Scenic Route, Social Change and Mental Health for Tired Perfectionists

Scenic Route is a mental health and social change podcast for perfectionists, overthinkers, and high-achievers who are tired of holding it all together.

If you're burned out from performing, people-pleasing, and pretending everything's fine — this is your space to finally exhale.

Hosted by sociologist and recovering perfectionist Jennifer Walter (MA Sociology, University College Cork) — navigating chronic illness whilst rebuilding life in her 40s and rethinking what resilience actually means.

We talk about:
– Mental health without the toxic positivity
– Social change that starts within

– How healing is political

– The systems that shape us

– Mindfulness for sceptics

Expect solo deep-dives, expert guests, and the occasional bit of potty humour because healing doesn't have to be so damn serious all the time.

This podcast is for you if:
You're questioning so many things and trying to stay hopeful
You're done with perfectionism but still want to grow
You believe inner work and activism go hand in hand

New episodes every Tuesday.

The longest way round is the shortest way home. That's why we're taking the Scenic Route.

Start with the latest episode — or jump into whatever speaks to you.
The view here is chef's kiss 🫶

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Scenic Route, Social Change and Mental Health for Tired Perfectionists

Weekly Affirmation - Purpose

January 16, 2026 • Jennifer Walter • Season 7 • Episode 118

Exhale. TGIF

This weekly affirmation is for you if you've been told that you need a five-year plan when you can barely figure out what you want for lunch.

This week's affirmation:
"I release the pressure to figure out my purpose. I start with listening inward what I need in this moment."

You don't have to have it all mapped out. What you need right now matters more than what you think you should want five years from now.

New Soft Landings every Friday. Save this. Share it. Come back to it when you need the reminder. 🤍

About Soft Landings:
Every Friday on The Scenic Route, one grounded affirmation to help you rest, reset, and remember you're way back home to yourself.

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Jennifer Walter: 0:00

I really do want to say we made it through another fucking week. Um, it is what it is. So it's Friday. And let's just all exhale because this week's been a lot, I'm sure, for you too. So this week's soft landing is for you if you've been told to need a fucking five-year plan, and you're like, bitch, please, because you can barely figure out what's for lunch. And this whole, oh, you need to have your life together, your life planned, your life mapped out, your purpose figured out, everything, all that. And not saying this is nonsense, but it's we need to go smaller. Because when you're emotionally exhausted and you're trying, and you know exactly what everyone else wants to have for lunch, and and you're like, Yeah, just eat whatever is left over. Um, I'm not really surprised you like the five-year plan feels a bit of a steep, steep thing, a steep goal to do. Um, so anyway, here's your soft landing, your your um the soft landing of the week, your affirmation of the week. I release the pressure to figure out my purpose. I start with listening inward to what I need in this moment. I release the pressure to figure out my purpose, and I start with listening inward to what I need in this moment. It's okay if you don't have it all mapped out, really seriously. Like, if you don't take something from from that from this, then please let it be this. What you need right now matters more than what you think you should want five years from now. So this weekend, ask yourself what do I actually need in this moment? Or if you're feeling a bit more frivolous, ask what do I actually desire in this moment? And if it's I don't know, five moments of peace, then go make sure that you can this can somehow be arranged. If it's going for the good coffee, then you go do dad. And we don't care uh about what's productive this weekend or what's impressive or what reads well, or we only care about what feels true. So listen to that and trust it. So this has been the soft landing of the week. Uh, a new soft landing, new weekly affirmation comes out every Friday. Save it, share it, come back to it whenever you need a little reminder. And I'll see you again on the scene ground.