The Christian Mindset Coach with Alicia Michelle: Managing Emotions and Overwhelm Using Brain Science and Biblical Truth for Calm + Clarity

346: Seasonal Affective Disorder: When the Darkness Affects Your Emotions, Energy + Faith

Do you feel heavier, more tired, or spiritually foggy during the darker winter months?  Let’s talk honestly about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), what’s actually happening in your body, how reduced light affects your emotions and motivation, and why this struggle doesn’t mean your faith is weak. Seasonal Affective Disorder doesn’t always announce itself clearly. For many women, it shows up quietly, through lower energy, emotional heaviness, irritability, foggy thinking, or a sense of spiritual distance they can’t quite explain. In this episode, I wanted to make this real and human by sharing stories from three women, Chrissie, Melody, and Beth, whose experiences reveal how differently Seasonal Affective Disorder can affect emotions, energy, and faith, especially in darker seasons. This conversation isn’t about diagnosing yourself or forcing solutions. It’s about understanding what darkness does to the body and nervous system, and how God meets us with compassion instead of shame. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: [00:00] Why Seasonal Affective Disorder Is Real and Why It Affects So Many Women [04:00] What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder and How Does Reduced Light Impact Emotions and Energy? [08:00] Why Does Winter Darkness Affect Motivation, Mood, and Spiritual Clarity? [12:00] How Different Women Experience SAD in Unique Emotional and Physical Ways [17:00] Why Experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder Doesn’t Mean Your Faith Is Weak [18:00] How Can SAD Be Reframed as a “Wilderness Season” Instead of a Personal Failure? [22:00] How God Uses Darker Seasons to Invite Deeper Awareness and Growth [23:00] Using the A.D.D. Model to Confidently Manage Emotions During SAD [28:00] What Practical Supports Help the Body and Nervous System During SAD? [31:00] Why You’re Not Alone and Taking Gentle Next Steps Toward Support Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Links to tools and resources mentioned in this episode are shared below to support emotional health and energy during darker months. Some of these may be affiliate links, which provide Alicia with a small commission at no additional cost to you. Light boxes Sunrise Alarm Better Help Counseling (10% off link) Free 7-Day Notice + Name Course Emotional Confidence Book  Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings  Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings   RELATED EPISODES: Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions Ep 341 — Step #1 to Calming Emotional Spirals: Notice + Name Your Feelings Ep 343 — Is Your Emotional Health Blocking Your New Year Breakthrough? Send us a text

345: Loving, Practical Ways to Comfort Those Walking Through Grief with Sherrie Pilkington

What does it look like to show up well for those walking through grief? When someone we know is walking through grief, we want to help by knowing what to say to ease their pain.  And yet, many of us feel awkward around grief and loss. We worry that we’ll make things worse by saying the wrong thing. Often we don’t know how to emotionally support others without trying to fix the situation or offer what can feel like empty platitudes.  Today I’ve invited my friend and fellow podcaster Sherrie Pilkington to share her grief journey after the sudden loss of her husband several years ago. As an advocate for those walking through grief, Sherrie offers practical, much-needed suggestions to best care for a loved one on a grief journey in order to show Christian compassion during this challenging time. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: [00:00] Why Grief Feels Confusing and Uncomfortable for Everyone [09:00] “Grief Doesn’t Need Answers. It Needs..” [12:00] Why Sitting With Someone’s Grief Is Often More Healing Than Trying to Fix It [14:00] How Consistent, Thoughtful Support Helps Restore Connection To the Grieving [16:00] Why Does Being Remembered After the Initial Loss Matter So Deeply? [18:00] What Does Grief Support Look Like When Words Fall Short? [23:00] How Simple, Tangible Gifts Can Help Those Grieving Feel Seen [25:00] Which Phrases Unintentionally Increase Pain for those in Grief? [29:00] Monthly Grief Boxes: How to Offer Realistic, Specific Help Without Overwhelming the Grieving  Connect with Sherrie Pilkington via her podcast Finding God in Our Pain, on Instagram (@livelovedthrive), or check out her Sealed With a Hug Grief Boxes (for those wanting to support others walking through grief).   Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings    Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings   RELATED EPISODES: Ep 119 — Find Healing Through Grief by Serving Others with Ashley from Bridget’s Cradle  Ep 177 — Coping with Grief and Shattering Loss When Tragedy Strikes (with Lisa Appelo) Ep 297: Believing in God’s Love Again After You’ve Been Hurt with Rachael Adams Send us a text

344: How to DIY Your Own Rest Retreat (When Getting Away Feels Impossible)

