Hello and welcome to episode 288 of The Mindful Kind podcast. In this episode, you'll learn about a helpful stress management technique called "Personal Thinking Time."

Not only do I enjoy using this technique myself, but I often recommend it to my clients, as well. 

Here are some tips for implementing Personal Thinking Time:

• Minimise distractions 
• Be open-minded. Some sessions might feel effortless and productive, while some might feel challenging or confronting
• Save your "over-active" thoughts for Personal Thinking Time
• Remember you can end your session whenever you want

To find out more about working with me one-on-one via Skype, head over to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/288 

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

Hello and welcome to episode 287 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll learn about The Ostrich Effect and how it can create stress in your life. 

You'll also discover a challenge to start overcoming The Ostrich Effect! To complete the challenge, try to do the following:

• Identify a problem in your life you've been avoiding (it can be big or small)
• Write down all the potential actions you could take to deal with the problem
• Choose one action (or develop a plan of actions) and start implementing it

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

Hello and welcome to episode 286 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll learn about discomfort and how it can increase gratitude, happiness, and life satisfaction. Here are the key take-aways:

• People who experience adversity are more likely to appreciate small pleasures (as long as their adversities are in the past)
• Too much of a good thing can become unpleasant
• Discomfort can lead to an increase in mindfulness and a decrease in stress

The strategy I share for embracing more discomfort is to go outside your comfort zone and try new things, then allow yourself to process challenging emotions that might arise along the way.

Head over to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/286 to grab a free chapter of The Mindful Kind book, called "Exploring Outside Your Comfort Zone."

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

Hello and welcome to episode 285 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn about some interesting research about enjoyable activities and how they can contribute to happiness.

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Book: "Be Who You Want" by Christian Jarrett

Study about enjoyable activities 

Head over to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/285 to grab your copy of "A Powerful 5-Step Guide to a Happier, More Mindful Life

When it comes to engaging in enjoyable activities, don't forget that quality can be more important than quantity, be as mindful as you can (and avoid thinking about work), and try engaging in a variety of enjoyable activities, such as listening to music, reading books, catching up with relatives, and attending sports events.

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

Hello and welcome to episode 284 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll learn about The Spotlight Effect and how it can amplify feelings of self-consciousness. You'll also discover three strategies to help reduce the impact of The Spotlight Effect, including:

• Remind yourself about the real impacts of The Spotlight Effect
• Change your perspective by asking yourself, "Will this matter in 5 years?" 
• Take a look around and acknowledge that the majority of the people will be experiencing The Spotlight Effect, too, which means they're much more preoccupied with their own mistakes and flaws than paying attention to yours.

Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode of The Mindful Kind podcast. Head over to betterhelp.com/themindfulkind to receive 10% off your first month. 

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

Hello and welcome to episode 283 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover some fun and effective techniques to help you calm down quickly and savour times of rest, including:

• The "Relax with the Exhale" breathing technique
• A mindful listening technique
• Creating your own self-compassionate affirmation 

I highly recommend that you experiment with these techniques during times of rest, instead of scrolling on your phone, and during challenging times, too.

To find out more about The Mindful Kind coaching with Rachael Kable, head to: https://www.rachaelkable.com/mindfulnesscoaching

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

Hello and welcome to episode 282 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

If you find yourself being overly critical of your past mistakes and struggling to move on, this episode is for you! You'll learn about some of the reasons why you might find it challenging to move on from mistakes. And, you'll discover four strategies to help you let go of past mistakes, including:

• Turning your mistakes into lessons
• Apologising for your mistakes in meaningful ways so they feel resolved
• Talking about your mistake with someone compassionate and non-judgemental
• Resisting the urge to dwell on your mistakes

Thank you to BetterHelp, a professional online counselling service, for sponsoring this episode of The Mindful Kind. Head over to betterhelp.com/themindfulkind to receive 10% off your first month!

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

Hello and welcome to episode 281 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll discover why it's important to stop trying to fix other people's problems so much and some helpful tips that can help you step back, including:

• Asking people how they would like to deal with their own challenges. Listen to their ideas and support them, rather than jumping in with your advice. 
• Focusing on your own problems and challenges.
• Accepting that mistakes, failures, and hard lessons are a normal part of life for everyone. It can sometimes be more helpful to help someone heal after they fall than to stop them trying to fly in the first place. 

