How to Avoid Overwhelm and Access Joy in a time of Change

Mindset Unlimited: Tips, Tools, and Inspiration for Women in a Time of Change

How to Avoid Overwhelm and Access Joy in a Time of Change begins with recognizing our shared human struggle to maintain emotional equilibrium during turbulent periods. The journey involves understanding that our stress responses are natural support mechanisms, not personal failures, and learning to engage them with compassion and intentionality. By embracing our nervous system's signals and creating flexible, value-aligned routines, we can transform overwhelming experiences into opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Connecting with our inner landscape and broader ecosystems allows us to move beyond survival mode, accessing deeper reservoirs of resilience and joy that aren't dependent on external circumstances. This approach isn't about achieving some mythically perfect calm, but about cultivating a compassionate relationship with ourselves that honors our shared humanity and supports our capacity to show up authentically in a complex world.

In this episode of Mindset Unlimited, I explore how to avoid overwhelm and access joy in a time of change through embodied empowerment rather than toxic positivity.

Some of what I explore in this episode includes:

• The difference between disassociating and self-care
• The role of your stress response and how you can respond to it.
• Making space for rest and recharging
• Schedule changes, to do lists, and creating routines that support you
• Connecting to an ecosystem for social change (because it can’t just be you)

LINKS TO EPISODES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

7 Ways to Relax this Summer and Beyond

How to Create a Schedule that Works for You

Embracing Periods of Reflection

LINKS TO REFERENCES MADE IN THIS EPISODE:

Valarie Kaur speech clip on Instagram

Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer

Deepa Iyer Substack article: Grieve, Connect, Act, Reflect, Correct. (Repeat)

Valerie’s “Social Change Now” Study Group interest form

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:

Ask Valerie (anonymous form)

Sign up for Valerie’s newsletter

Apply to be coached on the podcast

Schedule an exploration call

This podcast was produced by Valerie Friedlander Coaching

Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective

Send me a text!

Support the show

فصول

1. Intro: Joy During Crisis (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Overwhelm and Stress (00:05:13)

3. Disassociating vs. Self-Care (00:10:23)

4. Creating Space for Rest (00:17:44)

5. Building Social Change Ecosystems (00:21:40)

6. Finding Your Role in Collective Action (00:35:26)

7. Embracing Life Amid Uncertainty (00:40:04)