EP290: Why We Struggle to Feel Safe in Our Own Minds and Bodies

Today, we kick off the month’s theme of Reclaiming Inner Safety by unpacking why so many of us live in a constant state of disconnection. From racing thoughts and emotional numbing to people-pleasing and overfunctioning, we explore how early life experiences—like trauma, chronic stress, or invalidation—teach us that it’s not safe to feel, need, or be fully present. These patterns of self-protection may have once helped us survive, but now they’re keeping us from living a grounded, authentic life.

You’ll learn how disconnection often hides behind busyness, anxiety, or over-responsibility, and how the journey back to yourself starts with small, intentional moments of presence. We also talk about how this month, we will be talking about practices like EMDR and mindfulness can support this healing process by helping us gently return to our bodies, emotions, and inner truth—without shame or overwhelm.

Three Takeaways

1.     Disconnection is a survival response—not a personal failure.
Many of us learned to tune out from our emotions and bodies because it didn’t feel safe to stay connected.

2.     Busyness, people-pleasing, and overthinking are often symptoms of deeper emotional avoidance.
These patterns are how we manage discomfort—but they keep us from our truth.

3.     The path back to yourself starts with presence.
A single breath, a named feeling, or a brief moment of stillness can begin to rebuild trust with your inner world.

 

 

                     When stillness feels unsafe,

we don’t slow down –

we stay busy, reactive, or numb.