You Make Sense
Sarah Baldwin
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Top 10 You Make Sense Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best You Make Sense episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to You Make Sense for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite You Make Sense episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Slowing Down to Receive More
You Make Sense
01/28/25 • 41 min
If slowing down feels impossible or like a luxury you can’t afford, this episode is for you. Sarah unpacks why so many of us stay trapped in a cycle of constant “doing,” where rest feels risky and burnout becomes inevitable. Drawing on her expertise in Somatic Experiencing, Polyvagal Theory, and Parts Work, she explains how your past, trauma, and societal expectations can all keep you stuck on the hamster wheel.
You’ll get simple, actionable steps to show your nervous system that slowing down isn’t just safe—it’s powerful. Whether it’s finding joy in a quiet walk, saying no to one more email, or unburdening your protective parts, this episode will help you reconnect with your body and bring regulation to your nervous system. Slowing down isn’t giving up—it’s the key to embodying the life and abundance you’re desiring.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:40 Your Environment Influences Your Nervous System
03:13 The Sympathetic Nervous System
06:44 The Origin of Our Protective Parts
11:55 Building Your Capacity to Slow Down
17:01 Somatic Tool: Disconfirming Experiences
19:31 Somatic Tool: Taking Tolerable Steps
21:25 Get to Know Your Protective Parts
24:04 “I Feel Like I’m Constantly in a Dysregulated State”
30:04 The Expand/Contract Experience of Healing
34:34 Somatic Support for Difficult Life, Political, or World Events
Looking for Deeper Support on Your Healing Journey?
The next opportunity to work with Sarah is her 10-week program, You Make Sense! This comprehensive video-based course with weekly live Q&As will give you tangible somatic tools to address every area of your life.
Join the waitlist for limited-time reduced pricing coming in March 2025:
https://bit.ly/sp-yms-waitlist
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
Sympathetic Nervous System - The sympathetic nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for mobilizing energy in response to perceived threats. By activating the HPA axis, cortisol and adrenaline levels are increased in the body, preparing our system to respond to danger and stress. Chronic activation of this system can lead to anxiety, burnout, and health issues.
Regulation - Regulation refers to the ability to maintain or return to a state of safety, presence, and connection within the nervous system. A regulated nervous system promotes calmness, focus, and the capacity to handle life's challenges effectively. Building regulation involves consistent neural exercises and creating disconfirming experiences that show your body it’s safe to come into a state of rest.
Trauma - Trauma is the overwhelm of activation (energy) experienced in our bodies, in the face of helplessness. If we do not have the conditions necessary for trauma to process through our bodies, it becomes stuck and stored, leaving lasting emotional, physical or psychological imprints. It disrupts the nervous system causing chronic dysregulation, disconnection and/or hypervigilance.
Protective Parts - Protective parts are internal mechanisms (or versions of ourselves) developed to shield us from pain or harm, often formed during childhood. These parts use behaviors like perfectionism, overachievement, or avoidance to keep us safe from perceived threats. While they are well-intentioned, they can also keep us stuck in unhelpful patterns until their needs are addressed.
Somatic Healing - Somatic healing focuses on addressing trauma and stress stored in the body, rather than just the mind. It involves practices that help release trapped activation/energy, regulate the nervous system and complete the incomplete response to trauma of the past, and reconnect with the physical self. Techniques like movement, touch, and breathwork are commonly used to support this healing process.
02/25/25 • 68 min
What if there was a way to find more lightness and joy in your healing journey along the way? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the profound impact of two transformative states within the autonomic nervous system: play and stillness. These states aren’t just about fun and quiet—they’re the keys to unlocking creativity, emotional regulation, and deeper connections.
Sarah shares practical tips to help you embrace these vital states, from finding freedom through dance and movement to building rituals that invite inner peace. Whether you’re using play to resolve conflict in your relationships or creating a nighttime stillness routine for better sleep, this episode offers a roadmap to navigate life with greater ease and aliveness.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:17 Play and Stillness
02:03 3 States of Dysregulation
03:00 Getting to Know Your Blended State of Play
11:06 Why Do We Struggle to Experience Play?
15:09 Tools to Begin Stepping Toward Play
19:20 Getting to Know Your Blended State of Stillness
26:40 Why Do We Struggle to Experience Stillness?
