Triumph After Trauma

30 EPISODES, WOW! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support!!! 
I feel so blessed, lucky, and grateful I get to do this and help people thrive <3

If you asked me a few months ago where I think my life will be in a year or two, I had an idea of that and who I may be building a life with. If you ask me today, I will tell you honestly I have no flipping clue. All I do know is no matter what happens, things won't end well because the universe has made sure there is no chance at a future or life together for my partner and I. 

To go from getting into a good routine of seeing each other and talking about what life might look like in a year or two to navigating the reality you don't get a future together (I won't say how the universe is making sure we can't be together, that is not for me to share)  is heavy and really hard. 

I don't have all the answers on how to navigate a sudden and drastic change of season like this because I'm going through this right now in real time. What I do share today is what I'm doing to try and not completely lose my shit, so I can work on processing what is truly going on but also try to be there for myself and this person who I deeply care about.

If you connect with any part of this episode, please don't hesitate to send me a DM on Instagram (@thisiskaitey is my handle) to chat! Building connections is what this is all about! If you know people who need to hear this, share the episode on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread Triumph After Trauma! Thank you again or your support of this podcast, I'm so glad we're on this journey (podcast and life) together!

Hello friends and loyal listeners, I have missed being on the podcasting platform. It feels amazing and refreshing to be back! I took a break for a reason that relates to my mental health; I share that reason and talk about the importance of taking breaks in this episode. 

If you are in a transitional season that feels hard or went from having an idea where your future might be headed to no clue at all you feel terrified, I want you to know you're not
alone. I'm in a situation like this right now. Please message me on IG (@thisiskaitey) if you 
resonate with this or the episode helped you in any way. And don't hesitate to share this episodes with your social media fam and tag me if you know someone this could help! 

Thank you so much for your support, which did not faulter while I took a break, I am so
deeply grateful for each one of you. I'm thankful we're on this wild journey together!

Losing my grandma, although she was lucky enough to get 97 years out of life before taking her final breath in the physical world was traumatic for me. Today on the third anniversary of her passing, I'd like to open up about how exactly it all happened and how I still struggle to this day. 

If you are experiencing hurt or trauma from something that happened years ago, please know that is normal. Working through trauma and to heal can be lifelong journeys. But that journey, you are not on alone. 

I hope this episode makes you understand that, and serves as a reminder to be there for people you care about and love while you can. You only get this one life, so once those chances are gone they are gone. for. good. 

If you resonated with this episode, let me know via Instagram (@thisiskaitey) so we can better connect! I you know anyone who needs to hear this or will find a share like this beneficial to them, please share it on social media and tag m so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma!

Thank you so much for being here, I'm grateful for each and every one of you! <3

Do you ever feel like what makes you different from people makes you bad, wrong, or like you're not enough? You're not alone. I've been there, and people you both know and love I'm sure have been too.

There was a time I was ashamed of having an anxiety disorder, a form of depression, I hated being petite, etc. Essentially everything that was different from whoever I was hanging out with at the time I assumed made me wrong,  bad, ugly, unlovable even. 

Here's the thing, that is some bullshit ideal created by the society obsessed with those "celebs" who at the end of the day are just as much regular people like us and past generations who believed in some things I question. Just because society or your ancestors would claim a mental illness, your quirks, or your size/shape/etc makes you different but bad doesn't mean that is in fact the case. Yes these things make us all different, but these differences are a damn superpower. Our differences are magic. How do I know that? If we are all the exact same, life would be predictable and super boring. That's how I know!

If you need a reminder your differences make you beautiful and unique, and are a superpower.. here it is! I hope this episode helps you view yourself in a different (hopefully brighter) light. If it does help you, DM me on Instagram (@thisiskaitey) and let me know, so we can better connect! If you know someone who needs to hear a message/reminder like this, share the episode on social media and tag me so I can thank you for spreading the word about Triumph After Trauma! 

I'm grateful to know you, and have you all on this journey with me! Let's keep growing and thriving <3

Let's face it, there are going to be multiple times in life when no matter how we deal with a situation and whether we choose to be there for someone or walk away it's going to give us anxiety (and other feelings).  

When this happens, what process each of us goes through to determine how how to go about things is different. I believe it's meant to be that way because we're all unique in our own ways, how we live and do anything in life isn't meant to be the same. 

However, sometimes the decision can be overwhelming and paralyzing - especially when any
situation involves someone you are close with (and possibly also have feelings for). I've been 
there - in a way am now - so I thought I'd share a few things I do that help me determine how to handle a situation and determine whether to stand by someone or not in case any of you are struggling with making a decision right now. 

