The World Feels A Lot Right Now: Anxiety, Politics & Staying Grounded

The World Feels A Lot Right Now: Anxiety, Politics & Staying Grounded

Anyone else feeling like the world has collectively lost the plot? Between politics, wars, rising costs, climate anxiety, social media and the endless stream of breaking news, it's no wonder so many of us are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and emotionally exhausted. In this episode, Liz and Bernie dive into what happens when our nervous systems are exposed to a constant flow of alarming information, and why so many people are walking around carrying stress, fear and uncertainty that doesn't seem to switch off. Drawing on their experiences as coaches, they explore how uncertainty affects our wellbeing, why doomscrolling keeps us stuck in survival mode, and what happens when we feel powerless in the face of events we can't control. The conversation also takes a thoughtful look at politics, community, difference, fear and belonging, while asking an important question: how do we stay informed and engaged without becoming completely consumed by what's happening in the world? Along the way, they chat about: • Why the world feels more overwhelming than ever • The impact of constant news consumption on our nervous systems • Vicarious trauma and emotional contagion • The psychology of fear, uncertainty and control • Why people seek certainty when life feels unstable • Social media algorithms and the doomscrolling trap • The importance of community, connection and curiosity • Looking for "glimmers" and practising a little more bloom scrolling • Simple ways to feel more grounded when everything feels chaotic This isn't a conversation about ignoring what's happening around us. It's about finding ways to stay informed, stay connected and stay human without burning ourselves out in the process. Because maybe the answer isn't carrying the whole world on our shoulders. Maybe it's putting the phone down for a bit, looking for the helpers, finding some glimmers, watching cute Shetland ponies run around a field, and remembering that we're all just doing our best to make sense of a very noisy world. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE • Julian Rotter's theory of Locus of Control • Pearl Drego's concept of the Cultural Parent • Vicarious Trauma • Doomscrolling and Bloom Scrolling • Mr Rogers' famous advice: "Look for the helpers" • Life Is Beautiful (1997) – the Oscar-winning film Bernie references when talking about finding hope, humanity and moments of joy even in the darkest circumstances. If this episode resonated with you, we'd love it if you'd follow, rate and review the podcast, and share it with someone who might need the reminder that they're not the only one feeling this way. Because we're all in this together. Same, but different.

Episode 10: Perimenopause

In Episode 10, we’re talking perimenopause. Not as experts with all the answers, but as two women right in the middle of it. Liz shares her terrifying experience of neurological symptoms, scans, hospital tests and being told it might be MS or a brain tumour, before finally discovering it was perimenopause. Bernie talks about endometriosis, anxiety, UTIs, body changes, overwhelm and the messy overlap between burnout and hormones. We also talk about: * The overlap between burnout, chronic stress and perimenopause * Health anxiety and being dismissed by medical professionals * HRT and the difference it made within days * Body changes, weight gain and learning to live in a different body * Brain fog, fatigue and forgetting basic words  * Why so many of us feel we have to fight to be heard * The emotional and psychological impact of hormonal change * Nervous system overwhelm and learning to regulate differently * Why connection and hearing “me too” matters so much * This one is honest, emotional, funny in places, and deeply validating for anyone who’s ever wondered: “Is it just me?” Episode shownotes: * Dr Louise Newson: Menopause specialist and educator * Dr Nicky Keay: Specialist in exercise, hormones and female health * Renee McGregor: Leading Sports and Eating disorder specialist dietitian Stay in touch Email: inthistogetherchat@gmail.com [inthistogetherchat@gmail.com] Instagram: @liz.good.child and @bernadettedancy_stresscoach Work with us Liz: 1:1 coaching/therapy (availability + info):https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk/ [https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk/]Bernie: 1:1 stress & lifestyle coaching + CPD-accredited training in Stress Management for Health and Wellness Professionals:http://www.stress-ed.co.uk [http://www.stress-ed.co.uk]

Episode 9: The Quiet Losses No One Talks About

Episode 9: The Quiet Losses No One Talks About What if grief isn’t just about losing people… but losing versions of your life? In this episode, we’re exploring the quieter, less visible side of loss — the kind that doesn’t always have a clear name. From those unexpected moments that catch you off guard (like feeling sad after something lovely), to the lives we didn’t live, the choices we didn’t make, and the parts of ourselves we’ve outgrown —t his is a conversation about all the ways grief shows up beyond death. We talk about: * The bittersweet feeling of seeing something you didn’t have * “Sliding doors” moments and the paths not taken * Ambiguous loss and unmet needs * Understanding yourself differently later in life * Why even the right decisions can come with a sense of loss * The pressure of timelines and expectations * And why you can love your life… and still grieve another one * This one is honest, reflective, and very “same but different.” Because sometimes the hardest losses to process… are the ones no one else can see. * Episode shownotes: Brandi Carlile: The song, “The Mother”. “Welcome to the end of being alone inside your mind.” * Alan Wolfelt: “All change is loss, and all loss must be mourned.” * Counterfactual thinking: Imagining alternative versions of the past (“what if…” thinking) * Prediction error (neuroscience): The brain updating its expectations when reality doesn’t match its internal model. * Pauline Boss: Ambiguous loss (loss without clear closure or definition * Carl Jung” “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” * Bernice Neugarten: Social clock (cultural expectations about life timelines and milestones) * David Blanchflower: U-shaped happiness curve (wellbeing dips in midlife and rises later) * The Bell Jar: Sylvia Plath” Fig tree metaphor (the lives we don’t choose). * Nora Ephron: Reflections on ageing, regret, and self-perception, “I Feel Bad About My Neck”. * Sehnsucht: A German term describing a deep, bittersweet longing for something intangible or unattainable. * Liz Moreton: https://stress-ed.co.uk/mbsr/ [https://stress-ed.co.uk/mbsr/] Work with Liz Goodchild - www.lizgoodchild.co.uk [http://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk] Work with Bernie Dancy - www.bernadettedancy.co.uk [http://www.bernadettedancy.co.uk]

