You know what I used to call numbing out? A mini vacation. Whether it was wine at the end of the day (I’m now 13 years sober), scrolling endlessly, or just anything to avoid feeling the full weight of my emotions, it all came down to one thing: avoidance. And that’s exactly what I’m getting into in this solo episode, the real reasons we numb, what it costs us, and how to begin doing something different.

This one goes beyond “just stop doing it.” I’m talking about the discomfort, the deep emotional wiring, and why it makes total sense that you’ve been avoiding hard feelings. But also, how the shift starts. (Hint: it’s not by beating yourself up.) I’m pulling straight from my book How to Stop Feeling Like Shit and breaking down specific tools to start feeling your feelings, even if you’re a beginner.

What You’ll Hear:

How numbing and avoiding are really about running from emotions
What my therapist told me that I really didn’t want to hear (spoiler: she was right)
The “holy emotions” we’re often most afraid to feel: grief, shame, terror, rage
The biggest clues that you might be avoiding emotions (including the empathy test)
Three key tools to start feeling your feelings: acceptance, curiosity, and self-trust
The role of somatic work, breathwork, and psychedelic therapy in emotional healing

You’re not broken because you’ve been numbing out. Your body’s been doing its best to keep you safe. This episode is about getting curious, not judgmental; and starting to build a new way forward, one brave feeling at a time.

Resources:

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit - The 8-Week Experience

How to Stop Feeling Like Shit (book)

Minisode 675: New Level, Old Devil: Why Family Of Origin Stuff Keeps Showing Up

Episode 658: Lesson 1 on self-abandonment, codependency, and self-trust

Episode 659: Lesson 2 on The Four Holy Emotions: How Grief, Terror, Rage, and Shame Unlock Your Power

My Ketamine Therapy Journey secret podcast series

Facing Love Addiction, Pia Mellody

When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chodron

Book recommendations:

I love a good personal development book, and you do too, right? I’ve compiled a list of book recommendations, as mentioned in past episodes. Check out these amazing book recommendations here. Happy reading!

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Episode link:

http://andreaowen.com/676

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60: “Deploying SwiftUI in production”, with special guest David Smith

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