Psychologically Speaking with Leila Ainge

Decibelle Creative
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A psychologist's insight into the fascinating world of human behaviour without the jargon, with Psychologist & coach, Leila Ainge. Blending scientific research with real experiences, Leila is on a mission to reframe outdated notions of imposter syndrome. Psychologically Speaking delves into Leila's own ground-breaking research, exploring what drives those pesky fraudulent feelings in entrepreneurs, the unexpected advantages, and how you can actually leverage imposter moments to your benefit (yes, really). This podcast is for anyone who has ever felt like a fraud, just moments away from being 'found out'. This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

  1. What Actually Happens After You Set a Goal?

    FEB 9

    What Actually Happens After You Set a Goal?

    In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila is joined by three Goal Sprint participants, Hannah Isted, Jen Vaughan and Darren Scotland, for an honest progress check-in just weeks into the year. Together they explore: • Why momentum matters more than motivation • How perfectionismblocks progress (and how to move anyway) • The psychology of getting out of your comfort zone from running faster to showing up online • Why community support accelerates confidence and behaviour change • How small actions create belief, not the other way around • Letting go of “gatekeepers” and reframing rejection • Using goals as direction, not pressure You’ll hear: Hannah share how pushing past “safe effort” transformed her running Jen open up about visibility fears, tech discomfort, and building connection in business from the ground up. Darren reflect on perfectionism, creative momentum, community collaboration and turning setbacks into progress. Leila weaves in psychological insights around effort, behaviour change, self-criticism, resource conservation, social comparison and why progress rarely looks linear. If you’ve ever: • Set a goal and felt stuck straight after • Waited to feel confident before acting • Struggled with perfectionism or fear of visibility • Wondered why progress feels slower than expected This episode will help you understand what’s really happening in your brain and how to work with it rather than against it.

    46 min
  2. “Nothing Bad Happened”: What Visibility Teaches Us About Confidence

    FEB 2

    “Nothing Bad Happened”: What Visibility Teaches Us About Confidence

    What actually happens to your confidence once you start pursuing a goal? In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, psychologist Leila Ainge checks back in with three creatives who set goals on the podcast weeks earlier, Graphic Designer Bhavini, Animator Duncan and Documentary Maker Dany. Instead of tidy success stories, you’ll hear what goal pursuit looks like in real life, confidence rising and dipping, perfectionism showing up, comparison creeping in, and plans changing shape. Through honest reflection and psychological insight, this episode explores why confidence doesn’t grow in a straight line, how visibility reduces fear over time, and why setbacks and pivots are often signs of progress rather than failure. If you’re navigating imposter feelings, struggling with comparison, or wondering why motivation feels inconsistent, this episode offers reassurance and a more realistic picture of change.

    44 min
  3. Are you Avoidance Crafting?

    JAN 28

    Are you Avoidance Crafting?

    Why do resolutions wobble just when we think they should be working? This episode explores avoidance crafting, impatience, burnout, and how goals, habits, and mental distance shape real progress especially in January. In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila explores the intricacies of human behavior, particularly focusing on the themes of resolutions, goals, and habits. She discusses the common pitfalls of New Year's resolutions, the importance of understanding the difference between resolutions and goals, and how habits play a crucial role in achieving these goals. Leila also delves into the impact of social comparison on our progress and introduces the concept of mental distance as a strategy to combat burnout and maintain motivation. The episode emphasizes the importance of community support and self-compassion in the journey towards personal development. takeaways January often feels like the longest month of the year.Resolutions are declarations linked to identity and values.Goals provide structure and direction for achieving resolutions.Habits require time to show their impact and rewards.Impatience can lead to negative feelings about progress.Social comparison can intensify feelings of uncertainty.Mental distance can protect against burnout.Avoidance crafting can be a strategic approach to stress.Community support can enhance motivation and accountability.Self-compassion is crucial in the goal-setting process. Leila's Research Services. From fast-turnaround, tailored insight report for freelancers, founders, and thoughtful doers who want evidence-backed answers, to retained services to support your PR messaging as you launchYou bring the questions and curiosity, I bring back a bespoke, research-informed insights packed with plain-language psychology, strategic prompts, and deep, usable clarity. It’s not theory for theory’s sake. It’s practical insight you can apply immediately.head to www.leilaainge.co.uk

    18 min
  4. Sustainable Goals in an Unsustainable World

    JAN 23

    Sustainable Goals in an Unsustainable World

    Why do goals that feel exciting at first suddenly become exhausting even when we care deeply about them? In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I explore why goals often become unsustainable not because of a lack of motivation or discipline, but because they’re designed for ideal conditions rather than real life. Drawing on psychology, environmental thinking, and embodied cognition, we look at how our physical and emotional environments quietly shape what we’re able to sustain long before willpower ever comes into play. You’ll be introduced to the concept of solastalgia, a term that describes the distress we feel when the places we call home change in ways that feel out of our control. Originally coined by environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht, solastalgia helps us put language to a sense of discomfort many of us feel right now — at home, at work, and in the wider world. We also explore: Why goal-setting advice often assumes a resource-neutral worldHow embodied cognition explains the link between clutter, noise, uncertainty and mental fatigueWhy living in a brittle, anxious, non-linear environment (often described as BANI or VUCA) quietly drains our capacityHow Conservation of Resources theory reframes burnout, confidence loss, and stalled momentumWhy sustainability isn’t the opposite of ambition — it’s the condition that allows momentum to exist Rather than asking “How much more can I push?”, this episode invites a different question: What can my current environment realistically support without depletion? You’ll leave with two practical reflections to help you: Name your real working environment (without minimising it)Redesign your goals so they create more resources than they consume This episode is especially relevant if you’re: Feeling stuck or depleted despite caring about your goalsParenting, creating, caregiving, coaching, or leading in uncertain conditionsQuestioning whether the problem is you — or the system you’re operating within Find out more about booking me as a researcher for hire at www.leilaainge.co.uk

