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Why does putting up walls feel like the safest way to protect yourself from getting hurt, when it can quietly cost you so much? Most walls go up for very good reasons, which is exactly why so few people ever question them. And the more protected you feel the smaller life can become, so gradually that there's rarely ever a particular moment that tells you it's happening. It's easy to miss, too, because everything can look perfectly fine from the outside. So where does healthy self-protection end and hiding from your own life begin? In this week’s episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I'm talking about where that line sits, why walls tend to grow rather than shrink, and how to lower them without feeling reckless or exposed. You'll walk away knowing whether your self-protection is really protecting you, and with a realistic way to start lowering your walls.  👉 Ready to discover how to protect yourself without shutting life out, even when putting up walls might feel safer? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Putting up walls and healthy self-protection can look identical from the inside… so how do you tell which one you're doing?   ℹ️ Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I help you understand and improve your mental wellbeing with simple mental health tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome, and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Self-protection and mental health 0:47 Are you putting up walls? 2:50 When self-protection stops protecting you 7:25 Why putting up walls feels safe 12:41 How to start lowering your walls 24:45 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21748       👨🏻‍🏫 Protecting Your Peace coaching program: https://ltamh.com/programs  📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Protecting your peace (Episode 354): https://ltamh.com/?p=21557  Letting go of control (Episode 356): https://ltamh.com/?p=21709  Feeling lonely around others (Episode 332): https://ltamh.com/?p=20200 👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ 📚 Research mentioned in this episode:  Loneliness and social threat: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364661309001478  Hiding your emotions during a big life change: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4141473/  #puttingupwalls #bettermentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #emotionalwalls #selfprotection #fearofgettinghurt #fearofrejection #mentalhealth #selfawareness #personalgrowth #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalwellbeing #protectyourpeace

Why can't you let go of control, even when you know you can't change a thing? It's not stubbornness, and the real reason is more interesting than you'd expect. You've heard "accept what you can't control" a hundred times, and it's genuinely good advice. So why does it so rarely work when it matters? In this week's episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I'm exploring why letting go of control is so much harder than it sounds and what the advice leaves out. You'll come away understanding what's really going on, with practical ways to loosen your grip that don't involve just pretending you don't care.  👉 Ready to discover how to let go of control, even when it feels impossible? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Everyone says, “Just let go!”… but why is letting go so much harder the more something matters to you? ℹ️ Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I help you understand and improve your mental wellbeing with simple mental health tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome, and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Control and mental health 0:45 Can you let go of control? 2:47 What holding onto control looks like 8:11 Why you hold on to control 13:36 How to start letting go of control 26:22 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21709      📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Protecting your peace (Episode 354): https://ltamh.com/?p=21557  Why your stress never switches off (Episode 291): https://ltamh.com/?p=17492   Why navigating uncertainty feels so difficult (Episode 355): https://ltamh.com/?p=21664  📚 Research mentioned in this episode:  Grief rumination: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9291980/ Letting go of unreachable goals: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15018681/ "If only" thinking after loss: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005791626000182 👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Coaching program: https://ltamh.com/programs  Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #letgoofcontrol #bettermentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #mentalhealth #selfawareness #personalgrowth #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalwellbeing #protectyourpeace #lettinggo #protectyourpeace #needforcontrol #acceptance #innerpeace

