Real Talk: Why You’re Not Broken - You’re Navigating 10 Layers of Pressure

Real Talk: Why You’re Not Broken – You’re Navigating 10 Layers of Pressure

Let’s have some real talk.

If you’re here reading this, there’s a good chance you’re tired. Or anxious. Or overwhelmed. Or maybe all three.

You’ve probably tried the mindset hacks. The productivity tips. The gym routines. Clean eating plans. The “just set a goal and smash it” strategy.

And yet… here you are. Still stuck. Still scrolling. Still wondering, deep down:

What’s wrong with me?
Why don't I just get on with it?
Everyone else is doing ok, aren't they?

Let me tell you something, as plainly as I can:

You’re not broken.

You’re navigating a system of pressures 10 layers deep that most people never see. Until now.

Much is said nowadays about “speaking your truth” and as a therapist that has worked with countless clients over the last decade, and personally trying equally to navigate an increasingly complex world:-

This is my truth.

I'm calling it "Real Talk. Real Tools. Real Change" (well aware it's a bit cheesy, I know.)

This is the real map of what’s been happening for us all.

It is my best effort to understand just why so many people are struggling with their mental health, their weight, and achieving whatever it is they want from their lives - and what we can do about.

I have decided that I will be even more forthright and plain-speaking (but much less sweary) in how I communicate my approach; and more of my thoughts, views, and opinions about our individual wellbeing in an ever-increasingly difficult, overwhelming, and confusing world.

I have built an entire set of tools that I use myself everyday and I teach all of my clients. They are not one-size, fits-all. They are frameworks for you to take and develop for yourself in your own life.

The first tool that I will teach people is [controversially] called "Mental Strength.

Mental Strength simply isn't not having challenging or emotional responses.

It is the ability to see with absolute clarity what is going on for us, both internally and externally.

Then to retain that clarity, concentration, and commitment to take the most appropriate action, [very importantly] given the resources (both internally and externally) available to us; at that time.

I will be teaching the tools here on socials and also via my course and app which I will be re-launching for the umpteenth time very soon.

If you are ready to understand what is really going on, I invite you to take some time to learn more about what the 10 layers are, and how they may be affecting you right now.

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Layer 1: The World Around You – Society, Economy, Environment

First, there’s the world.

The economy is unpredictable. Politics are divisive. Climate change adds a low hum of existential dread. Cost of living is up. Job security is down.

When you hear this and you’re stressed, anxious, or emotionally flat; it’s not just “in your head.” It’s the world pressing in on you, every day.

Real Talk: You were never meant to stay calm and productive in a system built on hustle, scarcity, and chronic uncertainty.

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Layer 2: Social and Cultural Messages – The Things You’ve Been Told to Believe

Next comes the cultural noise.

We’ve all been fed the same diet of motivational mantras:
- Think Positive!
- Work Hard!
- Be Healthy!

But here’s the thing: these messages only work when your system is already regulated, safe, and resourced. For many of us, they become weapons of self-blame.

When the world feels heavy, these slogans start to sound more like accusations.

Real Talk: Positive thinking isn’t a solution when your brain, body, and nervous system is in survival mode.

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Layer 3: The Self-Blame Trap – “Set Another Goal and Try Harder”

This is where the guilt creeps in.

When external pressures and internal resources don’t line up, we reach for the only fix we’ve been taught: set another goal. Try harder. Push more.

It sounds like:
- “Maybe if I just got more organised…”
- “I need to be more disciplined.”
- “If I just set the right goal, I’ll break out of this.”

But what really happens?

You get caught in a cycle of planning, failing, and blaming yourself.

Real Talk: If your system is running on empty, no amount of goal-setting will change that.

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Layer 4: External Resources – Time, Money, Support

Then there’s what you actually have to work with.

This includes your:
- Time
- Money
- Support network

If you’re juggling two jobs, raising kids, managing debt, or living without emotional support… then of course you’re struggling.

You’re trying to meet impossible expectations with limited tools.

Real Talk: Struggling when resources are scarce isn’t weakness. It’s mathematics.

