Feel Better Every Day with Eve Menezes Cunningham

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) can feel debilitating when you’re living with AuDHD (autism and ADHD). In this episode, I share some of my personal journey with RSD - even at age 50! - and introduce some practical tools that help me and which can support you in stopping rejecting yourself.CHAPTERS0:00–2:22 Introduction to RSD and nervous system–informed support2:22–5:23 Why RSD is so excruciating and how self-rejection develops5:23–8:15 Early criticism, negative conditioning, and the ADHD/RSD cycle8:15–11:47 RSD in creativity, work, relationships, and self-worth11:47–13:45 Self-acceptance, self-love, and healing RSD in community13:45–15:58 Expanding life again: stopping self-rejection and finding support15:58–19:40 The Feel Love Heal framework and non-violent communication19:40–24:52 Giraffe and jackal energy: compassion, blame, and nervous system responses24:52–27:54 Fear of rejection, shame, and a very human yoga story27:54–31:55 Integration, encouragement, and closing reflectionsLINKSEpisode 71: Shadow Work with Black Cats and SharksEpisode 72: The “Independent Woman” Trap365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing https://selfcarecoaching.net/book/https://selfcarecoaching.net/2018/12/05/wellbeing-wednesday-advent-gratitude-practice-and-giraffes-and-jackals-for-better-communication-with-yourself-and-others/FULL TRANSCRIPTWelcome to Episode 95 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast and it’s part one of on RSD, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, which is so prevalent with AuDHD and that’s autism and ADHD. And it can feel debilitating.Hi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham and you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. You can find out more and access older episodes at thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com and you can also access loads of free resources and find out more about the book, 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing, the column I write for Platinum every month, other titles I contribute to, my work, loads of free resources I’ve created over the years.I really hope you enjoy this episode and if you haven’t already signed up for my free newsletter, it goes out on a Monday, Míle Buíochas Mondays. Míle buíochas means a thousand thank yous in Irish, which I’m very slowly learning and it’s polyvagal-informed journal prompts to help you each week. There’s the gratitude practice element, figuring out more of what brings you joy on a daily basis, what helps you feel in that ventral vagal (I call Purr!) when I use the rescue cats with the Polyvagal Purrs approach. And I also share some of my own gratitude, some of the things that have helped me feel more in ventral vagal that week. Some of those will be resources that might benefit you and I also share news about upcoming events, special offers, things like that.The journal prompts also include encouragement to look at what is creating sympathetic survival responses (that Hiss! with the Polyvagal Purrs approach) and potentially the dorsal vagal (Freeze!) It’s really helping you learn to map your own nervous system, get to know yourself and get to support yourself and it’s all free. If you haven’t already you can sign up at selfcarecoaching.net and if you have any questions again let me know either in the comments or at selfcarecoaching.netI hope you enjoy this episode. I’m not normally someone who re-records things, my style is quite natural and unpolished and sometimes haphazard, but this is possibly the latest, since I...

Am delighted to be sharing this interview with the fantabulous Dr Emma Bede. We met online when we were both presenting at Online Events’ Living and Working with Neurodivergence Conference last year and she is SUCH a joy.SIGN UP FOR THE FREE NEWSLETTER AND GET MORE INFORMATION HEREHere are some of my favourite quotes from our conversation:“These are the structures I need to have in place. I think as someone with ADHD, I think if I think of that as like, ‘Come on, you’ve got to do this every day for the rest of your life,’ I just get angry.” ~ Dr Emma Bede“I’m not very good at forming habits. Things don’t become autopilot except for the really unhelpful things. I played Candy Crush once and I’m going to play it every day for the rest of my life. But for the helpful things, I’m never on autopilot, you know, I always need the reminders, the prompts, the visual cues, the apps, the habit trackers. But I’ve been gradually adding more and more things.” ~ Dr Emma Bede“I can’t do all of those things every day, but they go in waves and I’m getting better over time at noticing, oh, I’ve skipped a few days of this actually. And I quite kind of miss it and I want to come back to it. I want to feel how I feel when I do that thing and that might mean that I give up on something else a little bit.” ~ Dr Emma Bede“I’m saying to other people, ‘Well, that’s OK. That’s how your body works. That’s how your brain works. Let’s find a way to go with that. Let’s find a way to go with the rhythm of that.’ And then to walk out of the room and swear at myself for doing the exact same thing? You can only sustain that for so long.” ~ Dr Emma Bede“If you’re holding a screwdriver in your hand and everyone else is holding a spanner, you can sit there for years trying to use it as a spanner and it’s not going to work. But then you go, ‘Do you know what? This is a screwdriver. I cannot do the things that those people can do with their spanners, but screwdrivers can do amazing stuff. I’m going to go do some of those things!’” ~ Dr Emma BedeJOURNAL PROMPTSAs you watch or listen to our interview, ask yourself:· Who can you be that honest with in your life? Advocating for your sensory needs while also loving and accepting them?· How can you be kinder to yourself when you meltdown? What will help you repair? Remember, the reparation allows deeper healing and connection than if you were to somehow magically become the perfect parent/partner/therapist etc.Let me know in the comments or by email – eve@selfcarecoaching.netle grá (with love),EveCHAPTERS0:00–1:54 Self-care without punishment: the paradox of acceptance and change1:54–5:13 Welcome and introductions: Dr Emma Bede5:13–13:02 Ideal vs actual self-care: ACT, gentleness, and finding a rhythm that works with ADHD/autism13:02–20:06 Self-acceptance, perfectionism, and “acceptance permits change” (including the screwdriver metaphor and RSD moment)20:06–28:21 Support systems and boundaries: co-regulation, humour, cats and spotting capacity before meltdown28:21–33:06 Healing your Younger Self: reassurance, being more of you, and not being a “tribute band”33:06–35:35 Where to find Emma, book mention and closing notesLINKSEmma Bede’s website:https://www.willowpsychology.co.uk/https://thefeelbettereverydaypodcastfor all episodes and more informationhttps://selfcarecoaching.netfor free resources (including Míle Buíochas Mondays), more...

