Something to Normalize

Join our Patreon community to listen to bonus episodes   In this episode, Ginny, Brandi and Jen Kemper (Brandi’s sister!) talk about how isolating the pregnancy experience can be - especially when it’s a difficult pregnancy. Jen struggled with an illness called Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and in this conversation she shares her personal experience with pregnancy, motherhood and this disease.  They help listeners to: Discover the joys and challenges of motherhood and gain valuable insights on navigating the journey. Find solace in the shared experiences of other pregnant women and realize you're not alone in the isolating nature of pregnancy. Explore the societal misconceptions surrounding motherhood and gain a deeper understanding of the lack of support and understanding for mothers. Learn strategies for balancing self-sacrifice and personal interests, empowering yourself to prioritize self-care and maintain your personal identity while navigating motherhood. Gain practical tips and advice for finding a supportive community and building connections with other mothers. Follow Us:  On Instagram Sign Up for Emails with Exclusive Content     Spread the Good Word: Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Show (wherever you listen!)   Share the Podcast with a Friend (just send them this link!)   Stuff to Explore:  Hyperemesis Gravidarum: HER Foundation To connect with Jen about HG, email us.

Join our Patreon community to listen to the full episode.  Did you know that different qualities can change how the highly sensitive person experiences the world? Learn this and more in our conversation about our HSP Scale results, and how they interact with the trait of High Sensation Seeking.  Follow Us: On Instagram Sign Up for Emails with Exclusive Content   Spread the Good Word: Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Show (wherever you listen!)   Share the Podcast with a Friend (just send them this link!) Stuff to Explore: HSP Self-test High Sensation Seeking Self-test Elaine Aron’s Article about HSP and HSS Trait Interactions

In this episode, Ginny and Brandi (both HSPs) share their personal experiences of living in a highly sensitive body and discuss insightful, cutting edge research that helps other HSPs take advantage of their unique brain and nervous system.  They help listeners to: Recognize the importance of sensitivity and how it can be a powerful asset, inspiring a healthy shift in communities where change is necessary  Unearth the difficulties often faced by sensitive people, shedding light on misunderstood aspects of the trait  Understand the unique mental, emotional, and physiological attributes that create the trait of high sensitivity  Explore the many profound strengths of being highly sensitive, including creativity, intuition, and growth mindset  Discover the value of self-acceptance and the power of self-trust as cornerstones of well-being for highly sensitive people  Join our Patreon community to listen to bonus episodes   Follow Us: On Instagram Sign Up for Emails with Exclusive Content   Spread the Good Word: Subscribe, Rate, and Review our Show (wherever you listen!)   Share the Podcast with a Friend (just send them this link!) Stuff to Explore: HSP Self-Test Elaine Aron’s Book  Brandi’s websie

If you have ever been in a situation where another was willing to harm you for their own benefit, then abuse has happened and that person has become an abuser. In this episode, we talk about the process leading up to this abuse, helping listeners to identify warning signs. We also offer practical advice that empowers survivors to take back control and find healing after abuse has occurred. In this second of a two-part conversation on abuse of power, join us to learn how to establish healthy boundaries, find supportive communities that enable growth, and reclaim your power. Listen to part 1 here.  In this episode, Ginny and Brandi help listeners to:  Gain awareness of the impact that abuse of power can have on personal and societal well-being Examine the ways language is used to dismantle trust and identify techniques to counteract this  Grasp the importance of setting boundaries to counter abusive behavior and promote healthier relationships Identify how surrounding yourself with supportive communities enables healing and positive growth Learn to reclaim your authenticity by overcoming the effects of abuse and cultivating self-empowerment

Abusers seek to isolate their victims and implement tactics to keep them silent and thinking that it’s “all in their head” or somehow their fault. However, when we talk about our experiences as victims of abuse, any false sense of shame is lifted and the experience is normalized; abuse becomes easily recognizable— and something we know how to stop. In this first of a two-part conversation, Ginny and Brandi share their personal stories of living through abuse, and how they survived. They share how community support and self-trust can help you overcome the effects of abuse of power and reclaim your voice. In This Episode, Ginny and Brandi Discuss:  Why unacknowledged power is the root of abuse What solutions can help us challenge authority and encourage support within communities  Why addressing power dynamics is key to sustaining positive relationships Ways to pinpoint warning signs of abusive behavior and take appropriate action  How to embrace the process of healing after enduring abuse  Why community is so important in navigating and resolving abuse or trauma-based scenarios