If this episode resonates with you, makes you think, or actually helps you come to a decision on how to handle a big/hard/life changing situation let me know on Instagram (@thisiskaitey)
so we can better connect! If you know anyone who needs to hear something like this, share it on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma! If you need someone to talk to or get any advice from, I'm here for you!

To every single one of you who listen to my podcast and show it/my passion for this love in
any way, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I'm so glad to be connected to you all! <3

WOW, EPISODE TWENTY FREAKING FIVE. I AM SO FREAKING BLESSED TO BE HERE!

Thank you endlessly from the bottom of my heart to every one of you who like my podcast, and are in some way showing their support for it! I could not be here without YOU, thank you!

For episode 25 I thought I'd bring up a topic that may not be the easiest for people but I feel is super important, self sabotage and things we do that 1. are just as easy to do as things that would be good for us and, 2. make out mental illnesses worse not better. 

Facing this truth last year when burn out got me good was really hard, uncomfortable, and at times down right annoying but it has gotten me to a place where I truly take my wellbeing seriously and am more intention with my time - which is our most valuable resource in our life.

Do you scroll social media before bed instead of doing something that will make you feel calm? Self sabotage - ways we may be doing ourselves a little dirty, and how we can start doing ourselves more good!

Do you chose to sleep less than 6 hours a night when you know damn well how it makes you feel, and show up for yourself and others? Self sabotage. 

When going out to eat with friends or family, do you chose something off the menu because you think you'll be judged for becoming a healthier eater than choosing something healthy? Self sabotage. 

I could carry on all damn day, but you get the point! It's just as easy to do things that make us feel crappy, less than we are, and more anxious than necessary as it is to do things that will make us feel good and enough as we damn are (because for real, we ARE all enough as we are right now).

We only get this one life so while we do get to be on this Earth I urge you to do things and live in ways that make you feel free, aligned, healthy, excited, and happy as often as possible. You damn well deserve it!

If you love this episode, please let me know (@thisiskaitey on IG) so we can connect better! If you know anyone who needs to hear this, please share the episode on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma!

If you didn't listen to last weeks show and need to catch up to understand a comment I make here, just clock this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1897907/episodes/10788587

Again, thank you so much for your support of Triumph After Trauma. I truly adore every single one of you who listen into the show. I'm forever grateful we're connected <3

I'm going to be blunt about this: sometimes life is so tough we. cannot. do. it. 

I understand people want to always choose joy, even in the smallest thing, as often as possible. I'm all for feeling out those intense feelings but not sitting in them too long, when we can control our emotions. I respect and admire the belief people have that life happens for us, not to us. 

On the flip side, most or all of us have gone through something along the lines of this:

A relationship (of any kind - family, friend, close co-worker, romantic partner, child, etc) suddenly changes drastically, and the why is out of both of your control. The why is also not good, for either of you. 

Someone you care about is facing a life altering or terminal diagnosis. Neither of you want your relationship to change, but fun plans you had or the future you were building (or talking about building) is taken from you and you didn't see it coming. 

You lose someone you love unexpected and tragically, and your world is flipped upside down.

You aren't great with finances and get yourself into so much debt you can't seem to get out of it. Instead of reaching out to a family member/friend good with finances, you let yourself fall into what is known as financial depression. The debt gets bigger, your depression gets worse, and before you it you can barely (financially, emotionally, or mentally) care for yourself. 

I could go on and on, but you get the point. Sometimes the rug gets pulled out from under us just as we get comfortable on it finally, or just when things start to fall into place the universe pulls a big fuck you and sends you spiraling. This is a terrible thing we have to experience in life, but sadly not one of us are immune to it. 

I want to talk about this side of anxiety and depression, because I think this dark side of it isn't talked about enough. Yes it's dark and hard to talk about, but it's an important conversation.

When life knocks you down, you truly feel like you're drowning, using even an ounce of energy exhausts you how can you get help in gaining strength to stand again, without doing anything that will overexert you?

That's exactly what I share in this episode, friends! I hope you really listen in, and love this episode. If you resonate with it or it helps you, let me know on Instagram (@thisiskaitey) so we can  better connect! If you know anyone who needs to hear this, share it on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma ! I'm so grateful to be on this journey with you! <3

In today's episode I share with you what May has been like for me, and we have a discussion about ways to handle seasons we know will be hard for a while. 

