Navigating Your “What Am I Doing?” Era

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about navigating the “what am I doing with my life” era, those moments when your path, career, or identity no longer feels as clear as it once did. Whether it’s a career pivot, life transition, or just a general sense of uncertainty, this stage can bring up doubt, anxiety, and a lot of second-guessing.They explore the difference between burnout and being in the wrong career, how the sunk-cost fallacy keeps people stuck, and why feeling lost in the middle of something is more common than we think. Listener questions cover career changes, grad school panic, losing motivation after major life shifts like having kids, and the pressure to find a “passion.”The conversation also gets into imposter syndrome in adulthood, trusting yourself versus being in denial, and how to make decisions when you don’t feel 100% certain.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 9:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks #skimspartnerAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicks.Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen explore healing your inner child and advice to give to the kid who lives within your adult self. They talk about why revisiting younger versions of ourselves can bring both compassion and anger, and how learning to care for your inner child can help break patterns that still show up in adult relationships.Listener questions dive into projection and unresolved childhood pain, how to hold empathy for your parents while still honoring anger or grief, and why becoming a parent can suddenly activate deeper feelings about how you were raised. Em and Jen also discuss the concept of the “adaptive child,” how childhood survival strategies show up in adulthood, and what it looks like to reparent yourself by identifying and meeting your own needs.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5:15 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks #skimspartnerAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicks.Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about why joy and anxiety often show up together, especially when something good is happening. When positive moments arrive, the nervous system can start scanning for what might go wrong, making it hard to fully relax or enjoy the experience.They explore why happiness can feel vulnerable, why some people try to dampen joy to avoid disappointment, and how anxiety can act as protection against potential loss. Listener questions cover guilt about feeling happy when others are struggling, the fear of “jinxing” good things, worst-case thinking during positive moments, and why intense joy can sometimes trigger tears or tension instead of pleasure.The conversation also looks at practical ways to help your nervous system stay present during good experiences, how healthy caution differs from anxiety hijacking the moment, and how to hold both gratitude and uncertainty at the same time.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 7 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks #skimspartnerAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicks.Quince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen continue their storytelling series where notable guests share the real emotional journey behind their success. Today’s guest is Nicole Pellegrino, content creator and host of the Long Story Short with Nicole Pellegrino podcast, who Em and Jen first connected with years ago when she was engaged and navigating the loss of her mother.Now married and newly a mom, Nicole opens up about the identity shifts that come with becoming a parent, how postpartum anxiety led her back to therapy, and the ways motherhood has reshaped her priorities, career, and sense of self. She reflects on raising a daughter without her own mom, the grief that still shows up in everyday moments, and the support system helping her navigate this new chapter.Nicole also shares what it’s like balancing motherhood with content creation, why flexibility in work has been life-changing, and what she’s learning about giving herself grace during one of the biggest transitions of her life.You can find Nicole on TikTok and Instagram @nicolepellegrin0 and listen to her podcast Long Story Short with Nicole Pellegrino.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingPique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen explore grief; not just the kind that follows death, but the many forms of loss that shape our lives. From pregnancy loss to complicated family relationships to the life you imagined but didn’t get, grief can surface in ways people don’t always expect or understand.They talk through different types of grief, including anticipatory grief, ambiguous grief, traumatic grief, and disenfranchised grief, and why many people feel guilty grieving something that others might not recognize as a “real” loss. The conversation also touches on how grief resurfaces during milestones, why long-term grief is normal, and how a culture focused on positivity can make it harder to honor what hurts.Listener questions include coping with miscarriage, grieving a parent who is still alive but emotionally unavailable, navigating suicide loss, and mourning the future you thought you’d have.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 3:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingPique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen are joined by trauma therapist, parenting educator, and cycle-breaking advocate Maggie Nick (AKA Maggie with Perspectacles) to talk about the hidden cost of being the “good kid.” Maggie shares her own story of growing up as the easy, responsible child no one had to worry about, and how perfectionism, people-pleasing, and self-criticism often grow out of that role.They unpack why being praised for being easy can quietly turn into pressure, how approval tied to performance shapes identity, and why many “good kids” become adults who struggle with boundaries, self-worth, and showing their real selves. Maggie also explains how these patterns show up in parenting today and how parents can shift from raising compliant kids to raising emotionally secure ones.The conversation explores curiosity over criticism, staying connected to your child when they struggle, and why loving your child sometimes means letting go of your ego as a parent. You can learn more about Maggie’s work, her book, and her community Camp Loveable at MaggieNick.com and by following @maggiewithperspectacles on social media.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action!⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingPique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen wrap up their trauma response mini-series with a deep dive into the fawn response, the often-overlooked survival strategy rooted in people-pleasing and conflict avoidance. While many people are familiar with fight or flight, fawning happens when your nervous system moves quickly to smooth things over, keep the peace, and protect the connection.They explore how the fawn response can look like saying yes too fast, minimizing your needs, avoiding conflict, or feeling resentful after people-pleasing. Em and Jen break down how fawning develops, why culture rewards it, and how it can slowly lead to self-abandonment and shaky intimacy if left unchecked.Listener questions cover the difference between genuine flexibility and fawning, how to practice assertiveness without triggering your nervous system, what to do when someone is fawning to you, and how resentment signals crossed boundaries.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 5 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 for FREE in your AG1 Welcome Kit with your first AG1subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingPique Life: Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen continue their trauma response series with a deep dive into the flight response: what it is, how it shows up, and why it can feel so productive while still being avoidant. Unlike fight or freeze, flight often looks subtle in daily life: staying busy, overworking, changing the subject, scrolling, researching, or emotionally distancing when things feel intense.They explore how the flight response is a nervous system survival strategy, why society often rewards it, and how it can quietly prevent intimacy, resolution, and emotional depth. Listener questions cover flight during conflict, overworking as avoidance, the urge to fix instead of feel, and how avoidant attachment patterns often overlap with flight behaviors.Em and Jen also discuss why unhealthy coping feels better in the moment, how collective trauma keeps our nervous systems activated, and how understanding your response helps you make choices aligned with your values, not just your survival instincts.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 6 minutes to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderAir Doctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code SHRINKCHICKS to get UP TO $300 off todayQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen launch a new storytelling series featuring notable voices sharing the real emotional journey behind their success. First up: content creator, author, and host of Conversations with Cam, Cameron Rogers.Cameron opens up about transitioning careers, building a brand in motherhood and mental health, and how becoming a mom reshaped her relationship with work. She shares how people-pleasing showed up early in her career, why saying no became essential after having kids, and how boundaries, therapy, and intentionality changed everything.They talk about juggling entrepreneurship and parenting, navigating PMDD while creating content, handling postpartum visibility, and learning to let go of control when stress tightens its grip. Cameron also reflects on personal growth, political identity shifts, embracing being misunderstood, and what it really means to trust your intuition while building a life and business.Find Cameron @cameronoaksrogers on Instagram and TikTok, listen to her podcast Conversations with Cam, get her journal at Quiet-Your-Mind.com, and join her Substack: Fill Your Cup. ⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderBobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babiesQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesOlive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first SystemPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen continue their trauma response series with a deep dive into the fight response: what it is, why it develops, and how it shows up in everyday life. Often misunderstood and heavily judged, the fight response is a nervous system survival strategy rooted in mobilization, power, and protection.They explore how fight can look like anger, defensiveness, control, irritability, or needing to win, especially for people who learned early on that being loud or strong was the only way to be heard. Em shares how fight shows up in her own body, why it’s often reinforced by systems that reward dominance, and how neglecting basic needs can lower the threshold for activation.Listener questions focus on recognizing when you’re in a fight state, coming down from it in real time, and unlearning the belief that conflict is the only path to safety. Em and Jen offer practical tools for regulating the body, slowing conversations, and building new relational pathways without shaming a response that once served a purpose.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 4:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:AG1: Go to DRINKAG1.com/SHRINKCHICKS to get their best offer, and for a limited time only, get a FREE AG1 duffel bag and FREE AG1 Welcome Kit with your first subscription orderBobbie: If you want to feed with confidence too, head to hibobbie.com to find the formula trusted by parents and loved by their babiesQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderGreenChef: Right now, go to GreenChef.com/shrinkchicksgraza and use code shrinkchicksgraza to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxesDavid Protein: David is offering our listeners a special deal: buy 4 cartons and get the 5th free when you go to davidprotein.com/SHRINKCHICKSOlive & June: Visit OliveandJune.com/SHRINKCHICKS for 20% off your first SystemPique Life: Secure 20% off your order and begin your intentional wellness journey today at Piquelife.com/shrinkchicksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.