Put it in a bubble

Marilyn Barker
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Mental Health

Put it in a Bubble is more than a podcast, it’s a reminder that you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Each week, host Marilyn Barker shares stories, practical tools, and mindful strategies to help you release stress, reset your mind, and create space for what truly matters. Life today is noisy and overwhelming. Between work deadlines, family responsibilities, and the endless scroll of news and social media, it can feel impossible to find Focus. That’s where the “bubble” comes in: a simple but powerful practice of gathering up negativity, worry, or fear, and letting it drift away. Every episode offers encouragement, relatable insights, and easy-to-use techniques you can apply in everyday moments, whether it’s calming anxiety before bed, finding balance after a tough day, or learning to say no to what drains your energy. If you’re ready to let go of stress, discover practical ways to find calm, and embrace a more intentional life, this podcast is for you. Together, we’ll build a community that chooses calm and focus over chaos, one bubble at a time.

  1. 2d ago

    Asking For Help Without Feeling Like a Burden

    How many times have we needed help and stayed quiet instead because asking felt like too much? In this episode Marilyn gets honest about why so many of us would rather struggle alone than risk being seen as needy, weak, or a burden to the people we love. This is a conversation about where that belief comes from, what it actually costs us emotionally and even in our work and business lives, and why asking for help is one of the bravest and most self-aware things we can do. Because the people who truly love us want the chance to show up for us the same way we show up for them. This episode is a gentle reminder that we were never meant to carry everything alone. And letting people in is not an imposition. It is a gift. In this episode: Why so many of us equate independence with strength and needing help with failureWhat happens when we suffer in silence instead of reaching outHow struggling to delegate or ask for support in business can lead to burnoutWhy the people who love us want to be trusted enough to show up for usHow to use the bubble method when the fear of being a burden feels overwhelmingFive gentle ways to start practicing asking for help This week's takeaway: Needing support does not make us a burden. It makes us human. The people who truly love us want the chance to show up for us the same way we show up for them. Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com Hashtags: #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #AskForHelp #YouAreNotABurden #MindsetShift #MentalWellness #VulnerabilityIsBrave #PersonalGrowth #LetPeopleIn #SelfAwareness #GrowthMindset #EmotionalHealth #YouAreNotAlone #StrengthInAskingForHelp #BlowItAway

    15 min

  2. Jun 17

    When You Do Not Recognize Yourself Anymore

    Have you ever looked up in the middle of your everyday life and felt like a stranger to yourself? Not because of one dramatic moment but because of a slow quiet drift that happened so gradually you did not even notice until you were already far from shore. In this episode Marilyn opens up an honest conversation about what it actually looks like to lose yourself. Whether it happened through chasing goals that were never really yours, pushing through a long hard season, or spending time in work and relationships that did not align with your values, the drift is real. And so is the way back. This episode is not about shame or starting over. It is about recognition, compassion, and taking one small step back toward the person you have always been underneath everything else. In this episode: Why we lose ourselves gradually not all at once and why that makes it so hard to noticeWhat happens when we chase goals that were never really ours to begin withHow stress and burnout quietly pull us away from the things that make us feel like ourselvesWhy misalignment in our work and business life bleeds into everything elseHow to use the bubble method to release the pressure of who everyone else expects us to beFive gentle ways to start finding your way back to yourself This week's takeaway: Ask yourself one honest question. Who am I when nobody is watching and nothing is expected of me? That answer is your compass. And no matter how far you have drifted it has been there all along waiting for you to come back to it. Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com Hashtags: #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #FindYourself #YouAreNotLost #MindsetShift #LiveInAlignment #PersonalGrowth #MentalWellness #ComingBackToYourself #LetItGo #SelfDiscovery #GrowthMindset #EmotionalHealth #TrueToYourself #BePatientWithYourself

    16 min

  3. Jun 10

    Saying No Is Not Mean

    How many times have we said yes when every part of us was screaming no? Not because we wanted to but because saying no felt mean, selfish, or just too hard. In this episode Marilyn gets honest about her own experience with saying yes to everything, the burnout it created, and the moment she realized that saying yes to the wrong things was actually doing everyone a disservice including herself. This episode is a real and honest conversation about why saying no is not mean. It is actually one of the most responsible and respectful things we can do. For ourselves, for the people we love, and for the opportunities and clients that deserve our very best. Because saying no to the things that do not fit is exactly how we make room for the things that do. In this episode: Why so many of us struggle to say no and where that guilt actually comes fromHow saying yes to the wrong things in business costs everyone involved not just usWhy our loved ones deserve our real presence not our exhausted obligatory oneThe power of not right now as a kind and honest alternative to yesHow to use the bubble method when the guilt of saying no feels overwhelmingFive practical tools for saying no with confidence and without apology This week's takeaway: Before saying yes ask yourself one honest question. Can I show up fully for this? If the answer is no then no is a complete sentence. And not right now is a kind and honest one. Saying no to the wrong things is how we protect our best yes. Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #SayingNo #Boundaries #BurnoutRecovery #YouAreAllowed #MindsetShift #MentalWellness #SelfRespect #PersonalGrowth #NotRightNow #ProtectYourEnergy #EmotionalHealth #ShowUpFully #GrowthMindset

