Rock the Damn Boat

Drum Roll, Please...

In this Sunday Shortie, I’m sharing the results of my recent psychological assessment—and what the testing process revealed during midlife, when symptoms are often harder to untangle.

I talk candidly about the complexity of ADHD assessments, how long and mentally demanding the tests were, and how my mind wandered throughout the process—a detail that turned out to be important data, not a failure.

My official diagnoses: ADHD, predominantly inattentive type, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

This episode explores how midlife and menopause can blur the lines between anxiety, hormonal changes, burnout, and ADHD—especially for women who’ve spent decades coping, masking, and pushing through.

In this episode, we cover:

• What a comprehensive ADHD and anxiety assessment actually looks like
• Why distraction, fatigue, and wandering focus during testing matter
• How midlife and menopause can amplify cognitive and emotional symptoms
• Why many women receive an ADHD diagnosis later in life
• How receiving clarity can feel grounding—not defining

If you’re navigating perimenopause or menopause and questioning what’s “hormonal” versus something deeper, this conversation offers perspective, validation, and steadiness.

Keywords / SEO tags:
adult ADHD diagnosis, inattentive ADHD, ADHD and menopause, perimenopause and ADHD, midlife mental health, women with ADHD, ADHD assessment, generalized anxiety disorder, GAD, late ADHD diagnosis

In this deeply moving episode, I’m joined by Dawn Frechette, who received a breast cancer diagnosis right before her 25th wedding anniversary cruise.

We talk candidly about how she prepared, but still didn't expect, this diagnosis, and how it shifted her life overnight . Her diagnosis forced her to release lifelong people-pleasing patterns and find the courage to ask for and receive help in multiple areas of her life. Dawn shares what it looked like to stop carrying everything alone, allow others to support her, and engage in honest—sometimes uncomfortable—conversations that ultimately transformed her family’s communication.

This conversation explores the emotional impact of cancer and how facing uncertainty can lead to deeper relationships and healthier boundaries. Dawn’s story is a powerful reminder that vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s often the doorway to real connection and healing.

If you’re navigating a breast cancer journey, supporting someone with cancer, or learning how to ask for help after years of putting everyone else first, this episode offers honesty, hope, and perspective you won’t forget.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why annual cancer screenings and early detection matter more than we often realize
• What it takes to shift from always giving care to learning how to receive it
• How releasing people-pleasing can create space for real support
• The role of hard, honest conversations in times of crisis
• How tragedy can unexpectedly bring families closer and deepen communication

Keywords: breast cancer journey, breast cancer screening, cancer diagnosis, people-pleasing, asking for help, receiving care, family communication, emotional healing, women’s health, midlife health, boundaries, support during cancer

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a vulnerable moment in my mental health journey: I have a four-hour psychological assessment scheduled tomorrow, and instead of fear, I’m feeling clarity and curiosity.

I reflect on what led me here—early ADHD patterns I can now recognize in hindsight, including Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)—and why seeking answers later in life feels grounding, not overwhelming.

This episode is less about labels and more about understanding how the brain works, especially when it comes to people-pleasing, emotional sensitivity, and chronic over-functioning.

• How people-pleasing is reinforced through dopamine and the amygdala
• Why the nervous system learns safety through approval and performance
• How insight and assessment can support healthier choices moving forward

When we understand the neurobiology behind our patterns, shame loses its grip. People-pleasing isn’t a personality flaw—it’s often a learned survival response shaped by the brain’s reward and threat systems.

For me, pursuing assessment now isn’t about rewriting the past. It’s about gaining clarity, self-compassion, and better tools for the decades ahead—so I can work with my brain instead of constantly pushing against it.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re so sensitive to feedback, driven by approval, or exhausted by always holding it together, this episode offers context—and relief.

🎧 Listen now for a grounded, honest conversation about mental health, ADHD awareness, and understanding your nervous system with more kindness.

Interested in the Rise + Thrive retreat? Visit:

www.thrivewithchristy.com

In this episode, I’m joined by Sabrina Valdez, AI strategist and mindset coach, for a conversation that completely shifted how I think about using tools like ChatGPT.

Sabrina shares how she built her consulting business at the intersection of strategy, mindset, and artificial intelligence—and why AI doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, impersonal, or “out of alignment.” In fact, she’s the reason I finally became a ChatGPT convert.

We talk about:

• How Sabrina uses AI to support (not replace) human creativity
• Practical ways ChatGPT can save time and mental energy
• Using AI to create more personal freedom, clarity, and spaciousness in your work
• Why mindset still matters—especially when working with powerful tools

Whether you’re AI-curious, quietly skeptical, or looking for smarter ways to work without burning out, this conversation will help you see what’s possible when technology is used intentionally.

Learn more about Sabrina's work at thenextmoveconsulting.com and follow her on LinkedIn for more AI education.

✨ Less grind. More agency. Smarter support.

What’s the difference between healthy anger and the kind of resentment that quietly drains your energy?

In today’s Sunday Shortie, I unpack two very real moments from my week: my anger when my landlord refused to negotiate rent, and the spiral that followed after I ruminated on a gossip-filled social media post. One situation was strictly business — the other felt deeply personal… until I realized it actually wasn’t.

