Put it in a bubble

Many of us feel an unspoken pressure to say we’re “fine” — even when we’re tired, overwhelmed, or unsure. In this episode, Marilyn explores where that pressure comes from, why pretending to be okay can be exhausting, and how to be honest without overexposing yourself.

This conversation is about removing the emotional mask, recognizing the difference between privacy and pretending, and learning language that protects your energy while staying true to yourself.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. Why we feel pressure to appear “okay”
2. How minimizing your feelings adds to emotional exhaustion
3. The difference between being private and pretending
4. Gentle ways to be honest without opening heavy conversations
5. A simple writing practice to release internal pressure

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do I feel pressure to be okay?
2. Who do I automatically reassure instead of myself?
3. What might it feel like to answer honestly — even quietly?

Listener Reminder:

You don’t owe anyone a performance of wellness.

Being honest doesn’t have to be loud to be real.

When everything starts to feel heavy, overwhelming, and just plain too much, it’s often not because one thing is wrong — it’s because too many things are being carried at the same time. In this episode, Marilyn talks about emotional overload, why it builds quietly, and how to recognize the signs before it spills over.

This conversation isn’t about fixing or pushing through. It’s about slowing down, sorting what you’re carrying, and creating space to breathe. Through a gentle bubble practice and simple reflection, listeners are invited to notice what truly needs their attention — and what can be set down, even temporarily.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. What emotional overload really looks like
2. Why feeling overwhelmed is not a personal failure
3. How emotional weight builds over time
4. A simple bubble practice to sort what you’re carrying
5. Writing as a tool to release pressure without solving everything

Reflection Questions:

1. What feels heaviest for me right now?
2. What am I carrying that can wait?
3. What doesn’t actually belong to me to carry?

Listener Reminder:

Feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re incapable.

It means you’ve been capable for a long time without enough space to rest.

#PutItInABubble #EmotionalOverload #OverwhelmSupport #MindsetPodcast #SelfCompassion #EmotionalWellbeing #Season3

When your body is tired, but your mind won’t stop racing, it can feel frustrating, exhausting, and hard to explain. In this episode, Marilyn explores why racing thoughts happen, especially during quiet moments, and why it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

You’ll learn gentle, practical ways to calm your nervous system, including how writing things down can help your mind feel safe enough to rest. This episode is about softening, not fixing — and giving yourself permission to slow down without pressure.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. Why racing thoughts often show up when things finally get quiet
2. The connection between a busy mind and an overloaded nervous system
3. Why calming the body matters more than controlling thoughts
4. How writing things down helps reduce mental overload
5. Simple ways to give your mind a place to rest

Practices Shared in This Episode:

1. A gentle breathing and grounding exercise
2. The “mental parking lot” writing practice
3. Using the Bubble Method to contain looping thoughts
4. Letting go of the need to solve everything at once

Reflection Questions:

1. When does my mind tend to get the loudest?
2. What might my body need in those moments?
3. What can safely wait until tomorrow?

Listener Reminder:

A racing mind doesn’t mean you’re failing at rest.

It usually means you’ve been carrying more than you realize.

#PutItInABubble #RacingThoughts #MentalOverload #MindsetSupport #EmotionalWellness #Season3

The beginning of a new year often comes with pressure — to set goals, make changes, and become a “better” version of ourselves. In this opening episode of Season 3, Marilyn invites listeners to step away from that noise and start the year gently instead.

This episode is about slowing down, releasing expectations, and giving yourself permission to begin where you are. Through reflection and a calming bubble practice, Marilyn encourages listeners to notice what they’re carrying into the new year and decide — without judgment — what truly belongs with them right now.

This is not about reinvention.

It’s about intention, clarity, and breathing room.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

1. The pressure that often comes with a new year
2. Why you don’t need to reinvent yourself to move forward
3. How to notice emotional and mental weight without fixing it
4. A gentle New Year Bubble practice for reflection
5. Starting the year with clarity instead of overwhelm

Reflection Questions:

1. What am I still carrying from last year?
2. What feels heavy that may not belong to me anymore?
3. What would feel supportive right now?

Listener Reminder:

You don’t have to rush into this year.

