In this episode we explore why we feel we should put a time limit on feeling better, whether that’s after a bereavement, or the benefit we think we should experience from a holiday.

We discuss the impact of striving to be ‘fixed’ or ‘better’, rather than living with how things are right here, right now. We explore the idea that acceptance of how things really are can lead to us making the changes that we really need, not a knee-jerk reaction to the discomfort of the present.

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

In this episode, we discuss our personal experiences of rushing, how that feels in our bodies (not pleasant!) and the consequences of always being in a rush – being clumsy, dropping things, forgetting what we are doing, all that stuff!

It’s not all or nothing, sometimes ‘drive mode’ is very much where we need to be, rather than in ‘rest and digest' or 'soothing' mode. So really noticing when each system is activated, when they are helpful, and when we could mindfully and carefully do one thing at a time is really helpful.

We explore the benefits of noticing how rushing feels in our bodies, and how that can give us some control over the choices that we are making.

Adrienne and Lucy can be contacted through their websites:

www.presenceofmind.life (Lucy)

www.adriennekirk.uk (Adrienne)

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

In this episode we explore looking for validation on social media. Social media is not either ‘good’ or ‘bad’, – it really depends on how we use it.

It can be hard to find people who are like us in our social circle sometimes; particularly if we have a neurodivergence, or a rather niche hobby. That’s where social media can be super helpful – it’s a great way to connect with people who share similar experiences or interests. But, like anything, there are some downsides too. It's important to be mindful of how much we share about our personal lives and emotions, especially in public spaces, for our own safety and peace of mind.

If we feel isolated it is easy to reach out to an on-line community, which may well say something about our in-real-life connections. Building those deeper, in-person relationships can take a lot more time and effort, but they’re super important, too.

Adrienne and Lucy can be contacted via their websites

www.presenceofmind.life (Lucy)

www.adriennekirk.uk (Adrienne)

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

As humans, we’ve got this amazing ability to imagine the future and reflect on the past, but honestly, it doesn’t always work in our favour! We can easily spiral into thinking about all the worst-case scenarios, and before we know it, our bodies are reacting as if those things are actually happening right now.

A lot of the time, these "what-if" scenarios are shaped by past experiences, or even things we’ve seen in movies, read in books, or heard from other people. As usual, we share our own experiences of fearing the worst, and also times when difficult things have happened!

In this episode, we dive into some strategies to help calm our nervous system, so we can think more clearly and see things as they really are, instead of getting stuck in a worst-case scenario spiral.

Adrienne and Lucy can be contacted via their websites

www.presenceofmind.life (Lucy)

www.adriennekirk.uk (Adrienne)

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

In this episode we discuss why we don't like endings and yet life’s full of endings. Whether it’s moving to a new place, switching jobs, or something much heavier like the end of a relationship or losing someone close to us. And yet, it feels like we’re not always great at dealing with them. We tend to push those feelings aside or beat ourselves up for feeling upset when it seems like everyone else is handling things better.

But what if we let ourselves truly feel what we're feeling? What if we gave ourselves the time and space to accept those emotions instead of trying to push them away? Until we do that, it’s tough to process what we’re losing and figure out where we’re headed. It’s totally okay to grieve an ending, no matter how big or small the change might be.

Adrienne and Lucy can be contacted via their websites

www.presenceofmind.life (Lucy)

www.adriennekirk.uk (Adrienne)

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

We've both discovered how therapy and mindfulness have been incredibly helpful for managing stress and anxiety. In fact, they've been so impactful that they became the foundation of the work we do today! In the past, we were experts at turning small setbacks into big worries, a habit many of us can relate to! It's easy to get overwhelmed by the little things sometimes.

In this episode we discuss the neurological underpinnings of this most natural of processes, and talk about ways of bringing calm and steadiness to ourselves. Along the way, we use lots of metaphors, as we both find them super helpful for understanding these concepts. We also talk about the importance of showing ourselves the same kindness we would offer to others.

Lucy and Adrienne can be contacted through their websites:

www.presenceofmind.life (Lucy)

www.adriennekirk.uk (Adrienne)

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

This was a really interesting discussion about why we set ourselves unrealistic expectations. We explored the impact of social media, advertising, and cultural beliefs about what we need to do or be to be accepted. This can feed a belief that we are not good enough without being ‘perfect’ and of course we can’t live up to the expectations of being perfect.

We discussed how we might instead treat ourselves with kindness and perhaps base our expectations of ourselves on our core values rather than externally-imposed beliefs about what we should look like or achieve.

Lucy and Adrienne can be contacted through their websites:

www.presenceofmind.life (Lucy)

www.adriennekirk.uk (Adrienne)

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

In this episode we agreed that we both share the desire to save others from distress or upset. It’s a very human quality but can lead to feelings of overwhelm, or of being taken for granted. It also means that, rather than teaching someone how to solve things for themselves, we inadvertently create an inability to manage their own situation in the other person.

Within relationships rescuing may be seen as an expression of a fear that the other person will leave us if we don’t provide help and support. And parents want to protect their children from any hurt or upset, so try and smooth their path through life. However, making mistakes is one of the most effective ways we have of learning.

We discussed how boundaries can be really helpful – teaching others how to treat us and teaching us how to respect ourselves.

Lucy and Adrienne can be contacted through their websites:

www.presenceofmind.life (Lucy)

www.adriennekirk.uk (Adrienne)

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