The Overwhelmed Brain
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524 episodes
Going for goals can be, well, disappointing. Trying to get something done might give you feelings of failure when you don't get it done. Are you a goal setter or do you wing it? I hate goal-setting myself. I'll share some of my thoughts on this to help you avoid disappointment after disappointment.
What drives the important decisions in your life, fear or desire? In this episode I talk about a person's fear of visiting his father because of family that doesn't want him there. I also talk about how to start trusting again after someone betrays you... is there a path to wholeness after such an event?
There's a fine line between real suffering versus just getting stuck in a cycle of feeling sorry for yourself. The chronic complainer's suffering is real, but is it self-inflicted? Do they really want to change? And do some people benefit from expressing their pain and suffering? There's no victim-blaming here. I'm just exploring a subject many of us might run into.
Trying to encourage a friend in a relationship to see the truth about their toxic partner can come with its own set of challenges, especially when the friend doesn't want to hear it and the toxic person wants to shut you down.
What happens when you fall for someone who might still have feelings for the person they were with? Is it a relationship that can survive? Or will the fear of them returning to the person they cared about before you be too much for you to keep it going?
When someone constantly puts you down, it’s not just hurtful; it’s destructive. I’ll share some personal strategies that could help you navigate these rough waters, aiming to keep your self-esteem intact.
A "germaphobe" shares their challenge at a work function with food being the catalyst for an embarrassing moment that ended up in tears. When you have behaviors and nuances that others might judge you for, do you hide them from the world? Should you? That's a great topic to talk about.
Why is it so hard to strike a balance between our own happiness and the happiness of those we care about? In today’s episode, I tackle the challenges of relational conflict and the importance of acknowledging when we’re not okay. We face tough moments in life. And it takes courage to assert our dignity. Sometimes, standing up for yourself is the most respectful thing you can do—for you and your loved ones. Let's explore the fine line between pleasing others and recognizing that you might be inadvertently contributing to your own unhappiness. Sometimes that means facing what you fear head on.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel of a troubled relationship? Past difficult relationships can certainly leave you with sensitivities to current and future ones, so it's important to make sure you align with what's most important to you and follow that path. If you don't, you could end up sticking around for something that may never, ever change - and you'll wonder if you will regret your decision when all is said and done. In this episode, I address one woman's question about how her partner put his hands on her in anger and she's not sure if she is wasting her time sticking around or if she should hold on to hope even though she can no longer trust the person she's with.
Why is it so hard to strike a balance between supporting someone's goals and managing our own reactions? Sometimes, we have to traverse a tightrope walk of love and support without the comfort of a safety net. When you want to love someone but they make it hard because of a habit or behavior they're doing, you might have no choice but to make a hard choice for yourself.
Should you concede to another person's flaws to maintain peace? We all seek approval at times, but in some relationships, this quest can take on a different hue, especially when one’s own insecurities are creating difficult and sometimes toxic conversations. Getting through some conversations without one or both people getting upset might take some clever communicating. That's what I'm talking about today.
What is the consequence of withholding a big secret from the person you are supposed to have an honest, transparent relationship with? Secrets can lead to lies that lead to people feeling betrayed, causing pain when all of it could have probably been avoided in the first place.
Enforcing boundaries with family is hard enough, but what if they want to enforce them with you? What if they want to close the door to your relationship, even though you didn't do anything wrong? In this episode, I read a message from a woman whose father decided his new wife and family were more important than his existing one. Very, very tough subject.
Why do we sometimes struggle to make ourselves understood? You know that moment when you’re explaining something you’re sure you know inside and out, but the person you’re talking to just isn’t getting it? It’s not about the complexity of the topic, it's about understanding the unique ways we all process information. Our brains are all wired in their own way, which means what’s clear to you might be a jigsaw puzzle to someone else. Learning to communicate without sparking a battle shouldn't be a battle in itself.
