Pressing Pause

A fear of failure can take on different disguises including perfectionism and procrastination, it can stop us from doing what we want and realising our full potential, and knowing how to deal with it can be incredibly tricky. In this episode we look at: Why being scared of failure feeling different to when we fail How it can show up for each of us My own fear of failure (this makes me feel pretty...

My overthinking coaching clients often talk about their lack of confidence. It's a big topic to cover so in this episode I focus on how our body language can help us to feel more confident. In this episode we look at: How our posture affects how we feel Social psychologist Amy Cuddy's research on the effects of dominance and stress hormones What you can try in two minutes to boost your confidence...

It can feel like you're being bombarded with suggestions on how to make this your best year yet so what you can do to deal with the pressure of January-itis? In this episode we look at: What you're telling yourself about these new year new you messages The role of that pesky 'should' word The idea behind choosing a word for the year How to make it helpful and supportive, not a pressure or source o...

The festive season can be fun and joyous and it can also be messy and stressful. In this episode I suggest seven ideas for creating a calmer Christmas and New Year. In this episode we look at: How your expectations impact your enjoyment of Christmas What small, practical actions you can take to ease the stress What to do if you don't feel full of Christmas spirit How to make the most of the good s...

Being away from home, however lovely a place you're staying in or however lovely the people are, it can bring up feelings of vulnerability, stress and worry. Creating a sense of home from home can help you to feel more relaxed and comfortable. In this episode we look at: Why we can struggle when we're away from home Why this is not about where you're staying or with whom The practical action we ca...

As Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, and it's a time when we can be spending money more than usual, I look at the relationship between money and happiness. In this episode we look at: How much money is enough to make you happy How we can spend it to increase the joy we feel Who and what we spend our money on will have a longer lasting impact on our happiness Resources Download your free Do...

The mindset with which we approach challenges or difficulties in life can make us feel stuck or like a failure, or it can open us up to possibilities. While some of us may begin life with a predominantly fixed mindset there is one little word that can help us move to a growth mindset. In this episode we look at: What fixed and growth mindsets are from the leading authority on them How focusing on...

How you feel about the expectations you have of life, yourself, other people, challenges, affects how positive or negative your reality is. Even if you feel you're naturally pessimistic there are actions you can take to cultivate optimism and improve the reality of your day to day life. In this episode we look at: A study that shows how your expectations impact how you feel and behave How your opt...

There's one particular time of year when it feels like we're not allowed to feel what we're feeling, to take care of our own needs as well as everyone else's, and to suggest that things could be done differently and break with tradition. In this episode we look at: The lack of permission we can feel at Christmas How others could be feeling as we do but also think they're not allowed to speak up Wh...

When you're the overthinking, worrying kind the dark and cold months stretching ahead of us can feel challenging to our wellbeing. It's harder to feel hopeful and positive and the world can feel a more unkind and scarier place. In this episode we look at: Where we can find inspiration from those who deal well with the cold and dark How dropping 'should' will help The simple actions we can take to...

This is the second of a two-parter where I share with you five powerful questions that you can ask yourself when your brain is spiralling off into overthinking and you want to calm the thought whirlwind. In this episode we look at: How asking yourself powerful questions can help you to challenge your overthinking How a question can spark an idea to help yourself Why sometimes looking ahead can giv...

This is the first of a two-parter where I share with you five powerful questions that you can ask yourself when your brain is spiralling off into overthinking and you want to calm the thought whirlwind. In this episode we look at: How you can challenge your overthinking through asking yourself powerful questions How the stories you tell yourself keeps you stuck in overthinking My favourite questio...

Overthinkers can spend a lot of time lost in their own thoughts. Giving your attention to how you can support someone else who's having a difficult time helps you too because it brings you out of your head and gives you a different point of focus. In this episode we look at: Sharing your experience without giving out a list of shoulds What to say when you don't know what to say The frustration fel...

How can a group of people who we may never meet because they're famous, been dead hundreds of years or are fictional characters be a source of inspiration and support? By creating your own imaginary advisory board. In this episode we look at: What is an imaginary inspirational advisory board How it can help when you're feeling stuck, challenged or low How to choose who belongs on your board Who's...

You'd think happiness is a straight forward topic to talk about but the word itself can mean very different things to different people. In this episode we look at: Two different kinds of happiness How much influence we have over how happy we are How it relates to negative emotions The fear we feel about being happy Resources Episode 3 : The life-changing power of feeling grateful Episode 7 : How n...

Mindfulness is everywhere, isn't it? Is it just a fad or is it something that can really make a difference to overthinkers and worriers? In this episode we look at: How mindfulness is backed up by research and the NHS How mindfulness reduces rumination, what if-ing and stress How it strengthens your resilience, benefits those around you as well as yourself and allows you to experience more joy The...

Looking for approval and permission from our families, friends, workmates and even strangers on social media, to do what we want, to feel however we feel or to be who we want to be, can get us tangled up in overthinking and stuck in our lives. So what we can do about it? In this episode we look at: How we look outside of ourselves for permission Why we seek approval from other people The key areas...

Sometimes life doesn't go to plan, it fails to live up to our expectations and the result can really suck. And yet we continue to will it to be different which keeps us stuck in the frustration and upset. So what can we do? In this episode we look at: How life not living up to our expectations ramps up overthinking and stress levels How our response and reaction play a key role What we do and don'...

It's an odd topic for a podcast for overthinkers but there's good reason why I focus on helping you to worry less, not stop worrying In this episode we look at: The damaging message behind a well intended 'just stop worrying' Why denying worry or pushing it away does more damage than good How facing up to your worry lessens its power over you What you can do with worry that will help you to focus...

Most of us have a first aid kit for when we have a cut or bump but what about when we're feeling mentally bashed and bruised? A mental health first aid kit is what's need to provide comfort, support and relief when we feel emotionally beaten down. In this episode we look at: Why we need a mental health first aid kit What digital and physical elements to include in your kit Making it personal and s...

As overthinkers we spend a lot of time fast forwarding into the future and as soon as we've reached a goal or made it through a difficulty we're straight onto thinking about what's next. Constantly striving forward means that we're missing out on the joy and contentment in our lives right now. In this episode we look at: How we move the goalposts so we're always looking to what's going to happen n...

We each have something in our lives that supports our mental or physical health and gives us the chance to be the best version of ourselves so we're better able to take care of those around us too. You may not think of this habit or action as an act of self-care but you know that it would really impact you if it vanished from your daily life. In this episode we look at: What a non-negotiable is Ho...

Saying 'sorry' can become a go-to word we use whenever we want to get someone's attention or ask a question, when we have nothing to apologise for. Using sorry is about more than using one word instead of another, it's about apologising for taking up space in the world. In this episode we look at: The different ways we use sorry when we've nothing to apologise for Why it matters that we say sorry...

When someone is having a tough time and struggling with difficult emotions, we give them compassion. Yet we find it so hard to do the same for ourselves. By practising self-compassion we drop shame and criticism and give ourselves a break. In this episode we look at: What self-compassion is and its three key components Why it's essential to give ourselves compassion and how it benefits us How to r...

Waking up in the early hours with worrisome thoughts racing around your mind is frustrating, scary and feels very lonely. Knowing you have to be up soon only adds to your stress. But you're not alone in how you feel and there are ways you can help yourself back to sleep. In this episode we look at: Why getting frustrated with yourself and trying to empty your mind doesn't help How being kind to yo...