Sometimes you can be hundreds of miles away watching a video of an ICE raid, or someone being pinned to the ground, and your body reacts like you are right there. Jaw tight. Shoulders up. Stomach in knots. And then sometimes the hardest part is the person next to you, someone you love, reacting like it’s no big deal.

In this episode of Simple Mental Health, Jeff Allen talks with trauma psychologist Dr. Jackie Layton about why distressing news can trigger fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses, even when it’s coming through a screen. You’ll hear simple nervous system tools for the moment you feel yourself spiraling, how to limit algorithm-driven overwhelm without disconnecting from reality, and how to turn intense emotions into values-based action and community connection.

In this episode, you’ll hear

• Why your brain does not treat the screen like a screen
• How fight, flight, freeze, and fawn show up while scrolling
• A quick body check you can do in real time, jaw, tongue, shoulders, gut, one slow breath
• Why “watching everything” is not the same thing as helping
• How dismissive reactions from loved ones can trigger more fear and isolation
• The “just world” defense, and why blaming the victim can be a way people try to feel safe
• A sustainable blueprint, limit intake, pick trusted sources, use a time window, then act in real life
• Micro actions that restore agency when you feel helpless
• Rage as a signal that you refuse to normalize harm, and what to do with it
• How to curate your feed so you see response and community action, not only harm
• Why numbness can be overload, not a personal failure

Simple moves (practical takeaways)

1. Do the body check during or right after scrolling. Jaw. Tongue. Shoulders. Gut. One slow breath. Not to “be calm,” just to keep your nervous system from driving the car.
2. Use the rule: when you see something intense, do not auto-scroll into ten more intense things. Pause, then choose one option on purpose…stop, save it for later, or take one real action.
3. Set an intake window with one or two trusted sources, then close the app and put your remaining energy into something you can actually do.
4. Pick one micro action aligned with your values today. Small does not mean meaningless. Small is what makes it sustainable.
5. Widen the circle if you feel alone. Find people who can name reality with you, and hold the weight with you, without making you feel crazy for caring.

Chapters / timestamps

• 00:00 Content warning + who this episode is (and isn’t) for
• 00:56 Sponsor break
• 01:38 Why ICE raid videos hit your body like it’s happening to you
• 03:46 Your brain doesn’t treat the screen like a screen
• 04:38 Fight, flight, freeze, fawn… and the quick body check
• 06:10 The “don’t auto-scroll” rule…stop, save, or take one real action
• 07:03 When loved ones are dismissive…just world thinking and feeling alone
• 08:23 Widen the circle…find people who can name reality with you
• 08:45 Staying informed without overwhelm…why constant exposure drains you
• 09:37 The blueprint…trusted sources, time window, then real-life action
• 10:26 Micro actions and values…how to regain agency
• 11:12 Rage as a signal…then how community keeps it from burnout
• 12:30 Fix your algorithm…follow response, not just harm
• 13:56 Numbness as overload…detach mode is a nervous system response
• 14:17 “This is heavy, and I’m not alone in it”…where to find Dr. Layton

Guest

Dr. Jackie Layton is a trauma psychologist and the founder of Mockingbird Therapy & Assessment. She works with people dealing with complex trauma, stress, and burnout, and helps people understand what happens when the nervous system gets stuck in fight or flight…even when the threat is coming through a screen.

Guest links

• Mockingbird Therapy & Assessment: https://www.mockingbirdtherapy.com/
• Instagram (Dr. Jackie Layton): https://www.instagram.com/cyclebreakingpsychologist/
• Instagram (Mockingbird Therapy): https://www.instagram.com/mockingbirdtherapy/

Light in the Dark Coffee
Order: https://pondoffsanonymous.com/coffee

Your Inner Critic Is a Bully… and Your Body Believes It (with Dr. Eleni Boosalis)

That harsh voice in your head…the one that turns a mistake into a verdict…isn’t just “negative thinking.” Over time, it can train your nervous system to stay on edge, like you’re under threat, even during totally normal moments.

In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Eleni Boosalis explains where harsh self-talk often comes from, why it feels so believable, and what actually helps you move toward self-compassion without forcing fake positivity. You’ll learn a simple way to notice the “background noise” of your thoughts, why kindness to yourself is physical (not fluffy), and a realistic phrase shift your body can accept: “I’m in the process of…”

In this episode, you’ll hear

• Why the inner critic often attacks who you are, not just what you did
• How early attachment experiences can shape self-talk patterns
• The “air conditioner in the background” effect…thoughts you stop noticing
• Why step one isn’t “fix it,” it’s hear it
• A realistic alternative to affirmations that feel fake: “I’m in the process of…”
• How harsh self-talk can trigger fight-or-flight, and why self-compassion calms the system
• How the inner critic shows up at work: people-pleasing, avoidance, weak boundaries
• A clean gut-check: If your inner voice had a face, would you invite it to dinner?

