Everything feels heavy right now. The world, your life, maybe both. And here's what nobody's saying: you're close to breaking. Not dramatically, quietly. One more thing might crack your foundation.

This conversation is 43 minutes which is longer than my usual episodes. That's intentional. When everything feels too heavy, you don't need another quick pep talk or surface-level fix. You need Foundational Practices that actually hold you. This isn't something I can rush without shortchanging you. This is the depth you need right now.

Three Foundational Practices for when the literal winter is coming AND when you're in a season of life that feels impossibly hard.

Recently ranked #36 on Goodpods’ Top Mental Health Podcasts! Thank you for listening and sharing. 💛

What You'll Discover:

• Why feeling heavy is a healthy response to chaos, not evidence you're broken
• The critical difference between breaking and being broken (and why you're not broken)
• How to practice Awareness Without Judgment using the Body Check-In and the magic phrase "and that makes sense"
• Why epic transformations often fail long term and how small, sustainable shifts build Mental Fitness and momentum
• The Friend Filter: speaking to yourself like someone you love
• How practicing self-compassion daily strengthens your self-love and resilience
• Why "that crack is where the light comes in" changes everything

Powerful Quotes:

"There's a huge difference between breaking and being broken. None of us are broken."

"You cannot positive-think or positive talk your way out of heaviness. You cannot hack your way through a season that demands you slow down and build differently."

"The smallest shift breaks the paralysis. It creates a crack in the wall you've been hitting your head against. That crack is where the light comes in."

"The compassion you're practicing becomes the love you're living."

"You don't undo the work because you forgot to be compassionate with yourself. You don't start from zero every time you struggle."

The 3 Foundational Practices:

1. Awareness Without Judgment – See what's real without making it mean you're failing
2. One Small Shift – Not epic transformation. One small action that proves you still have agency and breaks the paralysis.
3. Do the Work With Self-Compassion – Speak to yourself like you'd speak to someone you love.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Everything feels heavy right now
08:26 – Where are you really at? Check-in
10:46 – Practice 1: Awareness Without Judgment
17:39 – Practice 2: One Small Shift
26:07 – Practice 3: Self-Compassion
35:27 – How these practices work together
36:45 – When you suck at this (and why that's okay)

Join the Conversation: Share this with someone who came to mind when you read "everything feels heavy." Which practice will you start with today? Follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and leave a quick rating, so someone who feels too heavy to carry on can find this conversation.

This is an inside job. Share this episode with those you love. 💛

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Thank you for being here. You are enough. ✨