30:02 Tools to Begin Stepping Toward Stillness
38:18 “How Do I Feel More Playful and Free While Dancing?”
50:41 “Why Doesn’t Meditation Work For Me?”
59:42 “How Can Play Help Improve My Relationship?”
Download Sarah’s FREE Workbook:
Want free trauma-informed tools? Download Sarah’s free workbook, “How to Gain Control Over How You Feel,” for actionable prompts and exercises to help you start feeling better on a daily basis.
https://bit.ly/yms-sp-workbook
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) - The autonomic nervous system is a part of the nervous system that operates unconsciously to regulate vital bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. It has two primary branches: the sympathetic (activates fight-or-flight responses) and parasympathetic (promotes our rest-and-digest state along with our dorsal vagal complex), which are integral in supporting us to experience both regulation and dysregulation.
Play - Play is a blended state within the autonomic nervous system, made primarily of regulation (ventral vagal complex) with a touch of mobilizing sympathetic energy (sympathetic nervous system). It fosters creativity, learning, and bonding by bringing joy and aliveness into life experiences.
Stillness - Stillness is a state predominantly rooted in regulation (ventral vagal complex) with a subtle influence of the dorsal vagal complex. It encourages deep presence, better sleep, intimacy and emotional connection, and rejuvenation, allowing individuals to fully embrace quiet, restorative moments.
Ventral Vagal Complex - The ventral vagal complex is part of the parasympathetic nervous system associated with safety and regulation. It governs states of connection, calm, and engagement with others, enabling social bonding and overall well-being.
Sympathetic Nervous System - The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for activating the fight-or-flight response, preparing the body to react to real or perceived threats. It increases energy and alertness, mobilizing the body for action when needed.
Dorsal Vagal Complex - The dorsal vagal complex is a branch of the parasympathetic nervous system linked to immobilization and shutdown responses. It becomes active in extreme stress or trauma and helps us to leave our bodies, resulting in feelings of disconnection or dissociation.
The Antidote to Shame and Feelings of Unworthiness
You Make Sense
02/18/25 • 43 min
Shame often keeps us from living the full, expansive life we’re desiring. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explains the difference between “healthy” and “unhealthy” shame, and why unresolved trauma can often leave us feeling unworthy or like there is something inherently wrong with us.
While shame can affect every area of our lives, from our relationships to our purpose, the good news is that it’s absolutely possible to heal. Sarah will walk you through tangible somatic steps to bring your nervous system back into internal safety and access your healthy aggression or “life force energy,” both of which are imperative to releasing shame and finding freedom in your everyday life.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:26 What is Healthy Shame?
04:29 What is Unhealthy Shame?
11:55 How the Internalization of Shame Occurs
13:59 How to Resolve Unhealthy Shame
18:43 Accessing Healthy Aggression
21:25 Parts Work & Embodying Your Creativity
27:10 Processing the Underlying Activation of Panic Attacks
33:17 Being Ferociously Protective of Your Own Story
37:52 Shame Around Experiencing Setbacks
Work with Sarah inside the You Make Sense course:
Looking for tools to heal every area of your life? You Make Sense is a 10-week live somatic healing course that will help you to address your relationships, purpose, younger parts, boundaries, thoughts, and more!
Join the waitlist by March 4th for limited-time reduced pricing:
https://bit.ly/sp-yms-waitlist
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
Healthy Shame - Healthy shame teaches individuals about boundaries, consequences, and experiencing health in relationships and life. It begins to occur during early developmental stages and builds resilience to navigate stress and be with affect in our bodies. In the process, we are not made to feel like we are inherently bad or unlovable.
Unhealthy Shame - Unhealthy shame is the internalization of what happened to us (or what was said to us) making one feel inherently bad and unworthy. This type of shame is often rooted in traumatic experiences and can result in long-lasting psychological distress.
Nervous System Regulation - Nervous system regulation involves managing the body's response to stress and stimuli through various techniques that help maintain or restore a state of balance. It is crucial for emotional resilience and overall mental health.
Somatic Experiencing - Somatic Experiencing is a modality developed by Peter Levine that uses the body to release stored trauma and activation. This approach is grounded in science that confirms the body holds past trauma, and that through somatic healing and completing the incomplete experience, we can release the stored traumatic energy and consequently, the past becomes the past rather than the perpetual present.
