The Breen Time Podcast

In this episode, we take a hard look at the self-help industry and challenge the idea that more information always leads to a better life. While self-help can offer valuable insights, it often creates the illusion of progress, fuels constant self-criticism, and distracts from the real work that actually drives change.

We break down where people go wrong - overconsumption, overcomplication, and comparison - and explain why action, not knowledge, is what truly moves the needle. If you've ever felt stuck despite reading all the right books, this episode will give you a more grounded, practical way to approach self-improvement.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why consuming more advice can feel like progress while nothing in your life actually shifts
• The three traps that keep people stuck: overconsumption, overcomplication and comparison
• How self-improvement quietly turns into another reason to criticise yourself
• Why knowledge isn't the thing standing between you and change - action is
• What to do first when you already know what to do and still aren't doing it
• How to tell the difference between genuinely preparing and simply avoiding

If you've read all the right books and still feel stuck, this one is for you.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

If this episode raised something for you, support is available:

Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk

NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stop Managing Your Emotions

What if the problem isn't your emotions - but how you've been taught to deal with them?

In this episode, we sit down with Cedric Bertelli, co-developer of Emotional Resolution® (EmRes®), to challenge the idea that you need to manage, control, or cope with difficult feelings. Instead, we explore how emotional triggers like anxiety, anger, and shame can be resolved at their root - through the body, not the mind.

We break down why traditional approaches often keep people stuck, how the nervous system actually processes emotion, and what changes when you restore a genuine sense of internal safety.

If you're tired of managing the same emotional patterns, this episode offers a different way forward.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why "managing" or "coping" with emotions can actually keep you stuck in them
• What Emotional Resolution® (EmRes®) is, and how it differs from traditional talk-based approaches
• How anxiety, anger and shame can be resolved at their root—through the body, not the mind
• Why the nervous system, not the thinking mind, holds the key to processing emotion
• What "internal safety" really means, and why restoring it changes how you respond to triggers
• How to tell the difference between managing an emotional pattern and actually resolving it

If you're exhausted from managing the same emotional triggers on repeat, this episode shows you a different way through.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

More on Cedric Bertelli & EmRes:

• Emotional Health Institute: https://www.emotionalhealthinstitute.org
• Cedric Bertelli: https://www.cedricbertelli.com

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

If this episode raised something for you, support is available:

• Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk
• Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org
• Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk
• NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crying is something most people avoid - but it serves a real purpose.

In this episode, we explore why we're conditioned to hold tears back and what happens when we do. Suppressing emotion doesn't remove it - it builds pressure that shows up in other ways.

We also look at what crying actually does: releasing stress, regulating your body, and bringing clarity once the moment passes.

This isn't about being emotional for the sake of it. It's about understanding that tears are part of how you process and reset - so you can move forward properly, not carry it with you.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why we're taught to hold tears back from an early age
• What actually happens in your body when you suppress emotion instead of releasing it
• How crying helps regulate your nervous system, not just your mood
• Why clarity so often follows a good cry
• The difference between being "emotional" and processing emotion properly
• How letting tears do their job helps you move forward instead of carrying it with you

If you've ever held back tears because it felt like the wrong time or place, this episode makes the case for letting them do what they're there to do.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

If this episode raised something for you, support is available:

Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk

NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our environment isn't neutral - it's shaping how you think, feel, and function every day.

In this episode, Sabrina sits down with Tina O'Keeffe, a professional organiser, to explore how clutter, disorganisation, and chaotic spaces often reflect deeper stress or unresolved experiences - and how reclaiming your space can help you regain control of your life. Tina shares how creating order at home becomes a practical tool for emotional recovery, clarity, and stability.

This isn't about perfect homes or aesthetics. It's about building a space that supports you - mentally, emotionally, and practically.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why your environment isn't neutral - and how it's quietly shaping your stress, mood, and focus.
• How clutter and disorganisation often reflect deeper stress or unresolved experiences, not laziness.
• Why reclaiming your physical space can help you regain a sense of control over your life.
• How professional organising works as a practical tool for emotional recovery, not just aesthetics.
• Why this isn't about perfect, Instagram-ready homes - it's about spaces that actually support you.
• Where to start if your environment feels overwhelming right now.

