Episode Summary

In this short clarity session, we’re focusing on something simple but often avoided: finishing.

Closing one open loop that’s been sitting in the background of your mind.

We explore that moment where the energy of starting fades… and why so many things get left in that middle stage.

Through a guided tea practice, you’ll be invited to notice where things tend to stall, what’s actually in the way, and how close you might already be to done.

By the end, you’ll have one clear action, a specific moment to do it, and a simple way to move from open loop… to closed.

Today’s tea: Royal Earl Grey, a black tea with bergamot. Warming, steady, and gently energising. Aligned with the Fire element, supporting focus and follow-through.

In this pause for tea, you’ll discover:

* 02:03 – The moment where energy drops after starting something

* 04:38 – How to identify one “niggling” open loop

* 06:26 – Why the gap to completion is usually smaller than it feels

* 06:33 – Defining the final step without overcomplicating it

* 07:04 – Deciding when you’ll finish it and setting a clear boundary

* 08:01 – Moving from open loop to closed loop

“Finishing isn’t about doing more. It’s about removing what’s in the way of the last step.”

Resources and Links

Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Royal Earl Grey.

Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Episode Summary

Welcome to The Tea Mind Podcast.

This episode is a short clarity practice for moments when your mind feels full and you’re being pulled in too many directions.

It will help you move from holding everything at once to seeing what actually matters right now.

As you sit with your tea, you’ll begin to notice the difference between what feels urgent and what is actually important. Use tea to create enough space to see clearly.

By the end, you’ll leave with one thing to focus on and a simple next step you can take today.

Today’s tea: today I’m drinking Dragonwell Delight pan-roasted green tea.

In this pause for tea, you’ll discover:

00:00 Clarity comes from creating space, not adding more input

00:43 The feeling of having too many tabs open and not feeling settled

02:51 Noticing tension you weren’t aware you were holding

05:18 Asking what actually matters today

06:28 Choosing one small next step instead of solving everything

You don’t need to hold everything at once. Just see what matters today.

Resources and Links

Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Blooming Marvellous.

Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Episode Summary

Welcome to Season 2 of The Tea Mind Podcast where we explore the moment something clicked… In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Buchan, a coach who works with women whose lives are working on paper… but don’t quite feel the way they expected.

We explore The “Feel Alive” Moment - that moment when you realise that nothing is wrong, and yet something is missing. The point where success no longer feels like success… and a different question starts to niggle.

Hannah shares a vivid turning point from her time as a teacher and mother - feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure what options were even available - and the moment in her kitchen where something shifted: “I just want to feel alive.”

We explore what actually changed and how that came about through small, deliberate shifts rather than a massive leap. From following curiosity instead of certainty, to redefining success through how life feels day to day.

By the end, you’ll have a simple 3-minute reset to help you reconnect with what you need - even in the middle of a busy life.

Today’s tea: today I’m drinking Blooming Marvellous green tea, inspired by Hannah.

In this pause for tea, you’ll discover:

* 03:03 – The persistent feeling of “this should feel better than it does”

* 05:56 – The kitchen moment: “I just want to feel alive”

* 08:12 – When life becomes full, overwhelming, and hard to think clearly

* 10:37 – Why ticking all the boxes didn’t feel like success

* 12:30 – Discovering “feeling alive” as a core value

* 13:10 – How small daily inputs shift your mindset and energy

* 15:00 – Doing something uncomfortable (like surfing) to reconnect with yourself

* 22:44 – Following curiosity instead of waiting for clarity

* 30:13 – Why clarity doesn’t remove doubt and what actually helps

* 47:19 – The power of small, consistent actions over time

“When you’re lit up by something, it’s amazing what you can make time for.” Hannah Buchan

Resources and Links

* Hannah Buchan Coaching: https://www.hannahbuchancoaching.com

* Hannah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-buchan-coach/

Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Blooming Marvellous.

Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Episode Summary

In this Tea Mind pause, we pause with a cup of white tea and explore the gentle practice of openness.

