Your nervous system holds the key to your resilience, healing, and authentic self. In this episode of the Self Help Show, host Gina-Margaret Tiger sits down with Betsy Kudlinski, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Freedom Guide, to explore how the nervous system shapes the way we respond to stress, trauma, and everyday life.

Betsy explains the science behind activation, settling, and freeze, and why resilience is about learning to live within your "zone of confidence." Gina shares her own vivid story of freezing in front of a hippo as a child — a real example of how survival instincts work in the body. Together, they break down complex ideas into accessible insights, weaving in metaphors, cultural wisdom, and practical takeaways.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Somatic Healing and Resilience
• 02:07 Understanding the Nervous System's Role
• 07:03 Defining the Autonomic Nervous System
• 12:15 The Dynamics of Activation and Settling
• 14:41 Exploring Somatic Experiencing
• 15:50 Navigating Resilience Through the Nervous System
• 22:52 Key Takeaways for Building Resilience
• 25:02 Authenticity and Nervous System Capacity

Takeaways

• Understanding the nervous system is crucial for resilience.
• Our past experiences shape our nervous system's capacity.
• Resilience involves navigating between activation and settling.
• Somatic healing focuses on the body's role in trauma resolution.
• Awareness of bodily reactions is key to emotional health.
• Each person's nervous system is unique and shaped by their experiences.
• Crying can be a natural response to release survival energy.
• Living authentically enhances our nervous system's function.
• The 'zone of confidence' is where we can thrive.
• Practicing self-awareness takes time and patience.

somatic healing, nervous system, resilience, self-care, self-improvement, trauma resolution, body awareness, emotional health, self-love, empowerment

Listen now at www.selfhelpshow.com, subscribe on your favorite platform, and share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that their body is doing a great job.