Navigating uncertainty can feel hard even when nothing is actually wrong, and the link between uncertainty and anxiety runs much deeper than most people realise. Whether it's a big life question or something as small as waiting on a reply, not knowing has a way of taking up far more space in your head than it logically should… and the harder you try to think your way out of it, the more stressful uncertainty seems to feel. The real reason for that is probably not what you'd expect… and once you see it, the fear of the unknown stops being so confusing and becomes something you can actually work with. This week on the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I'm getting into what's really going on when uncertainty gets under your skin, along with practical and realistic ways of living with uncertainty that don't require you to have every answer first.  👉 Ready to discover how to navigate uncertainty, even when it feels impossible? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Uncertainty isn't hard because you're bad at coping; it's tough for a reason that's far older than you'd think, and understanding it changes how you handle not knowing. ℹ️ Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I help you understand and improve your mental wellbeing with simple mental health tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome, and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Uncertainty and mental health 0:46 Navigating uncertainty 2:58 What uncertainty feels like 8:07 Why your brain treats uncertainty as danger 15:49 How to build your tolerance for uncertainty 25:21 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21664     📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Being present more (Episode 352): https://ltamh.com/?p=21448 Worry (Episode 95): https://ltamh.com/?p=4234  Why you spiral, and how to stop (Episode 339): https://ltamh.com/?p=20475  Protecting your peace in chaotic times (Episode 315): https://ltamh.com/?p=19074  Protecting your peace (Episode 354): https://ltamh.com/?p=21557  Why your stress never switches off (Episode 347): https://ltamh.com/?p=21147  👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #uncertainty #bettermentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #mentalhealth #selfawareness #personalgrowth #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalwellbeing #protectyourpeace #fearoftheunknown #navigatinguncertainty #overthinking #anxiety #livingwithuncertainty

Protecting your peace isn't a reward you earn once everything else is sorted… it's the foundation everything else is built on. But most of us have quietly filed it under ‘nice to have’, something ‘to get around to’ once work's under control or everyone else is finally happy… except that moment never actually arrives, and so your peace just keeps getting rescheduled indefinitely. This episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast reorders that entirely: protecting your peace comes first, not last, because nothing else holds up properly without it as a foundation underneath; not your decisions, not your relationships, and not your energy. Protecting your peace also means being honest about something most advice skips over: sometimes making your peace the priority is the harder choice, not the easier one, and choosing it anyway is what actually changes things… even when that means disappointing someone, or saying no. This episode will teach you how to do that, so you can begin to protect your peace a lot more. 👉 Ready to stop waiting for permission to put your peace first? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Protecting your peace is about choosing yourself even when that's the harder option, because it’s the foundation that everything else is built on. Episode 354 teaches you how to do that. ℹ️ Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I help you understand and improve your mental wellbeing with simple mental health tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome, and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Peace and mental health 0:48 Protect your peace 3:33 What is protecting your peace? 9:09 Why protecting your peace matters so much 16:18 How to actually put your peace first 25:53 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21557    📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Protect your peace and avoid a breakdown (Episode 300): https://ltamh.com/?p=18109  Why finding balance feels impossible (Episode 353): https://ltamh.com/?p=21524  Barriers to peace of mind (Episode 293): https://ltamh.com/?p=17668  👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #protectyourpeace #peaceofmind #mentalhealthtips #mentalhealth #bettermentalhealth #selfawareness #personalgrowth #selfdevelopment #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #selfprioritization #settingboundaries #mentalwellbeing #selfprioritisation

Finding balance in life gets much easier once you stop treating ‘balance’ like a perfect state you’re supposed to reach and somehow maintain. Because it’s not. Most of us have been taught to think of balance as gkeeping every part of life neatly under control, or eventually arriving at a point where it all just works. But real balance is much more practical and realistic than that. It’s about continually deciding where your limited time and energy are best used, based on what matters most to you in the present and in the longer term.  In this episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’ll help you rethink what finding balance actually means so that you can make better choices about where your energy goes. We’ll talk about how to stop measuring yourself against unrealistic standards, and how to create more room for the parts of your life that genuinely matter so that you can make balance something you can actually practice… instead of something you’re always trying to achieve.  👉 Ready to find greater balance in your life? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Finding balance isn’t about somehow keeping everything equal; it’s about learning how to keep adjusting your time and energy towards what matters most now and in the longer term. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Balance and mental health 0:34 Finding balance 3:24 What balance actually means 8:46 Why finding balance feels impossible 16:06 How to actually practice balance  25:33 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21524   📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Finding balance (Episode 49): https://ltamh.com/?p=1986  What are you really chasing in life? (Episode 349): https://ltamh.com/?p=21240 👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #findingbalance #manageyourenergy #mentalhealthtips #balance #mindfulliving #mindfulness #mentalhealth #selfawareness #personalgrowth #selfdevelopment #protectyourpeace #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalhealthawareness

Being present sounds like the simplest advice in the world... until you try to do it, and it turns out to be the toughest thing ever. This episode is about why being present matters, and why it's so hard to be present even when you try to be. This week in the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast I'm digging into the practicalities of living in the present more as a tool for better mental health. This isn't yet another list of breathing tricks or five-minute rituals that never sticks; it's about why being present actually matters (hint: it's got far less to do with your mood, and a lot more to do with who you're becoming), and why it's genuinely so hard to do, especially when the world feels heavy and uncertain... and when the idea of 'presence' can start to feel like an unattainable goal. I'm taking an honest look at why your mind resists the present by default, and I'll step you through a handful of realistic and practical ways to actually show up for your own life... instead of just supervising it from a distance. If you've tried the usual 'be present!' advice before and it never really stuck, this episode is the missing piece.  👉 Ready to start being more present in your life? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Being present is tough because your mind isn’t built to make it easy. This episode explains why, and how to overcome that challenge so you can be present more. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Being present and mental health 0:41 Living in the present 2:40 What does it mean to be present? 6:43 Why being present is hard 12:51 How to actually live in the present 24:41 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21448  📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Feeling heavy emotionally (Episode 351): https://ltamh.com/?p=21318  Overthinking and thought spirals (Episode 321): https://ltamh.com/?p=19518  How to improve your mental health (Episode 338): https://ltamh.com/?p=20450 👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ 📚 Research mentioned in this episode:  Killingsworth & Gilbert (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, visit https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1192439 for more #beingpresent #livinginthepresent #mentalhealthtips #mindfulliving #mindfulness #presentmoment #mentalhealth #selfawareness #personalgrowth #selfdevelopment #protectyourpeace #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalhealthawareness

Why does everything feel so heavy sometimes, even on days when nothing's technically gone wrong? Let's talk about dealing with mental exhaustion and heaviness.  In this episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I dig into what's actually happening when that weighed-down feeling takes over: how your brain starts rationing your physical, mental, and emotional energy the moment it hits something it can't control, and why that rationing quietly shrinks parts of your life that had nothing to do with the original problem in the first place. This isn't about making the hard thing disappear (because you probably can't, or you'd have done it already); it's about catching the exact moment "I can't fix this" turns into "so I might as well stop trying at everything," and taking that power back before it costs you more than it should. Whether what's weighing on you is the news, your health, your relationships, or something you couldn't even name out loud yet, the pattern underneath is the same… and so is the way out of that pattern. And if you want to go deeper on the control piece specifically, my episode on focusing on what you can control (Episode 291) is a great one to pair with this.  👉 Ready to stop letting heaviness and overwhelm shrink your life? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Feeling heavy and overwhelmed doesn't just make things tough, it quietly rations your energy and shrinks your whole life; this episode is about how to catch it happening and take your power back. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Heaviness and mental health 0:30 Feeling heavy and overwhelmed? 2:04 What ‘feeling heavy’ actually means 8:39 Why feeling heavy affects your mental health 13:55 How to stop feeling heavy from shrinking your life 24:55 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21318    📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Overcoming hopelessness (Episode 297): https://ltamh.com/?p=17921   Living with depression (Episode 188): https://ltamh.com/?p=11106   Focusing on what you can control (Episode 291): https://ltamh.com/?p=17492   Protecting your peace in chaotic times (Episode 315): https://ltamh.com/?p=19074   👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ 📚 Research mentioned in this episode: Learned helplessness, visit psychologytoday.com/us/basics/learned-helplessness for more #overwhelm #existentialdread #mentalhealthtips #feelingoverwhelmed #whydoifeellikethis #thingsicantcontrol #learnedhelplessness #emotionalexhaustion #mentalexhaustion #protectyourpeace #ltamh #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalhealthawareness #createyourfuture

