#90 Navigating Overwhelm in Challenging Times
Overwhelm eases when we recognize we don’t have to play every role. You don’t have to be everything or fix everything. Your power lies in discovering and nurturing your unique contribution.
How to Transform Emotional Sensitivity into a Superpower
Today we’re diving into the powerful shift that happens when we embrace our emotional sensitivity for the superpower that it really is.
When we stop apologizing for being “too sensitive” and begin to value it as a gift.
When we move from ‘I’m sorry’ to ‘Thank you’ for staying connected to what matters most: our hearts.
What if those moments when we feel deeply about something, when we pick up on subtle emotional undercurrents and our sensitivity brings up tears, or anger … What if these moments are actually evidence of our emotional attunement and our present moment connectedness?
In a world that trains us into emotional detachment and tells us to have a “thicker skin,” maintaining this kind of emotional sensitivity is not just brave – it’s revolutionary.
How to Build Emotional Connection with People Who Struggle to Express Feelings
Establishing an emotional connection with someone who struggles to express feelings requires patience, empathy, and a deep understanding of their needs, and honoring individual communication styles while still respecting your own need for meaningful connection.
Transforming Caretaking: 5 Steps for Healthier Relationships
Have you ever found yourself in a pattern of caretaking relationships where you’re constantly the one giving and supporting, only to feel drained and uninspired? It’s a common experience, especially for those of us who’ve been conditioned to put others’ needs before our own. But the toll it takes on our well-being is significant, and breaking free from this cycle of caretaker burnout is crucial for our mental and emotional health.
Encouraging Authenticity: Two Keys and Common Pitfalls to Avoid
There are two keys to encouraging authenticity: a willingness to be seen and known by myself and a willingness to let others see and know me.
How to Empathize with Anxiety: 3 Easy Tips
On a recent podcast, a caller wondered if we empathize with anxiety, we could actually make the anxiety worse. Surprisingly, it might. It really matters what we emphasize when we’re providing empathy to someone experiencing anxiety. Here are three steps for empathizing with anxiety:
The Wisdom of Anger
The wisdom of anger lies in its ability to clarify so much for us. It can tell us about our needs and the needs of those around us, about our limits and boundaries, and about our desires.
Making Peace with Pain
I had a realization this week that although a relationship can be painful, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unsafe. Unpleasant feelings get our attention on our needs and on tending more consciously to our well-being. However, they are not inherently “harmful.” When I feel hurt, or feel pain, I am not always necessarily being “harmed.”
Permission to Request What You Want
Many of us have spent a lifetime knowing what it is that would make us happy, but not giving ourselves the permission to ask for it. Often, we protect what we imagine are others’ feelings to the detriment of speaking what is true for ourselves.
Sometimes even in our closest relationships, telling the people who are important to us exactly what we want or need can feel like an impossible task. It can be an absolute revelation when we realize that clear requests allow us to show up authentically, and also allow us to co-create the boundaries of our relationship together.
A Surprising Source of Courage
Courage is a necessary component in many relational conversations. And, if we’re looking for a good, solid dose of courage, we can often find one in by pursuing the vision of what we’re willing to go to bat for.