Episode 16 Design Your Day: Map Your Time to Match Your Mind

Do you ever get to the end of the day and think… what did I actually do?
Busy, yes. But productive? Not quite.

In this episode of rethink: the podcast, we explore a simple but powerful visual strategy to help you take back control of your day, without the overwhelm.

I’m sharing how visual planning (instead of endless to-do lists) can help you design your day to match your energy, reduce stress and prioritise what really matters.

This episode is especially helpful for:
 – Anyone feeling pulled in different directions
 – Neurodivergent thinkers who find traditional planners don’t work for them
 – Leaders, educators, creatives and entrepreneurs looking for more clarity and flow

🛠️ You’ll learn how to:

• Break your day into manageable blocks
• Map your natural energy patterns 
• Prioritise with visual task markers 
• Build in breathing space (and stop feeling guilty about it)

This isn’t about squeezing more in, it’s about rethinking how your day feels to live through.

🎧 Listen now and give it a go! 

Because rethinking your day starts with seeing it differently.

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Feeling overwhelmed but can't pinpoint why?
In this episode of Rethink: The Podcast, Nicki Hambleton introduces Mood Mapping — a simple visual strategy to track emotional patterns, manage stress and boost self-awareness.
Learn how to plot your energy and mood visually, spot hidden trends and adjust your work and life with more clarity, kindness, and control.
Perfect for leaders, professionals, creatives and lifelong learners ready to rethink how they navigate their energy, mood, and mindset each day.

And you can download a free template to start mapping your mood! 

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

The 5 Visual Thinking Myths Busted: Why You're Already More Visual Than You Think

Description:
Think you're not a 'visual thinker'? Think again.
In this episode, we bust five common myths about visual thinking — from the belief that it's only for artists, to the idea that it slows you down.
You'll discover why visual thinking is a power tool for clearer ideas, faster learning, and better collaboration — and why you’re already more visual than you realise.

This episode includes quick interactive actions you can try today to rethink how you work, learn, and solve problems.

Resources and Further Reading:

• Dual Coding Theory – Overview from Learning Scientists:
   https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2017/5/18-1
• Cognitive Load Theory – A Brief Introduction:
   https://www.cognitiontoday.com/cognitive-load-theory-applications-in-learning-and-teaching/
• The McKinsey 7S Framework Explained:
   https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/enduring-ideas-the-7-s-framework
• Introduction to Issue Trees and Structured Thinking:
   https://www.strategyu.co/issue-tree-framework-structured-problem-solving/
• The Value of Visual Thinking in the 21st Century (XPLANE):
   https://www.xplane.com/the-value-of-visual-thinking-in-the-21st-century/

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Feeling overwhelmed by ideas? Or just joining the podcast now and wondering where to begin? This special recap episode is your chance to pause, zoom out, and connect the dots from Episodes 1 to 12.

In Rethink The Recap, I walk you through the stepping stones we’ve travelled so far, how we’ve moved from chaos to clarity using visual thinking tools, creative strategies and inclusive ideas that spark action.

Each cluster of episodes builds on the last, from brain dumps and thought threads, to concept maps, storyboarding and strategies for neurodivergent brilliance. 

Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to the show, this episode will help you see the bigger picture (and spot the episodes you'll want to revisit next).

🎈 What we cover:

• Why Rethink exists (and who it’s for)
• 5 visual thinking themes woven through the podcast
• How drawing, structure and metaphor can help you think and communicate more clearly
• What’s coming next: neurodivergent voices, visual storytelling for memory care, and collaboration tools for teams

✨ So if you need a rethink - here’s your gentle nudge to start today.

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Tired of bullet-point overload and slide decks that send your audience to sleep?

In this episode, we flip the focus from listener to leader and rethink how we design and deliver presentations. 

Whether you’re leading a meeting, teaching a class, or pitching an idea, your slides shouldn’t be your script. They should be your support act.

We’ll explore:

• Why reading from slides leads to disengagement
• How to reduce cognitive overload, especially for neurodivergent minds
• The science behind what makes visuals more effective
• A practical 5-step framework to design presentations that land with every brain in the room
• Expert insights from Duarte, Reynolds, and more

💡 Clear slides = clear minds.
 🎯 One idea per slide.
 🎨 Visual metaphors that stick.
 🧠 Design for every brain in the room.

🔗 Show Notes & References:

• Broca & Wernicke Effect: Why talking over your slides disrupts processing
• Dual Coding Theory – Allan Paivio: Pairing visuals and language for better recall
• Picture Superiority Effect: Why we remember images better than words
• Cognitive Load Theory – John Sweller: Reducing overload to increase learning
• Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte
• Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 11

Do you leave meetings feeling frazzled? Find yourself scribbling furiously only to end up with unreadable notes and a foggy memory?

