Alive & Well – Nervous System, Productivity, Time Management, Somatic Tools, Work-Life Balance, Burnout, Anxiety

Free Somatic Workshop Jan. 8 & 9, 2026 -  >> REGISTER HERE <<--If you’ve ever told yourself to “just calm down” — and felt even more stressed afterward — there’s a reason for that.Most high-achieving women are trying to regulate stress from the top down: thinking their way into calm, forcing stillness, or pushing their body to quiet before it’s ready. And while that approach sounds logical, it often backfires.In this episode, I’m unpacking why trying to calm down can actually increase stress, how your nervous system interprets those efforts, and what works instead when your body is in fight-or-flight.This conversation reframes calm not as something you force, but something that emerges when the right physiological conditions are present.In this episode, we explore:Why “calm down” often becomes a form of suppression, not regulationHow effort, control, and “doing it right” keep the stress response turned onWhy your nervous system responds to signals — not self-talk or logicWhat actually allows the body to downshift and settle when it’s activatedIf you’ve been doing the breathing, the mindset work, and the meditation — and still feel keyed up or exhausted — this episode will help you understand why, and what your body has been asking for instead.And if you’re ready to stop managing stress and start experiencing real nervous system regulation, I’m hosting Experience the Shift on January 8th and 9th — a live, experiential event designed to help your body feel safe enough to actually calm.-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<--You already know what to do.You know you should slow down, breathe, set boundaries, and stop pushing so hard.And yet your body still feels tense. On edge. Braced.If calm feels like something you understand intellectually but can’t reliably access in your body, this episode is for you.In this conversation, I’m breaking down the real reason so many high-achieving women feel stuck between knowing and feeling. The problem isn’t a lack of insight or discipline — it’s a missing step most of us were never taught.This episode is about why awareness alone doesn’t change nervous system state, what your body actually needs in order to feel calm, and how capacity — not willpower — is the key to everything you’re trying to create this year.In this episode, we explore:Why knowing what to do doesn’t automatically change how your body feelsThe three requirements for real change — and where most women get stuckWhy calm is a physiological state, not a mindsetHow expanding your nervous system capacity changes everything downstreamIf you’ve been doing all the “right” things but still feel overwhelmed, reactive, or stretched thin, this episode will help you understand what’s missing — and why it finally makes sense.And if you’re ready to move from understanding into experience, I’m hosting Experience the Shift on January 8th and 9th — a live, experiential nervous system event designed to help you actually feel the difference in your body.-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

If you’ve done the mindset work, built the awareness, and still feel pulled back into anxiety or overdrive, this episode will make sense of what’s happening.Because most of the time, it’s not your thoughts that are the problem.It’s the subconscious beliefs driving them.In this conversation, I’m joined by Tim Shurr, a master hypnotist with decades of experience helping high-achievers release the beliefs underneath anxiety, burnout, and perfectionism. We talk about why so many patterns persist despite years of mindset work, talk therapy, or self-awareness — and how hypnosis works at the level where real change actually happens.This episode demystifies hypnosis, explains why it can create rapid and lasting shifts, and explores how unconscious beliefs formed early in life continue to shape our stress responses as adults.In this episode, we cover:Why subconscious beliefs drive burnout, anxiety, and perfectionismHow unconscious “life rules” get installed and shape behaviorWhy talk therapy can feel like managing symptoms instead of changing patternsWhat hypnosis actually is and how it creates rapid changeWhy worthiness is often the core belief underneath overachievementHow people-pleasing and perfectionism are stress responses, not personality traitsWhy old patterns return — and how to reinforce real, lasting changeIf you’re a high-achiever who has done the work, read the books, tried the tools — and still feels like something invisible keeps pulling you back into the same loops — this episode will help you understand what’s really happening and show you a new way forward.Press play if you’re ready to stop managing symptoms and start changing the beliefs running your life.Related Episodes:Previous EpisodeAre You High or Low Energy? Nervous System Balancing Exercises Based on Your Energy TypeBurnout Trifecta: 3 Personality Traits that Are Draining Your EnergyStart Doing This Today to Reclaim Your Energy with Chloe WardEnergy Drains Aren’t a Time Problem — They’re a Boundary Problem-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

