The Overwhelmed Brain | Stress | Anxiety | Relationship | Critical Thinking | Emotional Intelligence | Emotional Abuse

Relationships require empathy. Without it, you will have an imbalance that will not only feel lonely, but also emotionally toxic. 

Why do obsessive thoughts take over our minds? What keeps them there? And why can't we stop them after they start? There are so many questions about something so pervasive and invasive that I try to answer in this episode. If you’re struggling to let go of past events and find yourself caught in cycles of regret and anger, I will help you get off the hamster wheel and on to steady ground again. 

Do you ever wonder why it’s so hard to show your true self to others? I explore how hiding parts of yourself can affect your relationships and what it takes to foster deeper emotional connections by embracing authenticity.

Leaving a toxic upbringing and the dysfunctional family home can bring about anxiety, fear, and even loneliness. Trauma bonding is real. Childhood experiences deeply impact adult behaviors and coping strategies, often unsuited for adult relationships. Stepping into a new life after you've known nothing but the old has its own set of challenges. 

Relationships shouldn't be hard, but we know they can be. When they are more challenging because of their issues, or ours, or both, it's helpful to find the glimmer of light to shine on a seemingly dark situation. In this episode, I answer three different types of relationship questions. From pining over an ex to jealousy to compatibility and more. 

Sometimes, happiness requires a loss. Many people aren't willing to take that loss, which might be the very reason they are unhappy. Getting to happiness isn't always just doing what makes you happy. It can be deeper than that, and some people don't want to go there. 

Sometimes we have to make a tough choice and give someone the bad news about our next step. That next step? Could be telling your boss you quit or a partner you're leaving. Some people can't handle bad news so you may be hesitant to tell them. Or maybe you are afraid of their reaction so you procrastinate.  After you listen to this episode, you'll know what the most important thing to remember is while telling someone what you need to do for yourself. 

Sometimes making new friends or romantic partners takes more than compatibility and similar values. There's an important ingredient to making connections at a deeper level and keeping those connections in your life. At the end of this episode, I share the results of a relationship survey I created. Where do many couples people meet? How do they meet? Lots to talk about. 

Unexpressed emotions can amplify inside you, causing you to build a tolerance for bad behaviors. What happens when you can't hold any more negative energy? Are you inadvertently building up resilience to things you should be addressing instead? 

There's a good reason to manage emotional triggers to prevent damaging reactions in relationships. In this episode, I share a five-step process to visualize and prepare for these moments. There are long-term consequences when you're always jumping to conclusions and reacting to things that, perhaps, aren't as bad as you think. 

How many chances should you give someone before you realize that chances are only delaying the inevitable? Whether it's a friend, family member or partner, some people won't change. And when they won't, we may have to in order to find more peace and happiness in our lives. 

When you hurt someone, whether intentionally or not, there are several things that could happen: Maybe they forgive you, maybe they don't. Maybe they are willing to move on. Maybe they take a while to heal but eventually come around. Maybe they never want to talk to you again. Or maybe, just maybe, they want to hurt you back just to make you feel a tiny portion of how they feel. 

When someone emotionally distances themselves from you, is there a way to get them back? Is that the beginning of the end? There are ways to talk with the emotionally disconnected person that may get you to the truth... a truth you may not want to hear. 

Have you noticed a rise of negative interactions in online communities and even in person? Are people's emotional temperatures getting hotter? It'd be great if we could resolve issues maturely, but some people would rather introduce conflict than agree to disagree.  

What do you do when someone doesn't like or trust you? Do you try to make them realize that you're not so bad or that they are wrong about you? I'll share why this doesn't always work.

The guilt and regret from something we did in our past can haunt us for the rest of our lives. Living with guilt decreases happiness and is a constant reminder of who we were. I share how I alleviate guilt when it comes up for me, and I even address a common subject almost all of us face at one time or another (or maybe often). 

Do you do and say what you want to do and say without fear? Or is fear in the driver's seat? If that's the case, you may never be as happy or fulfilled as you want to be. It's important to figure out just who is the primary decision-maker in your life: You or fear.

How can you show someone you care about that they are worthy? You could probably think of many things. But are you doing anything that might make someone you care about feel unworthy? You may not even realize you're doing it. 

Our past lessons and learnings can sometimes sneak up on us as a challenge to pass to prepare us for what may come. "Passing" usually means facing a fear of some sort. "Failing" usually means repeating the same old thing over and over again until we get it. Or not.   

Have you ever been told to reconnect with who you were, but really have no clue who that is? Some people started their life in a toxic or dysfunctional environment and have no healthy self to reconnect with. What do you do then?  There are steps to defining or redefining yourself. I talk about them in this episode.