The Nervous System Thrives on Choice

Recognizing the Trap & Widening the Options

When parenting adult children feels tense or confusing, it’s often because your nervous system feels trapped.

In this episode, Brooke shares a simple framework to help you calm anxiety and respond with clarity: recognize the trap and widen the options. When we believe there are only two bad choices, we become reactive. When we create more options, agency returns—and so does steadiness.

Brooke walks through real-life examples from her coaching work, including:

1. Paying for college when a child isn’t thriving
2. Separating love from financial support
3. Navigating vacations with a volatile adult child
4. Disagreeing with your spouse about money
5. Loving a child whose choices conflict with your values

You’ll learn why choice calms the nervous system, how widening options creates safety, and why safety—for you and your child—is essential for healthy communication.

Reflection question:

What’s the trap here—and how could I widen the options?

📣 Free Webinar

Tuesday, February 3rd at 2:00 PM (MT)

Learn how to regulate your nervous system so you can have grounded conversations with your adult children. Replay available.

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Learn More

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Bonus for Listeners

Two private bonus podcast episodes created just for women in midlife:

1. Menopause Explained
2. Enjoying Sex in Midlife

Listen here:

https://www.subscribepage.com/summitadd

Want Personalized Support?

Schedule a free one-on-one coaching session with Brooke:

https://calendly.com/brookeoniki/life-coaching-session-with-brooke-oniki

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