Trauma - Trauma is the overwhelm of activation (energy) experienced in our bodies, in the face of helplessness. If we do not have the conditions necessary for trauma to process through our bodies, it becomes stuck and stored, leaving lasting emotional, physical or psychological imprints. It disrupts the nervous system causing chronic dysregulation, disconnection and/or hypervigilance.
Internalization - Internalization is a psychological process where individuals unconsciously integrate the beliefs, values, and norms of others into their own self-view. In the context of shame, it often refers to the absorption of negative beliefs about oneself that are derived from critical or dismissive messaging and treatment by others.
03/18/25 • 49 min
There can be a lot of talk around forgiveness in the self-help space, but what does it actually mean to forgive? Forgiveness is not just a mindset shift or something we can “think” our way into—it is a somatic process that requires addressing the nervous system and accessing our healthy aggression.
Using the latest neuroscience research, Sarah explains how unresolved trauma gets stored in our bodies until we are able to “complete the incomplete experience” or access the appropriate response to what occurred. If you’ve struggled to let go and move forward in life, this episode will give you a step-by-step guide to somatically resolve these wounds, so that you can find freedom from the past and release feelings of shame and resentment.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:46 Time Does Not Heal All
04:36 We Must First Process What Occurred
08:01 What is Healthy Aggression?
11:20 What is Unhealthy Aggression?
12:36 Building Your Capacity for Healthy Aggression
15:56 Practical Applications for Somatic Forgiveness
21:31 Accessing Your Unmet Needs
24:09 Struggling to Move On After a Betrayal
27:21 Healing Shame and Anger from Childhood Trauma
32:48 How to Overcome Parental Guilt
42:07 Spiritual Bypassing Around Forgiveness
RSVP to Sarah’s FREE live training:
Ready for tangible somatic tools? Take this work to the next level when you join the Nervous System Starter Kit — a FREE 75-minute live training to help you get into the driver’s seat of your experience and step toward your desires.
https://bit.ly/sp-nssk
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
Polyvagal Theory - This theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how the autonomic nervous system regulates our responses to stress, danger, and safety. It highlights the role of the vagus nerve in shifting between survival states (fight, flight, freeze, and shut down) and social engagement, which is crucial for emotional healing.
Healthy Aggression - A term coined by Peter Levine, this is our lifeforce energy, which is needed to set boundaries, protect oneself, and assert personal needs. It’s also the energy that allows us to experience full aliveness, connection, wonder, and awe. When suppressed, it can lead to unresolved anger, resentment, and even physical symptoms, but when expressed appropriately, it helps complete past emotional responses.
Trauma - Trauma is the overwhelm of activation (energy) experienced in our bodies, in the face of helplessness. If we do not have the conditions necessary for trauma to process through our bodies, it becomes stuck and stored, leaving lasting emotional, physical or psychological imprints. It disrupts the nervous system causing chronic dysregulation, disconnection and/or hypervigilance.
Somatic Healing - Somatic healing focuses on addressing trauma and stress stored in the body, rather than just the mind. It involves practices that help release trapped activation/energy, regulate the nervous system and complete the incomplete response to trauma of the past, and reconnect with the physical self. Techniques like movement, touch, and breathwork are commonly used to support this healing process.
Titration of Trauma - This refers to the body's natural process of releasing stored energy from past trauma or stress. It can happen through movement, sound, breathwork, or other somatic practices that allow the body to complete an unfinished emotional cycle and pendulate through stress responses.
The State of Your Nervous System Creates Your Thoughts
You Make Sense
02/04/25 • 51 min
The secret to changing your thoughts isn’t in your mind—it’s in your body. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah uses Polyvagal Theory to unravel the fascinating science behind how our nervous system shapes our story and why just telling ourselves to “think” differently doesn’t actually work.
In order to change our thinking, we must first address the underlying dysregulation in our system. Sarah will walk you through tangible somatic practices to shift toward regulation, create new neural pathways for more “positive” thoughts, and find clarity on your truth. By harnessing the power of your nervous system, it’s possible to transform your inner world.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:49 Our Autonomic State Creates Our Story
07:29 Thoughts in Dorsal (Immobilization)
09:19 Thoughts in Sympathetic (Mobilization)
11:15 Thoughts in Freeze (Tonic Immobility)
12:38 Thoughts in Ventral (Regulation)
15:09 Projecting Your Past Onto the Present
17:03 We Cannot Change Our Thinking in Dysregulation
20:20 Limitations of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
28:09 “Why Do Thoughts I Know To Be Wrong Feel So True?”
36:58 How to Overcome Negative Thoughts
44:29 Mindset Work & Manifestation From A Somatic Lens
Take Sarah’s FREE Quiz:
Feeling stuck in any area of your life? Take Sarah’s quiz to learn more about the self-protective system inside you that’s often responsible for your stuckness—and how to harness its power to step toward the life you desire.
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Contact Us:
Have questions? Want to let us know how you’re liking the podcast? Reach out to Sarah’s support team at [email protected].
Important Keywords:
Nervous System - The nervous system regulates bodily functions and responses to stress, consisting of the sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest) systems, comprised of our ventral vagal complex (rest and digest) and our dorsal vagal complex (shutdown/energy conservation). A well-regulated nervous system supports emotional balance, overall well-being, and supportive thoughts.
Polyvagal Theory - A theory developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explaining how the autonomic nervous system responds to safety or threat through three primary states: Ventral Vagal Complex (regulation and connection), Sympathetic Nervous System (mobilization), and Dorsal Vagal Complex (immobilization). This framework helps understand how our physiological state influences thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and perception.
Dysregulation - Active self-protection in response to real or perceived threats, leading to physiological and emotional imbalance. It can manifest as anxiety, depression, apathy, or other distressing emotions and can hinder clear thinking or positive actions.
Sympathetic Nervous System - The branch of the autonomic nervous system associated with mobilization or the fight-or-flight response. When activated, it increases energy, heart rate, and alertness to prepare for action.
Dorsal Vagal Complex - A part of the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for immobilization or the shutdown response. It activates in extreme situations of perceived danger, leading to feelings of numbness, dissociation, or hopelessness.
Ventral Vagal Complex - The branch of the parasympathetic nervous system associated with regulation, safety, connection, and presence. It supports social engagement, calmness, and the ability to rest and recover.
Freeze Response - A blended state made of equal parts mobilizing Sympathetic energy and immobilizing Dorsal energy, creating a sense of urgency to act but an inability to do so. It often feels like being "stuck" or overwhelmed.
Perceived Threat - A situation or stimulus that the nervous system interprets as dangerous, even if it is not an immediate danger in reality. It often stems from past trauma being projected onto the present.
Leading in Business and in Life
You Make Sense
01/07/25 • 45 min
This episode unpacks the vital connection between our nervous system and how we lead—in business, at home, and in life. Sarah dives into the science of regulation, exploring how dysregulated states like fight/flight, freeze, or shut down often drive our decisions, keeping us stuck in survival mode. These patterns, rooted in past experiences of stress or trauma, influence how we show up as leaders, parents, and creators.
With clear explanations and actionable tools, Sarah offers a roadmap for recognizing when we’re leading from dysregulation. She shares how to cultivate a regulated nervous system, unlocking creativity, connection, and clarity. Whether you're looking to grow a business, nurture your family, or simply lead yourself with more purpose, this episode offers the practical steps to create the life—and leadership—you desire.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:26 Leading from a State of Regulation
01:20 Entrepreneurs Have Higher Stress Levels
04:28 The Most Important Thing Parents Should Focus on
06:43 Your Nervous System Affects Everyone Else
08:23 Leading from Sympathetic (fight/flight)
11:05 Leading from Regulation (safety)
13:36 Leading from Dorsal (shut down)
15:27 Leading from Freeze (tonic immobility)
17:42 Consistent Neural Exercises
20:41 How to Reshape Your Nervous System
23:02 The Key to Somatic Manifestation
26:57 Anchoring in Your Adult Self
32:30 Trust Your Own Pacing
38:19 Embodying Your Purpose
Take Sarah’s FREE Quiz:
Ready to learn more about your nervous system specific to you? Take Sarah’s free quiz, “What’s Keeping You Stuck?” for a personalized guide and powerful somatic tools to help you gain control over your experience.
