NOTICING - The Human Superpower

NOTICING - The Human Superpower

Author: People Soup May 14, 2025 Duration: 15:12

Hi there and a very warm welcome to Season 6 Episode 25 of People Soup, it's Ross McIntosh here.

 This week., it's another cup-a-soup. A short episode from me. I'm going to explore the human superpower of noticing. I'll talk about what we might be missing out on when we're stuck inside our own heads, and share an exercise that you might like to try, which, with practice, is designed to enhance our skill of noticing.

 Here's a question. How much of our waking hours do we spend on autopilot? I've asked this hundreds of times to groups of adults in the workplace, and people will typically come in with a high number, sometimes as high as 90%.

The actual figure from a study by some psychologists at Harvard was 46.9%. That means we can be mind wandering for almost half the day, perhaps not noticing what's going on around us. Now, this research also noticed that the wandering mind isn't always the happiest of minds.

For those of you who are new to People Soup - welcome - it's great to have you here - I aim to provide you with ingredients for a better work life from behavioural science and beyond. For those of you who are regular P Soupers - thanks for tuning in - we love it that you're part of our community.

There is a transcript for each episode. There is a caveat - this transcript is largely generated by Artificial Intelligence, I have corrected many errors but I won't have captured them all! You can also find the shownotes by clicking on notes then keep scrolling for all the useful links.

My open course "Your Blueprint for Well-Being, Action & Resilience."

Please note - the planned course for June 2025 has been postponed - more news soon.

It's bringing ACT in the workplace to the public through the training I developed with Dr Paul Flaxman. I've delivered it to thousands of adults in the workplace with exceptional feedback. It's for people who are interested in navigating their working live more effectively. It will folks consider what really matters and what might be getting in the way of them being the person they'd really like to be. If you're a P-Souper or have trained with me in the past, please think about passing on this opportunity to a friend, colleague or family member. The maximum size of the cohort is 12 people - first come, first served. All the details are via this link.


Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life

He's now also on Bluesky

The People Soup Website on CAPTIVATE


Ever wonder why we do the things we do, especially at work or when trying to lead others? People Soup digs into that question, but it doesn’t stop at theory. Each episode is built on a foundation of behavioural science, which means you’ll get more than just interesting stories-you’ll get a clearer understanding of the human ingredients that make up our daily interactions. The conversations here feel real and unscripted, often touching on the messy, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating experience of simply being human. You’ll find that this podcast operates at the intersection of our professional ambitions and our personal well-being, exploring how they influence each other in ways we might not immediately see. It’s for anyone who has left a meeting baffled by a colleague’s reaction, struggled to motivate a team, or just wanted to navigate their own goals with a bit more clarity and less friction. The ideas discussed are deliberately practical, designed to be used almost immediately, whether you’re looking to improve a process, a relationship, or your own mindset. Tune in for a blend of thoughtful analysis and actionable insight that aims to make the complex recipe of human behaviour a little easier to understand and work with.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

People Soup
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