The Happiness Paradox: How Giving Too Much Can Lead to Unhappiness with Jenny Rhodes

There's a particular moment many of us know well — when everything feels like too much. Not dramatically, but quietly, heavily, relentlessly. You're still functioning, still showing up, but inside, something is fraying. And the most painful part? The story you tell yourself about it: I should be able to handle this.In this episode, we explore why overwhelm isn't a personal failure — it's a predictable outcome when multiple vulnerabilities align. Using insights from the Swiss Cheese Model and Paul Gilbert's three emotional systems, we unpack why your nervous system can't "just cope" when recovery is structurally unavailable.This isn't about becoming stronger. It's about understanding why one small change can still matter — even when everything feels impossible.We'll explore:Why overwhelm is rarely about one thing — it's an accumulation of pressures that alignHow the Swiss Cheese Model explains why burnout happens when recovery becomes impossibleThe three emotional systems (Threat, Drive, and Soothing) and why modern life keeps two constantly activatedWhy your nervous system needs recovery cycles, not just more willpowerHow one small change can close one vulnerability — and why that mattersWhy resistance to small changes is often a sign of how depleted you areSend me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

Pause for a breath you didn't know you were holding.This soft landing is for the woman who's been holding it together so well that no one thinks to ask if she's okay.This week's affirmation:"The strategies, steps, decisions that got me here served their purpose — I release them with grace."You don't have to carry what no longer fits. You don't have to make letting go mean you failed.What got you here won't always get you where you're going. And that's okay.This weekend, ask yourself: What am I holding onto simply because it once worked?Thank it. And let it go.New Soft Landings every Friday. Save this. Share it. Come back to it when you need the reminder. 🤍About Soft Landings:Every Friday on The Scenic Route, one grounded affirmation to help you rest, reset, and remember who you are.Send me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

You've done the vision boards. Set the goals. Showed up with discipline. And still – something feels off.If you're a high achiever who's done all the things and still doesn't feel like you've arrived, this one's for you.Jessica Eley breaks down why smart, driven women stay stuck even when they know what they want. Spoiler: it's not your vision, your strategy, or your discipline. It's your capacity – your ability to handle not just what you want, but everything that comes with it.We talk about:Why "I don't know what I want" is about being unpracticed, not brokenThe real reason you might be more afraid of success than failureWhy labelling things good/bad keeps you smallHow your nervous system determines your income ceilingThe balance between owning what you want and having the capacity to handle itThis Episode Is For You If:You've done the vision board thing and you're still stuckYou hit your goals and felt... nothingYou want more but can't seem to let yourself reach for itYou're tired of being the strong one but don't know how to be differentYou keep trying new strategies but the same patterns keep showing upYou're doing everything right and still feel like something's missingYou're starting to wonder if the problem isn't your plan — it's something no one's named yetThis isn't about manifesting harder or the next manifestation hack. It's about meeting yourself where you are and building from there.Guest: Jessica Eley: coach for high achievers creating success on their own terms Connect: @iamjesseleySend me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

Pause for a breath you didn't know you were holding.This soft landing is for the woman who's been holding it together so well that no one thinks to ask if she's okay.The affirmation: "I am allowed to disappoint people and still be good."Goodness isn't measured by how much access others have to you, but by how honestly you honour your limits.We examine why performance – the relentless yes, the full calendar, the reflex to fix – feels like safety, yet slowly erases our needs. And why boundaries aren't conflict. They're clarity.For perfectionists, oldest daughters, people-pleasers, and women unlearning the performance of strength.Choose yourself without apologising, so your next yes can be wholehearted.About Soft Landings: Every Friday on The Scenic Route, one grounded affirmation to help you rest, reset, and remember who you are.Send me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

Tired of entering a new year already depleted? This 35-minute conversation is your invitation to something slower, softer, yet powerful.Nadia Gabrielle returns to The Scenic Route to talk about the 12 Nights of Magic – her annual program that guides hundreds of participants worldwide through the liminal space between December 25th and January 6th. Rooted in the European Rauhnächte tradition, these nights create a portal where each day reveals the energetic theme of a month in the year ahead.In this episode, we explore:What the Rauhnächte actually are (and why they're more than Instagram witchcraft aesthetic)How to use tarot or oracle cards for year-ahead planning without making them "tell you what to do"The power of street cleaning (literal and metaphorical) before crossing into a new yearWhy some months show up as literal "NO" cards — and what that protection actually meansReal stories: When pulled cards predicted the exact energy of months ahead (Jennifer's viral January, her creative drought in April-May)Wish fulfilment practices backed by participant feedback spanning yearsThe radical permission to do nothing: why "it's safe to potter" might be the most revolutionary advice for burned-out womenThis isn't a course. It's not homework. It's permission to breathe.Whether you go full ceremonial with candles and altars, or just pull a card each morning with your coffee, the 12 Nights of Magic meets you exactly where you are.Perfect for: Perfectionists, overthinkers, oldest daughters, women who've been the rock for everyone else, anyone craving a year-planning practice that feels like self-trust instead of strategy.Listen now to discover how a centuries-old tradition can help you enter 2026 lighter, more aligned, more yourself.Join 12NOM with Nadia GabrielleSend me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

Three years, 111 episodes, and countless conversations later — host Jennifer Walter sits down for a full-circle moment with Lauren Best to celebrate The Scenic Route’s third birthday.They flip the mic to talk about what really happens when you stop hustling and start listening: to your body, your luck, your burnout, and your joy. From viral posts to creative dry spells, from slow living to self-trust, this episode explores how to create — and live — at your own pace in a world that keeps shouting “more, faster, better.”If you’ve ever wondered how to build a life that feels honest, sustainable, and still a little rebellious, this one’s for you.In this episode, we talk about:✨ What burnout taught Jennifer about rest, creativity, and play 🍋 Why luck matters (more than hustle) — and how to make space for it 💬 The power of Honest (Self-)Talk in work, art, and mental health 🌿 Learning to trust the process (even when it’s messy) 🎧 What it really means to “slow down” without giving up ambition 🔥 Why slow living is not an aesthetic — it’s a quiet rebellionPerfect for you if…You’re a smart, thoughtful woman juggling too many tabs open — craving more meaning, less noise, and permission to do life differently. Think: academic brains, creative hearts, recovering perfectionists, and quietly radical feminists.About LaurenLauren Best is a Transformation Designer, Wellness Facilitator, Certified Hypnotherapist, Multi-Best-Selling Author, Founder of Possibilities Universe, and Writer of Possibilities In Between on Substack. After navigating her own experiences with perfectionism, overwhelm, and burnout, she now guides people to trust themselves, take aligned action, and expand what’s possible in their work and lives.Send me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

The Words You Need to Hear When Perfectionism Is Running Your LifeEver find yourself thinking: “I should be further along by now”? Our society is so OBSESSED with finishing things… what if strength lives in what’s still taking shape?I’ve been taking an adult learning programme on resilience at my old university, University College Cork,  and spending more time in my friend Juli’s clay studio. There, I noticed: the clay pieces I tried to make perfect felt lifeless. The ones with flaws felt alive. This naturally led me back into the world of Wabi‑sabi — the Japanese aesthetic of imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness — and how it mirrors resilience. In this episode, I walk you through:The cultural myth of “completion” and why we still chase itHow wabi-sabi challenges that mythWhat resilience really is — and how it shows up in softness not hardnessA short practice you can use this week to lean into being unfinishedIf you felt even a flicker of recognition in this episode, share it with someone who might need a reminder that perfection isn’t the point — being alive is. And if you’re ready to lean into being imperfect and resilient, head to my site and check out my coaching options → jenniferwalter.me/coachingSend me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

We inherit shame like an unspoken family heirloom — stitched into our bodies, our ambition, our idea of enough. It’s the quiet undertone behind so many brilliant women asking, “Why do I still feel like I’m not enough?”In this conversation, Jennifer Walter sits down with therapist and facilitator Kyira Wackett to unpack the hidden ways shame shapes our lives — from body image and burnout to perfectionism and belonging. Together, they explore how shame isn’t just a feeling — it’s a learned survival strategy. One we can unlearn.You’ll hear about the difference between “good” and “bad” pain, why setting boundaries feels so hard, and how to start building shame resilience without burning yourself out.This episode is part psychology, part real talk — a compassionate deep dive into the quiet stories that keep women performing, proving, and people-pleasing.If you’re tired of hustling for worth, this one’s your permission slip to rest, reflect, and begin again.🎧 In this episode:The psychology of shame and why it runs so deepHow shame drives burnout, perfectionism, and self-criticismThe social scripts women inherit about worth and belongingBoundaries, self-compassion, and how to build real resilienceWhy healing shame starts with curiosity, not fixing💬 Connect with Kyira Wackett 👉 adversityrising.comA highlight from the Scenic Route archiveSend me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

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 stuckHow the PERMA‑H model gives us a fuller picture of wellbeingHow cultural expectations twist engagement, achievement, health & moreA simple journaling exercise to map where you’re full and where you need spaceWhy 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 🫶Send me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.

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 scamThe difference between recipes vs. how-to cookbooksWhy food photography is lying to youThe 80/20 rule for ingredientsWhy cooking is lowkey resistance (yup, we go there)🎧 Prefer to skim? Head to the full episode transcript at www.jenniferwalter.me 📲 Say hi or share your fave cookbooks on Instagram @itsjenniferwalterSend me a DM_____________________________________________________________________ Visit jenniferwalter.me – your cosy tree house where tired perfectionists and those done pretending to be fine find space to breathe, dream, and create real change. 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow on Instagram Follow on TikTok Follow on Threads 🔮 DAILY DOSE OF CHILL The Scenic Route Affirmation Card Deck is your online invitation to trust your inner voice again. What does your card say? Share it with me! 👉 Pull Your Free Card ⭐ LOVE THE SHOW?If this episode resonated with you, please leave a rating and review. It helps other women find their way to the Scenic Route.