White tea carries a quiet, contemplative energy that naturally supports moments of reflection. As spring unfolds and the Wood element brings forward motion and growth, this practice invites balance through softness, awareness, and ease.

Today’s tea: Any white tea you’re drawn to… White tea is often associated with clarity, openness, and moments of reflection. In this episode, I brew White Peach, a soft and delicate tea with silver buds and a natural peach aroma.

In this pause for tea, we explore:

* Using all your senses as you sip your tea

* Imagining spring flowers slowly opening toward the light

* Taking a mindful sip and noticing the tea’s journey through the body

Just like tea leaves unfolding in warm water, openness often happens naturally when we give ourselves the right conditions.

Resources and Links

Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail to be the first to discover awesome teas, like White Peach.

Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Episode Summary

In this week’s Tea Mind Pause, I invite you to use this time to step way from the constant ping of notifications and tasks. Instead, see what it feels like to lean into the pace of your tea leaves instead of the clock.

Today’s tea: Any herbal infusion you’re drawn to… I’m drinking the deliciously bright and tart Hibiscus (herbal infusion from Satemwa Estate in Malawi).

In this pause for tea, you’ll find:

* A short guided tea meditation for slowing down

* Observing your tea through aroma, colour, and warmth

* Reflecting on the question:“Where have I been hurrying when nothing is chasing me?”

* Choosing one moment in your day to move at a cup-led pace

As you move through the day, try choosing one moment - a drink, a meal, or a conversation - where you allow yourself to follow the pace of the experience rather than the pace of the clock.

Resources and Links

Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Hibiscus.

Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Episode Summary

With the Spring Equinox on 20 March, this Tea Pause is an invitation to check in with yourself and explore what can feel like “enough” right now. You’ll brew a cup of tea, settle into the body, and use the energy of the season to find a steadier middle ground between forward motion and rest.

Today’s tea: Choose any white tea that you’re drawn to today, maybe Silver Needle or White Peony… I’m drinking The Balanced Mind - a white tea blended with cinnamon, apple, berries, blackberry leaves, and schizandra berries.

Spring carries Wood element energy: forward motion, action, momentum.To balance that, this episode leans into Water element qualities: steadiness, grounding, slowing down.

In this pause for tea, you’ll practice:

* Arriving in the present moment through breath and body awareness

* Noticing tension in the body and the quality of your thoughts

* Using sound as an anchor (cup, brewing sounds, wind outside)

* Exploring balance as a set of inner “scales” between effort and rest

* Sipping tea mindfully by noticing aroma, colour, dry leaf, and how the warmth moves through the body

* Closing with a simple reframe: balance as responsive, flexible adjustments through the day

Balance is not a fixed state. It’s the ability to notice what’s heavy, soften it a little, and make small adjustments so you can move through your day with more ease.

Resources and Links

Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail to be the first to discover awesome teas, like The Balanced Mind.

Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Episode Summary

Today’s Tea Pause is a small practice in simplicity - noticing how little is required for this moment to feel like enough.

Today’s tea: Genmaicha (green tea blended with toasted rice).If you don’t have it, choose any green tea you’re drawn to- green tea and early spring “wood element” energy can support a lighter load and clearer direction.

In this pause for tea, you’ll:

* arrive in your senses (warm cup, steam, breath)

* lengthen your exhale to soften your body

* use two quiet cues: “Less to carry” (inhale) / “I am here now” (exhale)

* set down one thing for a few minutes (urgency, self-criticism, that looping problem)

* ask: What is enough for this moment?

* choose one thing to leave behind for the next hour

Let your next step be small and true to you. Then return to your day with a lighter grip.

Resources and Links

Make sure you’re getting eteaket’s Tea Mail to be the first to discover awesome teas, like Gen Mai Cha.

Thanks for pausing for tea with me today.If this helped, I’d love a quick comment, a heart, or a share. It genuinely helps this post reach more people who need a calmer next step.

Erica x

The Tea Mind is reader-supported. To get new posts (and support my work), consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.