Awkwardish

Awkwardish

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Awkwardish episodes

  • Love Bombing vs Genuine Care

    In this episode, I talk about my own experiences with love bombing — how intensity can feel like intimacy, and how I learned to recognize the difference between overwhelming affection and genuine care. I share what my nervous system taught me, what real consistency looks like, and why slowing down has changed the way I understand connection.

    Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay


    11 min
  • My Intuition Used to Yell At Me

    Sometimes intuition whispers. 

    Sometimes it throws a tantrum. 

    And sometimes it yells so loud you still manage to ignore it. 

     

    In this episode, I get real about the messy, hilarious, and heartbreaking process of relearning how to listen to myself — from the day my intuition screamed “Lock the gate!” to the year I learned what silence actually feels like. 

     

    It’s a story about chaos, recovery, motherhood, and the strange way ignoring your intuition can still lead you back to it. 

    Equal parts confession and comedy, this episode reminds us that healing isn’t graceful — it’s awkward, loud, and deeply human. 

     

    So grab your coffee, your journal, or your emotional support snack. 

    We’re diving into the noise beneath the knowing. 

    Music licensed through Soundstripe.

    Code: G1JUN1FUPHJ0DY6T


    10 min
  • Why Am I Like This?

    In this episode, I get honest about the tiny habits, awkward moments, and overthinking spirals that make me ask, “Why am I like this?” I share the funny, very human patterns I keep repeating, what’s actually underneath them, and how I’m learning to understand myself with more compassion instead of judgment.



    Music licensed through Soundstripe.

    Code: 53XEMMXFHRBGJPUV


    8 min
  • Stalking Awareness: The Quiet Red Flags People Miss

    In this episode, I dive deep into the subtle signs of stalking that often go unnoticed — the quiet red flags that hide behind “harmless” gestures. Through trauma‑informed insight and grounded awareness, I explore how emotional manipulation, boundary violations, and obsessive behaviors can escalate when ignored.


    Key Topics:

    • ​Early warning signs of stalking and obsession
    • ​Emotional boundaries and self‑protection strategies
    • ​How to recognize manipulation and coercive control
    • ​Healing from hypervigilance and reclaiming peace

    Why Listen: This episode blends empathy, education, and empowerment — helping listeners identify patterns, trust their intuition, and build safer relationships.

    10 min
  • DARVO

    When someone hurts you… and somehow you end up apologizing?
    Yeah. That’s not miscommunication — that’s DARVO.
    In this episode, Ruby breaks down how people flip the script using Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender, why it leaves you doubting your own reality, and how to reclaim your narrative.
    Gentle, grounding, and deeply validating.
    DARVO explained, what is DARVO, gaslighting examples, emotional abuse signs, manipulation tactics in relationships, narcissistic abuse patterns, trauma responses, self‑gaslighting explained, relationship red flags, psychological manipulation, accountability avoidance, toxic partner behavior, healing from abuse, trauma‑informed content

    11 min
  • The Childhood Coping Skills You Didn’t Know Were Coping Skills

    In this episode of Awkwardish, I’m unpacking the childhood “quirks,” “habits,” and “phases” we were told to grow out of — and revealing how many of them were actually coping skills we built to survive environments that didn’t know how to support us.


    From perfectionism to people‑pleasing, from disappearing into our imagination to becoming the “strong one,” I’m breaking down how these patterns formed, why they made sense at the time, and how they still show up in our adult lives. And more importantly, I’m talking about what healing looks like when you finally give your younger self the compassion they never got.


    This episode is honest, a little tender, and very much a love letter to the kid you used to be — the one who did the best they could with what they had.


    If you’ve ever wondered why you react the way you do, why certain things feel “too much,” or why you’re exhausted from carrying roles you never asked for, this one’s for you.


    What you’ll hear in this episode:


    • Hidden coping skills we developed without realizing it

    • How childhood environments shape adult behavior

    • Why your younger self deserves compassion

    • How to gently unlearn survival patterns

    • What healing actually looks like in real life



    Tagline:


    Healing doesn’t always look graceful — sometimes it looks honest.

    14 min
  • I’m Functioning… But at What Cost?

    I’m functioning… but the truth is, it’s draining me in ways I don’t always admit out loud. In this episode, I open up about burnout, emotional exhaustion, and the pressure to keep performing when my mind and body are begging for rest. I talk about the guilt of slowing down, the fear of disappointing people, and the hidden cost of always being “the strong one.”


    If you’ve ever pushed through overwhelm, ignored your own limits, or felt like you’re running on fumes while still trying to look put‑together, this episode will hit home. I’m sharing my real experience with burnout, boundaries, mental health, and the messy process of learning to rest before I break.

    11 min
  • I Love People Until I Don’t: The Social Battery Episode

    I Love People Until I Don’t: The Social Battery Episode is a chaotic‑relatable deep dive into why you can go from “I’m thriving!!” to “I must leave immediately” in the span of one conversation.


    This episode walks through the rise, peak, and dramatic collapse of your social energy — especially if you’re neurodivergent, introverted, or simply a person who can only be perceived for so long before your soul evaporates.


    We talk masking fatigue, overstimulation, emotional labor, and the exact moment your brain hits zero and starts buffering. It’s validating, funny, and painfully accurate for anyone whose social battery is basically a Victorian child with asthma.


    If you’ve ever Irish‑exited a party to protect your sanity, this one’s for you.


    Stay in touch:


    Instagram and Threads: @awkwardrube |

    @awkwardishpodcast

    TikTok: @awkwardrube

    Youtube: @awkwardrube @awkwardishpods


    Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

    https://uppbeat.io/t/dope-cat/cloud-wonder

    License code: IRALAVWDLUKFB502

    17 min
  • My Brain Won’t Shut Up and Honestly… Same

    My brain won’t shut up — and honestly, neither will the anxiety, overthinking, and late‑night “what if” spirals that keep me wide awake. In this episode, I talk about racing thoughts, intrusive worries, and that overwhelming mental noise that makes everyday life feel like a full‑time job. If you deal with anxiety, overthinking, or a mind that refuses to chill, you’re not alone — and this episode is basically a hug for anyone whose thoughts run the show.


    Keep in touch:


    Instagram and Threads: @awkwardrube |

    @awkwardishpodcast

    TikTok: @awkwardrube

    Youtube: @awkwardrube | @awkwardishpods


    Music: Anomaly by Purrple Cat | https://purrplecat.com/

    Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

    Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

    11 min
  • The Complicated Reasons We Stay

    Why do people stay in harmful relationships?

    It’s never simple — and it’s never just weakness. In this sensitive Awkwardish episode, Ruby unpacks the complicated mix of love, fear, hope, and survival that keeps people in places they wish they could leave.


    This conversation explores:


    • Trauma bonding and attachment

    • The myths about “just leaving”

    • The emotional and practical barriers

    • Why survivors blame themselves



    If you’ve ever stayed longer than you wanted to, or judged yourself for not leaving sooner — this episode is for you.

    You’re not broken. You were surviving with the tools you had.

    7 min

About Awkwardish

From the publisher's feed

Awkwardish is a safe space for honest conversations, messy feelings, and the kind of awkward moments that build real connection. Hosted by Ruby Tobor-Vasquez, this podcast brings together a community…