Drawing on my past 4th Step work in AA, I walk through how resentment forms, why it lingers, and how taking an honest look at my part helped me release what was never mine to carry in the first place.

This episode is for anyone who:

• Struggles to tell the difference between justified anger and self-sabotaging resentment
• Finds themselves replaying conversations, posts, or perceived slights
• Wants to process emotions without spiritual bypassing or self-blame
• Is learning how to let go — even when the feelings feel valid

Healthy anger can be clarifying. Resentment, left unchecked, can become a prison. This short reflection is an invitation to feel what’s real, take responsibility where it’s yours, and release the rest.

🎧 Tune in for a gentle but honest reminder: not everything is about you — and that realization can be incredibly freeing.

In this reflective year-end episode, I’m sharing my 2025 year in review, breaking the year down quarter by quarter to explore the personal growth, mindset shifts, boundaries, and life lessons that shaped me.

From navigating burnout and people-pleasing to making hard decisions, redefining success, and choosing alignment over approval, this episode offers an honest look at what growth really looks like behind the scenes.

Inside this episode:

• Quarter 1: Intentions, expectations, and eternal optimism for the year
• Quarter 2: Burnout, boundaries, and falling out of love with retail professionally and personally
• Quarter 3: Letting go, uncomfortable clarity, and identity shifts
• Quarter 4: Rebuilding trust with myself and stepping into alignment, even with unsure footing

This episode is for anyone reflecting on their own year, questioning what’s next, or craving permission to evolve — personally, professionally, or creatively.

If you’re searching for inspiration, clarity, or a grounded way to move into the new year, this 2025 personal growth podcast episode will help you reflect, reset, and move forward with confidence.

✨ Perfect for year-end reflection✨ Ideal for journaling and goal setting✨ A reminder that growth doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful

Sunday Shortie: How Did Your Boundaries Hold Up This Holiday?

The holidays have a way of testing even our strongest boundaries.
Maybe you spoke up, said no, and protected your energy.
Or maybe you found yourself overgiving, overexplaining, and ending the season feeling depleted.

In this Sunday Shortie, I’m inviting you to reflect — not judge — how your boundaries actually played out over the holidays. We’ll explore what worked, what didn’t, and what your exhaustion (or peace) might be trying to tell you as we move into a new season.

Because boundaries aren’t about getting it perfect — they’re about learning, adjusting, and choosing yourself again and again.

✨ A gentle check-in for anyone who loves deeply… and is learning not to disappear in the process.

Don't forget to check out thrivewithchristy.com for coaching programs that help build confidence, especially when it comes to setting boundaries. Cohorts kick off in January.

People-pleasing doesn’t always look like saying yes to everyone. Sometimes, it shows up as perfectionism.

In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat, I unpack how the need to be liked, approved of, or “not rock the boat” quietly morphs into over-preparing, over-performing, and never feeling like what you do is enough. We’ll talk about how perfectionism can be a socially acceptable mask for fear of rejection—and why it keeps so many thoughtful, capable people stuck, exhausted, and disconnected from themselves.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt crushed by your own high standards
• Delayed starting because you couldn’t do it “right”
• Tied your worth to productivity or praise
• Confused being responsible with being self-sacrificing

…this episode is for you.

This is an invitation to loosen the grip, question the rules you didn’t consciously choose, and begin separating your value from your performance—without swinging into apathy or burnout. You don’t need to be perfect to be powerful. You just need to be honest.

In this Sunday Shortie, I’m sharing what the five stages of grief really look like in real time as I close my yoga studio — and how I’ve found myself stuck in bargaining more than anywhere else. The quiet negotiations. The “what if I just tried one more thing?” The hope that maybe the right post, the right reel, the right moment could change everything.

I’m also talking about why I’m taking a social media hiatus — because scrolling and posting started to feel less like marketing and more like gambling, waiting for a viral hit to save the day.

This episode is about letting go, noticing where we cling, and choosing presence over performance when an ending is unavoidable. If you’ve ever struggled to stop negotiating with something that’s already over, this one’s for you.

What started as a desperate attempt to heal her son’s eczema turned into a thriving non-toxic skincare and cosmetics brand—with a little cosmic cowgirl energy along the way.

In this episode, I sit down with Tamera Heidelman, founder of Fat Girl Tallow, to talk about how she turned to an ancestral, often misunderstood ingredient—beef tallow—when conventional products failed. The result wasn’t just healthier skin, but a bold, unapologetic business rooted in clean ingredients, intuition, and punchy, scroll-stopping marketing.

We talk about:

• Why non-toxic skincare starts with questioning modern beauty norms
• The healing power of beef tallow and ancestral ingredients
• Turning motherhood into mission-driven entrepreneurship
• Building a brand with personality, confidence, and a little cosmic cowgirl rebellion

This conversation is for anyone curious about clean beauty, unconventional business paths, and what happens when you trust your instincts—even when the solution looks wildly different from the mainstream.

Find the full collection at fatgirltallow.com