Simple moves (practical takeaways)

1. Catch one sentence you didn’t realize you say to yourself on repeat.
2. If kindness feels untrue, use “I’m in the process of…” instead of forcing confidence.
3. Add one breath, then look for one micro-moment your brain would normally ignore.
4. Notice where you don’t feel “safe” setting boundaries…that’s often where the critic has leverage.

Chapters / timestamps

• 00:00 Start + sponsor messages
• 01:20 New season format + harsh self-talk in everyday life
• 02:00 Inner critic as a bully, and why it feels identity-based
• 02:35 Where it often starts: attachment and internalized voices
• 03:45 First move: mindfulness (you can’t change what you can’t hear)
• 04:24 The “air conditioner” metaphor for constant self-talk
• 05:55 Harsh self-talk as a nervous system threat response
• 07:40 Work + relationships: people-pleasing, avoidance, boundaries
• 08:40 Why self-compassion can trigger guilt
• 09:31 Dinner test + mirror practice + “I’m in the process of…”
• 10:56 Where to find Dr. Eleni Boosalis
• 11:38 Closing message

Guest

Dr. Eleni Boosalis is a clinical psychologist and co-owner of Del Ray Psych & Wellness. She works with adults around anxiety, trauma, attachment-rooted patterns, and building practical changes that actually stick.

Guest links

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreleniboosalis/
• Del Ray Psych & Wellness: https://www.delraypsych.com/
• Del Ray Psych & Wellness (Therapists): https://www.delraypsych.com/therapists
• Shrinks On Tap (podcast page): https://www.delraypsych.com/podcast

Sponsors

McKelvey Insurance Group
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Website: https://www.mckelveyins.com/
Phone: (618) 623-0080

Light Source Psychotherapy
If anxiety, panic, trauma, sleep issues, or big life transitions have you feeling stuck, their team works with kids, teens, adults, couples, and families in Belleville, Illinois, through teletherapy, or even walk-and-talk outdoors. Evidence-based care like CBT, DBT, EMDR, and more, built around what matters most to you.
Website: https://findyourlightsource.com/

Simple Mental Health is back with a new season of short, honest conversations about anxiety, depression, burnout, recovery, and the everyday work of being human.

In past seasons, the podcast created space for real stories, real struggle, and real hope. This new season continues that heart with an even simpler, more grounded focus—brief episodes featuring therapists, mental health professionals, and thoughtful voices sharing practical tools for stress, emotional overwhelm, uncertainty, and caring for your mental health in daily life.

If you are feeling anxious, exhausted, angry, or worn down by the world around you, these conversations are designed to help you slow down, breathe, and find steady support without toxic positivity or quick-fix advice.

This mental health podcast offers calm guidance, simple coping strategies, and compassionate perspective for anyone navigating anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, or burnout.

Mental health is not something we fix once. It is something we care for slowly, gently, together.

Subscribe to Simple Mental Health for new short episodes focused on emotional wellness, self-care, therapy insights, and practical mental health support for real life.

In this episode of Simple Mental Health, host Jeff Allen dives into the unique challenges the holiday season brings in 2024. From the pressure to please everyone to the stress of finding the “perfect” gifts and managing family dynamics, Jeff explores why Christmas can feel overwhelming instead of joyful.

With practical strategies like setting boundaries, simplifying gift-giving, and letting go of perfection, this episode offers a roadmap for navigating holiday anxiety while focusing on what truly matters.

Whether you’re feeling stretched thin or just need a reminder to take care of yourself, this conversation will help you approach the holidays with a little more peace and a lot less stress.

I'm so stoked to announce my new 'book...' actually a journal. Make sure you go to simplementalhealth.me to learn all about it!

Want free stuff? Send me an email here and I'll tell you where to send a self addressed, stamped envelope: [email protected]

In this episode of the Simple Mental Health podcast, host Jeff Allen shares his personal story with mental health, specifically his diagnosis of cyclothymia, a milder form of bipolar disorder. He discusses the importance of seeking professional help and finding self-care strategies that work for you, as well as the role that friends and loved ones can play in supporting someone with mental health struggles. Jeff also offers Simple Mental Health stickers to listeners who send a self-addressed envelope to his email address. This episode is timely, as it is released during Mental Health Awareness Month, and encourages listeners to prioritize their mental health and support those around them who may be struggling.

TW: Discussion on Suicide throughout episode

In today’s episode, Jeff Allen is joined by Frank King, a TEDx coach and a writer for the ‘Tonight Show’. Additionally, Frank is a suicide prevention and postvention public speaker and a comedian. Frank shares his experience with depression and suicide, why people die by suicide, and how to recognize and help people who are suicidal. Moreover, he shares tips and insights about suicide prevention and postvention.

