Hello and welcome to episode 156 of The Mindful Kind podcast featuring all my favourite mental health tools for 2019!

You can read the blog post about mental health tools here: http://www.rachaelkable.com/blog/mental-health-tools-2019

The tools mentioned in this episode include:

• Two journals called Curation by Saint Belford and The Artist of Life Workbook by Lavendaire
• Books including The Mindful Kind (to be released in February 2019), The Happiness Trap by Dr Russ Harris, Lost Connections by Johann Hari and Slow by Brooke McAlary.
• Meditones by Sonesence
• My Self-Compassion Meditation Album: http://www.rachaelkable.com/selfcompassion-album
• Indoor plants
• Podcasts including Happier by Gretchen Rubin, The Lavendaire Lifestyle, 10% Happier with Dan Harris, The One You Feed Podcast and Slow Your Home by Brooke McAlary. You can also listen to my most recent interview with Rick Paddock on the Mind Flipping podcast. 

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 155 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, I'll be sharing some simple tips you can use to take care of yourself during the holidays. If you've been having a difficult time or if you're feeling sad, stressed, lonely, frustrated or worried this Christmas, then I hope this episode will help you feel supported and give you some helpful ideas to get through it. 

Tip 1: Switch off social media and don't compare yourself to others.

Tip 2: Celebrate the holidays in ways which feel good for you (even if it means not celebrating at all). 

Tip 3: Prioritise your emotional wellbeing. 

Tip 4: Don't worry about setting goals or resolutions yet.

Tip 5: Regularly practice mindfulness and meditation. Be sure to grab your copy of my self-compassion meditation album and eBooks at www.rachaelkable.com/shop

I've also described the simple mindfulness practice of doing a body scan and noticing all the sensations in/around your body as you go. 

Wishing you a great Christmas and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 154 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover some unexpected times when you can be mindful, including:

• When you're taking a shower
• During ad breaks on tv
• When you're lying in bed at night
• Whenever you're waiting 

I've also shared simple mindfulness techniques you can use when you're short on time, such as:

• Noticing your senses
• Feeling your breath with one hand on your stomach and one hand on your chest
• The Point of Stillness breathing technique
• A body scan (for an example of this technique, listen to episode 150 of The Mindful Kind)

Don't forget to check out my self-compassion meditation album by going to my shop: www.rachaelkable.com/shop

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 153 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll discover what self-compassion actually is, examples of self-compassionate responses and some of the misconceptions surrounding self-compassion. 

You'll also hear a sample of my meditation album about self-compassion! 

To grab your copy of the full meditation album and meditation journal, head to: http://www.rachaelkable.com/selfcompassion-album

Thank you for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 152 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

Over on Instagram @rachaelkable, I asked my community what they would like to know about meditation! In this episode, I've answered some awesome questions, including: 

• What do you use during meditation? Music? Candles? Mala beads?
• How do you build a daily habit of meditation?
• How can you zone out distractions?
• Is there a way to meditate while driving to help anxiety?
• What is a fun, mindful activity for the Christmas holidays?
• How to help children start meditating?
• And more!

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

• Combardis Elixirs aromatic spray (use the code rachaelkable for a discount)
• Fresh Body Fit Mind app by Amanda Bisk
• Mindful Christmas Challenge - episode 105 of The Mindful Kind podcast and episode 5 of The Mindful Kind video blog
• 3 Simple and Interesting Ways to go for a Mindful Walk

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 151 of The Mindful Kind podcast and the third episode in the meditation mini-series.

In this episode, you'll discover more about my own journey with meditation, including my biggest challenges and the reasons why meditation has been so important to me. 

I've also answered some of the questions I'm often asked about meditation, including:

• Whether it's better to meditate sitting up or lying down
• How long you should meditate for, and
• How to stop the mind wandering

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 150 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

This is the second episode of the meditation mini-series, so if you haven't listened to episode 149 yet, be sure to go back and check it out to learn about what meditation is and some of the benefits it can offer. 

In this episode, you'll discover some different types of meditation, including:

• Breathing meditations (relaxing with each exhale and elliptical breathing)

• Mindfulness meditation (watching the breath, tuning into the senses and body awareness) 

• Loving-kindness meditation

And I've also shared a body scan which you can listen to and also try yourself!

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 149 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

This is the first episode in my new mini-series about meditation, so I've decided to talk about what meditation is, some of the research on it and a few of the potential benefits of a meditation practice.

Here are the links to some of the studies I mentioned:

Article: Does meditation have benefits for mind and body?

Article: Scientific benefits of meditation

Article: Meditation leads to greater pain relief than morphine

Some of the benefits of meditation can include reduced stress, anxiety and depression, increased self-awareness, better attention, help with anger management, more compassion and improved sleep.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the next episode in the meditation mini-series about the different types of meditation.

