Mindful Paths Podcast

Mental fitness isn't just about building resilience, it's about knowing when to let go. In this episode, Nick and Hari explore why holding on to jobs, habits, relationships, and beliefs keeps you stuck, and the deeper fear and identity patterns that drive that grip. Through Hari's ten-year journey leaving a beloved yoga class, discover how neuroscience explains our resistance to change, why our stories keep us anchored to the past, and what it really takes to move forward with strength and mindfulness." Hari walks through his decision to stop teaching a yoga class he had run for ten years, admitting his heart hadn't been in it for the last five, and traces a pattern of holding on too long all the way back to the age of twelve. Nick reframes it through his own experience after the accident he caused, when he stayed indoors telling himself it was out of respect, only to realise it was fear disguised as shame. From there, the conversation moves through the idea that what you resist persists, from Hari's snowboarding crash into the very tree stump he was trying to avoid, to why letting go is never the same as burying something, drawn from Nick's dad ignoring his early symptoms. Nick shares the two habits that help him let go quickly, labelling his emotions out loud every day and asking what he is saying no to every time he says yes, along with the question he returns to again and again, "If fear didn't exist, what would I do?" Hari connects it back to identity, explaining why being the loyal friend who never quits makes every change feel like a threat to who he is. The episode closes with a shared reminder that acceptance creates freedom, and that anything no longer serving you, from a hobby to an old identity, is worth letting go. Whether you're staying in a job or relationship you've outgrown, carrying emotions you keep pushing down, or struggling to release an identity that no longer fits who you are today, this episode will change how you think about what real strength looks like. Subscribe for more conversations on mindset, wellbeing, the psychology of connection, and what it truly means to live a focused and mindful life. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 📌Connect 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindful_paths_podcast/ 👉 Nick Day's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/ 👉 Website: Mindful Paths Podcast: https://jgarecruitment.com/the-mindful-paths-podcast/ 👉 Learn more about Fear: https://www.feartobold.com 👉 Transformational Coaching Inquiries: [email protected] 👉 Hari Kalymnios LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harikalymnios 👉 Hari Kalymnios Website: https://harikalymnios.com/ 👉 Nick Day Website: https://t4mcoach.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Timestamps: (00:01) Three Quotes on Letting Go (02:05) Forgiveness, Suppressed Emotion, and Nick's Turning Point (03:44) Hari's Pattern of Holding On Too Long (08:13) Why Quitting Can Be a Sign of Strength (11:03) What You Resist Persists (14:47) Letting Go Isn't Burying It (18:52) Separating the Story From the Feeling (24:01) Labelling Emotions and Knowing When to Walk Away (29:41) Goals Without Attachment and Moving On (41:16) If Fear Didn't Exist, What Would You Do? (45:56) Identity: Who Are You Without It? (53:53) Acceptance Creates Freedom

In this video: The Slow Drift: How We Lose Ourselves Without Noticing | Mindful Paths Podcast What if the habits you quietly dropped are the very things keeping you well? What if feeling low has less to do with your circumstances and everything to do with what you stopped doing? What does it really take to find your way back to yourself before the drift becomes a crisis? In this Mindful Paths Podcast episode, Nick Day and Hari Kalymnios get refreshingly honest about hitting low points, losing their routines, and what it actually felt like to come back. From the slow erosion of exercise, sauna, and morning rituals to the deeper question of why we abandon the things that keep us whole, this conversation is a candid and grounding reminder that self-awareness is the first step back. Nick Day and Hari Kalymnios sit down for a wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation on this episode of the Mindful Paths Podcast. Nick opens up about hitting one of his lowest emotional points in recent memory, not from any single event, but from months of overwork, a book launch, and the quiet disappearance of his foundational habits. Hari reflects on his own drift and what rejoining a gym, getting back into the sauna, and protecting his morning routine has meant for his energy, sleep, and sense of self. The conversation explores the science and philosophy behind natural light and its effect on mood, hormones, and motivation. Hari unpacks why sunlight is more than comfort, it is a biological necessity, and why society's flat, year-round routine works against our natural seasonal rhythms. Nick connects this to spending weeks under artificial studio lighting and only realizing in hindsight how much it had been dragging him down. They also dive into the role of presence in everyday life, from the Karate Kid principle that everything is kung fu to the Marcus Aurelius reminder that the present moment is all we have. The episode explores how distraction, social media consumption, and reactive media diets quietly erode our attention, our happiness, and our connection to the people around us. The discussion then opens into broader territory, touching on predictive fiction and non-linear time through the lens of Philip K. Dick, UFO disclosure and the Bob Lazar story, and the surprising intersection between alien contact accounts and core spiritual philosophy. Hari makes the case that these big questions are not separate from mindfulness but are, in many ways, the deepest expression of it. Whether you are feeling inexplicably low, struggling to rebuild your routine, or simply curious about the bigger questions of consciousness and what we are really capable of, this episode offers something honest, grounding, and thought-provoking. Subscribe for more conversations on mindset, wellbeing, presence, and the psychology behind living a truly mindful life. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 📌 Connect with Nick - JGA Recruitment: 👉 Phone: 01727 800377 👉 Email: [email protected] 👉 Website: https://jgarecruitment.com/ 👉 Nick Day's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/ 👉 Podcast Website: Mindful Paths Podcast: https://jgarecruitment.com/the-mindful-paths-podcast/ 👉 Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e 👉 Learn more: https://www.deel.com/lp/forrester-global-payroll-study/ 👉 Sign up to the HR L&D Newsletter - https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/23e7b153e7 👉 Transformational Coaching with Nick or Hari Enquiries: [email protected] 👉 Hari Kalymnios on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harikalymnios 👉 Hari Kalymnios Website: https://harikalymnios.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Timestamp: (00:00) Getting Back to the Gym: Hari's Return to Fitness and the Sauna (01:53) Nick Opens Up: Hitting a Low Point and the Trip to France (04:25) The Subtle Creep: How We Drop Our Best Habits Without Noticing (07:28) Protecting Your Morning: Why the Start and End of Day Matter Most (10:02) The Power of Light: Why Sunlight Changes Everything (15:47) Seasonal Rhythms: Why Society Gets Winter Wrong (17:56) Greek Easter, Egg Battles, and Rotten Classroom Memories (23:27) Artificial Light and the Dark Cave: How Nick's Studio Was Draining Him (26:42) Nature as Medicine: What Astronauts and Mars Colonies Teach Us About Sunlight (32:42) Everything is Kung Fu: Presence, Mindfulness, and Taking Pride in Your Work (39:36) Social Media, Attention Spans, and the Case for Consuming Less (44:56) UFOs, Bob Lazar, and the Intersection of Aliens and Spirituality