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
- Nervous System Regulation - The practice of bringing your system into safety in presence, which supports effective leadership, whether in business, parenting, or personal growth. Being in regulation allows for more creativity, clarity, and connection while reducing the reactive tendencies of stress and overwhelm.
- Ventral Vagal Complex - Your state of presence, safety, and connection where creativity, connection, and problem-solving thrive. It’s the optimal state for leadership and decision-making, allowing leaders to see possibilities and act with confidence.
- Co-Regulation - The process of connecting with another person in safety where each person's nervous system positively influences the others’. In leadership and parenting, co-regulation can set the tone for calm and productivity, creating a ripple effect in teams or families.
- Dysregulation - When your nervous system senses a threat (whether real or perceived), it sends you into dysregulation or active self-protection. Leading from this place can often result in stress, burnout, or stagnation.
- Capacity Building - Capacity building involves gradually increasing our ability to handle new or challenging situations. It’s about expanding the nervous system's tolerance and adaptability through small, intentional experiences of growth.
4 Reasons Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Work
You Make Sense
12/31/24 • 70 min
In this special New Year’s episode, Sarah invites listeners to reimagine the way they approach goals and resolutions. Kicking off the five-part Somatic Starter Kit series, Sarah dives into four reasons why traditional New Year’s resolutions often fail and offers transformative science-backed tools to use instead. You’ll learn how unresolved past experiences and traumas can keep you stuck in cycles of unmet goals.
Listeners will learn the importance of taking tolerable steps, building nervous system regulation, and fostering safe connection to support personal growth. Sarah also shares actionable insights on cultivating self-compassion, replacing coping strategies with healthier habits, and understanding the deeper desires that drive us. The episode is both a manual for self-discovery and a compassionate reminder that you make sense, just as you are.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
02:26 Reason 1: We Aren’t Addressing Our Nervous System
05:05 Do You Feel Like You’re Behind in Life?
07:03 Connecting to What You Truly Desire
09:41 Reason 2: Our Desires Often Have Flavorings of Past Danger
14:03 Reason 3: We Aren’t Addressing Our Parts
19:07 Reason 4: Lack of Support and Connection
24:19 Safe Support and Connection is Crucial
25:21 Take Tolerable Steps Towards Your Desires
30:17 Consistent Regulation of Your Nervous System
31:37 Work at the Rate of Your Most Apprehensive Part
37:39 Relation Between Money and the Nervous System
46:00 What is a Coping Strategy?
53:54 How Do You Know Your Life’s Purpose?
01:01:36 Trying Something New Can Feel Overwhelming
Join the Navigating Your Nervous System Waitlist:
Want access to limited-time pricing for Sarah’s upcoming 6-week course? Make sure to get on the waitlist for Navigating Your Nervous System by January 5th to take advantage of the 24-hour only $100 off bonus.
https://bit.ly/sp-nyns-waitlist
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
- Nervous System Regulation - This refers to practices that help balance the body's stress response, promoting a state of calm and safety. By regulating the nervous system, we can better handle challenges, make intentional choices, and build resilience in the face of discomfort or fear.
- Coping Strategies - These are habits or behaviors developed to manage discomfort or stress, often unconsciously. While they can serve as short-term relief, understanding and replacing maladaptive strategies with healthier alternatives promotes long-term well-being.
- Somatic Healing - Somatic healing focuses on reconnecting with the body to release tension and process trauma. This approach integrates physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts to foster self-awareness and recovery.
- Parts Work - This therapeutic concept involves recognizing and addressing different "parts" or aspects of ourselves, often tied to past experiences or emotional wounds. By understanding and integrating these parts, we can move toward greater wholeness and self-compassion.
- Safe Connection - Safe connection refers to relationships where we feel seen, valued, and accepted without judgment. These connections are essential for emotional and nervous system regulation, providing a foundation for personal growth.
- Capacity Building - Capacity building involves gradually increasing our ability to handle new or challenging situations. It’s about expanding the nervous system's tolerance and adaptability through small, intentional experiences of growth.
- Dysregulation - Dysregulation occurs when the nervous system is stuck in states of fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. It manifests as heightened anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or disconnection and requires mindful practices to return to a balanced state.
