A Little Bit Easier

In this episode Pam & Sarah discuss:

Sorry for the echo on this episode. We're still working out some technical kinks.

In this episode, Sarah and Pam discuss:

Subjective age, what it is and how it impacts how you behave

What age each of us feels anchored to and why

The conflict you may feel between your younger subjective age and how old your body feels or looks

How important life stages, accomplishments, or trauma can impact subjective age

The pressure to hide your age or present as a different age

Dealing with pressure to feel like you "should have" accomplished something by a certain age

Why people often have their biggest successes later in life

How growth mindset can make you feel more engaged with your life

How purposely seeking new experiences keep you feeling younger

Focusing on the experience you've gained and the knowledge you offer

What the "right" age is to feel

Challenging narratives about aging

How the age you feel affects how your brain functions

How the way you think about yourself affects your physical state

How developing a relationship with older you affects how much you save for retirement

How creating meaningful memories makes you feel more engaged and alive

The article from The Atlantic that we mention is The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and how Old You Think You Are.

In this episode, Sarah and Pam discuss:

Bouncing back from failures, real or perceived

What recovery from set backs really means

Building up your recovery "muscles"

How getting better at recovery helps you learn new things and take on new challenges

Why your expectations of how things "should go" affect your ability to recover

That being able to recover quickly is a habit you can develop with practice

That your story of what happened may not be what other people experienced and how to use that information

How to communicate your feelings about how a situation went

Social anxiety post-lockdowns

Determining if your setbacks are due to patterns you may want to change

Not dragging out your setback longer than necessary

Working up to being able to start recovering in the moment

How small deals grow into big deals if you aren't mindful and self-aware

The difference between asking for help and complaining about a situation

The power of embracing the concept of impermanence and how everything changes

Strategies for recovering from setbacks

How you can't think your way out of a problem by spiraling out on it

How recovery and resiliency are related

The hidden benefit of experiencing setbacks

For a full transcript, visit easiershow.com

In this episode Pam & Sarah discuss:

What meaningful productivity is and how this differs from most productivity discussions

How to focus on the quality of how you spend your time rather than the quantity of work you get done

The rebound effect from hustle culture

How to feel at peace with what you can't do

How to feel motivated by Oliver Burkeman's 4,000 weeks concept

The pitfalls of to-do lists

The things Pam and Sarah have become more mindful of regarding how they spend their time

How FOMO and social media can keep you from focusing on what you want to accomplish

How new, shiny object syndrome can distract you

How reflecting on what you have and what you've already accomplished can ground you

How to think about time like a resource you spend to get something in return, just like money

How to use nature breaks as intentional interruptions

Using short work sessions followed by mandatory breaks, to make sure you're efficient and focused when you need to be

Using your gratitude practice to connect to what you've accomplished

Setting a maximum of 3 priorities every day to stay focused on what matters

Structuring your day so you focus on what matters when it matters

The guilt we feel when we're not producing

The radical act of doing something slow instead of constantly producing

Links:

Gretchen Rubin Life in Five Senses

Oliver Burkeman Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

Sarah's Five Minute Journal

In this episode Pam & Sarah discuss:

Links:

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

Learn if avoidance is one of your saboteurs.

Study: Increasing Saving Behavior Through Age-Progressed Renderings of the Future Self

 For a full transcript visit https://easiershow.com/episode-05-procrastination-avoidance-and-rationalization/

In this episode Sarah & Pam discuss:

What people pleasing is and why it's often misunderstood.

How to know if you're a people pleaser.

The difference between being nice and pleasing.

The downsides of people pleasing.

How pleasing can actually drive people away.

The little ways that pleasing shows up in our day-to-day and creates a pattern that has a larger impact.

How pleasing affects relationships.

Where the desire to please comes from.

How empathy is related to pleasing.

That pleasing is easier in the moment but harder in the long run.

How pleasing is related to conflict avoidance.

Whether pleasing is more common in women than men due to societal conditioning.

How pleasing is a defense mechanism.

