The Curious Collective - Kate Chisholm

01/12/2025

This. Right here. This is what's possible.

Shane captured the heart of our Anchor & Awaken retreat - 25 veterans, first responders, and their families coming together, doing the work, healing together.

Watch until the end. You'll feel it.

Grateful to have partnered with Mate-Ship and Nature ZEN to create this container.

27/11/2025

Memento Mori

"Remember that you are going to die."

We lost another military brother this week (one of the really good ones 😢 taken too young) RIP Scotty McAndrew Xx

Before you scroll past thinking this is morbid - stay with me.

During my recent Resilience Shield Cse, we were gifted this ancient Stoic phrase as a life lesson. And it's been rattling around in my mind ever since, shifting how I approach each day.

Fact 💡 Memento mori isn't depressing. It's liberating.

When you genuinely remember that your time here is finite, something shifts. The trivial stuff loses its grip. The things that actually matter come into sharp focus.

Samuel Johnson (yes, the guy who literally wrote the dictionary) noted, "When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."

One of the most practical applications of memento mori is categorising your precious minutes as either "alive time" or "dead time."

Alive time = moments spent doing things that have real purpose, that create meaning and value in your life
Dead time = everything else

The goal isn't perfection. It's awareness.

Your nervous system knows the difference between:
- Activities that genuinely fill you up
- Activities you do out of obligation, conditioning, or fear
- Activities that numb you from what actually matters

When you're living in "alive time," your body responds differently. You feel more present. Your breath deepens. Your nervous system settles into a state of engaged presence rather than depleted pushing.

When you're stuck in "dead time," your body tells you through tension, fatigue, disconnection, that sense of "going through the motions."

I'm curious, if you knew you had limited time (which, newsflash, you do), would you spend:

- This many hours scrolling?
- This much energy on relationships that drain you?
- This much time doing work that doesn't align with your values?
- This many moments disconnected from your body, your people, your purpose?

This isn't about creating panic or urgency.
It's about creating clarity and intentionality.

It's asking yourself daily:
- Is this alive time or dead time?
- Am I living according to my values, or someone else's expectations?
- Is my nervous system engaged and present, or just surviving the day?

27/11/2025

🎙️ COMING SOON 🛡️ to Curious Collective Podcast -
Resilience Shield: Build Your Shield Framework

I just wrapped an incredible podcast episode with Ben Pronk DSC, one of the brilliant minds behind The Resilience Shield, and I'm buzzing to share it with you....

Here's what we unpacked:
- The six dynamic layers of resilience (Innate, Mind, Body, Social, Professional, Adaptation)
- Why resilience requires BOTH a stressor AND a better-than-expected outcome
- How stress and performance follow the Yerkes-Dodson curve—you need some stress, but too much is devastating
- Growth mindset vs fixed mindset and why this matters for building your shield
- The power of internal locus of control (some things are within your control, some aren't)

This isn't your typical "bounce back" resilience conversation.

Ben brings 24 years of military experience combined with cutting-edge research from the University of Western Australia (over 30,000 survey responses!), and we went DEEP on:

- How resilience is dynamic, multifactorial, and modifiable
- The three physiological pillars: sleep, diet, and exercise
- Why quality relationships and authentic vulnerability build your Social Layer
- The Adaptation Layer—transferring resilience skills to unforeseen challenges
- Practical tools like journaling, mindfulness, and the Sphere of Control

If you're ready to build your resilience shield layer by layer, backed by evidence and real-world application, this episode is for you.

Drop a few words below if you want to be notified when this drops!

26/11/2025

Supporting a trusted colleague & friend The Numbers Queen - 11:11 Numerology by Sarah Yip ###

Beautiful human and skilled numerologist is offering her 2026 Forecast series - three sessions exploring the shift from this Universal 9 year of completion into 2026's Universal 10/1 year of new beginnings.

If you've been noticing repeated number patterns (11:11, 12:12, 111) or feel drawn to understand the energetic landscape ahead, this might resonate.

Sessions run:
Sat 13 Dec 2025 (12-2pm AEST)
Sat 10 Jan 2026 (12-2pm AEST)
Wed 4 Feb 2026 (5.30-7.30pm AEST)

She brings practical, grounded wisdom to numerology, Tarot and astrology - particularly valuable for anyone with a 1 life path or those experiencing major transitions.

I'm sharing this because she's navigating some significant challenges while maintaining her commitment to her work and community. If this speaks to you, your participation would genuinely support both her practice and your own preparation for what's ahead......

Kate Chisholm

25/11/2025

Serotonin - The Stability Molecule

It's not just about mood. Serotonin is your nervous system's stability regulator - the baseline that determines how well you handle stress, uncertainty, and challenge.