GET YOUR FREE POLYVAGAL-INFORMED JOURNAL PROMPTS HEREIf it hadn’t been for the immediate pain relief from the endometriosis, I’d have run a gazillion miles in the opposite direction from yoga, breathwork and meditation. Back in 2001, I didn’t understand about the impact my trauma history had on my capacity to feel safe around other humans, let alone my differently wired brain and extra sensitive nervous system.I’d adore elements (was getting up for 6.30am classes in London at one point) but be full of angst – which I blamed myself for – around many other seemingly inevitable parts of every class (e.g. other people’s feet waaaay too close to my face when I struggled with even my own feet being so close).In this episode, I share some of my yoga glimmers as well as triggers and ideas – using the Feel. Love. Heal. framework – to help you give yourself the chance to experience calm and ease as you build strength, resilience, flexibility, focus, stamina, balance and reconnect with the peace and joy that are your birthright.JOURNAL PROMPTSAs you watch or listen to this episode, ask yourself:What do I hate about yoga, meditation and breathwork?Might there be ways around it?To get the benefits without wanting to run a gazillion miles in the opposite direction?What do I LOVE about them? In the moment? For minutes, hours and even days afterwards?What will you do differently (with your self-talk and communicating your needs and wants to others) as a result of watching or listening to this episode?Let me know in the comments or by email – eve@selfcarecoaching.netAnd if you’re feeling sad reading this because you can’t think of anything that supportive, let it be a cue to encourage you to be open to more of it in 2026 and beyond.LINKSMoving into 2026 with Roxy Romaniuk: https://youtu.be/3fZVHL_4wzkCommunity as Self Care (with Elizabeth Potts): https://youtu.be/ukjngIR6U_wBook bonus videos: https://selfcarecoaching.net/book/Míle Buíochas Mondays: https://feelbettereveryday.kit.com/f7f730d651Trauma-informed and neuro-affirming yoga, breathwork and meditation: https://selfcarecoaching.net/services/yoga-and-meditation/Endometriosis:https://selfcarecoaching.net/?s=endometriosisCHAPTERS0:00–4:12 Introduction and recognising the benefits of yoga, breathwork, and meditation4:12–8:43 Trauma-informed and neuro-affirming approaches and adapting practice to your needs8:43–11:34 Sensory considerations, self-advocacy and embracing self-love11:34–15:34 Community, co-regulation and giving yourself permission to experiment15:34–20:16 Resources, support and moving further into 2026FULL TRANSCRIPTDo you like the idea of yoga, breathwork, meditation, but think that with your trauma history, hypervigilance, AuDHD (that’s autism and ADHD) brain, you simply can’t?This episode will share some of the things that I use with clients and students, as well as the things that have helped yoga, breathwork and meditation really become a way which I come home to myself, rather than a way in which it often felt quite torturous.Welcome to Episode 93 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. I’m your host and producer, Eve Menezes Cunningham. I’m an author,...

Happy New Year! And welcome to Season 3 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast!As we move into 2026, am delighted to share my (Eve Menezes Cunningham, author, podcast host, columnist, trauma-informed and neuro-affirming therapist, Self care coach and senior accredited supervisor – https://selfcarecoaching.net has more information) interview with yoga teacher, Roxy Romaniuk.I adore her yoga classes and really loved our conversation and her honesty about moving through difficult feelings, emotions and situations by paying attention and moving them through her body with movement and journalling.I know yoga students and groups have often called me serene (and that I so often feel anything but!) AND while I don’t know how Roxy feels on the inside while she’s teaching, I do know that she wouldn’t embody such serenity as a yoga teacher if she wasn’t doing all this inner work.Nothing’s good or bad. Everything is simply information. But we all need support (compassion for ourselves as we face challenges, the courage to ask for help and support and community around us to offer it when we can’t ask).JOURNAL PROMPTSAs you watch or listen to our interview, ask yourself: How might you make more space to process, reflect and work with ALL the feelings in 2026? How and where might you access support and that essential feeling of being held we all need in order to co-regulate and thrive? Maybe there’s a yoga class local to you where you feel able to exhale deeply and let go? Maybe a great friend or loved one you don’t have to mask around? A therapist or coach? Some other kind of relationship?Let me know in the comments or by email – eve@selfcarecoaching.netAnd if you’re feeling sad reading this because you can’t think of anything that supportive, let it be a cue to encourage you to be open to more of it in 2026 and beyond.THE SOLE TO SOUL CIRCLE IS EVOLVINGWhereas before, the deeper dive exclusive content would go out on Wednesdays, this will now be an additional bonus for my Míle Buíochas Mondays newsletter subscribers (as well as the regular polyvagal-informed journal prompts and some of the things I’m most grateful for and delighted to share with you). If you’re not already a subscriber, you can sign up for free at https://feelbettereveryday.kit.com/f7f730d651And I’ll share more about the evolving Sole to Soul Circle soon.Happy New Year!Le grá (with love),EveLINKS@yogawithroxytheyogaroot.org – check out their upcoming open weekend with free classesCHAPTERS(0:03) Difficulty expressing “negative” emotions(2:07) Introducing guest Roxolana Romaniuk(3:47) Ideal vs actual self-care through my Feel. Love. Heal. framework(6:00) Small daily rituals and intuitive movement(8:13) Expressing anger and difficult emotions safely(12:21) Community, belonging, and collective careFULL TRANSCRIPTDo you struggle to express yourself when you’re feeling really sad or angry or hurt or any of the so-called negative emotions?Today’s guest is an absolute delight and while she’s one of my favourite yoga teachers, I especially love what she shares about her own self-care in terms of giving space, making space for messy movement and expression.I hope you love listening to her as much as I enjoyed talking to her and I’d also love to hear from you in terms of maybe the emotion you struggle most to process and what you’re going to do differently, what you’re going to try as a result of today’s episode.Welcome to episode 92 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast and I look forward to hearing from you.I’m your host and producer Eve Menezes Cunningham. I’m an author, columnist, trauma therapist, self-care coach and senior accredited supervisor specialising in ADHD and

Happy New Year!Do you love New Year’s Eve? Do you hate New Year’s Eve? Do you feel indifferent to New Year’s Eve?However you feel, I hope you have a wonderful New Year! Watch or listen to episode 91 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast wherever you get your podcasts for some of the self-care rituals and practices that I do every year or most years.I hope they’ll help you work with your own ADHD brain, AuDHD brain, and also to continue to heal from any trauma. Use this time of year, where there is so much external pressure in terms of how you might be thinking you should be celebrating or what you should be doing to go for it with all that appeals and ignore all the rest![Link to selfcarecoaching.net/blog for show notes, full transcript and more]le grá (with love),EveLINKSSign up for Míle Buíochas Mondays (Polyvagal-informed and more every Monday) hereWestport Lunar CirclesYour vibe for 2025: Episode 38 of The Feel Better Every Day PodcastChoose your transpersonal quality for the year aheadHappy New Year and bring what was good about the break into your year aheadMake the most of the seasonal energiesCHAPTERS0:00 – Mixed feelings about New Year’s Eve?2:28 – Checking in with what actually appeals4:53 – New Year intentions and PDA-friendly resolutions6:01 – Lessons, blessings and reflecting on the year8:18 – Choosing a guiding word or theme for the year ahead10:26 – Clearing space and symbolic release rituals12:02 – Self-acceptance instead of self-improvement13:39 – Community, connection and designing New Year’s Day16:12 – Creative visioning and sensory mood-settingFULL TRANSCRIPTDo you love New Year’s Eve? Do you hate New Year’s Eve? Do you feel indifferent to New Year’s Eve?However you feel, I hope you have a wonderful New Year and in this episode, episode 91 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast, I’m going to be sharing some of the self-care rituals and practices that I do every year or most years in order to help you work with your own ADHD brain, AuDHD brain, and also to continue to heal from any trauma and just to really use this time of year where there is so much external pressure in terms of how you might be thinking you should be celebrating or what you should be doing and they’re very tentative invitations in terms of if anything appeals, go for it and ignore all the rest.I’m your host and producer, Eve Menezes Cunningham. I’m an author, columnist, trauma therapist, self-care coach and senior accredited supervisor specialising in ADHD and ADHD friendly trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, transpersonal and somatic approaches.I help people heal through self-care practices that honour your body and your brain and your nervous system as well as your Self, that highest, wisest, truest,...

With ADHD, with AuDHD, with trauma, our nervous systems can really struggle with rest. It can feel unsafe to rest.Why do I share how hard I find rest this while extoling the virtues of rest? Because it’s STILL an advanced practice for me. The whole point of this podcast is to show the gap, sometimes gulf, between what we – as self-care and Self care professionals – want to be doing and are actually doing. Especially with trauma histories and the hypervigilance that comes with having needed to survive. And AuDHD and ADHD where endless cycles of burnout eventually teach us how to honour our sensitive nervous systems.It doesn’t have to take you the decades it’s taken me!Everyone (and I’ve interviewed neuroscientists, other therapists, somatic therapists, energy workers and coaches, nutritional therapists, choreographers, artists and more) knows what would help us. We just need to give ourselves permission to make the necessary changes. For me, that’s constantly taking more and more off my plate and becoming more strategic (and actually getting MORE done while feeling better about it all!) by paying closer attention to my own nervous system and energies.I hope that you’ll gift yourself some extra breathing space over the holidays. Begin to ponder ways in which you can build in sustainable changes for a more restful, easier, more peaceful and joyful 2026.I’ve shared loads of resources to support you (and myself!) over the decades and you can access some here (including some research on rest) as well as listening to Tracy Otsuka (am imagining that the 43% of ADHDers with excellent mental health are better at prioritising rest. I know my mental health has improved along with my capacity for more rest), Caroline Shole Arewu and others share some of their tools to support prioritising rest.Enjoy the episode and let me know what you’re going to do to rest more today, this week, this month and in the New Year!le grá (with love),EveCHAPTERS0:00 – Why rest feels so difficult2:55 – AuDHD, ADHD, trauma and nervous system safety4:02 – Different ways of resting5:27 – Productivity, pressure and burnout8:25 – Rest, holidays and emotional release11:37 – When rest feels unsafe to the nervous system13:59 – Learning to love a sensitive nervous system16:24 – Collective care, boundaries and co-regulationFULL TRANSCRIPTDo you struggle to take time to rest, to give yourself a break, to take things off your plate? It can be especially challenging with trauma histories, with AuDHD (autism and ADHD) with ADHD.It’s especially important to pay attention to your nervous system and make sure that you are getting enough rest, because we’re mammals, just like my little role model here, Meadbh.Cats don’t feel guilty about all the snoozes, all the rest, it enables them to play harder, to climb, to do other things, but we humans, we are in a world which doesn’t encourage rest. It encourages us to think we need all sorts of things we don’t necessarily need.Welcome to Episode 90 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast.I’ve talked and written about rest a lot and there’ll be links...

A Polyvagal-informed approach to the seasonal energies for trauma, AuDHD and ADHDFeeling the weight of the darkest days? In this episode of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast,I’m sharing gentle, nervous system-friendly rituals to help you honour the seasonal energies of Yule (Winter Solstice) while healing your trauma and befriending your AuDHD or ADHD brain.Discover how to:✨ Use a Yule log tradition for releasing and renewal✨ Navigate seasonal overwhelm with polyvagal-informed practices✨ Honour both the darkness and the returning light✨ Set intentions that actually feel good for your nervous system✨ Create community connection on your own termsWhether you’re struggling with the season or finding joy in it, this episode welcomes all your feelings and offers practical ways to thrive through winter’s longest night.🔗 Free resources and show notes📖 Get the book: 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing💌 Join the Sole to Soul Circle for deeper dives, exclusive content and instant access to the whole archive🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday – listen on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts#WinterSolstice #Yule #TraumaHealing #AuDHD #ADHD #PolyvagalTheory #NervousSystemHealing #SelfCare #NeurodivergentSupportWishing you the coolest of Yules! 🕯️LINKSListen to Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Episode 48 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Watch and read full transcript hereFind out more about how embodied journalling can help you hereCHAPTERS(0:00) Honouring the darkness and welcoming renewal(0:57) Trusting your nervous system and honouring your needs(2:05) Introducing Episode 89(3:38) Yule log ritual(5:38) Embodied journalling and self-acceptance(7:03) Collective care and community intentions(8:39) Free newsletter and polyvagal-informed gratitude practice(10:31) Book, coaching and other resources(11:04) Closing message and thanksFULL TRANSCRIPTHow do you feel about the dark nights and long [I meant SHORTER 😊] days? You may be loving it, you may be feeling a bit hopeless, and this week we’re looking at ways in which you can celebrate your winter solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere by honouring the darkness, the cold, potentially the hopelessness, and also remembering the renewal, the hope, the deep roots growing underground even when it feels like there’s nothing happening on the surface.Trusting your nervous system, giving yourself permission to go to events that feel good for you and avoid potential sensory overload or make up for it by having quiet days after, just really honouring how you feel, whether it’s through trauma, through ADHD, through autism, honouring what you need.With it being the longest night in terms of darkness in this part of the world, it can feel a bit hopeless. If it feels good for you, I encourage you to connect with that, dipping the...

Do you feel overwhelmed not just by your own intense feelings but by everyone else’s too? This episode will help you honour and appreciate your sensitive nervous system.I (Eve Menezes Cunningham, author, columnist, trauma therapist, senior accredited supervisor, coach, trauma survivor and AuDHDer) share practical strategies for managing hyper empathy which is common with ADHD, autism, AuDHD and trauma histories.I encourage you to create protected silence in your life, from daily meditation to weekly 12-hour mini retreats, explaining why this isn’t indulgent but can be especially helpful for sensitive nervous systems.Using my Feel. Love. Heal. framework, I guide you through:Creating buffer time and space for yourself (Feel)Accepting your sensitivity as a superpower (Love)Building community support for your needs (Heal)Perfect for trauma survivors, AuDHDers, autistic people and ADHDers (and those who identify highly sensitive people or empaths) and anyone who finds themselves absorbing everyone else’s emotions and energy.Le grá (with love),EveResources mentioned:Tracy Otsuka (ADHD for Smart Ass Women) and Episode 86 for our interviewAlice Tew & Carly Radford episodeThe Sole to Soul Circle365 Ways to Feel Better bookTopics: hyper empathy, ADHD, autism, AuDHD, trauma recovery, sensitivity, boundaries, nervous system regulation, self-careChapters(0:00) Overwhelmed by everyone else’s feelings(1:00) Honouring your extra-sensitive nervous system(2:30) When boundaries collapse under sensory overload(3:05) The Feel. Love. Heal. framework and creating space for silence(4:39) When life gets “too peopley”(8:17) Sensitivity as a superpower (when you protect it)(10:33) Healing through community and collective care(12:20) Imagining your future self with stronger boundariesLinksTracy Otsuka: Episode 86Too Sensitive? Too Much? Says Who? Episode 78 with Alice Tew and Carly Radford Shadow Work with Black Cats and Sharks: Episode 71 Be More Cat: Episode 70 Love your inner Smelly Cat this Bealtaine and beyond Episode 56 Cattitude: Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Episode 48 Sole to Soul Circle membership (just €8/month): https://selfcarecoaching.net/sole-to-soul-circle/Book: 365 Ways to Feel Better https://selfcarecoaching.net/book/FULL TRANSCRIPTDo you ever feel overwhelmed not just by your own intense feelings but seemingly everyone else’s feelings?This episode, Episode 88 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast, is for you. You can access show notes and everything else via thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com You can subscribe wherever you want to subscribe and you

