25. In Case of Emergency, Press Play: Overthinking - When Your Brain is Being Dramatic

When your inner critic won’t stop hogging the microphone, press play.

Self-doubt has a funny way of showing up uninvited and acting like it pays rent.

Before you know it, it’s questioning your decisions, your abilities, and whether you should’ve sent that text three days ago.

This short guided meditation will help you take the microphone back, quiet the noise, and reconnect with the version of yourself that existed long before all the second-guessing moved in.

Today’s meditation is a chance to interrupt that conversation.

To breathe.

And to remember that self-doubt is just a feeling—it’s far from the truth.

We Didn't Plan For This Special Series

This series exists because so many of you reached out and said, “I didn’t plan for this either.”

If you’ve gone through a diagnosis, a loss, a life change, a career shift, a divorce, becoming a caregiver, moving, starting over — we want to hear your story.

EMAIL US: WDPFTPodcast@gmail.com

You don’t have to have it figured out. You just have to be willing to share honestly.

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These podcasts are really about the same thing — how people move through the seasons of life they didn’t plan for, and what helps them along the way.

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For th...

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, this is Adrian. Welcome to another episode of In Case of Emergency Press Play. Self-doubt is a terrible life coach. It loves to remind us of every mistake we've made while conveniently forgetting everything we've already overcome. This short guided meditation will help you quiet that voice and come back to yourself. Because you don't need to become someone else. You just need to remember who you are. When your inner critic won't stop hogging the microphone, press play. Welcome to your practice. Spend a few moments getting settled into a comfy spot. If at any point during this meditation you feel the need to move or shift, feel free to readjust yourself. Then settle back in and breathe. Take a slow breath in through your nose and a long breath out through your mouth. There is nowhere to be for the next few minutes. Nothing to ponder or plan. Just breathe. Notice your breath travel through your nose, into your chest, and all the way down towards your belly. Simply watch the journey. Avoid rushing it. When your lungs feel comfortably full, slowly exhale through your mouth. Now bring your attention to any self-doubt that you may be carrying. It may be a voice that whispers, you're not ready, or you could never do that. It reminds us of every mistake you've made while simultaneously forgetting all that you have overcome. Imagine that self-doubt has formed into a shell around your heart or your chest. This is not a part of you. Self-doubt is only a feeling. It is just settled here over time. This shell is constructed from old disappointments, criticisms, and fear. So loosen one tiny piece of this self-doubt shell at a time. Breathe in slowly. And as you exhale, see yourself reaching up and breaking off a small piece from that shell. Notice there is no resistance from the shell. It just crumbles away, carried out with your breath like a dry leaf caught in the wind. Do you feel how even the smallest piece creates a little more light and space? Take another slow inhale. Again, follow the path of your breath. Notice how steady it is. Know that your breath doesn't question whether it's worthy enough to enter your body. It simply comes and it simply goes. As you exhale, imagine another small piece of self-doubt peeling away. Maybe this is the fear of failing. Or it could be the belief that everyone else has it figured out except you. Whatever story your mind has been repeating, let that one small piece float away. There's no need to get rid of the whole story today. You only are making a little more room for something kinder. Continue breathing at your own pace. With every inhale, create a little more space. With every exhale, release another layer of doubt. Self-doubt isn't who you are. It's more like the dust that settled on a windowsill. The window has always been there. Strong, whole, capable. The dust may make it hard to see through, but it has never changed what's underneath. Every breath clears away another little patch. A little more light comes through, a little more clarity and a little more trust. Now quietly remind yourself I don't have to believe everything I think. Take another slow breath. Quietly remind yourself I have survived every hard day that has brought me here. Take another slow breath. Quietly remind yourself I speak to myself the same way I speak to the ones I love the most. Notice how your body feels. Maybe nothing dramatic has changed. That's okay. Healing doesn't happen all at once. Sometimes it happens one breath. One choice and one tiny act of self-belief at a time. When you're ready, deepen your breath. Wiggle your fingers and your toes. Blink your eyes open. Bring a little more trust in yourself for whatever comes next. From my heart to yours. Wherever you are right now, take a breath. Loosen your grip a little. Be bold. Listen, and be impeccable with your words. Do meaningful work and leave things better than you found them. We didn't plan for this, but we're here.