Mojo Monday: Symptom Relief Or a Full Life - What Are You Working Towards??

In this episode of Mojo Monday, Carly explores the rising tide of mental health challenges and asks a powerful question: are we aiming for symptom relief… or a full, meaningful life? With personal stories and practical reflections, this short episode invites you to consider what really moves you—and what small actions might shift the way you live.

Carly Taylor is a Mental Fitness Coach and speaker who helps people live with clarity and purpose—even in the midst of life’s inevitable challenges.

Her approach is grounded in Japanese Psychology, particularly Morita-based therapy, which teaches us to accept our internal experience and take meaningful action. Carly also draws on tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), stoicism, and evidence-based counselling frameworks to support people in building emotional resilience and living in alignment with their values.

✨ Connect with Carly:
🌐 Website: www.carlytaylorcoaching.com.au
📸 Instagram: @carly_taylor_coaching
💼 LinkedIn: Carly Taylor

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hi everyone, It's Carli here and welcome to this week's
Mojoe Monday. So today I want to talk about something
that is very hard to ignore, and that is the
sharp rise in mental health issues over the past couple
of decades. Now, this is a huge topic, and I
am not going to try and unpack all the reasons
in a short podcast, but you know, it's very complex,

(00:32):
but we can't overlook a few really clear changes that
have happened in our environment and therefore our daily experience,
especially since my daughter was born back in two thousand
and six, which also happens to be the year that
the first smartphone hit the market, and there's been massive
changes to our experience since then, so a lot has shifted.

(00:57):
We have more information at our fingertips than ever before.
We have connection to thousands of more people than ever before.
You think about it, that's just crazy how many people
were connected to Now we are moving less, we're sleeping poorly,
we're more distracted than ever, we're eating more ultra processed foods.

(01:21):
And despite being more connected online, a lot of people
are feeling lonely and disconnected in real life and stillness
this kind where you just stare out the window and
let your mind wander, which I remember doing as a
kid and as a teenager. You know, even if you
were listening to music on your walkmen, But now it

(01:44):
feels really uncomfortable for people to just sit in stillness.
We've become scared to be bored, and we reach for
our phones even before we even realize that we're doing it.
It's becoming such a habit. And of course I could
go on and on that what's happening as a result

(02:05):
of all this is that we are more anxious, more
depressed than any other time. And I truly believe that
we are in a lot of cases, not all, of course,
but a lot of cases, we are pathologizing normal human emotions.
For example, if you've gone through a divorce, or a

(02:26):
loved one has died, or you have lost your job,
or you're feeling anxious or sad or hopeless, it's a
normal human response. Even if you think about a fifteen
year old or a young person who's required to do
a presentation at school in front of their peers, it's
normal to feel anxious or nervous. So I'm kind of

(02:49):
digressing a bit, But what is really clear is that
more and more people are turning to therapy and medication
to cope with all of this. So let me be
clear that I'm not anti therapy or anti medication, because
I know both can be incredibly helpful, and I know
people who it has been incredibly helpful for. But I

(03:11):
do think we've got to ask a deeper question, what
is the reason we are turning to therapy or medication?
So is the goal to just reduce symptoms? Because that's
what we're very focused on today is reducing symptoms. And
many people are going to their GP to get a

(03:32):
script just to take the edge off their anxiety. But
I'll tell you what I would actually love to see.
I would love to see people walk out of that
same appointment with a script for something that they can do,
that they have decided that they can do that will
enhance their quality of life, something that moves them forward physically, emotionally, spiritually.

(03:56):
Because the truth is change doesn't happen without movement, without action.
So here's a question for you. What moves you, what
lights you up? What do you want? Because if you
want to be a certain way to have a life
worth living, you have to take action, and you also

(04:18):
have to take responsibility for that action because no one
else is going to do it. So I'm going to
give you just a couple of personal examples because this
isn't just theoretical for me. So, since going to CrossFit
and yoga consistently, I feel the quality of my life
has increased dramatically. So my body is stronger at fifty

(04:42):
five than it's ever been, and that strength really spills
over to my mind because we know that the connection,
that connection between mind and body, and I really feel
more capable, more grounded than ever before. And since i
started putting my phone down when my kids want to
talk to me, I feel in that moment a deeper

(05:03):
connection with them. And that is such a small action,
but in that moment, I'm really present and they feel
it as well. And he's one for you. Since I've
started joking around more with Paul, my husband, I feel
more connected with It's kind of lighter, and it's amazing
what a little playfulness can do. But that takes intentionality.

(05:27):
It takes action to stop what I'm doing and just
be playful for a few minutes. And a big one
also is that since I've started having screened free time
an hour before bed and putting my phone in another room,
which I've been doing for years, but my sleep has
dramatically improved, and of course that is going to have

(05:49):
a positive impact on my well being, my quality of life.
So I wind down properly, I let those beautiful hormones
sleep ho hormones kick in naturally, I rest better and
that affects everything the next day. So none of these
are massive life changes, but they're intentional actions that support

(06:09):
my well being. So when I feel anxious or flat
or sad or whatever emotion comes up for me, which
is inevitable, rather than trying to ignore these emotions or
resist them, I work out what I need to do
that is going to help, not hinder, but help me.
Every action you take creates your experience, and every action

(06:33):
creates your circumstances. So you need to take the action
that's needed right in that moment, and that's what moves
the needle. That's taking responsibility for your choices and your actions.
So if you are currently in therapy or you are
taking medication and it's helping you, then great, that's the

(06:54):
action you need to take. But it's just one piece
of the puzzle. So don't stop there, ask yourself, what
else can I add that is going to help me
live a better life, not just manage symptoms. Because no
pill and no therapist and no app is going to
hand you a sense of meaning or joy or purpose

(07:16):
in your life. You can't wait for that. You can't
wait for something to kick in before you can start
living a full life because that meaning, joy and purpose
is something you get from moving, from taking action. That's
something you cultivate through small, intentional actions over time. So

(07:37):
this week I want you to sit with this. What
moves you, what moves you physically, emotionally, spiritually, and what
needs to be nurtured right now? Is it your relationships,
your health? What is it that you need to do?
And what's one small thing you can do to improve

(07:59):
the quality of your life starting now? So once you've
finished listening to me, what's one thing you can do?
Because I really believe everyone needs more than just symptom relief.
We all deserve a life that feels worth living. But
it's really up to us to go out and live

(08:21):
that life. So thank you so much for listening. I
hope that was valuable for you. Bit of food for
thought and I will catch you Next week SIA