Get your free weekly journal prompts and more hereWatch here or listen here or wherever you get your podcastsDance movement psychotherapist Gwen Williams joins me (trauma therapist, AuDHDer, senior accredited supervisor, coach, author and columnist etc, Eve) to discuss how she combines yoga therapy, dance, art, and psychotherapy to help people reconnect with their bodies and heal.Gwen shares her journey from yoga therapy training (while pregnant!) to completing her MA in dance movement psychotherapy, plus her exhibition “Reclaiming the Wild Body.” She offers practical insights on movement practices for ADHD and neurodivergent brains, explaining why gentle, slow practices work best when your mind moves at a million miles an hour.Perfect for anyone interested in somatic healing, trauma recovery, creative therapy, or finding movement practices that actually work for neurodivergent nervous systems.Find Gwen: Website: gwen-williams.com Instagram: @movement_art_therapyTopics covered: ADHD, dance movement psychotherapy, yoga therapy, somatic practices, neurodiversity, creative healing, embodimentle grá (with love),EveChapters(0:00) Introduction to Gwen Williams(0:53) Reconnecting after yoga therapy training 14 years ago(2:09) Gwen’s evolving body-based and creative work(3:57) Reclaiming the Wild Body exhibition(5:12) Neurodiversity, ADHD and creative practice(7:14) Where to find Gwen online(7:48) Exploring Eve’s Feel. Love. Heal. framework (9:22) Gwen’s essential Feel self-care(11:05) Ideal and essential Love Self care(14:49) Designing life around slower somatic practice(16:22) Heal collective care: community, dance and co-regulation(18:03) Reclaiming the Wild Body workshops(19:20) Earth body, social body and transpersonal body(21:02) Vegan chat and episode planning(22:57) Where to find Gwen (recap)(23:23) Closing credits and resourcesFULL TRANSCRIPTWelcome to episode 87 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. Today’s guest is the delightful Gwen Williams. We trained together as yoga therapists for mental health and it was so lovely to catch up with her for this episode and reconnect.She’s since become a psychotherapist and she is combining art and her psychotherapy and yoga and movement and just all around delightfulness. If you’re in Bristol check her out and online obviously also you can gain a lot from her amazing presence in the world. I hope you enjoy the episode and let me know how you get on.Welcome Gwen, thank you so much for joining me. Thank you for having me Eve, it’s really nice to be here. It’s so funny because I met you like we used to sit together a lot in the yoga therapy training we did with the Minded Institute and you were pregnant at the time and you like I couldn’t believe that I was struggling because it was a lot.It was amazing but it was a lot and there you were and now finding out how old your son your first son is it’s like wow like you say it’s a huge mark of time but yeah it’s gorgeous seeing what you’ve been doing with the work and how it’s evolved for you and it looks so beautiful in the video. Do you want to say a little bit more about how it has evolved for you, where people can find...

Welcome to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast! Today I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Tracy Otsuka, host of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast and author of the book by the same name.Get your free weekly journal prompts and more hereTracy was one of the first voices I discovered on my own ADHD journey, and her strengths-based, neuro-affirming approach has been truly transformative. She’s a former lawyer who boldly celebrates the brilliance often overlooked in ADHD while being refreshingly honest about the challenges.In this episode, we explore:Why ADHD is an identity problem, not just a productivity issueExercise supporting and sometimes replacing medication for managing symptomsThe power of finding your “sweet spot” where executive function challenges disappearRevenge Bedtime Procrastination and the most creative solution I’ve come acrossThe 43% of ADHDers with excellent mental health that nobody talks aboutWhether you’re newly diagnosed, long-time ADH or supporting someone who is, this conversation is full of practical wisdom and hope. Enjoy!Chapters0:00 – Introduction to Tracy Otsuka and her work2:51 – Personal impact of Tracy’s podcast and book4:02 – Finding Tracy and her programmes4:41 – ADHD as an identity problem and building on strengths5:46 – Ideal self-care practices6:19 – Exercise and medication experiences8:13 – Morning routines and dopamine11:26 – Reading, hyperfocus, and slow dopamine12:13 – Gardening, tapping, and somatic practices13:12 – Sleep and managing bedtime resistance (Revenge Bedtime Procrastination)15:20 – Strategies for easier evening routines18:55 – Advice for younger self and understanding ADHD21:07 – Self-expertise and navigating medications23:42 – Following interests and creating meaningful work24:51 – Music, piano, cello, and doing things your way26:25 – Singing, family, and supporting creativity27:29 – How you can find TracyFULL TRANSCRIPTI can’t wait to introduce today’s guest. She’s someone who has helped me enormously on my own ADHD and now AuDHD journey. Hers was one of the first podcasts I found when I started going down that rabbit hole.The very fantabulous Tracey Otsuka, host of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast and author of the book ADHD for Smart Ass Women.Her podcast is really working with the brilliance that is often overlooked with ADHD. She’s very bold, very dynamic, former lawyer, and really confident, honest about the challenges, honest about the disabling aspects, but really it’s probably one of the most strengths-based neuro-affirming approaches I’ve heard.And I just love her guests. She is wanting to draw awareness to the 43% of ADHDers with excellent mental health. So I hope you enjoy our interview.I’m really looking forward to talking to her. And I hope that without any kind of toxic positivity, without any negating of the struggles, you too will be able to own your challenges, know that you deserve support for your challenges and make space for your brilliance. Let me know what you think.Welcome to Episode 85 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. Every Tuesday, I share new episodes helping trauma survivors, ADHDers and AuDHDers take better care of yourself, create a life you don’t need to retreat from, and help build a world in which everyone feels safe, welcome, and loved, able to thrive. So literally working with your nervous system, your energy, and it’s a very holistic approach.You can subscribe if you haven’t already, and you’re very welcome to share. I do a lot of free content because I know not everyone can afford...

