, and why so many Australians never return the kit.The SMILES trial and how a Mediterranean-style diet improved symptoms of depression.Gut health and Preeya’s simple advice: feed your gut bugs a rainbow.GLP-1 medications: who they can help, where the risks are, and concerns around unregulated peptides.Alcohol and sleep: Australia’s guideline of no more than 10 standard drinks per week, why alcohol can help you fall asleep but disrupt sleep later, and practical ways to drink less.The checks people often miss: heart disease risk assessment from 45, cervical screening every five years, breast screening from 50, bowel screening from 45 and conversations around PSA testing.Preeya also shares her own non-negotiables: colour and variety on the plate, regular movement and protecting her sleep.The episode closes with the AIA Do It For Life toolkit and one simple challenge: choose one action this week and start there.Guest:Follow Dr Preeya Alexander on Instagram @doctor.preeya.alexanderListen to Preeya’s podcast Happy to Health and hear her on ABC’s Health ReportMentioned in the episode:AIA Vitality Age Calculatorhttps://www.aia.com.au/en/health-and-wellbeing/aia-vitality/age-calculatorNational Bowel Cancer Screening Programhttps://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-bowel-cancer-screening-programThe SMILES trial, Deakin University Food and Mood CentreKate Save on Food as a Performance Tool, Episode 42Join the Awake Collective Communityhttps://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-salesGet Awake’s book Know Yourself Grow Yourselfhttps://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor the podcast or book a workshop:https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is for general informational, educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological or therapeutic advice.If you are experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay professional advice because of something you heard on this podcast.This episode discusses eating disorders, weight-loss medication and alcohol. Nothing discussed is individual medical advice. Speak to your own GP about screening, medication and your personal health.If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673.

If you have ever wondered:“I work with negative people and it really affects how I feel. How do I stop letting them influence my emotions?”“I am in my 50s heading into my 60s. How do I stay strong for the people I love as the years tick by?”“What do you do when things keep going wrong? Not one setback, the whole pile-on, all at once.”- this episode is for you.This week A Wake Up Call is a solo listener Q&A, Part 4, and the thread running through all three questions is energy. Layne and Tess start with the colleague who drains the room: why emotions are contagious, why an emotion lasts about 90 seconds in the body but the story you wrap around it can last for years, and the four default responses to a dream thief (fight, flight, freeze and the one nobody names, fawn). Layne owns hers. Then the tools: check your own energy before you walk in, time the hard conversation for when you are clear, say how it lands instead of pointing the finger, and put down the luggage that was never yours to carry.The second question is about ageing strong. Tess sets out the decade rule (what you do in your 40s hits you in your 50s), the I Am mantra as a mental fitness weight, and the overhead-locker test for the life you want at 70. Layne adds the one-gap-at-a-time rule and a shout-out to Tess's mum, adventure granny, who changed everything in her 70s after one episode of this podcast.The third question pulls a story out of Tess she has never told on the show: the bladder test she could not pass in the spinal ward, the radical acceptance that finally moved her forward, and a cafe, a jug of water and the greatest act of love she has felt. Layne answers with her own pile-on, chronic fatigue two years before her first world title, and the fear that lit the flame. The reframe they land on together: how is this happening for me, not why.You will hear about:Why emotions are contagious, and the 90-seconds-versus-years rule for the stories we wrap around them.Fight, flight, freeze or fawn: how to spot your default response to a dream thief and step out of it.Two energy tools for a negative colleague: fill your own cup first, and hold the hard conversation when you are clear, not depleted.“When you say this, it makes me feel this way”: finding your voice without blame, and why hurt people hurt people.The decade rule, the I Am mantra and the overhead-locker test for staying strong into your 60s and 70s.Links textMentioned in the episode:Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (Netflix documentary) https://www.netflix.com/title/81214929Dr Stacy Sims on A Wake Up Call (Episode 13) - the episode that got Tess's mum lifting weights.Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-salesGet Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869Follow Layne on Instagram @LaynebeachleyFollow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwerFollow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academyAwakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactBook us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contactDisclaimerThe A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.This episode discusses a period of depression and suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours) or visit lifeline.org.au.