In the episode, I mention the Enneagram test. Here is the one I used to find out my personality type: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test

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

Hello and welcome to episode 280 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover some ways to cope with sadness. First, here are some important things to keep in mind:

• Sadness can be a normal experience and it's not something you have to ignore or push away
• If you feel prolonged or intense sadness, it can be very helpful to check in with a mental health professional
• Sadness won't always follow a "normal" pattern or make sense
• There are also benefits of feeling sad (click here to check out an article about it)

Now, here are some strategies for dealing with sadness:

• Acknowledge when you're feeling sad (without judgement)
• Create time and space to slow down and do small, nice things that create pleasure
• Talk about how you feel with someone you trust

If you're not sure who to talk to about sadness, I highly recommend my sponsor, BetterHelp, an online counselling service. Head over to betterhelp.com/themindfulkind to receive 10% off your first month. 

Make sure you tune into the episode to discover some bonus strategies for coping with sadness from my wonderful Instagram community.

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

Hello and welcome to episode 279 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn about three steps I use (or do my best to use!) to let go of feelings of embarrassment. 

The steps include:

• Experiencing and processing embarrassment
• Reassuring myself with compassion
• Allowing time to heal embarrassment and talking openly about my real feelings

I hope you enjoy the episode!

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

Hello and welcome to episode 278 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll be learning about The Illusion of Control and how it can interfere with your life. You'll also hear about my own experiences with The Illusion of Control and my favourite strategies for dealing with it.

Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode of The Mindful Kind podcast. Head to www.betterhelp.com/themindfulkind to receive 10% off your first month. 

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

Hello and welcome to episode 277 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, I've answered a question from some of my listeners about what to do when life feels out of control. 

Tip 1: Make at least one small decision every day that feels right for you

Tip 2: Practice setting and maintaining your boundaries (check out episodes 254 and 255 for more information about boundaries)

Tip 3: Prioritise breaks so you can rest and gain clarity

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

Hello and welcome to episode 276 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll learn how to overcome imposter syndrome, but before you tune in, make sure you check out the previous episode, 275: Signs of Imposter Syndrome. 

The tips for overcoming imposter syndrome include:

- practice identifying imposter syndrome by questioning negative thoughts about yourself and your success

- take a realistic look at your skills and contributions

- remind yourself that no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes don't automatically mean you're not good enough!

Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode of The Mindful Kind podcast. Head to www.betterhelp.com/themindfulkind to receive 10% off your first month. 

If imposter syndrome resonates with you, I'd love to hear about it! Please feel free to send me an email at hello@rachaelkable.com

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

Hello and welcome to episode 275 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn what imposter syndrome is and four signs that you might be experiencing it, including:

Sign 1: Having perfectionistic tendencies

Sign 2: Doubting your success

Sign 3: Downplaying your achievements to others

Sign 4: Feeling like an imposter (even when you're not) and worrying about being "found out"

Be sure to stay tuned for episode 276 of The Mindful Kind podcast which will share some ways to overcome imposter syndrome. 

A huge thank you to my wonderful listeners for all the support over the years - The Mindful Kind recently reached 8 million downloads! I'm so grateful to everyone who tunes in and I'm excited for the next chapter:)

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

Hello and welcome to episode 274 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll learn about three things I've tried to give up to help myself build my confidence, including:

• Constantly asking for reassurance 
• Doubting past decisions
• Comparing myself to other people

Giving up these activities as much as possible has allowed me to feel much more confident, and I hope you enjoy learning more about them!

If you'd also like to learn how to be kinder to yourself, be sure to check out my Self-Compassion Meditation Album here: https://www.rachaelkable.com/selfcompassion-album 

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

Hello and welcome to episode 273 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn about habit tracking and three tips to help you implement habit tracking yourself, including:

• Using variety to your advantage and regularly shaking up your habits to keep them interesting
• Giving yourself plenty of flexibility to achieve your habits
• Keeping your habit tracking simple and straightforward 

Head over to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/273 to find my favourite habit tracking resource and a discount code you can use!

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

Hello and welcome to episode 272 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll learn about "mini-purposes" and why many of them can help you create a sense of purpose in your daily life. 

Here are the key topics discussed in this episode:

- you don't need to have "one, big purpose"

- mini-purposes can simply be positive habits you implement on a regular basis

- you don't need to wait for the "right purpose." You can start creating purpose yourself!

Here is the link to my Instagram post featuring more daily habits you could try to create a sense of purpose.

