Building Resilience

We often think resilience means pushing through, staying strong, toughing it out, and keeping a brave face. But what if true resilience comes from something softer, kindness? In this grounding episode, Leah Davidson shares how kindness, especially self-kindness, can shift your nervous system from survival to safety. You’ll learn how harsh self-talk activates stress in your body, while even tiny acts of gentleness, a pause, a breath, a kind word, begin to rewire your system for healing and calm.Leah also explores how kindness shows up in parenting, relationships, and everyday moments of struggle. Whether you’re recovering from burnout, navigating chronic illness, or simply feeling overwhelmed, this episode will remind you that kindness isn’t weakness, it’s your most powerful tool for resilience, connection, and healing.We’ll explore:Resilience grows in environments of safety, not self-criticism.Your body responds to inner dialogue, harsh words trigger threat; kind words signal safety.Micro kindnesses, like resting without guilt or using gentler self-talk, can shift your physiology.True kindness honours boundaries, it’s not about people-pleasing or self-erasure.Kindness is daily medicine for your nervous system and the key to sustainable healing.Links and Resources:New: Worry Time PreSale Bundle (limited time offer) (ends October 17th, 2025)Resource:  IBS Nervous System ResetGet: My Safe Space: Affirmation and Journal Prompt Set📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US 📌 Amazon CA🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in communityWant to create your own Skool Community? 🔗 Check it out hereLet’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a 5 star rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it possible that the true key to success, in business, healthcare, and life, isn’t found in data, but in kindness?In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson explores how kindness, far from being a “soft skill,” is actually a powerful nervous system practice that sustains growth, connection, and creativity.From medical school ceremonies to entrepreneurial struggles, Leah reflects on how we often measure success by numbers and performance while overlooking the biological and relational power of kindness. She shares how kindness can reframe our understanding of success, foster nervous system safety, and even become a smart business strategy, something AI will never replicate.Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or healer, this episode will remind you that kindness isn’t just a moral choice, it’s a biological intervention and the foundation of sustainable success.We’ll explore:Kindness isn’t weakness, it’s a nervous system regulator that fosters safety, healing, and creativity.Metrics and performance can’t measure the depth of human connection or trust.Bringing kindness into business leads to more sustainable success and healthier relationships.AI can replicate data, but not human compassion or co-regulation.The way you make others feel may be your most powerful business advantage.Links and Resources:New: Worry Time PreSale Bundle (limited time offer)Resource: IBS Nervous System ResetGet: My Safe Space: Affirmation and Journal Prompt Set📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US 📌 Amazon CA🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in communityWant to create your own Skool Community?🔗 Check it out hereLet’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a 5 star rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this milestone episode, Leah is joined by bestselling author and master coach Molly Claire to talk about her new book, She Rises.Together, they explore what it really means to rise through adversity, whether that’s grief, burnout, perfectionism, or life transitions, and how emotions, nervous system health, and community all play a role in building resilience.You’ll hear powerful stories from She Rises and learn simple, practical ways to embrace growth, process grief, and find strength in life’s hardest seasons.We’ll explore:Why resistance to life’s challenges can keep us stuckHow grief shows up in unexpected waysThe role of emotions in resilience and nervous system healthPractical ways to lean into growth when you feel stuckWhy community and connection are essential for rising strongLinks and Resources:Lean more about Molly ClaireLife, Mastered with Molly Claire PodcastFree resources: https://www.mollyclaire.com/freebie—-------------------------New Resource : IBS Nervous System ResetNEW: My Safe Space: Affirmation and Journal Prompt Set📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US 📌 Amazon CA🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in communityWant to create your own Skool Community? 