The Megan Waldrep Podcast

In Ep. 34 (How to Stop Overthinking), we explored how easily one little thought can turn into an entire story in our minds. But there's another part of this practice that might be even more important: What happens after you catch yourself?

Because sometimes, even when we recognize an old thought pattern, what comes next can send us right back into the same familiar spiral.

In this mini episode, I'm sharing a different way to think about meditation, why you don't need to sit quietly with your eyes closed to practice it, and how one small shift in awareness can begin to change the way you experience everyday life.

And if you've ever said, "I'm just not good at meditating," this one's especially for you.

A little reminder: You might be doing better at this than you think.

You can check out Part 1 on Ep. 34 on Apple and Spotify

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

✨ Private Reiki Sessions: Did I mention that I'm a Reiki Master, professionally trained in Bali, Indonesia? Reiki is a gentle energy practice that creates a calm, supportive space for your body to rest, reconnect, and heal itself. The best part? Just one session will help clear your mind and body, and all you have to do is relax. Sessions are available in person in Charleston, SC, Wilmington, NC, or virtually.

Visit https://meganwaldrep.com to contact me and learn more.

Have you ever explained away a friend’s hurtful comments because you understood what they were going through while quietly carrying the hurt yourself?

I’ve been there. For a long time, I told myself that letting things go was the healthiest response. Eventually, I had to look more honestly at the friendship, what kept me in it, and what I hadn’t said.

In this episode, I share the story of a difficult phone call, the exact words I used, and a question that challenged my habit of staying quiet: Did it feel good or just familiar?

We’re exploring what showing up as your higher self can look like when your voice is shaking.

If you keep rehearsing a conversation you haven’t had, let's dive in.

Show Notes:

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

🌬️ Breathwork for Your Group: Want to bring a little breathing room to your next team meeting, book club, or small gathering? I offer approachable, practical breathwork sessions for groups virtually or in person (no experience required).

✨ Private Reiki Sessions: Did I mention that I'm a Reiki Master, professionally trained in Bali, Indonesia? Reiki is a gentle energy practice that creates a calm, supportive space for your body to rest, reconnect, and heal itself. The best part? Just one session will help clear your mind and body, and all you have to do is relax. Sessions are available in person in Charleston, Wilmington, or virtually.

Visit https://meganwaldrep.com to contact me and learn more.

After years of living on a sailboat, in an Airstream, and in a rental, my husband and I finally bought our own home. As I stood arranging items on our mantel, I felt the satisfaction of reaching a dream, and then had a thought that surprised me: “Am I going to die now because I achieved this goal?”

It sounds dramatic, I know. But that moment opened a question I’m still exploring: What happens when the future you’ve imagined becomes the life you’re living?

In this episode, I share that story and explore how quickly we move toward the next thing, what we hope our goals will give us, and how to make room for satisfaction while life remains unfinished.

If you’ve ever reached a milestone and wondered, “Now what?” (or found yourself waiting for something to happen before you can feel at peace), we've got you. Let's Dive In!

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

✨ Private Reiki Sessions

Did I mention that I'm a Reiki Master, professionally trained in Bali, Indonesia? Reiki is a gentle energy practice that creates a calm, supportive space for your body to rest, reconnect, and heal itself. The best part? Just one session will help clear your mind and body, and all you have to do is relax. Sessions are available in person in Wilmington or virtually. Email [email protected] with the word "Reiki" to learn more.

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

What if one small way to notice your growth is to pay attention to your reactions...especially in the everyday stuff?

This episode isn’t a lesson in how to react correctly (because, let’s be real, that’s not realistic). It’s a look at how to measure your growth in real time, while life is still being life.

A few things we explore:

How disappointment can reveal something you want

Why a frustrating moment doesn’t have to become a verdict on your whole day

What it can look like to find perspective without pretending everything is fine

Small ways to recognize that your reactions are changing

Let's Dive In!

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

Today, we’re skipping the big intro and jumping right into an awareness breath practice.

* The benefits of this practice include enhancing mental clarity and focus, significantly reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood, and lowering blood pressure. 

This is a wonderful tool to help slow your heart rate and regulate your nervous system when you need it: during a busy workday, while sitting in traffic, in the middle of a high-emotion conversation, as you’re falling asleep or when you’re trying to get back to sleep.

For today’s guided practice, make sure you’re somewhere you can safely pause and give it your attention. If now isn’t a good time, save this episode and come back to it later. Anytime you use this practice in traffic or during a conversation, keep your eyes open and stay aware of what’s happening around you.

Once you’re settled, let’s begin...

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

A situation with our neighbor had me staring at a text, trying to balance kindness with something that mattered to me. So, I asked myself:

"What would your higher self do when speaking up might make things awkward?"

In this mini episode, I’m sharing what helped me find the words and a few questions you can take into your next uncomfortable conversation to show up as your best self.

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

Oh yeah, we're in it now! Growth is often described as freeing, expansive, and beautiful. BUT when you’re actually living it, it can feel confusing, tender, and a lot like something has gone wrong. (In reality, you're doing it right!) 

In this episode, I’m sharing a personal growth report, LIVE from the messy middle. Believe me, you're not alone. The thing is, we may outgrow an identity, habit, relationship dynamic, or way of living looooong before the new version of our Self feels natural.

Let’s talk about:

Let's Dive In!

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

What if the most confident version of you feels too far away to access right now?

Before I met my husband, I was writing a dating column that was a little like Sex and the City meets Santa Barbara, California. I wrote under the name Elizabeth Rose, but she became much more than a pen name. She was an alter ego; someone a little more social, adventurous, and willing to take chances than I believed myself to be at the time.

In this episode, I’m sharing how stepping into her energy changed the way I dated, helped me move through the world with more confidence, and eventually played a part in how I met my husband.

We’ll also explore how you can create an alter ego, and how it can bridge you to your higher self, especially when telling yourself to “just be confident” isn’t working.

Because sometimes, becoming more yourself begins by asking one unexpectedly powerful question: What would she do?

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

Has one tiny thought ever turned into an entire emotional experience?

Someone doesn't text back... you see someone else's success... someone says something that lands wrong...

And before you know it, your mind has created a whole story about what it means, why it happened, and what might happen next.

But what if there's a moment (right in the middle of all that) when you can simply stop?

In this episode, we’re talking about the difference between having a thought and following a thought, and why learning to recognize that distinction can change the way you move through your day.

Because sometimes the most peaceful thing you can do isn't figure it out, fix it, or think more positively. Sometimes you just don't finish the story.

In this episode:

Why our minds are so quick to fill in the blanks

How a simple thought can become a much bigger story

The subtle moment when thinking turns into spiraling

A simple practice for catching yourself before the story runs away with you

What it might feel like to leave something unresolved, and be okay with it

Come listen if your mind has ever taken a perfectly innocent thought and turned it into a whole damn movie.

FREE: Give Yourself Some Breathing Room - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com

What if intuition isn't about predicting the future or receiving some mysterious answer from outside yourself...but about getting better at noticing what your body already knows?

In this episode, we're talking about pendulums (and why you don't need one), the ideomotor effect, and what may actually be happening in your body when you face a yes-or-no question.

The goal isn't to be right every time. It's to develop a relationship with your own internal signals and build trust in yourself. We can start now. Let's Dive In!

FREE: The Breathing Room Toolkit - simple tools to de-stress anytime, anywhere https://meganwaldrep.com/newsletter

Let's connect on IG: https://www.instagram.com/megan.waldrep

Let’s work together! https://meganwaldrep.com