Do you feel like your vegan diet or food allergies make you “difficult” at restaurants and social gatherings? You’re not alone. And you deserve better.In this World Vegan Month episode, I (author, trauma therapist, senior accredited supervisor etc, Eve Menezes Cunningham) share some of my journey from being an “awkward vegan” with a severe bell pepper allergy to (more) confidently advocating for my food needs. Learn how to:✨ Ask for what you need without shame✨ Use somatic techniques to feel empowered when ordering✨ Navigate social situations where you’re the only vegan✨ Recognise which people and places truly support your needs✨ Turn advocating for yourself (stating dietary requirements) into self-healingWhether you’re vegan, have food allergies, sensory issues with food or any dietary requirements, this episode validates your experiences and provides practical tools for feeling safe, welcome and nourished.Perfect for anyone with trauma, ADHD, or AuDHD who struggles with the extra layers of complexity around food choices.🎙️ Feel Better Every Day Podcast Episode 85 Host: Eve Menezes Cunningham Next week: Special guest Tracy Otsuka, author of “ADHD for Smart Ass Women”📚 Free resources and full transcript: selfcarecoaching.net#VeganLife #FoodAllergies #ADHD #TraumaHealing #SelfCare #Neurodivergent #WorldVeganMonthCHAPTERS(0:00–1:25) Asking for what you need and embracing awkwardness(1:25–3:50) Power poses, confidence, and feeling worthy of good things(3:50–5:44) Compassion for yourself when being vegan feels awkward(5:44–7:15) Sensory needs, boundaries, and finding your people(7:15–9:01) Speaking up for yourself and healing old wounds(9:01–11:24) Food, co-regulation, and making socialising easier(11:24–13:24) EFT tapping, tenderness, and trauma-informed care(13:24–16:10) Rippling kindness outward and staying idealisticFULL TRANSCRIPTDo you ever feel like being a vegan makes it hard for you to enjoy food out with friends, loved ones or even at home?Do you ever feel like you’re being too awkward if you have any kind of food allergy? This episode for World Vegan Month is for you and I want to encourage you to acknowledge the accommodations that you need and deserve and to help you ask for what you need with less shame.I’m nearly 50 and I am much better at it than I used to be but I used to call myself an awkward vegan for many years because I’m also allergic to bell peppers and they’re in so many vegan dishes.The older I get, I mean I say the older I get, a couple decades ago I was writing for an allergy magazine about the pepper allergy and it was before I went vegan but about the difficulty. It’s not one of the big 14 [allergens].Back then there was a big 10 and there’s more awareness around allergies but I guess the relevance for this episode is recognising the special needs needing to be accommodated like it could kill me. And it is very stressful a lot of the time and also I love food and I want to enjoy it, I don’t want to be off of the salads.Welcome to episode 85 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. I’m your host Eve Menezes Cunningham and every Tuesday I share a new episode where it’s helping people with trauma, ADHD and AuDHD take better care of yourself, create a life you don’t need to retreat from and help build a world in which everyone feels safe, welcome and loved.This here is Mighty Meadbh and if you haven’t already subscribed you’re very welcome to and you can find out more information at the Feel Better Every Day Podcast and that will lead you to the book and all sorts of free resources as well as ways of working with me.For the Feel part of the Feel. Love. Heal. framework today, I want to encourage you to get into your body to empower yourself. It might be that you

Be Kinder to Your Extra Sensitive Nervous System: Episode 84 of the Feel Better Every Day PodcastStruggling to show yourself the same kindness you’d give others? If you have ADHD, autism, or trauma, your nervous system needs extra care—not extra pressure. This episode explores why self-compassion is essential for neurodivergent and trauma survivors—and how to practice it daily.Topics covered:Recognizing when you’re pushing yourself too hard (like working until 3am)Understanding your extra sensitive nervous systemThe 20,000 negative messages statistic and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)Reparenting yourself with tendernessThe Feel, Love, Heal framework for self-acceptanceBefriending your body and mind as they are right nowConnecting with neurodivergent communityResources mentioned:Workshop at The Yoga Root (Feb 15) - theyogaroot.orgSole to Soul Circle membership (from €8/month)EFT tap-along for RSD (bonus content)Free resources at selfcarecoaching.netBook: 365 Ways to Feel BetterYou deserve tenderness. You deserved more than you had. Let yourself grieve while you heal.📧 eve@selfcarecoaching.net 🌐 selfcarecoaching.net#ADHD #Autism #AuDHD #SelfCompassion #TraumaHealing #Neurodivergent #RSD #SelfCare #WorldKindnessDayCHAPTERS(0:00–0:33) Why it’s still so hard to be kind to ourselves(0:38–1:26) Discovering autism and learning to slow down(1:26–3:00) Overworking, late nights, and holding yourself accountable for rest(3:08–4:16) Understanding ADHD, emotional pain, and rejection sensitivity(4:16–5:41) Reparenting yourself and honouring what you’ve survived(5:48–7:04) Working gently with childhood memories and self-compassion(7:10–8:14) Befriending your changing body and mind(8:21–9:17) Finding connection and support within neurodivergent communities(9:40–10:27) Accepting yourself and allowing healing(10:27–11:00) Expressing your needs without apology(11:07–12:09) You deserve tenderness and kindness(12:09–13:31) Grieving what you didn’t have and helping build a kinder worldLINKSLove Yourself. Warts and All: I Swear inspired Episode 82 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast https://youtu.be/emoPrbHbc2M?si=HIP2MEp0QaD-E1Mt Shadow Work with Black Cats and Sharks:Episode 71 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast https://youtu.be/OudSMFHNDEo Be More Cat: Episode 70 of the Feel BetterEvery Day Podcast https://youtu.be/ZJQTjy372GY Love your inner Smelly Cat this Bealtaine andbeyond Episode 56 of The Feel Better Every Day Podcast https://youtu.be/daQopL3K7BY Cattitude: Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Episode 48 ofThe Feel Better Every Day Podcast https://youtu.be/atAcj0HtD6U FULL TRANSCRIPTAre you still struggling to be even a fraction as kind to yourself as you would be to anyone else, especially if you knew their trauma history or how much they struggle with ADHD AuDHD autism symptoms?This episode is to, as all of the episodes, helping people with trauma, ADHD AuDHD take better care of yourself, create a life you don’t need to retreat from and help build a world in which everyone feels safe,...

Menopause? Perimenopause? Post menopause? A new diagnosis, illness or injury? Any kind of transition? Join me at the Yoga Root on Saturday 15th November at 1pm for a special workshop: Befriending your Changing Body and MindWatch hereHi, I’m Eve Menezes Cunningham, and welcome to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast.This week we’re talking about why it’s often easier to hold space for others than to let ourselves be held.I’m joined by Elizabeth Potts, one of my favourite yoga teachers from The Yoga Root in Westport.We explore what it means to create authentic, nourishing spaces—and how to give ourselves grace when we’re struggling to receive care, even when we desperately need it.If you’ve ever found yourself crying with gratitude in a yoga class, or wondering why self-care feels so hard when caring for others comes naturally, this conversation is for you.New episodes every Tuesday morning (Ireland time). Subscribe for notifications. Join the Sole to Soul Circle for deeper dives including bonus interviews, EFT Tap Alongs, yoga poses, breath practices and meditations, journal prompts and more. Is the Feel Better Every Day Podcast helping you? Please share and leave a ★★★★★ rating and review. Your support helps me reach more trauma survivors and people with ADHD or AuDHD. Learning to care for, love and accept yourself is a radical act. Your healing creates ripples and helps others remember peace and ease is everyone’s birthright too. Míle buíochas (a thousand thank yous).CHAPTERS(2:40–3:45) Why it’s easier to hold space for others than to be held ourselves(6:56–8:37) Teaching with authenticity and not performing on the mat(9:00–10:53) Creativity as self-care through art, pottery, and connection with her daughter(11:14–13:29) Finding calm and grounding through breath when there’s no bandwidth(13:38–15:52) The mindful morning coffee ritual as an anchor through transition(17:35–19:24) The practice of returning to yourself and allowing imperfection(21:06–24:57) The need for community support and rebuilding the metaphorical villageLINKSPeace Begins at Home (with Gina Miltiadou): Episode 81 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast FULL TRANSCRIPTAnd I was delighted when you did. I remember you made amazing, was it vegan lemon poppy seed cake when I did a workshop there for you? Oh yeah, yeah. And it’s just that I didn’t know you but it just made me feel so again held and welcome, but I think that’s partly why I felt a bit tearful, now I can drive, now I can be there, like enjoy and just the vision, like how integral it is to Westport, how like it’s just so lovely that it’s taken root and it’s really gorgeous.Yeah, it really is special, it really is special and I think you can really feel, you know, the intention and the love and the work that’s gone into us, you know, and to make you a really authentic space is what it is, you know, if you come to my class or Derrick’s or, you know, our other teachers, all very unique classes, very different styles of teaching, but yeah, all very authentic, very much us, you know, so you would never catch me floating off the mat.Hi, you’re listening to episode 83 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. I’m your host, Eve Menezes Cunningham, and I’m here to help people with trauma, ADHD, AuDHD, take better care of yourselves, create a life you don’t need to retreat from, and help build a world in which everyone feels safe, welcome, and loved, able to thrive.You can access full show notes, the transcript, links, and loads of other resources through thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com and...

