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Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap

Written by: Michael Comyn
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About this listen

Welcome to “Mind the Gap,” the podcast where ancient wisdom and modern emotional intelligence converge. I’m Michael Comyn, and with nearly 40 years of experience in emotional intelligence, I’m excited to bring you this exploration of how Stoic philosophy can illuminate our contemporary challenges.

You might also recognise my voice from a different context—I’ve been the one reminding passengers to “Mind the Gap” on public transport across Ireland for the past 25 years. It’s a phrase that has taken on a new meaning in this podcast, as we explore the gap between our emotions and reality.

In each episode, we’ll bridge the gap between the timeless insights of Stoic philosophers and the latest understandings of emotional intelligence. I’ll share practical tools and strategies to help you manage feelings, enhance self-awareness, and build resilience.

Join me as we explore how these ancient teachings can provide clarity and guidance for today’s emotional landscape. Let’s close the gap together, turning everyday challenges into opportunities for growth, one episode at a time.

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Episodes
  • How We Heal in Ordinary Ways

    How We Heal in Ordinary Ways
    Jan 24 2026

    How do people really heal? Not through dramatic breakthroughs, but through small, ordinary moments.

    In this episode, Michael Comyn reflects on personal recovery from a recent experience of gossip and intrusion, and explores how humans heal through connection, routine, purpose, and everyday emotional intelligence.

    A gentle, optimistic reflection on resilience, wellbeing, and the quiet work of becoming a little quicker to mend.
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    10 mins
  • Stoicism Is Not a Weapon

    Stoicism Is Not a Weapon
    Jan 17 2026

    In this episode of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn returns to Stoic philosophy to address how Stoicism is being simplified and misused in some online spaces, particularly where grievance, emotional shutdown, and contempt are mistaken for strength.

    Drawing on the original teachings of Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca, and Musonius Rufus, Michael reclaims Stoicism as a philosophy of self-governance, responsibility, and shared humanity, not dominance or detachment.

    This episode is a clarification, a return to source, and a challenge to examine whether the philosophy we claim to follow is shaping character or simply justifying anger.

    Michael’s books Mind the Gap, The Next Station Is…, and Between the Lines are available on Amazon.

    Follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share the episode if it resonates.
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    10 mins
  • Living in Permanent Alert Mode

    Living in Permanent Alert Mode
    Jan 10 2026

    Why do so many people feel exhausted even when nothing obvious is wrong?

    In this opening episode of Season 4 of Mind the Gap, Michael Comyn explores what it means to live in permanent alert mode, a state of constant urgency driven by 24-hour news cycles, notifications, and global uncertainty.

    This episode looks at how the human nervous system reacts to modern life, why being informed is not the same as being emotionally overloaded, and how chronic low-grade stress quietly shapes our thinking, relationships, and leadership.

    Drawing on emotional intelligence, psychology, and neuroscience, Michael reflects on why we feel wired but tired, why reactivity has become the norm, and how to pause between stimulus and response in a world that never switches off.

    The episode references insights from Daniel Goleman on emotional reactivity, Viktor Frankl on choice and response, and Robert Kegan on our ability to live with uncertainty.

    If you feel tense, overwhelmed, or permanently on edge, this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and practical ways to regain calm without disengaging from the world.

    In this episode

    • Why constant urgency exhausts the nervous system
    • How news and notifications trigger stress responses
    • The difference between being informed and being emotionally inflamed
    • Why reactivity feels normal but costs us clarity
    • A simple emotional intelligence pause practice
    • Why calm is a form of discernment, not indifference

    Mind the Gap is a podcast by Michael Comyn exploring emotional intelligence, psychology, and modern life with clarity, warmth, and practical insight.

    New episodes are released regularly.
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    10 mins
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