In addition, he shares about passive suicidal ideation and its symptoms and the importance of humor in mental health. If you change perception, you can change prejudices.

Tune in!

During this episode, you will learn about;

[00:01] Trigger warning for the episode

[00:37] Introduction to the show

[01:11] Meet our guest; Frank King

[02:08] Frank’s ‘Tonight Show’ gig

[04:41] Why the topic of depression and suicide is so meaningful to Frank

[05:02] His experience with depression and suicide

[07:05] Passive suicidal ideation and its symptoms

[11:45] Why he decided to be a suicide prevention speaker

[14:04] What Frank teaches in his talks

[14:25] Suicide postvention

[17:23] Depression symptoms

[18:09] What to say to someone who is depressed

[18:44] How to recognize someone who is suicidal

[19:30] Why do people commit suicide?

[20:17] How to help someone who is suicidal

[22:23] What to do when you have suicidal thoughts

[23:54] Perceived burdensomeness and suicidal thoughts

[25:43] The importance of humor in mental health

[27:58] Stigma surrounding men’s mental health

[28:53] How to connect with Frank King

[30:03] How to support this podcast

Notable Quotes

• “Focus is an amazing thing; pick a lane, do one thing, go deep, not wide.”[12:56]
• “Suicide is the most preventable cause of death on the planet.” [15:57]
• “If you change perception, you can change prejudices.” [26:10]

Don’t forget to Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!

Let’s Connect!

Follow Frank King on;

• Website: https://www.thementalhealthcomedian.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/theMHcomedian
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMentalHealthComedian
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theMentalHealthComedian/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mentalhealthcomedian/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankkingthemhcomedian/

Book a free 30 minutes consultation with Frank King:  https://bit.ly/3MHxZcF

More Products

To listen to more amazing podcast episodes on mental health: https://anchor.fm/simplementalhealth

To help the simple mental health podcast connect with more people, shop at:

In this episode, Jeff Allen interviews Matthew Moore, a reporter, and producer at KUAF 91.3 National Public Radio. Additionally, Matthew is a podcaster and a mental health activist. He shares his experience with mental health as a child and the stigma that surrounds mental health for Christians

In addition, Matthew also shares how mental health stigma affects men and educates people on how to be more compassionate towards those struggling with their mental health.

Tune in!

During this episode, you will learn about;

[00:27] Episode introduction

[00:30] Matthew Moore’s bio

[01:38] Matthew’s inspiration for podcasting and reporting

[03:41] The favorite podcast series that he created

[08:00] Why Matthew decided to seek the talk therapy

[11:23] Matthew’s mental health

[16:23] How stress and anxiety affected him as a child

[18:31] His experience with the Church’s response to mental health

[20:22] Hyper individualism and its impact on mental health

[24:39] The stigma around mental health for Christians

[26:47] Why men don’t talk about mental health

[30:12] How to recommend therapy to someone you care about

[35:02] How to connect with Matthew Moore

[36:26] How to support this podcast

Love the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!

Let’s Connect!

Follow Matthew Moore on;

To listen to KUAF radio: https://www.kuaf.com/

More Products

To listen to more amazing podcast episodes on mental health: https://anchor.fm/simplementalhealth

To help the simple mental health podcast connect with more people, shop at: https://www.simplementalhealth.me/

In today’s episode, Jeff is joined by Sadie Moore and Kate Johnson. Sadie and Kate are the hosts of the ‘Skate Hot Take’ Podcast, which focuses on topics that are important to today’s teens. In this episode, they share some of the sources of stress for teenagers. Additionally, they share how parents can help improve teens’ mental health by engaging in mental health conversations with them.

Tune in!

During this episode, you will learn about;

[00:26] Episode introduction

[01:31] What people misunderstand about them

[02:12] Why they started the ‘Skate Hot Take’ Podcast

[03:51] Some sources of stress for teenagers

[05:45] The role of social media on mental health

[10:04] Advice for newly admitted college students

[13:12] Phoebe Bridgers’s first album

[14:52] Impact of COVID-19 impact on mental health

[19:16] Mental health days in schools

[20:59] How they break the stigma associated with mental health

[22:57] How parents can engage in mental health conversations with their kids

[26:11] How they plan episode topics for their podcast

[28:42] Where you can listen to the ‘Skate Hot Take’ Podcast

Love the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!

Let’s Connect!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskatehottake/

To listen to the ‘Skate Hot Take’ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3MTzUMiDKqgYljupGx6eaT?si=3b67501bf6074b1d

More Products

To listen to more fantastic podcast episodes on mental health: https://anchor.fm/simplementalhealth

To help the simple mental health podcast connect with more people, shop at: https://www.simplementalhealth.me/