Force of nature

Chris and Ellie find the perfect spot by a waterfall for a pop-up chat about allowing life as it is, wanting better, satisfaction, and knowing when things feel 'just right'. This was recorded in-person together, in the foothills of Snowdonia, North Wales.

In the modern age, trying really hard and putting in all the effort means you really care about something. So it follows that being lazy means you don’t care, right? Chris and Ellie explore attitudes to laziness, ease and purposeful rest - and how to get more of these. What does it mean to still care and effort-less? Can we have ease and be productive in the things that matter most to us, without trying so hard all the time?

Suppose you took things slow, let life unfold on its own terms, giving up control and surrendering to the natural flow of things... Would you still get on in life? Would anything ever get done? How could it - if you’re not there, up and on it, actively making it happen. If Ellie and Chris had an operating system, its default setting would be something like this, as life-long responsible doers. Yet they’ve both realised pushing beyond what we’re resourced for never ends well - in overwhelm and burnout. So what’s the alternative? Join your hosts as they discuss life with and without trying so hard all the time.

Your brain is a beautiful story machine - complete with heroes, villains, plot and if you’re lucky happy endings. Sometimes the tale is sad though - usually when we’re under stress. Are these compelling stories really true though? Or just flawed attempts at sense-making. And how can we grow awareness of, or even challenge, the narratives we come to believe about the people and events in our lives? Ellie brings some live data for us to explore and reflect on.

If anyone knows overwhelm, it’s two recovering perfectionists. Join Chris and Ellie as they explore how to spot it, and accidentally discover they’ve engineered similar, effective ways to navigate feeling overloaded and under-resourced.

Let’s get to know the humans behind the voices, here on the podcast. In this episode we discover what Chris is all about - what he stands for and what he does. This time, Ellie hosts the interview.

Let’s get to know the humans behind the voices, here on the podcast. In this episode we discover what Ellie’s all about - what she stands for and what she does. Chris hosts this interview and the roles reverse next time.

Ellie has a furry new friend who’s teaching her about our relationship with movement and nature. Chris comes along for the ride as we explore how your nervous system behaves and reacts in different situations, the value of safety and connection, and why being more dog could enrich life for other, slightly less hairy, mammals with only two legs…

Last Saturday saw Chris and Ellie host a workshop about connection, play and vulnerability, in Leeds. We reflect on what happened, why the world needs more and how the workshop went down with participants. Found out more at chriskenworthy.co.uk/undefended

If you’re anything like us, something sets you off, then before you know it you’re marching on with doing something about it - fixing and solving. This impulsive (compulsive?) pattern has its benefits, as well as drawbacks. Join Ellie and Chris as they explore both.