You’re not alone.

In this episode, I share how sketchnoting became a game-changer for my neurodivergent brain. Not just a creative outlet, sketchnotes helped me learn to listen differently—focusing on meaning, calming the overwhelm, and capturing ideas I’d actually use.

We’ll explore:

• Why all-talking meetings cause cognitive overload
• What sketchnoting really is (hint: it’s not about being an artist!)
• The science of dual coding and memory
• How visual thinking can support better listening and focus
• A step-by-step guide to start sketchnoting today

🎧 Listen now and see why listening, sketching, and simplifying might just be your new secret strategy.

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📚 Resources:

Here are the research references and links mentioned in this episode, along with some additional reading if you’d like to explore further:

✍️ Sketchnoting Inspiration

• 🧠 The Sketchnote Handbook by Mike Rohde
  rohdesign.com/handbook
• ✏️ Dave Caleb's Sketchnote: View the sketchnote on Flickr

🔬 Key Research & Theory

• 📖 Dual Coding Theory (Paivio, 1986)
  Combining visuals and words improves recall.
  Dual Coding blog post by The Learning Scientists
• 📖 Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988)
  Why our brains struggle with too much information at once.
  Explainer video by John Spencer
• 🧠 Drawing and Memory – The Wammes Study
  Drawing leads to deeper processing and stronger recall compared to writing, as it engages visual, motor, and semantic encoding. Edutopia article

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Episode 10: Seeing Differently – How Visual Thinking Unlocks Neurodivergent Brilliance

What if the very thing you once saw as a struggle was actually your strength?

In this episode, I share a personal story about discovering I likely have dyslexic thinking and how that realisation helped me reframe not only my challenges but also my greatest gifts. 

From struggling to retain information through spoken word to thriving with colour-coded mind maps and visual metaphors, I explore how visual thinking can transform the way neurodivergent minds learn, lead, and create.

You’ll also get a step-by-step guide to using concept mapping to chunk information and reduce cognitive overload—an essential strategy for visual learners and thinkers.

🧠 Big-picture thinking
 💡 Creative problem-solving
 📊 Turning complexity into clarity

These aren’t just learning tools. They’re superpowers.

See the accompanying post and visual on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicki-hambleton-436bb086/  

Visit my website for more visual thinking strategies: https://nihconsultancy.com/

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Seeing the Big Picture: Visual Thinking Meets Business Strategy

How do you make big ideas stick?

In this episode I talk to Paul Vincent, Global Leader in Service Design, Randstad Enterprise. Paul set himself a challenge: to create 25 Questions for 2025, a series of thought-provoking prompts designed to help leaders, businesses, and individuals rethink the future.

But how do you make complex ideas engaging? That’s where our collaboration began. Instead of using stock images, we started crafting custom visuals that tell a story—turning abstract concepts into something instantly recognisable and memorable.

In this episode, we explore:
 ✔ The power of questions over statements in sparking conversation
✔ How visual thinking unlocks deeper understanding
✔ The process behind creating compelling visuals that bring ideas to life

If you’ve ever struggled to explain an idea, pitch a concept, or engage an audience, this one’s for you.

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Bad design is CRAP. 

No, really—there’s an actual design principle called CRAP: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. 

If you’re not using these, your spatial organisation might be working against you.

In this episode of rethink: The Podcast, we explore how spatial organisation transforms the way we think, communicate, and design—whether in presentations, learning materials, or even how we arrange our workspaces.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why the CRAP principles (from The Non-Designer’s Design Book by Robin Williams) are a secret weapon for clarity.
✅ How Gestalt Theory explains why our brains love well-organised spaces.
✅ Simple tweaks that make layouts, slides, and study notes instantly more effective.
✅ Why white space is powerful and how you can use it to avoid information overload.

Because when design is bad, it’s CRAP—but when it’s good, it’s transformational

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?

Ever struggled to structure your thoughts or explain an idea clearly? What if you could break it down visually—step by step—just like a storyboard?

In this episode of rethink: The Podcast, we explore how storyboarding can transform the way you think, communicate, and bring ideas to life.

📌 What you’ll discover:
🔹 Why storyboarding works for different types of thinkers—from creatives to leaders.
🔹 How breaking an idea into 3 or 5 panels makes it clearer and more actionable.
🔹 The science behind storytelling & visuals—and why our brains love them.
🔹 How I used storyboarding to create The Confessions of an Introvert comic.
🔹 A hands-on guide to sketching your own storyboard—no artistic skills required!

Whether you’re mapping out a project, explaining a concept, or shaping a vision, storyboarding helps you clarify your message and make it stick.

🎧 Tune in now and rethink how you communicate—one frame at a time!

We all need a rethink once in a while, so why not start today?