What if the problem in America isn’t just political? What if our collective nervous system is overloaded? In this episode, I sit down with Kate Woodsome, journalist turned civic resilience researcher and trainer, to talk about how personal trauma, chronic stress, and media-driven threat responses scale up into polarization, civic dysfunction, and even openings for authoritarianism. Tune in for tools leaders and citizens can use to get grounded before you engage.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What is civic resilience?

07:15 What nervous system literacy actually trains you to notice.

12:00 Why body scans and relaxed muscles matter for sustained leadership.

16:15 Systemic drivers of chronic stress.

19:30 Why tech + speed amplify perceived danger and make regulation insufficient alone.

25:45 How trauma, polarization, and authoritarianism play out at work and in nations.

33:15 Nonverbal signals that communicate compassion.

38:45 Why Kate believes nervous system literacy can strengthen democracy.

Resources + Links

Subscribe to Kate Woodsome’s Substack and Newsletter for updates on her civic-resilience work

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Kate: on LinkedIn @katewoodsome + Instagram @kwoodsome