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Episode 39

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Published on:

22nd Jun 2026

Quick Spoon: The signs you might be ignoring

What happens when your body starts telling you something you don't want to hear?

In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a moment from his conversation with business psychologist, consultant and author, Dr Joe Gray.

While working in a demanding corporate role, Jo began experiencing a persistent "flicky eye". What seemed like a minor irritation turned out to be a sign that something deeper was going on.

It's a reminder that warning signs don't always arrive as a crisis. Sometimes they show up as tension, disrupted sleep, irritability, or a feeling of being permanently switched on.

Ross explores how easy it is to normalise these signals and offers a simple reflection to help us pay attention before small signs become bigger problems.

Something to Reflect On

What signal might your body be sending you that you've stopped paying attention to?

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Powering Workplace Proactivity with Dr Joanne Gray via the link below!

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Transcript

QS1 - the signs you might be ignoring

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[00:00:11] And then started having other kind of health things.

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[00:00:59] The challenge [00:01:00] is that when we're busy, we often normalize these signals. We tell ourselves, "Oh, it's just a busy period. It'll settle down. I just need to get through this week." And then one [00:01:10] week becomes six months. So here's something to try. This week, ask yourself, "What signal might my body be sending me that I've stopped paying attention [00:01:20] to?"

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About the Podcast

People Soup
Real conversations about work, leadership and being human
A podcast exploring work, leadership, and being human through real conversations - grounded in behavioural science and full of practical ideas you can apply straight away.

The name People Soup was inspired by a quote from the psychologist Abraham Maslow:

"A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting."

I've always loved that idea. Creativity isn't confined to art, it can be found in the way we live, work, lead and relate to one another.

Work can sometimes feel like a soup: a rich, sometimes bewildering mix of people, personalities, decisions, pressures, relationships and unexpected challenges. Every day we're trying to make sense of the ingredients we've been given.

Behavioural science can't remove the complexity, but it can help us work with it. It offers practical ingredients, useful tools and simple ways of thinking that help us respond more effectively—to ourselves, to other people and to the situations we face.

That's what People Soup is all about.

Work is rarely tidy. It's a soup rather than a recipe. We don't get to choose every ingredient, but we can learn how to work skilfully with what's already in the pot.

About your host

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Ross McIntosh

I'm Ross McIntosh, a business psychologist, coach and facilitator, with over 30 years' experience helping people thrive at work.

People Soup grew from a simple belief: work is an important part of life, but it doesn't have to come at the expense of our wellbeing, our relationships or our values.

Each episode explores the realities of work, leadership and being human through the lens of behavioural science. Sometimes that's a conversation with an inspiring guest. Sometimes it's a short "Quick Spoon" offering a practical idea you can put into practice straight away.

My work is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach that helps people develop psychological flexibility: the ability to stay purposeful, adaptable and effective, even when life gets messy.

Whether you're leading a team, supporting others, or simply trying to navigate the pressures of modern work, my hope is that People Soup gives you practical tools, fresh perspectives and the confidence to take your next meaningful step.

A few things about me
Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.
Fellow of the Association for Coaching.
Research collaborator with City St George's, University of London.
Speaker, facilitator and leadership development consultant.
Founder and Host of the People Soup podcast.

When I'm not recording the podcast or working with clients, you'll usually find me reading, cycling, improving my Spanish, or enjoying life in southern Spain with my husband.