Inspired by the stunning film “I Swear” about living with Tourette’s, this episode explores why self-compassion is so difficult, especially with trauma, ADHD and AuDHD (autism and ADHD). Discover how acceptance and love can transform shame into advocacy, and learn practical ways to be gentler with yourself.Using my Feel. Love. Heal framework, I (trauma therapist, ADHDer, only recently recognised AuDHDer - brand new emotional rollercoaster - senior accredited supervisor, Self care coach, author and columnist, Eve Menezes Cunningham) share some self-care ideas the film inspired. You deserve the same compassion you give others.Is the Feel Better Every Day Podcast helping you? Please leave a ***** rating and review for this and other episodes you’ve enjoyed. Your sharing, subscribing, feedback and support helps me help more people (of all genders) with trauma histories and ADHD or AuDHD (autism and ADHD). You learning to take better care of yourself isn’t just good for you – it creates a ripple effect and helps others. My ultimate dream, in a world in which SO much is coming up for healing and so many people are unsafe, is to do my part to help as many people as possible heal from trauma. To help create a world in which everyone everywhere feels safe, welcome and loved - able to thrive.CHAPTERS0:00 Why it’s so hard to have compassion for ourselves1:10 Understanding ourselves through trauma and neurodivergence5:11 Using the Feel. Love. Heal. framework10:25 Learning to help ourselves heal14:18 Creating a world where everyone feels safe and loved18:22 Healing through connection and community21:11 The ripple effect of healing and hopeRESOURCESCattitude: Purr! Hiss! Freeze! Episode 48 of The Feel Better Every Day Podcast Be More Cat: Episode 70 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast Shadow Work with Black Cats and Sharks: Episode 71 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast https://selfcarecoaching.net/2023/08/07/cattitude-familiars-and-polyvagal-theory/https://selfcarecoaching.net/2022/10/19/cattitude-life-lessons-from-my-first-9-years-on-earth/https://selfcarecoaching.net/feline/https://selfcarecoaching.net/2021/02/17/bring-more-cattitude-to-the-way-you-move/https://selfcarecoaching.net/2019/09/30/cat-coaching-for-self-care-3-cattitude/FULL TRANSCRIPTWhy is it so hard to have the kind of compassion and empathy and understanding we so often find so easy to direct towards anyone else, towards ourselves, especially with trauma histories, with ADHD, with ADHD, with autism? Why?This episode, 82 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast is inspired by the phenomenal film I Swear, based on John Davidson’s memoir about living with Tourette’s and becoming an advocate. I hope you enjoy it.Hi, you’re listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast.I’m your host and producer, Eve Menezes Cunningham. I’m a trauma therapist, trauma survivor, ADHDer. Now I’ve heard about the AuDHD, learning more about the autism, that the ADHD medication, it’s a learning curve. It’s a lot. And it’s also helpful, the more we understand ourselves, the better.I’m a self-care coach, senior accredited...

Am so delighted to welcome the Peace Begins at Home Summit Director, Gina Miltiadou, for Episode 81 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. Access full transcripts, links, show notes, and other resources at http://thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.comThe inaugural Peace Begins at Home Summit will take place on Wednesday, 29th October 2025 (and you can listen to the recordings for 30 days so don’t worry if you can’t make that day).At a time of rising authoritarianism, climate crisis, and lost hope, the Summit combines lived testimony, research, and practical solutions to reclaim a culture of partnership.Produced by the Center for Partnership Systems (CPS) and inspired by cultural historian Dr. Riane Eisler’s Partnership vs. Domination framework, the Summit reframes peace not as a distant ideal but as a systems challenge that begins where we live, love, and raise each other: In the home. Confirmed speakers include 26 leaders from 17 countries, among them:Dr. Riane Eisler – Holocaust survivor, cultural historian, systems scientist, and author of The Chalice and the BladeAmbassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury – Former UN Under-Secretary-General and champion of the culture of peaceDr. Richard Davidson – World-renowned neuroscientist and TIME 100 honoreeEla Gandhi – Global peace activist, women’s rights advocate and granddaughter of Mahatma GandhiGary Barker & Jackson Katz – International pioneers in reshaping masculinityAngela Sterritt – Award-winning investigative journalist and author, serving as MCFind out more and book at www.peacebeginsathomesummit.orgCHAPTERS0:00 Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the state of the world2:08 Introducing Gina Miltiadou and the Peace Begins at Home Summit2:53 The ripple effect of early trauma4:10 Self-care when you’re near the finish line5:41 Purpose as a form of self-care7:07 Interconnectedness and hope8:15 Dr. Riane Eisler’s domination to partnership framework15:19 Peace begins at home17:30 Turning pain into purpose20:05 Stories of healing and collective care25:16 Peace is personalThanks for watching. New episodes come out every Tuesday morning (Ireland time) and if you subscribe (via your favourite podcasting app or by joining the Sole to Soul Circle), you’ll be notified about each new episode. Sole to Soul Circle members get an exclusive deeper dive each week.Is the Feel Better Every Day Podcast helping you? Please leave a ***** rating and review for this and other episodes you’ve enjoyed. Your subscribing, feedback and support helps me help more people (of all genders) with trauma histories and/or ADHD. You learning to take better care of yourself isn’t just good for you – it creates a ripple effect and helps others. My ultimate dream, in a world in which SO much is coming up for healing and so many people are unsafe, is to do my part to help as many people as possible heal from trauma. To help create a world in which everyone everywhere feels safe, welcome and loved - able to thrive.CHAPTERS0:00 Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the state of the world2:08 Introducing Gina Miltiadou and the Peace Begins at Home Summit2:53 The ripple effect of early trauma4:10 Self-care when you’re near the finish line5:41 Purpose as a form of self-care 7:07 Interconnectedness and hope8:15 Dr. Riane Eisler’s domination to partnership framework15:19 Peace begins at home17:30 Turning pain into purpose20:05 Stories of healing and collective care25:16 Peace is...

