'I saw my younger self' - Kate Winslet's emotional dream on the eve of her 40th birthday

Kate Winslet is not only an outstanding actress, but also known for her very straight talking attitude when it comes to impossible beauty standards placed on women, and her experience of menopause.

Recently, however, she shared a more vulnerable side as she detailed a powerful and significant dream she had about herself as a child.

During an appearance on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, the actress took a moment to share what happened during her dream and why she felt it was so significant.

Now aged 50, the experience took place the night before her 40th birthday, 10 years ago. "I had a dream where I walked into a classroom and saw my younger self," she tells Fearne.

"It was really extraordinary," she shares. Elaborating on the dream further, Kate continues, "I walked into a classroom as myself, I was a grownup, I was poised, I was graceful and I was just going to see all these children.

"I was sat there, and it was incredible," she reveals. Becoming emotional, the actress recalls that when she saw her younger self in the dream, she went to sit down with her in the classroom.

"I mustn't get emotional now, because it was such an amazing dream," she shares, fighting back tears.

Once sat with her younger self, Kate had some very important words for the young child. "It's ok, slow down," she told herself as a girl.

"It's bizarre," she explains to Fearne, continuing, "I don't remember dreams or even write them down, but it was so vivid."

Opening up about how she felt about the dream at the time, she adds, "I remember thinking, 'maybe I can slow down, maybe I can just chill for a bit and enjoy the things that I've done.'"

Believing the dream was compelling her to feel good about her achievements, Kate shares that she finds it hard to "take a moment and go, 'oh, I did well, well done me.'"

Continuing with this very important conversation about not just taking a moment to tell ourselves to slow down and congratulate our own achievements, Kate believes women should also be doing this for fellow women.

"I definitely think as women, and in this country, we're not very good at telling each other, 'well done, I'm so impressed and proud of you for doing that,'" she says.

She continues, "I also don't think we're very good at saying openly, 'I was really really proud of myself for that thing I did because, you know, I was up against it, but I bloody pulled it off.'"

Branding this "very un-British" behaviour, the actress reveals that since her important dream, she's been consciously and openly congratulating herself when she does something well.

Just as importantly, this is behaviour she wants to model for her children, and for them to also be able to recognise when they've handled a situation well or feel pride.

"It's important to show a bit of self-love and gratitude," she concludes, wisely.