Episode 21

full
Published on:

9th May 2026

Quick Spoon: Get off autopilot

Ever noticed how pressure can shrink your options?

A difficult conversation.

An awkward email.

A deadline.

A piece of feedback you weren’t expecting.

And suddenly… you’re reacting before you’ve even realised it.

In this Quick Spoon from my conversation with Dr Eric Goodman, we explore what he describes as one of the most crucial skills in mental health:

Getting off autopilot.

Taking a pause.

Calling a timeout.

And choosing a response that’s…

Helpful, not harmful.

A short practical reflection on choice, self-awareness, and creating a little more space when life gets challenging.

Because that space, creates options.

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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Transcript

QS4 Get Off Autopilot

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[00:00:16] And so we have to take control [00:00:20] back over our own actions and reactions. And so being able to recognize when you're, [00:00:30] dealing with a really challenging moment, taking a few seconds, just call in a little timeout and you say, all right. Let me handle this in a way that's going to be helpful, [00:00:40] not

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[00:00:44] start.

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[00:01:03] Speaker 2: This one's about choice. Eric's first step in difficult moments is simple. Get [00:01:10] off autopilot. Pause. Take a breath. Create a little space. Because when we create space, [00:01:20] we create options.

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[00:01:29] Ross: That's your QUICK [00:01:30] SPOON Until next time, take care.

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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.