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August 19, 2025 19 mins

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This week on Growing Tall Poppies, I’m coming to you from breathtaking Interlaken, Switzerland — where the mountains meet the lake, and the stillness invites deep reflection.

The past few days have been about rest, recovery, and gentle exploration as my daughter continues to heal after falling seriously ill on our Europe trip. Thankfully, she’s feeling a little better each day — but like her mother, she has FOMO (fear of missing out) and doesn’t want to miss a single moment.

This got me thinking about the tension so many of us feel during healing — the pull between wanting to experience everything life offers and the need to slow down to truly recover.

In this heartfelt episode, I share:

  • 🌄 The life and healing lessons I’ve learned from Switzerland’s lakes and mountains
  • 💡 Why FOMO often intensifies for people in Post-Traumatic Growth
  • 🛑 How to shift from “fear of missing out” to the “joy of missing out” 
  • 💤 Practical strategies for resting without guilt and still feeling fulfilled
  • ❤️ The importance of presence and small, intentional moments in your healing journey

If you’ve ever struggled with slowing down — or felt like you were missing out while trying to heal — this episode will help you see rest as a gift, not a sacrifice.

🎧 Tune in and learn how to balance adventure and recovery so you can heal without regret.

If this episode resonates with you then I'd love for you to hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep updated with each new episode as soon as it's released and we'd be most grateful if you would give us a RATING as well. You can also find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drnatgreen/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrNatalieGreen

Intro and Outro music: Inspired Ambient by Playsound.

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be deemed or treated as psychological treatment or to replace the need for psychological treatment.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr Nat Green (00:01):
Welcome to the Growing Tall Poppies Podcast.
I'm your host, Dr.
Nat Green, and I'm so excited tohave you join me as we discuss
what it means to navigate yourway through post-traumatic
growth and not just survive, butto thrive after trauma.

(00:23):
Through our podcast, we willexplore ways for you to create a
life filled with greaterpurpose, self-awareness, and a
deep inner peace.
Through integrating the manyyears of knowledge and
professional experience, as wellas the wisdom of those who have
experienced trauma firsthand.

(00:44):
We'll combine psychologyaccelerated approaches.
Coaching and personal experienceto assist you, to learn, to grow
and to thrive.
I hope to empower you to createdeeper awareness and
understanding and strongerconnections with yourself and
with others, whilst also pavingthe way for those who have

(01:08):
experienced trauma and adversityto reduce their suffering and
become the very best versions ofthemselves.
In order to thrive.
Thank you so much for joining meon today's episode.
Hello, beautiful humans andwelcome back to Growing Tall

(01:31):
Poppies.
This week i'm checking in againand sharing a raw, real update
from my family trip acrossEurope.
I'm coming to you fromSwitzerland, specifically at a
beautiful place near InterlakenAnd if you wanted to check out

(01:51):
the scenery, check out theYouTube channel and you can
actually see the video where I'msitting on my balcony.
To record this week's episodeoverlooking the lake where the
lake meets the mountains.
Oh my God.
It is stunning where the lakesare turquoise and crystal blue.

(02:12):
In some parts, the mountainsrise almost like ancient
guardians surrounding us andletting us know they are there
and we are safe, and life movesat a pace.
That makes you want to exhale,just that little bit deeper.

(02:36):
It's the kind of scenery thatmakes you wanna bottle it up and
carry it home because you just.
Have to find somewhere in yourmemory to store it because the
photos will never ever do itjustice.
Imagine those turquoise,beautiful bluey greeny lakes

(02:57):
where the mountain meets thesea.
That's exactly what we're doingright here from our balcony.
it's been a journey full ofbeauty and unexpected
challenges.
As you know, there've been a fewhiccups.
We started off really well andhaving the family trip of a

(03:18):
lifetime, and we hit somehurdles with my daughter
becoming extremely unwell andending up.
With life-threatening situation,needing to present to a
university hospital.
Thank goodness for them inZurich, who were absolutely

(03:41):
amazing.
So thankfully this was alreadyplanned in our agenda.
We've been here for two daysnow, soaking in the views,
resting and letting our bodiesand minds recalibrate, Giving
ourselves the space to rest,recover, and rejuvenate,

(04:01):
especially as our gorgeous girl,Maddie continues to heal from
being so unwell, thank you so,so much for your beautiful
messages of love, support, andwell wishes.
For her good health and forshouting out that you are also

(04:22):
putting us in your thoughts andprayers.
So the good news is she's slowlystarting to feel a little bit
better each day.
And I'm sure that beingsurrounded by the mountains and
the beauty of this place hasbeen a huge part in that
improvement.
The challenge.

