S2 • #75 • Contentment in a Culture of More •

S2 • #75 • Contentment in a Culture of More •

Episode Summary Welcome back to The Tea Mind Podcast, a space to slow down, step out of the noise, and see things a little more clearly. In today’s conversation, I’m joined by Katharina Geissler-Evans, founder of heiter magazine, to talk about what happens when the pace of life stops feeling sustainable. We explore the realities of burnout, the pressure of constantly striving, and the moment Katharina realised she had spent years living according to other people’s expectations instead of her own. We explore the steps she took to find herself by returning to small joyful moments, creativity, gratitude, and community. This episode is really about appreciating your own journey instead of constantly measuring yourself against someone else’s timeline. If you’ve been feeling overstimulated, behind, or disconnected from yourself lately, this conversation offers some suggestions on how to find your way back... so pop the kettle on. Today’s episode is brought to you by: Rose Petal Purify [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/rose-petal-purify/], a luxurious rose and white tea blend with a just hint of Thai ginger, which I think sums up our conversation today on noticing, appreciating and accepting. In this pause for tea, you’ll discover: 07:19 The pressure of building a life around other people’s expectations 10:34 How small intentional moments helped Katharina recover emotionally 11:52 Why she created heiter after experiencing burnout first-hand 15:17 The tiny daily rituals that helped her avoid falling back into exhaustion 16:39 How gratitude slowly changed the way she experienced life 20:57 What shifted after becoming a mother of two while running a business 24:05 Why community became essential to sustaining both herself and her work 32:41 The reminder that your journey cannot look like anyone else’s 38:19 Why contentment became her definition of success “Your journey is literally your journey. Nobody else can have it.” Resources and Links * Katharina Geissler-Evans Katharina is the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of heiter magazine. The content of heiter is all about finding and celebrating joyful moments in everyday life. Apart from working on the print publication, she is in charge of all things marketing (including the heiter newsletter and social media), web and online shop management, admin and all the other tasks that come up for independent business owners. She hosts and runs events for heiter but also acts as guest speaker for other communities, businesses, podcasts and radio stations. Checkout for heiter’s crowdfunding campaign [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heitermagazine/together-we-will-bring-heiter-print-magazine-3-to-life] and join the community. Website [https://www.heitermagazine.com/] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharina-geissler-evans-56a63364/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/heitermagazine/] Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/] to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Rose Petal Purify [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/rose-petal-purify/]. Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step. Erica x The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteamind.substack.com/subscribe [https://theteamind.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

S2 • #74 • From Overperformance to Sustainable Rhythm •

Episode Summary In this solo episode, Erica reflects on overperformance and the pressure many of us feel to keep pushing, producing, and staying constantly switched on. Inspired by Dr Pippa Grange’s book Life Reclaimed, we explore the difference between sustainable rhythm and relentless output. You’re invited to notice the warning signs we often override in the name of productivity and to reconsider what real success might look like over the long term. You’ll hear reflections on burnout, biological rhythms, rest, and why slowing down is not the same as falling behind. By the end of this pause for tea, you’ll leave with one simple question: What would it look like to respect your actual capacity instead of constantly pushing past it? Today’s episode is brought to you by: Chillaxin' Chamomile [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/chillaxin-chamomile-tea/], whole Chamomile flower for a sweet intoxicating, elegant floral flavour. It is a tea that asks you to slow down enough to notice what your body has been trying to say. In this pause for tea, you’ll discover: * 0:48 Why constant pressure and overperformance can disconnect us from our natural rhythm over time * 3:16 How burnout often builds slowly through ignored warning signs rather than appearing all at once * 5:25 Why modern culture encourages us to live like machines instead of human beings with limits * 6:54 How rest, recovery, and renewal are essential parts of sustainable performance * 7:45 A simple reflection to help you notice where you may be pushing beyond your real capacity and what small shift could restore balance “Maybe success in the long term looks like leaning into your own biological rhythms instead of constantly pushing past them.” Resources and Links Get Dr Pippa Grange’s new book, Life. Reclaimed [https://dk.com/products/9780241761908-life-reclaimed] Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/] to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Chillaxin’ Chamomile [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/chillaxin-chamomile-tea/]. Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step. Erica x The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteamind.substack.com/subscribe [https://theteamind.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

S2 • #73 • The Decision Doesn’t Need More Thinking •

Episode Summary This solo episode is for the decision that keeps circling. The message you have not sent. The boundary you keep renegotiating. The direction you already sense, but keep questioning. We explore the difference between thinking more and seeing more clearly. When a decision feels heavy, the answer is not always found by analysing every possible outcome. Sometimes clarity comes when you pause long enough to notice what you already know. You will be invited to notice whether a choice gives you energy or takes it away, and to stop reopening decisions that already feel right. You will leave with one simple practice: make tea, pause, notice your first honest answer, then take one small action from there. Today’s episode is brought to you by: Life's a Peach [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/lifes-a-peach/], a flavoured black tea that combines the robust, full-bodied taste of premium Ceylon tea with a medley of colourful, fragrant blossoms and a hint of peach. In this pause for tea, you’ll discover: * 00:42 Why a circling decision can keep you awake and drain your energy * 02:41 A simple grounding practice using warmth, breath, sound and taste * 04:27 How spring energy can create more ideas, options and mental noise * 04:57 Why more thinking does not always create more clarity * 05:15 How overthinking can protect you from discomfort, uncertainty or regret * 05:39 Why tuning into how a decision feels can be more useful than trying to predict the outcome * 06:29 The question to ask when you feel stuck: what would I choose if I did not have to justify it? “Sometimes you already know.” Resources and Links Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/] to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Life’s a Peach [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/lifes-a-peach/]. Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step. Erica x The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteamind.substack.com/subscribe [https://theteamind.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

