In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the emotion of feeling mortified - that sense of being so incredibly humiliated that you may have lost your dignity. The conversation examines the Latin roots of "mortified" (meaning death), how this emotion differs from simple embarrassment, and why it's more common during teenage years when identity is still forming. The hosts share personal stories of mortification and discuss the importance of self-soothing and curiosity when processing this painful emotion.
Episode Highlights:
- Michelle explains the etymology of "mortified" comes from the Latin word for death, describing it as "I did something so bad, so disgusting, that I just died a little," and notes the mortifying feeling makes you want to curl up small to avoid others' judgment
- The hosts reflect on how life experience reduces mortification, with Michelle noting she hasn't felt truly mortified since her teenage years when identity is still forming and stakes seem higher, raising her empathy for young people navigating this intense emotion
- Heather distinguishes mortification from embarrassment by noting intentionality - getting caught cheating on a test in high school created mortification because she knew she "was better than that" and had acted against her own integrity
- Tina shares being mortified in her early twenties when a manager's "joke" led her to ask restaurant customers to leave, resulting in complaints and feeling she'd "ruined their night," describing the classic response of going into the walk-in cooler to cry
- The conversation emphasizes curiosity as a resilience mindset for mortification and highlights self-soothing techniques like comfortable blankets, favorite tea, pleasant scents, or showers - small sensory experiences that bring you into the present with pleasant sensations when you don't have "your mommy to come and snuggle you"
Podcast theme music by
Dubush Miaw from
PixabayThis episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.
This episode is sponsored by
FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally.
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