What makes you the way you are? Is it working for you? Today, Sonia Jhas and I dive into the values and beliefs that have shaped us and how taking a good look at them can help us create aligned futures.

Announcement: This is our last episode of season 4! I'll be back in the fall with a new season. Thank you so much for listening and sharing!

Resources:

* Connect with Sonia! Visit her website, soniajhas.com, or her Instagram, @soniajhas

* Get Sonia's book: I'll Start Again Tomorrow: And Other Lies I've Told Myself

* Get Erica's worksheet & determine your core values

Do you think of yourself as unorganized, indecisive, too loud, or too large? Any of these might be an emotional trigger for you. In this episode, I'll help you identify your triggers so you can be free.

Resources:

* The blog post for this episode: http://ericalayne.co/knowing-your-shame-triggers

* Discover your biggest stressor (and how to let go!) by taking my quick quiz: http://ericalayne.co/clutterquiz

STUFF won't fill your emotional holes, and until you see what you're really trying to solve for, you'll keep bringing more things into your home. Join me for this great conversation with decluttering expert and author, Tracy McCubbin!

* Read or share the blog post for this episode! https://ericalayne.co/stuff-wont-fill-your-holes

* Get Tracy's new book, Make Space for Happiness

* Get Tracy's first book, Making Space, Clutter Free

* Find Tracy on IG: @tracy_mccubbin

* Grab my free worksheet to dig into why YOU have clutter (so you can truly let go!): https://ericalayne.co/diggingdeep

Are YOU falling into this decluttering trap? Secret truth: Vilifying your clutter is making it so much harder for you to let go. Tune in to find out how to shift this!

Resources:

* The blog post for this episode: https://ericalayne.co/vilifying-your-clutter/

* Grab my free decluttering guide: https://ericalayne.co/declutter/

* Hop on the Let Go waitlist! https://ericalayne.co/letgo

Motherhood is intense for introverts, who need plenty of alone time to feel like their best selves. It can be so easy to get stuck on what we think of as our weaknesses, but introverted moms also have some incredible strengths! How much airtime are you giving to what makes you uniquely STRONG as a mom? 7 superpowers of introverted moms.

Resources:

* The blog post for this episode: https://ericalayne.co/introvert-superpowers/

* Messy Miniamlism by Rachelle Crawford: https://bit.ly/3O5rpOI

* Find Rachelle on Insta at @abundantlifewithless

* Jump into my 7-day challenge for introverted moms! http://ericalayne.co/talkedoutchallenge

Welcome to Episode 45! How are we already a full month into 2023?

You probably don't think of yourself as a victim (and I'm glad!), but I'd place a heavy bet that there are areas of your life where you feel disempowered. A bit helpless, hopeless, stuck, or stalled. This episode will help you see those areas AND empower you to shift them. Let's jump in!

Resources:

* The blog post for this episode: http://ericalayne.co/victim-mentality

* If you're interested in holistic health, check out @margaratannpowell on Instagram!

* It's never too late in the year to start The Authenticity Calendar! Take a look and get yours at theauthenticitycalendar.com.

While you're here, will you do me the biggest favor and leave a rating or review? The biggest thanks! -Erica

Every now and then, when someone hears that I wrote a book on minimalism, they'll say, "Ugh, I want to declutter, but it's so exhausting! I usually give up before I get very far."

I get that.

Decluttering means making a thousand tiny decisions, taking a thousand steps around your house, and hauling dozens of bags and boxes to your car. The process—especially if you have a lot of clutter to clear—can be physically and mentally draining.

Of course, there are things you can do to make it more fun and sustainable (think: putting on great music and lighting a great-smelling candle, decluttering with a friend, doing a decluttering challenge, etc.) but YES, at the end of a day spent decluttering, your body is going to feel it.

All of that said, what if you focused on something totally different while you were decluttering?

What if instead of thinking about how hard and how tiring it is, you redirected your brain to thinking about all of the things that are way more exhausting than decluttering?

Introducing my new, group-coaching program, Let Go! Let go to feel light in 2023!

Visit https://programs.ericalayne.co/let-go to learn more and join us before doors close this Thursday night (January 12). See you on the inside!

↠ https://programs.ericalayne.co/let-go ↞

So my oldest kid is old enough to follow me on Instagram now, which is mostly WEIRD and also kind of unexpectedly fun.

But the other day he looked up from Instagram with this glint in his eye and said, "There goes Mom again, talking about mindfulness and stuff while she's over here yelling, 'I'm CODE RED! CODE RED! Everybody get out of my space!'

I knew he was trolling me (he IS his father's son), but I still felt an initial ping of hypocrisy and probably even shame.

That said, those feelings stayed with me for no more than a couple seconds. It was almost like I was standing outside of myself, watching those feelings wash across me and then slip peacefully away, like a morning wave.

Old Erica would have been emotionally TRIGGERED by my son's comment. Let's just say, the wave would not have receded nearly that fast.

But THIS Erica actually landed on feeling proud of herself.

THIS Erica laughed with him, because - Heck yes! She talks about slowing down, living mindfully, and taking the pressure off… AND she gets super irritated with her family and tells them to all go away!

After those initial feelings washed through me, I trusted that my son sees me as multifaceted, multidimensional. Imperfect but still whole. Trying, falling, trying, falling. And ultimately, expanding.

But the reason I was able to move so quickly through those feelings of shame is that I've stopped beating myself up for my sensitivity.

It's inconvenient, and I really do wish that I wasn't so quick to get overstimulated, but I've stopped painting it in my head as a character flaw.

I'm not making it mean anymore that there's something wrong with me.

Because of the work I've done to accept my sensitivity, I actually feel like I'm ever so slowly growing in my ability to hold space for my own dysregulation.

It's slow going, but I'm seeing so much more progress than I ever did when I was beating myself up for it.

What do your emotional trigger points have to do with your kids? They might seem unrelated, but as you'll learn in this episode, they are deeply entwined. Why healing your triggers will profoundly help you connect with your kids: an interview with @the.parenting.coach Crystal Haitsma

Resources:

* The blog post for this episode: https://ericalayne.co/healing-your-triggers/

* Erica's 7-night self-care challenge: https://ericalayne.co/unwind/

* Crystal's podcast: www.coachcrystal.ca/blog