

127: Do NOT Follow This "Advice" To Reduce Anxiety
What if someone can make you feel something, and the real problem is pretending they can’t?
In this episode, I talk about a phrase I used to hear all the time: “Nobody can make you feel anything.” I break down why I no longer believe that’s true, and what actually happens in the brain and body when we’re triggered. I get into how emotional responses are often reflexive, how easily anxiety hijacks intense feelings, and why staying grounded in the body, not the mind, is what really gives us choice.
You’ll Learn:
- The real reason “nobody can make you feel anything” doesn’t hold up to neuroscience
- What happens in your brain when someone triggers a strong emotional reaction
- Why fear responses can bypass your thinking mind entirely
- How anxiety often hijacks other emotions and turns them into alarm
- The quiet damage of suppressing anger in childhood
- What it feels like to lose your rational mind in a moment of overwhelm
- Why grounding in your body is more effective than “just thinking differently”
- The difference between emotional reflexes and how you choose to respond
- What the physiological sigh does for nervous system regulation
- Why emotional regulation takes practice and why that practice has to start before the trigger hits
Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction
[11:31] Why intense emotions often get mistaken for anxiety and feed the victim loop
[14:26] How to break the fear habit by practicing emotional awareness and response
[17:01] Why intense emotions shut down your rational brain and how to stay in control
[20:37] How to stay grounded and choose your response when you're triggered
[21:54] How to train your body to stay calm during emotional overwhelm
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