Why is it so hard to work out how to actually create the life you want? What does it take to change your life? And why do so many of us stay stuck in the same patterns, waiting to feel ready and telling ourselves we'll get there "someday," or quietly turning all of our research and reflection into a substitute for real action? It's time to stop waiting for life to start and start taking action today to live the life you want, one that's focused on your mental wellbeing... and this episode will help you do that. In Episode 350 of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I explain how to start achieving goals and creating the life you want. We’ll discuss why simply visualising your future can work against you, and I share the handful of simple and practical shifts you can make that will close the gap between knowing and doing; the kind that make starting feel manageable instead of overwhelming, and that hold up even when finding motivation feels difficult. I also touch on how comparing yourself to others and their timelines can quietly pull you off course, and why keeping small promises to yourself is what actually rebuilds trust in your own follow-through.  If you've been feeling stuck in the same patterns and wondering how to take action in your life without waiting for the ‘right’ moment, this one's for you. And if you're still working out what you genuinely want first, Episode 349 is the natural place to start. 👉 Ready to stop waiting and actually start building the life you want? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Your life won't change on its own, and waiting for it to change doesn’t work, so this episode shows you how to stop overthinking things and actually start creating the life you want. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 How to change your life 0:44 Create the life you want 2:08 What creating the life you want actually means 7:32 Why knowing what you want isn’t enough 13:05 How to actually build the future you want 23:05 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21318 📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: What are you really chasing in life? (Episode 349): https://ltamh.com/?p=21240 Stop being hard on yourself (Episode 343): https://ltamh.com/?p=20759 Why figuring out what you want is scary (Episode 341): https://ltamh.com/?p=20629 👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ 📚 Research mentioned in this episode: Gabriele Oettingen's WOOP method, visit woopmylife.org for more #createyourfuture #personalgrowth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #mentalhealth #mentalhealthpodcast #lifepurpose #purposeandmeaning #selfawareness #intentionalliving #goalsetting  #selfimprovement #procrastination #mindsetshift

Do you know what you’re actually chasing in life, and why? Are you clear on what actually matters to you? Because those are essential ingredients for better mental health. This episode is about understanding your why, as well as the real difference between what you want and what actually matters and how that shapes whether you're living with purpose or just running on autopilot. I get into why so many of us end up chasing the wrong things, especially in a culture that's much better at telling you what to want than helping you ask why, and I talk about why finding purpose and meaning starts with being really honest about your own reasons for pursuing things rather than the results. You'll walk away from this episode with a genuine way to check whether your goals are actually aligned with what matters to you, so that your next move comes from something real rather than someone else's idea of ‘a life well lived’. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right and yet still can't shake the sense that something's missing, then this episode is for you.  👉 Ready to work out what you're actually chasing, and why? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: What are you actually chasing in life? Because achieving everything on your list doesn't mean much if you've never actually stopped to ask yourself why you wanted any of it… and that’s what this episode will help you do. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 What are you actually pursuing in life? 0:40 Understanding what you’re chasing in life 3:25 Do you know what you’re pursuing? 9:55 Why understanding your ‘why’ matters 17:01 How to identify what you’re really chasing 24:03 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21240   📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Focusing on what matters (Episode 306): https://ltamh.com/?p=18636 Why figuring out what you want is so scary (Episode 341): https://ltamh.com/?p=20629   👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Let's Talk About Mental Health website: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ 📖 Sources: APA (2023) https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/purpose-in-life-less-stress-better-mental-health  Boreham & Schutte (2023) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.23576  #whatareyouchasing #findingpurpose #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #mentalhealth #mentalhealthpodcast #lifepurpose #understandingyourwhy #livingwithpurpose #purposeandmeaning #mentalhealthmatters #selfawareness #intentionalliving #findingmeaning