After the loss of someone we love, we’re inevitably faced with the question, “How do I live with this grief?” In this episode of “Something to Normalize,” Ginny and Brandi offer some answers to this question. Through research and personal experiences with grief, they share strategies, powerful bits of wisdom, and practical tools they’ve discovered. They also discuss how they’ve applied these tools in their own lives, and what was most helpful in their process. This is the second in a two-part series on grieving. Click here to listen to part 1.  In This Episode, Ginny & Brandi Discuss: How grief is more than just the loss of a person; it is also the loss of our identity as it relates to that person  What opportunities grief offers us— like forming a new relationship with the memories of a loved one How rituals can have an important role in helping us process our grief Ways to navigate the ever-changing nature of grie

In this special two-part episode of Something to Normalize, Ginny and Brandi each share their stories of losing someone central to their lives and the grief that followed. Grief can be a complex, unpredictable, overwhelming, and isolating experience. And there are so many misconceptions about what it “should” be like. What’s worse than grieving the loss of someone you love and then feeling isolated or wondering if the way you’re grieving is somehow wrong? In this episode, Ginny and Brandi explain how there’s no wrong way to grieve. We can accept our experience, and find a bridge of connection so that we’re not alone in navigating this universal, human experience.  In This Episode, Ginny & Brandi Discuss How to Navigate Grief and:  What it means to say that grieving is a non-linear process What grief can look like when the relationship was complicated  How to offer compassionate support to grieving loved ones through active listening and empathy The wide range of emotions that are possible during the grieving process Myths and misconceptions about grief, including the “stages of grief”  The intrinsic bond between grief, love, and impermanence Ginny Gay is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher and has worked with Eric to create content here at The One You Feed for the past 8 years. Prior to that, she spent 13 years in the corporate world where she thought climbing the corporate ladder equated to success in life. Instead, that approach ultimately led her to a place of severe burnout, addiction, anxiety, and depression. Now, she knows that for her, success in all aspects of life comes from living from a place of authenticity and integration where meaningful work and relationships are the fruit and contribution to the world.  Ginny loves creating courses, programs, workshops, and written content to help people live life more skillfully and help them navigate the difficulties that come from the inherent challenges of being human so that they can experience more peace, purpose, and joy in their daily lives. Brandi Lust is the founder of Learning Lab Consulting and the author of Myths of Being Human: Four Paths to Connect with What Matters. Through both her work and her writing, she helps organizations and individuals frame well-being as a community practice of creating safe spaces for speaking truth; when this happens, real change becomes possible. Brandi believes that our common humanity enhances our communities and workplaces. When it is safe to bring our whole selves to everything we do, both the easy and the hard stuff, individuals are more fulfilled, and organizations are more effective.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and earned her M.A.Ed. from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She has over fifteen years of experience as an educator and facilitator working with organizations across the country. 

Have you ever felt like this? That showing vulnerability is weakness, that asking for help is a sign of incompetence, or that everyone else has the very thing you’re struggling with all figured out? These misconceptions can lead us to isolate ourselves and feel shame about our own struggles. Ginny and Brandi are here to share the power of normalizing our human experiences and how it can dissolve shame and create meaningful connections between us. This is the first episode of a special 5-episode series we’re releasing called “Something To Normalize”.   Embracing the universality of human experiences that lead to deeper connections  Defining what it means to “normalize” something and how powerful it can be Recognizing and learning to tackle the risks associated with normalizing detrimental behavior and attitudes Harnessing the strength in vulnerability and cultivating spaces for open honesty Talking about difficult experiences as an antidote to shame Opening up about personal journeys while safeguarding your growth with healthy boundaries