Weekly companion blogs to the Transformative Journeys to Growth and Resilience™ podcast.
What Is Loss? Disenfranchised Grief & the Invisible Losses That Still Hurt
Grief is so much more than mourning someone who has passed. It’s the body and brain’s response to any significant loss - especially when that loss changes our identity, our relationships, or the future we thought we were going to have.
You Don’t Need to Earn Your Rest - Snack Episode 15
Rest isn’t a reward that’s only doled out to those who get their list done first. It’s a Requirement.
Choosing Yourself Without Guilt: Why Healing Isn’t Selfish
the same area of our brain that processes physical pain - the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex or dACC (I don’t even try to pronounce this in the podcast…) - also lights up when we experience social rejection (Eisenberger, 2012). That’s why being left out hurts. Why it hurts when someone shows disapproval toward us. Why setting a boundary can feel like danger. And why choosing our own needs over others can feel like a risk. If you’ve experienced trauma, people-pleasing may have become a form of protection… a way to stay safe. Your nervous system learned that keeping others happy kept you safe. But what’s the cost of always ignoring our own needs?
You’re in Good Company (Even Without Your Sh*t Together Today)
I’ll be honest… a couple of weeks ago I had a bit of a day. (And there’s a good chance I’ve had one or two since then).
Energy Leaks: Where Your Power Goes (And How to Take It Back)
Let’s talk about energy leaks. The sneaky, everyday things that drain your mental, emotional, and even physical energy like a slow puncture in a tire. In this week’s episode of the podcast, I go through some of the places you’re letting your energy seep out… and how to start patching the leaks so you can reclaim your power, and feel more like yourself again.
Boundaries Without Guilt: How to Say No and Still Be Kind
There’s a reason saying “no” makes your stomach twist. Research shows that parts of our brain (like the amygdala) actually light up when we anticipate social rejection - and not in a good way. Our nervous system responds like we’re in danger. Our heart rate rises, our breathing shifts, and we may even feel panic.