(Free Somatic Workshop Jan. 8 & 9) - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<)In this final episode of 2025, we’re talking about the soft work rituals that actually hold your life together — the small, nervous-system–aligned practices that protect your energy, clarity, and capacity when everything else gets busy.These aren’t luxuries.They aren’t “nice to have.”They’re foundational.In this episode, you’ll discover:✔️ Why soft work rituals are the missing link for sustainable ambition✔️ How starting your day with intention (not input) rewires your nervous system✔️ The physiological reason recovery between stressors matters more than rest at night✔️ Why managing energy — not just time — changes everything✔️ Five simple rituals that lower stress chemistry while increasing clarity and focusThis isn’t about doing less for the sake of it.It’s about creating the internal conditions that allow you to show up fully — without burning yourself out in the process.If you want 2026 to feel calmer, steadier, and more aligned — this episode will help you build that foundation gently, intentionally, and powerfully.Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<Related Episodes:Previous EpisodeAre You High or Low Energy? Nervous System Balancing Exercises Based on Your Energy TypeBurnout Trifecta: 3 Personality Traits that Are Draining Your EnergyStart Doing This Today to Reclaim Your Energy with Chloe WardEnergy Drains Aren’t a Time Problem — They’re a Boundary Problem-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

Stress isn’t just something you think about.It’s something your body carries.Every interruption.Every transition.Every responsibility and unspoken emotional load.Your nervous system responds to all of it — and if stress never gets discharged, it doesn’t disappear.It settles. It accumulates. In this episode, we’re talking about why releasing stress from the body is non-negotiable — and how to do it in ways that are fast, practical, and deeply regulating.You’ll learn:✔️ Why unresolved stress — not stress itself — is what exhausts your nervous system✔️ How stored tension lives in your muscles, breath, jaw, and fascia✔️ Three simple somatic techniques that help your body complete the stress cycle✔️ How daily stress discharge lowers reactivity, improves clarity, and restores capacityThis isn’t about “calming down” or positive thinking.It’s about giving your nervous system what it was biologically designed to do:move stress through instead of storing it inside.If you’ve been holding it together, powering through, and wondering why your body still feels tight, wired, or heavy — this episode will help you release what you were never meant to carry alone.Related Episodes:Previous EpisodeUnlocking Calm Powerful Somatic Practices to Shift out of Fight, Flight or FreezeBurnout Recovery Blueprint (Part 2): Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body3 Somatic Practices for Anxiety: Why They Work & How to Do Them5 Somatic Techniques to Regulate When You're Feeling Overwhelmed-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

“Why can’t I just feel happier… when my life is actually good?”If you’ve asked yourself some version of this question - it isn’t a gratitude problem,it’s not a mindset failure,and it’s not that you’re “bad at joy.”It's what's happening in your physiology. Chronically elevated cortisol can quietly shift your nervous system into survival mode — and when that happens, joy becomes neurologically inaccessible, even when good things are happening.In this episode, we unpack:✔️ The science of high cortisol and low mood — and why stress chemistry blunts pleasure ✔️ The subtle, real-life signs your nervous system is blocking joy for protection ✔️ Why “choosing joy” and mindset work often fall flat when your body is overwhelmed ✔️ How somatic, body-based practices help your system feel safe enough to receive goodness again ✔️ Simple ways to start softening stress so joy can come back onlineThis conversation isn’t about forcing happiness.It’s about removing the physiological blocks that keep joy out of reach.Because joy isn’t something you create with effort.It’s something your body allows when it feels safe.If you’ve felt flat, disconnected, or like everything is just “one more thing to get through,” this episode will feel validating — and gently hopeful.Your nervous system isn’t broken.It’s been protecting you.And with the right support, it can learn how to soften again — so you can actually feel the life you’re living.Related Episodes:Previous Episode4 Signs You’re Addicted to Cortisol (and How to Fix It)5 Habits I Stopped Doing to Heal My Nervous System & Balance My Cortisol4 Ways to Foster Joy in Our FamiliesTake 2 Minutes: Boost Your Joy with Daily Gratitude Practices Backed by Science with Marc Fussell-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

If you’ve ever been told you or your child has anxiety, ADHD, or both—but it never fully explained what was actually happening—this conversation will feel like a breath of fresh air.In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Giancarlo Licata, director of Vital Brain Health, to unpack what’s really going on in the brain beneath these labels—and why understanding how the brain is firing matters more than the diagnosis itself.We talk about anxiety, attention, and regulation through a neuroscience lens that’s nuanced, practical, and deeply validating for parents and high-achieving adults alike.In this episode, we’re diving into:Why “anxiety” and “ADHD” are often too blunt to be helpful.A powerful way to understand rumination, fear, and fast processing—and how inherited traits, stress, and trauma can mix and match to drive anxiety and overwhelm.The order of operations your brain actually needs.The difference between calming your nervous system in the moment and actually lowering your baseline over time—and why both matter if you want lasting change.What brain mapping and neurofeedback can reveal and rewireIf you’ve ever felt like you’re throwing coping tools at a nervous system that’s already maxed out—or wondering why nothing seems to stick—this episode will help you see the bigger picture with clarity and compassion.🎉 Special Offer: The first 5 families who inquire with Vital Brain and mention code “Alive & Well” will receive complimentary airfare for their child to Los Angeles for brain mapping—with at-home brain training to follow.-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