If your environment feels overwhelming, this conversation will show you where to start.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

Find out more about this week's guest: https://www.napo.net https://www.stowandbehold.com

If this episode raised something for you, support is available:

Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk

NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been taught that rest is something to earn - and it's making recovery harder, not easier.

In this episode, Sabrina breaks down the pressure to be productive at all times - even when we're exhausted, unwell, or running on empty. She looks at where that pressure comes from, how it quietly shapes the way we think about rest, and why so many of us feel guilty for stopping, even when stopping is exactly what we need.

Sabrina makes the case that pushing through doesn't make you stronger - it just delays the cost. Real recovery isn't about lowering your standards; it's about resting properly so you can come back at full strength, not a diminished one.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why we feel guilty for resting, even when we're genuinely unwell.
• How the pressure to always be productive gets wired into our thinking.
• Why pushing through discomfort usually makes things worse, not better.
• What real recovery actually requires - and why most of us skip it.
• How to tell the difference between resting and giving up.
• How shifting your mindset around rest helps you come back stronger, not slower.

If you've ever felt guilty for taking a day off - or pushed through when your body was asking you to stop - this episode is your permission slip to rest properly.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

If this episode raised something for you, support is available:

Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk

NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of us don't listen to understand - we listen to respond, fix, or reassure.

In this episode, Sabrina sits down with Dr. Randall Alifano, a clinical psychologist and ordained minister with over 40 years of experience integrating psychology and spirituality in his private practice. Randall is the author of Listening in the Raw: Coming Home to Receptivity, and has spent his career helping people recognize that life's challenges and our childhood responses to trauma and neglect aren't pathologies to fix - they're coping strategies to become aware of.

In this conversation, Sabrina and Randall explore listening not as a social skill but as a personal discipline - what it really means to quiet your internal noise and stay present with discomfort, uncertainty, and someone else's emotion, without rushing to smooth it over.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why most people listen to respond, fix, or reassure - and how that habit quietly erodes intimacy and self-awareness.
• The difference between treating life's challenges as pathologies versus recognizing them as coping strategies.
• What decades of clinical work have taught Randall about what happens when we truly quiet our internal noise.
• How staying present with discomfort and uncertainty - rather than resolving it - changes a conversation.
• Why real listening is a discipline you practice, not a trait you either have or don't.
• How this quality of listening opens the door to becoming more attuned to who you actually are.

If you've ever caught yourself half-listening while planning what to say next, this episode is a chance to see what changes when you stop.

Find out more about this week's guest: https://randallalifanophd.com

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

If this episode raised something for you, support is available: Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Growth doesn't happen in isolation - it happens through connection.

In this episode, Sabrina sits down with Doug Lawrence, founder of TalentC® and an international mentoring expert with over 30 years of experience helping individuals and organizations navigate change. Doug has spent his career studying the difference between advice and true mentoring - and why so many people feel stuck, disconnected, or unsupported when what they actually need is the right person walking alongside them. He's also the author of the Amazon #1 best seller You Are Not Alone: Mental Health Mentors Take the Journey With You.

In this conversation, Sabrina and Doug talk about leadership as service, belonging as a driver of confidence, and why "doing it alone" might be one of the most persistent myths in personal development.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why mentorship isn't a luxury - it's a basic human need, and what happens when people go without it.
• The real difference between giving advice and true mentoring - and why the two get confused so often.
• What Doug has learned about why people get stuck, and how guidance from the right person can change the direction of a life.
• Why leadership is best understood as a form of service, not authority.
• How belonging drives confidence - and why disconnection quietly undermines both.
• Why "doing it alone" is one of the biggest myths in personal development, and what it costs the people who believe it.

If you've ever felt stuck, disconnected, or unsure of your next step, this episode will show you why support isn't weakness - it's how growth actually happens.

Find out more about this week's guest: https://talentc.ca

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

If this episode raised something for you, support is available: Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boredom isn't a glitch to fix - it's a mental state your brain actually needs.

In this episode, Sabrina explores why constant stimulation from phones, media, and notifications keeps the brain stuck reacting instead of thinking. When the noise finally stops, the brain's 'Default Mode Network' switches on - the system that helps us process experiences, form new ideas, and sharpen focus.

We break down how modern habits have quietly trained us to avoid silence, why that erodes attention and creativity, and how small changes - like walking without your phone or simply sitting quietly - can rebuild mental stamina. The core argument: boredom works like mental training. The more you can tolerate it, the stronger your focus, patience, and clear thinking become.

