Why context, capacity, and safety matter more than quick fixes.

We are living in the age of nervous system hacks. Cold plunges, breathing tricks, humming, ice cubes, and viral “regulation” tips are everywhere. And while some of them can absolutely help in the moment, they are often misunderstood and misused.

In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson breaks down why nervous system hacks are not the problem, but relying on them as a strategy is. Leah explains how and why certain hacks work, the real physiology behind them, and why they can sometimes make people feel worse instead of better. Most importantly, she reframes regulation as something that happens through safety and capacity, not pressure or performance.

If you have ever tried a nervous system tool and thought, “Why isn’t this working for me?”, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a more realistic way to understand what your body actually needs.

We’ll explore:

• Hacks are moment management tools, not nervous system healing
• If a hack does not work, it is information, not failure
• Your nervous system responds to cues of safety, not force or pressure
• Capacity determines whether a tool can land or not
• Simple sensory inputs work because they engage real biology
• Regulation comes from safety first, not after you do things “right”

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the year comes to a close, not everything fits neatly into good or bad. Some years hold both expansion and exhaustion, clarity and confusion, joy and grief, all at the same time.

In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson looks back on a true 50/50 year. One that brought meaningful wins, nervous system lessons, grief, growth, and recalibration. Instead of forcing a positive spin or tying everything up with a bow, Leah walks through what this year actually required of her and how those experiences shaped her capacity, boundaries, relationships, faith, rest, and sense of self.

If your year felt complicated, unfinished, or emotionally layered, this episode offers a grounded and compassionate way to reflect without judgment, urgency, or self abandonment.

We’ll explore:

• Capacity matters more than commitment, even when you love the work
• Keeping the peace for others can cost you your own internal peace
• Stress accumulates quietly and shows up long after it begins
• Alignment conserves more energy than discipline ever could
• Regulation is not the reward for doing things right, it comes first

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 present

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

INSTAGRAM: 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 resilience

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

INSTAGRAM: 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 now

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

INSTAGRAM: 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 protection
• Why affirmations, motivation, and willpower disappear during dysregulation
• Why sensations stop feeling scary once you understand them
• Why relationships feel easier when you can name your internal state
• Why real resilience is not being unshakeable but being recoverable
• Why education is regulation and why you don’t have to fix yourself, just understand yourself

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

INSTAGRAM: 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:

🏡 COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to heal, the worse your body seems to feel? You meditate more, stretch more, breathe deeper, and still, your nervous system won’t calm down.

In this episode, Leah Davidson explores the subtle but crucial difference between healing and pressuring yourself to heal. She breaks down the seven “F” survival responses: fear, focus, frustration, fight, figuring it out, fixing, and forlorn (6 of the F’s are based on Dr. Howard Schubiner’s work). These patterns keep your body stuck in protection mode even when your intentions are good.

You’ll learn why the nervous system doesn’t respond to force, how healing can accidentally turn into a job your body resents, and what to do instead to create true safety and connection with yourself.

If you’ve ever wondered why your nervous system work isn’t working, this episode will help you understand what’s really happening beneath the surface and how to step back into balance with warmth instead of willpower.

We’ll explore:

• Why your healing efforts can backfire when they come from pressure instead of presence.
• How the seven “F” survival responses: fear, focus, frustration, fight, figuring it out, fixing, and forlorn, keep your body stuck in protection mode.
• The real reason your nervous system doesn’t respond to logic, but to tone, safety, and relationship.
• How healing can unintentionally turn into a full-time job your body resents.
• Why the goal isn’t to force calm, but to invite safety through warmth, curiosity, and consistency.

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

🏡 COMMUNITY

NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

📸 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/

👍🏻 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s be honest, no parent wakes up thinking, “Today I’m going to lose it with my kids.”

But by mid-morning, the chaos hits, stress builds, and suddenly you’re yelling louder than you meant to, and the guilt floods in.

In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson unpacks what’s really happening when you lose your cool and why yelling isn’t a sign of being a “bad parent,” but rather a cue from your nervous system that it’s overwhelmed and braced for danger.

You’ll learn how to create emotional safety for your kids (and yourself), even when you mess up, and how to repair connections afterward in a way that actually builds resilience and trust.

Leah walks you through her simple Safety Sequence to help you stay grounded in the moment, plus practical nervous-system-based tools to reduce yelling, strengthen boundaries, and reconnect with compassion.

We’ll explore:

• Why yelling is a nervous system response, not a moral failure
• How to use Leah’s Safety Sequence (Am I safe? Do I feel safe? Relax the body)
• The power of repair and reconnection after rupture
• How to balance boundaries with emotional validation
• Daily micro-practices to reduce stress and increase calm at home

COMMUNITY

• NERVOUS 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/7DpuyVj

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

• Amazon US - https://a.co/d/2mANQs4

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

• INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching/
• FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/leahdavidsonlifecoaching

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the story that once kept you safe is now keeping you stuck?

In this final episode of the ReStory Yourself series, Leah Davidson guides you through how to release the old narratives that no longer serve you, not by ignoring them or forcing positivity, but through compassion, nervous system regulation, and embodied practice.

Leah introduces her powerful GRACE framework, a step-by-step process to help you acknowledge your past, integrate your lessons, and consciously author a new story that feels safe, grounded, and alive in your body.

Through gratitude, recognition, acceptance, choice, and embodiment, you’ll learn to loosen your grip on outdated survival stories and start living from a place of presence and possibility.

If you’ve ever felt defined by your past or caught in repeating patterns of self-protection, this episode will help you remember: your story isn’t over, you are the author now.

We’ll explore:

• Why releasing an old story isn’t about erasing the past, it’s about reclaiming your future.
• How your nervous system stores not just events, but the stories you tell about them.
• The five steps of the GRACE process and how to apply them in daily life.
• Why embodiment, not just awareness, is key to lasting change.
• Simple ways to integrate your new story through micro-reminders, movement, and reflection.

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

📌IT'S NOT JUST YOUR THOUGHTS, IT'S YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM (WITH A CREATIVE TWIST)

📌IBS NERVOUS SYSTEM RESET (Workbook and Worksheets) 

📌NERVOUS SYSTEM STRESS TEST: Take the test to see how dysregulated you really are?

PRODUCTS:

1) RESILIENCE JOURNAL

📌 Amazon US

📌 Amazon CA

2) MY SAFE SPACE : AFFIRMATION AND JOURNAL PROMPT SET

📌Amazon US

📌Amazon CA

COMMUNITIES 

📌NERVOUS SYSTEM JOURNALING CLUB : Doodle, journal and heal in community

📌CONNECTIONS - MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP: Coursework, Coaching, Creative Doodling and Community

📌THE ADVANCED TRAINING IN NERVOUS SYSTEM RESILIENCE: A 6 month immersive experience for personal and professional training.

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

📌INSTAGRAM

📌FACEBOOK

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.