🔗 Check it out hereLet’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a 5 star rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve ever struggled with IBS, you know it’s about more than digestion. It’s the discomfort, unpredictability, anxiety, and sometimes even shame that come along with it. And while food lists and symptom trackers may help a little, they rarely get to the root of the problem.In this episode of Building Resilience, Leah explores IBS from a nervous system perspective. She unpacks the fascinating connection between the gut and the brain, why stress makes symptoms worse, and how your body’s protective “alarm system” may be keeping you stuck in flare cycles.We’ll explore:Why IBS is a functional disorder (your gut looks fine, but it’s not working as it should)How the “second brain” in your gut constantly communicates with your actual brainThe role stress plays in digestion, inflammation, and the microbiomeThe protection loop that keeps symptoms alive long after the threat has passedPractical ways to expand your safety zone and support your nervous system in healingNew Resource : IBS Nervous System ResetNEW: My Safe Space: Affirmation and Journal Prompt Set📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US 📌 Amazon CA🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in communityWant to create your own Skool Community? 🔗 Check it out hereLet’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a 5 star rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the very things you do to manage your health are actually keeping you stuck?In this episode of Building Resilience, Leah uncovers the common habits that may be making you sick, like constantly talking about symptoms, compulsive Googling, avoiding activities, or delaying joy. These everyday patterns can keep your nervous system locked in protection mode, fueling chronic pain and stress. The good news? With awareness and small, practical shifts, you can begin to rewire your system toward safety, calm, and healing.We’ll explore: • Why symptom-focused talk and reassurance seeking backfire • How avoidance and hyper-monitoring shrink your world • The power of micro-habits that retrain your brain toward safety • Why joy and gratitude are essential to nervous system healingNew Resource : IBS Nervous System ResetNEW: My Safe Space: Affirmation and Journal Prompt Set📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US 📌 Amazon CA🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in communityWant to create your own Skool Community? 🔗 Check it out hereLet’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a 5 star rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever felt like food has all the power, that you can’t trust yourself around it, or that no matter how hard you try, you keep falling into the same patterns of overeating, restricting, or guilt?What if your struggles with food aren’t really about willpower at all, but about your nervous system?In this episode of Building Resilience, I’m joined by Jane Pilger, a coach who helps people move from fighting with their bodies to building food freedom and body trust. Jane shares her own 25-year journey with binge eating and how learning about the nervous system became the missing piece in her healing.We’ll explore:Food struggles are signals from your nervous system, not lack of willpowerShame and judgment keep you stuck, curiosity and compassion help you healFood often acts as a safety strategy but can also feel unsafe (the safety paradox)Black-and-white thinking about food is a sign of dysregulationThe Three Powerful Questions: What do I notice? What do I need? What’s next?Links mentioned:Connect with Jane PilgerBinge Eating Breakthrough Mini Series on food and the nervous systemFree resource: IBS Nervous System ResetNEW: My Safe Space: Affirmation and Journal Prompt Set📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care:🛍️ Amazon US🛍️ Amazon CA: Buy Here🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling Club Doodle, journal, and heal in community Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More and more parents are quietly noticing a growing distance with their adult children, and many Gen Z kids are just as quickly setting boundaries or even stepping away completely. If you’ve wondered why this is happening, you’re not alone.In this episode of Building Resilience, I explore the generational nervous system gap and why relationships between Gen X parents and Gen Z children can feel so strained. This isn’t about blame, it’s about understanding how cultural shifts, nervous system regulation, and different approaches to mental health have shaped how each generation sees family, boundaries, and connection.We’ll unpack research on rising family estrangement, why Gen Z is more likely to see boundaries as survival rather than betrayal, and how Gen X parents, who often poured decades of effort, time, and sacrifice into raising their kids, are making sense of this new reality. I’ll also talk about the risks on both sides: what Gen Z might lose when they disconnect too quickly, and what Gen X could face as they age without the support they expected.We’ll explore:The nervous system's role in feeling safe or unsafeGen Z's emotional vocabulary, its strengths and challengesWhy Gen X parents feel blindsided despite their best effortsThe difference between healthy boundaries (bridges) and isolating ones (walls)Links and Resources:IBS Nervous System Reset📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care:🛍️ Amazon US🛍️ Amazon CA: Buy Here🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling Club Doodle, journal, and heal in communityLet’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Silence can be one of the most powerful tools we have but it can also become one of the most damaging. In this episode of Building Resilience, we talk about the double-edged nature of silence: when it truly helps regulate your nervous system, and when it tips into avoidance, shutdown, or even self-abandonment.You’ll learn five different ways silence shows up: from a healthy reset to a symptom of trauma - and how to tell the difference. we also explore silence as a boundary, a relational message, and even as a quiet container for grief.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I choosing silence from a place of strength, or from fear?”- this conversation will give you clarity, compassion, and practical insights to navigate your own patterns with silence.We’ll explore:Silence can regulate your nervous system when used intentionally.Silence may also be a symptom of shutdown or trauma responses.Silence can act as a boundary, but it can also be misused as control.Quiet moments after crisis often bring grief or exhaustion to the surface.Silence in relationships is never neutral, it sends powerful messages.Awareness helps distinguish between protective silence and harmful avoidance.Want to create your own Skool Community? Check it out here: https://www.skool.com/signup?ref=06e003b61b8148ebbafd3a067f3cc2e1—-------------📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Journal...📌 Amazon CA: Buy Here:https://www.amazon.ca/Mental-Journal-...🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in community:https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-...Let’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you ever feel guilty for spending time on things that don’t feel “productive”? Or maybe you’ve let go of hobbies altogether because they don’t seem to “count”?In this episode of Building Resilience, we explore why skipping hobbies is actually wrecking your nervous system, and how bringing them back can help restore your energy, identity, and joy.Hobbies aren’t just frivolous or “nice to have.” They’re nervous system nourishment. They help us regulate, re-engage with life, and remember who we are outside of our roles and responsibilities. Whether it’s painting, gardening, collecting, or listening to music, hobbies can pull you out of survival mode, help you find your “play zone,” and bring you back to life.If you’ve been burned out, overwhelmed, or stuck in survival mode, this conversation will remind you why fun, curiosity, and creativity are not optional extras, they’re essential for resilience.We’ll explore:Productivity pressure disconnects us from joy and meaning.A true hobby is about presence, curiosity, and enjoyment, not performance or profit.Rest has two forms: stillness (quieting) and nourishment (reigniting).Burnout often comes from doing too little of what feels alive.Hobbies guide the nervous system into the “play zone”, that sweet spot of safety + engagement.The nervous system sometimes just needs something that lets it “be.”Exploring hobbies opens safe containers for creativity, joy, and regulation.📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Journal...📌 Amazon CA: Buy Here:https://www.amazon.ca/Mental-Journal-...🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in community:https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-...Let’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when your kids grow up, and your role as their parent quietly, but profoundly, changes?In this episode of Building Resilience, I unpack the real meaning behind the shocking phrase, “I hate my kids.” Spoiler: it’s not about hate at all. It’s about the complex, often unspoken realities of parenting young adult children, the shifting roles, the nervous system toll, the grief of being needed less, and the bittersweet pride of watching them build their own lives.I share my own behind-the-scenes experiences, from feeling invisible in my own home when they visit, to resisting the urge to “fix” their struggles, to navigating sibling dynamics and new partners, to rediscovering my own identity beyond motherhood.This is a conversation about saying the quiet parts out loud, about letting the messy and the beautiful coexist, and about finding your footing again when the rhythm of parenting changes.We’ll explore:“I hate my kids” isn’t about hate, it’s about change.Speaking the messy, taboo truths can be liberating.Parental roles shift, again and again.Parenting adult children takes a nervous system toll.Your opinion is often no longer welcome.Partners and new family dynamics change the landscape.Envy can be a cue for self-investment.Sibling dynamics can be messy, and beyond your control.Love and grief can coexist.—-------------📝 Get My Resilience JournalA guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care📌 Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Journal...📌 Amazon CA: Buy Here:https://www.amazon.ca/Mental-Journal-...🎓 Join the Nervous System Journaling ClubDoodle, journal, and heal in community:https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-...Let’s Stay Connected:Instagram & Facebook: @leahdavidsonlifecoachingSubscribe to the Weekly Newsletter: leahdavidsonlifecoaching.com/newsletterEnjoyed the episode?Please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps more people discover these tools for healing and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.