You don’t have to have it all figured out.

A gentle start is still a powerful start.

Connect & Learn More:

🌐 Website: www.PutItInABubble.com

🎧 Subscribe & Listen on your favorite podcast platform

Hashtags:

#PutItInABubble #GentleStart #NewYearMindset #EmotionalWellness #IntentionalLiving #MindsetSupport #Season3

The holidays can be beautiful—and overwhelming. In this episode, we talk about setting kind, clear boundaries that protect your time, energy, budget, and peace. You’ll get simple scripts you can use word-for-word, a 3-step boundary framework, micro-habits that reduce stress, and a short guided exercise to define your non-negotiables.

• A simple 3-step framework: Notice → Name → Negotiate
• Word-for-word scripts for time, money, food/body talk, travel, hosting, hot topics, and last-minute requests
• Micro-boundaries that prevent overwhelm (calendar buffers, two-yes rule, “leave while happy”)
• A quick Guilt Detox reframe to stop second-guessing
• A 5-minute Holiday Non-Negotiables exercise you can repeat all season

• Free One-Pager: Holiday Boundary Script Sheet — copy/paste scripts, plus the Non-Negotiables template.
• Share this episode with a friend who needs permission to choose peace over perfection.

• Subscribe to Put It in a Bubble for weekly mindset tools.
• Connect with Marilyn on social for episode updates and prompts.

#PutItInABubble #HolidayBoundaries #MindfulLiving #StressLess #MentalWellness #PositiveMindset #SimplifyTheSeason

The holidays are often painted as a season of joy — but what if they don’t feel that way this year? In this heartfelt and grounding episode, Marilyn Barker opens up about the quieter side of the holidays the grief, the loneliness, and the pressure to make everything perfect.

Through honest reflection and gentle guidance, Marilyn reminds listeners that it’s okay if the holidays look different this year. She shares ways to set boundaries, honor your emotions, find small moments of peace, and create new meaning when old traditions feel heavy.

If the holidays stir up more stress than sparkle, this episode offers a comforting space to breathe, reflect, and rediscover what truly matters.

• It’s okay if the holidays don’t feel “merry.” You’re not alone.
• Lowering expectations can make space for genuine peace.
• Grief and joy can coexist — and that’s part of being human.
• Boundaries protect your energy and peace of mind.
• Find your own meaning this season, even if it looks different than before.

Quote from the Episode:

“Peace doesn’t come from the perfect table setting or the right playlist. It comes from within from giving yourself permission to be exactly where you are.”

Episode 13: Finding Peace in the Pause

In a world that never seems to slow down, taking time to pause can feel impossible — or even wrong. But what if the moments of stillness you resist are the very ones that bring you peace, clarity, and strength?

In this episode, Marilyn dives deep into the power of the pause the sacred space between the doing and the being. Through personal reflection and motivational insight, she explores how rest can become your greatest source of renewal, how slowing down can actually move you forward, and why peace isn’t found in the noise… but in the quiet in between.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or disconnected, this episode will help you breathe again.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• Why we glorify being “busy” and how it drains our peace
• How pausing can shift your perspective and restore balance
• The difference between rest and avoidance
• Simple ways to create intentional moments of stillness in your day
• How to redefine productivity through presence and peace

Takeaway:

You don’t have to earn your rest or prove your worth through exhaustion. The world won’t fall apart if you slow down and you might just find the clarity you’ve been searching for when you do.

Remember:

When life gets loud, put it in a bubble, take a breath, and let it go.

✨ Listen now on Captivate, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.

#PutItInABubble #MindsetMatters #PeaceInThePause #MotivationalPodcast #SelfGrowth #MentalWellness #WomenInBusiness

In this heartfelt solo episode, Marilyn explores the powerful and freeing process of letting go — not just of people or pain, but of control, guilt, and expectations that keep us from peace.

As the holiday season approaches, Marilyn opens up about her own journey of release — learning to let go of what no longer serves her in both life and business. Through personal stories and gentle reflection, she reminds us that letting go isn’t about giving up — it’s about making space for something new.

You’ll learn how to identify what’s weighing you down, why it’s okay to grieve what’s gone, and how to use mindset tools to practice emotional release and renewal.