Critical connection = override patterns progressively disrupt serotonin production.

The Override Pattern ~ operational training / job stress taught you to override body signals:
• Fatigue? Push through.
• Pain? Manage it.
• Hunger, thirst, need to rest? Mission first.

The problem? Your nervous system is still running that same override pattern - even when the stakes don't require it.

Why This Disrupts Serotonin ~ approximately 90% of your body's serotonin is produced in your gut. The gut-brain connection isn't metaphorical - it's neurobiological.

When you consistently override body signals (hunger, fatigue, pain, need for rest), you disrupt the systems that produce and regulate serotonin.

This shows up as:
• Mood instability
• Difficulty recovering from stress
• Sleep disruption
• Digestive issues
• Increased reactivity to small stressors

Override patterns aren't dysfunction. They're sophisticated adaptations that kept you effective under extreme pressure....

The challenge is distinguishing between contexts that genuinely require override (rare in civilian life) and situations where listening to body signals would actually improve performance.

What Rebuilds Serotonin Baseline ~ research shows serotonin production improves through:

• Consistent sleep-wake cycles (your circadian rhythm directly affects serotonin)
• Sunlight exposure, particularly morning light
• Movement that feels good to your body (not just punishment-based training)
• Gut health - nutrition that supports your microbiome
• Responding to body signals rather than overriding them

That last one is the game-changer for service-connected populations.

This week > Practice distinguishing between productive persistence and familiar override patterns.

Ask yourself, "Does this situation genuinely require me to push through discomfort - or is my nervous system defaulting to override because that's what feels familiar?"

Not every hard thing requires override.

Sometimes the more effective response is listening to what your body needs.

Rebuilding serotonin stability means learning to trust your body's signals as information rather than weakness to manage.

Your body knows the difference between:
• Discomfort that signals growth (keep going)
• Discomfort that signals genuine need (respond appropriately)

Relearning that distinction is somatic literacy - the foundation of sustainable regulation.

Question for Reflection:
Where are you currently overriding body signals out of habit rather than necessity? What would it look like to treat that signal as information instead?

24/11/2025

When "Busy" Becomes Your New Operational Tempo...

You left service, but your nervous system didn't get the memo.
That constant drive to fill every moment? The inability to sit still without feeling guilty? The exhaustion you wear like a badge?

It's not a time management problem.... your nervous system learned something critical in uniform - Movement = survival. Stillness = vulnerability.

That served you brilliantly when threats / jobs were real and constant. But now? That same protective pattern is running 24/7 in an environment that doesn't require it.

The Intelligence Behind Your Busy-ness > your hypervigilance didn't disappear when you took off the uniform—it just found new targets:

-The calendar that's never empty enough
-The to-do list that keeps growing
-The projects that prove you're still "switched on"
-The schedule that leaves no space for... what, exactly?

Here's what's actually happening.... When you stop moving, your body interprets it as threat (you feel discomfort). So you keep moving. The busy-ness isn't about productivity—it's about avoiding what your nervous system thinks will happen if you slow down.

So .... What are you actually protecting yourself from by staying this busy?

Not the surface answer ("I have responsibilities"). The real one:

-The vulnerability of stillness?
-The fear that without constant output, you're not valuable?
-The emotions you haven't had time to feel?
-The identity question you're not ready to answer?

What now? Your drive isn't the problem. Your capacity for intensity is an asset. But assets without conscious direction become liabilities.

Resilience Shield: Build Your Shield shows you WHERE the busy-ness manifests—in your mind, body, relationships, sense of purpose.

Nervous system work here shows you WHY it persists—and how to redirect that protective intelligence toward actual thriving rather than survival.

You don't need to do less. You need your nervous system to know it's safe to rest.

There's a difference between choosing intense engagement from a regulated state and defaulting to constant activity because stillness feels dangerous.

One builds sustainable performance. The other guarantees eventual collapse. Which one are you running on?

What would change if you could be still without feeling like you're failing?

20/11/2025

When Life Feels Challenging...

Even if you feel completely broken, remember — you still have your roots.

Right now, you might be carrying the weight of:
• Months or years of operational tempo
• Transitions that your nervous system hasn't caught up to yet
• Expectations (yours and others') that feel impossible to meet
• Protective patterns that served you brilliantly in high-stress environments but don't fit home life
• The guilt of being the reactive parent/partner instead of the present one you want to be

It can feel like you're buried. Like you've lost yourself. Like the person you used to be is unreachable under all that weight.

But look at your roots!!

They're still there. Still connected. Still strong.

The resilient, capable, present version of you isn't gone — they're grounded beneath what you're carrying. And those roots? They're what will help you rise again.

