Compassionate strategies to support others through grief, stress, and struggle.

In this episode of Resilience Across Borders, host Rachid Zahidi, author of EmoGym Journal, a practical guide and workbook for building emotional clarity, discipline, and healthier habits, talks about how we can truly support someone who's going through a difficult season.

Life brings challenges: grief, financial struggles, burnout, illness, and emotional pain. And often, the hardest part is not knowing what to say or how to help.

This episode breaks down simple but powerful ways to show up with compassion and presence, without feeling like you need the perfect words.

Rachid shares five practical strategies, along with real-life examples, that make a meaningful difference when someone you care about is hurting.

What We Cover in This Episode

1. Listen Without Trying to Fix Everything

Why presence matters more than solutions—and how to make people feel heard without minimizing their experience.

2. Offer Practical Help (Not Vague Promises)

How specific acts of service can ease emotional overload and what to say instead of "Let me know if you need anything."

3. Respect Their Space and Their Pace

Understanding different coping styles and how to support someone without pressure, guilt, or expectations.

4. Encourage Small, Manageable Steps

How little actions—like a short walk or a coffee meet-up—help rebuild emotional stability.

5. Remind Them They're Not Alone

Small, consistent gestures that create comfort and connection during a difficult season.

Key Takeaway

Supporting someone isn't about fixing their pain—it's about showing up with compassion, patience, and presence. Kindness matters more than perfect words.

Connect with Rachid Zahidi

🌐 Blog & episodes: resilience.com 📘 Author of: The EMO Gym Journal - a guide to emotional clarity, focus, and better habits 🎧 Follow the podcast: Resilience Across Borders 💬 Share your thoughts: Leave a review or message Rachid with your feedback

In today's episode of Resilience Across Borders, host Rachid Zahidi, author of The Emo Gym Journal, breaks down a topic many people quietly struggle with: Should I work with a coach or a therapist?

With personal development and mental-health awareness on the rise, the line between the two can feel blurry. Rachid clarifies the key differences, shares real-life examples, and gives you a simple framework to help you decide the right support for your current season of life.

• The core difference between coaching and therapy

• Why coaches are future-focused and geared toward growth

• Why therapists help you heal the past, process emotions, and break old patterns

• Clear examples of when to choose a coach

• Clear examples of when therapy is the right fit

• A simple guiding question: "Am I seeking healing or am I seeking growth?"

• Why sometimes the best approach is both

• Key do's and don'ts when choosing support

• Coaching helps you optimize, grow, and level up.

• Therapy helps you heal, stabilize, and understand deeper emotional layers.

• Your needs—not trends—determine the best path.

• Starting with honesty and clarity puts you on the right track.

✨ If this episode helped you gain clarity, please take a moment to:

• Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

• Leave a review—it helps the show reach more people who need it

• Share this episode with someone who may benefit from understanding the difference between coaching and therapy

For blog posts, new episodes, and resources, visit: atresilience.com

Remember: Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. And stay resilient.

Spotting the difference between useful thinking and misery-making loops

In this episode of Resilience Across Borders, host Rachid dives into the powerful difference between productive thinking, the kind that leads to clarity, solutions, and peace, and misery thinking, which traps us in cycles of worry and self-criticism.

Rachid shares practical tools and real-life examples to help you notice when your thoughts stop serving you and how to redirect them toward purpose and calm. You'll also learn grounding techniques and reflection questions that can immediately shift your mental state from chaos to clarity.

More About Topics Covered:

• Productive thinking solves. Misery thinking loops. Ask yourself: Am I solving this or just spinning on it?

• Stay present. Misery thinking is often stuck in the past or future. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique to come back to now.

• Set mental limits. Productive thinking has an endpoint; misery thinking doesn't. Give yourself a time frame and move forward.

• Build yourself up. Notice your self-talk — would you say that to a friend? Choose thoughts that guide, not criticize.

• Emo Gym: The Emotional Gym Journal – Designed by Rashid Zahidi to help you focus, organize, and stay awake to life. Available on Amazon.

