Episode 6: Big Feelings

Welcome
You are listening to Designed to Be Awake with Mick Kubiak. This episode is called “BIG Feelings” and it’s all about what happens when we (and our kids) experience intense emotions, especially anger and sadness. I’m sharing what I’ve learned from years of working with both parents and adults, and why it’s so important to let feelings move through instead of shutting them down or shaming them.

 

Episode Summary
Today I’m talking about the pressure many of us feel to suppress emotions, our own or our children’s, and why that approach just doesn’t work. I share stories from my own experience as a parent, therapist, and coach, including what it was like working with families, and why “big feelings” are a normal, healthy part of being human. I cover the difference between reacting and actually feeling, how to support kids (and ourselves) through emotional storms, and why it’s okay to let the process unfold. There’s also a bit about anger, the clarity that comes from letting it move through, and yes, the infamous “pear tart incident.”

 

Key Takeaways
✨ Emotions are natural and meant to be felt all the way through - without shame or panic
✨ Trying to suppress or control feelings only makes things harder, for adults and kids
✨ Supporting someone through big feelings is about presence, not fixing
✨ Emotional storms always pass - there’s a beginning, middle, and end
✨ Anger, sadness, and even joy all have a purpose and a message
✨ We can break the cycle of shaming emotions for the next generation

 

Resources & Links

• Learning Through the Emotions by Carla McLaren
• More episodes and resources at mickkubiak.com

Thank you for listening. This episode and every episode would be impossible without my amazing team: Chase Coughlin, who edits and composed the music, and Maia Young.

 

If you enjoyed this, please leave a review, and if you want more Designed to Be Awake, subscribe at mickkubiak.com. See you next time.