As a March baby myself, there's an extra spring in my step when this month rolls around, not just for the promise of longer days but for celebrating the indomitable spirit of women throughout history. But what about our own stories of triumph and the quiet impact we've made? That's the heart of our latest chat, where we turn the spotlight inward and take a deep dive into the importance of the words we use and choose and the thoughts and worries that determine our day. I got real about the inner battles we all face, like stress, self-doubt, and that nagging inner critic that's all too familiar. I share my journey of overcoming these hurdles with insights into neuroscience, and discuss how changing our mindset can dramatically alter our relationship with stress. Plus, a giveaway for one lucky listener and a bonus meditation to close our conversation.⁣ ⁣ In honor of Women's History Month, I'm giving one woman that chance to work with me for free. Just schedule your session and mention you heard about it on the podcast.⁣ https://hilaryrusso.as.me/hugitout⁣ ⁣⁣ Connect with Hilary:⁣ https://www.instagram.com/hilaryrusso⁣ ⁣https://www.youtube.com/hilaryrusso⁣ https://www.facebook.com/hilisticallyspeaking⁣ https://twitter.com/HilaryRusso⁣ https://www.tiktok.com/@hilisticallyspeaking⁣ https://www.hilaryrusso.com/podcast⁣ ⁣ ⁣Music by Lipbone Redding https://lipbone.com/⁣ ⁣ ----- EPISODE CHAPTERS WITH SHORT KEY POINTS ------⁣ ⁣ CHAPTERS ⁣ 0:00 Intro⁣ about March and Honoring the Divine Feminine⁣ 0:45 Confronting the inner bully, worries and self-doubt⁣ 1:06 Hilary shares her personal story and the If/Then Game ⁣ 3:33 Relate. React. Respond.⁣ 4:48 Hilary's giveaway to HUG it Out⁣ 5:45 Bonus Guided Meditation with music by Lipbone Redding⁣ ⁣ --------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ---------⁣ Full Transcript available here: https://www.hilaryrusso.com/podcast HILARY RUSSO⁣ 00:00 - Hilary Russo (Host)⁣ I am all kinds of giddy because March is my favorite month. It marks the beginning of spring. Daylight Savings is just around the corner. It's the month when I was born Shout out to you if you're a March baby too. And it's Women's History Month. What a great time to be empowered and inspired by what other women have accomplished over the years. Who's your favorite? Who inspires you? Actually, I have a better question for you. What about your own accomplishments, and who have you touched, moved, and inspired in your life? ⁣ ⁣ 00:35⁣ Now, if you're struggling with that thought, if you have a hard time thinking that you've made a difference in someone's life and you're hard on yourself, wondering why someone else is getting more done in their lives, or you're overwhelmed and you're feeling stuck, that inner bully is definitely showing up in the moment. How many times do you let that doubt creep in? You allow the inner dialogue to take over and enter stress? I get it. I've dealt with it too. ⁣ ⁣ 01:05⁣ Here's a little story for you. My dad used to call me a worry wart, because if I could worry about something, I would find it, and I would definitely worry about it to the end of time. In fact, I had this ridiculous game that I used to play. I called it the if-then game. Yeah, I even gave it a name. It made no sense at all. It would go something like this If I can toss that little piece of paper into the wastebasket, then I'm going to get an A on my test. Yeah, like I said, it makes no sense. Here's another one If I can make that light before it turns red, I'm totally going to get asked to prom. So, spoiler alert, I got asked to prom, but it really had nothing to do with me making the red light. It's ridiculous, right? How the hell did any of this benefit me? What was the value in that kind of game? Reality check, it had no positive impact on my life. If anything, it made me more stressed and I was putting way too much pressure on myself. ⁣ ⁣ 02:11⁣ You see, stress consumed me as a kid and it didn't stop there. The smallest things would worry me. I was anxious, I would have panic attacks about things I couldn't control, but the one thing I actually could control was my thoughts about the thing I was stressing about. Imagine that it was a vicious cycle, but I didn't have the tools and I felt the overwhelm and I felt it often and it sucked. And it wasn't just Hillary as a kid, it was also the adult, me as well. Man, adulting, it can be hard, and it comes with its fair share of responsibility, doesn't it? But the bigger responsibility is not the task at hand, it's what I'm about to share with you right now. ⁣ ⁣ 03:01⁣ I figured something out you can control much of what you're feeling by changing your mindset, your energy, your thoughts. This isn't woo-woo, this is neuroscience. And when I started to really do the inner work, when I found others who could guide me and support me on my journey, something really changed. I changed, and guess what? It's something I work at every day, because stress doesn't go away, turns up in life daily. The difference is this it's not that you are void of it, you just learn to relate, react, and respond to it differently. That's the gold, right there. Let me say it again Relate, react, respond. ⁣ ⁣ 03:55⁣ The moment you get that in check, you open yourself up to a whole lot of goodness in life. But how? Yeah, I ask myself that question a lot, and it is pretty common to have doubt. After all, that's where our brain loves to go Fight, flight, or freeze. Right, Amy the amygdala is like a scared animal running for shelter, and when that happens, you spend a lot of time visiting skeptical city, questioning yourself, your actions, feeling stuck. ⁣ ⁣ 04:31⁣ The big shift is deciding how long you want a vacation there. Stress central, please. There are plenty of other stops on this train I would rather get off at, so let's make that happen. And here's the good news. Like I said, march is the Wonder Month, my month, your month, women's month. So the best gift I could receive to celebrate another trip around the sun is to give you the gift of healing. HUG it Out going to together. That is why I am giving one lucky woman the opportunity to work with me one-on-one, for free, to work through the stress that is consuming you, keeping you stuck, stopping you from shining like that bright star that you are. Whatever is holding you back and weighing you down will work through it and we'll HUG it out. All you have to do is take that first step and tell me why you would like to work with me, and then just click the link on the podcast page to give it a shot. The cool thing is we get to have a conversation either way, so it's really a win-win. ⁣ ⁣ 05:43⁣ So while I have you for the next few minutes, let's do a moment of mindfulness with my dear friend Lipbone, who shares his music on every episode to accompany us on the journey. ⁣ ⁣ 05:59⁣ Let the music guide you as you close your eyes and take a deep breath and ask yourself this question what is stressing me out that I want to work through? How do I want to feel? Joy, peace, calm, whatever it is. Let it show up for you, honor, it be okay, accepting this part of you, and then ask yourself this when is now the right time to step into the tension and know I am being handed the gift of guidance and support? Sit with that for a moment and take a deep breath and, when you're ready, open your eyes and know whatever it is you are feeling, it is valid and you are loved. HIListically Speaking, it's a beautiful possibility, isn't it, to see what is on the horizon and know that I am in your corner the entire way. So, on that note, give yourself the gift of healing and take a chance, a chance on yourself. Book the call and we will continue with a new conversation next week and until then, be kind to your mind and don't forget to laugh. ⁣ ⁣