    15 min

  4. Jun 3

    When You Are Tired of Your Own Thoughts

    Have you ever felt exhausted not by what is happening around you but by what is happening inside your own head? Those thoughts that just keep running no matter how many times you try to push them away. The ones that follow you through your day, keep you up at night, and leave you worn out in a way that is hard to explain. In this episode Marilyn gets honest about what it feels like to get stuck in a mental loop and why our brains do this in the first place. Because understanding why it happens is the first step to interrupting it. Through two relatable examples and five practical tools Marilyn walks us through how to start creating a little distance between ourselves and the thoughts that will not quit. This episode is not about silencing our minds. It is about learning that we do not have to follow every thought down the rabbit hole. In this episode: Why getting stuck in mental loops is not a character flaw, it is just how our brain worksThe worry loop, replaying situations we cannot control over and overThe self-criticism loop, beating ourselves up for something we cannot changeWhy fighting our thoughts often makes them strongerHow to use the bubble method when the loop feels impossible to stopFive simple and practical tools for interrupting the loop when it starts This week's takeaway: The next time we notice a loop starting, just name it. Say to yourself, there is that thought again. That one simple act of noticing creates just enough distance to give us a choice about what we do next. If you are struggling: You are not alone and you do not have to face this by yourself. If you are in crisis or feeling unsafe, please reach out for help right away. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 anytime day or night. Free confidential support is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #MentalLoops #TiredOfYourOwnThoughts #YouAreNotAlone #MindsetShift #AnxietySupport #MentalWellness #BreakTheCycle #LetItGo #SelfCompassion #GrowthMindset #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalHealth #BlowItAway

    16 min

  5. May 27

    When We Lose Someone We Love

    Losing someone we love is one of the hardest things we will ever go through. And yet so often we find ourselves surrounded by well-meaning words that though they come from a good place do not always make our hearts hurt less. In this episode Marilyn gets personal about a recent loss and opens up an honest conversation about grief, resilience, and what it really means to honor the people we have lost. This episode is not about moving on. It is about moving forward. With them still in our hearts, their stories still on our lips, and their legacy still alive in the way we choose to live every single day. Whether you are in the middle of grief right now or you are carrying a loss from years ago that still visits you sometimes, this episode meets us right where we are. No timeline. No right way. Just an honest conversation about love, loss, and the courage it takes to keep going. In this episode: Why the things people say to comfort us do not always make the pain smaller and why that is okay to acknowledgeHow loss hits each of us differently and why there is no right way to grieveWhy staying silent about the people, we have lost is a disservice to them and to usWhat resilience after loss actually looks likeHow honoring their legacy and building our own go hand in handHow to use the bubble method in the overwhelming moments of griefFive practical coping tools for carrying loss a little more gently This week's takeaway: Do not stop thinking about them. Do not stop talking about them. And do not stop living your best life. Because living fully is the greatest tribute we can give to the people we have loved and lost. If you are struggling Grief can be heavy and you do not have to carry it alone. Please reach out to someone you trust. And if you are in crisis or feeling unsafe please reach out for help right away. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 anytime day or night. Free confidential support is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com In Loving Memory of Martha Ann Brown 1939-2026 #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #Grief #GriefSupport #YouAreNotAlone #HonorTheirLegacy #Resilience #KeepGoingKeepGrowing #LossAndLove #MentalWellness #TalkAboutThem #HealingJourney #LiveYourBestLife #TheirLegacyLivesOn #988

