Beneath the Surface

Shannon Beer
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • WEEKLY SERIES

What if the pressure to 'be better' is the very thing holding you back? On Beneath the Surface, we challenge the myth that self-compassion means lowering the bar — and show you how caring more, not less, is the secret to becoming the person you want to be.Hosted by Shannon, registered nutritionist studying a diploma in Compassion Focused Therapy, this podcast is your space for honest conversations about self-worth, emotional eating, body image, and doing meaningful work without burning out. Whether you’re a coach, creative, or self-critical high-achiever, you’ll learn how to quiet your inner critic, commit with care, and finally feel like you're living a life that reflects your real values — not your fears.Because the highest standard isn’t perfection. It’s treating yourself like someone who matters.New episodes every week.

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  1. Reframing self sabotage

    EPISODE 1

    Reframing self sabotage

    Welcome to season 3 of my newly renamed podcast Beneath the Surface. In this episode I explore safety strategies — the hidden drivers behind behaviours like emotional eating, procrastination, overworking, doom scrolling, and people-pleasing. I explain the science behind these behaviours, and why, when our threat system is activated it is harder to access logical thinking and choose differently. I also introduce the soothe system and the idea of developing a “steady self” — an observing part of the mind that helps you respond to these patterns with awareness rather than being driven by them. Timestamps: 00:00 – Season 3 introduction 00:38 – What safety strategies are 01:45 – Why all behaviors serve a function 02:35 – The brain’s threat system 03:45 – Amygdala, stress hormones & reactivity 05:20 – Why change feels hard in the moment 06:10 – The soothe system 07:10 – Why soothing can feel difficult 08:00 – Developing the “steady self” 09:00 – Understanding emotional parts 09:40 – Reflecting on your safety patterns 10:27 – Wrap up More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    11 min
  2. Working through performance anxiety

    EPISODE 2

    Working through performance anxiety

    I’m kicking off the self-sabotage series of Beneath the Surface with a real-time example of how I worked through performance anxiety before running my first ever half marathon. In this episode, I walk through the exact tools I used, including an approach from Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), reframing perfectionist thinking, and the self-talk that helped me stay focused during the race. If you’ve ever felt pressure around a goal you really care about, this episode will help you hold high standards without letting anxiety sabotage you. Timestamps: 00:00 – Performance anxiety before my first half marathon 02:30 – The hidden belief driving the pressure 04:15 – Reframing goals: preference vs demand 06:00 – Perfectionism, social pressure, and self-compassion 08:30 – Returning to the why 10:00 – Self-talk and mindset during the race 12:15 – A question to reflect on for your own goals More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    14 min
  3. It's not resistance, it's fear

    EPISODE 3

    It's not resistance, it's fear

    In this episode of Beneath the Surface I challenge the common coaching assumption that struggling to follow through automatically means “resistance” and I introduce a clearer framework of blocks, resistance, and fears.  With rest (or lack of it) as an example, I unpack how understanding the root cause of our limitations can help us to shift our mentality and be more compassionate towards ourselves. Timestamps:  00:25 – Why “resistance” is oversimplified 01:30 – Blocks: external limits on rest 03:20 - Resistance: not seeing the benefit of rest 04:55 - Fears: knowing it helps but still can’t rest 07:55 - Compassion, courage, and origins of overworking/rest guilt More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    9 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    Why do I always blame myself? Unpacking self blame

    Have you ever caught yourself thinking "I should be able to do this, why can't I just get it together?" In this episode, I'm unpacking self-blame: where it comes from, why we developed it, and how to take responsibility for our lives without turning on ourselves.   💬 If you'd like deeper, more long-term support working through these patterns I'd love to hear from you. Submit a coaching inquiry via the link below. 🔗 Coaching   ---   Timestamps: 00:00 – The inner critic's greatest hits — and why they're keeping you stuck 01:15 – What self-blame actually is, and when it can be constructive vs. destructive 02:30 – Why self-blame developed as a learned safety strategy 04:20 – How blaming yourself protects you from anger, sadness, and feelings of helplessness 06:00 – My real-life illustration of self-blame vs. responsibility in action 08:45 – The crucial difference between fault and responsibility — and why it changes everything 09:50 – Practical steps to begin noticing your self-blame patterns 10:40 – The fear beneath the pattern and why that's where your compassion needs to go   ---   Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it. More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    12 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    Emotional regulation vs integration

    If you've tried breathing techniques, journaling, or urge surfing and the emotions just keep coming back — this episode is for you. I'm breaking down the difference between managing emotions in the moment and actually changing how you feel long-term, and why that distinction could be the missing piece in your progress. Key takeaway: Emotion regulation helps you cope in the moment. Emotion integration is what actually changes your emotional landscape over time, and it works by finding and building tolerance for the emotion you've been avoiding, not the one that's loudest. 💬 Ready to go beyond the in-the-moment tools and work on the deeper patterns? Submit a coaching inquiry through the link below, I'd love to support you through this process. 🔗 Coaching --- Timestamps: 00:00 – Why your go-to coping tools might only be scratching the surface 00:55 – How I define emotion regulation 02:00 – When emotion regulation *is* useful 02:50 – What emotion integration actually means 03:45 – A deep dive example: social anxiety, and the hidden emotion that's actually driving it 05:20 – Why blocked anger can show up as anxiety — and what healthy anger is really there to do 06:30 – What this looks like in practice 07:45 – My personal experience getting in touch with my own anger, and why it changed everything 08:40 – The Steady Mind: why we build this first before turning towards difficult emotions 09:20 – Two questions to get you started on your own emotion integration journey --- Found this helpful? Share it with someone who might need to hear it, and leave a review to help more people find the show. More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    14 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    Emotional reasoning in business