Do you long for deep rest but feel like getting away just isn’t realistic in this season? In this episode, let’s talk about how to create your own version of a rest retreat—right where you are! We’ll explore how to design intentional rhythms of rest that meet your physical, emotional, spiritual, and creative needs. I believe we can all find practical ways to build small, sustainable rest into life and experience real replenishment even when extended time away feels impossible! WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: [00:00] Why Neglecting Rest Eventually Affects Your Body, Emotions, and Relationships [03:00] Why Forced Rest Is Not the Same as Chosen, Intentional Restoration [07:00] What Is a “DIY Rest Retreat” and Why Does It Matter? [08:00] What Does True Rest Look Like for You in This Season? [10:00] The Different Types of Rest: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual, Creative, Social, and Sensory [14:00] How Do You Discern Which Kind of Rest You Need Most Right Now? [16:00] Why Superficial Dopamine Hits Don’t Replenish the Soul [18:00] How Can You Design Rest That Leaves You Truly Filled Instead of Drained? [19:00] Why Starting Small Creates Sustainable Rhythms of Restoration [24:00] How Creativity, Solitude, and Time with God Deepen Soul Renewal [26:00] Why Understanding Your “Why” Makes Rest a Spiritual Priority [28:00] How Do You Begin Designing Your Own Personal Rest Retreat?  Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings    Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings   RELATED EPISODES: Ep 335 — Need Deep Soul Rest? Join Me in 2026/2027 for Women’s Retreats That Restore Your Spirit Ep 336 — Stories from the Italy Retreat: Blessings and Surprises from Our Time in Tuscany Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions Send us a text

343: Is Your Emotional Health Blocking Your New Year Breakthrough? 10 Signs to Pay Attention To

Are you stepping into a new year with goals, plans, and intentions but still feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or reactive? In this episode, explore how unaddressed emotional patterns can quietly block progress, clarity, and peace, even when motivation is high. Learn 10 practical signs your emotional health may need attention, why willpower alone isn’t enough for lasting change, and how noticing and naming emotions can help you move forward with greater calm, confidence, and alignment in the year ahead. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: [00:00] Why New Year Motivation Often Fades Without Emotional Awareness [03:00] Why Does Focusing Only on Actions and Results Keep Us Stuck? [05:00] How Emotional Patterns Influence Goals Around Health, Relationships, and Faith [12:00] Why Unexplained Tears or Emotional Shutdown Deserve Attention, Not Shame [18:00] What Can Physical + Relationship Symptoms Reveal About Emotional + Spiritual Health? [24:00] Why Saying “I Don’t Have Time to Deal With This” Often Backfires [26:00] How Learning to Notice and Name Emotions Supports Long-Term Growth and Breakthrough  Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings  Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace!  Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings   RELATED EPISODES: Ep 333 — Tired of Going from One Crisis to Another? How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding Ep 341 — Step #1 to Calming Emotional Spirals: Notice + Name Your Feelings Ep 342 — Help for Emotional Overreaction in Relationships Send us a text

342: Help for Emotional Overreaction in Relationships

Do you ever find yourself reacting strongly in relationships and wondering, Why did I respond like that?  In this episode, explore why emotional overreactions often make sense beneath the surface, how unrecognized fears and triggers fuel intense responses, and why this isn’t a character flaw but a skill gap that can be learned and healed. Discover how noticing and naming emotions creates clarity, compassion, and healthier responses in your relationships. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: [00:00] Emotional overreactions feel illogical, but often make sense beneath the surface [01:30] Understanding the “why” behind the reaction helps us break the embarrassment and guilt behind the cycle  [03:00] How hidden fears and “what if” thinking fuel emotional reactions [05:00] What if emotional reactivity is not a character flaw but a skill issue?  [06:30] What role does fight or flight play in emotional overreaction? [8:00] Emotional reactions are signals, not verdicts [10:00] How learning to notice and name emotions prevents sideways emotional leakage [12:00] What role do physical, hormonal or emotional factors play in reactivity? [15:00] How noticing and naming emotions slows the nervous system and increases clarity [18:00] How emotional awareness improves communication and trust in relationships [21:00] How the Free Notice + Name Your Feelings Course Helps with Emotional Overreaction in Relationships  Get the FREE 7-Day Course: Notice + Name Your Feelings Learn the simple mindset tool that helps you understand what you’re really feeling, so you can stop spiraling and experience more peace! Start the free course here: AliciaMichelle.com/feelings  RELATED EPISODES: Ep 330 — How to Manage Big Out-of-Control Emotions Ep 333 — Tired of Going from One Crisis to Another? How to Stop Reacting and Start Responding Ep 341 — Step #1 to Calming Emotional Spirals: Notice + Name Your Feelings Send us a text