In this episode, I’m exploring why so many of us struggle to feel our emotions, especially the hard ones like disappointment, anger, or grief. I share a story about my daughter at a yard sale that perfectly illustrates how emotional suppression often starts in childhood, and how we unintentionally carry those patterns into adulthood. I also talk about what’s really happening in our brains and bodies when we try to avoid discomfort, and why learning to feel our feelings is a powerful act of self-trust. If you’ve ever wondered why emotions can feel so overwhelming or how to stay present through them, this one’s for you.

Episode Resources:

• The 5-Minute Shift
• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Most of us were taught to see life in binaries: right or wrong, good or bad, success or failure. But what if the real magic happens when we step away from certainty and into ambiguity?

In today’s episode, I explore how dropping binary thinking opens the door to deeper self-trust, creativity, and fulfillment. We’ll talk about why your brain craves certainty, how childhood conditioning shaped your relationship to “right” and “wrong,” and gentle ways you can start shifting toward nuance and possibility in your daily life. If you’ve ever felt stuck chasing the “right” way to do life, this one is for you.

Episode Resources:

• "Humpbacks," by Mary Oliver
• Join The Life Lab
• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Learn more about The 5-Minute Shift mini course, a brain-based approach to feeling better now. It’s on sale for $29!

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

You don’t have to believe every thought your brain offers you.

In this episode of Calmer Conversations, I share two of my favorite questions to gently interrupt overthinking and reconnect with yourself: Is it true? and What else could be true? You'll learn how these simple but powerful questions help create space between you and your thoughts, and why compassionate listening (not silencing your mind) is the first step toward real change. I’ll walk you through how overthinking is a coping mechanism, what happens when we engage with our thoughts differently, and how practicing these questions can help you rewire your brain and shift your life experience.

Episode Resources:

• The Work of Byron Katie
• Episode 49: You Don’t Need To Shut Your Brain Up—You Need To Get Curious
• Join The Life Lab
• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Learn more about The 5-Minute Shift mini course, a brain-based approach to feeling better now. It’s on sale for $29!

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Today on Calmer Conversations, we're getting into something foundational—why nervous system regulation is the real root of personal change. While mindset work is powerful, our nervous system state quietly directs our thoughts, actions, and how we experience life. I’m sharing why learning to regulate your nervous system is world-changing work, starting with you. If you’ve ever felt like mindset work isn’t enough, this might be the piece you’ve been missing. We’ll talk about why nervous system regulation matters, how it impacts your connection with others, and why doing this work for yourself ripples out farther than you think.

Episode Resources:

• Warpaint Journal
• Episode What If Life Is More Beautiful Than I Can Imagine?
• Join The Life Lab
• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Learn more about The 5-Minute Shift mini course, a brain-based approach to feeling better now. It’s on sale for $29!

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

What if the thoughts you’re trying to silence are actually offering you something important?

Today on Calmer Conversations, I’m sharing why trying to shut up your brain—or numb out your spiraling thoughts—might be making things harder, not easier. Instead of ignoring the loud, uncomfortable parts of yourself, I offer a different path: compassionate listening. You’ll hear why your brain acts the way it does, what ignoring it really costs you, and how learning to acknowledge and gently work with your inner critic can shift everything. This episode is an invitation to stop fighting yourself and start understanding yourself—with practical ways to begin.

Episode Resources:

• Join The Life Lab
• The 5-minute shift
• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Learn more about The 5-Minute Shift mini course, a brain-based approach to feeling better now. It’s on sale for $29!

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

“You don’t need to be running on all 12 cylinders to feel balanced—but checking in helps you know where you are and where you want to go.”

In this episode of Calmer Conversations, I’m walking you through a personal practice I return to again and again: checking in with the 12 pillars of health, purpose, relationships, and resources. These are the foundations I use in my own life and inside the Life Lab to help people feel more supported, more grounded, and more alive. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. About pausing long enough to say—what’s working? What am I proud of? And where might I want to shift some energy? Whether you want to feel more joy, find better balance, or just get honest with yourself in a loving way, this episode gives you a starting place. You don’t have to change it all—just begin with noticing.

Episode Resources:

• Join The Life Lab
• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Learn more about The 5-Minute Shift mini course, a brain-based approach to feeling better now. It’s on sale for $29!

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

How do you want to remember last month? What story do you want to carry forward—and what are you ready to leave behind?

In this episode of Calmer Conversations, I’m walking you through one of my favorite practices we use every month in the Life Lab: the monthly check-in. It’s simple, powerful, and something you can do right now, no journal or special planner required (though I’ve created one of those if you want it!). We’ll explore how to look back at your month—not to judge it, but to tell an intentional story about what really happened. A story that’s grounded in truth, compassion, and actual growth. We’ll also talk about how to look ahead: how to set gentle goals or intentions that fit your real life—not the idealized one you think you should be living. This practice has helped me (and so many others) shift from being stuck in perfectionism or autopilot into actually feeling proud of how we show up—messy days and all. Try it out. Let me know how it goes.

Episode Resources:

• Join The Life Lab
• The Wins Course
• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Learn more about The 5-Minute Shift mini course, a brain-based approach to feeling better now. It’s on sale for $29!

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

"You can’t choose something different until you’re aware of what you’re choosing."

When I heard this, something clicked. It reminded me how often we’re moving through our days on autopilot—reacting, responding, spiraling—and not even realizing that we’re making choices at all.

In this episode, I talk about what it means to notice. Noticing the small ways we show up with ourselves, with our thoughts, with the world around us. So often, the way we feel isn’t about what’s happening externally—it’s about what we’re choosing internally, whether or not we realize it. I walk through how we begin to bring gentle awareness to those choices. The moment we notice we’re choosing frustration, shame, or disconnection, we open up the possibility of choosing something else: compassion, empowerment, presence. And when we shift what’s happening inside, the way we experience everything outside begins to shift too.

Try this out in your day. Gently notice. Ask yourself, what am I choosing right now? You might be surprised by how much more spacious your life begins to feel.

Episode Resources:

• Instagram: @ceceliabmandryk
• Let’s work together! Learn more about my courses here

Mentioned in this episode:

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course

Learn more about The 5-Minute Shift mini course, a brain-based approach to feeling better now. It’s on sale for $29!

The 5-Minute Shift Mini Course