Your work right now isn't stacking more stones or pushing harder. It's letting your nervous system remember it's safe to soften. To let the weight shift. To give those roots the nourishment they need:

• Rest that actually restores, not just collapses
• Regulation tools that work with your body, not against it
• Permission to feel what you're feeling without judgement
• Connection to what grounds you, even in small moments

You will rise again 🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️🙌

Not by forcing it. Not by "powering through." By honouring where you are and what your body needs to come back to itself.

Your roots are stronger than the weight you're carrying.

And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let yourself be held by them while you figure out what comes next....

You're not broken. You're adapting. And that's exactly where growth begins....

(insta) ♡ Kate Chisholm

20/11/2025

Understanding Your Body's Built-In Regulation System ♡

Your breathing isn't just about oxygen—it's a direct line of communication with your nervous system, and one of the most accessible tools for regulation you already possess.

The Science Behind Breath and Emotion !!

When you breathe, you're doing far more than moving air. You're directly influencing several interconnected systems:

• The Vagus Nerve Connection
Your vagus nerve—the main communication highway of your parasympathetic nervous system—is directly affected by breathing patterns. Slow, deliberate breathing stimulates vagal tone, activating your body's natural "rest and digest" response. This is the same system that helps you shift from high alert to a more regulated state.

• Carbon Dioxide and Your Brain
Contrary to popular belief, it's not lack of oxygen that triggers your urge to breathe—it's carbon dioxide buildup. When you breathe slowly and allow slight CO2 retention, you're actually making your neurons less excitable. This has a direct calming effect on areas like the amygdala, essentially turning down the volume on your threat detection system.

• The GABA Effect
Controlled breathing practices have been shown to increase GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels in the brain. GABA is your primary inhibitory neurotransmitter—think of it as your brain's natural brake pedal, reducing neural excitability and promoting calm.

• Cortisol Regulation
Deliberate breathing patterns can measurably reduce cortisol levels. For service-connected communities who may already have elevated baseline cortisol from operational stress, this represents a practical intervention that doesn't require medication or extensive training.

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Your breath directly influences HRV—the variation in time between heartbeats. Higher HRV generally indicates greater nervous system flexibility and resilience. Specific breathing patterns can improve HRV, which correlates with better emotional regulation capacity.

19/11/2025

Seriously, how incredible is this body we've been gifted?

Right now, as you read this, your nervous system is orchestrating millions of processes you'll never consciously notice:

→ Your heart beating roughly 100,000 times today
→ Neurons firing at speeds up to 268 miles per hour
→ Your brain processing 11 million bits of sensory information every second (while you're consciously aware of about 40)
→ Your vagus nerve—the longest cranial nerve in your body—constantly communicating between your gut, heart, and brain
→ Chemical messengers flooding your system, shaping every emotion, thought, and physical sensation

And that's just the baseline. Before you even finish this sentence.

Your nervous system doesn't just keep you alive—it allows you to experience beauty, connection, purpose.

To feel the sun on your skin. To recognise a familiar voice. To know when something feels right or wrong.

It remembers every experience, adapts to every challenge, and constantly recalibrates to keep you functioning.

This isn't just biology. It's poetry written in electrical impulses and chemical cascades!!!

You're walking around in the most sophisticated technology ever created—and it's working FOR you, every single moment, whether you acknowledge it or not....

That's worth pausing to appreciate ♡♡♡

What's one thing your body has done for you today that you haven't thanked it for yet?

18/11/2025

🤔 My curious mind is a play again .... a question I've been sitting with > When was the last time you acknowledged something you did well?

Not the big stuff. Not the promotion or the commendation or the completed tour.

The small stuff.

The morning you chose movement over scrolling.

The day you actually read that book instead of just thinking about it.

The afternoon you sat in the sauna instead of pushing through the tension.

The evening you showed up to connect with people who actually see you.

In service, I feel most didn't celebrate small wins. We moved to the next task. The next call. The next mission. Recognition came from others, not from ourselves - and even then, we deflected it.

But now?

Your nervous system doesn't know you're in a different operating environment. It's still scanning, still preparing, still waiting for the next demand.

What if celebrating these choices isn't indulgent - it's intelligence?

What if acknowledging "I did that for myself" is how we teach our system that we're safe enough to invest in our own capacity?

Your body is paying attention to what you honour....

When you pause to recognise:
- I chose breath work over numbing
- I went to that recovery centre
- I connected with people who get it
- I gave myself permission to rest

You're sending a signal > This matters. I matter. This is worth continuing.

So here's my curious question for you > What small win from this week deserves your acknowledgment?

Not to post about it. Not to prove anything to anyone.

Just to let your system know ~ you're noticing. You're honouring what serves you.

Because that recognition......

Call now to connect with business.