In a world that never stops scrolling, pinging, or demanding our focus, this episode of The Sieve asks a simple but essential question ... where is your attention going, and what’s it costing you?

In this Sifting Session, Karen explores the quiet power of attention: what it reveals about our values, how it shapes the way we live, and why reclaiming it might be one of the kindest things we can do for ourselves.

She reflects on the pull of distraction ... the endless dopamine loops of modern life and contrasts that with the calm satisfaction that comes from directing our attention deliberately, toward what actually nourishes us.

Because while we talk often about time as our most precious resource, it’s really our attention that determines the quality of our days.

This is an invitation to notice what’s been stealing yours and to gently begin taking it back.

In this episode:

🌿 The hidden cost of constant distraction

🌿 Why attention is an act of love and the foundation of a values-led life

🌿 How to reclaim your focus through small, daily shifts

🌿 A reflection prompt to help you notice where your attention naturally feels at home

Mentioned or inspired by:

• The concept of the “attention economy” and the neuroscience of dopamine loops
• Writers and thinkers like Oliver Burkeman (Four Thousand Weeks) and Jenny Odell (How to Do Nothing), who explore the value of slowing down and choosing where we look
• The beauty of boredom, daydreaming, and deliberate stillness

Reflection prompt:

Where does your attention feel most alive? And what might shift if you started treating it as something sacred?

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. And join the growing conversation over on Instagram @thesievepod ... a quieter corner of the internet where we can all exhale a little and sift through the good stuff together. 🌾

In this episode of The Sieve, Karen is joined by writer, naturalist, photographer and wildlife rehabilitator Polly Pullar - a woman whose life and work are beautifully entwined with the wild landscapes of Scotland.

Polly has spent decades observing, rescuing, and writing about the natural world. Her stories from otters and owls to red squirrels and resilience remind us how deeply our human lives are woven into the land we live on.

In this conversation, Karen and Polly explore ...

🌿 How her early life and love of animals shaped her path as a writer and conservationist.

🦉 The deep connections between nature, grief, and healing.

🌾 The stories behind her memoir The Horizontal Oak and what it taught her about belonging.

🦊 What the wild can teach us about compassion, courage, and letting go.

🌼 How to stay hopeful in a world that can feel increasingly disconnected from nature.

This is a tender, thoughtful conversation about the comfort of wild places, the lessons held in loss, and the quiet wisdom that comes from paying attention.

🎧 Listen now and be reminded that the wild isn’t something outside of us, but something we’re part of.

📚 Connect with Polly Pullar

• Website: www.pollypullar.com
• Books: The Horizontal Oak, Fauna Scotica, A Scurry of Squirrels, and more.
• Instagram: @pollypullar

💬 Join the Conversation

Follow @thesievepod on Instagram — a growing community where we can pause, exhale, and sift through the good stuff together.

In this Sifting Session, Karen shares the story behind last week’s conversation with gardener and author Charles Dowding and a lesson that came from a rather humbling mistake.

When a technical error erased an entire interview (except for the final five minutes), what began as panic and embarrassment turned into an unexpected teacher ... one that spoke of humility, grace, and the quiet power of second chances.

In this reflective solo episode, Karen explores ...

🌱 How mistakes strip us back to what really matters.

🌿 Why grace and generosity often grow in the space where things go wrong.

🍂 What psychology and nature can teach us about failure, learning, and growth.

🌾 How to move from self-criticism to self-compassion and start again, wiser.

Rooted in real experience and gentle reflection, this episode is a reminder that every creative life, every meaningful project, and every season of growth is built on things that didn’t go to plan.

🎧 Listen now, and be reminded that mistakes don’t mean failure ... they mean you’re trying.

💬 Reflection Prompts

• What’s a recent mistake that still lingers in your mind and what might it be teaching you?
• Who has shown you kindness when you’ve stumbled, and how did it change how you saw yourself?
• Where in your life could you offer yourself (or someone else) permission to begin again?

🌾 Join the Conversation

Follow @thesievepod on Instagram ... a growing community where we can pause, exhale, and sift through the good stuff together.