Overwhelm is Optional
- This is the podcast for big-hearted, highly driven professionals who want their life back.
- Each week, we explore ways to gently rebel against the idea that overwhelm and exhaustion are just the price you pay for success. You don’t have to push through—it’s time to work with ease, reclaim your energy, and create the life you want.
- 💡 Meet Heidi Marke
I’m Heidi, a Coach, Teacher, Podcaster, and Author. Having painfully burned out—losing my career, confidence, health, and financial stability—I discovered a better way. Now, I quietly lead The Gentle Rebellion, helping you to:- Stop pushing through overwhelm.
- Redefine success on your own terms.
- Reclaim your time, energy, and life.
Thank you to purpleplanet.com for the music.
Episodes
228 episodes
Overwhelm is No Longer Optional
This is the final episode of Overwhelm is Optional. But this is not an ending—it’s a powerful new beginning.I’m inviting you to join me in my new podcast, Deep Heartfelt Success—where we go beyond overcom...
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Season 1
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Episode 226
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3:45
From Overwhelm to Joy: Transforming Fear with Rumi’s Wisdom
What if overwhelm wasn’t something to escape—but a guide leading you to ease and clarity?In this episode, we explore Rumi’s Guest House and the power of welcoming every emotion as a valuable guest. Through personal stories—incl...
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Season 1
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Episode 225
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28:49
Feeling Stuck? You’re Not—The Truth About Lasting Change & Transformation
The journey from overwhelm to joy isn’t a straight line—it’s a spiral. In this episode, I explore the reality of personal transformation, why it takes vulnerability, courage and commitment, and the importance of recognizing the shifts you’re...
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Season 1
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Episode 224
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24:26
Overwhelmed & Exhausted? Here’s How to Break the Cycle
Feeling stuck in the overwhelm-to-exhaustion cycle? It’s time to break free. In this episode, I reveal how to turn overwhelm into a powerful guide—not a problem to fix. Discover the mindset shift and simple practice that can change everything.&...
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Season 1
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Episode 223
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37:39
How I Use ChatGPT to Free My Mind & Make Life Easier
Overwhelmed by all the things you need to think through, plan, or create? In this episode, I share how I use AI to clear mental clutter, organise my ideas, and stay focused on what matters most—without losing my own voice ...
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Season 1
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Episode 222
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44:17
Break Free from Overwhelm: Mind Traps from Yellowstone
The hit TV series Yellowstone reveals powerful mind traps that keep us stuck in overwhelm. In this episode, I explore three key traps inspired by the show—false choices, the illusion of control, and catastrophizing—and how to break fre...
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Season 1
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Episode 221
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11:39
What NASA’s Fatigue Research Can Teach Us About Listening to Ourselves
In this episode, I explore NASA’s fascinating research on fatigue and how it highlights surprising gender differences in how tiredness is perceived and managed. Together, we’ll unpack what it means to acknowledge our tiredness without judgement...
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Season 1
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Episode 220
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13:16
How to Overcome Overwhelm & Achieve Your Dreams
Feeling overwhelmed by your goals? Discover how to transform that overwhelm into clarity and take meaningful steps toward your dreams. In this episode, I share the magic of focusing on heartfelt wishes, believing in the possible, and staying op...
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Season 1
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Episode 219
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17:14
Transforming Chaos to Clarity: Prioritizing What Truly Matters in 2025
How to turn overwhelm into joy in 2025.
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Season 1
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Episode 218
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36:04
Overwhelmed? Try This Joyful Transformation!
Overwhelm steals clarity and joy, leaving you stuck in reactivity. In this episode, I’ll share how to uncover your Heartfelt Priorities and stay focused on what matters most—even when life feels overwhelming. Discover practical steps to turn ov...
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Season 1
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Episode 217
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22:51
Creating Space for Yourself During the Holiday Chaos
Try this one simple mindset shift to create more space for yourself.Free workshop: https://www.heidimarke.co.uk/registration-page
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Season 1
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Episode 216
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17:19
How to Break Free from Overwhelm and Reclaim Your Life
What if overwhelm wasn’t a sign of failure, but a trickster blocking the easier way to live your life?In this episode, I share my personal journey from burnout to creating The Gentle Rebellion Against Overwhelm. We’ll explore ho...
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Season 1
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Episode 215
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15:42
Space for You: How to Gently Reclaim Ease Amid End-of-Year Chaos
This week, we’re diving into something we all long for but often struggle to find—space. Not just a gap in your schedule, but true space for you. The kind of space where your shoulders soften, your mind clears, and your heart feels light.
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Season 1
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Episode 214
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37:09
Easing End-of-Year Overwhelm: Gentle Practices to Create Space and Joy
🎙️ Feeling overwhelmed as the year wraps up? You're not alone. In this episode, I acknowledge the unique end-of-year pressures and share 3 gently rebellious practices to help you find space, ease, and joy amidst the chaos.Discover how sm...
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Season 1
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Episode 213
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40:21
Meetings Without Breaks? How to Cope and Reclaim Your Time
Why are meetings always back-to-back? In this episode, we explore how constant demands on your time—without space to reset—lead to overwhelm, frustration, and decreased performance. Discover why this happens, how it affects you, and what you ca...
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Season 1
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Episode 212
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16:48
Whoops Miss Stressy Pants appeared again!
Have you ever caught yourself slipping back into old patterns of stress and pressure? In this episode, I share a personal moment of recognising my own 'Stressy Pants' behaviour and how I gently shifted back to calm and clarity.Learn how ...
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Season 1
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Episode 211
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34:32
Finding freedom from self-imposed seasonal pressures
As autumn arrives, do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by self-imposed expectations to stay productive, organised, or ahead of the game? In this episode, I explore how the seasonal shift can amplify internal pressures—and how to gently reb...
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Season 1
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Episode 210
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19:00
Crafting a Purposeful Path as the Year Winds Down
As the year winds down, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by unfinished goals or pressure to 'make the most' of the remaining time. But what if there’s another way?In this episode, I share how to gently reflect, set meaningful intentions, an...
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Season 1
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Episode 209
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20:33
How to find the hidden ease in your life
There’s hidden ease all around us—if we take the time to notice it. In this episode, I share how to uncover the moments of simplicity, flow, and joy that already exist in your life.Plus, explore these Messy Journaling Questions (MJQs) to...
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Season 1
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Episode 208
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18:04
Awe and Wonder Amid Chaos: How to Reclaim Your Attention
Reflecting on my recent road trip through the Pacific Northwest of America I found way more awe and wonder than the doom and gloom news headlines would suggest.A great reminder of the importance of valuing your attention. After all, whe...
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Season 1
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Episode 207
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29:46
How I dealt with a dose of travel overwhelm
Here's what I did when travel overwhelm hit me just before going on my Pacific North West adventure.
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Season 1
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Episode 206
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26:43
Transform Overwhelm into Calm
A fast and effective way to deal with overwhelm.
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Season 1
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Episode 205
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8:52
Overwhelm is Optional: Reading an extract to you with Rosie, Nutmeg and Kangarooby
This week I invite you to settle back and enjoy being read to from my book Overwhelm is Optional - with my Cavalier spaniels, Rosie, Nutmeg and Kanagarooby.Feel seen and understood because it's not just you.Please consider buyin...
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Season 1
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Episode 204
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15:13
The Transformative Power of the Mind-Body Connection: with Sara Parrode, The Portable Wellness Coach
Want more energy? This week I discuss my experiences of waking The Camino without the usual stress and exhaustion with Sarah Parrode, The Portable Wellness Coach and endurance athlete. Sarah's experiences as a global nomad offer a unique lens t...
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Season 1
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Episode 203
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1:16:47
Transforming Branding into a Journey of Authentic Self-Discovery with Emily Rosales
Can branding be more than something you struggle to get done so that you can get on with building your business? What if it was an opportunity for deep, personal transformation? Emily Rosales, Founder of Simply.Me Coaching. Emil...
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Season 1
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Episode 202
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43:32