How Does Botox Impact the Nervous System & Emotional Regulation?

In today’s episode, I invite you into a personal journey as I navigate the grief of losing my soul-dog, Cooper. This episode is both a tribute to him and a raw, heartfelt look at how I’m supporting myself and my young son through this painful experience.The first half of the episode is a snapshot of our story. In the second half, I discuss how I'm helping my 4-year-old son process his first significant loss. I dive into the importance of role-modeling grief for children and offer some tips on how to do so in a way that helps them build resilience in the face of loss.Trigger Warning: This episode includes emotional content around loss and grief. Please feel free to skip or pause if needed.Key Takeaways:Kids process grief through play - support their journey by providing creative outlets and simple, honest explanations.You can't regulate your child's emotions if you can't regulate your own - build your support system first.Don't shield kids from grief - teach them how to move through it.If this (or any) episode felt supportive for you, I'd love to hear from you! DM, email, carrier pigeon - I love hearing from you.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

In this episode, we’re shifting from learning to experiencing. Last week, we discussed the techniques of resourcing, titration, and pendulation and their importance in trauma healing. Today, I’ll guide you through a guided practice, allowing you to feel and embody these practices within your own systel..This gentle, 15-minute practice will help you connect to a sense of safety, ease into challenging sensations, and learn to move between states of comfort and discomfort. By engaging your nervous system in this way, you show your system experientially that it doesn't have to stay stuck in moments of discomfort or activation.Find a quiet, comfortable space, and hit play.If today’s session resonates with you, remember that this kind of support is available in our membership and 1:1 coaching programs.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

In this episode, we dive into the concept of pendulation, a foundational process in trauma healing, particularly within Somatic Experiencing. We explore how pendulation involves oscillating between states of distress (activation) and calm (regulation), allowing the nervous system to release stored tension without getting stuck.We also discuss two essential techniques that support pendulation:Resourcing: Developing internal or external anchors that evoke safety and calm, serving as a foundation for navigating trauma.Titration: Processing trauma in small, manageable doses to prevent overwhelm and build resilience.Pendulation, the movement between activation and deactivation, teaches the nervous system to flow between stress and calm, helping to reduce hypersensitivity to triggers. It’s a practice that rewires the brain and body for greater resilience.Key Takeaways:Retelling trauma without these techniques can be retraumatizing.Reflect on your existing resources that bring comfort and safety.Pendulation allows for processing emotions without getting stuck.For more personalized support, explore our 1:1 coaching program or look for somatic or trauma-trained practitioners familiar with these techniques.Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit from hearing this!Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Did you know that there a sequential order to healing? In this episode of Regulate & Rewire, we explore "The Pyramid of Healing," and it's 4-phases that support your healing journey. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like your healing efforts aren’t working, it might be because things are happening out of order. Discover the four phases of healing—Education & Awareness, Regulation, Rewiring, and Resourcing—and learn how following this sequence can create lasting change.Key Takeaways:Healing happens in phases—trying to skip ahead can make things harder.Build a strong foundation of regulation before diving into deeper healing work.Healing is cyclical—each time you revisit the phases, you’ll find more resilience and ease.Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit from hearing this!Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

In this episode, we dive into the common phrase “releasing trauma” and what it really means. While many people think trauma can be pushed out of the body, healing is much more about creating safety within the body so it can transform naturally. We explore the layers of trauma healing—physical, emotional, psychological, and relational—and why true healing requires a holistic approach.Here's the 3 takeaways:Trauma isn't something you can force out – Healing is not about "releasing" or "getting rid" of trauma, but creating safety in the body so it can naturally transform.Trauma healing happens in layers – It affects the physical, emotional, psychological, and relational aspects of your life, so healing requires a multi-faceted approach.Healing is about building capacity – The goal is to increase your ability to be with difficult emotions and sensations, rather than trying to push them away.Looking for a new way of healing? Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.Other ways to get more support —Click here to join this month's RELEASE ClassJoin me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

