S2E21 – The Hidden Ego Trap Behind Always Needing to Be Right

Why do some people always need to be right, even when it damages relationships, leadership, trust, or connection?

In this episode of Catching the Octopus Podcast, Niomi Hurley explores the psychology of ego, emotional regulation, confidence, validation, and the deep subconscious need many people have to prove themselves right. From relationships and workplaces to leadership, social media culture, and spirituality, this conversation unpacks how ego quietly shapes the way we think, feel, behave, and communicate.

Niomi shares personal reflections, leadership experiences, psychological insights, and practical tools to help listeners recognise when they are operating from ego versus grounded self-confidence. The episode also explores why emotionally secure people can stay curious, admit mistakes, regulate emotions, and prioritise outcomes over winning arguments.

This episode covers:

• The psychology behind needing to be right
• Ego vs authentic confidence
• Emotional triggers, rejection wounds & validation seeking
• How ego impacts relationships and workplace culture
• Leadership, psychological safety & emotional intelligence
• Why secure people don't need constant external validation
• Social media outrage culture & moral superiority
• Spiritual awareness, humility & self-observation
• How to stop reacting defensively
• Practical ways to move from ego into confidence

If you've ever struggled with defensiveness, overexplaining, needing the last word, or feeling emotionally triggered when challenged — this episode will help you better understand yourself and others.

#Ego #Confidence #Psychology #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #Leadership #Mindset #PersonalGrowth #Healing #Relationships #HumanBehaviour #SpiritualGrowth #SelfWorth #Communication #MentalHealth #OrganisationalPsychology #EmotionalRegulation #Podcast #CatchingTheOctopus #NiomiHurley

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

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Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

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S2E20 – What Healing Actually Looks Like (And Why It Feels So Hard)

Healing isn't always peaceful, sometimes it feels like emotional chaos before transformation. In this episode of Catching the Octopus, Niomi Hurley breaks down the real stages of the healing journey, including emotional dysregulation, overthinking, trauma responses, rest, trust, acceptance, and personal transformation.

If you've ever experienced heartbreak, grief, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, relationship pain, burnout, or a major life trigger, this episode explains why healing can feel exhausting, and why that discomfort may actually be part of your growth.

Niomi explores:

• Emotional dysregulation and trauma responses
• Why you shouldn't make major decisions while triggered
• The dangers of suppressing emotions
• Moving from emotional chaos into logical processing
• How rumination affects your energy and nervous system
• The importance of rest and nervous system recovery
• Trusting the healing process
• Forgiveness, subconscious healing, hypnosis and energy work
• Why healing isn't linear
• How painful experiences can lead to transformation and resilience

This episode blends psychology, emotional intelligence, healing practices, spirituality, subconscious work and personal growth to help listeners better understand what happens during deep emotional healing.

If you've been feeling emotionally overwhelmed, stuck in repetitive patterns, struggling to let go, or questioning your healing journey, this conversation may help you feel seen and understood.

#healingjourney #emotionalhealing #traumahealing #selfgrowth #personaldevelopment #mindset #healing #spiritualgrowth #emotionalregulation #podcast

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

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S2E19 – The Truth About Forgiveness: Releasing Pain, Karma and Emotional Attachment

Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, excusing bad behaviour, or letting someone back into your life.

Niomi explores the deeper meaning of forgiveness, not as an excuse for poor behaviour, but as a pathway to freedom, healing and energetic release.

Forgiveness is often misunderstood. Many people believe that forgiving someone means letting them off the hook, pretending the pain did not happen, or removing consequences. But true forgiveness is not about the other person. It is about releasing the emotional attachment, energetic cords and mental replay that can keep us tied to past pain.

Niomi shares her own reflections on retaliation, karma, spiritual growth and learning to choose peace over being right. She also explores the importance of self-forgiveness, especially when we look back at past decisions, behaviours, relationships or versions of ourselves with disappointment, shame or guilt.

This episode blends psychology, spirituality, energy awareness and personal growth to unpack how forgiveness can help us move forward without abandoning boundaries, accountability or self-respect.

#Forgiveness #SelfForgiveness #HealingJourney #EmotionalHealing #SpiritualGrowth #LettingGo #EnergyHealing #PersonalGrowth #Boundaries #SelfCompassion #CatchingTheOctopus #NiomiHurley #GetUpAndGrowConsulting

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Facebook Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Instagram Profile

S2E18 – Inner Child Healing: The Hidden Programming Running Your Life

What if the way you think, feel, and react today… was programmed years ago? This episode breaks down how your inner child is still shaping your reality and how to heal it.

In this powerful episode of Catching the Octopus, Niomi Hurley dives into inner child healing, subconscious programming, and emotional triggers and how your past experiences continue to influence your present reality.

Through a guided visualisation and deep reflection, Niomi explores how unresolved emotions, childhood wounds, and past versions of yourself can impact your relationships, self-worth, and behaviours today. More importantly, she shows you how to reconnect, reframe, and release what no longer serves you.

This episode isn't about adding more, it's about removing the beliefs and patterns that are holding you back.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How childhood experiences shape your subconscious beliefs
• Why emotional triggers are actually powerful teachers
• The link between shame, guilt, and self-sabotage
• How to reconnect with your inner child safely
• A guided visualisation to support healing and self-worth
• Why "you are enough" is more than just a phrase

If you've ever felt stuck, triggered, or like you're not enough then this episode is for you.

#InnerChildHealing #SubconsciousMind #EmotionalHealing #SelfWorth #ShadowWork #HealingJourney #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowth #SpiritualAwakening #TraumaHealing

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Facebook Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Instagram Profile

S2E17 – Flow and Alignment: Why You're Forcing Life (and How to Finally Let It Work for You)

Are you forcing life instead of flowing with it? This episode breaks down why alignment might be the missing piece and how to shift instantly.

In this episode of Catching the Octopus, we explore the powerful connection between flow state and alignment and why so many people feel stuck, frustrated, or like they're constantly pushing uphill.

Niomi shares how subconscious programming, self-worth blocks, and societal expectations keep us operating out of force rather than flow and what it actually takes to shift into a state where life starts working with you instead of against you.

You'll learn how to recognise when you're out of alignment, how to raise your internal "frequency thermostat," and how small mindset shifts can completely change what you attract into your life.

This episode blends psychology, mindset, and energetic awareness to help you move from chasing outcomes to naturally attracting them.

What You'll Learn:

• The difference between flow vs alignment (and why it matters)
• How low self-worth blocks your ability to receive
• The role of subconscious beliefs and societal conditioning
• How to identify what's truly in alignment for you
• Practical ways to shift your emotional and energetic state
• Why "forcing" creates suffering—and what to do instead
• The concept of your internal "frequency thermostat"
• How to turn everyday tasks into high-vibration experiences

Key Takeaway: When you stop forcing outcomes and start aligning with what genuinely lights you up, life begins to unfold with more ease, clarity, and opportunity.

#FlowState #Alignment #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowth #SpiritualGrowth #SelfWorth #LawOfAttraction #EnergyWork #SubconsciousMind #EmotionalWellbeing

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Facebook Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Instagram Profile

S2E16 – Breaking the System: Small Shifts That Create Big Change

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of Catching the Octopus, Niomi Hurley explores how deeply embedded societal systems, particularly patriarchal and capitalist structures, shape the way we think, behave, and relate to one another.

Drawing from personal experiences, psychology, and everyday observations, Niomi unpacks the concept of micro-feminisms, small, intentional actions that challenge unconscious bias and begin to rebalance power dynamics in subtle but meaningful ways.

This episode dives into:

• How unconscious gender bias shows up in daily life
• Why systems impact both women and men
• The hidden emotional and cognitive load carried in relationships
• The role of upbringing and conditioning in shaping behaviour
• Real-life examples of micro-feminist actions you can start today
• How self-awareness is the first step to systemic change

Niomi also shares reflections from her own life, including dating experiences, relationship dynamics, and the internal shifts required to step out of conditioned roles.

This isn't about blame, it's about awareness, responsibility, and creating change from the inside out.

If you've ever felt frustrated by the way the world operates or questioned the roles we've been taught to play, this episode will give you a new lens to see it through and practical ways to start shifting it.

#MicroFeminism #GenderBias #ImplicitBias #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #Feminism #MindsetShift #EmotionalLabour #CognitiveLoad #BreakingTheSystem #ModernRelationships #HumanBehaviour #PsychologyPodcast #Empowerment #CatchingTheOctopus

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Facebook Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Instagram Profile

S2E15 - Witchcraft, Rituals & the Mind: The Psychology Behind Everyday Magic

In this episode of Catching the Octopus, I explore a topic that might feel a little controversial at first… witchcraft.

But before you switch off, this isn't about spells, darkness, or anything to fear. It's about understanding how many of the things we do every single day. Our rituals, prayers, habits, and intention setting are actually rooted in the same principles.

Through a blend of psychology, personal experience, and spiritual insight, I break down how practices once labelled as "witchcraft" have been reframed into religion, routine, and modern wellbeing practices.

We explore:

• Why humans fear what they don't understand (and how this shaped history)
• How rituals were rebranded into religion and institutional practices
• The psychology behind intention setting, repetition, and emotional engagement
• Everyday "witchcraft" examples like birthday wishes, prayer, weddings, and meditation
• The role of priming, conditioning, neuroplasticity, and identity reinforcement
• How energy, intention, and belief shape your internal and external reality
• Why not all intention is neutral—and how negative intention can backfire

This episode invites you to shift from fear to curiosity, and to recognise that what we often label as "magic" may simply be the intentional use of mind, emotion, and meaning.

If you've ever been curious about spirituality but want a logical lens to understand it—this episode is for you.

#witchcraft #everydaymagic #spirituality #psychology #mindset #selfdevelopment #energyhealing #manifestation #intention #rituals #beliefsystems #subconsciousmind #neuroplasticity #mentalwellbeing #healingjourney #spiritualgrowth #personaldevelopment #emotionalintelligence #innerwork #selfawareness #energywork #lawofattraction #mindbodyconnection #podcastlife #australianpodcast #catchingtheoctopus #growthmindset #curiosityoverfear #rewireyourbrain #modernspirituality

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Facebook Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Instagram Profile

S2E14 - The Truth About Twin Flames: Healing, Triggers and the 5D Connection

Have you ever experienced a connection so intense it felt spiritual, magnetic and impossible to explain?

In this episode of Catching the Octopus, I talk about twin flame connections, what they really are, and why they are so often romanticised. I share my personal experience of a twin flame encounter, the emotional healing it triggered, the runner/chaser dynamic, the 5D energetic connection, and why twin flames are very different from karmic relationships.

This episode explores:

• · twin flame signs
• · karmic vs twin flame differences
• · anxious and avoidant attachment in spiritual relationships
• · feeling your twin's energy during no contact
• · 5D healing and energetic connection
• · why twin flames are not always meant for physical union
• · how these relationships reveal what still needs healing within us

If you are on a healing journey, navigating heartbreak, or trying to make sense of a spiritually intense connection, this episode may help you feel less alone.

Subscribe for more episodes on healing, self-leadership, spirituality, human behaviour, subconscious patterns and personal growth.

Please note: This episode includes discussion of heartbreak, emotional pain, childhood wounds and a period of feeling deeply disconnected from life. Please listen with care and seek personal support if needed.

#TwinFlame #KarmicRelationship #SpiritualAwakening #HealingJourney #AttachmentStyles #SelfLove #PersonalGrowth #5DConnection #RunnerChaser #CatchingTheOctopus

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Facebook Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Instagram Profile

S2E13 - Spiritual Discernment, Esoteric Teachings & a Bigger View of Life

This episode is a little different, and in many ways, it's a foundational conversation for where this podcast is evolving.

In this episode of Catching the Octopus, I share a broader overview of the spiritual and esoteric lens that sits behind much of my work, my worldview, and many of the healing conversations I'll likely unpack more deeply in future episodes.

What starts as a conversation about not believing everything you hear evolves into a much wider discussion around:

• discernment and spiritual truth
• why not all teachings, even spiritual ones, should be taken at face value
• chakras and energy centres
• intuition and "knowingness"
• anxiety, expression, authenticity, and energetic imbalance
• emotional triggers and self-inquiry
• soul perspective, life purpose, and human experience
• afterlife, reincarnation, and soul contracts
• collective consciousness and what may be happening in the world right now

This isn't a complete deep dive into each of these topics, it's more of an umbrella episode that introduces the broader framework behind how I think about healing, growth, spirituality, and life.

If this episode resonates, there's a good chance many of these themes will be explored in more detail in future episodes.

You do not need to agree with everything shared here. In fact, I'd rather you didn't blindly.

Take what resonates. Question what doesn't. And allow yourself to explore.

#spirituality #esotericteachings #discernment #chakras #intuition #consciousness #soulcontracts #energyhealing #spiritualawakening #personalgrowth

Hosted by Niomi Hurley, a human behaviour researcher and clinical hypnotherapist who integrates psychology with energy-informed healing approaches. With experience in corporate environments and individual practice, and through her work at Get Up and Grow Consulting, Niomi works with organisations and individuals to build capacity by addressing the behavioural, emotional, and subconscious factors that influence wellbeing and performance.

Niomi Hurley (Host) Contact Details:

Niomi Hurley Email

Niomi Hurley LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Website

Get Up and Grow Consulting LinkedIn Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Facebook Profile

Get Up and Grow Consulting Instagram Profile