Your self-respect gets harder to protect when you keep accepting less than you deserve… and every time you let bad behaviour slide, or stay in a destructive situation, you end up reinforcing for yourself that your worth matters less than keeping the peace or not challenging things.  In this episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m talking about why tolerating bad behaviour can slowly become your normal along with how what you accept from other people, situations, and even yourself shapes what happens next. If you’ve ever wondered why you struggle with standing up for yourself, or worried that setting boundaries with people will make you seem difficult, this episode will help you look at the problem differently. I’ll explain why self-respect and boundaries are closely connected, how repeatedly letting things slide can train both other people and yourself to expect less, and why changing that doesn’t mean suddenly becoming cold or aggressive. You’ll learn how to spot the moments where old patterns take over, audit the situations you may have normalised, deal with pushback, and set clearer standards before you need them. I also cover boundaries without guilt and how to be assertive, with practical ways to start respecting yourself more consistently. 👉 Ready to stop settling for less and start backing yourself? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Stop letting things slide, because you end up teaching other people (and yourself) that it’s OK to show you less respect than you deserve. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Stop putting up with crap! 0:39 What are you tolerating? 2:07 What does putting up with too much mean? 7:07 Why putting up with crap has a high cost 11:34 How to stop putting up with too much 22:53 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21204  📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Stop people pleasing (Episode 322): https://ltamh.com/?p=19518 How to set healthy boundaries (Episode 248): https://ltamh.com/?p=14448 How to deal with manipulation (Episode 333): https://ltamh.com/?p=20211  Dealing with difficult people (Episode 325): https://ltamh.com/?p=19737   👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Learn more about Let's Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #selfrespect #bettermentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #mentalhealth #settingboundaries #standingupforyourself #assertiveness #peoplepleasing #boundaries  #emotionalwellbeing #healthierrelationships #protectyourpeace #selfawareness #letstalkaboutmentalhealth

Why do you feel stressed all the time, even when nothing's necessarily 'wrong' right now? If you can't remember the last time you felt properly calm or relaxed, your stress response probably isn't broken; it's just never getting the signal to stand down. In this episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I break down what's actually happening in your nervous system when stress becomes your resting state instead of a passing feeling, as well as why your stress response won't just switch itself off and why treating it as a workload problem usually only tells you half the story. I dig into the internal sources of stress most of us never name, like the self-criticism, the guilt around rest, and the standards we hold ourselves to, alongside the external causes of stress. You'll walk away understanding what your stress is actually trying to tell you, and you'll have practical and sustainable ways to calm your nervous system and address whatever's driving it to stay on high alert… without just trying to grit your teeth and push through. 👉 Ready to understand what your chronic stress is really trying to tell you? Then let's talk! 💡 TL;DR: Your chronic stress isn't a personality trait or a productivity problem… it's an alarm system that's stuck in the 'on' position, and this episode shows you how to actually turn the volume down. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Stress and mental health 0:54 Feeling constantly stressed 2:54 What stress actually is 8:07 Why stress affects your mental wellbeing 14:00 How to stop ignoring your stress 25:04 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21147 📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Handling work stress (Episode 316): https://ltamh.com/?p=19257 Money stress (Episode 310): https://ltamh.com/?p=18852 Navigating challenging relationships (Episode 289): https://ltamh.com/?p=17399 How to improve your mental health (Episode 338): https://ltamh.com/?p=20450 👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Learn more about Let's Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #chronicstress #stressmanagement #stressawareness #nervoussystemregulation #stressrelief #cortisol #burnout #mentalhealth #mentalhealthpodcast #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #protectyourpeace #selfawareness #jeremygodwin #letstalkaboutmentalhealth

