Episode Sixteen: Conversation with Nicky Hammond

Podcast Recap:
In this relaxed conversation, Madeleine chats with Nicky Hammond, a certified master life coach, breathwork practitioner, and long‑time friend of EPIC. Nicky shares how combining mindset work with somatic practices like breathwork can help parents regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with what truly matters, and make grounded decisions even in moments of overwhelm.

Guest: Nicky Hammond – Certified Master Life Coach, Breathwork Practitioner, Intercountry Adoptee
Host: Madeleine Steel

Podcast Transcript:

Introduction and background:

Madeleine:
Hi Nicky, thank you for being here. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself, please?

Nicky Hammond:
Hi, yeah, thanks so much for having me. My name’s Nicky Hammond, I live in the northern suburbs of Sydney, and I’m a mum of two teenage boys. I live with my husband and my dog.

I’m a certified master life coach and a breathwork practitioner, which means I support people with mindset tools as well as breathwork, a somatic practice. I'm also an intercountry adoptee—born in South Korea and adopted by an Australian family.

Life coaching helped me develop self‑knowledge, compassion, confidence, and a better relationship with myself, which then improved my relationships with others. Breathwork helps me calm my nervous system, and the two practices work so well together.

Reconnecting With What Matters Most

Madeleine:
There are a lot of parents in our community who are carrying big challenges right now. How can you help them reconnect with what matters most and find steadiness?

Nicky Hammond:
I think there’s a two‑pronged approach. It’s hard to feel steady if our nervous system isn’t regulated.

So first—pause. Take a deep breath in and a long, slow exhale out. Even a moment helps calm the body.

The second piece is mindset. Instead of waiting until you’re stressed or in crisis, doing some work ahead of time is so valuable. I ask clients to identify their top five priorities in life and put them in order. That list becomes a guide you can return to, even when overwhelmed.

And if you’re not number one on the list—I’ve never heard a good enough reason why not.

Recognising Inner Wisdom

Madeleine:
Parents often feel stuck in fear, conflict, or repeating patterns. How do you help people recognise their own inner wisdom and find where a small shift might begin?

Nicky Hammond:
Sometimes staying in a pattern feels more comfortable, even if it harms us—because changing it requires stepping into discomfort or vulnerability.

We underestimate our inner wisdom. People often say, “I don’t know what to do.” A helpful question is: “What if I did know?” If you pause long enough, something usually comes up.

We lose access to intuition when we’re stuck in our heads. Slowing down, breathing, and checking in with the body helps us make decisions from a calmer place.

Staying Grounded and Connected to Values

Madeleine:
What tactic do you use for yourself to stay grounded and connected to your values?

Nicky Hammond:
Breath again—slowing down the exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Look around, find something to focus on, come back into your body.

And invest time ahead of time—planning is powerful. For example:

• booking your favourite gym class in advance

• blocking out time for a walk

• joining a group (like an EPIC walk) for accountability

Commitment to yourself matters just as much as commitment to others.

Self‑Compassion for Parents

Madeleine:
Is there anything else you'd like to share with parents?

Nicky Hammond:
Be compassionate with yourself. Truly—our brains can be absolute arseholes sometimes. Mine, yours, even Beyoncé’s! Our brains naturally go to judgement and criticism.

Instead of piling on, notice the thought with curiosity. We’re not our thoughts or feelings—we can observe them.

And when we’re stuck in unhelpful stories like “I’m not enough,” or “I have to fix this,” we can gently shift them to more empowering ones:

• “I can offer my help.”

• “I can’t control them, but I can support.”

• “I’m just going to show up and try.”

Small mindset shifts can change everything.

Where to Find Nicky

Nicky Hammond:
People can find me at www.nickyhammond.com (NICKY). I’m on Instagram at @nickyhammondcoaching.

I also offer free online breathwork sessions roughly monthly—they’re a gift to the community, and anyone is welcome. People can email me at nicky@nickyhammond.com if they’d like to join.

Madeleine:
I can absolutely vouch for how incredible your breathwork sessions are. Everyone I know who’s attended gains so much clarity. Thank you so much for being here, Nicky.

Nicky Hammond:
Thank you so much, Mad.

If you’d like to learn more about EPIC or join the EPIC community, visit us at www.empoweringparentsincrisis.com.
You’ll find resources, events, this podcast transcript, and ways to connect with other parents who truly understand.

Thanks for listening — and we hope to connect with you in the EPIC community one day soon.

Do you have suggestions, comments, questions relating to today’s conversation or have ideas for future episodes?
We would love to hear from you. Send EPIC an email here.

This podcast was made possible by the support of Ku-Ring-Gai Council