When you’re emotionally tired, even simple decisions can feel overwhelming and big choices made in that state often lead to regret. In this episode, Marilyn talks about decision fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and how to pause choices without falling behind.

This episode offers permission to slow down, protect yourself from burnout decisions, and recognize when rest, not action is the most responsible next step.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. What emotional decision fatigue really looks like
2. Why tired minds struggle with clarity
3. The difference between urgency and pressure
4. How to pause decisions without avoiding responsibility
5. Simple questions to guide choices when energy is low

Reflection Questions:

1. What decisions feel heavy right now?
2. Which choices can wait until I feel more rested?
3. What would it look like to pause without guilt?

Listener Reminder:

You don’t have to decide everything today.

Clarity comes more easily when you’re rested.

Many of us feel an unspoken pressure to say we’re “fine” — even when we’re tired, overwhelmed, or unsure. In this episode, Marilyn explores where that pressure comes from, why pretending to be okay can be exhausting, and how to be honest without overexposing yourself.

This conversation is about removing the emotional mask, recognizing the difference between privacy and pretending, and learning language that protects your energy while staying true to yourself.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. Why we feel pressure to appear “okay”
2. How minimizing your feelings adds to emotional exhaustion
3. The difference between being private and pretending
4. Gentle ways to be honest without opening heavy conversations
5. A simple writing practice to release internal pressure

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do I feel pressure to be okay?
2. Who do I automatically reassure instead of myself?
3. What might it feel like to answer honestly — even quietly?

Listener Reminder:

You don’t owe anyone a performance of wellness.

Being honest doesn’t have to be loud to be real.

When everything starts to feel heavy, overwhelming, and just plain too much, it’s often not because one thing is wrong — it’s because too many things are being carried at the same time. In this episode, Marilyn talks about emotional overload, why it builds quietly, and how to recognize the signs before it spills over.

This conversation isn’t about fixing or pushing through. It’s about slowing down, sorting what you’re carrying, and creating space to breathe. Through a gentle bubble practice and simple reflection, listeners are invited to notice what truly needs their attention — and what can be set down, even temporarily.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. What emotional overload really looks like
2. Why feeling overwhelmed is not a personal failure
3. How emotional weight builds over time
4. A simple bubble practice to sort what you’re carrying
5. Writing as a tool to release pressure without solving everything

Reflection Questions:

1. What feels heaviest for me right now?
2. What am I carrying that can wait?
3. What doesn’t actually belong to me to carry?

Listener Reminder:

Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re incapable.

It means you’ve been capable for a long time without enough space to rest.

#PutItInABubble #EmotionalOverload #OverwhelmSupport #MindsetPodcast #SelfCompassion #EmotionalWellbeing #Season3

When your body is tired, but your mind won’t stop racing, it can feel frustrating, exhausting, and hard to explain. In this episode, Marilyn explores why racing thoughts happen, especially during quiet moments, and why it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

You’ll learn gentle, practical ways to calm your nervous system, including how writing things down can help your mind feel safe enough to rest. This episode is about softening, not fixing — and giving yourself permission to slow down without pressure.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. Why racing thoughts often show up when things finally get quiet
2. The connection between a busy mind and an overloaded nervous system
3. Why calming the body matters more than controlling thoughts
4. How writing things down helps reduce mental overload
5. Simple ways to give your mind a place to rest

Practices Shared in This Episode:

1. A gentle breathing and grounding exercise
2. The “mental parking lot” writing practice
3. Using the Bubble Method to contain looping thoughts
4. Letting go of the need to solve everything at once

Reflection Questions:

1. When does my mind tend to get the loudest?
2. What might my body need in those moments?
3. What can safely wait until tomorrow?

Listener Reminder:

A racing mind doesn’t mean you’re failing at rest.

It usually means you’ve been carrying more than you realize.

#PutItInABubble #RacingThoughts #MentalOverload #MindsetSupport #EmotionalWellness #Season3

The beginning of a new year often comes with pressure — to set goals, make changes, and become a “better” version of ourselves. In this opening episode of Season 3, Marilyn invites listeners to step away from that noise and start the year gently instead.

This episode is about slowing down, releasing expectations, and giving yourself permission to begin where you are. Through reflection and a calming bubble practice, Marilyn encourages listeners to notice what they’re carrying into the new year and decide — without judgment — what truly belongs with them right now.