Have you ever had a tiny squeak in a door in your home that irritated you every time you used it? What happens after you oil the hinge and the squeak goes away? To some, it can feel like a life-changing moment! That and other quality-of-life improvements can actually create happiness and make the day to day that much better.
Romantic relationships bring their share of challenges. In this episode, I Why is it that even with the best intentions, relationships can feel like navigating a minefield? You might have experienced the tension that comes with tough partners, the kind that test your patience and resilience. Today I'll be tackling four messages from four different people about their relationship challenges. Packed episode!
Your friends and family really want the best for you. But what are they going to say when they see you make a decision they believe is just crazy? I explore that very topic in this episode. A woman writes to me and tells me she's taking a break from her husband after telling her friends and family how awful he was. She has no idea to face them and tell them the news.
Do you feel bad for what you did? Do you feel guilty? How long ago was it? Is feeling guilt a necessary component of healing? In this episode, someone feels guilty for moving on without their friends from the past and wants to know how to stop. Their life has improved and they've never felt better. But that guilt...
The past shapes who we are today. Sometimes, that past is also what haunts us today. And sometimes, it even torments others even when we don't mean to. Digging into ourselves can be the hardest step toward mental and emotional strength, but it is almost always makes us stronger - and maybe even happier.
Unfortunately, there are people in the world who will never see your worth. They may, in fact, be incapable of seeing anything past their own judgments. That can be tough to deal with sometimes, especially if these people are supposed to be close.
This is a sleep episode. Listen when you're ready to go to sleep. Make sure your podcast app doesn't automatically play another episode as it might wake you up. This episode has a long silence at the end. Enjoy your slumber. There are no sponsors or ads in this episode - No interruptions.
You may encounter situations where a friend or family member is closely involved with someone whose behavior is toxic or dysfunctional. While they may be unaware of the adverse impact of their partner or friend, it becomes a different story when this person enters your life. How do you handle when someone you care about brings a person you strongly dislike into your personal space? What if you believe they might even be dangerous to you and those you love?
How deep do you have to dig in order to figure out who you are? What do you need in yourself and for yourself so that when you connect with others, you are connecting from that deeper, authentic place inside you? It can be a spiritual journey for some, but there are practical methods to understand yourself at the deepest level.
Some people have an existential dread surrounding death and dying. For some, death remains a profound mystery, while others hold steadfast beliefs about what lies beyond. Regardless of where you stand, if the fear of death consumes your thoughts, we need to talk about it. My hope is that this episode will offer you a fresh perspective on this inevitable aspect of life. Stick around until the end, where I'll pose some thought-provoking questions designed to help you navigate your anxieties about mortality.
When people you care about put their attention on other things, like games or their phone, you may feel like they are ignoring and even neglecting you. If they are, that doesn't feel very good. What should you do? Tell them get off their phone or else? Or is there a better way to get their attention?
What happens when there is a huge challenge in a relationship, perhaps where one person wrongs the other in some way, and the relationship changes for the worst... forever? Can it be salvaged? Is it over? Can there be a different "new normal" after a long resentment? All questions I try to answer in this episode.
Is the landscape of your mind your private sanctuary filled with thoughts and imaginings that may not always be suitable for others to hear about? What do you do when someone urges you to reveal your innermost thoughts—especially those that could potentially offend them? Is full disclosure always the best policy, or do you have the right to keep some of what happens in your mind sacred?
As adults, we have the right to make decisions that others may disagree with. While they may point out the risks, the decision eventually falls on our shoulders. And making certain decisions in the face of trusted friends' and family's opposition can be quite challenging.
The up and down, or high and low, of any relationship or circumstance can wear you down until you are worn out completely. But can we get addicted to the ups and downs? Can our desire for the next high point keep us in a situation that makes us unhappy? That's the subject I explore today.
Changing how you respond to and cope with challenges can improve your relationships and life overall. When you're getting the same, bad results over and over again, it might be time for a new perspective to help you create better outcomes.