    20 min
  5. BONUS - Goal Derailment

    JAN 9 · BONUS

    BONUS - Goal Derailment

    Bonus Episode

    20 min

  6. 12/31/2025

    48. Lights, Camera… Courage: Dany’s Arctic Documentary Journey

    In this deeply honest and energising episode of Psychologically Speaking, Dany Johnston — data & AI consultant, documentary filmmaker, and PhD researcher — shares her most ambitious and vulnerable goal yet: to create and release a new documentary filmed during a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to the Arctic Circle. Dany’s story is one of dual passions: 25 years in business transformation and data, and a lifelong pull toward storytelling, creativity, and human rights. Her PhD bridges those worlds, exploring how data harvesting and AI shape the human rights landscape — and how documentary can help everyday people join conversations that usually happen behind closed doors. But 2026 isn’t about theory. It’s about exposure. The kind she’s avoided for years. Dany openly shares her “abject fear of judgment,” the reason projects from New York still sit on a hard drive, and why this year must be different. Her measure of success? Not just making a film — but submitting it to the festival circuit.

    39 min
  7. 47. The Cupboard Under the Stairs: Emma’s Year of Coherence

    12/30/2025

    47. The Cupboard Under the Stairs: Emma’s Year of Coherence

    In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Emma returns to share her 2026 goal — and it’s one that will resonate with anyone whose business has grown faster than their systems. Emma describes the year ahead as a “cupboard under the stairs” moment — the kind of messy-but-essential reorganisation that requires everything to come out before the clarity goes back in. We talk about the three strands of her work (Managing the Menopause, The Triple Shift coaching practice, and Holding Up the Sky) and the emotional labour of running a multi-offer business while supporting women in some of life’s most demanding seasons. Why her goal isn’t just tidying — it’s coherence, identity, and focusHer habit of “shiny object syndrome” and the insecurity that sometimes sits beneath itHow under the surface, the real 2026 goal is growing her corporate coaching practiceThe tension between doing what feels easy (reorganising) vs what moves the business forwards (sales & outreach)Why a focus group may be the missing piece in her coherence puzzle Emma shares the three actions she’ll take by the end of January This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about visibility, intentionality, and the very human temptation to do the parts of business that feel soothing instead of the ones that feel stretching. If you’re navigating growth, clarity, or identity shifts in your business, this one will feel like a cup of tea, a deep exhale, and a nudge forward.

    37 min
  8. 46. Creative Confidence: The Goal That Strengthens Self-Worth with Bhavini Lakhani

    12/18/2025

    46. Creative Confidence: The Goal That Strengthens Self-Worth with Bhavini Lakhani

    A conversation about creative confidence, goal setting, and how sharing your work builds self-worth. Designer Bhavini joins Leila to explore fear, visibility, and growth. In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, Leila Ainge sits down with creative designer Bhavini (B81 Designs) to explore the psychology behind creative confidence, self-worth, and setting goals that stretch you. Bhavini shares the now-iconic story of her childhood Peter Rabbit — the rainbow-drenched sculpture her mum repainted white — and how that moment shaped her creative identity decades later. It becomes a powerful metaphor for self-expression, suppression, and the courage to show the work you’re proud of. 💡 What’s inside this episodeHow childhood experiences quietly shape creative identityWhy sharing your work feels terrifying — even when clients love itThe difference between confidence, self-esteem, and self-worthHow fear of rejection stops creatives from posting their workThe “imagined audience” and why visibility feels riskyPractical strategies for building a habit of sharingWhy accountability, community, and collaboration matterHow one difficult client situation derailed Bhavini’s motivation The value of starting a goal that’s really about self-worth, not perfection 🎯 Bhavini’s 2026 GoalTo share more of her design work online ,consistently, visibly, and beyond her comfort zone , and to build self-worth by doing the thing she’s been avoiding. With tools like the Rejection Challenge, a bingo card of self-sabotage phrases, and reframing portfolio updates as self-worth time, the episode shows what it looks like to set a goal that genuinely grows you. 🧠 Why this episode mattersIf you’ve ever hesitated to show your work, doubted your abilities, or worried about being judged online, this conversation will land deeply. It’s about identity, self-expression, and the quieter psychology behind creative careers. 🔗 MentionedB81 Designs (Bhavini)Doing It For the Kids CommunityBeing FreelanceLiz Mosley & The Rejection ChallengeHannah Isted 🚀 Join the 2026 Goal SprintWant your own ambitious, exciting 2026 goal — the kind that assumes you can grow from day one? Join Leila’s 60-minute live Goal Sprint. www.leilaainge.co.uk/goalsprint

    39 min
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A psychologist's insight into the fascinating world of human behaviour without the jargon, with Psychologist & coach, Leila Ainge. Blending scientific research with real experiences, Leila is on a mission to reframe outdated notions of imposter syndrome. Psychologically Speaking delves into Leila's own ground-breaking research, exploring what drives those pesky fraudulent feelings in entrepreneurs, the unexpected advantages, and how you can actually leverage imposter moments to your benefit (yes, really). This podcast is for anyone who has ever felt like a fraud, just moments away from being 'found out'. This podcast is produced by Decibelle Creative

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