How to Overcome Emotional Avoidance with Dr. Michelle Maidenberg

We all go through stuckness at one point in life. Whether that is anxiety, difficulty with habits, relationship problems, or emotional dysregulation, everybody has something that they are dealing with, and this is being human. However, so often, we get stuck in time when an incident happens because our brain can't differentiate between something that happened and what is happening. Our brains are wired to hold onto past experiences and remind us of potential dangers to hold us accountable for always protecting us. This means that we can get stuck in a particular moment or event in the past, unable to move forward, which can hinder us from living in the moment.

Life is full of bumps, and you will always have them in your path no matter what, but once you master the skills for dealing with traumatic emotions, they will enable you to pivot and be grounded as you go through life. This starts by taking ownership of your emotions and behaviors, accepting them, practicing self-compassion, and empowering yourself to take the right step in your relationships, diet, or fitness. Taking ownership is the primary leverage that you need to make changes and transform your behaviors and habits.

In this episode of Fall in Love with Fitness, Dr. Michelle Maidenberg shares with me about her journey, her experience with emotional avoidance, and how she helps people get into a place of acceptance, compassion, and empowerment through mindfulness-based methodologies to get unstuck. 

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

What happens in emotional avoidance, how to get unstuck and live in the moment 

Taking responsibility for your emotions and being accountable to yourself 

Taking ownership and having autonomy and efficacy over our behaviors 

Tools you can use when you're stuck in an emotional avoidance cycle to experience your transformation

And much more!

“It is the behavior that drives behavior when we're feeling positive about yourselves that when we're going to behave positively towards ourselves.” – Dr. Michelle Maidenberg 

Topics Covered:

00:39 – What inspired Dr. Michelle to help people get unstuck 

02:18 – Dr. Michelle's story and how it inspired her to do what she does 

05:21 – What is emotional avoidance, and how to get unstuck

08:37 – How we hold onto pain to protect ourselves

11:10 – The adaptation phase and how we get triggered 

14:16 –  Codependent Vs. taking ownership 

17:29 – Commitment and the willingness to be uncomfortable to grow 

19:19 – Having a radical acceptance of our human imperfection 

25:24 – Tools you can use when you're stuck in an emotional avoidance cycle

36:24 – How behavior drives the behavior 

32:45 – Cultivating your awesomeness and awareness

31:33 – How to reach out and connect with Dr. Michelle

Key Takeaways:

Our brain can’t differentiate between something happening once and something happening 100 times, and that's why we get stuck in trauma.

Adaptation is a coping mechanism by which we survive, and it comes in different forms and shapes. 

As an adult, it is your responsibility to be accountable to yourself, communicate effectively, and attune to somebody just like you want them to attune to you.

The discomfort is the growth; nothing comes easy.

Connect with Dr. Michelle Maidenberg

Website

Instagram

 

Connect with Sherry Shaban:

sherryshaban.com

Facebook

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Twitter

YouTube

Join me November 25 - December 2, 2023, for the most transformative week of your life at the breathtaking Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, where you will experience the most liberating Exclusive Transformational Wellness Workshop and Retreat on the planet.

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Together, we will learn and implement sustainable daily habits that are guaranteed to transform your mind, health, and body forever so that you never have to diet again.

Keep it up, Athletes!

Sherry