Ever felt stuck in ongoing situations that never seem to change and leave you feeling exhausted, frustrated or hopeless? 

In this episode, we talk about the unique stress that comes from chronic, unresolved circumstances and why these stress loops are so hard to escape. 

Learn why your nervous system stays activated in repetitive stress, how bitterness and emotional hardening quietly form, and what it looks like to begin finding peace even when nothing around you changes. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN 

[00:00] Why Ongoing Stress Feels Different Than Everyday Stress 
[02:00] Why Can’t I Feel Peace When Nothing Is Changing? 
[05:00] How Repetitive Stress Activates the Nervous System and Shapes Reactions 
[08:00] When Unresolved Situations Create Emotional Baggage and Resentment 
[11:00] Does Letting Go Mean We’re Giving Up? 
[14:00] How Chronic Stress Affects Emotional and Physical Health 
[17:00] Awareness Is the First Step Out of Stress Loops 
[20:00] How to Begin Noticing and Naming Stress Without Judgment 

Join me for the Virtual Rest Retreat in Feb 2026!  

Are you exhausted and in need of deep rest (but can’t get away)? Find rest with God that fits your budget, your schedule and your season of life at my Bible-based virtual retreat for Christian women seeking deep replenishment of mind, body and spirit!  

Register for the virtual rest retreat: AliciaMichelle.com/virtual-rest-retreat  

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 348: How Can We Find Rest That Actually Restores Body, Mind and Soul? 

Ep 344: How to DIY Your Own Rest Retreat (When Getting Away Feels Impossible) 

Ep 347: When What You’re Doing to Rest Isn’t Working — Living with Hidden Burnout + Exhaustion 

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So many women are functioning in hidden burnout. Still showing up and serving. Still carrying responsibility. Still faithfully asking God for strength and trying to do the right things.  

And… still feeling depleted. 

This episode is really about one simple but honest question: why am I resting, but still exhausted? Not because we don’t believe in rest. Not because we don’t value it. But because what we’re doing to rest often isn’t touching the places where exhaustion actually lives. 

This isn’t about doing more to rest. It’s about understanding how rest actually works. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why Trying to Rest Isn’t the Same as Being Restored 

[01:00] Why Doesn’t God’s Promise of Rest Always Feel Accessible? 

[03:00] What Does It Mean to Remain in the Vine Instead of Striving for Rest? 

[05:00] Why Are We So Confused About What Kind of Rest We Actually Need? 

[06:00] How Physical Rest Restores the Body 

[08:00] How Mental and Emotional Rest Heal Inner Overload 

[10:00] Why Spiritual Rest Creates Foundational Peace 

[12:00] How Sensory, Creative, and Social Rest Restore the Soul 

[17:00] Why Understanding Your Rest Needs Changes Everything 

[19:00] How to Begin Receiving Rest Instead of Trying to Produce It 

Join me for the Virtual Rest Retreat in Feb 2026!  

Are you exhausted and in need of deep rest (but can’t get away)? Find rest with God that fits your budget, your schedule and your season of life at my Bible-based virtual retreat for Christian women seeking deep replenishment of mind, body and spirit!  

Register for the virtual rest retreat: AliciaMichelle.com/virtual-rest-retreat  

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 344 — How to DIY Your Own Rest Retreat (When Getting Away Feels Impossible) 

Ep 331: Overcoming Overwhelm: Less Chaos in Your Head, More Peace in Your Life 

Ep 347 — When What You’re Doing to Rest Isn’t Working — Living with Hidden Burnout + Exhaustion 

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Are you resting but still exhausted? In this episode, I talk about the kind of burnout that doesn’t go away with sleep, vacations, or time off, the hidden exhaustion so many women carry while still functioning, serving, and showing up. 

Learn why surface-level rest doesn’t heal deep depletion, how faith and exhaustion often get tangled together, and how God responds to burnout with care instead of condemnation. This episode will help you recognize hidden burnout, understand why what you’re doing to rest isn’t working, and begin responding to exhaustion with wisdom, compassion, and truth. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why “I’m Tired” Doesn’t Always Mean You Need More Sleep 

[01:00] Why Doesn’t Rest Work When I’m Praying and Asking God for Help? 

[03:00] What Is Hidden Burnout and Why Is It So Normalized? 

[06:00] When You Associate Exhaustion with Faithfulness and Worth 

[08:00] God Meets Exhaustion with Care, Not Condemnation 

[13:00] Why Inner Chaos Matters More Than Outer Busyness 

[16:00] Rest Isn’t a Willpower Problem but a Self-Understanding Problem 

[19:00] Why Learning the Different Types of Rest Changes Everything 

Join me for the Virtual Rest Retreat in Feb 2026!  