Your best friend of 10+ years gets their dream job, but half way across the world from you. Out of nowhere, a few times a week together will be a few times a year. Just like that, what work you have to do to maintain this friendship changes. Suddenly, reality hits that milestones will possibly be celebrated together via zoom more than in person That is a big change.

A family member is not doing well. You don't know how much time you have left with them, but you have a very vague idea thanks to doctors. Not knowing yet knowing sends your anxiety through the roof, and you can't control it but know you need to because you can't spend this precious time your loved one has left not being present with them every chance you get. That is a big change. 

You fall in love with someone and just when things seem to be falling into place, tragedy strikes and in some way (they/you have to move, go back to their country, learned your life has been cheating the whole time - a million different things could happen, really) their life and inherently your life with them in it/relationship with this person changes. That is a big change.  

These are just a few examples of the million and one ways our lives, relationships, happiness, sense of security can be taken away or altered drastically in an instant. When that happens but the news we receive we know means things in our own world will be hard for a while, doing anything besides crying a lot and going through the motions (aka being in survival mode and not really living) can feel like the only things possible to do. I get it, I have been in this spot more than once and am in an emotionally really hard spot right now I've never been in. I promise you, I get the heart shattering pain that you may feel and I wish I could take it away. 

I don't have all the answers on how to cope when life gets flipped upside down in an instant, but I have done a few things this month that I found helped me wrangle in all my anxiety (and other negative feelings) enough I feel in control of it right now. I know I'm not the only one in a situation that is hard and will be for a while, so I wanted to share the few things I found benefit me in hopes they may benefit you or someone you know. 

If you resonate with this episode at all, message me on Instagram (@thisiskaitey is my handle), so we can better connect! If you know someone who needs to hear this, share it on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma. I'm grateful to be on this journey with you all, thank you for your support and listening in! <3

People pleasing, alignment and comparison all go hand in hand. And of course, they all affect our mental health. I'm in an emotionally really tough season personally and shared a bit about that last week, but I'm in a season of changes with my business and felt this should be talked about too! So friends, here we are! 

When we struggle with people pleasing tendencies or struggle with comparison but don't know how to get out of it (or are scared to do the hard work to), it leads to a lot of anxiety and stress. When we struggle with these things for years it can shape how we view/treat ourselves, lead to feeling not good enough, create false stories about ourselves we believe. 

Today I share with you what I'm going through right now with my small design and decor buisness Kreative Kaitey Decor (@kreativekaiteydecor - find me on IG and Pinterest), so you know I'm really going through this journey in real time with you. I also share a few reminders and pep talks that have helped me learn to live the life I want, and show up in the world that feels right for me . These reminders and pep talks still help me today, when those tendencies try to pop up!

If you resonate with anything from this episode, message me (@thisiskaitey is my personal IG handle) to let me know so we can chat and connect more! If you know anyone who needs to hear my story or these tricks, share it on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma! I'm so grateful for you, thank you for being here <3

Today I'm chatting with you about overwhelming anxiety, as well as how the beautiful and bad experiences go hand in hand. I share a bit about my time in college for decorating and design, and some of the losses/obstacles I had to face during that time. I want this episode to really be a reminder to you more than anything, that even when life feels impossible to enjoy or you feel like you're at rock bottom with no way of going back up there can still be beauty to experience and somehow, amazing things can happen to you or come from that experience. How life works - how your best moments can happen right before or after your worst - how there is so much beauty yet natural disaster - all the wars yet people fighting against it - how this world works more accurately, is quite wild to me. We can't avoid that terrible things will happen, that we'll lose (in different ways - loss of life, end of a relationship/friendship etc) people we love, natural disasters can in an instant change lives forever, or that unthinkable events may take place. However, I don't want you to forget that even in your darkest moments or most heart shattering loses there can be good things that happen to you, there can in strange ways be good things or lessons that come from all that. I hope today I was able to remind you that having to take a step back and let yourself feel anxious, sad, lost, it's all okay.  I hope I was able to reassure you that if you're having a slow or hard season because of overwhelming anxiety, you're not doing anything wrong. I hope I was able to remind you that if you're in a situation that is hard and confusing to emotionally/mentally work through, you're far from alone. 

If you resonate with anything from this episode, please feel free to DM me on Instagram (my handle is @thisiskaitey) so we can connect better! if you know someone who needs to hear this story/reminder/message, share the episode on social media and tag me so I can thank you for helping spread the word about Triumph After Trauma. Thank you so much for being on this journey with me, I'm so grateful for you all <3