The Overwhelmed Brain

Sometimes we have to make a tough choice and give someone the bad news about our next step. That next step? Could be telling your boss you quit or a partner you're leaving. Some people can't handle bad news so you may be hesitant to tell them. Or maybe you are afraid of their reaction so you procrastinate. After you listen to this episode, you'll know what the most important thing to remember is while telling someone what you need to do for yourself.

Sometimes making new friends or romantic partners takes more than compatibility and similar values. There's an important ingredient to making connections at a deeper level and keeping those connections in your life. At the end of this episode, I share the results of a relationship survey I created. Where do many couples people meet? How do they meet? Lots to talk about.

Unexpressed emotions can amplify inside you, causing you to build a tolerance for bad behaviors. What happens when you can't hold any more negative energy? Are you inadvertently building up resilience to things you should be addressing instead?

There's a good reason to manage emotional triggers to prevent damaging reactions in relationships. In this episode, I share a five-step process to visualize and prepare for these moments. There are long-term consequences when you're always jumping to conclusions and reacting to things that, perhaps, aren't as bad as you think.

How many chances should you give someone before you realize that chances are only delaying the inevitable? Whether it's a friend, family member or partner, some people won't change. And when they won't, we may have to in order to find more peace and happiness in our lives.

When you hurt someone, whether intentionally or not, there are several things that could happen: Maybe they forgive you, maybe they don't. Maybe they are willing to move on. Maybe they take a while to heal but eventually come around. Maybe they never want to talk to you again. Or maybe, just maybe, they want to hurt you back just to make you feel a tiny portion of how they feel.

When someone emotionally distances themselves from you, is there a way to get them back? Is that the beginning of the end? There are ways to talk with the emotionally disconnected person that may get you to the truth... a truth you may not want to hear.

Have you noticed a rise of negative interactions in online communities and even in person? Are people's emotional temperatures getting hotter? It'd be great if we could resolve issues maturely, but some people would rather introduce conflict than agree to disagree.

What do you do when someone doesn't like or trust you? Do you try to make them realize that you're not so bad or that they are wrong about you? I'll share why this doesn't always work.

The guilt and regret from something we did in our past can haunt us for the rest of our lives. Living with guilt decreases happiness and is a constant reminder of who we were. I share how I alleviate guilt when it comes up for me, and I even address a common subject almost all of us face at one time or another (or maybe often).