How motivation types relate to pleasing tendencies.

How to develop awareness of your motivations and pleasing tendencies.

Tuning in to when you feel whole, empowered, and authentic and when you don't.

How our busy lives, lived on autopilot keeps us out of mindfulness of our patterns and energy.

How practicing radical self-acceptance mitigates the need for external approval.

Why speaking to yourself in the third person can help you get perspective on a situation.

How futurecasting can help you deal with a situation now rather than putting it off until later.

How to practice asking for what you want.

The infinite loop of giving and receiving and how you have to receive to be able to give.

How to practice setting boundaries.

How a spreadsheet could help you see results from making incremental changes.

Links: Take the free Four Tendencies quiz to discover your motivation style.

For a full transcript visit: https://easiershow.com/episode-04-identifying-understanding-and-mitigating-your-pleasing-tendency/

In this episode Sarah & Pam discuss:

How perfectionism shows up in different ways for different people.

Why perfectionists don’t actually identify as perfectionists.

How perfectionism fuels anxiety.

How being a high achieving child can lead to perfectionism as an adult.

How perfectionism can prevent you from having fun hobbies.

How avoidance is actually perfectionism.

How perfectionism can limit your career potential.

Phrases that can help reframe thoughts that are holding you back.

Using a growth mindset.

Options for getting help with perfectionism.

Why practicing doing things you’re not good at is important.

How reflection on things you see as mistakes can help you learn.

What reflection means vs. rumination.

How building awareness helps you see patterns as they happen for quicker recovery.

Recommendation for Unwinding Anxiety by Dr. Jud Brewer.

Loving your imperfect self (and others).

Links:

Learn about Unwinding Anxiety here or read the book Unwinding Anxiety by Dr. Jud Brewer.

The Saboteurs quiz we discuss is available for free at PositiveIntelligence.com.

The neurofeedback brain training that was used to treat Pam's partner’s anxiety was done by Peak Brain Institute.

For a full transcript visit: https://easiershow.com/episode-03-causes-manifestations-and-strategies-for-working-with-perfectionism/

In this episode Pam & Sarah discuss:

How to adjust to taking vacations again and fully disconnecting from work.

How setting boundaries and communication relieve work-related vacation anxiety.

How focusing on one priority at a time makes you more present so you can bet better at what you’re doing in each moment.

How being present and mindful helps you enjoy your life more.

How asking “What do I want to remember about this time?” helps you focus on what matters.

How to feel accomplished every day without waiting for big wins.

How to let go of the “I’ll be happy when…” mindset.

How to enjoy the process of working towards goals so you can be happy all the time, not just when you achieve something.

How to feel worthy of celebration every day.

How mindfulness can give you control over how you respond to a situation.

Releasing the idea that you can control the future.

How goal setting isn’t counterproductive for being present and content.Intentionally focusing on what’s going well to counteract negativity bias.

How re-framing your goal to celebrate the effort rather than the result helps.

How putting a limit on how much effort you put in sets you up for long-term success.

How hobbies can help you feel accomplished and how they help you get better at everything else you do.

Links:

The book Pam mentions is Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein.

For a transcript, visit https://easiershow.com/episode-02-vacation-anxiety-feeling-accomplished-every-day-and-managing-priorities/

In this episode Pam & Sarah discuss:

Their imperfect morning routines.

How to Sarah uses daily affirmations in journaling.

Why Pam doesn't use affirmations.

How to get into journaling (even if you've tried many times before).

Why journaling is a powerful tool for reflection and growth.

The big differences in how Sarah and Pam each journal.

The concept of "tiny moments, many times".

How to bring mindfulness into your day-to-day to create a sense a calm.

How to create space between an emotion and reaction to improve your mental state.

Links:

Pam's journal and fountain pen are from Ferris Wheel Press.

Sarah uses the Five Minute Journal.

For a transcript, visit https://easiershow.com/episode-01-imperfect-morning-routines-journaling-tips-and-everyday-mindfulness/