100. Understanding the Story of Your Thoughts with Dr. Amy Johnson

Hi everyone!  This is our last episode of the year and I'm so grateful to be connecting with you again. This week, we are exploring the idea of letting go. For the first half of the episode, we will discuss letting go when we are working through things and how to set boundaries with ourselves. As with all things, balance is key.  In the second half, we will talk about standards and expectations that may be holding us back, how we can gain insight into our beliefs, and we can start living a life aligned with who we truly are. Topics covered:  - Feeling our feelings vs. living in our feelings - Regulating ourselves and cultivating security - Tips for secure relating + letting go - Distinguishing between what is serving us and what is not - Decluttering and getting to the core of what we can learn form an experience and letting go of the rest - Exploring standards and expectations + letting go - Establishing our core values and how we can live in alignment with them - When you look back on your life, what do you want to feel? - Considerations for peace - Final notes on letting go Thank you so much for being here with me and for your continued support! I love and appreciate you all. Happy holidays and happy new year!  Happy listening! 🌸 To connect with me: Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook Contact me Book an appointment Website --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Today on the podcast we'll be exploring the difference between approval and acceptance. From there, we'll unpack what it means to be fully loved and accepted, rather than seeking the approval of others, which we may feel is love. Topics covered:  - Approval vs. acceptance - Doing the work - People who don't do the work - Secure relating - Tough truths and challenging conversation - Showing up in a receptive way - coming from a place of security - The different parts of relationships and how to separate them - When it may be time to disconnect - Boundary work - Answering listener questions - Tips for self-acceptance and self-love Happy listening!  🌸 To connect with me: ⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠ ⁠Contact me⁠ ⁠Book an appointment⁠ ⁠Website --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

(I updated this episode to add important pieces I wanted to share and bring everything together in a loving way!) Today on the podcast, we will continue our exploration of reclaiming our story. We will continue with the themes from last week and add to them. There will also be some lessons I've learned along the way, techniques I've found helpful over the years, and some considerations for you!  Most of all, I'm hoping that what I share can be helpful to you and remind you that you're not alone. Although we have unique stories, of course, you are never alone.  Topics covered:  - More personal stories (thank you for listening!) - Normalising feeling feelings - Breaking free from roles assigned to you - Boundaries - Handling criticism and judgment of others - Developing a true belief in who you are and not what you've been told you are - Finding your voice and telling you story - The pain behind the pain caused - More self-acceptance and self compassion - Forgiveness  - Letting go - Building the life of your dreams Happy listening!  🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Hi everyone!  (I updated this episode to add important pieces I wanted to share and bring everything together in a loving way!) Today on the podcast, I will be getting vulnerable with you. You guys are amazing and so many of you reach out to me and share your stories. You also ask me questions and we have nice chats. In honour of reclaiming our story and being vulnerable, I will be sharing a few stories of my own with you.  I want this space to be one of acceptance, safety, support, and love. This is a big deal for me, honestly, and I was very nervous, so hank you for holding space for me!  Topics covered:  - Personal stories of mine - Feelings and dynamics throughout the years - Doing the work  - Courage to be vulnerable  - Radical self-acceptance - Setting boundaries - Making big decision about your relationships - Forgiveness - Repairing and healing - Reclaiming your story - Choosing yourself - Living a life of freedom and love Happy listening!  🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Today on the podcast, we will mainly be comparing and contrasting unhealthy and healthy dynamics. We'll look at examples, explore different contexts, and I'll offer some considerations.  The goal here is to shine some light on more challenging relationships and then turn our attention to what is possible in relationships. Moreover, we can learn to figure out what we can do to have these healthy relationships.  Topics covered:  - Unhealthy behaviours - Examples of toxic dynamics (jealousy/competition, narcissistic tendencies, and more) - Reasons it may be hard to make sense of them - Where our responsibility begins and ends - The flip side in relationships (healthy relationships) - The importance of feeling our feelings  - Learning what to do with our thoughts and emotions - Being mindful of our sensitivities and those of our loved ones in our relationships - Tips for building healthy relationships - Choosing to love ourselves (even when we may disappoint someone else) and some more... Happy listening!  🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Today on the show, we will be discussing why it's important to take responsibility in our relationships, as well as why it's important to let other take responsibility for their own actions.  We'll discuss:  - The role of defence mechanisms and how they affect our relationships - Being compassionate and understanding of our own stories + the stories of others - Realising that understanding does not mean making excuses - When and how to set boundaries - When and how to take responsibility - Handling conflict resolution with loved ones - Navigating challenging dynamics - Finding balance in boundaries, compassion, and responsibility - Final hopeful notes  Happy listening! 🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Today on the podcast we will unpacking what defense mechanisms are, how they can be displayed, and why. We'll look at some examples and explore how to apply compassion to this. We will move through feelings of shame, embarrassment, and guilt using the practice of compassion. Then, we'll see how we can practice this with loved ones. For the second half of the show, we will talk about more difficult dynamics and challenging personalities. In this portion, we will distinguish between things being done "to us" vs. people doing things "for themselves". This is a really important part of understanding the dynamic, defense mechanisms, and allowing space for compassion.  At the end, we will take a quick look at the role boundaries play in all of this.  Lastly, I would like to leave you with a note: Be yourself proudly and unapologetically. You don't have to let other people define who you are or what you think of yourself. You don't need to dim your light because someone else is intimidated. You don't have to shine less bright because someone else feels you stole it form them. There is enough light for everyone. Happy listening! 🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Today on the podcast, I will picking up where we left off last week and adding some information about how we can decode trauma.  We will cover the science of the topics, as well as how this may actually feel in real life. We will then explore different mindfulness techniques used to regulate the nervous system and get us into a more receptive state.  This is important in order to understand why we do what we do and how to move forward in healthy ways.  We will cover different topics including trauma responses, parts of the brain, mindfulness, easing anxiety, and go over several examples. *Please note that all of this content is for educational purposes only. This podcast does not provide diagnosis or treatment. For specific questions about your personal needs, please reach out to me or to a trusted health care professional.  Happy listening! 🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Hey everyone! We're back with a new season, a new episode, and some updates.  Today, I share some exciting stuff I have going on, some love for our newest island home, and a fun episode!  Most importantly, we are talking about understanding the science of how we store memories, and how these memories have contexts that can teach us a lot about our narratives. We'll then integrate some mindfulness to start working on awareness and how this can help us rebuild our brain's patterns. Sometimes, we have adaptive mechanisms that were created to protect us, but that may not be necessary anymore. They can even cause more harm! Other times, we use our stored memories to bring about more good memories and healthy patterns.  In this episode, we are beginning to unpack all of this, how to identify your patterns, and how to decode them.  Happy listening! 🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message

Welcome to the last episode of season 3!  I'm so excited to be celebrating 3 seasons with you and this lovely podcast project. In this episode, I will sharing some updates, some person stories, and a summary of central themes from this season. (Including our move to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria!!) I hope this episode leaves you with some nuggets of knowledge, inspiration, and support for your personal journey.  Thank you so much for all your continued support. My hear tis truly so full. :) Happy listening! 🌸 To connect with me: ⁠⁠Free Anxiety & Boundaries ebook⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Contact me⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Book an appointment⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/islandyogitherapist/message