I'm back from holiday, settling down to the slog of replying to emails and it made me realise... This whole concept of getting to the end of my inbox is a scam. Inbox Zero, getting to the end of my to-do list, none of it actually matters.

This is the quickest voice note I've ever rushed to record for you all.

As always, you can voice note me back here: https://fanlist.com/Voicenotesfrombex

The book I mention is Oliver Burkeman: Four Thousand Weeks

https://amzn.to/4nvJG8Y

If you've ever felt too fearful to do something - whether it's ask for a promotion, go to an event on your own or even just voice note me back - this therapy trick will hopefully help you get unstuck.

This is something I learnt in therapy back when I had agoraphobia, and is something I've used to manage all levels of fear and anxiety over the years.

Try it with smaller things first and start building up your evidence log! Why not voice note me back as Step 1? ;)

You can do that here: https://fanlist.com/Voicenotesfrombex

Sources

Whilst I couldn't find the exact technique they used with me, there's plenty of information out there about what’s called 'Decatastrophizing' such as:

https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/decatastrophizing

https://positivepsychology.com/decatastrophizing-worksheets/

The information in this podcast is not designed to replace medical advice, so please do speak to your doctor or therapist if you're struggling with anxiety and fear.

Inspired by an Instagram reel I saw of a wellness influencer's 'optimal' morning routine (which was more like a full-time job), I thought I'd share some of my own morning non-negotiable habits... Ones that are slightly more realistic (I hope).

I'd love to hear yours! Voice note me back here: https://fanlist.com/Voicenotesfrombex

And I will do a round-up episode of them all!

Sources

The book I mentioned with the coffee trick is called Make Time: How to focus on what matters every day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky - Details here - and I've linked the audiobook in Spotify.

Links on the cold/warm shower trick:

Stanford: Mental health benefits of cold water immersion

HuffPost: Benefits of a Contrast Shower

Don't forget to voice note me back your favourite morning routine habits and I'll include as many as I can in a future episode.

Welcome to Voice Notes from Bex and Friends - a brand new podcast that's raw, unfiltered and on a mission to save us all from the carefully curated, perfectionist world.

In this first episode, I explain a little bit about the concept, where the idea came from, and how you can get involved too. I also dig into a little bit about perfectionism (my biggest trap) and how it can stall any kind of progress on the things we would love to do.

In this series, we'll be covering everything from burnout to body image and everything in between.

Want to get involved? I'd love for you to voice note me back...

You can do that right here: https://fanlist.com/Voicenotesfrombex

Who knows, maybe you'll feature on an episode soon!

You can also stay in touch on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/antiburnoutclub