Not long ago, I was living with chronic stress. I was earning just enough money as a freelance business consultant to pay my half of the bills, but it felt tight, and my anxiety levels were high.
I was 34 years old and heavily pregnant with my third baby too, meaning I'd soon have three children under the age of five. I had no idea how it was all going to work.
A year on, and my business was transformed. Now I was turning over £10,000 a month, and over the following months, that figure doubled.
My husband quit his job as a builder to help me run it and raise the children, and suddenly my work-life balance felt wonderfully restored.
We had morning coffee meetings while our newborn napped in the buggy; healthy lunches at home; afternoon walks; bursts of marketing to let people know about our online courses, and then we'd be off to collect the kids from school.
I've since written three books and made BBC radio appearances to talk about how I did it. And the answer will surprise you.
Yes, I worked hard - but that alone wasn't the key. Instead, I put down much of my success to improving what I call my 'SQ', which stands for 'Spirituality Quotient'.
We all know about IQ as a measure of intellect, and you might even have heard of EQ, our 'emotional quotient', which tells us how emotionally intelligent a person is. But for me, our SQ, or spiritual intelligence, is more important even than those.
I've always been a spiritual person. My mum was forever knocking on wood and talking about the spirits of relatives who'd passed away, but it was only when I started to study spiritual practices in depth that I realised just how much they can transform your life.
Those with a high SQ are able to get what they want out of life by being effortlessly positive. They don't complain about their lot but focus on what brings them joy, and then ask for more of it.
Some call it a 'manifesting mindset' - the idea that your dreams will be realised by thinking positive thoughts and focusing relentlessly on a vision of the future you want and deserve.
But to me, improving your SQ is more than that. It's about being receptive to the idea that there may be something beyond the body and mind; an energy we can access but that isn't visible.
You do need an open mind and a desire for some magic in your life! I know that for some, rituals like sky-gazing and using gemstones seem wacky and weird. Yet there is science behind spirituality as a driver of wellbeing and happiness.
One scholarly meta-analysis, for example - which looked at hundreds of previous studies linking spirituality with health - revealed there is 'ample evidence that religion/spirituality is related to better mental health: less depression, lower stress, less anxiety, greater wellbeing and more positive emotions'.
When you are more spiritually connected, life feels lighter. You discover joy in the tiny, everyday things that you might otherwise overlook; you set what might feel like outrageous work goals and truly believe you are worthy of achieving them; you believe in the power of creativity and of connecting with nature.
Raising your SQ doesn't need to be a serious affair: on the contrary, it's all about having fun.
If you're ready to feel more fulfilled, to reach for what you'd love but perhaps feel is currently out of your grasp, you need to increase your SQ. Here's how.
SPIRITUALLY CLEANSE YOUR HOME
Improving your SQ means surrounding yourself with positive energy. When you feel happy, safe and comfortable in your home, you sleep better and wake up feeling more positive, which feeds into your working day. To brighten the atmosphere.
1. Practise Stosslüften
This German word means 'shock ventilation' and it's a ritual in many northern European homes. Once or twice a day, all the windows in the house are opened to allow stale air out and fresh air in. I love doing it.
2. Sage-smudge
Once you've freshened the air, you can keep the windows open while you do a sage-smudge to welcome positive energy in. This ancient spiritual ritual is a great stress-buster and in certain cultures is used to treat anxiety and depression.
You can also use pine, rosemary or thyme. Light the bundle of herbs and allow the smoke to waft around the room, right into the corners and into any cupboards or shelf space.
3. Spritz your rooms
Choose a room spray with essential oils (I love lavender, rosemary and rose) and spritz the air throughout your home after hoovering.
Many supermarkets sell a good range, or you can go to a local gift shop and see if they stock independent brands.
4. Bring nature indoors
Potted plants are a great way to satisfy our biological desire to be closer to nature and there are proven mental health benefits to nurturing and caring for them.
DESIGN A SHRINE
Traditionally, of course, shrines are for honouring a god or deity but if you see your work desk as a shrine, and fill it with the treasured objects that are meaningful to you, you create a sacred space to focus in peace and calm.
Use the objects as touchstones, literally, to help inspire you.
My desk shrine contains:
Any time you feel overwhelmed, or bored, reach for your gemstones, close your eyes and, in your head, ask for what you need (see box below).
TALK TO THE FAIRIES!
I like to be surrounded by green, whether it's wild or landscaped. It calms my mind.
To bring in the spiritual powers of nature, you can imagine that, wherever you are, there are fairies hiding in the trees or bushes, behind the sand dunes or in the riverbed reeds.
When out in nature, ask the fairies - in your head, or out loud - to help you find the answer you need.
Really, the answer is always within you, but turning outwards and relying on an imagined outside entity to guide you to the answer can often help to unblock your mind.
PRACTISE SKYCHOLOGY
There are myriad studies proving the health benefits of getting away from our screens and into a bit of green space.
But if you're living or working in a built-up urban area, it's sometimes easier said than done. That's where Skychology comes in.
Developed by psychology coach Paul Conway, Skychology is the practice of 'sky-gazing', and it is a new area of wellbeing research.
'I had an unhappy childhood,' says Paul, 'but found solace, peace and a greater sense of wellbeing when looking up at the sky. I was curious to learn if there are others who feel the same.'
Subsequent research confirmed that looking up at the sky has an immediately calming effect.
It can also provoke awe - a complex emotion linked positively to perspective-taking, humility, creativity, and improved immune system health.
Paul has a theory that humans are physiologically wired to benefit from looking upwards.
'The sky can mirror how we are feeling,' says Paul, 'and remind us that everything is constantly changing, including our emotions. That "this too shall pass".'
Quick tips for sky-gazing
When investing in your own set of crystals, think about what you would like to use them for. Different crystals hold different energies and can help in various ways.
Set an intention for something you'd like - more energy, new creative ideas - then hold the relevant stone in your hand. Close your eyes as you hold it and imagine that the crystal is transferring the energy into your body. Absorb it. Feel it rushing through your bloodstream.
EMBRACE SUPERSTITION
My mum was superstitious when I was growing up. Umbrellas would never be opened in the house and we were always steered around ladders!
Now, I find myself drawn only to positive superstitions. Whenever I'm researching the symbolism of something, I seek the positive meaning and leave the negative.
I seek out symbols of good luck, like white feathers (for hope and peace) and spiders (creativity).
One morning, not long after relocating from London to a new home in Somerset, and wondering if I'd made the right move, I was out running and there was a mist lying low on the fields.
As I ran down a dirt track, I spotted two deer up ahead, leaping gracefully over a fence into the fields. It felt like the most magical sighting. In that moment, I could have seen the deer, appreciated the moment and left it there.
Or, do as I did: decide it was a sign from a higher power telling me this was where I was supposed to be right now. That my life would fill with more magical experiences if I stayed in Somerset. And it has!
You can either ignore all the signs or you can feel those belly butterflies and look out for the amazing thing coming next.
When you move with an energy of excitement and positivity, guess what? More good stuff comes your way. People respond to your energy and want to help you. That's the power of a raised SQ!