In today’s shorter episode, I want to offer you a gentle reminder: it’s okay to do less. When you have less to give, it's important to honor that and adjust your commitments accordingly. This week, instead of pushing myself to create a longer, more researched episode, I’m giving myself permission to record a shorter one – and I’m encouraging you to do the same in your life.Far too often, we get caught up in the cycle of doing more, but healing happens when we make space for it. If your load feels heavy right now, take a moment to assess what you can let go of – whether it’s tasks, internal expectations, or the pressure to be constantly productive.If you're struggling to figure out how to make space for rest, healing, or anything else important in your life, my team and I are here to support you. Through our RESTORE 1:1 coaching program, we help clients audit their stress loads and strategically make room for healing.If you’re curious about how this approach could help you, I’d love to invite you to book a pressure-free discovery call. We’ll explore if this is the right step for you, and if not, I’ll try to help you find your path forward.Link to book a discovery call: CLICK HEREWebsite: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Do you ever find yourself tense or anxious when dealing with new situations? This could be traveling to a new place, interviewing for a job, or simply a changing seasons in your life. This is often referred to as situational anxiety, which is a form of anxiety that happens in response to a new, unfamiliar, or stressful (to you) situation. Today I'm going to offer a nervous system reframe and other tools to help you navigate this better. Hit play to listen!Here's the 3 takeaways:Reframing Anxiety: Labeling experiences as "activation" rather than "anxiety" can reduce overwhelm and foster self-compassion. Understanding that your nervous system is responding naturally to new or unfamiliar situations helps shift from helplessness to curiosity.Self-Compassion: Normalizing your experience, especially during life changes, is crucial. Your body's heightened response is often a reasonable reaction to uncertainty or shifts, and you’re not wrong for feeling it.Support & Regulation: Regulating your nervous system with grounding techniques, breathwork, and movement, along with seeking support, can help ease situational and anticipatory anxiety, allowing you to navigate life’s transitions with more clarity and calm.Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

One of the most overlooked but important steps in healing anxiety, depression, or trauma is learning to not be afraid of your symptoms. Hit play for a conversation about symptoms and how the way we understand or perceive them can intensify or de-intensify them.Here's the 3 takeaways:Symptoms are Messengers, not problems: Whether physiological or psychological, your symptoms are communicating that something in your system is out of balance. Instead of fearing or avoiding them, get curious about what they are trying to tell you.Psychological and Physiological Symptoms are Connected: Thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations often overlap. For example, spiraling thoughts or catastrophizing may be both a mental pattern and a physiological response to a stressed nervous system.Reframing Your Relationship with Symptoms Reduces Their Intensity: By learning to observe and accept your symptoms instead of resisting or judging them, you can reduce their intensity and begin to heal more effectively. This shift in mindset helps break the cycle of fear, shame, and frustration that often worsens symptoms.Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Today let’s talk about the anixiety attack I *almost* had at the airport earlier this summer. Warning I’m going to take you on this journey with me detail by detail, so if you’re already feeling a little worked up today, maybe come back to this episode later when my airport stress won’t increase your stress but can instead be simply a chaotic story you get to listen to for your education & entertainment purposes. Hit play for the full convo!Here's the 3 takeaways:When you experience the same situations differently than someone else, that doesn’t have to mean you or they are wrong for the way it is experiencedWhen we’re stuck in states of dysregulation that changes the way we view and interpret situations in our life. The next time you find yourself ranting, spiraling out about, or even simply retelling an experience can you pause to reflect on whether this story is being filtered through a lens of regulation or dysregulation? If this would have happened a few years ago, I would have had a meltdown equivalent to my toddler's and it likely would have thrown me off for days. I didn’t match his meltdown and I was mostly reset before the plane took off. This is just a testament that you can in fact increase your capacity for stress; there are tangible tools that work to help you regulate your nervous system; you can soften the parts of you or beliefs you have about being too much, not enough, needing to control, etc… that make situations in our lives feel bigger than they need to & this is the work we support clients with every day.Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Today, we're talking about something that might surprise you—we’re going to talk about Botox.  If you're asking, “Why are we discussing Botox on a podcast focused on mental health?” Another centerpiece to this podcast is talking about ways to support, heal and regulation your nervous systems, in that it's important to consider how everything we do—including something as common as a Botox—could play a role. Today we'll talk about both the cosmetic & medical uses of Botox as we talk through it's benefits and it’s potential impact on your nervous system, brain, and emotional regulation (potentially of you and your kids). Hit play to learn more!Here's the 3 takeaways:Botox is a neurotoxin. It is used both medically & cosmetically. Most of the research show’s it’s more safe than not but that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks and side effects. Do you feel aligned with how or why you choose Botox? Does it improve that quality of your life in a way that outweighs potential costs?Potential costs of botox include muscle atrophy, changes in brain activity, and emotional regulation - with potential implication for both you and your children’s emotional literacy.Long-term effects of Botox are not fully understood.Sources mentioned:Stark, S., Stark, C., Wong, B. et al. Modulation of amygdala activity for emotional faces due to botulinum toxin type A injections that prevent frowning. Sci Rep 13, 3333 (2023). Davis JI, Senghas A, Brandt F, Ochsner KN. The effects of BOTOX injections on emotional experience. Emotion. 2010 Jun;10(3):433-40. doi: 10.1037/a0018690. PMID: 20515231; PMCID: PMC2880828.Weise D, Weise CM, Naumann M. Central Effects of Botulinum Neurotoxin-Evidence from Human Studies. Toxins (Basel). 2019 Jan 6;11(1):21. doi: 10.3390/toxins11010021. PMID: 30621330; PMCID: PMC6356587.BBC Article: Are there long-term health risks to using Botox?Looking for more personalized support?Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcastEmail: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise