Do you know those people who move through life without ever seeming to be in a rush? They have full-time jobs, kids, a house, places to be... and somehow they never seem overwhelmed. As a hot mess myself, it got me thinking: what are they actually doing differently?

I run a planning business and I've spent most of my adult life feeling like I'm running behind. For years I thought the answer was to get more organised, more disciplined, up earlier. But you can have a beautifully organised calendar and still feel completely overwhelmed by everything that's in it. So I looked into the psychology of overwhelm and found 7 habits that calm people share.

This episode is for you if:

• Everyone else seems to have it together and you're constantly chasing your tail
• You tick off every single thing on your to-do list and still finish the day feeling like you achieved nothing
• You're exhausted on the days that, on paper, weren't even that busy
• You're constantly deciding you need a whole new routine, starting Monday
• The silly season is already coming at you like a freight train

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The 7 habits of people who rarely get overwhelmed
• Why we're so wildly optimistic about what fits in a day (it's called the planning fallacy) and how to plan for your actual capacity
• Why you don't need to fill every spare minute, and what "time affluence" has to do with feeling rushed
• Why we've started confusing responsiveness with reliability
• How you can be a good friend, partner, sister or mother without being constantly available
• How a study on checking email three times a day changed how I tackle my inbox (and lowered my stress)
• Why having the time to do something isn't the same as having the capacity for it
• How to build a bare minimum version of your routines
• What a study of 53,000 people found about what time management is really for
• Why just because you could, doesn't mean you should

And tell me: what's your "I'll just quickly..."? (Mine is Kmart. It has never once been quick.)

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What should you listen to next?

Turning 36: 6 Life Lessons + 6 Hacks I Wish I Knew Sooner

Automate Your Life: 7 Things I Never Have To Think About Again

…

Follow Stephing Up

I'm Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that's messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn't go to plan. We'll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.

New episodes drop every Monday morning.

So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we're Stephing Up together.

If today's episode helped, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify is honestly the best thing you can do to help us reach more women.

…

Let's Hang:

Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up

Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_

Steph Pase on YouTube: @stephpase

Shop Planners + Organisation: Steph Pase Planners

Shop Steph's book "Mastering My Messy Life": Penguin Books Australia

Steph's Amazon Storefront: Shop my favourites

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know Australians buy 56 new pieces of clothing every year; so why do we still have nothing to wear? Stylist Alarna Hope on the wardrobe edit, capsule wardrobes and 3 easy outfit formulas.

This is for you if:

• You've got a full wardrobe and still end up in leggings and the same top every single day
• You walk out of fitting rooms feeling worse than when you walked in
• You hate shopping and just want someone to tell you what actually works
• You feel as though you’ve lost yourself

In this episode:

• Why you have nothing to wear: Australians buy 56 new pieces of clothing a year, and the real reason none of it goes together
• How to do a wardrobe edit: a stylist's section-by-section method (start with shoes) so it's not an overwhelming all-day cull
• How to declutter clothes without the guilt: the "tried it but didn't wear it" basket and the sentimental box
• Capsule wardrobe explained: why a capsule is for one part of your life, and doesn't have to be beige
• 3 outfit formulas + what's worth tailoring: two neutrals and a colour, the colour sandwich, hems, sleeves and waists

Related episodes:

• S2E31 Colour Analysis 101: The Cheat Code to My Glow Up (with Colour Lab): find your colour season first, then build your wardrobe around it
• S2E15 The Doable Glow Up: 10 Realistic Changes (No 5am Alarm): where "edit your wardrobe" became rule 1

Find Alarna: www.alarnahope.com.au · Instagram @alarnahope · The Capsule Plan (online course) on her site

Follow Stephing Up 🎧

Subscribe, leave a review, and tell me what you're keeping "just in case".

Let's hang:

• @stephing.up: https://instagram.com/stephing.up
• @stephpase_: https://instagram.com/stephpase_
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@StephPase.
• My book Mastering My Messy Life: Paperback https://amzn.to/4uL4X26 · Audiobook https://amzn.to/3NTTQn5 · Penguin https://www.penguin.com.au/books/mastering-my-messy-life-9781761349256
• Steph Pase Planners: https://www.stephpaseplanners.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I turn 36 today (rude). These are the things I wish I could go back and tell 30-year-old me, 25-year-old me, and especially 16-year-old me. Six lessons that took me years (and some really hard seasons) to learn, and six practical hacks that make my actual day-to-day easier.

This episode is for you if:

• You're saving the nice perfume for a special occasion that never comes
• You said yes to three things this week you didn't want to do
• You feel "behind" because your life isn't sorted by 35 (I still don't know what's for dinner)

In this episode:

• Life lessons I wish I knew sooner: wear the nice thing now, because we're the occasion
• It's never too late: why you have more time than you think (and less time with the people you love)
• People pleasing vs kindness: why one is a choice and the other is a fear response
• Changing careers in your 30s: you're allowed to change your mind and pivot at any time
• ADHD hacks that actually work for me.

…

Follow Stephing Up

I’m Steph Pase, your (somewhat) organised bestie in your ears. This podcast is about growth that’s messy, building a life that actually fits you, and what happens when life doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk mental health, motherhood, business, ADHD and how to stop being such an asshole to yourself.

New episodes drop every Monday morning.
So set your reminder. Pop in your headphones. Because we’re Stephing Up together.

If today's episode helped, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify is honestly the best thing you can do to help us reach more women.

…

Let’s Hang:

The 2027 Planner Collection is now live! My Skincare routine lives in mine. Shop now.

Shop Organisation: Steph Pase Planners

Stephing Up on Instagram: @stephing.up

Steph Pase on Instagram: @stephpase_

Steph Pase on Youtube: @stephpase.

Shop Steph’s book “Mastering my Messy Life”: Penguin Books Australia

Steph’s Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com.au/shop/justanothermummyblog/list/17TTU785IMM53

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.