Let's Talk About Mental Health with Jeremy Godwin

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