Humaning with Rick Watson | Breaking Repeating Patterns, Burnout and Feeling Stuck

Rick Watson
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  • MENTAL HEALTH

Do you keep burning out, people pleasing, or repeating patterns you can't break? Do you feel stuck or disconnected - even when life looks fine from the outside? Humaning is a podcast about the real, messy, human stuff most of us feel but rarely say out loud. Topics include self-worth, burnout, anxiety, perfectionism, anger, emotional shutdown and repeating patterns. No tidy answers. Just real humans figuring this out together - because we are more alike than different. If you've ever Googled "why do I feel stuck" at 11pm, this show is for you.

  1. #45: Why is slowing down so hard?

    APR 27

    #45: Why is slowing down so hard?

    Most of us know we need to slow down, we feel it and yet something keeps us moving anyway. This episode is an honest look at what's actually behind that. Not a list of tips or a lecture about self care. Just bite-sized conversation about why staying busy can feel so much safer than stopping and what might be quietly sitting underneath it. Rick shares a story from a client who came in burnt out and overwhelmed and another from his own weekend where he caught himself doing the same thing. What came up in both wasn't about workload, it was about fear and about what we've learned to do with it. If you've ever felt guilty for resting or found it hard to just be without doing anything, this one is worth a listen. In this episode, we explore... The stories behind the busynessThe potential fear underneathThe feeling being avoidedA different way of looking at itSome questions worth sitting withA practical experiment to exploreThis is new format of bite-sized podcasts that explores one simple questions in each episode. If this one landed for you, share it with someone who might need to hear it and follow along to make sure you don't miss future episodes like this one. To explore working with Rick: https://www.rickwatson.com.au/explore To hang out on socials: https://www.instagram.com/rickwatson_/

    14 min

  2. APR 7

    #44: Why being human is your most important skill right now

    In a world shaped by social media addiction, rapidly advancing AI and growing economic uncertainty, staying genuinely connected to yourself has never been harder (or more important). In this solo episode, Rick gets honest about the forces pulling us away from our own humanness: the addictive design of short-form content and infinite scroll, the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, and the way uncertainty and anxiety turn up the volume on our oldest emotional patterns. He also gets personal - sharing how building a social media presence this year made him confront his own role in the distraction economy, and why he's asking big questions about the future of human connection, therapy, and meaningful work in the age of AI. This isn't a doomsday episode. It's a nudge toward self-awareness and a reminder that emotional intelligence and knowing yourself might be the most important personal growth work you can do right now. What I cover in this episode: Why the current moment — AI, social media addiction, financial pressure, and uncertainty anxiety — is making genuine self-connection and human connection harder than ever.The distraction economy and how short-form content and infinite scroll are designed to keep you scrolling and disconnected from yourself.Rick's honest admission: how building a social media presence this year made him complicit in the very thing he's critiquing.AI vs human wisdom: why getting an answer from ChatGPT or Claude isn't the same as developing your own emotional intelligence and critical thinking.Why uncertainty doesn't create new patterns - it just turns up the intensity of your existing relational and behavioural patterns.The self-awareness practice that gives you back a sense of control when everything else feels uncertain.A simple mindfulness experiment to try this week"In a world full of uncertainty, I can have some certainty around how I show up — and that's why being human is the most important skill you can have right now." Try this after listening:Over the next few days, just notice...when do you reach for your phone? When do you outsource a question to AI instead of sitting with it? No judgment, just awareness. That's your starting point. Connect with Rick Instagram

    37 min
  3. #43: Escaping the "not enough" trap with Jack Chivers

    FEB 16

    #43: Escaping the "not enough" trap with Jack Chivers

    Most of us don’t realise how much of our life is built around one quiet belief: “I’m not enough.” In this conversation with Jack Chivers, we unpack the performer pattern - the part of us that learned to earn love, approval and belonging through being impressive, capable or strong. For a while, that strategy works. It builds careers, it builds reputations and it even builds identity. But over time it can also lead to burnout, resentment and relationships built on unsustainable foundations. We explore: Why performing can feel safer than being How burnout can be a signal not a weakness The link between anger in the body and unspoken pressure The core belief sitting underneath many of our patterns And what changes when we replace self-attack with “that makes sense” This isn’t about becoming a better version of yourself. It’s about noticing the ways you learned to survive… and gently stepping out of the trap of proving your worth. If you’ve ever felt like your value depends on how well you perform, this one’s for you. Jack's website and instagram Rick website and instagram

    1h 12m
  4. #42: Humans need humans, not optimisation with Katia Erokhina

    FEB 2

    #42: Humans need humans, not optimisation with Katia Erokhina

    What if being human isn’t something to fix, refine or optimise? In this conversation, Rick sits down with Gestalt psychotherapist Katia Erokhina for a real-time, unscripted exploration of what actually helps us change and what quietly gets in the way. Together, they talk about withdrawal and conflict, shame and self-criticism, the stories we tell ourselves and how often those stories pull us away from what’s actually alive in the moment. They explore why insight alone doesn’t always create change and why corrective experiences almost always involve another human. This episode isn’t about tools or hacks. It’s about contact, tenderness and learning to stay with ourselves (and each other) when things get messy. In this episode, we explore: Why optimisation culture misses something essential about being human The difference between story and lived experience Withdrawal, conflict and the protection underneath our patterns Shame, comparison and “shaming the shame” Why awareness doesn’t always lead to change on its own The role of relationship and support in real transformation Letting go of being “better” and staying with what’s tender If you’re tired of turning your inner world into a self-improvement project, this conversation is an invitation to slow down and remember: humans need humans. Find Katia:Website: https://relationalhome.com Instagram: @relational_home Find Rick:Website: https://www.rickwatson.com.au⁠ Instagram: @rickwatson_

    1h 3m
  5. #41: Are you willing to be uncertain in 2026?

    JAN 27

    #41: Are you willing to be uncertain in 2026?

    In this solo episode of Humaning, Rick kicks off 2026 with an honest check-in after a technology-free camping break. He reflects on the tension between control and uncertainty, why our repeating patterns make so much sense and how real change often begins with acceptance rather than self-rejection. Drawing on personal experience, client work and men’s circle reflections, Rick explores what happens when we loosen the grip on certainty and take small, imperfect steps in a new direction. This episode is an invitation to experiment, gather data and be a little more willing to be uncertain this year— just to see what unfolds. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickwatson_/ Website: https://www.rickwatson.com.au/

    42 min
  6. #40: A look back at the hard, the human and the unexpected of 2025 with Jo Dobson and Rick Watson

    12/10/2025

    #40: A look back at the hard, the human and the unexpected of 2025 with Jo Dobson and Rick Watson

    This episode is a little different. Jo and I sat down on the couch at the end of a massive year - no script, no structure, just two humans reflecting on what 2025 actually felt like. What unfolded was honest, imperfect and surprisingly satisfying. Together we explore: The truth of hitting an end-of-year energy wall Why we skipped recording earlier this week and chose connection over content The “real” version of burnout- the kind that comes from misalignment, not overwork What our podcasts, groups and therapy training taught us about storytelling and connection The quiet gifts this year gave us: imperfection, belonging and resonance The moments, people and conversations that touched us in unexpected ways What we’re dreaming into for next year and what we’re learning to let be If you’re craving a slower, more spacious take on end-of-year reflection, one that isn’t all highlight reels and forced positivity, this might be the episode you listen to on a walk or with a cup of tea. It’s a conversation about being human… thanks for coming along for the ride.

    55 min
  7. #39: Finding what matters most: a plot-twist story of family, identity and resilience with Bec Cortering

    11/19/2025

    #39: Finding what matters most: a plot-twist story of family, identity and resilience with Bec Cortering

    In this episode of Humaning, I sit down with Bec Corterling - a business owner, mum and long-time friend of Jo’s - for a conversation that goes far deeper than clothes, content or running a boutique. We talk about the quiet exhaustion that builds from showing up every day for 12 years, the pressure of being “the strong one” and the loneliness that can sit underneath a life that looks full on the outside. Bec shares the childhood roots of her work ethic, how she’s learning to slow down and what contentment honestly looks like for her now. And then… her story takes a turn. Bec opens up about a recent discovery that completely reshaped her sense of identity and family. It’s vulnerable, courageous and beautifully human. This is a conversation about resilience, belonging and finding what matters most... especially in the middle chapters of life. Connect with Bec on Instagram Connect with Rick on InstagramIf you enjoyed this conversation and would like explore different ways to continue this work - check out Rick's website

    1h 13m
  8. #38: Coming out, speaking up and rocking uncertainty with Bronte Walker

    11/03/2025

    #38: Coming out, speaking up and rocking uncertainty with Bronte Walker

    What happens when you stop rehearsing who you think you should be and start showing up as who you are? In this episode, I sit down with Bronte Walker, a fellow Gestalt therapy student, musician, facilitator and all-round legend to explore what it really takes to find your voice and speak up for who you are - even when it feels risky. Bronte shares his story of coming out, transitioning and learning to trust himself while navigating work, identity and belonging in both New York and Australia. This is a conversation for anyone who’s: tired of overthinking and craving self-trust learning to speak up without burning bridges caught between striving and contentment seeking real connection instead of surface-level talk Themes: uncertainty, identity, courage, Gestalt therapy, self-acceptance, men’s work, presence, self-expression If you’ve ever felt stuck between who you’ve been and who you’re becoming - this one’s for you. Connect with Rick: https://www.rickwatson.com.au/ Rick's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/rickwatson_/

    1h 4m
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About

Do you keep burning out, people pleasing, or repeating patterns you can't break? Do you feel stuck or disconnected - even when life looks fine from the outside? Humaning is a podcast about the real, messy, human stuff most of us feel but rarely say out loud. Topics include self-worth, burnout, anxiety, perfectionism, anger, emotional shutdown and repeating patterns. No tidy answers. Just real humans figuring this out together - because we are more alike than different. If you've ever Googled "why do I feel stuck" at 11pm, this show is for you.

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