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

Hello and welcome to episode 271 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

A few years ago, I completed the VIA Character Strengths Survey and one of my lesser strengths was bravery. Since then, I've been working on this strength and I've found some helpful strategies to build more "everyday" courage. 

1: Commit to doing one small thing regularly that makes you feel a bit nervous. Read this Instagram post for ten more ideas!

2: Accept imperfection. Be sure to check out episode 204 of The Mindful Kind podcast called 6 Steps to Overcome Perfectionism and a book called "Mindset" by Carol Dweck. Imperfection can be a normal part of being more courageous, so it's important to learn how to navigate it well.

3: Engage in extra self-care to support yourself after you engage in acts of courage. It can be tough going outside your comfort zone, so make sure to look after yourself. Head to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/271 to enrol in my free online course, Self-Care For Busy People for more ideas.

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

Hello and welcome to episode 270 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, you'll hear three self-compassionate activities you can do after a difficult day, including:

- congratulating yourself

- doing something nice to look after yourself

- connecting with someone supportive

If you're looking for someone to talk to, you might like to consider my sponsor, BetterHelp. When you sign up with BetterHelp, you'll be matched with a counsellor based on your preferences, then you can chat via message, phone, or video. Receive 10% off your first month at try trybetterhelp.com/themindfulkind

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

Hello and welcome to episode 269 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

In this episode, I'm excited to share why discomfort is so important and how it can motivate you to make meaningful changes in  your life (if you let it). 

Here are some steps to help you use discomfort to your advantage:

1: Recognize your discomfort

2: Ask yourself, "Is there something I can learn from this discomfort?"

3: Make a plan to make a meaningful change

4: Take action!

Head over to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/269 to download a free chapter of The Mindful Kind book. Otherwise, head to Amazon or The Book Depository to order your copy today!

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

Hello and welcome to episode 268 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, I've answered a great question from one of my Mindfulness Made Easy students: how to stop over-apologizing!

Here are some of the concepts covered in this episode:

• How an over-apologizing habit can occur
• How to build better awareness of your over-apologizing habit
• What a "selfish" apology is
• Why unnecessary apologies can limit your confidence
• A strategy for apologizing less by saying "thank you" instead!

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

Hello and welcome to episode 267 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn about four happiness lessons from my mood-tracking experiment, including:

• Accept that you don't always need to be happy
• Social interactions can boost happiness (a lot!)
• Morning exercise (of any kind) can help you experience more happiness during the day
• Purpose and meaningful progress at work can make you feel happier at the end of the day

Head over to himalaya.com/stress and use the promo code STRESS for a 14-day free trial. This will give you access to my audio course, Managing Stress at Work (be sure to check out episode 10 for plenty of strategies to help you cultivate happiness at work).

Download your free copy of my 5-day Social Wellbeing Challenge at www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/267. 

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

Hello and welcome to episode 266 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

In this episode, you'll learn about open goals, including:

- what open goals actually are

- why open goals can be better than strict SMART goals

- the potential downside of open goals

- examples of open goals

Don't forget to find me on Facebook or Instagram (@rachaelkable) and let me know your thoughts on open goals!

Looking for more? Head to himalaya.com/stress and use the promo code STRESS for a 14-day free trial. 

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

Hello and welcome to episode 265 of The Mindful Kind podcast!

I hope you're well and having a great week so far. 

In this episode of The Mindful Kind podcast, you'll discover more about my journey with social wellbeing and why I started prioritising meaningful connections with others.

You'll also learn a fun 5-Day Social Wellbeing Challenge! Head over to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/265 to download your free copy of the Challenge. I hope you enjoy it!

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

Hello and welcome to episode 264 of The Mindful Kind podcast. 

In this episode, I'm really excited to share some simple steps to help you train your brain to worry less. As someone who is prone to excessive worrying and stress, I've found these steps to be effective - especially given some time and consistent practice.

Here are the steps:

1: Give yourself permission to let go of worries, rather than holding onto them

2: Practice becoming aware of unnecessary worrying (tip: learn about your worrying habits to make this easier!)

3: Implement mindfulness techniques to bring your mind back to the present moment. This step is key - over time, you can train your brain to let go of worries faster and return to the present moment more often.

I'm also thrilled to announce that my online course, Mindfulness Made Easy, will open for enrolment (for a limited time) on January 24th, 2021. Head to www.rachaelkable.com/podcast/264 to find out more and join the waitlist so you won't miss out!

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