Stop feeling guilty. Start making a difference. In Own Your Privilege, Change the World: Episode 80 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast, I (trauma therapist, senior accredited supervisor, Self care coach, author, ADHDer etc, Eve Menezes Cunningham) explore why owning your privilege (rather than apologising for it) can support sustainable activism. Learn how guilt disempowers you while self-care and honest acknowledgment of your advantages can fuel meaningful change. Discover why thriving isn’t selfish, it’s necessary for the resistance. Everyone deserves to feel safe, welcome and loved and able to thrive and the more you do to empower yourself, the more you can do to help others. So forgive yourself for injustices you have no part in and then speak up to do what you can to fix what’s happening now. THE FEEL BETTER EVERY DAY PODCAST Learn from the Self (for that highest, wisest, truest, wildest, most joyful, brilliant and miraculous part of yourself) and self-care practices the professionals depend on. With a mixture of solo and interview episodes, your host, Eve Menezes Cunningham (author of 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing) shares trauma-informed and VAST / ADHD-friendly self and Self* care ideas through the lens of the Feel. Love. Heal. framework to help you: • Feel. Regulate your nervous system, work with your energy and do the things that help you create a life you don’t need to retreat from • Love. Accept yourself completely with love, compassion and kindness – you don’t need to do a thing and • Heal. Collective care to turn what hurts your heart into action to support your family, organisations, communities and the world at large (and to coregulate and accept support from others) Thanks for watching. New episodes come out every Tuesday morning (Ireland time) and if you subscribe (via your favourite podcasting app or by joining the Sole to Soul Circle), you’ll be notified about each new episode. Sole to Soul Circle members get an exclusive deeper dive (these include bonus interviews, EFT Tap Alongs, yoga poses, breath practices, journal prompts and more) each week. Is the Feel Better Every Day Podcast helping you? Please leave a ***** rating and review for this and other episodes you’ve enjoyed. Your subscribing, feedback and support helps me help more people (of all genders) with trauma histories and/or ADHD. You learning to take better care of yourself isn’t just good for you – it creates a ripple effect and helps others. My ultimate dream, in a world in which SO much is coming up for healing and so many people are unsafe, is to do my part to help as many people as possible heal from trauma. To help create a world in which everyone everywhere feels safe, welcome and loved - able to thrive. CHAPTERS (0:00) Prioritising your personal priorities (1:14) Your suffering helps no one (2:50) Acknowledging privilege (10:59) Forgive yourself and do better (15:30) Do more of what helps you feel good (18:11) Finding balance through compassion and action (20:56) Ho’oponopono and Metta meditation RESOURCES: https://ejeancarroll.substack.com/p/grab-him-by-the-wallet WANT TO WORK WITH ME? • There’s the book – 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing – and all the book bonus videos. • All the free resources (for trauma, ADHD, menopause, solopreneurs, anxiety, sleep, confidence, resilience, finding purpose, meaning and joy and more) across my platforms and the library of self-care ideas and practices at https://selfcarecoaching.net • You can join the Sole to Soul Circle and get bonus interviews and content specially designed to help you dive deeper into each week’s theme. • If you want to support my work but don’t want to commit to a membership, even for a month, you can choose any amount at...

And you can find out more by booking your spot, from as little as £25, for Online Events’ Living and Working with Neurodivergence conference where I’ll be presenting on Cattitude: A Polyvagal Informed Approach to Self Care for ADHD and Trauma – selfcarecoaching.net has a link to book tickets)I was able to own that part of myself that wants to do it all in one go. I can say, “Oh that’s so sweet! So delusional! Let’s not do that this time! Let’s be gentler!”Struggling with the overdoing-overwhelm-collapse cycle?In this episode, I (trauma-informed therapist, Self care, ADHDer, senior accredited supervisor etc, Eve Menezes Cunningham) share a lawn mowing lesson that changed how I approach tasks.Learn how doing less can actually help you accomplish more. This, like all episodes, takes you through my unique holistic Feel. Love. Heal. framework to help you bring more gentleness and ease into your daily life while getting more done. More smoothly, easily and effectively.Perfect for anyone who tends to go full speed ahead and then crash.THE FEEL BETTER EVERY DAY PODCASTLearn from the Self (for that highest, wisest, truest, wildest, most joyful, brilliant and miraculous part of yourself) and self-care practices the professionals depend on.With a mixture of solo and interview episodes, your host, Eve Menezes Cunningham (author of 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing) shares trauma-informed and VAST / ADHD-friendly self and Self* care ideas through the lens of the Feel. Love. Heal. framework to help you:• Feel: Regulate your nervous system, work with your energy and do the things that help you create a life you don’t need to retreat from• Love: Accept yourself completely with love, compassion and kindness – you don’t need to do a thing and• Heal: Collective care to turn what hurts your heart into action to support your family, organisations, communities and the world at large (and to coregulate and accept support from others)Thanks for watching. New episodes come out every Tuesday morning (Ireland time) and if you subscribe (via your favourite podcasting app or by joining the Sole to Soul Circle), you’ll be notified about each new episode. Sole to Soul Circle members get an exclusive deeper dive (these include bonus interviews, EFT Tap Alongs, yoga poses, breath practices, journal prompts and more) each week.If you’d like to leave a review and/or rate this and other episodes you’ve enjoyed, your subscribing, feedback and support helps me help more people (of all genders) with trauma histories and/or ADHD take better care of their whole selves and create lives they don’t need to retreat from.CHAPTERS(0:02) Introduction: overdoing and overwhelm(0:45) Using the Feel. Love. Heal. framework(1:44) The lawn mowing lesson: less is more(3:52) Applying gentleness beyond the lawn(4:24) Feel: identify one area of overwhelm(5:33) Love: self-compassion and acceptance(6:20) The office move example(9:17) Talking kindly to yourself(10:33) Heal: co-regulation and collective care(12:49) Closing reflections and invitation to connectRESOURCESWANT TO WORK WITH ME?• There’s the book – 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing – and all the book bonus videos.• All the free resources (for trauma, ADHD, menopause, solopreneurs, anxiety, sleep, confidence, resilience, finding purpose, meaning and joy and more) across my platforms and the library of self-care ideas and practices at https://selfcarecoaching.net• You can join the Sole to Soul Circle and get bonus interviews and content specially designed to help you dive deeper into each week’s theme.• If you want to support my work but don’t want to commit to a membership, even for a

Join me (trauma-informed therapist etc, Eve Menezes Cunningham) as I welcome Alice Tew and Carly Radford, hosts of the podcast “Too Much… Apparently.”We explore sensitivity as a gift rather than a flaw, sharing practical nervous system regulation techniques and the power of radical self-acceptance.Discover why tiny non-negotiables work better than perfect routines, how the pandemic became a turning point for Carly embracing authenticity, and why building chosen family through friendship can be transformative.Perfect for highly sensitive people, those with ADHD and autism, trauma survivors, and anyone who’s ever been told they’re “too much.”You’ll learn about:· Nervous system awareness· micro self-care practices· parts work therapy· community building· neurodivergent experiences, and· moving from self-criticism to self-compassion.Find Alice at @reparentingwithalice and Carly at @the_sensitivity_therapistCHAPTERS(0:00) Introduction and podcast context(1:00) Guest introductions(4:00) Sensitivity and self-care(8:30) Nervous system awareness(12:00) Tiny non-negotiables(15:00) Love and acceptance(19:00) The pandemic as a turning point(22:00) Radical self-acceptance(26:00) Collective care and community(30:00) Redefining family and support(35:00) Building community through friendshipFULL TRANSCRIPTI’m delighted to welcome Alice Tew and Carly Radford, who are here to talk about whatever they want to talk about, but I invited them on because I’ve known their names for a long, long time, but I’ve got to know them better online through a neurodivergent therapy group, and they have a gorgeous new podcast, Too Much… Apparently, and it’s so lovely.Hi, you’re listening to episode 78 of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. I’m your host and producer Eve Menezes Cunningham. I’m a trauma-informed therapist, including embodied approaches, energetic approaches. I’m a trauma survivor. I have ADHD and I’m a senior accredited supervisor with BACP and a supervisor with IACP.I’m also an author and columnist and a self-care coach where I integrate lots of different ways of working for a really embodied approach, but really all my work is about helping you remember that you already know what you need.I help people with trauma and ADHD to take better care of themselves and their Self, that highest, wisest, truest, most joyful, brilliant, miraculous part of yourself. It really is remembering you are already whole. You’re already complete. You are worthy. You’re lovable. You’re not too much. You are enough.And with that in mind, I am utterly delighted to be welcoming today’s guests and look forward to hearing what you think of today’s episode. If you haven’t already, do subscribe and I would love to hear from you, either in the comments or you can email eve at selfcarecoaching.netYou can find out more about the book, the podcast, free resources, all sorts of things at selfcarecoaching.net or thefeelbettereverydaypodcast.com.I’m delighted to welcome Alice Tew and Carly Radford, who are here to talk about whatever they want to talk about, but I invited them on because I’ve known their names for a long, long time, but I’ve got to know them better online through a neurodivergent therapy group and they have a gorgeous new podcast, Too Much… Apparently, and it’s so lovely and I wanted to have them on here.I’m going to ask Alice and then Carly to introduce yourselves, including any links you want people to go to and they’ll be in the show notes as well.Welcome, welcome, welcome and thank you.So shall I start?Yeah, OK.I’m Alice Tew. I’m a psychotherapist. I’m based in...

