True Self - Coaching & Energetics

08/19/2026

The Stomach Issues That Started "Out of Nowhere"

Appetite changes. Digestive upset. That knot before a hard conversation. A wave of nausea before you walk into a meeting you're dreading. I dealt with heartburn and ulcers for years before I connected the dots.

Here's what I didn't know back then: your gut and your nervous system are in constant conversation with each other. Scientists call it the gut-brain axis, and it runs through the vagus nerve, a direct line between your brain and your digestive system. That's why your stomach is often the first place stress shows up, long before your mind admits anything is wrong.

Think about the language we already use without realizing how literal it is.
- A "gut feeling."
- Butterflies before a big decision.
- Something that makes you "sick to your stomach."

Your body has been trying to tell you this all along: stress rarely stays only in the mind. It moves through you.

When your nervous system senses a threat (even one that's emotional, not physical) it shifts into fight-or-flight. Digestion isn't a priority when your body thinks it needs to survive something. Blood flow redirects. Digestive enzymes slow down. Over time, if that stress response gets stuck in the "on" position, it can show up as bloating, appetite changes, heartburn, or worse.

The relief comes from teaching your body it's safe to shift back into rest and digest mode.

Relief tip: Try eating the first bite of a meal slowly and without distraction. No scrolling, no rushing, no eating over the sink. Just one bite, fully present.

Here's why it works: that small pause is a signal, not just to your mind but to your vagus nerve, that you are safe enough to slow down. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest and digest" side), which tells your gut it's okay to do its job well. One mindful bite can be the difference between digestion that fights against tension and digestion that flows with ease.

You don't have to overhaul how you eat. Start with one bite. Let your body feel the safety before you ask it to do the work.

08/19/2026

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08/18/2026

Guilt That Shows Up the Second You Sit Down

You finally stop, and before you even get the full exhale out.....immediately your mind hands you a list of everything you should be doing instead. Ugh.....

This is one of the most common things I hear from clients who've spent years being the reliable one.

Rest starts to feel like falling behind. Or better yet, irresponsible!

Of course, this is completely false and not true.....it's just that our body, mind, and nervous system aren't familiar with rest.

Our system knows - Go, Go, Go...... until you drop. And then maybe it's okay. Maybe.

If this feels familiar to you..... you aren't alone. There are heaps of exhausted overachievers in the club with you. AND we deserve time to rest and recover. To catch our breath and recharge so we can feel fully present and enjoy living life fully.

Relief tip: Try putting 'REST' on the calendar like a meeting. It's easier to protect what has been scheduled in. If the word rest has a negative feeling....try another word. Like: recharge, nourish, wind down, regroup, inner focus.... Play with the words until it feels supportive to you.

08/13/2026

Why You Can't Decide What's for Dinner

I know I am not the only one on this...

By the end of the day, even small choices feel like too much.

This is one of the things I hear constantly: sharp, capable people who can run meetings all day, lead teams and projects, and serve clients with a smile end up standing frozen in front of the fridge at dinner.

It's not indecisiveness.

It's a depleted reserve, and every decision all day has been drawing from it.

Here's the relief tip: Build a few no-decision defaults into your week- the same lunch, the same dinner, or at least a few repeatables, so there's more left for what actually matters.

Extra Credit Tip: Use AI to help you with a meal plan. Give your likes, dislikes, allergies, a realistic amount of time you'll spend prepping and cooking, and how many people will be eating. Have it map out the meal plan and a shopping list. BAM.... one less thing to think about.

08/12/2026

Rest Isn't the Opposite of Productivity

Please hear me out on this one, as I know it can be a touchy one.

Rest doesn't have to be earned by finishing everything first.

Because everything is never fully finished. I believe this to be true....or at least what I have experienced personally and heard from the hundreds of people I have coached.

Personally, it took my body forcing the issue, years of migraines, and eventually an emergency surgery before I actually believed that.

'Intentional Recovery and Recharge Time' is part of how sustainable performance actually works.

For so many people I talk with, there is this unspoken guilt and unease when we try and sit down and 'rest'. Resting could be reading a book, taking a nap, watching a show, or sitting outside in nature.

When we do this, it feels like we are going to get in trouble if we aren't being productive. Seriously, we are grown-ass adults, so who is going to be 'grounding us'... I have no clue. But it's a built-in default of our nervous system and unconscious mind. So.... take a deep letting-go breath and invite in some self-compassion, as you aren't alone, my friends.

Here's the relief tip: Reframe one rest period this week as recovery, not laziness, and notice if that changes how it feels. If a nap feels like too major of a leap. A nice short nature walk is always a great starting point.

Here's to resting intentionally!

08/11/2026

The Quiet Cost of Being "The Strong One"

Always the person others lean on. Rarely the one asked how they're 'really' doing.

I hear this all the time from my clients.

It happens not out of malice or bad intentions... Of course, there are the outliers - but that isn't the majority.

It happens because you are the one who always seems to have it together from the outside. A smile. A supportive Ear. Juggling 15,000 things and seemingly with ease.

I spent years being the "Superwoman," the one who said yes to the new project, the sick kiddos, the school event, and everything at home too.

Being reliable and being supported aren't always the same thing. Actually - they aren't even close.

And, when asked how you're doing, it might feel scary and way too vulnerable to tell the truth. To open up and say 'I need help'.

So - Here is the relief tip: I invite you to let one person in this week. Not to fix anything. But to just share. Share honestly how you are feeling or what you've been experiencing. The key: Share without editing or watering it down.

You can even let them know that you don't need anything or need them to fix this... Just say, "I just need space to vent, share, let it out."

I am always here if you need an ear or a place to start. We don't have to do this life thing alone..... ;)

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

Such a fun day at The Susie the Duck Day Parade!! Great community!! So grateful for my family and loved ones helping to make it special!! Sydney Wright Olivia Walstad Angela Roberts Brian Roberts Tyler Wright and Carlie Fisher!!

08/07/2026

Such a great organization!

August 2026 Member Connect Newsletter - https://mailchi.mp/09443355a383/august2026

08/06/2026

Exhausted, but Sleep Is Playing Hide and Seek.....

- Do you have trouble falling asleep?
- Waking at 3am.
- Sleeping a full eight hours and still feeling wrecked?

This was a familiar stretch for me too, more nights than I'd like to count. Chronic stress affects both how easily we fall asleep and how well the body actually recovers while we're there.

Relief tip: A short wind-down ritual: Dim lights, no screens, a few slow breaths, tells the body it's genuinely safe to rest.

Note... If you haven't had a wind-down routine, start slowly... 10 min before bed, then 20 min, then 30. Maybe even just 2-3 nights per week to start.

Work your way to 60 minutes before bed, and when you get there.... you will notice a huge difference. (This is still a hard one for me....working on it!)