S2 • #72 • A Pause To Move Things Forward •

Episode Summary This week’s clarity note is about the difference between being busy and actually moving forward. It’s for the days that feel full from beginning to end, yet somehow still unfinished underneath it all. Through a simple tea pause, this episode helps you slow down enough to notice where your attention has gone, what has drained your energy, and what really matters beneath the weight of constant tasks and reactions. You’ll be invited to step out of autopilot for a few minutes and return to one important question: what is the one thing that would make today feel complete? Rather than adding more pressure or productivity advice, this session creates space to notice what keeps replacing the work that actually matters. You’ll leave with one simple next step and a calmer way to return to focused attention throughout the day. Today’s episode is brought to you by: White Peony [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/white-peony/], a white tea made from the buds and leaves that remain after the Silver Needle tea leaves have been harvested. In this pause for tea, you’ll discover: * 00:25 Why more input is rarely the answer when everything feels unclear * 01:00 How white tea can help create a slower, steadier rhythm for the day * 01:46 A short grounding exercise to arrive properly in the present moment * 02:17 The reminder that thoughts disappear as quickly as steam from a cup of tea * 03:34 Why many busy days begin before we’ve fully arrived in them * 04:21 A simple check-in on where your attention and energy have actually gone * 04:45 The difference between maintenance work and meaningful progress * 05:28 The question that reframes the entire day: what would make today feel complete? * 06:13 A reflection on what keeps replacing the work that truly matters * 07:13 Choosing one next step instead of carrying the whole to-do list “Not your whole to-do list. Just one thing that would make the day feel complete.” Resources and Links Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/] to be the first to discover awesome teas, like White Peony [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/white-peony/]. Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step. Erica x The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteamind.substack.com/subscribe [https://theteamind.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

S2 • #71 • Space To Think with Sarah Philp •

Episode Summary Through this conversation with Sarah Philip, a Psychologist and Coach with almost 20 years of experience in Education, we explore how clarity can often come from small moments of alignment - it doesn’t have to be big, life-changing decisions. When you create space to think, three things come into focus: your values, your time, and your attention. That clarity is what makes change possible. By noticing how you feel when life is a little misaligned, you’re better equipped to pause and return to what matters. By the end, you will leave with a simpler way of approaching your day. Perhaps your pause for tea today could change how you think, decide, and move forward? Today’s episode is brought to you by: The Energised Mind [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/the-energised-mind/], a green tea blended with pear, rosehip, Schizandra berries, jasmine blossom & orange peel to boost your zest for life. In this pause for tea, you’ll discover: 00:01 The idea that clarity often comes from small shifts, not big turning points00:04 Values as a quiet guide for decisions rather than rigid rules00:06 How you may already be building something without realising it00:08 The feeling of something being “off” as a useful signal, not a problem00:12 Why space to think is not optional, even in busy systems00:16 How constant pace removes natural moments of reflection00:18 A pause can exist in a single breath, not just in big breaks00:20 Using transitions like doorways or journeys as simple reset points00:23 The habit of noticing three good things to rebalance your day00:30 Accepting that you will not get everything done, and choosing what matters00:45 How three minutes of silence can create unexpected clarity Your values should be lived, not laminated Resources and Links * Sarah Philp Sarah is a Psychologist and Coach with almost 20 years of experience in Education. Her mission has always been to maximise the impact of Psychology; to help us understand ourselves and each other more deeply in order to be able to relate, learn and lead better together. Order [https://www.saorsa-psychology.co.uk/your-woven-year] Your Woven Week notepad or Your Woven Week journal Website [http://www.saorsa-psychology.co.uk] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-philp-cpsychol/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/saorsapsychology] Twitter [https://twitter.com/sarahphilpcoach] * Resources mentioned Suzy Reading's [https://www.suzyreading.co.uk/] book Rest to Reset Do/ Pause - Robert Poynton [https://thedobook.co/products/do-pause-you-are-not-a-to-do-list?Format=Paperback] Oliver Burkeman - Four Thousand Weeks [https://www.oliverburkeman.com/fourthousandweeks] Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/sign-up-to-our-newsletter/] to be the first to discover awesome teas, like The Energised Mind [https://www.eteaket.co.uk/product/the-energised-mind/]. Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step. Erica x The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theteamind.substack.com/subscribe [https://theteamind.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]