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The Support & Kindness Podcast

The Support & Kindness Podcast

By: Greg Shaw
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 🌟 The Support & Kindness Podcast – With Greg and Rich Life with mental health challenges, brain injury, TBI, chronic pain, or simply the weight of everyday struggles can feel overwhelming. That’s why we created The Support & Kindness Podcast — a space where compassion, community, and real conversations come together. Each week, Greg and Rich share stories, insights, and practical tools that remind you you’re not alone. From personal experiences to uplifting interviews, we explore how kindness and support can transform lives — one story, one act, one conversation at a time. Expect heartfelt talks, simple steps you can take to spread kindness in your world, and encouragement to keep going, even on the hardest days. Whether you’re seeking hope, healing, or just a gentle reminder that what you do matters, this is your place. 👉 New episodes weekly. Subscribe and join us in building a kinder, more supportive world.
Episodes
  • Episode 2: What Do You Do When You Feel Overwhelmed?

    Episode 2: What Do You Do When You Feel Overwhelmed?
    Sep 14 2025
    The Support & Kindness Podcast - With Greg and Rich Episode 2: What Do You Do When You Feel Overwhelmed? Recorded: Saturday, September 13, 2025 Today Greg and Rich discussed “What Do You Do When You Feel Overwhelmed?” Episode summary Greg and Rich unpack what it feels like to be overwhelmed and share practical, compassionate strategies that work in real life - especially when you’re juggling brain injury, ADHD, family, and daily noise. They cover slowing down, prioritizing, grounding the nervous system, writing lists that actually help, shrinking big tasks, setting boundaries, delegating, and caring for the basics (food, water, sleep, movement). Greg also reads a thoughtful list of tips he received from GPT-5, which both hosts reflect on and endorse. They close with an open invitation to their free, confidential peer-led support groups held weekly. Highlights and key takeaways Slow down and prioritize: Pause, breathe, and pick the next single step.Make a simple list and sort by “must do today,” “could do this week,” and “parking lot.” Ground your nervous system: Try box breathing: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4 (repeat 4–6 times).Use a cold-water reset: rinse hands/face or hold an ice cube for 30–60 seconds.5-4-3-2-1 grounding: name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Shrink the task: Cut big tasks in half, then in half again. Examples: “Write a report” → open a doc and write one sentence.“Clean the kitchen” → clear the sink and run the dishwasher.“Work out” → put on shoes, take a 5-minute walk. Use a 10-3-10 reset: 10 minutes: tidy one visible area or answer one small email.3 minutes: stretch, breathe, hydrate.10 minutes: focus on the single most important next step—no multitasking. Protect your inputs: Silence non-urgent notifications, close extra tabs, place your phone in another room.Use a calming playlist or white noise. Ask for help and delegate: Share bandwidth: “Could you summarize 5–10 pages?” “Can you handle dinner tonight?”It’s okay to ask early and delegate a piece, not the whole project. Set compassionate boundaries: “I don’t have capacity right now.”“I need to finish X before I commit.” Care for the basics: Eat protein + fiber, drink a full glass of water, move for 5 minutes, aim for consistent sleep. Reframe the story: “I can do this in small steps.”“Not everything is urgent. I will choose one.”Progress > perfection. End your day with a soft landing: Note 3 small wins, set tomorrow’s top 1–2 tasks, and do one soothing ritual (warm shower, tea, light reading, brief guided breathing). Noteworthy observations Overstimulation can escalate to panic or even seizures for some—slowing down isn’t optional; it’s protective.Families and teams can learn to spot early signs of overwhelm and support with simple cues like “slow down.”Delegation can be growth-building, especially for kids or teammates—assigning roles helps them step up. Greg — quotes and points Quotes: “Just the act of slowing down can make all the difference.”“Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean that you’re failing—it means that you’re human.” (reflecting on the AI advice)“I feel lost and afraid and scared… my breathing labors. It’s just like I need some help.” Key points: Emphasizes the physical side of anxiety—tension and constriction—and how slowing down helps.Believes in writing things down as both a practical and calming step, even if the notebooks pile up.Endorses breathing as a reliable first-line tool when you’re on your own.Highlights the HALT guideline: don’t get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.Reads and validates a comprehensive list of practical tips (breathing, cold water, 5-4-3-2-1, brain dump, shrinking tasks, 10-3-10 reset, protecting inputs, delegating, boundaries, basics, reframing, soft landing). Rich — quotes and points Quotes: “When I feel pressured, I freeze up… I can work myself into panic attacks or even seizures with overstimulation.”“I try and slow down and figure out what order I need to prioritize them in… take the food out so it doesn’t burn, then talk to my family member.” Key points: For TBI and ADHD, overwhelm often comes from overstimulation—multiple inputs at once.Uses both a digital list (big tasks) and a notepad (today’s tasks).Family has learned supportive signals—hands up, “slow down, Dad”—to prevent escalation.Delegation and coaching aren’t just relief valves; they build capability (his soccer coaching example of teaching players to run the offside trap). Practical toolkit from the episode Quick-start steps: Take 2–5 minutes for box breathing.Do a brain dump for 3–5 minutes; sort into “must today / could this week / parking lot.”Pick one next action and shrink it until it feels doable.Silence notifications, close tabs, and set a 20–30 minute...
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    15 mins
  • Episode 1: What Do You Do When Your Mind Goes Blank?