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello! I'm so excited to be podcasting again after a few weeks away while I travelled overseas. 

In this episode, I've shared some of my travel experiences and things I learned, including how I planned our trip, why we spent so much time doing non-touristy things and what I found out about my own anxiety. 

You'll also get to hear my exciting news;)

Here are my 4 top tips for readjusting back to normal life:

• Take a short break after you get back from holiday and before you go back to work
• Use to-do lists and planners
• Incorporate fun things you did while travelling into your regular life
• Engage in self-care

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 147 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

As I'm taking a short break from the podcast, I've shared a recap of my top resources (including podcast episodes, free downloads, eBooks and articles) for you to explore while I'm away!

Feel free to follow me on Instagram @rachaelkable for updates of my travels in Europe:) 

Here are all the resources mentioned in the episode:

Article - A Meaningful Mindfulness Routine for Beginners

My eBooks

Mini series - Goal Setting

Mini series - Positivity

Mini series - Communication

In this episode, you'll also discover a relaxing breathing technique.

Thank you for listening and I hope you have a wonderful month, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 146 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, I've shared a fun challenge to help you cultivate your attention and practice mindfulness! 

Challenge 1: Give someone your full attention while you have a conversation with them

Challenge 2: Wait with patience and try to experience the present moment

Challenge 3: Use a breathing technique and re-focus your mind when it wanders

Challenge 4: Single-task when you would normally multi-task

Challenge 5: Allocate time for distracting activities

Challenge 6: Create a to-do list of distractions

Challenge 7: Engage in a creative activity for 20 minutes without distractions

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 145 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

I'm super excited about sharing heaps of productivity tips and behind-the-scenes peeks into my own experiences with productivity and mindfulness. 

In this episode, you'll discover some recent (and interesting!) research about productivity and mindfulness, plus 3 tips to help you be mindful and productive including:

• How to take mindful breaks
• Why it's important to process your emotions, and
• When to use the "one seat" mindfulness meditation.

I've also answered some great questions from my Instagram followers about productivity, including how to reward yourself for being productive and how to use lists to your advantage (and more!). Be sure to follow me on Instagram @rachaelkable for a chance to ask me your questions another time!

If you'd like to find out more about the live Q and A Facebook group, head over to http://www.rachaelkable.com/live-q-a/ 

Thank you for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind!

Hello and welcome to episode 144 of The Mindful Kind podcast!
In this episode, you'll discover 3 tips to cope you cope with rejection mindfully and some interesting research about rejection. 

For example, a study by Kirsten Weir in 2012 found that rejection causes the brain's pain receptors to respond as though the body has been physically injured. 

Here are the 3 tips for coping with rejection mindfully:

• Acknowledge how you're feeling non-judgementally and give yourself space to process those feelings
• Slow the spiral of negative thoughts by using mindfulness techniques, such as doing a body scan or mindful breathing
• Learn from rejection in meaningful and positive ways

It can also be important to remember that you're not alone in feeling rejection - many of us have been there and will experience it again in the future! If you need extra support, you might like to speak with a trusted friend, chat with a counsellor or psychologist, or call a Helpline. 

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 143 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

In the previous episode, I spoke about how to mindfully live with other people, so I thought I'd also share some thoughts about creating a mindful home. 

Here are my top 6 tips for creating a mindful home:

• Get some indoor plants (don't forget to follow me on Instagram @rachaelkable to see my indoor plant collection!)
• Declutter
• Be intentional about the colours you use
• Start a Pinterest board for home inspiration
• Create a self-care space, and
• Make meaningful atmospheres in your favourite rooms

If you'd like to hear more thoughts on this topic, you might also enjoy episode 68 of The Mindful Kind podcast about Positive Spaces and Mindfulness. 

I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind!

Hello and welcome to episode 142 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

In this episode, you'll discover 3 tips for living with people more mindfully, including:

• Being assertive (for more inspiration, check out episode 102 of The Mindful Kind podcast)
• Practising gratitude, and
• Doing chores mindfully (for more inspiration, check out episode 66 of The Mindful Kind podcast)

If you enjoy listening to The Mindful Kind podcast, please don't forget to leave a review and head over to my website at www.rachaelkable.com for more mindfulness resources, including my blog, video blog and free members section!

I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 141 of The Mindful Kind podcast! In this episode, I'll be sharing my thoughts on conscious consumption in 3 different areas:

1: Consumption of food and drink (including how to eat mindfully and why it's important to listen to your body)

2: Consumption of content (including the 5 main ways we consume content and which one is best for allowing you to be mindful)

3: Consumption of natural resources, such as land, food and water, and how we can make a positive difference in the world. 

