Let's Talk About Mental Health

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

Feeling miserable but can't quite explain why? Sometimes life looks fine on paper and yet it feels like you're just going through the motions, flat and empty and quietly unhappy. If you keep wondering "why am I so unhappy?" or even "am I depressed?", this episode is for you. Here's the part worth knowing: that miserable feeling is usually pointing at something, and once you work out what, you can start to shift it.
This week in the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast I'm talking about that persistent low, unhappy feeling, the difference between feeling miserable and actual depression, and what to do when you're stuck in a rut. I'll share practical tips to help you stop numbing, start paying attention, and work out what your misery is really trying to tell you. If you've been feeling flat and searching for how to feel better about life, this episode will help you make small, honest changes so you can find some balance and stop just going through the motions.

👉 Ready to stop feeling miserable and start discovering how to be happier? Then let's talk!

💡 TL;DR: Feeling miserable isn't always depression; sometimes it's the sign you've been going through the motions for too long and need to start making honest changes.

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 The misery you can't explain 
0:42 Just going through the motions? 
4:03 What this feeling actually is 
7:23 Why you really feel this way 
12:23 How to start feeling better 
21:19 What I want you to take away

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20725

📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/

📍 Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin

➕ Related episodes:
Depression (Episode 188): https://ltamh.com/?p=11106 
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.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/

#feelingmiserable #happiness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfawareness #lifeadvice #unhappy #unhappiness #depressionawareness #selfdevelopment #feelhappier

"But I don't know what I want!" If that thought runs on a loop whenever you feel lost in life, you're not alone, and the reason it's so hard to answer might not be the one you'd expect. Figuring out what you want can feel genuinely scary, and that fear is far more common than anyone admits.
In this episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I'm talking about how to figure out what you want when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, unmotivated, or scared to name it in the first place. I'll explore the fear of going after what you want, the messy truth about being honest with yourself, and why wanting something can feel so threatening. You'll learn practical tips for finding clarity and moving forward when you feel stuck, so you can take it one step at a time without waiting for perfect certainty.

👉 Ready to figure out what you want and start moving towards it? Then let's talk!

💡 TL;DR: If you're feeling lost in life and thinking "I don't know what I want," this episode shows you how to figure out what you want by getting honest with yourself… so you can finally start moving forward, without waiting for perfect certainty.

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 "I don't know what I want"
0:38 Why figuring out what you want feels so hard
5:01 What's really going on
8:56 Why staying stuck wears you down
13:02 How to figure out what you want
23:53 What I want you to take away

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20629
📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/
📍 Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin

➕ Related episodes:
Avoidance (Episode 99): https://ltamh.com/?p=4560
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.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/

#feelinglost #selfdevelopment #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfawareness #findyourpurpose #lifeadvice #findingpurpose

Why do you keep doing everything for everyone, even when you're running on empty? That's called overfunctioning: the quiet pattern where being the capable, reliable one slowly wears you down while nobody notices, including you. And it's costing your mental health more than you realise.
This week in the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast, I'm talking about overfunctioning: the pattern where being the capable and reliable one slowly wears you down while nobody notices, including you. If you carry the invisible labour and the mental load for everyone around you, or if you can't seem to stop even though you're overwhelmed and exhausted, then this episode is for you. I'll explain what overfunctioning actually is, why it's so closely tied to people pleasing, hyper-independence and emotional exhaustion, and why it leaves you carrying too much while quietly losing yourself in the process. More importantly, I'll walk you through how to stop overfunctioning in practical, realistic ways: how to start setting limits, how to name what you're carrying, and how to ask for what you need without everything falling apart.
This is about understanding the pattern underneath the overwhelm so you can find some balance, protect your emotional health, and avoid burnout from invisible labour and emotional labour.

👉 Ready to stop carrying so much and start looking after yourself too? Then let's talk!

💡 TL;DR: If you're the one who holds everything together for everyone else, then who's holding you together? This episode explores overfunctioning, including why you take on so much and how to put some of it down before it breaks you.

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 The pattern nobody notices
0:39 What carrying too much costs you
3:33 What overfunctioning actually is
9:23 Why it wears down your mental health
16:33 How to start putting it down
25:43 What I want you to take away

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20502
📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/
📍 Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin

➕ Related episodes:
Feeling like a burden (Episode 336): https://ltamh.com/?p=20357
Avoiding a breakdown (Episode 300): https://ltamh.com/?p=18109
Being kind to yourself when struggling (Episode 326): https://ltamh.com/?p=19801

👋 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/

#overfunctioning #emotionalexhaustion #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #invisiblelabour #burnout #peoplepleasing #hyperindependence #findbalance #overwhelm #overwhelmed #invisiblelabor #emotionallabor #emotionallabour

Does your mind ever take one worried thought and turn it into a full-scale emergency, leaving you overwhelmed, exhausted and unable to think straight? That's a spiral, and if it's familiar territory, this episode of the Let's Talk About Mental Health podcast is for you. Because what nobody tells you about being in a spiral is this: the things you instinctively do to stop spiralling are often what keep it going.
This week I'm getting into what actually happens in your brain and body when a spiral takes hold, because understanding the feedback loop is the first step to interrupting it. When your thoughts, your emotions and your nervous system all start feeding each other, you can feel completely out of control. I'll explain why spiralling happens, why the responses most people reach for tend to make it worse, and I'll give you practical, realistic tools for emotional regulation that work even when you're already overwhelmed. If panic and anxiety are familiar territory and you're ready to break the cycle rather than just survive it, this one's for you.
👉 Ready to stop spiralling and break the cycle? Then let's talk!
💡 TL;DR: If you've ever felt your thoughts start to spiral and tried everything to make them stop, only to end up more overwhelmed than when you started, this episode will explain why that happens and what to actually do about it.
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 When one thought becomes an emergency
0:21 How to calm down mid-spiral
3:04 What a spiral actually is
7:20 Why a spiral hijacks your brain
12:08 How to interrupt the cycle
21:59 What I want you to take away

📝 Transcript & show notes: https://ltamh.com/?p=20475
📖 Buy my book 'Life Advice That Doesn't Suck': https://jeremygodwin.com.au/latds/
📍 Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jeremygodwin
➕ Related episodes:
Overthinking and thought spirals (Episode 321): https://ltamh.com/?p=19518
Fatigue and anxiety (Episode 331): https://ltamh.com/?p=20080
Why overwhelm can make you freeze and shut down (Episode 330): https://ltamh.com/?p=20056

👋 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/

#anxietyspiral #stopspiraling #mentalhealth #mentalhealthtips #bettermentalhealth #ltamhpodcast #letstalkaboutmentalhealth #ltamh #peaceofmind #findingpeace #emotionalhealth #personalgrowth #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #emotionalwellbeing #jeremygodwin #protectyourpeace #mentalhealthpodcast #selfimprovement #mentalhealthsupport #spiraling #spiralling #inaspiral #nervoussystemregulation #anxietyrelief #emotionalregulation #overthinkinganxiety #anxietysupport #mentalhealthtools