The Overwhelmed Brain

By Paul Colaianni

Education

What's The Overwhelmed Brain about?

Get to the root of emotional issues and learn the best way to relate to yourself and others by honoring your personal boundaries and making decisions that are in alignment with what's most important to you.

This is not a "common-sense" personal growth and development show. You won't be told to think positively or create affirmations. The Overwhelmed Brain is about accessing that deeper mental and emotional strength inside you so that you can decrease or even eliminate old fears and evolve into the person you want to be.

Learn what your parents or caretakers never taught you about emotional wellness and creating strong, non-toxic bonds with others.

If you want the exact instructions that will help improve your life, you're in the right place.

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LAST EPISODE

Sometimes you have no optio...

06.04.2023

Feeling stuck, like really stuck, sucks. And when you feel like you have no other options but to accept your circumstances, it can feel sad. And sometimes, you can even become depressed, making you wish you could at least feel ...

The Overwhelmed Brain episodes:

06.04.2023 Sometimes you have no options left so you become depressed Feeling stuck, like really stuck, sucks. And when you feel like you have no other options but to accept your circumstances, it can feel sad. And sometimes, you can even become depressed, making you wish you could at least feel ...
05.28.2023 When confidence feels impossible Where is confidence when you need it? Today I share five unorthodox strategies for increasing confidence in life that you may not have ever heard of.
05.21.2023 Trusting the deeper part of you that is watching out for you Sometimes we fall in love before listening to our instincts and then get into a relationship that is definitely not healthy for us. There is a deeper part of us that we're supposed to listen to, but sometimes we don't. ...
05.14.2023 The hard steps that lead to happiness and a life worth living Just how far are you willing to go to feel comfortable or even be HAPPY in your life? Are you willing to do whatever it takes? What if whatever it takes means facing fears or even losing those you want ...
05.07.2023 How to approach those you know will be upset by what you say You can talk to certain people all day long, and they won't take things the wrong way. Then there are those that can't seem to get past a certain perception of you and take almost everything the wrong way. This ...
04.30.2023 Trusting someone to make the right choice If you find yourself witnessing someone approaching a perilous situation in everyday life, can you trust that they'll make the right decision to avert the danger? This isn't about catastrophic events like car crashes but rather common situations where you ...
04.23.2023 Are your feelings wrong? Some people say, "You shouldn't feel that way," or even worse, "You don't feel that way!" In either case, you can be tricked into believing your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions are invalid. If that happens, you can also be ...
04.16.2023 How many strikes do you give someone before they're out? Some relationships are easier than others. The person you care about in your life may be sweet and kind 50% of the time, but what about the rest of the time? Will that be enough for you to stay and ...
04.09.2023 The big, scary choices you might have to make to add more peace and comfort to your life Why does getting to a more comfortable place in life seem to be so difficult sometimes? Some choices seem impossible to make. When that happens, what is the best strategy to make such impossible choices? Great topic to talk about ...
04.02.2023 When your happiness depends on and maybe even drains another person What happens when those you care about become jaded by your dependency on them for your happiness? Are you inadvertently wearing them down and dissolving what could be a great relationship? Sometimes we drain others and we don't even realize ...
03.26.2023 When everything bad happens to you and tomorrow will be just as bad or worse Where do you turn when everyone and everything is against you? Just how bad can your luck run? Do you feel like a constant victim to the world and believe there's nothing more you can do? Sometimes life throws us ...
03.19.2023 Thinking you should have accomplished a lot more by now Do you spend a lot of time looking at other people and what they've accomplished and start regretting some of the decisions you made throughout the years? How about just feeling like other people are luckier than you? There is ...
03.12.2023 Don't forget yourself: Taking the leap out of codependent behavior You give and give and maybe you get back, maybe you don't, but you feel fulfilled by giving so much that you keep on doing it until, perhaps, there's nothing left of you to give. Sometimes we can get so ...
03.05.2023 Old coping skills that don't work like they used to How you cope with challenging situations determines how you feel in your day, your week, and maybe even for the rest of your life if you don't improve or even change your coping mechanisms. Coping is a skill, but it ...
02.26.2023 Should I accept who they are or move on with my life? Some people refuse to change. Something gets in the way. Maybe it's their pride. Maybe it's fear. Or maybe they really don't care how you feel and if you have a problem with them, it's your problem, not theirs. I ...
02.19.2023 Does vulnerability increase love and connection? What does it take to feel love and connection? What does it take to show love and connection? Is vulnerability the path? What exactly does it mean? Can you have a strong, loving relationship without the need to be so ...
02.12.2023 Getting accustomed to getting older How do you feel about aging? Are you trying to avoid it at all costs? Are you doing everything you can to prevent it from happening? You may not be able to prevent it, but it's important you understand your ...
01.29.2023 Toxic bonds that might need breaking Don't let toxic people take your energy away from you. Often, those who deserve the most attentive and vibrant version of you won't see that until you've let go of the one person who keeps you feeling bad and drained. ...
01.22.2023 The next steps in a stuck relationship When the relationship isn't moving and is no longer enjoyable, what's the next step? Is it possible you're incompatible, even though you've been together for years? I talk about a couple of relationship issues in this episode, along with answering ...
01.15.2023 When you feel like you're not that important to your friends and family Some relationships are one-sided. Friends, family, and lovers can fall into the listing "relation-ship," where half the relationship is sinking while the other half is oblivious of the side that's slowly disappearing into the depths. A one-sided relation-ship is a ...
01.08.2023 Boring, self-absorbed people or maybe you A boring conversation can make you fall asleep. Some people seem not to be concerned if you care about what they're saying. They'll just talk and tell stories while you sit there, hoping that the fire alarm goes off to ...
01.01.2023 Walking your talk shows you who really wants you to be happy One path to happiness may involve being someone you may sometimes feel uncomfortable being: Yourself. Walking your talk, putting yourself into the world and speaking your mind has its consequences... and its massive rewards.
12.25.2022 Discovering those buried emotions that you'd like to release If you can go through life without getting weighed down by negative memories, you're already ten steps ahead of many people. Some people still have repressed emotions that sneak up on them, keeping them from gaining any momentum. When that ...
12.18.2022 It's hard as hell to be vulnerable The path to vulnerability doesn't make sense if you believe being vulnerable means you're weak or you'll feel exposed to a cruel world. Yes, there are people you can't be vulnerable around. But there are also those you can and ...
12.11.2022 Where is my thank you? When you don't get acknowledgment for your kindness. Do you get upset if someone doesn't thank you for something nice you did? Common courtesy may not be as common as we think, so if we take apparent ungratefulness personally, we could set ourselves up for disappointment time and ...
12.04.2022 The possibility of reconciling with estranged family That one last fight you had with them changed the relationship forever. Some family does not forgive and move on. Some hold on to grudges and expect you to come groveling back. But if it's not your fault, should you? ...
11.27.2022 Have you met the real you? We've all experienced the blahs. Maybe you've even been depressed (or are now). Sometimes it's difficult to get out of a space like that. When you've tried everything, what's left? There's more to healing than books, podcasts, therapy, and even ...
11.20.2022 Why it seems impossible to defuse some arguments The argument goes on and on... then you're arguing again about the same thing later. Why does it seem that some arguments never end? I explore the reasons why and other issues when it comes to relating to other people ...
11.13.2022 The choices we make to avoid the choices we don't want to make Some of life's challenges seem impossible and we feel stuck. We can believe we have no choice when we probably do, but just don't like the one we have to make. There's a lot to be said about which choices ...
11.06.2022 The risk and reward of being yourself What happens when you walk around in fear of being your true self? What kind of foundation of confidence do you have that can help you to show up as authentic? I take you through the risk of authenticity and ...
10.30.2022 The obligations and responsibilities that can exhaust us Sometimes there is so much to do and so many people to please that we lose ourselves doing everything for everyone but ourselves. It's time to reconnect and get back to who we are. That can seem like an impossible ...
10.23.2022 Is there really life outside the box or is this all there is? Our perception of the outside world is limited by the inner world we create. We only see what's inside our own box, sometimes not realizing there is so much more out there. I travel from perceptions to depression and even ...