I hope you enjoy this episode and have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind! 

Hello and welcome to episode 140 of The Mindful Kind podcast. This episode is all about how to look at (and create!) art more mindfully. 

If you're not yet following me on Instagram, you can find me @rachaelkable. 

How to look at art mindfully:

• Notice the different colours and textures
• Be non-judgemental
• Feel the emotions and moods the art might evoke (side note: two of my favourite artists to follow on Instagram include @tbfrost and @sophiemelville_artist

If you'd like to check out the gorgeous watercolour cards Sophie and I collaborated on, you can find them here: http://www.sophiemelville.com/product/gift-cards-set-of-6

Don't forget to create some kind of art mindfully this week by allowing yourself to make mistakes, tuning in to your senses and observing feelings as they come and go. 

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 139 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, I've shared some of my own experiences with loneliness, isolation and mindfulness, plus 5 tips to help you deal with loneliness in a mindful way. 

Tip 1 // Remember that being alone doesn't have to equal loneliness

Tip 2 // Schedule a catch up

Tip 3 // Experience loneliness mindfully

Tip 4 // Engage in self-care

Tip 5 // Create meaningful responsibilities in your life

If you would like to find out more about my live Q and A Facebook group, head over here: http://www.rachaelkable.com/live-q-a/ 

I hope you enjoy the episode and have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind!

Hello and welcome to episode 138 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

I really hope you enjoy this episode and learning about my book journey! You'll discover:

• How my book writing journey began
• Why mindfulness and meditation have been so important 
• How I prioritised writing a book (and finished the manuscript in 8 months)
• Some of the struggles I experienced along the way

I hope you enjoy listening and have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 137 of The Mindful Kind, which is Part Two of myths about mindfulness!

If you haven't yet listened to Part One, be sure to go back to episode 136 to hear the first two big myths (plus a simple mindful breathing technique). 

In this episode, you'll hear about three more mindfulness myths, including:

• That you need a formal meditation practice in order to be mindful
• That you should take time out of your day to practise mindfulness
• And that it's bad for your mind to wander during your mindfulness practice

Thank you for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind!

Hello and welcome to episode 136 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, I've shared my thoughts on two of the big myths about mindfulness: 

• That mindfulness is simple, and
• That mindfulness should stop us from feeling "negative" emotions.

I think it's really important to understand why those two ideas aren't true so we can build more self-compassionate mindfulness practices. 

I really hope you enjoy the episode and stay tuned for Part Two!

Have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Welcome to episode 135 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover more about travel anxiety and how to manage it using some simple mindfulness tips and helpful strategies.

Mindfulness Tips:

• Use a physical anchor to help you focus on the present moment and slow anxious thoughts 
• Tune into your senses by noticing 5 things you can see, hear and feel
• Stretch your body to relieve tension

More helpful strategies...

• View your anxiety as excitement
• Balance out negative thoughts with positive, specific thoughts about your trip

Thank you for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind!

Hello and welcome to episode 134 of The Mindful Kind podcast! 

Since it was my birthday the day before I recorded this episode, I decided to share some reflections on the past year and also what I'm hoping for in the year ahead.

I hope you enjoy this more personal episode:) 

If you'd like to find out more about my blog, eBooks, live Q and A and latest offerings, please head over to my website at www.rachaelkable.com. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date! 

And if you would like to donate to The Mindful Kind, you can find me on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/themindfulkind 

I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 133 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

In this episode, I've shared:

• What seasonal affective disorder is
• What the symptoms can include
• How seasonal affective disorder can be treated, and
• Two mindfulness practices for people experiencing seasonal affective disorder

You'll also discover what's been happening behind the scenes in my own life lately, including writing a book, leaving my part-time job and moving house!

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind. 

Hello and welcome to episode 132 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

In this episode, I've shared 8 specific tips to help you practice mindfulness in everyday life, including: 

• Tip 1 is to look outside your bedroom window first thing in the morning

• Tip 2 is to pay some attention to the warmth of a mug of coffee or tea in your hands

• Tip 3 is to choose a task around the house and notice the difference from before you do it and after

• Tip 4 is to stretch your body in some way and really savour the movement

• Tip 5 is to use a breathing practice whenever you can feel yourself starting to become overwhelmed

• Tip 6 is to give someone a mindful hug

• Tip 7 is to appreciate the scent of a beauty product

• Tip 8 is to notice the colours of nature.

Don't forget to come and find me on Facebook and Instagram (@rachaelkable) or come and join my live Q and A Facebook Group: http://www.rachaelkable.com/live-q-a/ 

I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind!