Have you taken a moment to think about your relationship with anxiety? Today, Brooke encourages us to reflect on how we deal with anxiety in our everyday lives. While we may instinctively try to push it away or suppress it, she believes being kinder to ourselves when facing anxiety can help us manage it better. She talks about how giving ourselves space, honoring our feelings, and remembering that our anxiety does not define us can help us foster a healthier relationship with this often misunderstood emotion.
Tune in to this week's episode of the Unperfected Pod as Brooke inspires us to acknowledge our anxiety without judgment and treat it with compassion.
[00:00 - 10:50] Introduction
Brooke recounts how she and her husband are sharing the load this fall break
Always communicate and don't be afraid to ask for help from your partner
She also discusses normalizing changes in women's bodies and removing the shame around it
Looking for a supportive community as you navigate this beautiful and messy world? Come and join the Mommy's Mental Health Matters Facebook Group!
[10:51 - 19:27] You Are Not Your Anxiety
Nowadays, we're all heightened and concerned about the state of the world around us so feeling anxious is normal
Brooke highlights the importance of the therapeutic alliance between her and her clients and how they both go through transformations and heal together
Remember that we're not defined by our anxiety; it is just a part of who we are
Recognize the purpose anxiety has served in keeping us safe
[19:28 - 29:15] Gentle Parenting: Curiosity, Kindness, and Compassion
In order to gentle parent our children, we first have to take better care of ourselves
It's about giving space to our anxiety, the same way we would give space to our child's emotions
Have respect and empathy for the role of anxiety in our lives; it's part of the human condition
Validate our anxiety and remain regulated in our nervous system instead of ignoring it or escalating it
Don't let anxiety take over, let your CEO self take charge
It's okay to be vulnerable and not be grounded all the time; the key is to keep trying
[29:16 - 35:26] Closing Segment
It starts with looking at our anxiety from a distance, taking time to breathe, and working on integrating that part of ourselves on our terms
To learn more about Brooke and her work, listeners can visit Brooke Jean LLC!
Tweetable Quotes:
"If we don't ask, if we don't communicate, we assume no one is going to help us. And while that may be a brutal reality for so many of us, It might also be an assumption. It might also be a projection even." – Brooke Jean
"Rather than shame it, rather than repress it, rather than ignore it or get frustrated with it, my recommendation is to see it with kindness and compassion. Because that part, that version of you that has felt anxious, has done a lot of work to keep you safe." – Brooke Jean
"It's often in our mess that we find that magic… When I stopped wearing a mask, when I stopped pretending I was somebody I wasn't, boom, everything in my life leveled up massively." – Brooke Jean
Get your FREE Survival Anxiety Kit
You can connect with Brooke Jean through her:
Website: Brooke Jean LLC
Facebook: Brooke Jean
LinkedIn: Brooke Jean
Twitter: Brooke Jean
Instagram: @brookejeanunperfected
LEAVE A REVIEW
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brookejeanunperfected/
Facebook private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MLALTL
Website: https://www.brookejeanllc.com/
Join us!
The Unperfected Mama Group Program
