Scenic Route, Social Change and Mental Health for Tired Minds

Gratitude journals. Green juices. Meditation apps. We've been taught happiness is a checklist, but what if that's only half the story? In this episode, we dive into the world of Positive Psychology and the concept of flourishing– living deeply, not just lightly.  We explore the PERMA‑H model (Positive Emotion • Engagement • Relationships • Meaning • Accomplishment • Health) and what it really means to feel alive even when life isn’t easy.  If you’ve done all the “right” self‑care things and still feel off… you’re not failing. You’re human. And this episode is your gentle invitation to stop chasing happiness and start tending what matters.  What You’ll Discover: * Why happiness as a finish line keeps us stuck * How the PERMA‑H model gives us a fuller picture of wellbeing * How cultural expectations twist engagement, achievement, health & more * A simple journaling exercise to map where you’re full and where you need space * Why flourishing is rhythmic – not balanced or perfect  “Flourishing is the whole spectrum – light and dark, joy and grief, purpose and pause. And learning to hold all of it – that’s what it really means to be alive.” 🎧 Ready to go deeper? If your brain’s been working overtime trying to “fix” you – maybe it’s time to stop thinking… and start feeling. My Colour Reading & Integration Session blends Aura‑Soma with guided meditation to help you reconnect with your inner calm. Book your session and let your intuition speak 🫶 [https://itsjenniferwalter.setmore.com/services/3f258f0c-4dd6-4840-a359-99866a4bcdd7] _____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/] – your cosy corner where recovering perfectionists, tired minds, and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION * Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itsjenniferwalter/] * Follow on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjenniferwalter] * Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itsjenniferwalter] 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations] is your online permission slip to trust your inner compass again. What does your card say? Share it with us! 👉 Pull Your Free Card [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=buzzsprout] ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW? Leave a rating and review. Your words help other wandering souls discover the Scenic Route podcast.

Tired of buying cookbooks that collect dust (or shame you for not owning grape molasses)? Same. In this episode, we’re talking about how to choose a cookbook that actually fits your real life and not some Pinterest-perfect fantasy. I’ll show you how to spot the red flags (hello, pancetta prep on a Tuesday night 😵‍💫), how to tell if a cookbook is for beginners or pros, and what makes a recipe book actually useful. This isn’t just a rant – it’s a full-on guide to picking the best cookbooks based on who you are, how you cook, and what you’ll actually make. Whether you’re a total kitchen newbie or just cookbook-curious, this episode will help you skip the hype and find books you’ll use on a random Tuesday. ✨ WHAT WE COVER: * How to spot a cookbook scam * The difference between recipes vs. how-to cookbooks * Why food photography is lying to you * The 80/20 rule for ingredients * Why cooking is lowkey resistance (yup, we go there) 🎧 Prefer to skim? Head to the full episode transcript at www.jenniferwalter.me [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/] 📲 Say hi or share your fave cookbooks on Instagram @itsjenniferwalter [https://www.instagram.com/itsjenniferwalter/] _____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/] – your cosy corner where recovering perfectionists, tired minds, and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION * Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itsjenniferwalter/] * Follow on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjenniferwalter] * Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itsjenniferwalter] 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations] is your online permission slip to trust your inner compass again. What does your card say? Share it with us! 👉 Pull Your Free Card [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=buzzsprout] ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW? Leave a rating and review. Your words help other wandering souls discover the Scenic Route podcast.

