Books, talks, bodies & minds
a gaggle of updates
Life is busy; the good kind of busy.
After a failed job search at the end of 2024, I now have a solid coaching practice, have started teaching TRE (see below), write every week in another newsletter I launched earlier this year, and have the time to meet lots of interesting folks in Bristol.
There are also plenty of new subscribers to this Substack since I last wrote to you: hello folks 👋
This isn’t a standard post, but an intermediate Dan-update before we resume regular service.
In that spirit, here are 4 updates, including several pictures of my face.
In a book
It’s always been my dream to write a book. I’m not there yet, but I did feature in one recently.
In January, I attended the book launch of The Burnout Doctor. I reached out to the author,
in 2023. We were both writing here on Substack. She’d gone through burnout herself and brought an original perspective as a GP and neuroscientist.Some time later Claire told me she was writing a book. She asked if she could include my experience and it was an easy yes.
I first published my burnout story in 2023, but people are continually discovering it, through one route or another. Recently, someone commented: “It is great to read something that is so recognisable. Thank you for writing this down and sharing it with the world.”
When you go through something as disruptive as burnout, reading other people's candid reports is a lifeline. That's why I was so keen for my story to be included in the book.
Interesting side note: I’ve had more coaching clients come through reading my story than any other content I’ve written. People are drawn to authenticity and vulnerability, even when the story is about as far from a marketing pitch as possible.
That part of my life was a furnace but there was so much growth in its wake. It’s why I’m still so passionate about working with people wrestling with burnout or those who sense a crisis on the horizon.
If you’re already finding yourself increasingly overwhelmed, or just want to learn more about burnout, check out the book!
On a stage
In February, I talked about the burnout years in front of the HUM4NS community in Bristol.
After condensing what was originally a 3-year period down into a 10,000 word story, I managed to further compress it down into a 15-minute talk, book-ended with some reflections:
Sometimes, all you can do is bear witness (thanks Pema Chödrön)
Grief comes in many guises (thanks Elizabeth Gilbert)
Hobbies that feel like luxuries might one day be lifelines. For me, that was writing (thanks Stephen King)
People light up when you bare yourself
It was both 1) terrifying and 2) a privilege to speak. In the vein of the last reflection, I’ve connected with some interesting new people and there are a couple of podcast appearances in the works.
HUM4NS is a special community, and there aren’t many other places I would have felt comfortable sharing this story. If you’re in the South West, there are talks every month. I loved their ethos from my first visit—their holistic focus on happier, healthier, smarter & kinder aligns with how I’ve always approached life, and how I support the people I coach.
Shaking it out
At some point, after many years of meditation, I started shaking.
I would be sitting on my cushion when my hips started rocking back and forth. Sometimes my belly would contract and my whole body would wave forward and back, like riding a bucking bronco.
It wasn’t scary. It felt natural and I mostly just let it do its thing.
It was only years later that someone sent me a video about TRE (Trauma/Tension Releasing Exercises), a method that induces the tremor response. With this reflex activated, people could consciously “shake off” tension and even trauma.
Fast forward, and I’ve had a personal practice for 2 years. Last year, I started my training as a TRE provider. I love being able to work with people in this way and in the future I’m going to develop some unique programmes that combine coaching and bodywork.
So many people I work with have a tightly-wound nervous system. They’re locked into anxiety-patterns and fight-flight responses, struggling with all the symptoms that can stem from that over-activation. They don’t know how to release. Others feel constantly dissociated; adrift from life and numb.
TRE is a safe and effective way of teaching the body to release tension whilst increasing our sense of vitality. It helped me enormously when I was burned out. I shake 2-3 times a week to reconnect with my body, release physical tension and allow more emotional freedom. I’ve meditated for 18 years and I find TRE a necessary complement to that practice of stillness.
In February, I finished my final in-person module, training with Steve Haines at the Body College in London. Whilst working towards my final qualification, I’m offering people free sessions. You don’t need to know anything about TRE, and I’ll talk you through the process on the call. If that’s interesting to you, get in contact.
I originally embarked on the training for personal development, but teaching it has been so much fun, and the practice such a revelation to people, that it feels destined to be a bigger part of my life than I’d guessed.
I’ve just launched a new website for my TRE practice: TREBristol.co.uk
Please help Google understand that it is a reputable website by clicking through and nodding appreciatively.
Writing for nerds
If you’re a leader, techie or founder, I’m writing weekly at Code & Compass. I share insights, stories and new ways to build, lead and thrive without losing your mind.
It’s the first time I’ve shared more about my professional work, what it takes to lead and how to be the calm in the chaos. A lot of people I coach have a Tech background and I still consult & advise startups if you’re struggling to get your engineering singing.
I quit and deleted all social media in 2020. The only thing left standing was LinkedIn, for professional reasons. In a strange turn of events, I’m now pretty active on LinkedIn. If you want a taste of what I’m sharing in Code & Compass, come follow me there.
But I’m also bursting with other writing ideas at the moment. As of 2025, I have a sustainable lifestyle where writing comfortably features. Sometimes I remind myself that this is a literal dream come true.