Episode 70

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Published on:

12th Jun 2025

Why You Are So Tired of Small Talk

Do you ever feel like you're just going through the motions, tired of superficial interactions and recurring conflicts? Do you yearn for deeper, more authentic connections but feel like you're swimming upstream against a culture of noise and distraction? You're not alone, and it's not a personal failing.

In this solo episode, host and mindful somatic coach Brett Hill pulls back the curtain on the "Myth of Normal"—the idea that our modern, disconnected way of living is healthy or sustainable for the human nervous system. He explores how our world is often engineered for distraction and reactivity, from media headlines that jangle our nerves to workplace cultures that can lead to burnout.

But this isn't a message of despair. It's a message of empowerment. This episode offers a practical, powerful, and surprisingly simple way to reconnect with yourself, find the "juice of life" again, and turn ordinary conversations into extraordinary experiences.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

  • Why you feel so disconnected and why so many people are "quietly quitting" on a life of meaning.
  • How modern culture and technology can actively work against your capacity for deep connection.
  • The "Postcard vs. The Mountain" metaphor that explains the crucial difference between thinking about your life and truly experiencing it.
  • Why connecting with yourself is the non-negotiable first step to creating more meaningful relationships with others.
  • A powerful "micro-mindfulness" practice that takes only seconds but can change the entire quality of your day.

Actionable Practice from This Episode: The 'Notice & Savor' Technique

This is the core practice discussed in the episode for rebuilding your connection to yourself and the world.

  • 1. Notice What Lights You Up: Throughout your day, identify the small things that automatically make you feel good—the beauty of a flower, the sound of music you love, the feeling of the sun on your skin, the joy of seeing a dog play.
  • 2. Press Pause: Instead of immediately moving on, intentionally pause for just a moment.
  • 3. Savor the Experience: For just 5, 10, or 15 seconds, let yourself fully feel the pleasant sensation. Take a breath and let the experience "inform your senses" without judgment or analysis.

This simple habit, practiced consistently, builds the neurological capacity for presence, making it easier to navigate stress and connect more deeply in your relationships.

Take the Next Step: Your Free Mindful Communications Assesesment

If this episode’s discussion on reactivity and disconnection resonated with you, a powerful next step is to discover precisely how these patterns show up in your own communication style.

Brett offers a free and insightful Leadership Communications Assessment designed to give you a clear, objective snapshot of your strengths and biggest blind spots as a leader. In just a few minutes, you’ll receive a personalized, score-based report across 8 key areas of professional effectiveness—including Thought Management and Anxiety Tolerance.

Stop guessing and start building on a tangible foundation. Take the free assessment now to discover your areas for growth and get expert-recommended suggestions.

Visit https://bretthill.youneedacoach.co/ to get your personalized results.

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About the Podcast

The Mindful Coach Podcast
Turning ordinary conversations into extraordinary experiences
Imagine you could uplevel every conversation you will ever have for the rest of your life. What would be the impact—professionally and personally?

How we show up in conversations—our presence, communication, and awareness—is the fastest way to improve the quality of our personal and professional lives. Yet, few people are ever taught how to cultivate this presence intentionally.

That’s what The Mindful Coach Podcast is all about.

In each episode, we explore the power of mindful communication—how awareness, somatic intelligence, and deep listening can turn ordinary conversations into extraordinary experiences. Through real conversations with coaches, leaders, and professionals, we uncover practical ways to build resilience, reduce reactivity, and create deeper connections with those we serve.

This podcast is also a gateway to a supportive professional community—the Mindful Coach Association (https://mindfulcoachassociation.com)—where mindful professionals gather to learn, connect, and grow in a space dedicated to authentic connection and skillful presence.

If you're ready to take this work further, check out my flagship program:
Mindfulness Communication and Presence for Professionals—an immersive training designed to help you cultivate presence, master communication, and transform your interactions in work and life.

If you're a coach, leader, or professional who values mindful communication and presence, visit The Mindful Coach (https://themindfulcoach.com) to learn more.

Join us as we explore what it truly means to show up—for ourselves, our clients, and the world.

Together, we are a mighty force.
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About your host

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Brett Hill

I'm a mindful somatic coach and coach trainer. I'm on a mission to help coaches be the best they can be, and the best way I know to do that, is to promote and encourage coach mindfulness. I created the Mindful Coach Method to help coaches learn the many great techniques and practices I've had the good fortune to learn and employ over the years.

But my interests go beyond training coaches and private practice.

I founded the Mindful Coach Association so coaches and other helping professionals who value mindfulness in their work can connect and collaborate. To help members be successful and tell their stories to the world. I launched the Mindful Coach Podcast.

Strangely enough, my interests in mindful communication align with my passion for technology.

After graduating with a degree in interpersonal communication, I became a technology expert and enjoyed a distinguished technical career. I frequently presented at technical conferences worldwide for companies like Microsoft, authored books, and was awarded Microsoft’s distinguished “Most Valuable Professional” award for nine years.

All my life I've been fascinated with how things actually work. That means looking deeply and seriously inside as well as at the world. How do our minds work? What are the limits of the human capacity to learn and understand? What creates unhappiness or joy?

I studied many inner practices, from common forms to very esoteric. I taught mindfulness and meditation in many forms. One of my most immersive studies was in Hakomi, a mindfulness-based somatic psychology, with founder Ron Kurtz. Also group dynamics under the guidance of Amina Knowlan, creator of Matrix Leadership. In addition, I taught beginning and advanced meditation for several years at the Lotus Center in Okla. City and established the Quest Institute meditation center in Dallas.

After obtaining several coach certifications, I created and teache The Mindful Coach Method to help “bridge the gap” so coaches can experience and use coaching presence, coach-centered mindfulness, and the somatic techniques he has found so essential in his work, yet are often missing in coach training.

I'm on a mission in my work as a coach, teacher, speaker, and author to help people be more present and connected to their authentic voice, and the world itself. I specialize in mindful communications and coach training so we can connect authentically, speak truly, and listen deeply. What does the world need more than this?

Certifications include International Coaching Federation, Somatic-Wellness & Mindfulness Coach, and Mindful Facilitator by the Institute for Organizational Mindfulness. He’s also an alumnus of the Inner MBA by Sounds True, and has hundreds of hours of training in Hakomi, Matrix Group Leadership, Martial Art, Contact Improvisation, and others.