    Episode 1: What Do You Do When Your Mind Goes Blank?
    Sep 6 2025

    Title: When Your Mind Goes Blank (Episode 1)

    Podcast: The Support and Kindness Podcast with Greg and Rich

    Episode Summary In our very first episode, Greg and Rich introduce The Support and Kindness Podcast and dive into a common, often scary experience: when your mind goes blank. Drawing from their lived experience with brain injury, anxiety, seizures, and depression, they share practical ways to reorient, reduce anxiety, and move forward with compassion. This short, real-talk episode is meant to remind you you’re not alone—and that this happens to everyone.

    Key Topics

    • Why minds go blank: It’s normal and human, not a personal failure
    • Quick ways to reorient when you freeze
    • Using context clues to regain the thread
    • Simple grounding and breath practices to calm the nervous system
    • Being gentle with yourself: no harsh self-judgment
    • Giving yourself permission to pause or step away

    Practical Tips Mentioned

    • Ask orienting questions:
      • What’s going on?
      • Where am I?
      • What was I doing?
    • Use context clues:
      • Check the screen, the program, the paper in front of you
      • Review browsing history or hit the “back” button to retrace steps
      • Pick up on the subject matter of the conversation to rejoin
    • Quick “refresh” moves:
      • Tap back 15 seconds on a video or audio
      • Skim recent tabs or notes
    • Grounding breath:
      • Inhale through the nose, hold briefly, slow exhale
      • Visualize a place that’s safe and calm (real or imagined)
      • Engage all senses: What can you see, hear, feel (breeze/sun), smell (ocean/pine), taste (salt air)?
    • Release tension:
      • Notice clenched muscles and soften them
      • Let go of “gripping” harder when anxious—it often backfires
    • Social permission:
      • It’s okay to say, “My mind went blank—can you catch me up?”
      • It’s okay to take a brief break if you need to reset

    Memorable Quotes

    • “It happens to us. It’s the human condition. Minds go blank.” —Rich
    • “Don’t judge yourself harshly for a momentary slip.” —Rich
    • “Go back and get the context—what was I doing, and where was I?” —Greg
    • “Sometimes anxiety makes us clamp down. Softening and breathing helps more than gripping tighter.” —Greg
    • “It’s okay to use, ‘My mind went blank,’ as a simple, honest way to reduce the awkwardness.” —Rich

    Reassurance and Perspective

    • This isn’t just a brain injury thing—everyone experiences blank moments: teens, parents, older adults, people with and without medical histories.
    • A blank moment does not mean your condition is getting worse. Most often, it’s stress, overload, or just being human.
    • Compassion beats self-criticism. Be kind to yourself.

    Resources

    • Show notes, resources, and updates: https://kindnessRX.org
    • We’ll add a dedicated episode page and links mentioned here to the site.

    Call to Action

    • If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need it.
    • Send us feedback and ideas for future short episodes via the website: https://kindnessRX.org

    Credits Hosts: Greg and Rich Podcast: The Support and Kindness Podcast with Greg and Rich

    Closing Thought You’re not alone. Take a breath, find your context, and treat yourself with kindness.
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    10 mins
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