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Layer 5: Internal Resources – "Direction, Rhythm, Fuel"

Now we get to the inner toolkit – what’s happening inside your body and mind.

This is where you can take real, meaningful, and substantial action.

You may be limited as to what you can change in the world around you, i.e. the layers above you, but you (and I) can start the internal work.

At The Mind Works with Craig, we call this Direction, Rhythm, and Fuel:

- Direction – Can you think clearly? Make decisions? Stay mentally focused?
- Rhythm – Is your energy steady, or are you swinging between hyperactivity and exhaustion?
- Fuel – Do you have the emotional and physical reserves to keep going?

When your internal resources drop, everything gets harder. Your mind gets foggy. Your motivation disappears. Small tasks feel monumental.

Real Talk: If your Direction, Rhythm, and Fuel are off, your system is not broken: it’s protecting you.

Layer 6: Emotional Distress – Anxious, Overwhelmed, Tired

When resources and demands don’t match… the emotional alarms start ringing.

- Anxiousness
- Overwhelmed
- Tiredness

These are early warning signs. Signals that you’re moving down the "Tower Block" – the Mind Works model of psychological and physiological health.

This isn’t a character flaw. It’s your body trying to get your attention.

Real Talk: Feeling anxious or tired isn’t a mindset issue. It’s your system waving a red flag.

Layer 7: Burnout and Physiological Collapse

Ignore those warnings for too long, and your body takes matters into its own hands.

Welcome to burnout and fatigue.

Here, the stress system starts shutting down to conserve energy:

- Sleep becomes disrupted
- Focus disappears
- Motivation vanishes
- Even small tasks feel insurmountable

Your HRV (Heart Rate Variability) drops. Your nervous system shifts into survival mode.

Real Talk: Burnout isn’t laziness. It’s biological protection against further harm.

Layer 8: Protective Behaviours and Identity Roles

When burnout sets in, protective behaviours kick in.

Some people overeat. Others scroll endlessly. Some drink. Some isolate. Others work even harder.

Many adopt identity roles like:
- The Workaholic
- The Caregiver
- The Nice Guy

At first, these roles helped you cope. But over time, they became rigid, automatic, and exhausting.

You’re no longer choosing these behaviours. They’re choosing you.

Real Talk: These behaviours started as survival strategies. They’re not flaws. They’re symptoms.

Layer 9: Internal Beliefs – The Stories You’ve Come to Believe About Yourself

Now we get to the deep stories.

The beliefs that have formed after years (or decades) of pressure and survival:

- “I’m lazy.”
- “I’m not good enough.”
- “I should be stronger.”
- “No one understands me.”

These core beliefs aren’t facts. They’re narratives your mind created to explain years of stress, unmet needs, and possibly trauma.

Real Talk: You didn’t choose these beliefs. But you can unlearn them.

Layer 10: Trauma and Unprocessed Past Experiences

Finally, at the base of it all… lies the stuff that has happened in your life.

This isn’t always “big” trauma, like the stuff you automatically associate with the word trauma.

Sometimes, it’s simply difficult situations that were nobody's fault. But it leaves a mark.

Sadly though, for many, it is trauma. And yet we say:-

"it was a long time ago"
"others have it worse"
"just need to get over it and let it go"

Trauma lives in your nervous system. It shapes your beliefs, your reactions, your identity.

It’s the reason small things feel huge. It’s why your body goes numb, why your energy crashes, why your brain loops in panic.

Real Talk: Trauma isn’t a personality flaw. It’s an unprocessed survival response.

So What Now?
If all this feels overwhelming; that’s okay.

You were never supposed to fix all of this overnight. Or by yourself.

This is why The Mind Works exists.

We don’t do hype. We don’t do hustle. We do Real Talk, Real Tools, and Real Change.

Understanding these 10 layers is the first step to reclaiming your energy, your clarity, and your life.

- You’re not lazy.
- You’re not broken.
- You’re not failing.

You’ve just been living in a system that never taught you how to understand your own.

That changes now.

If you want help climbing back out from whatever layer you’re stuck in; I'm here to help .

No shame. No blame. Just real science, real psychology, and real support.