Feelings...and Other Inconveniences

In this episode, Stefanie Michele and Sarah Dosanjh dig into a familiar problem: why we don't do the things we know help us.
Using real-life examples (walks, movement, scheduling, tiny "extra steps" that somehow feel huge), they unpack how mental load, environment cues, and internal parts create resistance.
They explore the difference between shame-driven self-talk and real self-compassion, how validating resistance can loosen it, and when "understanding why" is the turning point.
Expect practical takeaways, parts-work insight, and a refreshingly human conversation about motivation, inertia, and follow-through.
Leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform — it helps more than you'd think (and yes, we actually read them).
Not sure what to write? You can literally just copy and paste this: BEST PODCAST EVER — A UNIQUE REVIEW
We won't argue with you.


More About Stefanie Michele:
Instagram
Substack
Website
Full But Not Finished on YouTube
More About Sarah Dosanjh:
YouTube
Instagram
Website
Book: I Can't Stop Eating

In this episode of Feelings… and Other Inconveniences, Stefanie Michele (certified coach + somatic practitioner) and Sarah Dosanjh (psychotherapist + author) unpack what it means to stay emotionally sane when the world feels like it's on fire.
 
We talk about the tightrope between staying informed and getting emotionally flooded (or going numb),
 
why social media comments can feel more destabilising than the headlines,
 
and how two people can watch the same thing and walk away with entirely different realities (hello, "the dress" — but with much higher stakes).
 
We also explore how values, identity, and nervous system states shape what we perceive as "truth", and why a calm response to an un-calm situation isn't always the goal. 
 
Most importantly: we get practical.
 
If you've been trying to "think your way out" of stress, we'll share nervous-system-friendly ways to discharge what your body is holding.
 
If you're feeling overwhelmed, helpless, furious, frozen, guilty for switching off, guilty for staying tuned in… you're not alone.
 
Leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform — it helps more than you'd think (and yes, we actually read them).
Not sure what to write? You can literally just copy and paste this: BEST PODCAST EVER — A UNIQUE REVIEW
We won't argue with you.


More About Stefanie Michele:
Instagram
Substack
Website
Full But Not Finished on YouTube
More About Sarah Dosanjh:
YouTube
Instagram
Website
Book: I Can't Stop Eating

It's that time of year when everyone starts acting like January is a reset button and a goal will save their life.
In this episode, Sarah and Stefanie talk about goals without the usual hype. The kind that actually fit your values versus the ones you absorb from culture and then punish yourself for not wanting. They get into why goal language can feel weirdly controlling, why outcome-based goals can ramp up pressure fast, and what changes when you shift toward intention, presence, and process instead of chasing a finish line.
If goal season makes you feel motivated and vaguely annoyed (or just tired), this conversation will make you feel less alone — and probably a little clearer about what you actually want going into 2026.
Tune in to hear about...
 
Why "goal season" can feel motivating and weirdly pressurizing

The difference between borrowed goals (culture-approved) and goals that actually fit you

Goals vs. intentions: why intention can feel more flexible and human

Process goals vs. outcome goals (and why process can be less mentally suffocating)

What it looks like to release outcome-control without giving up on growth

How "productivity culture" sneaks into personal development language

Why certain goals (especially body/weight-related ones) are more loaded

Redefining success around presence, alignment, and capacity

Knowing when stepping back is growth (not "falling behind")

The push-pull of action vs. receptivity (masculine/feminine energy)

Picking a "word for the year" as a softer entry point into change

Love the episode?
Leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform — it helps more than you'd think (and yes, we actually read them).
Not sure what to write? You can literally just copy and paste this: BEST PODCAST EVER — A UNIQUE REVIEW
We won't argue with you.


More About Stefanie Michele:
Instagram
Substack
Website
Full But Not Finished on YouTube
More About Sarah Dosanjh:
YouTube
Instagram
Website
Book: I Can't Stop Eating

In this episode of Feelings… and Other Inconveniences, we dive into the invisible weight of mental load – the constant thinking, tracking and planning that never seems to switch off, even when we are "off duty." 
Are we confusing mental load with caring?
What happens in our bodies when we are carrying too much?
And what do we believe will fall apart if we stop managing everything?
We talk about:
 
💫 How to tell the difference between stress and anxiety in real life, not just in theory
💫 Caring for ageing parents, parenting, work and that feeling of always having "one more thing" to do
💫 The idea of open loops and why unfinished tasks drain so much energy
💫 When mental load becomes part of our identity and why letting go can feel selfish
💫 Control, non-attachment and those fleeting moments of "I actually don't mind what happens"
💫 Guilt, people pleasing and why even help from others can trigger discomfort If your brain feels like it is running a full-time job no one is paying you for, this one is for you. 
 
Love the episode?
Leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform — it helps more than you'd think (and yes, we actually read them).
Not sure what to write? You can literally just copy and paste this: BEST PODCAST EVER — A UNIQUE REVIEW
We won't argue with you.


More About Stefanie Michele:
Instagram
Substack
Website
Full But Not Finished on YouTube
More About Sarah Dosanjh:
YouTube
Instagram
Website
Book: I Can't Stop Eating

In this episode, hosts Sarah Dosanjh, psychotherapist and author, and Stefanie Michele, certified coach and somatic practitioner, dive into the complex psychology of external validation—why we crave approval, how it shapes our sense of worth, and what it means to find confidence that isn't dependent on others.
They explore how early attachment experiences and mirroring affect our lifelong need for recognition, why creative or purpose-driven work can heighten validation sensitivity, and how to tell the difference between healthy acknowledgment vs dependency.
Stefanie reflects on her own relationship with feedback as both a mirror and a trap, while Sarah discusses how surrender, faith, and trust in a larger process help ground her self-worth beyond productivity or external praise.
The conversation also looks at how social media and online culture amplify our validation loops, creating a false sense of connection while eroding genuine self-trust.
Together, they unpack the nervous system's role in these patterns—how seeking approval often mirrors our search for safety—and offer insights for cultivating inner steadiness through awareness, connection, and compassion.
Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of:
Why we're wired to seek validation and how it ties to belonging

The role of early attachment in adult self-worth

How to discern acknowledgment from dependency

Why social media intensifies validation needs

Somatic and psychological tools for grounding self-esteem

Love the episode?
Leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform — it helps more than you'd think (and yes, we actually read them).
Not sure what to write? You can literally just copy and paste this: BEST PODCAST EVER — A UNIQUE REVIEW
We won't argue with you.


More About Stefanie Michele:
Instagram
Substack
Website
More About Sarah Dosanjh:
YouTube
Instagram
Website
Book: I Can't Stop Eating