(04:42):
She's just like her mum.
I realize that she's also evenmore like her mother than I
already thought.
She has FOMO, absolutely fear ofmissing out, and she doesn't
wanna miss a single moment, andthat's what I wanna talk about
today.
That tension between wanting toexperience everything absolutely

(05:06):
every minute of every day, andgiving ourselves permission to
slow down.
Especially when we are in thatpost-traumatic growth phase
where the pull to seize life canbe so, so strong.
We're finally, since coming toInterlaken and had the chance to

(05:28):
exhale.
To stop rushing from one thingto the next, to sit by the lake,
a beautiful lake overlooking themountains and exhale and just
be, what a gift.
And here's the truth.
Slowing down doesn't comenaturally to me.

(05:50):
And I know to many of you, and Isee the same in my daughter,
there's this inner voice saying.
You are here, you should bedoing more.
You are wasting precious time.
Sound familiar?
If you've been through trauma,you might know this urge to pack
life in as tightly as possible.

(06:11):
It's almost as if aftersurviving something hard, we
feel this need to make up forlost time to overdo, to grab
hold of every opportunity, andwhile that drive can be
beautiful.
It can also be absolutelydownright exhausting.
And here's the paradox thatpost-traumatic growth often

(06:34):
brings with it this hunger forlife.
The desire to embraceeverything, to make the most of
every single day, but withoutbalance, that same hunger can
drain us.
Absolutely.
Leave us exhausted and spent.

(06:56):
Rest feels like losing time.
We think I'm not doing enough,I'm missing out.
But the truth is, rest isn't adetour from growth.
It's actually a key part of it.
Without giving our bodies andour minds time to replenish,
we're not actually movingforward at all.

(07:17):
We're just pushing harder andharder until we burn out.
And here's something that I'vebeen reminding myself.
Sometimes the missed momentsaren't really missed at all
because while we might not beticking off every sightseeing
spot, we're gaining somethingelse-presence.

(07:41):
Look at that beautiful mountainand lake.
If I hadn't taken the time tosit and rest, I would've missed
the opportunity to sit, take inall its beauty and find that
inner peace, the ability toreally absorb the moments that
we do have.

(08:03):
So how do we rest withoutregret?
How do we quiet that FOMO voiceand lean into our slower pace?
Here are a few things I'mpracticing right now and I
thought, share them with you'cause you might wanna try them
too.
Firstly, let's find those micromoments of presence.

(08:27):
You don't have to do everythingto feel like you've experienced
a place.
Or a day or even an hour, chooseone small moment to fully
inhabit, to really live in thatmoment.
For me, it's been sipping coffeeby the lake and feeling the

(08:49):
warmth of the air and thesunshine on my skin.
For you, it might be sittingquietly with a cup of tea or
noticing the colors in thesunset.
Two rest rituals.
Create a small practice thatsignals to your body it's okay
to slow down.

(09:11):
That might be journaling by thewindow, soaking up a little bit
of sun in a corner, reading inbed before sleep, or doing a few
deep breaths before a mirror.
When you catch yourselfthinking, I should be doing
more, I want you to flip thescript.

(09:34):
It's number 3., pause and ask,what do I truly need right now?
That one question can changeeverything, and 4., celebrate
the NOW instead of focusing onwhat you didn't do.
Name one thing you're gratefulfor in this moment.

(09:56):
Gratitude grounds us in presenceand helps shift the focus from
scarcity to abundance.
So when we first arrived here, Ihad every intention of exploring
ticking off every must see itemon my bucket list.

(10:20):
I mean, how often do you get tostand between a mountain, a
lake, and with snow dustedmountains off in the distance?
In every direction.
Here's the thing, our bodies hadother plans my daughter needed
time to heal and I needed timeto just breathe and learn how to

(10:40):
be so instead of running aroundlike a travel show host, on Fast
Forward, we found ourselvessitting by the lake, diving in
for a beautiful, refreshing swim'cause.
Oh, we've come at a time whereit is so hot this year, not what
we expected over here inSwitzerland.

(11:02):
we took slow walks through thevillage and we've had a couple
of coffees and actually stoppeda bit and allowed ourselves to
just be, and if you know me,that is saying something.

(11:25):
Even in that calm, that part ofme was whispering, you're
missing things, you should bedoing more.
That whisper, that's FOMO.
Fear of missing out, and it'snot just about events or
experiences for traumasurvivors.
It truly can run so much deeper.

(11:51):
Post-traumatic growth isn't justabout doing all the things
because we know life is short.
In fact, sometimes that urgencyto cram life full is a leftover,
surviving mechanism.
It's our nervous systems way ofsaying, don't waste time.
Keep moving, keep experiencing,don't stop.
Whatever you do, don't stop.

