Joyful with Chloe Markham

Chloe Markham
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The podcast for the life worth living. Monthly conversations on joy and what it means to be human. From a former burnout goblin who lived to tell the tale. chloemarkham.substack.com

  1. Sep 23

    Downplaying Yourself Isn't Humility. It's People-Pleasing.

    I couldn’t help but share this on the pod’ with you this month: I met two women at a volunteering gig recently. I told them both the same thing about myself and my work, but I left one of those conversations feeling about two inches tall and the other feeling f*****g brilliant. Same conversation, almost the exact same sentence, but completely different approach and outcome. And it was down to me how I spoke about myself. The stories we tell about ourselves — to ourselves and others — matter way more than we think. This will make you reconsider the next time you downplay how awesome you are and stop trying to make yourself smaller to fit. Because: f**k that. Want more? Everything I make lives here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    Downplaying Yourself Isn't Humility. It's People-Pleasing.

  2. Aug 5

    You Don't Have to Be a B*tch to Set a Boundary

    I discovered something about myself as I was rushing to get ready for a funeral last month. I was in a chaotic house with six adults, two babies, a toddler, and two dogs. All of us needing to use one iron, one shower, and a small kettle. And I became really aware of the mellow discomfort I felt being in the front of the queue. I realised this is a part of my — and probably your own — taught condition: put everyone else before yourself. Everyone else eats first. Everyone else gets the iron first. Everyone else’s needs are the ones that count, not our own. In this ep, I talk about that instinct, and how setting boundaries isn’t the same as being difficult. It’s about the vulnerability hangover that comes after you finally say what you need, and about why feeling like a bitch for asking isn’t a sign you’ve done something wrong. Want more? My free writing, short courses, and one-to-one coaching all live on my resources page. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    You Don't Have to Be a B*tch to Set a Boundary

  3. Jul 8

    If You're Feeling Powerless, Watch This

    I burnt out last month. Proper dramatic burn-out. And it taught me a brilliant lesson in self-trust. For years I’ve handed the decisions over to someone else first. Whether it’s about my business, my body, my rest… I used to run it all through a partner, then a coach, then whoever’s shouting loudest on Instagram. Never my own instincts. Because that’s what some of us have been taught: don’t get it wrong, ask for permission first, you’re not capable to do it alone. I used to think I just needed to find the right system. But I didn’t. I just needed to start trusting the thing I’d been outsourcing to other people the whole time: my own instinct. This episode is about that pattern — in relationships, in business, in the algorithm’s advice on how to eat, sleep, and heal. About the peculiar gift of burnout. And about finding real certainty in the face of chaos. Want more? My free writing, short courses, and one-to-one coaching all live here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    If You're Feeling Powerless, Watch This

  4. May 16

    I Tried to Take a Day Off. It Was Surprisingly Hard.

    The pressure to optimise everything is everywhere. But not everything needs to be useful and productive to be worthwhile. In fact, we need more useless and unproductive time in our days, not less. In this ep, I talk about why I’m failing to take a day off, how I’m trying to be better at that, and why I’ve decided to learn how to make pasta from scratch for absolutely no productive reason whatsoever. Things I mentioned: * Lina Stores – the London-based Italian that sparked my sudden desire to make pasta from scratch. Don’t mess about, go visit. Delicious. * News Feed Eradicator – the amazing tool I use to remove feeds from my desktop (think there’s a Safari plug-in, too). Want more? All my resources live here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    I Tried to Take a Day Off. It Was Surprisingly Hard.

  5. Mar 20

    A 15-min Reset for When You Can’t Switch Off

    This is a really simple guided reset for when everything feels a bit… much. Most of your nervous system runs like windscreen wipers — automated and brilliant. But we can also press that little button to take control. And this is what I guide in this session:a really simple breath technique your nervous system does automatically, that we can do manually to bring in more calm. It’s not magic, but it feels like it. I also ask you one simple question to tip the balance in your favour. Asking this question becomes the game… and every time you remember it, you win 😉 If you’re someone who finds it hard to switch off, even when you finally have the time, this is for you. Want more? My free writing, short courses, and one-to-one coaching all live here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    A 15-min Reset for When You Can’t Switch Off

  6. Feb 14

    Goals are stressful. Regulation is better.

    You don’t need better goals. You probably just need a more regulated nervous system. In this live, I talked about uncertainty, and why so many of us use goal-setting as a way to make it feel safer. Goals promise clarity, direction, a sprinkling of control over an uncertain future. But I see this so often: they also create more pressure, self-surveillance, and more stress than they solve. Here’s another way to relate to uncertainty: Instead of forcing outcomes, we can run experiments.Instead of demanding certainty, we can practise curiosity.Instead of tightening, we can regulate. This conversation explores: * Why control doesn’t equal safety * How goals can activate the nervous system * Why experiments create more steadiness * And how to build the capacity to sit in the unknown At the end, I guide a short interoceptive practice so you can actually feel the difference in your body, not just understand it intellectually. If you’re tired of trying to out-plan uncertainty…this is for you. Want more? All my resources live here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    Goals are stressful. Regulation is better.

  7. Jan 17

    How to Widen Your Capacity for Joy

    This was my first official Substack Live — a proper hello, a simple practice, and a reminder that joy doesn’t require moving to Bali. I talk about: * Why joy isn’t about constant happiness, peak experiences, or walking around like you’re in a yoghurt advert * How nervous system regulation quietly changes everything * Why “just calm down” doesn’t work when you’re already burnt out * And how small, gentle practices — not dramatic life overhauls — can slowly change your relationship with life And we practice: * An easy-going nervous system down-regulator you can return to anytime you feel overwhelmed, wired, flat, exhausted, or like you might cry over a mildly aggressive email * The practice begins at 4:28. I also share a little about Joy Unplugged — my 8-week programme for burnt-out, sensitive humans who want genuine relief, not another self-optimisation project. This isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about stopping the fight with yourself. If this resonates, you’re super welcome here (I’ll put the kettle on). Big love, Chloe🧡 Want more? All my resources live here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    How to Widen Your Capacity for Joy

  8. 12/24/2025

    Eight Minutes to Feel Calm

    This session is free for everyone. Eight minutes is enough to change your state. And the state you’re in — not your to-do list, not your intentions, not the busy-ness of the season — decides the quality of your day. And this session will improve the quality of your day. It’s a state-changing reset you can use anywhere, calming the body first, then allowing everything else to follow. You don’t need a routine, you don’t need willpower, you just need eight minutes. Practice and let me know what shifts — I’d love to hear. (And this one’s totally free, share with someone who needs it today.) Big love, Chloe🧡 Eight minutes is brilliant for the middle of a chaotic day. But sometimes our systems need longer. The Deep Rest Collection is six nidras (from 11 to 29 minutes) for six different types of tired. Only £10, press play anytime. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chloemarkham.substack.com/subscribe

    Eight Minutes to Feel Calm
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About

The podcast for the life worth living. Monthly conversations on joy and what it means to be human. From a former burnout goblin who lived to tell the tale. chloemarkham.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Chloe Markham
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Chloe Markham
  • Show Website
    Joyful with Chloe Markham