When We Feel Like We're Going Backward in Our Healing
You Make Sense
12/24/24 • 51 min
This episode dives into the ups and downs of healing and why it can sometimes feel like you’re moving backward instead of forward. Sarah breaks down how coming back into our bodies is a marker of progress — but that it can also feel overwhelming at first. Experiencing grief, anger, or other deep emotions can all be signs of the work you’ve done.
With real-life examples and simple, science-backed advice, Sarah shares how to move beyond just “knowing” about your patterns and into healing in a way that actually creates change. You’ll learn how to regulate your nervous system, work with your younger parts, and create space for more connection and joy.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
00:40 Why Healing Can Feel Like You’re Going Backward
05:34 Information Gathering is Not Enough
07:29 Why We Become Disembodied
11:03 Healing is the Hero’s Journey
15:31 Trauma & Energy Wells
21:33 What To Look For in a Therapist or Practitioner
31:20 Receiving & Working With Young Parts
38:00 Why Do We Experience Chronic Dysregulation?
42:56 Sarah’s Journey
Join Sarah’s Email Community:
Looking for more FREE resources? Click below to join Sarah’s email community for additional teachings and somatic tools to support you on your healing journey.
https://bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletter
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
- Nervous system - The nervous system is a self-protective system that determines your emotions, behaviors, and overall experience. It responds to safety, real threats, and perceived threats, influencing how you react and regulate in different situations.
- Regulation - We can only experience regulation when our nervous system believes we are safe. Our primary state of regulation is our Ventral Vagal Complex, where we experience things like joy, connection, presence, groundedness, and feeling “here.”
- Trauma - Trauma refers to overwhelming experiences that the body and mind were unable to process fully at the time they occurred. These unresolved energies get stuck and stored in the body, impacting mental and physical well-being until they are resolved.
- Healing - Healing is the journey of addressing past wounds—both physical and emotional—to achieve greater freedom and alignment in life. It involves learning to regulate the nervous system, release stored trauma, and tending to younger parts of ourselves.
- Dysregulation - Dysregulation occurs when the nervous system believes we are in danger, whether it is a real or perceived threat. Chronic dysregulation is often a result of unresolved trauma and can significantly impact daily functioning.
- Internal Safety - Creating safety within our bodies and nervous system is the foundation of healing. This is what we are working toward when we take steps to regulate our nervous system.
Navigating Loneliness and Grief During the Holidays
You Make Sense
12/17/24 • 57 min
In this heartfelt episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the often-overlooked emotional complexities of the holiday season. While the holidays are often painted as a time of joy and togetherness, Sarah acknowledges the undercurrent of loneliness, grief, and stress that many experience. She unpacks how societal expectations and past experiences can amplify these emotions, offering relatable insights and actionable tools to help listeners navigate this season with more ease.
Sarah delves into the somatic roots of grief and loneliness, using Parts Work to differentiate between our adult self and younger parts. From tending to these younger parts to finding solace in music, nature, and intentional connection, this episode offers a blueprint for transforming holiday challenges into opportunities for healing and self-discovery.
Episode Highlights
00:00 Intro
02:09 Reasons the Holidays Can Be Challenging
06:58 Connecting to the Unmet Need
09:05 Why We Struggle to Process Grief
13:34 Step 1: Grief is Best Processed Through Connection
15:06 Step 2: What Parts of You Are Struggling?
15:45 Step 3: Focus on Nourishing Yourself
17:03 Step 4: Connection
19:42 Identify Which Part of You is Feeling Sad
30:46 How to Process Death and Loss
39:50 Coupling Dynamics & the Holidays
49:42 “Why Do I Drink More Around My Family?”
Join the Navigating Your Nervous System Waitlist:
Want access to limited-time pricing for Sarah’s upcoming 6-week course? Make sure to get on the waitlist for Navigating Your Nervous System by January 5th to take advantage of the 24-hour only $100 off bonus.
https://bit.ly/sp-nyns-waitlist
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
- Loneliness - Loneliness is the feeling of being disconnected or isolated from others, often heightened during the holidays when societal messages emphasize togetherness. Sarah highlights how loneliness can stem from unmet needs, relational trauma, or past experiences and encourages using somatic tools and Parts Work to address it.