If I were starting my career over today — with everything I now know about ambition, the nervous system, and sustainable success — I would do it very differently.Not because I regret being driven or capable.But because I misunderstood what actually creates long-term performance, clarity, and well-being.In this episode, I’m sharing the five shifts I wish I had made earlier in my career — back when I was running a law practice, raising babies, and equating success with doing more, faster, and better. These aren’t productivity tips. They’re nervous-system-informed lessons about how high-achieving women can build meaningful careers without sacrificing their health, energy, or peace.What you’ll learn in this episode:Why defining success for yourself is the foundation of sustainable ambitionHow saying no more — and saying it faster — protects your nervous system and capacityWhy daily nervous system regulation matters more than discipline or willpowerThe difference between managing your time and managing your energyWhy aligned mentorship changes everything (and why I wish I’d invested sooner)This episode is for working moms who are ambitious, capable, and successful — but quietly exhausted by the way they’ve been holding it all. If you want to keep your drive while building a career that actually supports your body and your life, this conversation will give you a powerful reframe and a more sustainable way forward.Press play to hear what I’d do differently — and how you can start making these shifts now.Related Episodes:Previous EpisodeThree Keys to Working from Home with KidsFeeling Overwhelmed with Work-Life Balance? 3 Mindset Shifts for Working MomsWorking Mom’s Survival Guide: 8 Lessons for Work-Life Balance with Dr. Elizabeth Arleo3 Reasons Your Productivity Hacks Aren’t Working (And What to Do Instead)Do You Have These 3 Signs of Mom Burnout? Here’s How to Reclaim Your Energy-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

If you open your eyes and instantly feel mentally crowded, emotionally tense, or already behind, this 15-minute morning practice is going to change everything about how your day begins.In today’s episode, I’m sharing the exact 15-minute sequence I use on mornings when I wake up anxious, wired, or overwhelmed — and the neuroscience behind why it works. Morning anxiety isn’t a mindset issue. It’s a physiological pattern driven by cortisol rhythms, overstimulation, and a nervous system that hasn’t been fully off-duty in a long time.When you learn how to work with your body instead of forcing your way through your mornings, you create a completely different internal experience: calmer thoughts, steadier emotions, and a more grounded start to your day.What you’ll learn in this episode:Why morning anxiety is so common among high-capacity womenWhat the cortisol awakening response is and how it affects your emotional baselineThe number-one mistake most women make in the first 60 seconds of their dayThe full 15-minute practice I use when I wake up overwhelmedThe somatic movements that instantly calm your systemHow hydration, nourishment, and gentle pacing shift your mood and energyThe final 60-second ritual that anchors clarity and presence for the rest of your dayIf you’ve been waking up stressed, rushed, or already overstimulated before your morning even starts, this episode will give you a simple, powerful framework to reset your system and start your day grounded.Press play and learn the morning practice your nervous system has been asking for.Related Episodes:Previous EpisodeMy 5-step Morning RoutineWhat To Do the Morning After (A Bad Night’s Sleep)5 Morning Mistakes that Wreck Your Nervous System and Cause BurnoutMorning Meditation: Grounded, Grateful, and EnergizedNot a Morning Person or is it Actually AM Anxiety? Signs You Might Be Waking Up in Fight-or-Flight (and What to Do About It)-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<

You’re not overwhelmed because you’re doing too much —you’re overwhelmed because you’re committing to things that aren’t truly aligned.The 90% Rule is a deceptively simple framework that will help you stop overthinking, stop people-pleasing, and stop tolerating the 60–70% decisions that drain your bandwidth. When you learn to choose only what is deeply aligned — and release the rest — your entire life gets quieter, clearer, and more intentional.In this episode, I break down the neuroscience behind decision fatigue, how the body responds to indecision, and the practical way to apply the 90% Rule in your everyday life.You’ll learn:Why “maybe” is your nervous system’s fastest path to burnoutHow to recognize the opportunities that look good but aren’t rightThe brain-based reason high-capacity women get stuck in obligationHow the 90% Rule protects your energy and expands your bandwidthA new way to make decisions that feel deeply aligned with your season and valuesIf you’re craving more ease, margin, and clarity in your life and work, this episode offers a clean, elegant framework you can implement today.👉 Press play and learn how to make decisions that truly honor your capacity.-- Free Somatic Workshop - Experience the Shift >> REGISTER HERE <<