What if freedom isn’t the absence of limits, but the presence of form? In this episode of The Scenic Route, Jen explores the paradox of constraints – why the boundaries we resist might be the very thing that saves us. Drawing on the work of sociologist Zygmunt Bauman and his idea of liquid modernity, she unpacks how modern life’s obsession with flexibility and endless options has left so many of us overwhelmed, exhausted, and floating without structure. You’ll hear: * Why too much freedom can make us feel lost instead of liberated * What Bauman meant by “liquid modernity”, and how it shapes our daily anxiety * How chosen limits can create space for creativity, rest, and meaning * Why personal boundaries matter and why collective ones matter even more This isn’t a call to hustle smarter or embrace toxic gratitude. It’s a quiet rebellion against a system that asks you to be endlessly available and endlessly improving. Jen invites you to build a life – and a world – solid enough to hold you. * Survival is individual. Transformation is shared. * They drained the public pool and sold you swimming lessons.  * The goalposts keep moving; nothing ever feels complete. * You don’t need to fix yourself; you need structures that hold you. If you’ve been feeling like you’re always treading water, this episode is your permission to stop swimming and start building your boat. 🎙️ The Scenic Route is a podcast for tired minds seeking depth over speed. _____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/] – your cosy corner where recovering perfectionists, tired minds, and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION * Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itsjenniferwalter/] * Follow on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjenniferwalter] * Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itsjenniferwalter] 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations] is your online permission slip to trust your inner compass again. What does your card say? Share it with us! 👉 Pull Your Free Card [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=buzzsprout] ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW? Leave a rating and review. Your words help other wandering souls discover the Scenic Route podcast.

Why do people still say women make “careless” decisions about abortion – and how can you shut that argument down fast? And what does it have to do with a shocking PhD thesis on endometriosis? In this episode of The Scenic Route, you’ll get: * A toolkit to counter the “careless abortion” myth from three angles: logic, evidence, and power. * Evidence-based insights you can drop in conversation to cut through opinion with data. * A clearer lens on structural bias – why women’s pain is underfunded and dismissed, and how the “default male” still shapes medicine. * Practical ways to spot and challenge bias in your own life, research, and everyday conversations. Mentioned in this episode: * Criado Perez, C. (2019). Invisible women: Exposing data bias in a world designed for men. Abrams Press. * Foster, D. G., Biggs, M. A., Ralph, L., Gerdts, C., Roberts, S., & Glymour, M. M. (2018). Socioeconomic outcomes of women who receive and women who are denied wanted abortions in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 108(3), 407–413. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304247 * National Institutes of Health. (2023). Estimates of funding for various research, condition, and disease categories (RCDC). Retrieved from https://report.nih.gov/funding/categorical-spending By the end of this episode, you’ll have the arguments, the evidence, and the confidence to dismantle abortion myths and to recognise structural bias whenever women’s health and autonomy are sidelined. 👉 Hit play and add these tools to your feminist toolkit. _____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/] – your cosy corner where recovering perfectionists, tired minds, and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION * Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itsjenniferwalter/] * Follow on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjenniferwalter] * Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itsjenniferwalter] 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations] is your online permission slip to trust your inner compass again. What does your card say? Share it with us! 👉 Pull Your Free Card [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=buzzsprout] ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW? Leave a rating and review. Your words help other wandering souls discover the Scenic Route podcast.

Why do we procrastinate, overthink, avoid, or hold back just when things matter most? Your social media feed at 2 am calls this self-sabotage, but is it? In this episode of the Scenic Route, we unpack fresh psychology research that flips the story of self-sabotage on its head. You’ll discover three hidden patterns that shape how we repeat harmful choices: * Sensitives: quick learners who adapt after mistakes * Unawares: people who miss the cause-and-effect until it’s explained * Compulsives: those who know better but can’t break the cycle You’ll hear why common advice like “just use willpower” or “learn from your mistakes” fails so many of us, and what actually works instead. Because here’s the twist: you’re not broken, lazy, or your own worst enemy. What looks like sabotage is often safety in disguise. And once you see that, everything changes. Paper mentioned: Zeng, L., Park, H. R. P., McNally, G. P., Jean-Richard-dit-Bressel, P., et al. (2025). Causal inference and cognitive-behavioral integration deficits drive stable variation in human punishment sensitivity. Communications Psychology, 3, Article 103. _____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/] – your cosy corner where recovering perfectionists, tired minds, and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION * Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itsjenniferwalter/] * Follow on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjenniferwalter] * Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.net/@itsjenniferwalter] 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations] is your online permission slip to trust your inner compass again. What does your card say? Share it with us! 👉 Pull Your Free Card [https://www.jenniferwalter.me/scenic-route-affirmations?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=buzzsprout] ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW? Leave a rating and review. Your words help other wandering souls discover the Scenic Route podcast.