Take a moment to breathe, reflect, and put what no longer serves you… in a bubble, and blow it away.

Key Takeaways:

• Letting go is not weakness — it’s an act of wisdom and peace.
• Learn how to separate memory from meaning and guilt from growth.
• Practical mindset tools to help you release emotional and professional clutter.
• Discover how creating space allows clarity, peace, and new opportunities to flow in.

In this heartfelt solo episode, Marilyn explores one of life’s most universal experiences—change. Whether it’s a career shift, a relationship transition, or a personal reinvention, change challenges who we believe we are.

Marilyn shares personal reflections and guiding mindset shifts to help you stay grounded, centered, and true to yourself, even as the world around you evolves. Through compassion, calm, and perspective, she reminds us that growth doesn’t mean losing who you are—it means becoming more of who you were meant to be.

• How to anchor yourself in your core values during major life transitions
• Why pausing and creating space for reflection can restore clarity and peace
• How to reframe discomfort as a sign of growth rather than loss
• The power of connection and community when everything around you changes
• A gentle visualization exercise to help you release fear and find calm

🪞 Key Quote

Take a deep breath, imagine your worries about change floating into a bubble… then blow it away.

You don’t have to carry it all just take the next step forward in peace.

Share your story of navigating change in our Put It in a Bubble Facebook community.

Connect, reflect, and remember—you’re never alone in your journey of becoming.

Air Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Guest: Bobby Newell | Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Somatic Experiencing Therapist, Executive Business Coach

Topic: Navigating Burnout, Nervous System Regulation & Embodied Leadership

In this insightful conversation, Marilyn sits down with Bobby Newell, the founder of Mindful Collaboration and author of SHIFT Happens: A Workbook for Stressed-Out Professionals. Together, they unpack what it really means to experience burnout, how the body keeps the score when stress piles up, and how to reclaim balance without walking away from the life you’ve worked hard to build.

Bobby shares the foundations of somatic awareness, the science behind nervous system regulation, and how small, consistent practices can shift you from survival mode back into calm and connection. She also opens up about her journey as a clinician and coach — and how learning to “listen to the body first” transformed both her career and her clients’ lives.

Listeners will come away with practical, evidence-based tools they can start using immediately to manage stress, avoid burnout, and lead with authenticity.

• What somatic experiencing really is — and why it matters for professionals under pressure.
• The hidden signs of burnout and how to catch them early.
• How to re-regulate your nervous system during busy or stressful days.
• The power of embodied leadership and setting healthy boundaries.
• Why self-awareness is the first step to sustainable success.
• 📘 About the Guest

Bobby Newell, LCSW, SEP is a licensed clinical social worker, somatic experiencing therapist, and executive business coach based in Raleigh, North Carolina. With over two decades of experience in trauma-informed mental health care, she helps individuals and organizations rebuild from the inside out through nervous system regulation, embodied leadership, and authentic connection.

She is the founder of Mindful Collaboration, a group mental-health practice dedicated to helping clients heal from trauma and stress through both traditional and body-based therapies.

Bobby is also the author of SHIFT Happens: A Workbook for Stressed-Out Professionals — a practical, somatic guide designed to help high-functioning professionals recognize burnout, regulate their nervous systems, and restore calm — without quitting their jobs.

Outside of her professional life, Bobby lives in Raleigh with her husband and two fluffy cats and is the proud parent of three adult children.

• Free Workbook: Get your complimentary workbook at
• https://bobby-newell.kit.com/regulateandreset
• Connect with Bobby: Mindful Collaboration Website
• Book: SHIFT Happens: A Workbook for Stressed-Out Professionals

💜 About the Show

Put It in a Bubble is a mindset and personal-growth podcast hosted by Marilyn Barker, designed to help you let go of stress, find clarity, and move forward with purpose. Each episode brings practical tools, heartfelt stories, and powerful conversations that remind us all to put it in a bubble — and blow it away.

#PutItInABubblePodcast #MindfulCollaboration #SHIFTHappens #SomaticHealing #BurnoutRecovery #StressRelief #EmbodiedLeadership #WomenInBusiness #MindfulnessAtWork