Feeling lost in life, and you don't have a clue how to find yourself again? Start here.This week on the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I'm exploring why feeling lost is not proof that you're broken or failing somehow; often, it's a sign that you've drifted away from your preferences, your values, and your sense of direction. If you're feeling directionless, feeling stuck in life, feeling adrift, or feeling lost and unmotivated, this episode will help you understand what's happening beneath those feelings and what to do when you feel lost. I'll share practical mental health tips to help you stop trying to solve your whole life at once, so you can get the confusion out of your head and learn how to find your way in life one step at a time.Finding yourself again after feeling lost doesn't require some sort of dramatic reinvention; learning how to find yourself again begins with noticing what makes you feel more like you, following the thread of who you have always been, and rebuilding your inner compass through action. Feeling lost in life can feel overwhelming, but you can and will find yourself again one step at a time. It's time to begin finding meaning in life and to discover how to find direction in life without having the entire map.👉 Ready to reconnect with yourself and take your next step? Then let's talk!💡 TL;DR: Feeling lost in life doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, or that you're actually lost. This episode will show you how to find yourself again by rebuilding your inner compass one small step at a time.Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk!⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Feeling lost in life0:31 How to find your way again3:56 What feeling lost actually is8:30 Why that lost feeling can really throw you14:41 How to find your way back to yourself22:31 What I want you to take away📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21013📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin➕ Related episodes: Feeling miserable (Episode 342): https://ltamh.com/?p=20725 Figuring out what you want (Episode 341): https://ltamh.com/?p=20629 Stop existing and start living! (Episode 334): https://ltamh.com/?p=20316👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday.🔗 Links: Learn more about Let's Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.comSubscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/Daily Reflection Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/Daily Affirmations Tool: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamhFind me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/#feelinglost #findyourself #findingyourselfagain #feelingstuck #findingdirection #findingpurpose #senseofself #mentalhealth #mentalhealthpodcast #personalgrowth #selfawareness #protectyourpeace #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #jeremygodwin

A strong feeling can often hijack you and take over in moments… but you can learn how to control your emotions, without shutting them down or pretending they aren’t there.  In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m exploring what really happens when strong emotions hit and the thinking part of your brain seems to disappear, leaving you snapping, shutting down, or saying something you later regret. If you struggle with managing emotions, emotional reactions or wondering why your emotions take over, I’ll show you how to stay calm without fighting your feelings or letting them make your choices. You’ll learn practical emotional regulation tools for how to calm down when upset or dealing with emotional overwhelm, and I’ll also explain how to respond instead of react, as well as why emotional self-control is a skill you build rather than something you either have or don’t and how being kinder to yourself can help you stop overreacting over time… because your feelings deserve to be heard, but they aren’t qualified to be the boss.  👉 Ready to take back control of your emotions? Then let’s talk! 💡 TL;DR: If you want to learn how to manage your emotions, without suppressing them, then this episode will help you create enough space to stay calm, stop overreacting, and choose how you respond. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Emotions and your mental health 0:38 When emotions take over 3:52 When your emotions take the wheel 8:29 Understanding emotional hijacks 13:19 Stop your emotions running the show 20:16 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=21008    📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: How to be less reactive (Episode 323): https://ltamh.com/?p=19640   You don’t have to believe everything you think (Episode 344): https://ltamh.com/?p=20856  👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Learn more about Let's Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Buy my Daily Affirmations tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #managingemotions #emotionalregulation #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #peaceofmind #emotionalwellbeing #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfawareness #lifeadvice #selfdevelopment #emotionaloverwhelm #emotionalreactions #emotionalselfcontrol #howtostaycalm #stopoverreacting #respondnotreact #controlyouremotions #manageyouremotions

