The Adult Chair Podcast with Michelle Chalfant

In this episode, I'm talking about what a healthy relationship actually looks like.
After hearing from so many people about narcissism, gaslighting, and unhealthy relationship patterns, I wanted to talk about the other side: how do we know when a relationship is healthy? Whether it is with a partner, parent, sibling, friend, child, or anyone else in your life, healthy relationships have certain qualities that help us feel safe, respected, heard, and connected.
I share eight qualities of healthy relationships, including mutual respect, healthy apologies, enjoying each other's company, respecting boundaries, thoughtfulness, honoring each other's needs, listening with presence, and having open, honest communication.
I also talk about why communication is one of the most important parts of a healthy relationship. So many of us expect others to know what we feel or need, but it is our job to share our reality. When we speak from "I," express what is happening inside of us, and ask for what we need without blame or shame, relationships can begin to change.
Key Takeaways
Healthy relationships are built on mutual respect, even when two people do not agree
A healthy apology means owning the hurt we caused, even if it was unintentional
Enjoying someone's company, feeling relaxed around them, and looking forward to seeing them are signs of a healthy connection
Respectful boundaries are essential in healthy relationships
Thoughtfulness does not have to be complicated. It can be as simple as checking in, offering kind words, or remembering what someone needs
People in healthy relationships want to know and honor each other's needs
Listening with presence helps the other person feel seen, heard, and valued
Open and honest communication is one of the most important qualities of a healthy relationship
Using "I" statements helps us share our reality without blaming or putting the other person on defense
Healthy relationships require regular check-ins, intentional connection, and a willingness to talk about what is really going on
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Anxiety can feel overwhelming, but when we understand what is really underneath it, we can begin to take our power back.
In this episode, I'm talking about how to end anxiety and become empowered. In The Adult Chair®, I define anxiety as the physical manifestation of unfelt emotions. Anxiety often shows up in the body through symptoms like shortness of breath, tightness in the throat, knots in the stomach, racing thoughts, or a rattled nervous system. But underneath those physical symptoms, there are usually emotions that need our attention.
When we are anxious, the ego often tells us to do more, fix more, think more, or keep pushing. But that only keeps us on the treadmill. The way out is to slow down, turn inward, and begin noticing what is happening emotionally and physically inside of us.
I walk you through two simple steps and five tools to help calm anxiety and bring you back into your Adult Chair®. These tools include mindfulness, deep belly breathing, time in nature, meditation, and journaling. Each one helps regulate the nervous system, move emotions through the body, and reconnect you with your power.
Key Takeaways
In The Adult Chair®, anxiety is defined as the physical manifestation of unfelt emotions
Anxiety often shows up through physical symptoms in the body
Thoughts can direct us into the past or future, which can create emotions that rattle the nervous system
Becoming aware of what anxiety really is helps us step back into our power
Feeling emotions is one of the most important steps in calming anxiety
The ego often tells us to do more, but the real healing begins when we slow down
Mindfulness helps bring us into the present moment and back into the Adult Chair
Slow belly breathing helps regulate the nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system
Nature can help calm the body, mind, and energy field
Meditation teaches us to observe thoughts without reacting to them
Journaling helps move stuck thoughts and emotions out of the body and onto paper
Taking action is what helps us feel empowered
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

Your true self is the authentic, pure essence of who you were before the world taught you to become someone else.
Today, I'm talking about what the true self really is and how we can begin reconnecting with it. When we are born, we come in with our true essence. But as we grow up, we begin adapting, changing, and creating a false self so we can feel loved, accepted, safe, and like we belong.
Over time, this false self can cover up the truth of who we really are. We may lose touch with what we feel, what we need, what nourishes us, and what helps us feel connected to ourselves. But the good news is that anyone can begin to rediscover and live from their true self.
In this episode, I'm sharing five simple ways to reconnect with your true self: getting in touch with your emotions, tuning into your needs, practicing self-care, using breathwork, and journaling. These practices help us slow down, listen inward, and begin claiming the parts of ourselves we may have hidden, forgotten, or pushed away.
Key Takeaways
The true self is your authentic self, the pure essence of who you were born as
The false self develops as we adapt to feel safe, loved, accepted, and like we belong
Many of us disconnect from our emotions because we were never taught how to feel them
Reconnecting with your emotions helps you access deeper parts of yourself
Your needs are different from your wants, and learning to identify them is essential
Asking for what you need is part of living from your true self
Self-care is not selfish. It is self-loving
Practicing self-care supports self-worth and helps you reconnect with who you really are
Breathwork can help release stuck emotions and take you deeper into yourself
Journaling helps you access your unconscious mind, higher self, and deeper inner wisdom
Rediscovering your true self happens through awareness, validation, and small daily practices
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

In this episode, I'm talking about one of the questions I hear all the time: What do we do with negative emotions?
So many of us have been taught to push away, numb, judge, or "get rid of" emotions like anger, grief, sadness, fear, rage, and frustration. But the truth is, emotions are not bad. They are part of being human, and they are meant to move through us.
I talk about why we develop resistance to certain emotions, especially when we grew up receiving messages that our feelings were too much, wrong, annoying, or unsafe. When we are not taught how to process emotions, we often reach for ways to numb out, distract, avoid, or blame others for what we are feeling.
Key Takeaways
Emotions are part of being human, and we are meant to feel a full range of them
Many of us learned to block, judge, or numb our emotions because of messages we received growing up
"Negative emotions" are not bad. They are simply emotions on the fear end of the emotional spectrum
Fear can protect us, anger can help us access power, and sadness can give us important information about our inner world
Emotions are energy, and when we allow them to move through the body, they can shift and transform
The 90-second rule reminds us that intense emotions can move through us quickly when we do not block them or attach a story to them
Journaling helps us witness our inner world, process emotions, and gain clarity
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

In this episode, I'm talking about the art of manifesting and how we can begin creating the reality we truly want.
Manifesting is not just about thinking positive thoughts or saying an affirmation once and hoping something appears. The law of attraction is always working, just like gravity, but many of us have subconscious beliefs that block the very things we are trying to create. These beliefs may sound like, "I'm not good enough," "I don't deserve that," "money is hard to make," or "people will judge me if I have too much." When those beliefs are running underneath the surface, they can cancel out the conscious desires we are trying to manifest.
I walk you through a powerful process for discovering and clearing the inner blocks that may be keeping you from receiving what you want. I also share how to get clear on your desire, notice what happens in your body when you imagine having it, shift your mindset, align your energy, and act as if your creation is already on its way.
Key Takeaways
Manifesting is always happening because we are always creating with our thoughts, beliefs, words, and energy
The law of attraction is always on, just like the law of gravity
Subconscious beliefs can block the things we consciously want to create
Many people are more comfortable talking about what they do not want than clearly naming what they do want
Guilt, shame, overwhelm, unworthiness, or tightness in the body can reveal a subconscious block
The body can show us where our energy is contracted around a desire
Parts work can help us communicate with the part of us that is blocking a creation
Alignment means tuning your energy to the same frequency as the thing you want to create
Your mindset, words, and daily focus matter when manifesting
It is important to protect a new creation from other people's doubts, projections, or fears
Acting as if your creation is already coming helps you stay aligned with it
Patience and consistency are key when creating something new
MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT
Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com
Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective
https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant
The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant