The Strong-but-Struggling Podcast

Why Knowing More Isn't Enough to Change

Discover why knowing what to do isn't enough for lasting change and how to bridge the invisible gap in your healing journey using body-based strategies and insights.  Main Topics: * The difference between awareness and embodiment in change * How patterns are stored in the body, not just in thoughts * The myth of discipline and the role of nervous system regulation * The impact of watching and modeling behavior, especially in family * Practical steps: connecting with your body and creating a personalized "recipe" for healing * The importance of community and relational healing in sustainable change Timestamps: * 00:00 - 02:00: Introduction and grocery store analogy * 02:01 - 04:00: Closet analogy and pattern storage * 04:01 - 06:00: Awareness vs. embodiment * 06:01 - 10:00: Over-identifying with stress * 10:01 - 14:00: Modeling behavior and family influence * 14:01 - 18:00: Recipe analogy and embodied change * 18:01 - 22:00: Recognizing conditioned patterns * 22:01 - 33:03: Program announcement and practical tips In this episode: * Explains that behaviors like procrastination and self-sabotage are not rooted in laziness but in deeper pattern storage * Introduces the concept that anxiety, overwhelm, and stress are stored in the body, not just in the mind * Highlights how upbringing and environment shape our automatic responses and patterns * Uses the analogy of baking a cake to differentiate between knowing about change and experiencing it fully * Emphasizes the importance of sensing your body's signals and grounding into bodily awareness * Encourages building a supportive community and reprogramming in relational spaces * Announces the relaunch of the "Reclaim Your Steady" 12-week program designed to help women feel steady amid life's chaos * Provides practical tips: noticing where stress shows up physically, and ways to start connecting with your body's response Resources & Links: * Reclaim Your Steady Program Application [https://portal.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69cad2be58e322a80f7314a6] * Aligned Living Membership [https://www.skool.com/align-empowered-living-2177/about?ref=27ff23cb16e146d3a588e6737266da3c&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn5_bXaPNNArcNALQ36Ag5QWnxlX7EGpIV-_Yjp_WFp-uRRQRPuoeGbRPB2V0_aem_0OUDzVGIeyAz83U9G89-1Q] Connect with Alyssa: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/alyssa_booth] * Website [heyalyssabooth.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

My Dogs Surgery Gave Me the Biggest Realization I Had Missed

In this episode, Alyssa Booth shares a powerful story about how neglecting her own physical and emotional health led to burnout, and how recognizing the cycle can empower women to choose themselves first. Welcome to the go-go-go crash cycle. The one where you run yourself completely into the ground, hit the wall, feel guilty about hitting the wall, get back up, and do it all over again. The one that looks like productivity and ambition from the outside — and feels like barely surviving from the inside. In this episode Alyssa gets into the cycle that shame from Episode 3 actually creates. Because shame doesn't just sit there. It drives something. It keeps you moving so you never have to stop and feel it. It fills every margin so completely there's no room left for gas — which is why some of you are driving on five miles and calling it fine. Alyssa shares the story of taking her dog to physical therapy twice a week while ignoring her own significant postpartum back and pelvic pain. And the moment ten months postpartum when she finally hit her breaking point and asked her husband for help — and he looked at her and said: "I thought you liked doing everything." Not with cruelty. With complete sincerity. Because she had been doing everything without complaint for so long it looked like a choice. If you're stuck in the go, go, go rhythm and feeling guilty about slowing down, this episode is your wake-up call. In this episode: * The go-go-go crash cycle — what it actually is and why a better planner will never fix it * Why the go-go-go is not ambition — it's avoidance with an impressive to-do list * The connection between the need to control everything and a dysregulated nervous system * Why the crash is not weakness — it's the only break you ever give yourself * The dog PT story — funny, painful, and the most relatable thing Alyssa has ever shared * Why asking for help is not the crash — it's what prevents it The takeaway: Find one thing this week that you have been putting off doing for yourself. Not for your kids, your house, or your job. For you. The doctor's appointment. The PT referral. The thing you keep moving to next week. Do that one thing. Not because you've earned it. Because you have a dog who got PT before you did and it's time. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Alyssa’s realization and need for change 05:05 - Understanding and breaking the cycle 17:25 - Community and support networks 30:51 - Embracing pause and reflection RESOURCES & LINKS: * Living Aligned Collective [https://www.skool.com/align-empowered-living-2177/about?ref=27ff23cb16e146d3a588e6737266da3c&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnbz9XNCL9wjhArzIab6q2UgtU41cFPmHqE2AFKG0a7-bIFKWuBu7PII1jCRE_aem_QWFMByd0LGaSSLPExzKODQ] — Join Alyssa’s community for ongoing support * Reclaim Program [https://portal.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69cad2be58e322a80f7314a6?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGniaqhGZj4as_NTVwv6-nT_mTihgbq3k6g7xkJKcYd9eS9kaYUCALhOYmFmRI_aem_M6C03ZgoI5hYZmG4hQCkmQ] — Deep dive into healing from burnout and control * Alyssa Booth on Instagram [https://instagram.com/alyssabooth] — For direct connection and support * Leave a review and share this episode with a mom who needs to hear this! ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

If They Only Knew

You post the photo. Everyone comments "you're such a good mom." And all you can think is — if they only knew. If they only knew what happened three minutes before that photo. If they only knew the version of you that exists when nobody is watching — the one in the car, the one at 10pm, the one that is barely holding it together on a Tuesday and performing fine in every room. That gap — between who you are and who you think you're supposed to be — that is shame. And in this episode Alyssa goes all the way into it. Not the surface version of shame. The specific kind that lives in the high-achieving, self-aware, doing-all-the-right-things woman who still feels like a fraud. The kind that makes "you're amazing" feel like evidence of the gap instead of evidence of the truth. The kind that drives you to do more, be more, try harder — because if you just get far enough ahead, maybe it won't catch up. Alyssa shares what it was like to sit in a parking lot crying before work and then walk in five minutes later to help someone else put their life together — and the specific moment she realized she had been performing the version of herself she thought she was supposed to be in every single room. And she asks the question that changes everything. In this episode: * The difference between guilt and shame — and why it matters more than you think * Why "I had a good enough childhood, I shouldn't complain" is shame doing what shame does best * The parking lot story — Alyssa's most vulnerable episode yet * How shame drives the go-go-go, the perfectionism, and the performance * The generational piece — what you inherited, what you're breaking, and why you don't give yourself any credit for it * The question to ask yourself the next time shame shows up * The takeaway: The next time shame shows up, finish this sentence: "If you reduce me to this moment, you miss ___." Fill it in. One specific true thing the shame is leaving out. Give yourself the full picture — not just the worst frame. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to shame in motherhood 03:43 - Understanding the power of shame 08:28 - Repairing shame through vulnerability 17:07 - Overcoming shame with self-acceptance 22:00 - Celebrating repair and resilience 31:13 - Embracing human imperfection 35:20 - Community's role in healing shame Resources & Links: * Reclaim [https://portal.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69cad2be58e322a80f7314a6?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn-dfDDNakapVY9RxwLaUuie2rOfyQmgCublG3RvaYj_EmiBB7Nu7oBLtNsow_aem_O9X36AYQb_lrYhJY4XK4AQ] (Signature Program) * Align Membership [https://www.skool.com/align-empowered-living-2177/about?ref=27ff23cb16e146d3a588e6737266da3c&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnn5HpKgWs__V3KpR4pLvbeB069PNdk90b0nErBI4eQyhPtn7oMHpNLBONgcE_aem_Le2bUnfpvdcn4hzFLclMzw] * Instagram - Hey Alyssa Booth [https://www.instagram.com/heyalyssabooth/] Healing from shame is an ongoing journey rooted in connection, vulnerability, and self-compassion. Remember, you are human, and your efforts are enough—even in the messiest moments. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Same Survival. Different Font.

Your life looks good on paper. Safe relationship. Decent house. You've done the therapy. You know your patterns. You are, by every external measure, okay. And you still cannot fully exhale. You're on the couch but not really landing. You're on vacation but mentally still at home. Something good happens and instead of just feeling it there's this flicker — like it's too good, like there's a catch, like you're waiting for the other shoe to drop in a house where nobody is dropping shoes. That is Survival Mode 2.0. And in this episode Alyssa explains exactly what it is, where it comes from, and why the fact that your life looks fine has almost nothing to do with whether your nervous system feels that way. Alyssa shares what happened after she left her first marriage — how she built a new life, found a safe partner, went through IVF, had her second baby — and looked up one day to realize she was still running the exact same survival program. Different environment. Same nervous system. Same survival, different font. Now it's in calligraphy. In this episode: * The roller coaster feeling you're having on a regular Tuesday — explained * What Survival Mode 2.0 actually looks like in your daily life * Why your nervous system didn't get the memo that the hard chapter is over * What regulated actually means — and it's not what you think * Why you can know you're safe and still not feel it * The one thing to try this week when you catch yourself bracing The takeaway: Once today, when you catch yourself bracing in a moment that's actually okay — both feet flat on the floor, feel the ground, and say: "That was then. This is now." You're not fixing anything. You're introducing new information. That's how this works. Chapters: * (00:00) The roller coaster as a metaphor for nervous system activation * (02:11) Why your body remains on high alert even in safe environments * (11:36) The origins of hypervigilance in unstable childhood environments * (16:28) The mechanics of people pleasing vs. pre-emptive people appeasing * (19:41) The cycle of survival strategies in different life contexts * (33:21) Recognizing survival mode masked as competence and a full life * (36:01) Understanding true regulation vs. chronic dysregulation * (39:01) How external stability doesn’t automatically mean inner peace * (43:14) The importance of gradual, intentional safety experiences * (50:24) Transforming your nervous system with small, consistent steps * (55:34) Invitation to join the Align community for ongoing support Resources & Links: * Join the Align Membership [https://www.skool.com/align-empowered-living-2177/about] * Apply for Reclaim [https://portal.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69cad2be58e322a80f7314a6?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnHfKuyb7f9HbBb5KiCeWnnr31M47osWFBZzWRlb-LU1pRmj29cBv4QSx1k7c_aem_JMBzYGEGLxMLgrJpvlEDAQ] Connect with Alysa Booth: * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/heyalyssabooth/] * Website [https://www.heyalyssabooth.com/] Remember: Healing isn’t about trying harder or doing more; it’s about gentle, consistent experiences that tell your nervous system, you are safe now. Be patient and kind to yourself as you take these small steps forward. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The question that stops women in their tracks and why the silence after it says everything

You say it all the time. "I don't really ask for much." "I don't want to be a burden." "I'm just low maintenance." And you say it like it's a personality trait. Like it's just who you are. It's not who you are. It's what you learned. In this episode, Alyssa introduces the question that has stopped women in their tracks more than any other in her years of clinical work: why not? Why don't you ask for much? Why don't you want people to go out of their way for you? Why do you extend a grace to everyone around you that you won't let them extend back to you? The answer has nothing to do with being low maintenance. It has everything to do with a rule your nervous system learned a long time ago — in a relationship, a community, a childhood — that needing things had a cost. And you got so good at needing less that you forgot it was ever a choice. This episode cracks that open. In the best way. In this episode: * The specific moment Alyssa recognized this pattern — in her clients and in herself * How she learned to ask for less inside an abusive marriage * The difference between your personality and your survival strategy * Why the people who love you most can't show up for you when you won't let them * The one thing to try this week that costs nothing and changes everything * * The takeaway: Notice one moment this week where you automatically edit yourself down. You don't have to do it differently yet. Just catch it. "There it is." Noticing is the beginning of choosing. Chapters 00:00 The Struggle of Self-Abandonment 01:30 Understanding the Question: Why Not? 05:03 Personal Story: The Cost of Needing Less 15:37 The Nervous System's Role in Needing Less 19:05 Taking Action: Small Steps to Reconnect 26:09 Building a Supportive Community Join The Living Aligned Collective [https://www.skool.com/align-empowered-living-2177/about] Apply for Reclaim [https://portal.dubsado.com/public/form/view/69cad2be58e322a80f7314a6?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnHfKuyb7f9HbBb5KiCeWnnr31M47osWFBZzWRlb-LU1pRmj29cBv4QSx1k7c_aem_JMBzYGEGLxMLgrJpvlEDAQ] Catch me on IG @heyalyssabooth [https://www.instagram.com/heyalyssabooth/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.