Your mind can sound certain and still be completely wrong. Negative thoughts can feel frighteningly convincing when they show up, especially when they’re loud and insistent… but thoughts are not facts, and you don’t have to let every anxious thought take control of your day.  In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m talking about your relationship with your thoughts: why your mind can make negative thinking, racing thoughts and overthinking occurs, what automatic negative thoughts are, and why negative thoughts and anxiety feel like absolute truth… even when it’s just mental noise dressed up as certainty. This is for you if your mindset gets hijacked by worst-case scenarios, harsh self-judgement, 3am spirals, or that familiar feeling of being dragged around by whatever your mind shouted at you most recently. I’ll explain why trying to silence your thoughts or argue with every single one is exhausting (and usually pointless), and I’ll share practical ways to catch a thought and decide whether it actually deserves to take control. This is not about cultivating a perfectly quiet mind; it’s about learning how to stop believing your thoughts automatically, how to stop negative thoughts from running your life, and how to protect your emotional health one thought at a time.  👉 Ready to stop handing your thoughts the wheel? Then let’s talk! 💡 TL;DR: Your negative thoughts might feel true, but this episode shows you how to stop believing your thoughts on contact and start treating thoughts as thoughts… not facts. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Don’t believe every negative thought 0:31 You don’t have to believe every thought 4:04 What are negative thoughts? 8:49 Why negative thoughts affect your mental health 14:37 How to deal with negative thoughts 22:47 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20856   📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Being hard on yourself (Episode 343): https://ltamh.com/?p=20759  Overthinking and thought spirals (Episode 321): https://ltamh.com/?p=19518  👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Learn more about Let's Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Buy my Daily Affirmations tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #negativethoughts #overthinking #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #peaceofmind #emotionalwellbeing #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfawareness #lifeadvice #selfdevelopment #negativeselftalk #anxietyhelp #innercritic #thoughtsarenotfacts #racingthoughts #anxiousthoughts #negativethinking

If you ever wonder, “Why am I so hard on myself, and how do I stop letting self criticism run my life?” then we need to talk… because that harsh inner critic is doing more harm than good!  In this episode of the Let’s Talk About Mental Health podcast, I’m talking about being hard on yourself: that harsh inner voice that picks everything apart, keeps you stuck in negative self-talk, and makes you believe you have to beat yourself up in order to improve. Spoiler alert: you don’t. Because being too hard on yourself doesn’t make you stronger, or more disciplined, or more successful; it usually fuels self-criticism and anxiety, low self-worth, fear of failure, and that horrible feeling that nothing you do is ever good enough. So, in this episode, I’ll help you understand where your inner critic comes from, why that self-critical voice feels so convincing, and how to stop putting yourself down without pretending everything is fine. I’ll walk you through practical mental health tips for inner critic healing, including how to be less hard on yourself, how to create space from painful thoughts, and how to move forward with more kindness, confidence, and peace.  👉 Ready to stop handing your harsh inner voice the wheel? Then let’s talk! 💡 TL;DR: This episode is about how to stop being so hard on yourself, understand your inner critic, and break the cycle of self criticism without relying on fake positivity or pretending everything is fine. Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin is about practical mental health advice for real life; each week I teach you how to improve your mental wellbeing with simple tips that actually work, drawing on my professional expertise as a counsellor and my personal experience living with anxiety and depression. Welcome and let's talk! ⏱️ Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Being hard on yourself  0:25 The truth about your inner critic 3:50 What it really looks like 7:04 Why it backfires 12:49 How to work with your critical inner voice 23:39 What I want you to take away 📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20759  📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/ 📍 Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin ➕ Related episodes: Being kinder to yourself (Episode 326): https://ltamh.com/?p=19801  Improving your self worth (Episode 305): https://ltamh.com/?p=18566  👋 New here? Hi! I'm Jeremy Godwin, writer and counsellor plus the host of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, your weekly dose of practical advice for better mental health. I share straightforward tips to help you protect your peace and improve your mental health, with new episodes every Sunday. 🔗 Links: Learn more about Let's Talk About Mental Health: https://ltamh.com Subscribe for free show notes/transcripts in your inbox: https://ltamh.com/subscribe/ My Digital Store: https://ltamh.com/shop/ Buy my Daily Reflection Tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/daily-reflection/ Buy my Daily Affirmations tool here: https://ltamh.com/product/affirmations/ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ltamh Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ltamentalhealth/ Mental health resources: https://ltamh.com/resources/ #selfcriticism #innercritic #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #peaceofmind #emotionalwellbeing #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfawareness #lifeadvice #selfdevelopment #feelhappier #selfcompassion #negativeselftalk #selfworth #anxietyhelp #innercriticwork #healingjourney