Hello and welcome to episode 243 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn why exciting changes and experiences don't necessarily lead to long-term happiness thanks to a theory called the "hedonic treadmill."

However, I've also found some strategies that can enhance long-term happiness, including:

• Knowing that material things don't always create real happiness
• Engaging in regular self-care
• Trying to accept that all emotions are temporary
• Practicing mindfulness and gratitude

And, you'll hear some exciting news about two courses I've created, including a free online self-care mini-course and an amazing mindfulness online course! My newsletter subscribers will be the first to hear when the courses launch, so make sure you're signed up at rachaelkable.com/subscribe.

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind!

Hello and welcome to episode 242 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, I've shared 5 important choices I've made over the years to help myself heal from painful experiences and grow in meaningful ways.

Those choices include:

• Taking responsibility for my actions
• Not setting unrealistic goals
• Learning from books, online courses, and podcasts
• Setting and enforcing boundaries that protect my energy
• Re-framing limiting thoughts

To read the written version of this episode, click here to find it on Medium.

Be sure to check out my website at rachaelkable.com to discover more mindfulness, self-care, and stress management resources!

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 241 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover what rumination is, why you might engage in rumination, and five strategies to help you deal with rumination, including:

• Identifying meaningful and productive steps you could take to move forward
• Practicing mindfulness
• Cultivating your confidence
• Talking about your thoughts (be sure to check out BetterHelp at trybetterhelp.com/themindfulkind for professional online counselling)
• Find constructive distractions

You can also read the written version of this article on Medium here.

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 240 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover why anger isn't a "bad" thing and the differences between anger and aggression. You'll also hear three ways to help you process anger, including:

• Identifying and validating your emotions
• Taking an "anger rain check"
• Tapping into empathy

If you'd like to read the article version of this episode, click here.

You can also get your copy of my Relaxation Meditation Album here.

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a great week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 239 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn about some common cognitive errors your mind can make. These errors include:

1: Remembering things incorrectly

2: Taking shortcuts that don't result in accurate opinions or good decisions

3: Conforming unnecessarily

I hope you enjoy learning more about these mistakes your mind can make, but remember your mind is still incredibly powerful!

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 238 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll hear about minor frustrations that can appear in everyday life, and how to reduce their impact.

Strategies to reduce daily minor frustrations include:

1: Be proactive and eliminate frustrations early

2: Communicate well with others to compromise and solve frustrations

3: Use mindfulness so frustrations don't sap additional time and energy (don't forget to head to www.rachaelkable.com to find out more about mindfulness!)

4: Give yourself meaningful rewards when dealing with frustrations

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 237 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover four ways to start the morning with positive energy, including:

• Go outside and enjoy the sunshine or fresh air
• Set a purposeful intention for the day ahead by asking "What is one thing I'd really love to achieve today?"
• Engage in self-care first thing in the morning
• Practice the "Don't Know Mind" meditation

Here are the resources mentioned in the episode:

The Mindful Kind book on The Book Depository

Medium article: Stop Checking Your Phone First Thing in The Morning - Try This Meditation, Instead

Good Morning Meditation Album

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 236 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll hear about three ways to cope when loved ones trigger strong emotions, like anger and frustration.

If you'd like more support when dealing with challenging relationships, be sure to check out trybetterhelp.com/themindfulkind

Here are the three strategies mentioned in the episode:

- Observe what you can learn from your loved one about yourself (based on the quote by Teal Swan: "The people who trigger us to feel negative emotion are messengers. They are messengers for the unhealed parts of our being.")

- Practice the loving-kindness meditation

- Engage in self-care

You can also tune in to episode 87 for more ideas!

Thank you for listening and take care, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 235 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, I've shared The Best-Case Scenario Method, which is all about cultivating more hope and positivity.

Here are the steps for implementing The Best-Case Scenario yourself:

• Notice when a challenge or problem arises in your life
• Observe non-judgementally if your mind starts to focus on negative thoughts
• Ask yourself, "What is the best-case scenario?" and spend some time imagining it
• Ask yourself, "What is one thing I can start doing today to move closer to the best-case scenario?" (And then do it!)

The resources mentioned in this episode include:

- The VIA Character Strengths Test: https://www.viacharacter.org/

- 2020 study about hope

- My Medium article about catastrophizing

- Episode 203 of The Mindful Kind: Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

- My website: www.rachaelkable.com

Thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a wonderful week, Mindful Kind.

Hello and welcome to episode 234 of The Mindful Kind podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover some positive things that have happened for the people in my community during COVID-19.

This episode isn't about pretending that devastating things haven't happened, but more about highlighting the potential for good things to occur (even when times are tough).

You'll hear a variety of different stories that fall under these main categories:

• More time for self-care
• Reconnecting with loved ones
• Negative things that turned out to be for the best
• More gratitude for little things in life

I also mentioned a podcast episode called Learned Hopefulness by Cory Muscara on his podcast, Practicing Human. Here is the link.

Be sure to find me on Instagram @rachaelkable to stay up to date:)

Thank you so much for listening and take care, Mindful Kind.