10.16.2022 Afraid they'll discover you're a fraud - The Impostor Syndrome What do you do when you feel less about yourself than others feel about you? Somebody might think you're brilliant and clever but you might have the opposite feeling. You might even feel like a fraud. The impostor syndrome is ...
10.09.2022 Helpful ways to respond to the difficult person Some people are just so difficult or toxic that no matter what you say, you can't get through to them. It's not just a matter of getting through to them all the time. Sometimes it's just about responding in a ...
10.02.2022 The negativity that likes to work its way into your mind and body Are you inadvertently allowing negativity into my mind and body? When someone puts you down or mistreats you, is it possible you are unintentionally enabling this behavior? You shouldn't be blamed for other people's bad behaviors, but you should also ...
09.25.2022 The beliefs that serve you and the beliefs that don't We can walk around with beliefs that lead us down the same road every time. When you know for sure what's true, yet you still get terrible results, maybe it's time to question what's true and look for what might ...
09.18.2022 Punishing yourself for your mistakes It's bad enough to get punished by someone else when you make a mistake, but to compound the suffering by punishing yourself can make things so much worse. Sure, we can beat ourselves up for our own actions, but when ...
09.11.2022 I promise this time I'll keep my promise How many times do you hear I'm sorry and I promise I'll never do it again" before you realize nothing is going to change? What if they do change? Can you reunite and start fresh and be good again? Today ...
09.04.2022 Some people just cannot admit that they are the problem You've called them out. You've had your arguments. You've tried everything to get someone to take responsibility for their words or actions. But you still can't get through to them. Some people are impossible and there's no hope. Is that ...
08.28.2022 I do so much for them for so little in return Sometimes no matter what you do for someone, they just don't have the capability to reciprocate. Love and connection can be welcome, but what if it isn't returned? The first segment addresses this challenge between a daughter and a mom. ...
08.21.2022 When your happy place becomes your misery It was the perfect marriage. She came home to her warm, comfortable home to be with her best friend - her husband - and everything was great... Until his kids moved in full time. Now she no longer has a ...
08.14.2022 Not all parents are loving and supportive If you've tried everything with someone and they are still awful to you, perhaps you're trying too hard. Or maybe they don't care enough to change for you or anyone else. What happens when one or both parents are unloving ...
08.07.2022 What's the point of the day to day just to feel depressed and anxious? Going about your life shouldn't be a constant stress on your system. Sometimes we let our fears override our values. When that happens, we end up with results we don't want more often than not. I talk about that in ...
07.31.2022 Stuffing who you are way down can make you numb Is there a part of you that you can't necessarily feel fully? Do you think you could be happier than you are? Sometimes we stuff emotions down so far that we forget they're there. When that happens, a part of ...
07.24.2022 Giving up happiness because someone holds something over your head What can you do if someone is holding something over your head and you feel stuck unless you kiss their butt? Is there a solution to this kind of abusive situation? It's a "do what I say or you'll never ...
07.17.2022 Email grab bag 5 - Codependent and stuck - New on the job - Getting a raise - Vague signals while dating Hundreds of emails, so little time. I tackle three messages. One from a woman stuck in a codependent relationship wanting to know how to find peace. Another from someone trying to connect with people at a new job. Then I ...
07.10.2022 Some dysfunctional people don't like when you're functional It should be celebrated when you start honoring yourself and standing up for yourself. It should be seen as a gift you give yourself that leads to happiness. But some people see your empowerment as a threat and aren't ready ...
07.03.2022 Is it worth the risk to seek a romantic relationship with a good friend? Sometimes the friendship is so great, you wish you could feel this way all the time. So perhaps the thought of taking the friendship further comes to mind. But are they interested in you? And if they aren't, will the ...
06.26.2022 The toxic relationship ended but I can't forgive myself and move on A toxic relationship is one where at least one person is hurtful to another when there is supposed to be love, kindness, respect, and support. A woman wrote to me and said she was in a toxic relationship for far ...
06.19.2022 Putting an end to your own passive aggressive behavior A listener was told she was passive-aggressive and she didn't realize it. She asked how to identify it in herself and how and why it comes about. I address this great topic in today's episode. I also talk about a ...

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