In this episode

- Why boredom is a state the brain needs, not a problem to eliminate

- How constant stimulation keeps us reacting instead of thinking

- What the Default Mode Network is and why it switches on in the quiet

- How modern habits trained us to avoid silence - and what that costs us

- Why avoiding boredom weakens attention and creativity over time

- Small, practical changes to rebuild your mental stamina

Key takeaways

- Boredom isn't wasted time - it's when the brain processes experiences and generates ideas.

- Constant stimulation keeps the mind in reaction mode, leaving no room for deeper thinking.

- The Default Mode Network only activates when the noise stops, so silence is productive.

- Tolerating boredom is a trainable skill that strengthens focus, patience, and clarity.

- Tiny changes - a phone-free walk, a few quiet minutes - start rebuilding attention.

Try this week

- Take one short walk with your phone left at home or in your pocket.

- Sit quietly for five minutes without reaching for a screen.

- Notice the urge to fill every gap with stimulation - and let one gap stay empty.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday - listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/breentime/

Website: https://shows.acast.com/the-breentime-podcast

Brum Radio: https://www.instagram.com/brumradio/

If this episode raised something for you, support is available: Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk NHS Mental Health & Talking Therapies: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your relationships aren't random. They're reflections. And the one you can't escape is the one you have with yourself.

In this episode, Heather Melville — a Toxic Relationship Recovery Coach — joins Breen to unpack why the way you connect with others is shaped by the way you relate to yourself. Together they explore how unresolved emotional patterns quietly create toxic cycles in love, work, and life, and why real healing doesn't start by fixing other people — it starts by rebuilding self-trust, boundaries, and emotional responsibility. This is a practical, honest conversation about breaking the patterns you keep repeating and learning to choose differently.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why your relationships are a mirror of the relationship you have with yourself, not a matter of luck.
• How self-abandonment shows up in everyday relationships — often without you noticing.
• Why people unconsciously repeat the same dynamics, and what keeps the cycle spinning.
• What it really means to take emotional responsibility instead of waiting for others to change.
• How rebuilding self-trust and boundaries changes the way you show up in love and at work.
• The difference between reacting on autopilot and consciously choosing your response.
• What genuine change looks like when you stop surviving relationships and start building them on clarity.
• How learning to respect yourself becomes the foundation for relationships rooted in peace, not fear.

You can't outrun a pattern you haven't faced — the way out is in.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday on Brum Radio and wherever you get your podcasts.

Instagram: @breentimepodcast

LinkedIn: @breentimepodcast

breentimepodcast.com

Brum Radio: brumradio.com

Guest: healthyrelationships.info

If this episode raised something for you, support is available:

• counselling-directory.org.uk
• Samaritans: samaritans.org
• mind.org.uk
• NHS mental health & talking therapies: nhs.uk/mental-health

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What keeps you going when life feels heavy?

Kim Lengling is an author and podcast host whose work explores resilience, hope, and the everyday courage it takes to heal. Drawing from her own lived experience with PTSD, Kim brings a grounded, honest voice to conversations that help people feel less alone.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why hope isn't something you wait for — it's something you practise, one small moment at a time
• How Kim's experience with PTSD shaped her understanding of what healing actually looks like in daily life
• Why dramatic breakthroughs are rarely the turning point — and what quiet, incremental progress can teach us instead
• How storytelling creates connection and why feeling seen and heard is itself a form of healing
• The role simple acts of kindness play in building resilience and restoring a sense of human connection
• Why perspective shifts — even tiny ones — can help you find your footing again when life feels overwhelming
• What everyday courage looks like, and how to recognise it in yourself even when things feel hard

Hope isn't a destination you arrive at — it's the practice of choosing to take one more step.

Breen Time is hosted by Sabrina Brown - life coach and management consultant.

New episodes every Monday on Brum Radio and wherever you get your podcasts.

Instagram: @breentimepodcast

LinkedIn: @breentimepodcast

breentimepodcast.com

Brum Radio: brumradio.com

Guest website: kimlenglingauthor.com

If this episode raised something for you, support is available:

• counselling-directory.org.uk
• Samaritans: samaritans.org
• mind.org.uk
• NHS mental health & talking therapies: nhs.uk/mental-health

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.