Episode 8: Friendships

In this episode, we’re talking about friendship, and all the ways it can be both lovely and surprisingly complicated. Friendships are some of the most important relationships in our lives, but unlike romantic relationships, they rarely come with a script. There’s no clear beginning, no clear ending, and very little conversation about what happens when things shift, drift, deepen, or quietly fall apart. We explore what actually makes a friendship feel solid, how expectations shape our relationships, and why mismatched ideas about closeness, effort, honesty, and availability can create so much tension. We talk about the friendships that last, the ones that don’t, and the strange grey area between acquaintance, friend, close friend, and ride-or-die body-in-the-boot friend. Liz reflects on how moving countries changed some of her friendships in unexpected ways, why generosity and shared values matter so much to her now, and how she’s become less willing to ignore things that don’t feel right. Bernie talks about having lower expectations around the practical side of friendship, the importance of matched standards, and why different friends can play different roles in our lives. Together, we get into vulnerability, self-awareness, boundaries, drifting apart, ghosting, easy friendships, friendship admin, and the role of tech and voice notes in keeping connection alive when life is full and people live far away. This one is honest, warm, funny in places, and full of the kind of conversation people don’t often have directly, even with their closest mates. If friendship has ever felt comforting, confusing, painful, sustaining, or hard to define, this episode is for you. Stay in touch: Email: inthistogetherchat@gmail.com [inthistogetherchat@gmail.com] Instagram: @liz.good.child and @bernadettedancy_stresscoach Work with us: Liz’s 1:1 coaching is currently full, with new spaces opening in June 2026. You can find out more about her coaching approach here: https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk [https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk] Bernie has limited availability for stress assessments, and early bird registration is open for her next CPD cohort on stress and burnout: www.stress-ed.co.uk [http://www.stress-ed.co.uk]

Episode 7: Death, Dying & the Afterlife

Episode 7, Season 2: Death, Dying & the Afterlife We’re back for season two, and in true In This Together: Same but Different style, we’re starting with a nice easy one: death, dying, and the afterlife. In this episode, we talk about something most of us spend our lives trying not to think about, even though it touches every single one of us. We explore what happens in our minds when we think about death, how our own experiences of grief have shaped us, and why talking about mortality can be both terrifying and strangely comforting. Liz shares her lifelong fascination with death, how losing her mum young shaped her worldview, and why seeing her nan after she died gave her a kind of closure she’d never had before. Bernie reflects on growing up Catholic in Ireland, how faith has shaped her relationship with death and the afterlife, and the deep comfort she’s found in feeling connected to those she’s lost. Together, we talk about grief, faith, existential psychology, children’s fear of death, spiritual experiences, and the ways mortality strips life back to what really matters. We also explore the tension between religion and belonging, especially when faith traditions haven’t always felt safe or welcoming, and how each of us has made our own meaning around what comes after this life. This episode is full of the kinds of conversations people often only have quietly, privately, or not at all. It’s tender, thoughtful, a bit dark, a bit funny, and deeply human. Content note: This episode includes discussion of death, dying, grief, trauma, funerals, dead bodies, sudden loss, and parental bereavement. Stay in touch: Email: inthistogetherchat@gmail.com [inthistogetherchat@gmail.com] Instagram: @liz.good.child and @bernadettedancy_stresscoach @in.this.together.pod Work with us: Liz’s 1:1 coaching is currently full, with new spaces opening in May 2026. You can find out more about her coaching approach here: https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk [https://www.lizgoodchild.co.uk] Bernie has availability for stress and lifestyle coaching, and the early bird registration is open for her next CPD cohort on stress and burnout: www.stress-ed.co.uk [http://www.stress-ed.co.uk] References mentioned in this episode * The Denial of Death — Ernest Becker * Terror Management Theory — Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon & Tom Pyszczynski * Being Mortal — Atul Gawande * Tuesdays with Morrie — Mitch Albom * Post-Traumatic Growth — Richard Tedeschi & Lawrence Calhoun * Bronnie Ware — https://bronnieware.com [https://bronnieware.com] * Irvin Yalom — https://www.yalom.com [https://www.yalom.com] * Dead Good Legacies — https://deadgoodlegacies.com [https://deadgoodlegacies.com]