Are you exhausted and in need of deep rest (but can’t get away)? Find rest with God that fits your budget, your schedule and your season of life at my Bible-based virtual retreat for Christian women seeking deep replenishment of mind, body and spirit! 

Register for the virtual rest retreat: AliciaMichelle.com/virtual-rest-retreat 

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 344 — How to DIY Your Own Rest Retreat (When Getting Away Feels Impossible) 

Ep 346 — Seasonal Affective Disorder: When the Darkness Affects Your Emotions 

Ep 341 — Step #1 to Calming Emotional Spirals: Notice + Name Your Feelings 

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Do you feel heavier, more tired, or spiritually foggy during the darker winter months?  

Let’s talk honestly about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), what’s actually happening in your body, how reduced light affects your emotions and motivation, and why this struggle doesn’t mean your faith is weak. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder doesn’t always announce itself clearly. For many women, it shows up quietly, through lower energy, emotional heaviness, irritability, foggy thinking, or a sense of spiritual distance they can’t quite explain. 

In this episode, I wanted to make this real and human by sharing stories from three women, Chrissie, Melody, and Beth, whose experiences reveal how differently Seasonal Affective Disorder can affect emotions, energy, and faith, especially in darker seasons. 

This conversation isn’t about diagnosing yourself or forcing solutions. It’s about understanding what darkness does to the body and nervous system, and how God meets us with compassion instead of shame. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why Seasonal Affective Disorder Is Real and Why It Affects So Many Women 

[04:00] What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder and How Does Reduced Light Impact Emotions and Energy? 

[08:00] Why Does Winter Darkness Affect Motivation, Mood, and Spiritual Clarity? 

[12:00] How Different Women Experience SAD in Unique Emotional and Physical Ways 

[17:00] Why Experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder Doesn’t Mean Your Faith Is Weak 

[18:00] How Can SAD Be Reframed as a “Wilderness Season” Instead of a Personal Failure? 

[22:00] How God Uses Darker Seasons to Invite Deeper Awareness and Growth 

[23:00] Using the A.D.D. Model to Confidently Manage Emotions During SAD 

[28:00] What Practical Supports Help the Body and Nervous System During SAD? 

[31:00] Why You’re Not Alone and Taking Gentle Next Steps Toward Support 

Resources Mentioned in This Episode: 

Links to tools and resources mentioned in this episode are shared below to support emotional health and energy during darker months. Some of these may be affiliate links, which provide Alicia with a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

• Light boxes 
• Sunrise Alarm 
• Better Help Counseling (10% off link) 
• Free 7-Day Notice + Name Course 
• Emotional Confidence Book 

Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings  

Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  

Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings  

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions 

Ep 341 — Step #1 to Calming Emotional Spirals: Notice + Name Your Feelings 

Ep 343 — Is Your Emotional Health Blocking Your New Year Breakthrough? 

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What does it look like to show up well for those walking through grief? When someone we know is walking through grief, we want to help by knowing what to say to ease their pain.  

And yet, many of us feel awkward around grief and loss. We worry that we’ll make things worse by saying the wrong thing. Often we don’t know how to emotionally support others without trying to fix the situation or offer what can feel like empty platitudes.  

Today I’ve invited my friend and fellow podcaster Sherrie Pilkington to share her grief journey after the sudden loss of her husband several years ago. As an advocate for those walking through grief, Sherrie offers practical, much-needed suggestions to best care for a loved one on a grief journey in order to show Christian compassion during this challenging time. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why Grief Feels Confusing and Uncomfortable for Everyone 

[09:00] “Grief Doesn’t Need Answers. It Needs..” 

[12:00] Why Sitting With Someone’s Grief Is Often More Healing Than Trying to Fix It 

[14:00] How Consistent, Thoughtful Support Helps Restore Connection To the Grieving 

[16:00] Why Does Being Remembered After the Initial Loss Matter So Deeply? 

[18:00] What Does Grief Support Look Like When Words Fall Short? 

[23:00] How Simple, Tangible Gifts Can Help Those Grieving Feel Seen 

[25:00] Which Phrases Unintentionally Increase Pain for those in Grief? 

[29:00] Monthly Grief Boxes: How to Offer Realistic, Specific Help Without Overwhelming the Grieving 

Connect with Sherrie Pilkington via her podcast Finding God in Our Pain, on Instagram (@livelovedthrive), or check out her Sealed With a Hug Grief Boxes (for those wanting to support others walking through grief).  

Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings  

  
Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  

Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings  

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 119 — Find Healing Through Grief by Serving Others with Ashley from Bridget’s Cradle  

Ep 177 — Coping with Grief and Shattering Loss When Tragedy Strikes (with Lisa Appelo) 

Ep 297: Believing in God’s Love Again After You’ve Been Hurt with Rachael Adams 

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Do you long for deep rest but feel like getting away just isn’t realistic in this season? In this episode, let’s talk about how to create your own version of a rest retreat—right where you are! 

We’ll explore how to design intentional rhythms of rest that meet your physical, emotional, spiritual, and creative needs. I believe we can all find practical ways to build small, sustainable rest into life and experience real replenishment even when extended time away feels impossible! 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why Neglecting Rest Eventually Affects Your Body, Emotions, and Relationships 

[03:00] Why Forced Rest Is Not the Same as Chosen, Intentional Restoration 

[07:00] What Is a “DIY Rest Retreat” and Why Does It Matter? 

[08:00] What Does True Rest Look Like for You in This Season? 

[10:00] The Different Types of Rest: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual, Creative, Social, and Sensory 

[14:00] How Do You Discern Which Kind of Rest You Need Most Right Now? 

[16:00] Why Superficial Dopamine Hits Don’t Replenish the Soul 

[18:00] How Can You Design Rest That Leaves You Truly Filled Instead of Drained? 

[19:00] Why Starting Small Creates Sustainable Rhythms of Restoration 

[24:00] How Creativity, Solitude, and Time with God Deepen Soul Renewal 

[26:00] Why Understanding Your “Why” Makes Rest a Spiritual Priority 

[28:00] How Do You Begin Designing Your Own Personal Rest Retreat? 

Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings  

  
Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  

Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings  

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 335 — Need Deep Soul Rest? Join Me in 2026/2027 for Women’s Retreats That Restore Your Spirit 

Ep 336 — Stories from the Italy Retreat: Blessings and Surprises from Our Time in Tuscany 

Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions 

Send us a text

Are you stepping into a new year with goals, plans, and intentions but still feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or reactive? In this episode, explore how unaddressed emotional patterns can quietly block progress, clarity, and peace, even when motivation is high. 

Learn 10 practical signs your emotional health may need attention, why willpower alone isn’t enough for lasting change, and how noticing and naming emotions can help you move forward with greater calm, confidence, and alignment in the year ahead. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why New Year Motivation Often Fades Without Emotional Awareness 

[03:00] Why Does Focusing Only on Actions and Results Keep Us Stuck? 

[05:00] How Emotional Patterns Influence Goals Around Health, Relationships, and Faith 

[12:00] Why Unexplained Tears or Emotional Shutdown Deserve Attention, Not Shame 

[18:00] What Can Physical + Relationship Symptoms Reveal About Emotional + Spiritual Health? 

[24:00] Why Saying “I Don’t Have Time to Deal With This” Often Backfires 

[26:00] How Learning to Notice and Name Emotions Supports Long-Term Growth and Breakthrough 

Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings  

Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  

Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings  

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 333 — Tired of Going from One Crisis to Another? How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding 

Ep 341 — Step #1 to Calming Emotional Spirals: Notice + Name Your Feelings 

Ep 342 — Help for Emotional Overreaction in Relationships 

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Do you ever find yourself reacting strongly in relationships and wondering, Why did I respond like that?  

In this episode, explore why emotional overreactions often make sense beneath the surface, how unrecognized fears and triggers fuel intense responses, and why this isn’t a character flaw but a skill gap that can be learned and healed. Discover how noticing and naming emotions creates clarity, compassion, and healthier responses in your relationships. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Emotional overreactions feel illogical, but often make sense beneath the surface 

[01:30] Understanding the “why” behind the reaction helps us break the embarrassment and guilt behind the cycle  

[03:00] How hidden fears and “what if” thinking fuel emotional reactions 

[05:00] What if emotional reactivity is not a character flaw but a skill issue?  

[06:30] What role does fight or flight play in emotional overreaction? 

[8:00] Emotional reactions are signals, not verdicts 

[10:00] How learning to notice and name emotions prevents sideways emotional leakage 

[12:00] What role do physical, hormonal or emotional factors play in reactivity? 

[15:00] How noticing and naming emotions slows the nervous system and increases clarity 

[18:00] How emotional awareness improves communication and trust in relationships 

[21:00] How the Free Notice + Name Your Feelings Course Helps with Emotional Overreaction in Relationships 

Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings 

Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace! 

Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings 

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions 

Ep 333 — Tired of Going from One Crisis to Another? How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding 

Ep 341 — Step #1 to Calming Emotional Spirals: Notice + Name Your Feelings 

Send us a text

There’s nothing worse than being stuck in an emotional spiral—feeling like your thoughts are a swirling vortex of noise and chaos that feels overwhelming and illogical. Today, let’s talk about the first and most important step to calming emotional spirals: noticing and naming what you’re actually feeling. 

Learn how naming emotions brings clarity, reduces reactivity, and opens the door to healthier, Spirit-led responses.  

PS I’d love to teach you more about this key emotional management tool in my free 7-day course “Notice + Name Your Feelings”! Get the free course here. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why emotional reactions often feel confusing or overwhelming 

[03:00] How unrecognized emotions lead to reactivity, shutdown, or numbness 

[04:00] Is emotional overwhelm a sign of spiritual immaturity? 

[06:00] Why noticing and naming emotions is the first essential skill 

[10:00] How noticing and naming changes communication and relationships 

[12:00] Emotions are “alarm signals,” not failures 

[13:00] What the free Notice + Name Your Feelings 7-day course includes 

[15:00] How this skill fits into long-term emotional and spiritual growth 

Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings 

 
Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace! 

Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings 

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 312: What to Do When You Can’t Stop Crying, Snapping, or Shutting Down 

Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions 

Ep 333 — Tired of Going from One Crisis to Another? How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding 

Send us a text

Have you gotten so good at “managing” life that you’ve forgotten how to enjoy it?  

In this episode, we talk about why joy fades when life becomes task-driven, how emotional numbness sneaks in, and what it looks like to reconnect with delight, presence and the simple pleasures God designed us to savor.  

Let’s discover how to begin enjoying life again, with God leading the way. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why high-functioning, over-responsible seasons drain joy 

[03:00] What role do hidden expectations play in suffocating joy? 

[05:00] The difference between managing life and actually living it 

[11:00] How to rediscover what genuinely brings you delight 

[17:00] How delight strengthens your ability to love others well 

[19:00] What to expect in the Emotional Confidence Club’s Jan/Feb Joy study 

Go here to read the article Alicia mentions on the signs of depression. 

JOIN ME IN JAN/FEB FOR A 6-WEEK STUDY ON JOY: If life feels flat or joy has gone missing, join us for our next 6-week journey inside the Emotional Confidence Club: “Rediscovering Joy + Finding True Happiness.” Let’s rediscover God’s design for lasting joy! Go to AliciaMichelle.com/club to join the Jan/Feb joy study. 

RELATED EPISODES:  

Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions 

Ep 333 — Tired of Going from One Crisis to Another? How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding 

Ep 339:  Rediscovering Joy (When You’re Unsatisfied + Restless) 

Send us a text

What do you do when life looks “fine on the outside,” yet something still feels off? When you feel flat, restless or like you’re quietly aching for more? In this episode, uncover what Scripture says about joy, why so many women feel unsatisfied even when life appears good, and how to return to a steady, soul-anchoring joy in Christ instead of chasing temporary emotional highs. 

Learn the signs that you might be pursuing happiness instead of cultivating joy, how expectations distort contentment, and the biblical foundation for experiencing joy as a fruit of the Spirit. 

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: 

[00:00] Why joy can feel dim or distant even when life looks “good” 

[01:30] What does Psalm 51:12 show us about losing the joy of salvation? 

[03:00] How do hidden expectations quietly sabotage our joy? 

[05:00] The difference between chasing emotional highs and cultivating Christ-centered joy 

[08:00] Why joy anchors the soul rather than acting as a mood 

[14:00] What is “destination sickness,” and why does it leave us restless? 

[19:00] Why achievements and accomplishments can’t create lasting joy 

[23:00] How to re-anchor your joy with Scripture, reflection, and spiritual truth 

6-WEEK STUDY ON JOY: If life feels flat or joy has gone missing, come be part of our next 6-week journey inside the Emotional Confidence Club: “Rediscovering Joy + Finding True Happiness.” Let’s rediscover God’s design for lasting joy! Go to AliciaMichelle.com/club to join us. 

RELATED EPISODES: 

Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions 

Ep 333 — Tired of Going from One Crisis to Another? How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding 

Ep 337 — Holiday Emotional Challenges: 3 Ways to Prepare Yourself for Tricky Situations + Difficult People 

Send us a text