Building Resilience

The holidays often bring up reactions that feel bigger than the moment. Tension, irritability, overfunctioning, or the urge to withdraw can show up even when nothing is “wrong.”In this short episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson explains why emotionally loaded days like the holidays affect the nervous system more than we expect. Your body is not responding to the calendar. It is responding to patterns it has learned over time.Leah walks through how past experiences, family roles, sensory cues, and relational dynamics quietly shape how your nervous system prepares for these days. You will learn why logic alone does not settle the body, why these reactions are not flaws, and how to gently bring yourself back into the present without forcing cheer or pushing through discomfort.This episode offers a compassionate reframe for navigating the holidays with more awareness, self trust, and choice, especially if this season feels complicated or tender.We’ll explore:• Your nervous system responds to patterns, not events• Holiday reactions often come from history, not present danger• Strong emotions and coping behaviours are learned survival strategies• Awareness without judgment can be regulating on its own• You do not need to force happiness or override your body• Small moments of orientation help bring your system back to the presentLINKS AND RESOURCES:COMMUNITYNERVOUS SYSTEM JOURNALING CLUB : Doodle, journal and heal in community.Join here: https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-journaling-club/aboutMENTAL HEALTH STATIONERY - RESILIENT BRILLIANCE PRODUCTS:1) RESILIENCE JOURNAL: A guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care Amazon US - https://a.co/d/7DpuyVj2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SETAmazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4LET'S STAY CONNECTEDINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you wake up tired, feel overwhelmed by small things or can’t shake tension even after the stressful moment has passed, your body may be stuck in an unfinished stress cycle.In this episode, Leah explains why leftover stress builds day after day, how it keeps your system activated and the simple daily habits that help your body finally complete the cycle so you can feel clearer, calmer and more resilient.You’ll learn the real biology behind stress, why mindset alone cannot regulate your nervous system and the practical tools that signal safety to your body, including Leah’s 30 second Safety Sequence.This is your guide to releasing stored stress and creating more capacity, not by eliminating stress, but by completing it.We'll explore:•Why your body stays stressed even when the situation is over• How leftover stress builds up and leads to overwhelm and burnout• The difference between stressors and true stress in the nervous system• Why you cannot regulate effectively when your life is overloaded• Simple daily practices to complete the stress cycle and restore resilienceLINKS AND RESOURCES:COMMUNITYNERVOUS SYSTEM JOURNALING CLUB : Doodle, journal and heal in community.Join here: https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-journaling-club/aboutMENTAL HEALTH STATIONERY - RESILIENT BRILLIANCE PRODUCTS:1) RESILIENCE JOURNAL: A guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care Amazon US - https://a.co/d/7DpuyVj2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SETAmazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4LET'S STAY CONNECTEDINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever repeated an affirmation like "I am calm" or "Everything is okay" and felt your body tense up even more? You are not alone. Affirmations sometimes fall flat because your nervous system is not in a state that can receive the message.This episode helps you understand why affirmations work beautifully on some days and feel completely off on others. It all comes down to your physiological state and the type of safety your nervous system is trying to protect in that moment.We explore the four forms of inner safety, how your body decides what feels believable, and how to choose affirmations that offer permission instead of pressure. I also introduce the Safe Space Affirmation Cards, designed to support your system with the right kind of language when you need it most.We’ll explore:• Why affirmations only land when the body feels safe• How the nervous system prioritizes safety over positivity• Why positive phrases can feel threatening during dysregulation• The four forms of inner safety your body tracks• How small shifts show that an affirmation is landing• Why the right affirmation is the one that feels possible right nowLINKS AND RESOURCES:COMMUNITYNERVOUS SYSTEM JOURNALING CLUB : Doodle, journal and heal in community.Join here: https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-journaling-club/aboutMENTAL HEALTH STATIONERY - RESILIENT BRILLIANCE PRODUCTS:1) RESILIENCE JOURNAL: A guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care Amazon US - https://a.co/d/7DpuyVj2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SETAmazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4LET'S STAY CONNECTEDINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you ever wonder “Why am I still reacting like this when I know better?”You’ve read the books. You’ve reframed your thoughts. You’ve practiced gratitude, breathwork, affirmations, all the mindset tools.Yet the overwhelm, shutdown, anger, people pleasing, or overthinking still show up.In this episode, Leah shares a truth most of us were never taught:✨ Your nervous system moves before your mindset does. Your brain doesn’t ask, “What’s the most empowering thought?” It asks, “Am I safe?” and your body answers that question faster than thought, logic, or intention.This episode breaks down why mindset alone cannot override biology and why learning about your nervous system is not just helpful, but transformational.Leah walks you through 10 predictable shifts that happen once you understand how your system actually works from dissolving shame, to making better decisions, to setting boundaries without panic, to finally feeling more like yourself again.We’ll explore:Why your reactions aren’t personal failures but biological protectionWhy affirmations, motivation, and willpower disappear during dysregulationWhy sensations stop feeling scary once you understand themWhy relationships feel easier when you can name your internal stateWhy real resilience is not being unshakeable but being recoverableWhy education is regulation and why you don’t have to fix yourself, just understand yourselfLINKS AND RESOURCES:COMMUNITYNERVOUS SYSTEM JOURNALING CLUB : Doodle, journal and heal in community.Join here: https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-journaling-club/aboutMENTAL HEALTH STATIONERY - RESILIENT BRILLIANCE PRODUCTS:1) RESILIENCE JOURNAL: A guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care Amazon US - https://a.co/d/7DpuyVj2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SETAmazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4LET'S STAY CONNECTEDINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you ever feel like the harder you try to regulate, the more dysregulated you become? You breathe deeper, stretch longer, journal harder… yet your mind still races and your body keeps bracing.If that sounds familiar, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale.Today, Leah breaks down why healing is not about working harder. It is about shifting your tone, not stacking more tools. You will learn how the seven protective F patterns keep your system stuck in survival, and the three powerful P antidotes that finally bring your body the cue it has been waiting for: you are safe now.This is your permission to stop performing healing and start befriending your nervous system instead.We’ll explore:Why doing more regulation practices can actually send your body deeper into threat.The seven F survival reflexes your nervous system uses to protect you.The three P antidotes permission, pace, and proximity to safety and how to use them gently.Why healing happens through tone, rhythm, and relationship.How to give your nervous system daily drops of safety instead of pressure.How presence and possibility help you move through shutdown without force.🔗 LINKS AND RESOURCES:🏡 COMMUNITYNERVOUS SYSTEM JOURNALING CLUB : Doodle, journal and heal in community.Join here: https://www.skool.com/nervous-system-journaling-club/about📚 MENTAL HEALTH STATIONERY - RESILIENT BRILLIANCE PRODUCTS:1) RESILIENCE JOURNAL: A guided journal for emotional well-being and nervous system care Amazon US - https://a.co/d/7DpuyVj2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SETAmazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4LET'S STAY CONNECTEDINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.