In this episode, we delve into the common challenge of avoiding difficult tasks, and we examine the emotional and practical barriers that keep us stuck. Often, when we find ourselves putting off getting on with the tricky things, we give ourselves a really hard time. However, it’s not as easy as just telling ourselves to get on with it! Being kind to ourselves helps us to recognise that our emotional capacity may be at breaking point. Once we can do that, we may be able to work out what one thing we might be possible to do, rather than thinking we need to complete the whole list.

During this episode we share personal stories, psychological insights, and practical strategies to manage overwhelm and foster kindness towards ourselves.

Tackling the hard things one step at a time with kindness towards yourself makes a significant difference. Resilience is built in small acts of compassion and realistic planning.

Key topics:

The complexity behind procrastinating on small but accumulative chores, like managing subscriptions or booking travel.

How cognitive load and emotional capacity influence our ability to tackle tasks.

We use the metaphor of a "bucket" to describe our mental capacity and how it's overwhelmed by stressors.

The role of self-compassion and kindness in overcoming feelings of shame and failure.

Practical strategies: breaking down tasks, scheduling focused time, and managing expectations.

The impact of age, technology, and environmental factors on our capacity to do hard things.

The importance of recognizing and sitting with discomfort rather than avoiding or resisting it.

The power of incremental action—doing one thing at a time—and the mental shift from urgency to kindness.

Find us at: www.adriennekirk.uk or www.presenceofmind.life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the complex nature of letting go of the past, the importance of boundaries, trust, and self-compassion. We talk about the difference between forgiving and forgetting. This can be a tricky one as we think that we ‘ought’ to just let go of things. And sometimes that is not in our best interests. We explore whether and when it’s ok to put in boundaries to protect ourself. We also discuss what happens when we hold on to a sense of things being better in the past and how that can affect our relationship with our present life.

We discuss practical ways to navigate emotional baggage, rebuild trust, and find balance between holding on and moving forward.

Key topics

Why we hold on to past hurts and memories

The role of the brain in emotional patterns

Boundaries and trust in relationships

The difference between forgive and forget

Practicing self-compassion and acceptance

The impact of nostalgia on present life

Techniques for letting go and closure

The importance of perspective shift

Find us at: www.adriennekirk.uk or www.presenceofmind.life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we explore why we often feel responsible for others' feelings, how boundaries influence our relationships, and discusses strategies for healthier communication and self-care, especially during times of change and grief.

We can find it hard to stick to our boundaries because we don’t want to upset other people. This can lead us to feeling that our needs don’t count and we can become frustrated, sad or even angry.

However, it can feel risky to change deeply ingrained habits - whether it’s saying no to family demands, setting limits on caring for others after grief, or navigating the complex dance of giving and receiving support. We don’t like to upset others. However we are responsible for our actions, but not how others respond to those actions. And this is important though difficult to remember when we are faced with the distress of others.

And generally it’s not an either/or choice, we can take care of our own feelings and also the feelings of others.

Key Topics

Why we feel responsible for others' feelings

The importance of boundaries in relationships

Communication strategies for boundary setting

Impact of grief and life changes on boundaries

Self-care and emotional regulation

Find us at: www.adriennekirk.uk or www.presenceofmind.life

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.