Catherine Dean Coaching

01/05/2026

Bank Holidays can be the absolute f-ing worst.

This time last year the good weather pi**ed me off so much.

How is this fair. The sun is shining and people are sat in a beer garden, enjoying themselves while I've lost everything.

How dare they.

I was furious.

With every single one of them.

But grief changes.

Bank Holidays are still the worst. But in a different way now.

Now it's an overwhelming sadness. A sadness that the person I'd love to be in a beer garden with more than anyone else isn't here.

A sadness that I'm certain will never fully leave me.

I'm not ready to go into a bank holiday weekend feeling like its any kind of celebration. I'm not sure I ever will.

And in a weird way, it feels right.

26/04/2026

We moved into our Cumbrian cottage on the same day Chris got his diagnosis.

I can't tell you how excited we were. The plans we'd made. The future we'd imagined.

I remember saying to the doctor, "What are we supposed to do now?" And because there's nothing else you can do, we just did the best we could.

We drove to the house in a daze. The cat w**d on my knee. And our neighbour greeted us by telling us we couldn't park on our drive. A hideous day.

And so the next 16 months were, of course, focused on Chris and his treatment.

We spent so much time at Furness General Hospital we could have driven there with our eyes closed. I spoke to Chris' oncology team more than I spoke to my friends.

So, in January 2025 when there were no more medical appointments or nurses visits to the house, the silence was deafening.

I have never felt more lonely. Isolated. Desolate.

And I hadn't even tried to make new friends. Hadn't had the energy.

The worst place to be in that situation? The arse end of nowhere. Exactly where our Cumbrian cottage was.

And as time went on, the dark cloud that seemed to have settled over that house just wasn't lifting.

So, I moved. Back to Lancashire.

Not to move on, but to move forward. To move away from the dark cloud. And the isolation. And batsh*t crazy neighbours (story for another day!).

And even though it went against all advice, just 10 months after losing my husband, it was the best decision I ever made.

The house is brighter. Lighter. Busier. Closer to family and friends. There are even street lights and shops in walking distance.

I share this because people said this to me. "Don't rush into anything". "Don't make any big decisions in the first 12 months". That advice was said with love and good intentions.

But grief doesn't follow set rules or a predictable path.

Listening to yourself and doing what's right for you is so important.

Moving out from under that dark cloud has changed so much for me.

And the tattoo? It makes me smile every time I catch a glimpse of it on my arm. Who knows, I may even get another 🤍.

23/04/2026

I thought I would forget.

In the early days, I would panic if I got distracted.

Feel guilty for laughing.

Worry I wouldn't remember.

At about 3 months another widow told me she'd got rid of all her husbands clothes already. I was horrified. Thinking that in some way she didn't care as much as I did.

But I was wrong.

I didn't need to worry.

Because of course I haven't forgotten.

I know now that I never will.

You don't live on in your old socks or shirts (even though I still have them, just in case).

You're the thread that connects me to your family, my family now.

Your belief in me is there every time I try something new.

Your laugh rings in my ears whenever the cats do something stupid.

Your wisdom helps me make difficult decisions.

Your bravery inspires me to keep pushing forward no matter what's going on.

Your pride in me helps me to stand tall on the days I'm not sure I have the energy.

Your love, our love, helps me to look back with a fondness and gratitude so deep, I know I'll never fully find the words.

So, yes, I didn't need to worry.

I was never going to forget.

You don't forget the people that shaped you.

17/04/2026

I didn't see any of this coming. And for a while I thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out it was "just" grief.

Here's what I know now....

Grief doesn’t just break your heart.

It messes with your memory.

It drains your energy.

It makes simple things feel impossible

And familiar things feel foreign.

You might find yourself standing in the kitchen with no idea why you walked in.

Or staring at your phone with no clue what you were about to do.

You might cry at nothing or not cry at all and wonder if you’re broken (this happened to me at Chris' funeral).

You might feel irritable, numb, anxious, spaced out, exhausted, restless, detached, foggy, or all of those at once. I know I definitely have.

And, what's weird is all of this is normal.

All of it is part of how your body and brain try to make sense of the impossible.

You are not doing it wrong. You are grieving.

And you need to take care of yourself.

And if you need cake for lunch to get you through the day, for the love of God, just do it.

If you know someone that's grieving, send this to them so they know they're not alone ❤️.

14/04/2026

It’s been almost 15 months now since I lost my husband...and I’m doing ok.

But here’s what ok really looks like in grief:

Somehow continuing a conversation when I refer to you in the past tense and my heart breaks a little.

Grudgingly accepting that the plans we made and were working towards will never happen but not knowing what to do instead.

Feeling stronger than ever, knowing I can get through anything life throws my way, but being exhausted by doing literally anything.

Constantly doing something, anything, so I don't have time to think about what it all means.