(12:14):
But true growth after traumaoften means learning to pause
without the panic in Interlaken,I was reminded of three
important truths.
1.
rest is not wasted time.
Our bodies and minds are inrecovery mode, whether from
illness, trauma, which is lifeitself, rest is the work.

(12:38):
It's the fertile soil thatallows growth to really take
root, to take hold and spurtforward.
And 2., you can't do it all, andthat's okay.
Sometimes we have to choosedepth over breadth sitting by
the lake talking, sitting witheach other, gave me more joy

(13:01):
than any rushed sight seeingcould.
In FOMO 3., FOMO can be ateacher.
It can show us when we're afraidof missing life because deep
down, we remember the days whenlife fell out of reach.
And in those moments we get togently remind ourselves life is
happening.

(13:21):
Right here, right now.
If you are listening and youknow that that voice saying you
should be doing more, here are afew strategies that I've been
leaning into this week.
1., Redefine Enough.
Ask yourself what would feelnourishing right now instead of

(13:43):
what's on the list?
What's next on the list?
Swap achievement for alignment2..
Practice slow joy.
Pick one simple thing likesipping coffee, watching the
sunset or lying in the grass,and we did that in Paris.
Just lay on the grass.

(14:03):
It was amazing.
Give it in full attention.
You might be surprised just howmuch joy is packed into
stillness.
3.
check the story behind yourFOMO.
Is it coming from genuine desireor from fear that you'll fall

(14:23):
behind or miss your chance?
If it's fear driven, then pause.
Fear doesn't get to drive yourbus anymore.
And 4., remember, your body'sneeds matter too.
We can't heal or truly enjoylife if we are pushing through

(14:44):
and past exhaustion.
Your body is your most honesttravel guide, so listen to it.
so Interlaken has brought muchjoy and a lot of reflection time
and reminded me that slowingdown isn't missing out.
It's opening up.

(15:04):
It's opening yourself up to theopportunities.
The mountains.
Don't rush, the lake doesn'thurry.
And when we align ourselves withthat pace, we stop chasing life
and actually start living it.

(15:24):
Experiencing it and learning howto be and be present.
So here's my takeaway fromInterlaken.
Sometimes the most breathtakingmoments aren't the ones you plan
for.
They're the ones when you aresitting still present, being

(15:45):
grateful and aware that you arehealing.
Not in the I've done it all way,but in the, I'm okay right here,
right now.
So if you are in a season whererest feels impossible or you're
beating yourself up for notdoing enough, where rest feels

(16:06):
like you are missing out.
let this be your permission sliprest isn't wasted time.
It's actually the space wherehealing happens.
And I can absolutely tell youfrom my lived experience this
last week.
Just two days of being able todo that has been the greatest
gift.

(16:26):
I feel so much more relaxed andhave inner peace.
like, I dunno, that I've had fora very long time.
You are preparing for the nextchapter of your growth, and
maybe that's the real beauty ofunplanned paths and life's
detours.
Thank you so much for joining mehere in Switzerland for this

(16:49):
little reflection.
I would love to hear from you,how do you navigate the balance
between rest and that fear ofmissing out.
Come share your thoughts over onInstagram at Dr.
Nat Green.
And remember, you are a humanbeing, not a human doing.
So give yourself the gift ofpresence this week.

(17:12):
You might just find that it'sthe most meaningful adventure of
all.
So that's about it from me.
If today's episode resonatedwith you, share it with someone
who's also learning to balancerest.
FOMO and the urge to do it all.
And if you haven't already, hitfollow, so you don't miss next
week's episode.

(17:33):
Until then, keep growing, keepresting, and keep choosing what
truly matters to you.
Until next time, take care, restwell and just be, and of course
keep growing tall.
Bye for now.

(17:53):
Thank you for joining me in thisepisode of Growing Tall Poppies.
It is my deepest hope thattoday's episode may have
inspired and empowered you tostep fully into your
post-traumatic growth, so thatyou can have absolute clarity
around who you are, what mattersthe most to you, and to assist

(18:15):
you to release your negativeemotions.
And regulate your nervous systemso you can fully thrive.
New episodes are published everyTuesday, and I hope you'll
continue to join us as weexplore both the strategies and
the personal qualities requiredto fully live a life of

(18:35):
post-traumatic growth and tothrive.
So if it feels aligned to youand really resonates, then I
invite you to hit subscribe andit would mean the world to us.
If you could share this episodewith others who you feel may
benefit too, you may also findme on Instagram at Growing Tall

(18:56):
Poppies and Facebook, Dr.
Natalie Green.
Remember, every moment is anopportunity to look for the
lessons and to learn andincrease your ability to live
the life you desire and deserve.
So for now, stay connected.
Stay inspired.

(19:17):
Stand tall like the tall poppyyou are, and keep shining your
light brightly in the world.
Bye for.
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