Episode 1: Support and Kindness Podcast
What Do You Do When Your Mind Goes Blank?
- Content advisory: brief discussion of brain injury, anxiety, and depression.
This episode shares personal reflections and is not a substitute for professional advice.
In the very first episode of The Support and Kindness Podcast with Greg and Rich, the hosts dive into a moment many of us know too well: when your mind suddenly goes blank.
Drawing from their lived experience with brain injury, seizures, anxiety, and depression, Greg and Rich talk honestly about how disorienting those blank moments can feel—and how to respond with curiosity and compassion instead of panic and self-blame.
Hosts Greg (in Columbus, Ohio) and Rich share simple, practical tools: asking “What’s going on?”, using context clues, rewinding a video, checking your browser history, and calming the nervous system through breathing and sensory grounding. Above all, they want you to know: this happens to everyone, and it doesn’t mean you’re failing.
Meet Greg and Rich: Why This Podcast Exists
Greg opens the episode by introducing The Support and Kindness Podcast as a space for “real stories and practical ideas and heartfelt conversations” designed to remind listeners that they’re not alone and that “what you do matters.” He shares that he lives in Columbus, Ohio and has a history of mental health challenges, brain injury, anxiety, and other conditions, and that he wants to make help and support more accessible.
Rich briefly introduces himself as someone with traumatic brain injuries, seizures, and depression, adding that doing this podcast actually helps him too. He’s “glad to be here” and excited to be part of the conversation.
From the start, Greg sets the tone: this will be a short, weekly podcast with honest, practical reflections. He frames the first topic as something he personally finds scary:
“Oftentimes your mind goes blank… when you’ve got a brain injury that can be very scary and disconcerting… because I think, ‘Oh, is my condition deteriorating?’”
This is the question at the heart of Episode 1:
What do you do when your mind goes blank?
How do you keep that moment from turning into fear or shame?
When Minds Go Blank: A Human Experience, Not a Failure
Rich immediately normalizes the experience. He says he suffers from blank moments “quite a bit” and highlights that one of the hardest but most helpful steps is simply acknowledging it and asking for help:
“The toughest thing to do but the most helpful thing to do is to just ask what’s going on.”
For Rich, that might mean asking someone nearby to catch him up, or asking for a “refresher” when he spaces out.
Greg echoes this by noting you can also ask yourself the same orienting questions:
- “What’s going on?”
- “Where am I?”
- “What am I doing or where was I?”
Later in the conversation, Rich zooms out and gives a powerful reframe:
“It happens to all of us. It’s a human condition for the mind to go blank… It’s a part of life to have a brain lapse, have a momentary slip or absolutely pause.”
He explains that people of all ages and backgrounds experience this:
- A teenager might blame it on hormones.
- An older adult might blame it on aging.
- Someone with a brain injury might blame it on their diagnosis.
Rich’s message is that, regardless of the story we tell ourselves, mind blanks are normal. The real danger isn’t the blank—it’s judging ourselves harshly for it:
“To judge oneself harshly for it or to get down on yourself… we should be careful.”
Greg agrees, emphasizing that while he sometimes worries a blank moment means his condition is getting worse, it doesn’t have to mean that. It can simply mean you’re human, tired, overloaded, or distracted.
Using Context Clues to Reorient Yourself
When your mind goes blank, both hosts recommend starting with context. Rich talks about using the details around him to rebuild the thread:
“I try to pick it up through context clues… the subject matter of the conversation around me or the program that I’m watching or the paper that I’m reading.”
Some of the practical context tools they mention:
- Look at your screen: What program, document, or tab is open?
- Use the back button or rewind: Hit the 15-second rewind on a video or podcast to remember what you just heard.
- Check your browser history: Greg suggests scrolling your history as a way to jog your memory—“What websites was I looking at? Oh, that’s right…”
Greg gives an example of realizing he had been looking at aerial photos or shortwave radio software by seeing it in his history and tabs. Once you recognize the topic again, it’s easier to reconnect to what you were doing or thinking.
The key idea here is gentle detective work: rather than panicking, you retrace your steps with curiosity and patience.
Breathing, Imagery, and Softening the Grip
Greg also shares a favorite grounding and breathing practice to help calm anxiety when your mind goes blank. He suggests:
- Breathe in through your nose, hold for a few seconds.
- Exhale slowly, letting your body soften.
- While you breathe, picture a place that is safe, calm, and peaceful—a place only you can enter, whether real or imagined.
He encourages engaging all five senses in this visualization:
- Do you feel the breeze or sunlight on your skin?
- Do you hear ocean waves, rustling leaves, or distant sounds?
- Do you smell salt air, pine trees, or something comforting?
