Episode 46

full
Published on:

8th Jul 2026

Quick Spoon: Are you thriving or just surviving?

Sometimes the signs that we're running low on resilience aren't dramatic.

  • We're still turning up.
  • Still getting through the to-do list.
  • Still appearing to cope.

But underneath, something feels different.

In this Quick Spoon, chartered coaching psychologist Dr Rose Aghdami shares some of the subtle warning signs that we might be running on empty, and invites us to ask a simple but powerful question:

Am I thriving, or am I simply surviving?

This Quick Spoon is taken from my full conversation with Dr Rose Aghdami, author of How to FUEL Your Resilience.

If you'd like to hear the complete conversation, you'll find it wherever you listen to People Soup.

People Soup: Real conversations about work, leadership, and being human — grounded in behavioural science, with practical ideas you can actually use.

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Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life

He's now also on Bluesky

The People Soup Website on CAPTIVATE

Transcript
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[00:00:12] I'm getting through the day. I'm ticking off my, to-do list, but I'm not thriving here. This is not at my [00:00:20] best.

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[00:00:23] Ross: Hi there, and welcome to People Soup Quick Spoon, real conversations about work, leadership, and being [00:00:30] human. I'm Ross McIntosh, and here's your Quick Spoon. In this clip, Dr. Rose Aghdami describes some of the warning signs that our resilience might be [00:00:40] running low Often we don't notice we're running on empty straight away. We're still showing up, still getting through the to-do list,

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[00:01:08] Different behaviors with the [00:01:10] same underlying problem. Here's something to try. Take a moment this week and ask yourself, " Am I thriving or am I simply surviving?" [00:01:20] And if the answer is surviving, what's one small thing you could do to begin topping up your energy rather than simply pushing through?

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About the Podcast

People Soup
Real conversations about work, leadership and being human
A podcast exploring work, leadership, and being human through real conversations — grounded in behavioural science and full of practical ideas you can apply straight away.

About your host

Profile picture for Ross McIntosh

Ross McIntosh

I'm a work psychologist. I want to help you navigate the daily challenges of work by sharing behavioural science in a way that's accessible, useful and fun.
I'm originally from Northumberland in the UK and I now live near Seville in Spain with my husband.