You’ve heard of the Fight or Flight Stress Response but what about Tend and Befriend?Ever wonder why you automatically say "yes" to everything, even when you don't want to? You're not broken - you're responding from a place of survival. In this episode, we explore the "tend and befriend" stress response, why it's so common in women, other minorities, and ADHDers, and how it kept our ancestors (and us when we were younger) alive.You'll learn:Tend and Befriend v the better known Fight or Flight stress responsesWhy people-pleasing is actually adaptive survival behaviourHow ADHD masking connects to this trauma responseThe difference between Tend and Befriend and FawnPractical steps to start setting boundaries without (well, with less. Progress not perfection) guiltRemember: Your nervous system was wired this way to keep you safe. Now you get to choose how to move forward. 💙Resources mentioned:Feel Better Every Day Podcast: feelbettereverydaypodcast.com – especially the Purr! Hiss! Freeze! ep which goes into greater detail around Polyvagal Theory and adaptive survival responsesSole to Soul Circle membershipSelf Care Coaching: selfcarecoaching.net#TraumaHealing #ADHD #PeoplePleasing #TendAndBefriend #TraumaResponse #Boundaries #NervousSystemHealingChapters(0:00) What is the Tend and Befriend Response?(0:38) Meet your host: Eve Menezes Cunningham(1:11) Feel. Love. Heal. – A framework for self-care, Self care and collective care (1:34) People pleasing and survival instincts(2:16) Survival of the kindest(2:36) The science behind Tend and Befriend(4:24) Fawn and Freeze: Trauma in the body(6:22) How early trauma shapes us(7:00) Why we people please (and what we’re really seeking)(8:27) The power of saying No(9:28) Spotting red flags early(9:37) Practising safe boundaries(11:19) Remember: You have the right to autonomy(12:27) Moving from survival to love(13:21) Healing through support and connection(14:54) Learning to honour your preferences(16:29) The Runaway Bride egg question(17:16) It’s never too late to get to know yourself(18:04) Final thoughts and resourcesFULL TRANSCRIPTTend and befriend response. So if you were to imagine being very, very under stress, under threat, and if you think about the most powerful people in society, if you think about like the white men, it's safe for them to fight, it's safe for them to run away. Women, minorities typically have to placate, have to be appealing, have to be pleasant, all these things with tend befriend when it's a trauma response, when it is also very common with ADHD.Hi, you're listening to the Feel Better Every Day Podcast. I'm your host and producer, Eve Menezes Cunningham, and I'm a trauma therapist and survivor and ADHDer, a supervisor, supervisor, supervisor, Self care coach, author and columnist. And you can access full show notes and links and free resources through the feelbettereverydaypodcast.com or selfcarecoaching.net.In this episode, we'll work through my Feel. Love. Heal. Framework.Feel, which is about the active self- care, Love, which is about that uppercase Self S for the highest, wisest, truest, wildest, most joyful, brilliant, miraculous part of yourself. And the Heal element is the collective care.We're talking about the “tend and befriend” stress response today. I was interviewed for a UK national paper recently and the interview went 45 minutes, and which was longer than I think either of us were expecting. And I still have so much more to say, I thought I'd do a podcast episode about it. (I’ll share the link when it’s published.)Tend and befriend is something that can lead to...

JOIN ME (AND OTHERS) FOR THE LIVING AND WORKING WITH NEURODIVERGENCE CONFERENCE ON 10th OCTOBER. I’ll be presenting Cattitude: A Polyvagal Informed Approach to Self and Self-Care for ADHD and Trauma and you can book hereEPISODE 76Do you constantly forget your accomplishments while ruminating on what’s gone wrong? You might be experiencing "success amnesia" - the tendency for trauma survivors and ADHDers to completely forget positive achievements while remembering every mistake.In this episode of the Feel Better Every Day Podcast, I (trauma therapist and ADHDer, Eve Menezes Cunningham) explain why success amnesia is so common in ADHD brains and share a simple daily practice to counter it.Learn how to build authentic confidence by remembering what you've actually accomplished, even the small things. Using my Feel. Love. Heal framework, I share how to:Recognise and welcome your current feelings without judgmentConnect with your inherent worth beyond achievementsUse success tracking to support your efforts at collective care and empowermentThis isn't about fake positivity - it's about training your brain to remember the full picture of who you are and what you've done. Perfect for anyone struggling with low self-esteem, imposter syndrome, or feeling "not enough."Timestamps, resources, and show notes available hereFeel Better Every Day!Learn from the Self (for that highest, wisest, truest, wildest, most joyful, brilliant and miraculous part of yourself) and self-care practices the professionals depend on. With a mixture of solo and interview episodes I (your host, Eve Menezes Cunningham (author of 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing) share trauma-informed and VAST / ADHD-friendly self and Self* care ideas through the lens of the Feel. Love. Heal. framework to help you:• Feel. Regulate your nervous system, work with your energy and do the things that help you create a life you don’t need to retreat from• Love. Accept yourself completely with love, compassion and kindness – you don’t need to do a thing and• Heal. Collective care to turn what hurts your heart into action to support your family, organisations, communities and the world at largeThanks for watching. New episodes come out every Tuesday morning (Ireland time) and if you subscribe (via your favourite podcasting app or by joining the Sole to Soul Circle), you’ll be notified about each new episode. Sole to Soul Circle members get an exclusive deeper dive (these include bonus interviews, EFT Tap Alongs, yoga poses, breath practices, journal prompts and more) each week.WANT TO WORK WITH ME?• There’s the book – 365 Ways to Feel Better: Self-care Ideas for Embodied Wellbeing – and all the book bonus videos• All the free resources (for trauma, ADHD, menopause, solopreneurs, anxiety, sleep, confidence, resilience, finding purpose, meaning and joy and more) across my platforms and the library of self-care ideas and practices• You can join the Sole to Soul Circle and get bonus interviews and content specially designed to help you dive deeper into each week’s theme• If you want to support my...