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What if your body makes the first move and your mind rushes in to explain it after? We open chapter one of The Weather Within and unpack a practical, humane map for navigating intense moments by separating core feelings from the emotions we build on top of them. Instead of wrestling storms, we learn to read them: how the nervous system sets our capacity, why hunger and sleep can tip us into reactivity, and where that small but powerful pause lives between sensation and story.

We dig into the signature “lightning strike” of anger and show why it can feel catastrophic on a dysregulated day, even when the trigger looks small. From there, we widen the lens to the nine core feelings—interest–excitement, enjoyment–joy, surprise–startle, fear–terror, anger–rage, distress–anguish, disgust, dissmell, and shame–humiliation—and explore how each organizes attention, behavior, and meaning long before thoughts arrive. You’ll hear how affective literacy helps you name what’s happening in your body, how pattern recognition reveals your recurring weather systems in relationships, and why distinguishing real obstacles from imagined ones can save you from unnecessary storms.

We connect the dots between polyvagal theory, cognitive therapy, and affect relational theory so you can regulate state, revise stories, and understand the deeper forces that make things feel urgent, exciting, or unbearable. Then we get practical: a weekly exercise to catch the gap, label sensations, spot interpretations, and trace the moment right before activation. The goal isn’t to suppress feelings—it’s to build a larger container, reduce avoidable strikes, and choose what comes next with clarity and care.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a better map for big feelings, and leave a review so others can find it. Ready to read your weather instead of drowning in it? Tune in and tell us what you notice in the pause.

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For more information about Scott and his practice, articles, videos, and more: https://linktr.ee/scottconkright