- Grief - Grief is the emotional response to loss, encompassing not only what happened but also what never was. Sarah explains how grief surfaces when we feel safe enough to process it and encourages gentle, titrated processing of these emotions to create space for healing and growth.
- Connection - Connection is a fundamental human need that fosters a sense of belonging and emotional safety. Sarah emphasizes the importance of cultivating meaningful connections with others, nature, and ourselves, as these relationships are key to navigating emotional challenges.
- Parts work - Parts work is a therapeutic approach that acknowledges and tends to different aspects of the self, particularly younger parts carrying past wounds. Sarah discusses how identifying and comforting these parts can bring clarity and healing during emotionally challenging times.
- Regulation - Regulation is the process of bringing the nervous system into safety and balance, allowing us to respond to situations from a calm, grounded place. Sarah suggests somatic practices such as mindfulness, movement, and connection to achieve regulation and build emotional resilience.
- Healing - Healing is the process of addressing past traumas, unmet needs, and emotional pain to create space for growth and well-being. Sarah frames healing as an ongoing journey of self-compassion, connection, and transformation, particularly relevant during challenging emotional periods.
How to Actualize the Life You're Wanting
You Make Sense
03/11/25 • 57 min
Do you ever feel like there’s an invisible wall holding you back from the life you desire? In this episode, Sarah explores why achieving our goals can feel so difficult—even when we’re putting in the effort. The key to unlocking our full potential lies in understanding and befriending our autonomic nervous system, which shapes our entire experience and the ease in which we’re able to take steps forward.
By viewing the nervous system as a vehicle, Sarah shares practical strategies for how to guide your nervous system down roads that lead to your deepest desires. Through the power of nervous system regulation, parts work, and safe connection, it’s possible to get unstuck and tangibly move toward a more full, expansive life.
Episode Highlight:
00:00 Intro
01:35 The Vehicle Inside You (Your Nervous System)
07:31 The Roads of Your Deepest Desires
19:02 What Determines the Size of Your Life
23:52 Building Capacity in Your Nervous System
26:48: 4 Things That Don’t Actually Work
27:46 #1 - “Muscling Through”
30:08 #2 - Setting Unattainable Goals
32:43 #3 - Taking Steps in Isolation
34:52 #4 - Comparing Our Self to Others
36:28 Building a Bridge to Where You Want to Go
40:48 Cultivating Safe Community and Connection
42:07 Start Honoring Your ‘NO’
44:58 “What About Taking the Big, Scary Step?”
49:44 “How to Take Tolerable Steps in Dating?”
53:27 “Why Is It So Hard to Take Steps Forward?”
Join the Expansion Experience:
Ready to start expanding into a bigger life? Join Sarah’s 3-day live experience for tangible somatic tools to break through stagnancy and start expanding. First call starts on March 17th with replays available for a limited time.
Connect with Sarah on:
Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sarahbaldwincoaching/
Submit a Question:
https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast
Important Keywords:
Autonomic Nervous System - The body's command center for automatic functions like breathing, heart rate, and digestion. It also plays a vital role in how we respond to stress and perceived threats, as well as our ability to feel safe, connected, and regulated.
Roads of Safety - The pathways our nervous system recognizes as safe and predictable, often shaped by past experiences. While they provide comfort and stability, they may not always align with our true desires or highest potential.
Roads of Familiarity - The patterns and dynamics we've learned to navigate—whether healthy or not. Our nervous system tends to gravitate toward familiar routes because they offer a sense of control, even if they don’t always serve our well-being.
Safe Connection - The deep sense of being seen, heard, and understood by others, fostering a feeling of belonging and security. Safe connection is essential for regulating the nervous system and expanding our capacity for growth, healing, and change.
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FAQ
How many episodes does You Make Sense have?
You Make Sense currently has 26 episodes available.
What topics does You Make Sense cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Anxiety, Mental Health, Depression, Therapy, Holistic Healing, Podcasts, Relationship Advice and Relationships.
What is the most popular episode on You Make Sense?
The episode title '4 Reasons Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Work' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on You Make Sense?
The average episode length on You Make Sense is 59 minutes.
How often are episodes of You Make Sense released?
Episodes of You Make Sense are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of You Make Sense?
The first episode of You Make Sense was released on Sep 24, 2024.
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