I thought meditation would fix me. Instead, I put my phone on silent for six years.

Here's the truth:

I am not the girl who lights a candle, sits cross-legged on a linen cushion and meditates her way to inner peace.

I've tried.

Instead, I spent years wondering why every wellness routine on the internet seemed to work for everyone except me.

The good news? Nothing was wrong with me.

My nervous system was just overloaded.

In this episode, I'm sharing the weird, unglamorous things I actually do to calm an anxious, overstimulated, ADHD brain. No bubble baths. No 5am ice baths. No pretending to enjoy meditation.

Just seven simple things that genuinely help me feel calmer, less overwhelmed and more like a functioning human.

Because weird works if it makes you well.

This podcast is for you if:

• You've muted a group chat and felt immediate relief
• You've sat in the driveway because you physically couldn't go inside yet
• The sound of everyone needing something from you makes you want to hide in a cupboard
• You've tried meditation and spent the whole time mentally reorganising your life

What you'll learn:

• Why traditional self-care doesn't work for everyone
  • How notifications keep your nervous system stuck in stress mode
  • Simple ways to reduce overstimulation throughout your day
  • Why movement can be more effective than meditation for some people
  • The science behind expressive writing, behavioural activation and transition rituals
  • Practical mental health tools you can actually use when life feels overwhelming

Here's what I break down in this episode:

1. Why We're All So Fried
2. Phone On Silent For Six Years
3. Batching Your Replies
4. Noise-Cancelling Headphones
5. The Two-Minute Car Sit
6. Move, Don't Sit
7. Feelings On Paper Before People
8. Clean One Thing
9. The Permission Slip

...

Related Episodes:

S2E8 – Phone Rules

S2E7 – 8 Weird Systems I Use For My ADHD Brain (Because Nothing Else Worked)

…

Follow Stephing Up

I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.

New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.

…

Let’s Hang:

Submit your Hot Mess Hotline question here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUnWTcPntVMCQrdu2wSFqFHEnQkggznr_23Ux9zDBNvlh78g/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up

Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_

Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.

Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners

Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been sold the same message for years: start Monday, go all in, be perfect, and somehow transform your life in eight weeks.

But what if that's exactly what's keeping us stuck?

I’m here to tell you, I’ve done (and seen) some things. My own health journey has been vast. From beer and noodle box for breakfast, to bodybuilding extremes, and everything in between. I’ve finally found a balanced approach that actually lasts, and now I’m here to share the lessons I wish I had learned years earlier.

In this episode, I share the health and fitness mindset shifts that completely changed my relationship with food, exercise, and my body. This isn't another episode about losing weight or chasing the "perfect" body. It's about creating habits that actually fit your life, breaking free from all-or-nothing thinking, and feeling better in your own skin without the guilt, shame, or impossible expectations.

In this episode:

• Why the all-or-nothing mindset is sabotaging your progress
• The identity shift that makes healthy habits easier to stick to
• How to stop waiting for the "perfect" time to start
• Simple hacks for drinking more water and eating better
• The power of meal planning without overcomplicating it
• Why consistency beats perfection every single time
• My personal journey from unhealthy habits to bodybuilding and back to balance

If you've ever started a health kick on a Monday, fallen off track, and felt like you've failed, this episode is your reminder that one imperfect choice doesn't ruin everything—and that lasting change is often much simpler than we make it.

Because life isn't an eight-week challenge. It's the habits you can keep doing long after the motivation wears off.

…

Episode Links:

S1 Episode: Gaining 25kg, Losing it all (and myself) and what it took to Find Balance

Shop Meal Planner Magnets: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au/collections/planner-magnets

…

Follow Stephing Up

I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.

New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.

If today's episode helped, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify is honestly the best thing you can do to help us reach more women.

…

Let’s Hang:

Submit your Hot Mess Hotline question here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUnWTcPntVMCQrdu2wSFqFHEnQkggznr_23Ux9zDBNvlh78g/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up

Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_

Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.

Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners

Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia

Steph’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/justanothermummyblog/list/17TTU785IMM53

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I thought rest was something you earned. It turned out I was wrong.

Here it is …

We're talking about the brutal truths I had to admit to myself, the 7 different types of rest, why scrolling isn't actually rest, and the simple mindset shifts that finally helped me stop feeling guilty every time I sat down.

This is part 2 of a two-parter - Episode 11 on weekly planning is the practical “How I Plan.”
This episode is about WHY rest still feels impossible even when you've got a plan.

This is for you if:

• You have hidden in the pantry for 60 seconds of silence
• You sit in the driveway after school drop-off because you can’t bring yourself to walk in
• You’ve scrolled for 45 minutes and then wondered why you have no time to rest

Here’s what you'll learn:

• Why you feel exhausted even when you've "done nothing"
• The hidden mental load so many women are carrying
• Why scrolling isn't giving you the rest you actually need
• The 7 different types of rest and how to identify what you're missing
• How to stop treating busyness like a badge of honour
• Simple ways to create more peace without changing your entire life

Here's what I break down in this episode:

1. What "drowning" actually looks like (and why it's not your fault)
2. The 7 brutal truths about why you can't switch off
3. The 70% cognitive household labour stat: why women are managing 7 people's lives on top of their own
4. The 7 types of rest: physical / mental / emotional / spiritual / social / sensory / creative
5. "Romanticising the mundane" + the anchor moment hack
6. The reframe: "you don't have to earn your right to exist"
7. Why batching + automating gives you hours back (without quitting anything)

…

Follow Stephing Up

I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.

New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.

…

Let’s Hang:

Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up

Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_

Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.

Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners

Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.