• Visit: https://atresilience.com/

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

• Follow: @ResilienceAcrossBorders for daily mindset inspiration.

5 practical strategies to reset your mind and body anytime, anywhere

In this episode, Rachid explores what it truly means to relax like a pro and why relaxation is a powerful skill anyone can learn. In a fast-paced world where stress and busyness are worn like badges of honor, Rachid shares science-backed methods and simple daily habits that help calm the mind, ease the body, and recharge your inner battery.

You'll learn how to use your breath, body, and attention to shift from tension to tranquility, without needing a fancy spa.

Relaxation as a Skill.

Rashid opens with a reminder that relaxation isn't a luxury; it's a skill you can develop. The key is consistency: practice relaxation just as you would practice focus or discipline.

More About Topics Covered:

• Tip #1 – Master Your Breath

• Tip #2 – Create a Relaxation Trigger

• Tip #3 – Move the Stress Out of Your Body

• Tip #4 – Be Fully Present

• Tip #5 – Give Yourself Permission to Rest

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

https://atresilience.com/

Exciting news! The Emogym Journal is now available on Amazon. Don't miss out – grab a copy for yourself, your friends, and your loved ones today. This journal is packed with insights and practices that have made a difference in my life and the lives of other joyful, grateful, and successful individuals.

Start your journey to greater happiness and success now with Emogym Journal.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rachid-Zahidi/author/B00UZEVPAK

In this episode of the Resilience Across Borders podcast, Rachid discusses the principle of pain and pleasure, a concept popularized by thinkers like Aristotle and modern psychologists.

The episode focuses on how we can use this principle to break bad habits and form better ones by consciously linking pain to harmful behaviors and pleasure to beneficial ones.

Rachid offers practical strategies, including visualization exercises and immediate rewards, and emphasizes the importance of reframing discomfort as a sign of progress.

The episode encourages listeners to make the cost of inaction immediate and to continuously visualize the long-term benefits of good habits. By mastering the pain and pleasure principle, listeners can reprogram their brains to make better choices effortlessly.

More About Topics Covered:

• Introduction to Pain and Pleasure Principle

• Link Immediate Pain to Bad Habits

• Link Immediate Pleasure to Good Habits

• Reframe Pain as Progress

• Make the Cost of Inaction Immediate

• Stack Long-Term Pleasure to Strengthen Habits

• Flip Your Associations on the Spot

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

https://atresilience.com/

Exciting news! The Emogym Journal is now available on Amazon. Don't miss out – grab a copy for yourself, your friends, and your loved ones today. This journal is packed with insights and practices that have made a difference in my life and the lives of other joyful, grateful, and successful individuals.

Start your journey to greater happiness and success now with Emogym Journal.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rachid-Zahidi/author/B00UZEVPAK

In this episode of Resilience Across Borders, host Rachid explores the well-known phrase "money can't buy happiness." While the statement holds truth, it's often misused as an excuse to avoid ambition, growth, or financial responsibility.

Rachid challenges this mindset and reframes money as a powerful tool that, when guided by strong values, can create freedom, opportunities, and positive impact. He shares practical strategies to help listeners align their financial goals with their life priorities, proving that wealth, when kept as a servant and not a master, can amplify good in the world.

More About Topics Covered:

• The Misconception of Money and Happiness

• Strategies for a Meaningful Financial Perspective

• Reframing Money as a Tool for Impact

• Avoiding the Fear of Wealth

• Keeping Money as the Servant, Not the Master

• Embracing Success to Do Good

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

https://atresilience.com/

Exciting news! The Emogym Journal is now available on Amazon. Don't miss out – grab a copy for yourself, your friends, and your loved ones today. This journal is packed with insights and practices that have made a difference in my life and the lives of other joyful, grateful, and successful individuals.

Start your journey to greater happiness and success now with Emogym Journal.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rachid-Zahidi/author/B00UZEVPAK

A Simple Framework to Know What You Want and What to Do Next

In this episode of the Resilience Across Borders podcast, the discussion focuses on the power of clarity in achieving goals and leading a fulfilled life. Rachgid explains how a lack of clarity can make people feel stuck and shares five steps to gain clarity on what you want and why.

The steps include asking better questions, writing a personal vision statement, breaking down goals into actionable steps, revisiting and refining your vision, and using the 'hell yes or no' filter for decision-making.

The episode also highlights the importance of intentional living and offers practical advice for aligning actions with personal goals.

More About Topics Covered:

• Balancing Contentment and Ambition

• Daily Gratitude: Finding Meaning in the Imperfect

• Self-Worth and Wishlist: Pursuing Growth from Worthiness

• Setting Growth-Oriented Goals

• Celebrating Small Wins

• Learning to Sit with Enough

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

https://atresilience.com/

Exciting news! The Emogym Journal is now available on Amazon. Don't miss out – grab a copy for yourself, your friends, and your loved ones today. This journal is packed with insights and practices that have made a difference in my life and the lives of other joyful, grateful, and successful individuals.

Start your journey to greater happiness and success now with Emogym Journal.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rachid-Zahidi/author/B00UZEVPAK

How to Focus on Progress When the Finish Line Feels Far Away

In this episode of the Resilience Across Borders podcast, Rachid discusses the importance of prioritizing progress over perfection. He explores the notion that consistent, incremental progress is more impactful than striving for overnight success.

Rachid shares five key strategies for focusing on progress, including tracking small wins, setting milestones, comparing oneself to the past self, visualizing the path taken, and reframing setbacks as learning experiences.

Through examples and practical advice, he emphasizes how recognizing and celebrating small steps of growth can maintain momentum and build confidence.

Listeners are encouraged to adopt a mindset that values steady progress, leading to long-term transformation and resilience.

More About Topics Covered:

• Why Progress Matters More Than Perfection

• Five Key Strategies to Focus on Progress

• Track the Small Wins

• Set Milestones, Not Just Goals

• Compare with Your Past Self

• Visualize the Path Already Taken

• Reframe Setbacks as Signs You Are Trying

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

https://atresilience.com/

How to Balance Willpower and Surrender for a More Peaceful and Productive Life

In today's episode, Rachid explores the balance between willpower and surrender, shedding light on how mastering this balance can lead to emotional well-being, spiritual growth, and sustainable success.

In a world that often emphasizes hustle and control, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on how true strength comes from knowing when to push forward and when to let go. Practical strategies and examples are shared to help you apply this balance in real life.

More About Topics Covered:

• Willpower and Surrender

• Understanding Willpower and Surrender

• Recognizing Imbalance

• Guiding with Intention

• Listening to Your Body

• Effort with Grace

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

https://atresilience.com/

Exciting news! The Emogym Journal is now available on Amazon. Don't miss out – grab a copy for yourself, your friends, and your loved ones today. This journal is packed with insights and practices that have made a difference in my life and the lives of other joyful, grateful, and successful individuals.

Start your journey to greater happiness and success now with Emogym Journal.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rachid-Zahidi/author/B00UZEVPAK

How Cornerstone Choices Eliminate Daily Overthinking and Free Up Mental Space

In today's episode, Rachid explores the concept of cornerstone decisions, inspired by Peter Drucker's quote: "Don't make a hundred decisions when one will do." He discusses how cornerstone decisions can simplify life by eliminating countless smaller choices and providing clarity, structure, and alignment to guide our actions.

The episode focuses on five practical strategies for making cornerstone decisions that help reduce decision fatigue, conserve energy, and focus on what truly matters.

More About Topics Covered:

• Decide Your Identity Before You Decide Your Actions

• Establish Non-Negotiables

• Choose Your Environment Strategically

• Create Decision Filters

• Automate What Doesn't Deserve Daily Energy

You can find blog posts and new episodes here:

https://atresilience.com/

Exciting news! The Emogym Journal is now available on Amazon. Don't miss out – grab a copy for yourself, your friends, and your loved ones today. This journal is packed with insights and practices that have made a difference in my life and the lives of other joyful, grateful, and successful individuals.

Start your journey to greater happiness and success now with Emogym Journal.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rachid-Zahidi/author/B00UZEVPAK