SHOW NOTES

As I reflect on this year, I’ve noticed something new: I’m way less interested in chasing those giant, shiny achievement goals. Instead, I’m soaking up the everyday moments—and loving it. Honestly, that’s a twist for me, but then I stumbled on an interview that totally lit the spark.

When I picked up How to Calm Your Mind, I didn’t realize it was exactly what I needed.

Chris Bailey—productivity whiz, calm connoisseur, and all-around brilliant storyteller—shares this vivid moment where he spotted himself in the overflow drain of his bathtub (yep, that’s what that random metal thing is called) looking utterly wiped out. Next day? Public anxiety meltdown.

Sound familiar? We’ve all been there, somewhere on the anxiety spectrum. And guess what? The lowest point on that spectrum isn’t zero—it’s something deeper: true calm. But, uh, how do we even get there?

Chris says it starts with understanding burnout. Real burnout comes with three heavy hitters: exhaustion (check), cynicism (hello, eye rolls), and inefficacy (the opposite of feeling productive). And the culprits? Six sneaky factors—found at work and in life—that, when misaligned, push you to the edge.

Then there’s dopamine, that pesky chemical our brain craves but rarely gets from the right sources. Chris introduces a “Stimulation Fast”—basically detoxing from hollow dopamine hits like, yep, social media. Sure, TikTok’s fun, but swapping it for something truly fulfilling (knitting? gardening? birdwatching?) is a game-changer.

At its core, most of us want a meaningful life. So here’s the mic-drop question Chris leaves us with:

WHAT’S INSIDE:

This interview was the catalyst for a deep look inward, and I'm focusing less on huge achievements and more on the value I find in my day-to-day. Where are you on that spectrum? Let me know on Insta!

IMPORTANT LINKS:

SHOW NOTES

When I first picked up How to Calm Your Mind, I didn’t realize this was the book I NEEDED!

Chris Bailey, productivity expert, author, speaker, and master of calm, tells the story of how he caught a glimpse of himself in the overflow drain (yeah, that's what that weird metal piece in your tub is called), only to see he looked forlorn, sad, and depleted. The next day, he had a public anxiety attack.

We are all Chris. We all fall somewhere on the anxiety spectrum and surprise… the bottom of the spectrum is not 0 anxiety…it’s beyond that:`q1 deeply calm. But how do we get there?

First, we need to truly understand the word burnout. We throw this word around like candy, but to really be burnt out you need to have these three signs: Exhaustion (ding ding ding), Cynicism (talking to you, Negative Nancy), and Inefficacy (Yeah the OPPOSITE of productivity).

And what causes these? Chris explains 6 factors that occur at work and all throughout your life. If these aren't aligning with your beliefs and needs, you will most certainly reach your boiling point.

Then there's the matter of dopamine. That chemical our brain is constantly chasing, but isn’t always finding truly fulfilling. Chris explains the concept of a “Stimulation Fast” where you eliminate these empty sources of dopamine for an extended period of time.

The easiest example? Social media. It consumes a ton of our time but leaves us with almost no satisfaction. When you remove these stimuli, you find you have time for your hobbies, passions, and needs that truly do bring fulfillment and happiness (bye bye TikTok, helloooo knitting!?).

Most of us want to live a life that's meaningful. Chris asks this really beautiful and eye opening question that I want you to consider…

Are you in pursuit of a life that you find personal value in or that the world values?

WHAT’S INSIDE:

If you’re like me, you’re less wanna be calm and more wanna hype up 10x but after reading How to Calm Your Mind, I gained a new understanding of what calm really means. So where do you fall on the anxiety spectrum? Highly anxious or deeply calm?

Let me know on Insta!

IMPORTANT LINKS: