You cleared the calendar. You created white space on purpose, but now your brain is filling that space with worry, busywork, or impulse clicks, and you’re wondering why rest feels so weird.

In this episode, I share what’s really going on when we feel restless in the quiet, why your brain instinctively reaches for drama, perfectionism, or dopamine and what you can offer it instead. We’ll talk about the neuroscience behind this “vacuum effect,” the kinds of low-pressure focus that actually help, and one of my favorite mindset tools for building direction without sliding back into hustle.

What You Will Learn

Why your brain doesn’t always interpret white space as peace and what it does instead

The science behind your brain’s default behavior when there’s nothing to solve

How to spot the difference between real presence and reactivity disguised as productivity

What a “gentle chew toy” is and how it can help you refocus without forcing structure

Why direction (not discipline) is often the most effective form of support

Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

Watch "How to Exit Survival Mode" Free Training

⁠⁠https://bit.ly/cbtsurvivalmode⁠⁠

Download the Study Guide:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check My Coach Coaching Program:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Me On:

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And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

You've got this!

If you're tired of using pressure and guilt to drive your goals, this episode is for you. I'm sharing a simple mindset shift, one that helped me go from “I should” to “what if I already was,” and how it completely changed the way I relate to my goals. We’ll talk about why “should” goals feel heavy, how “what if” identities create momentum, and how you can use this tool today to feel more aligned, playful, and in motion.

What You Will Learn

Why “I should” goals create pressure and what to try instead.

How to use “what if” questions to reframe your goals with ease.

The brain science behind why imagined identity creates real change.

How to shift your mindset without forcing belief or motivation.

A simple way to move toward the version of you you actually want to become.

Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

Watch "How to Exit Survival Mode" Free Training

⁠https://bit.ly/cbtsurvivalmode⁠

Download the Study Guide:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check My Coach Coaching Program:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Me On:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

You've got this!

This episode starts with a return you’ve been avoiding and ends with a different way of seeing yourself. We’re exploring why small tasks feel emotionally loaded, what your brain is really doing when you procrastinate, and how the patterns you reinforce in the little moments shape how you show up in the big ones. No hacks. No pressure. Just a different way to respond to the part of you that wants to avoid.

What You Will Learn

Why tasks like returns trigger unexpected emotional resistance (it’s not about the task)

How shame, guilt, or dread quietly fuel procrastination—even on things that “should be simple”

The connection between small avoidance and your bigger identity patterns

How to name the emotion under the delay—and relate to it differently

A way to move forward that doesn’t require a breakthrough, just a different kind of self-leadership

Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

Watch "How to Exit Survival Mode" Free Training

https://bit.ly/cbtsurvivalmode

Download the Study Guide:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check My Coach Coaching Program:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Me On:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

You've got this!

You are not one version of yourself. You’re a whole cast of characters, each one with her own wisdom, energy, and role to play.

In this episode, we explore the power of naming your mom archetypes and choosing, on purpose, who leads throughout your day. From Efficient Household Manager to Netflix Scrunchie Mom, from Emotionally Patient Mom to Dancing Mom, every part of you matters. And when you let them take turns instead of fighting for control, everything softens.

What You Will Learn

How naming your everyday “mom modes” can help reduce mental overwhelm

Why switching roles isn’t the problem, it’s doing it unconsciously that drains us

The difference between choosing who leads vs. trying to be everything at once

A simple three-step practice for shifting into the energy you actually need

Why honoring your full cast of selves brings more presence, creativity, and ease

Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

Download the Study Guide:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check My Coach Coaching Program:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Me On:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

You've got this!

You can’t prioritize everything at once, and that’s not a failure, it’s life.

In this episode, I share a practical tool for letting go of guilt when life feels stretched too thin. Inspired by a simple triangle framework, high-quality, efficient, and affordable, we explore how choosing two priorities often means letting the third take a backseat for now.

Whether you’re feeling stuck around meals, marriage, movement, or just trying to do it all, this reframe can help you make peace with your tradeoffs and move forward with more clarity and grace.

What You Will Learn

A simple but powerful framework to help you release guilt around subconsciously trying to do everything well, fast, and affordably

Why high-achieving women often feel like they’re failing, even when they’re doing everything right

How to identify your two current priorities and name what’s taking a backseat

Real-life examples of how this triangle shows up in meals, marriage, and movement

How to use this lens to make fast, grace-filled decisions without shame

Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

Download the Study Guide:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check My Coach Coaching Program:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Me On:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

You've got this!

This episode is about one of those nights. The kind where something small, like a missing safe food at dinner, turns into something big. The kind where you and your partner have the same argument you’ve had a dozen times, and afterward, you don’t like how you showed up.

I take you inside a real-life moment where my thoughts led me into anxiety, anger, and shame and how I’m working through it now using the self-coaching tools I teach. Not to shame myself. Not to pretend it didn’t happen. But to understand it, learn from it, and soften my return to connection.

This isn’t an episode about being right. It’s about what happens when we’re human and how we come back to ourselves and our people after that.

What You Will Learn

How one unspoken thought can quietly drive anxiety, reactivity, and shutdown

The specific difference between showing up as a partner vs. prosecuting your partner

What the self-coaching Model looks like in real life, not just in theory

How to shift from shame to self-compassion—without bypassing accountability

Why "repair" is more powerful than perfection, and how to start practicing it

Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

Download the Study Guide:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check My Coach Coaching Program:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Me On:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

You've got this!

Have you ever reached the end of something big—hosting, moving, launching, caregiving—and instead of feeling relief or joy, you feel... foggy? Flat? Off?

That’s not failure. It’s not brokenness. It’s called the letdown effect, and it’s a real, biologically-rooted phase where your nervous system finally catches up after being in go-mode.

In this episode, I share two very personal moments where this hit me hard, once after a simple playdate, and once after six months of robotically getting my family settled post-move. We’ll talk about why rest can feel so unfamiliar, what’s really happening underneath that resistance to joy, and how to meet it all with more self-trust and less judgment.

What the “letdown effect” is and why it feels so uncomfortable

Why joy or rest can feel unsafe after high-stress seasons

How to recognize the crash in yourself and in your kids

The thought patterns that keep us stuck in momentum

Practical ways to support your nervous system during recovery

Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

Download the Study Guide:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Check My Coach Coaching Program:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Me On:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

You've got this!

Caring is beautiful...until it becomes a unsustainable. When you tie your worth to outcomes, over-function to prove your value, or spin in fear of being misunderstood, you end up exhausted.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to care differently. Not less because you’re disengaged, but less because you’re done outsourcing your peace to things you can’t control.

We’ll explore the identity shift that happens when you stop managing perceptions and start leading from clarity, not fear. You’ll walk away with practical ways to take back your emotional power, one imperfect, intentional action at a time.

The subtle line between care and control and how to know when you’ve crossed it

• Why loosening your emotional grip on outcomes doesn’t mean you’re disengaged

• How high-achieving women often confuse over-caring with effectiveness (and what to do instead)

• Four strategies to protect your energy while still showing up with heart and integrity

• Four simple ways to practice aligned care without over-functioning or over-apologizing

  
  

  Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

  Download the Study Guide:

  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  Check My Coach Coaching Program:

  ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  Follow Me On:

  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/

  
  

  ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!

  
  

  You've got this!