What if the book you've been putting off writing could change someone's life, including your own? What does it really take to go from idea to published author? Nick Day shares the deeply personal story behind his two books in progress, including how a conversation with his late father became the catalyst that finally made him start. In this mindfulness podcast mental health and performance coaching episode, we explore fear, authenticity, legacy, and what it truly means to create something that matters. Nick Day and Hari Kalymnios sit down for an honest, wide-ranging conversation on episode 88 of the Mindful Paths Podcast. Nick is a payroll influencer, recruiter, podcast host, and now first-time author, with his debut book The Payroll Pivot: From Invisibility to Influence launching this week, and a deeply personal book on fear, Blood, Sweat and Fears, currently in progress, demonstrating a powerful author mindset development and real-life lessons in overcoming fear of judgment and creative vulnerability. The conversation covers what happens when grief becomes a catalyst for action, how to push through perfectionism and self-doubt in the writing process, and why purpose matters more than profit when creating anything meaningful. Nick and Hari break down their contrasting writing processes, the rise of self-publishing and personal imprints, and how AI tools like Notebook LLM are changing the way authors research and structure content, highlighting practical self-publishing tips and real author journey insights from first draft to final manuscript. They also explore the deeper philosophy behind doing anything well, presence, craft, and why how you do one thing is how you do everything. From Stoicism and NLP to grief anniversaries and body memory, this episode blends personal development with practical wisdom, emphasizing intentional living habits, mental resilience, and the importance of knowing your why before you begin. Whether you have a book inside you, a creative project you've been delaying, or simply want a more purposeful approach to the work you do every day, this self improvement podcast episode offers raw, real perspective from two people living the journey in real time. Subscribe for more conversations on mindset, wellbeing, and the psychology behind living a mindful life. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 📌 Connect with Nick Day — JGA Recruitment: 👉 Phone: 01727 800377 👉 Email: [email protected] 👉 Website: https://jgarecruitment.com/ 👉 Nick Day's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickday/ 👉 Podcast Website: Mindful Paths Podcast: https://jgarecruitment.com/the-mindful-paths-podcast/ 👉 Find your ideal candidate with our job vacancy system: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/691ee4537e 👉 Sign up to the HR L&D Newsletter: https://jgarecruitment.ck.page/23e7b153e7 👉 Transformational Coaching with Nick or Hari Enquiries: [email protected] 👉 Hari Kalymnios on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harikalymnios 👉 Hari Kalymnios Website: https://harikalymnios.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Timestamps: (00:00) Why People Avoid Writing (01:00) Grief Anniversaries and Body Memory (04:18) Nick's Book Launches Monday (06:19) Self-Publishing and Building Your Own Imprint (08:04) Hari's Writing Download Over Christmas (11:13) AI Tools, Transcripts and Book Coaching (15:06) Writing Fear and Facing Your Own (18:16) Sharing Hard, Personal Stories on the Page (21:28) When Books Get Outdated and Making It Timeless (23:16) How to Plan Chapters Fast (31:13) Stoicism, NLP and Not Being Owned by Your Emotions (33:16) Perfectionism, Purpose and the Daily Craft (38:02) Writing as if No One Will Read It (40:50) Legacy, Impact and Why Purpose Beats Profit (43:20) Perfectionism Is the Enemy of Action (47:33) Presence, Craft and Doing the Job Right (49:00) Injuries, Recovery and Listener Wrap-Up