    20 min

  6. May 20

    One Small Shift

    Have you ever felt like real change was out of reach because you did not know where to start or everything just felt too overwhelming to tackle? In this episode Marilyn talks about why we do not need a big dramatic overhaul to start moving forward. We just need one small shift. Through personal experience and real life examples Marilyn walks us through why trying to change everything at once is one of the biggest reasons we give up, and how one small quiet change done consistently can make a bigger difference than we ever expected. This episode is a reminder that progress does not always look like progress while it is happening, and that is okay. Whether we are navigating a hard relationship, pushing through a tough emotional season, or just trying to break a negative pattern, this episode meets us right where we are and gives us something real and simple to hold onto. In this episode: Why trying to change everything at once sets us up to quitHow one small shift in a relationship can change the whole dynamicWhat consistent small changes look like during a hard emotional seasonWhy we need to stop keeping score on ourselvesHow to use the bubble method when the pressure to fix everything feels like too muchA simple practical exercise we can start using this week This week's small shift: When we feel ourselves going negative, stop, breathe, count to ten, and find one positive thing to focus on. Simple, immediate, and it works. If you are struggling: You are not alone and you do not have to face this by yourself. If you are in crisis or feeling unsafe please reach out for help right away. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 anytime day or night. Free confidential support is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #OneSmallShift #MindsetShift #PersonalGrowth #YouAreNotAlone #MentalWellness #SelfCare #ProgressNotPerfection #LetItGo #EmotionalHealth #SmallStepsBigChange #GrowthMindset #BePatientWithYourself #BlowItAway

    17 min

  7. May 13

    The Weight Nobody Sees

    Have you ever felt exhausted in a way that you just cannot explain? Like you are holding everything together on the outside but quietly falling apart on the inside? In this episode Marilyn gets real about the invisible weight so many of us carry every single day, the kind that does not show up on your face or in your words but is very real just the same. Through honest personal reflection and relatable examples, Marilyn walks through what this invisible weight actually looks like, why we keep carrying it alone, and how to start giving yourself a little breathing room even when the weight does not go away completely. She also shares five simple coping tools you can reach for on the hard days, because sometimes you just need something practical to hold onto. This is not an episode about having it all figured out. It is an episode for anyone who is tired of pretending they are okay when they are not. And it is a reminder that you do not have to keep carrying it alone. In this episode: What the invisible weight actually feels like from the insideTwo real life examples of how this shows up for different peopleWhy we hide our struggles even when the weight is too heavy to carry aloneHow to use the bubble method when the weight feels overwhelmingFive simple coping tools for hard days including journaling, meditation, breathing, the bubble method, and grounding If you are struggling: You are not alone and you do not have to face this by yourself. If you are in crisis or feeling unsafe please reach out for help right away. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 anytime, day or night. Free, confidential support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #InvisibleStruggle #YouAreNotAlone #MentalWellness #CopingSkills #AnxietySupport #DepressionAwareness #PersonalGrowth #MindsetShift #SelfCare #LetItGo #GrowthMindset #EmotionalHealth #988

    18 min

  8. May 6

    You Know Better. So Why Is It Still Hard?

    Have you ever had a gut feeling about something, ignored it, and then watched it play out exactly the way you feared? You are not alone. In this episode, Marilyn gets real about the gap between what we know and what we actually do, and why that gap does not make you broken or weak. It just makes you human. Through personal stories and real-life examples, Marilyn walks through why we override our own instincts, what it costs us when we do, and how to start rebuilding trust with yourself one moment at a time. If you have ever beaten yourself up for not listening to what you already knew, this episode is for you. This is Season 4 of Put It in a Bubble, and we are going deeper this season. Not just talking about mindset, but what it actually looks like to live it out every single day. In this episode: Why knowing better does not always mean doing betterThe real reason our brain overrides our gutPersonal stories that show how this shows up in everyday lifeHow to use the bubble method in that critical moment of decisionWhy beating yourself up is not the answer, and what to do instead Connect with Marilyn: www.MarilynBarker.com Hashtags: #PutItInABubble #MentalHealth #TrustYourGut #MindsetShift #SelfAwareness #YouKnowBetter #MentalWellness #LetItGo #PersonalGrowth #PodcastCommunity #BlowItAway #MindOverMatter #SelfTrust #EmotionalHealth #GrowthMindset

    14 min
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About

Put it in a Bubble is more than a podcast, it’s a reminder that you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Each week, host Marilyn Barker shares stories, practical tools, and mindful strategies to help you release stress, reset your mind, and create space for what truly matters. Life today is noisy and overwhelming. Between work deadlines, family responsibilities, and the endless scroll of news and social media, it can feel impossible to find Focus. That’s where the “bubble” comes in: a simple but powerful practice of gathering up negativity, worry, or fear, and letting it drift away. Every episode offers encouragement, relatable insights, and easy-to-use techniques you can apply in everyday moments, whether it’s calming anxiety before bed, finding balance after a tough day, or learning to say no to what drains your energy. If you’re ready to let go of stress, discover practical ways to find calm, and embrace a more intentional life, this podcast is for you. Together, we’ll build a community that chooses calm and focus over chaos, one bubble at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Marilyn Barker
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Marilyn Barker
  • Show Website
    Put it in a bubble