This is not about reinvention.

It’s about intention, clarity, and breathing room.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. The pressure that often comes with a new year
2. Why you don’t need to reinvent yourself to move forward
3. How to notice emotional and mental weight without fixing it
4. A gentle New Year Bubble practice for reflection
5. Starting the year with clarity instead of overwhelm

Reflection Questions:

1. What am I still carrying from last year?
2. What feels heavy that may not belong to me anymore?
3. What would feel supportive right now?

Listener Reminder:

You don’t have to rush into this year.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.

A gentle start is still a powerful start.

Connect & Learn More:

🌐 Website: www.PutItInABubble.com

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on your favorite podcast platform

Hashtags:

#PutItInABubble #GentleStart #NewYearMindset #EmotionalWellness #IntentionalLiving #MindsetSupport #Season3

The holidays can be beautiful—and overwhelming. In this episode, we talk about setting kind, clear boundaries that protect your time, energy, budget, and peace. You’ll get simple scripts you can use word-for-word, a 3-step boundary framework, micro-habits that reduce stress, and a short guided exercise to define your non-negotiables.

• A simple 3-step framework: Notice → Name → Negotiate
• Word-for-word scripts for time, money, food/body talk, travel, hosting, hot topics, and last-minute requests
• Micro-boundaries that prevent overwhelm (calendar buffers, two-yes rule, “leave while happy”)
• A quick Guilt Detox reframe to stop second-guessing
• A 5-minute Holiday Non-Negotiables exercise you can repeat all season

• Free One-Pager: Holiday Boundary Script Sheet — copy/paste scripts, plus the Non-Negotiables template.
• Share this episode with a friend who needs permission to choose peace over perfection.

• Subscribe to Put It in a Bubble for weekly mindset tools.
• Connect with Marilyn on social for episode updates and prompts.

#PutItInABubble #HolidayBoundaries #MindfulLiving #StressLess #MentalWellness #PositiveMindset #SimplifyTheSeason

The holidays are often painted as a season of joy — but what if they don’t feel that way this year? In this heartfelt and grounding episode, Marilyn Barker opens up about the quieter side of the holidays the grief, the loneliness, and the pressure to make everything perfect.

Through honest reflection and gentle guidance, Marilyn reminds listeners that it’s okay if the holidays look different this year. She shares ways to set boundaries, honor your emotions, find small moments of peace, and create new meaning when old traditions feel heavy.

If the holidays stir up more stress than sparkle, this episode offers a comforting space to breathe, reflect, and rediscover what truly matters.

• It’s okay if the holidays don’t feel “merry.” You’re not alone.
• Lowering expectations can make space for genuine peace.
• Grief and joy can coexist — and that’s part of being human.
• Boundaries protect your energy and peace of mind.
• Find your own meaning this season, even if it looks different than before.

Quote from the Episode:

“Peace doesn’t come from the perfect table setting or the right playlist. It comes from within from giving yourself permission to be exactly where you are.”

Episode 13: Finding Peace in the Pause

In a world that never seems to slow down, taking time to pause can feel impossible — or even wrong. But what if the moments of stillness you resist are the very ones that bring you peace, clarity, and strength?

In this episode, Marilyn dives deep into the power of the pause the sacred space between the doing and the being. Through personal reflection and motivational insight, she explores how rest can become your greatest source of renewal, how slowing down can actually move you forward, and why peace isn’t found in the noise… but in the quiet in between.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or disconnected, this episode will help you breathe again.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• Why we glorify being “busy” and how it drains our peace
• How pausing can shift your perspective and restore balance
• The difference between rest and avoidance
• Simple ways to create intentional moments of stillness in your day
• How to redefine productivity through presence and peace

Takeaway:

You don’t have to earn your rest or prove your worth through exhaustion. The world won’t fall apart if you slow down and you might just find the clarity you’ve been searching for when you do.

Remember:

When life gets loud, put it in a bubble, take a breath, and let it go.

✨ Listen now on Captivate, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

#PutItInABubble #MindsetMatters #PeaceInThePause #MotivationalPodcast #SelfGrowth #MentalWellness #WomenInBusiness