    When your coaching business isn't where you want it to be, it's tempting to overhaul your website, revisit your ideal client, or build out new resources. But what if those urges are being driven by emotion rather than evidence? In this episode, I'm breaking down emotional reasoning in business — what it is, how to spot it, and how to make clearer, steadier decisions that actually move things forward.   Key takeaway: When business feels stuck, the instinct is to fix something visible. But often what needs addressing first is what's happening underneath. Data gives you an objective reference point; emotional awareness stops you wasting time solving the wrong problem.   💬 Want support working through the emotions that are getting in the way of running your business with clarity? Submit a coaching inquiry via this link 🔗 Coaching   ---   Timestamps: 00:00 – Why emotional reasoning is one of the biggest things holding coaches back 01:10 – What emotional reasoning is, and how it shows up in business 02:50 – The confidence myth in coaching — why doubt is normal, and what to address instead 03:00 – Helpful vs. fear-driven motives 04:00 – Trigger #1: Comparison 05:10 – Trigger #2: Making decisions from a place of uncertainty 07:20 – Trigger #3: Endlessly refining 08:15 – How to use data as an objective anchor when emotions are driving your decisions 09:20 – The one question to ask first when your coaching isn't selling 10:00 – Separating the emotional work from the practical next steps   ---   Enjoying Beneath the Surface? Leave a review and share the episode with a fellow coach who needs to hear this. More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    11 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    Intellectualising instead of feeling

    If you're someone who loves to understand the why behind everything — the science, the patterns, the theory — this episode is for you. Intellectualizing can be a genuine strength, but it can also become the very thing that keeps you stuck. I'm unpacking how to spot when you're explaining instead of feeling, and what to do about it.   Key takeaway: Understanding is the beginning of the process, not the destination. At some point, the work stops being about learning more and starts being about being willing to feel more. If you've learned a lot and still feel stuck, you're not doing it wrong, you're simply ready for the next level.   💬 If you're ready to start integrating what you know and building up those lagging emotional muscle groups, I'd love to support you. Submit a coaching inquiry via this link 🔗 Coaching   ---   Timestamps: 00:00 - What is intellectualisation? 02:20 - Why intellectualising develops in the first place 03:15 - The crucial difference between understanding something and actually doing something 04:00 - Where in your life are you explaining instead of feeling? 05:00 - The social dimension: why our culture prizes intellect over emotion 05:50 - What it actually looks like to interrupt the pattern 06:30 - Three questions to catch intellectualizing in the moment 07:30 - A practical body-based practice: describing sensations instead of explaining feelings 08:30 - Compassionate colour and other tools for sitting with discomfort rather than thinking your way out of it 10:40 - Putting these techniques into practice 11:15 - The shift from knowing more to being willing to feel more   --- Enjoying Beneath the Surface? Leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear this. More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    12 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    Removing triggers vs building strength

    Are you removing triggers or actually building strength? In this episode I'm unpacking experiential avoidance: why we avoid uncomfortable emotions and experiences, why it feels so justified in the moment, and why it quietly keeps us stuck in the long run.   Key takeaway: Avoidance offers short-term relief but long-term stagnation. Every time you approach something you've been avoiding, you prove to yourself that you have the capacity to handle it and that is how self-assurance is actually built.   💬 Ready to start building the strengths you need to approach what you've been avoiding? Submit a coaching inquiry via this link 🔗 Coaching   ---   Timestamps: 00:00 - What is experiential avoidance? 00:55 - Why removing a trigger isn't the same as building a strength 02:30 - When removing triggers is actually okay, and the compassionate motive that makes the difference 03:45 - Why losing weight to build confidence is fragile 04:15 - The benefits we unknowingly give up when we avoid certain triggers 06:50 - How experiential avoidance showed up in my own life 07:55 - The risk log: a weekly practice from functional analytic psychotherapy that changed things for me 09:00 - Why things might get harder before they get easier when you start being more assertive 09:40 - How approaching what you've been avoiding actually builds self-assurance over time 10:00 - A question to sit with this week   ---   Enjoying Beneath the Surface? Leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear this. More Resources: Grab the free mini-course: Emotion Systems Audit – Download hereConnect with Shannon on Instagram: @coachshannonbeerLearn more about compassion coaching: get the details here

    11 min
See All Season 3 (8)

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About

What if the pressure to 'be better' is the very thing holding you back? On Beneath the Surface, we challenge the myth that self-compassion means lowering the bar — and show you how caring more, not less, is the secret to becoming the person you want to be.Hosted by Shannon, registered nutritionist studying a diploma in Compassion Focused Therapy, this podcast is your space for honest conversations about self-worth, emotional eating, body image, and doing meaningful work without burning out. Whether you’re a coach, creative, or self-critical high-achiever, you’ll learn how to quiet your inner critic, commit with care, and finally feel like you're living a life that reflects your real values — not your fears.Because the highest standard isn’t perfection. It’s treating yourself like someone who matters.New episodes every week.

Information

  • Creator
    Shannon Beer
  • Episodes
    40
  • Seasons
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Compassion Driven Coaching All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Beneath the Surface

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