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November 26, 2025 54 mins
How do we care for ourselves while staying connected to the people we love?

In this episode of Her Unshakeable Confidence, Simone and Olivia Knego sit down with Dr. Shafer Stedron, MD, to explore emotional regulation, self-compassion, and authentic living. Dr. Stedron shares insights on navigating transitions, honoring your feelings, setting healthy boundaries, and the power of small acts of kindness. She also talks about his children’s book, The Boy and His Brightly Colored Blocks, which helps teach emotional regulation and empathy.

Listeners will gain simple, practical strategies to build self-awareness, practice self-care, and nurture more genuine connections.

Actionable Takeaways
  • Self-care and self-respect are not selfish; “No is a complete sentence.”

  • Emotional regulation is learned through modeling, connection, and practice.

  • Authenticity requires leaving behind the pressure to please others.

  • Small gestures, like a simple text or call, can profoundly impact someone’s life.

  • Modeling vulnerability and humility strengthens relationships with your children.

  • Children’s literature can teach empathy, patience, and emotional skills to both kids and adults.

  • Apologize to yourself as you would to a friend to repair internal self-criticism.

Chapters
00:00 – Introduction – Welcome and overview of today’s conversation
01:15 – Discovering Authenticity – Olivia shares her journey through college and law school
10:20 – Breaking Free from People-Pleasing – Dr. Stedron discusses self-care and boundaries
18:35 – Modeling Emotional Regulation – Using children’s literature to teach empathy and patience
28:00 – The Importance of Saying “No” – Practical strategies for personal boundaries
36:49 – Processing Grief and Connection – Reflections on community loss and reaching out
44:03 – The Boy and His Brightly Colored Blocks – Teaching kids emotional regulation
49:12 – The Power of Reading and Connection – Creating meaningful experiences through shared reading
50:51 – Closing Thoughts & Final Quote – Olivia and Simone share inspiring reflections
51:03 – Guest Info & How to Connect – Where to find Dr. Shafer Stedron


About Dr. Shafer Stedron

Dr. Shafer is a musician turned physician (neurologist), Jay Shetty Certified life coach, author, Founder of Little House of Dreams Publishing, Producer, and Host of the inspirational growth, health and healing focused podcast Talks with Dr. Shafer. She is the co-author of #1 International Best-selling Cracking The Rich Code Volume 16 (endorsed by Tony Robbins) and the author of the children’s book The Boy and his Brightly Colored Blocks. Dr. Shafer is passionate about helping people to reclaim their stories and build their most beautiful future.  Dr. Shafer believes it is never too early to show young people how important their voice truly is, and the power they possess to create a better world.

Connect with Dr. Shafer

Talks with Dr Shafer Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talks-with-dr-shafer/id1723838159

Website:www.drshaferstedronova.com

Substack:https://substack.com/@shaferstedronmd
Instagram: talks_with_dr_shafer
https://www.instagram.com/talks_with_dr_shafer/

LinkedIn: Shafer Stedron
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shafer-stedron-4b7a19263/

The Boy and His Brightly Colored Blocks is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.drshaferstedronova.com

https://www.amazon.com/Boy-His-Brightly-Colored-Blocks-ebook/dp/B0F7B477H8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2645EXARXGHOT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UBBx0NXlzcuOeSsfdYtg0imF_L3x1C2t0HAJSvi49zxGPP9P_KcTfXkBGl29DID_

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