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10th September, 2024

What to Do With That Nagging Feeling That Something’s Not Right

With Rachel Morris

Dr Rachel Morris

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On this episode

We’ve all experienced times when we know something’s wrong, but we avoid dealing with it. Whether it’s a job, relationship, or just a general sense of unease, we make small adjustments hoping it’ll fix itself. But this rarely solves the problem.

In this quick dip, Rachel sets out the importance of identifying the real issue and addressing it head-on. This means paying attention to the signs and being honest with ourselves, slowing down and taking a moment to really think about what’s bothering us.

It starts with acknowledging our feelings and paying attention to those nagging thoughts, even if they wake us up at night. Then, talking them over with a trusted friend or writing those thoughts down to get clarity.

Avoiding the stone in your shoe – or in Rachel’s case, the plastic – won’t make it go away. These nagging problems in our heads can lead to anxiety and resentment, or a feeling that we’re stuck in a situation that isn’t serving us, which just compounds the frustration.

But by taking a moment to pause, reflecting on what’s really happening in our life, and writing down what’s on our mind, we begin to take control and pave the way for lasting positive change.

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Reasons to listen

  • To discover strategies to address and overcome personal and professional challenges that might be causing discomfort
  • To learn how the sunk cost fallacy and confirmation bias affects decision-making, and how to overcome them
  • To understand the importance of vulnerability and honesty in recognising and resolving issues to improve wellbeing and relationships

Episode highlights

00:02:33

When something isn’t right

00:04:28

Stuck in a role that’s not working

00:06:12

Just too hard to remove

00:06:58

Choosing to be confused

00:08:52

Sunk cost bias

00:10:40

Confirmation bias

00:11:15

Motivated reasoning

00:12:28

When you just can’t face it

00:13:41

It’s OK to change your mind

00:15:42

Slow down

00:18:01

What’s the differential diagnosis?

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Rachel: I want to talk to you today about those times when you know that there’s something wrong, but you do anything to avoid, really dealing with them. So a while back I was at the airport dropping one of my family off for their travels, and I just bought this really nice pair of trainers. I was really pleased with them. They’re incredibly comfortable. [00:00:21] But a few days before I’d noticed that as I was walking along, on the right foot. It was digging in a little bit, just over the top of my foot and I…

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