- Do you taste the saltiness of the sea air?
- Do you see mountains, sky, or water?
Greg notes that when your mind goes blank, anxiety can make you clamp down physically:
“When you have anxiety you kind of clam up, your muscles clam up, and it makes it worse… you hold on tighter.”
Instead of gripping harder, he suggests slowing down and relaxing your body. This softening can actually make it easier for your brain to restart and for your thoughts to come back.
Giving Yourself Permission to Pause or Step Away
Toward the end of the episode, Rich adds another important strategy: it’s okay to excuse yourself when your mind goes blank.
“You can leave and excuse yourself when your mind goes blank… it’s an easy way to excuse yourself from the awkwardness or the tension or the humiliation that you may feel in the moment.”
Greg loves this idea and asks Rich to repeat it, calling it “golden.” Together, they point out that sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself is to take a brief break:
- Stepping away to the bathroom
- Getting a glass of water
- Taking a few breaths in a quieter space
This isn’t running away from the problem; it’s creating a little room for your nervous system to settle so you can re-enter the situation with more clarity.
Rich and Greg also normalize using honest language with others, like:
“My mind went blank—can you catch me up?”
For them, this isn’t a confession of failure; it’s a way to reduce awkwardness, build trust, and protect your dignity in real time.
Kindness Over Self-Criticism
As they close the episode, Greg and Rich come back to their core message: kindness matters, especially toward yourself.
Rich reminds listeners again that blank moments are not proof that you’re broken. They’re part of the human condition. Getting stuck in harsh self-judgment only makes the experience more painful.
Greg echoes this, emphasizing that he wants the podcast and the website at kindnessrx.org to be spaces where people can find resources, show notes, and ongoing support around kindness, mental health, and real-life struggles.
He promises to continue adding episode pages and helpful links.
Greg ends with a simple, heartfelt reminder:
“Thanks for joining us… If this episode resonated with you… you can connect with us and find more resources at kindnessrx.org. Until next time, take care of yourself. And let’s keep building a kinder world together.
Remember, you’re not alone…”
Key Takeaways
- Mind blanks are human, not a failure. As Rich puts it, it’s “a human condition for the mind to go blank,” and it happens to people of all ages and backgrounds.
- Ask orienting questions. Gently ask yourself or others, “What’s going on?” “Where am I?” “What was I doing?” to rebuild the thread.
- Use context clues. Check your screen, tabs, browser history, notes, or the conversation around you to remember what you were focused on.
- Practice grounding breath and imagery. Greg’s breathing exercise and safe-place visualization can calm anxiety and help your mind reset.
- Soften instead of gripping tighter. Notice where your muscles are clenching and intentionally relax; trying to “force” your memory to return can backfire.
- Give yourself social permission. Saying “My mind went blank—can you catch me up?” or briefly stepping away are valid, kind options.
- Avoid harsh self-judgment. A blank moment does not automatically mean your condition is worsening; often it’s stress, overload, or just being human.
- Kindness is the foundation. Approaching yourself with compassion, rather than criticism, makes it easier to move through these moments and keep going.
Conclusion
Episode 1 of The Support and Kindness Podcast is a gentle, practical reminder that blank moments happen to all of us – and that we deserve kindness, not criticism, when they do.
If this conversation resonates with you, I’d love to hear your experiences and strategies in the comments.
Your story might be exactly what someone else needs to read today.
Join our weekly virtual support groups (KindnessRX)
We host free online support groups every week. Each group offers a safe, confidential space to connect with people who understand similar struggles and to find practical, emotional, and peer support.
Mondays — 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST
Brain Injury Support Group — Understanding Life After Brain Injury
Living with a brain injury can affect memory, mood, physical ability, and relationships. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been managing for years, recovery is often long and complex. Our Brain Injury Support Group provides a compassionate online community where members share experiences, offer practical tips, and support each other through the ups and downs of life after brain injury.
Tuesdays — 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST
Chronic Pain Support Group — The Silent Struggle of Living with Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is persistent and often invisible, taking an emotional as well as physical toll. This group offers hope, understanding, and connection—helping members reduce isolation, build resilience, and find practical strategies for daily life.
Wednesdays — 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM EST
Mental Health Support Group — Understanding the Need for Mental Health Support
In a world that often misunderstands mental health challenges, our Mental Health Support Group offers a welcoming space to discuss depression, anxiety, and overall emotional wellness. Through open conversation and peer support, members work toward breaking stigma and finding practical steps for healing and connection.
To sign up, visit our Luma Calendar:
https://luma.com/calendar/cal-oyT0VPlVTKCPxBw
Listen to The Podcast