Flat out not being able to listen to some songs, like Die With A Smile, that was playing in the hospital café on your last weekend. It's too painful. I turn it off instantly every single time I hear it.

Laughing at our cats ridiculous antics, instinctively turning to tell you, then that sinking feeling when I realise it's just me now.

Going about your normal life and from nowhere someone says something about France, cancer, Blackburn Rovers, anything. Then suddenly a flashback and you're desperately holding back tears in the middle of a work meeting.

Constantly trying to balance building my new life with honouring yours.

Feeling deep, immense gratitude for everything we had together and an inconsolable, often overwhelming sadness that a memory is all it will ever be.

If you’re grieving too, I know you're telling people you're ok because it's easier than the truth.

I get it. I know what ok really means.

12/04/2026

09/04/2026

When you feel as though you've lost everything and people tell you "you're doing well" ...

What does it mean?

And how do you react to that?

It's easy to start questioning yourself, I definitely did.

Do people think I don't care?

Am I not upset enough?

And it's crazy because when people say that, it's with kindness and good intentions. They're not judging.

Most people don't fully understand how difficult grief is. They're just trying to say the "right" thing.

And one of the saddest things of all, life goes on.

And you somehow keep going. Whether it's bravery or necessity.

You somehow find the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

No matter what that looks like.

And please know, you're not alone 🤍.

If you feel like you are, please reach out for help.

is a good place to start 🦢.

15/06/2025

Exhausted from doing everything for everyone else?

Want to start taking care of yourself, but either don't have time or don't know where to start?

I understand.

You're not doing anything wrong. You're doing too much. With too little support.

And when you're ready to change things, with the support you deserve, get in touch. My DMs are always open 💛.

11/06/2025

I've been a little quiet lately, so let me reintroduce myself…

Hi, I’m Catherine.

I help busy professionals who are brilliant at looking after everyone else…but not so great at looking after themselves.

If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

You might’ve noticed a bit of a shift in what I share, because I've moved away from weight loss coaching.

The reason?

The most meaningful client wins, the ones I’m most proud of? They have nothing to do with the number on the scales.

They sound like:

💛 “I’ve got more energy, I can actually run around with my kids now”

💛 “I don't hate my body anymore”

💛 “I’ve started setting boundaries. I don't do everything anymore”

💛 “I left my toxic job because it was making it impossible to look after myself”

💛 “I’ve realised I’m worth taking care of”

That’s the kind of change I want for you.

So if you’re working long hours, life feels relentless, and you’re constantly running on empty, I want you to know it’s possible to do things differently.

You can feel better in your body and mind without adding more pressure to your day and without turning your life upside down. It’s about finding what works for you. And fits your busy life.

And that's exactly how I can help you.

I’ll be sharing tools, mindset shifts, and reminders to help you take proper care of yourself, even on the busiest days.

No guilt. No pressure to be perfect.

Just small, powerful changes that make a big difference.

If you’re ready for this kind of change, I’ve currently space for two 1:1 clients. Send me a DM and let’s chat.

Catherine x

25/11/2024

7 lessons from 7 years of marriage ❤️⬇️

💍 Marriage is a commitment. Don't do it if you're not all the way in. Sometimes, especially early on, you'll have moments that resemble a rom com happy ending. It won't always be that way. Be prepared to work through some tough times together.

💍 Nothing is perfect. That doesn’t mean it can't be great. The person you live with driving you round the bend? Pretty normal. As long as there's always respect, you're probably gonna have to put with at least some annoying crap 🤦‍♀️😂.

💍 There's no point comparing your marriage to anyone else's. Comparing your behind the scenes to someone else's social media highlight reel? Don't. You have no idea what their life is like behind closed doors.

💍 Practice gratitude 🙏. Easier said than done when someone hasn't figured out how to put their socks in the washing basket after 7 years 😂 Seriously, this is huge. It stops the bitterness and resentment that can build up from being taken for granted. It'll also help you feel closer, more appreciated & happier. Win, win, win ❤️.

💍 Keep being you. You're part of a couple, yes. But you're still a fabulous individual. Take care of your health, your money, your hobbies, your friends. You'll be happier. Stronger. A healthy marriage? Will be stronger for it.

💍 Find magic in the mundane. Even if the love of your life is a party animal, much of your life will be normal, routine, every day stuff. Our magic is making each other laugh. We're idiots together 😂. It's important ❤️.

💍 Create an adventure. It can't all be boring, of course. Make memories together. Stuff you can look back on with fondness for years to come. We have SO many travel mishap stories that never get old. Like travelling around France with a cat. Bloody hard work at the time, but funny to look back on 🤦‍♀️😂.

And, if you really think about it, all these lessons can be applied to health as well.

Let me know your experience of marriage. Any lessons you'd add? ⬇️❤️