January Recalibration: Reentry for Parents and Allies of LGBTQ+ Folks

If you’re starting the new year feeling emotionally scrambled, stretched thin, or just... not ready to jump into goals and plans then this episode is for you.

January asks so much of us. But what if you didn’t need to fix, improve, or push? What if you just needed a way to come back to yourself, gently, honestly, and on your own time?

In today’s episode, Heather Hester shares why this post-holiday “offness” is completely normal for LGBTQ+ parents and allies, especially those who’ve been holding emotional labor, navigating family dynamics, and trying to protect what matters most.

You’ll learn:

1. What reentry really is and why it’s not a failure but a natural process
2. The nervous system science behind your post-holiday disorientation
3. A 5-step gentle reentry practice to return to your truth without pressure
4. Somatic tools to ground you when you feel emotionally scattered
5. How reentry mirrors the LGBTQ+ journey toward self-affirmation

And in today’s “unlearn,” Heather challenges the myth that January must be bold, productive, or full of reinvention.

Your Reentry Practice Includes:

1. Name what pulled you away
2. Identify your anchor
3. Give your body a transition cue
4. Set one boundary
5. Give yourself 7–14 days of grace

Journal prompt:

What part of myself am I ready to return to?

Share this episode with someone who’s quietly struggling through their own January.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

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At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast and space where a mom and mental health advocate offers guidance on parenting with empathy, inclusion, and open-minded allyship, fostering growth, healing, and empowerment within the LGBTQ community—including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals—while addressing grief, boundaries, education, diversity, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, social justice, and the power of human kindness through a lens of ally support and community engagement.

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