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If you’ve ever thought “why am I so emotional?” or felt like you’re just too sensitive for this world, this episode is going to shift everything.Because what if the problem isn’t your emotions… but what you’ve been taught to believe about them? In this episode, I’m breaking down the hidden conditioning that makes sensitive women feel weak, overwhelmed, or “too much”—and why that narrative is not only false, it’s keeping you stuck. We’ll talk about: Why being emotional has been framed as a flawHow society profits from you believing something is wrong with youThe real reason you feel overwhelmed, reactive, or “too much”Why trying to fix yourself is making things worseThe powerful shift from problem-focused → desire-led livingHow to start trusting your sensitivity instead of fighting it If you’re a deeply feeling, intuitive woman who’s tired of trying to be less… this is your permission slip to stop. 🎧 What You’ll Walk Away WithA completely new way to understand your emotional experienceRelief from the belief that you’re “too much” or brokenA starting point for working with your sensitivity instead of against itA powerful reframe that opens the door to more peace, energy, and self-trust 💬 Ready to Go Deeper?If this episode hit home and you’re ready to stop overthinking, people-pleasing, and feeling stuck in your own emotions… Book a free discovery call with me: 👉 https://amandahess.ca/book-a-call We’ll talk about what’s going on for you and map out what real support could look like. 🔁 Share This EpisodeKnow someone who feels like they’re “too emotional” or struggles with sensitivity? Send this to her. It might be exactly what she needs to hear.

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Do you ever feel like you just… can’t let things go? Like something happens and other people move on—but you’re still thinking about it days, weeks, or even years later? If that’s you, this episode is going to change how you see yourself. Because it’s not that you’re overreacting. And it’s not that you’re too sensitive. It’s that your brain and body are trying to process past hurt—and no one has ever shown you how. In this episode, I’m breaking down what trauma actually is (and why it’s not always what you think), how a sensitive brain stores and replays emotional pain, and why trying to “think your way out of it” will never work. In This Episode, I Cover:What trauma really is (and why it’s different for everyone)Why you don’t get to choose what your brain labels as traumaticHow past hurt shows up in everyday moments (conversations, tone, silence, looks)Why you replay conversations and overanalyze what you saidThe real reason you assume “I did something wrong”How your brain uses the past to try to create safety in the presentWhy this is NOT a logic problem—it’s a feelings problemWhy trying to change your thoughts first keeps you stuckWhat’s actually happening when you feel anxious, triggered, or reactiveWhy suppressing or “shrinking” your emotions makes everything worseThe cycle of overthinking → reacting → reinforcing fearWhy your brain is working exactly as it’s designed toThe truth about trauma: it doesn’t disappear—and it doesn’t need toWhy willpower, discipline, and “just calming down” don’t work long-termWhat it actually takes to stop looping and start feeling steady Key TakeawayYou’re not holding onto things because you’re weak. You’re holding onto them because your brain is trying to protect you. This isn’t a logic problem—it’s a feelings problem. And until you learn how to process what you feel, your mind will keep trying to solve it… over and over again. You don’t need to think better. You need to learn how to work with your nervous system and your emotions. InvitationI’m teaching a brand new free class on April 16: Sensitive, Not Fragile If you’re done overthinking everything, replaying conversations, and feeling like you can’t fully relax in your life… I’m going to show you a completely different way to work with yourself. Inside this class, I’ll teach you how to: Stop the overthinking loopWork with your emotions instead of against themRegulate your nervous system in real timeFeel more steady, even when life feels hard 👉 Register here: joinamanda.ca Connect With MeIf this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram: @theamandahess

If you’ve been told your whole life that you’re “too sensitive”… and somewhere along the way you started believing that meant you’re fragile… This episode is for you. Because sensitivity is not the problem. But not understanding how to work with it? That’s where things start to break. In this episode, I’m breaking down what sensitivity actually is (hint: it’s not just crying), why so many women feel like they’re one step away from falling apart, and what’s really going on beneath the anxiety, overthinking, and emotional overwhelm. In This Episode, I Cover:What sensitivity actually means (and why it’s so misunderstood)Why a “sensitive nervous system” doesn’t always look emotional on the outsideHow childhood conditioning teaches you that who you are is a problemWhy masking, performing, and shape-shifting become your defaultHow confidence decreases as life gets more complexWhy anxiety, second-guessing, and overwhelm start to increase over timeThe real reason you feel like you might “break”Why nothing has gone wrong — you’ve just never been taught how to work with yourselfThe difference between being sensitive and being fragileWhat actually creates stability, confidence, and emotional strength Key TakeawayYou are not too sensitive. You are under-supported. Sensitivity without the right tools will feel like overwhelm. But sensitivity with support, self-trust, and nervous system regulation? That’s power. InvitationI’m hosting a brand new free class: Sensitive, Not Fragile If you’re done feeling like you’re one emotion away from falling apart, this is where you start. I’ll teach you how to: Feel your emotions without collapsingRegulate your nervous systemBuild real self-trustCreate a life that actually feels good 👉 Register here: joinamanda.ca Connect With MeIf this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram: @theamandahess

What if the reason you feel invisible… isn’t actually about other people? In this episode, I’m sharing something that came up in a coaching session — and it hit deeper than I expected. Because while most of us wouldn’t say “I feel irrelevant,” we feel it in subtle ways: When someone doesn’t listen to usWhen we don’t feel validatedWhen we feel overlooked in conversationsWhen our reactions feel bigger than the moment And what I realized is this: You only feel irrelevant when you treat yourself like you are. In this episode, I break down how this shows up, why it triggers such strong emotional reactions, and how to take your power back — without needing anyone else to change. In This Episode, I Cover:Why “feeling invisible” is more common than you thinkThe hidden belief underneath emotional reactionsHow quickly we internalize other people’s behaviorThe difference between external validation and internal relevanceWhy you don’t need permission to matterHow to stop fighting for relevance — and start owning itThe pattern that keeps repeating in relationships (and how to break it)Why reactivity keeps you stuck — and curiosity moves you forwardHow to get your needs met without escalating conflict Key TakeawayYou are not relevant because other people validate you. You are relevant because you decide you are. When you stop outsourcing your worth and start leading yourself from that place — everything changes: Your reactions. Your relationships. Your confidence. Connect With MeIf this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram: @theamandahess Or visit www.amandahess.ca to learn more about working together.

This episode is a little different. It’s actually a practice I shared with my private clients this week while I’m in Hawaii — and I wanted to bring it here because it’s something you can use in real time when you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in your head. This is about what I call planting yourself in the moment. So many of us live in our thoughts — spinning, analyzing, anticipating — and it pulls us out of our bodies and away from ourselves. This practice is a simple way to come back. It helps you move out of your mind and into your body using your senses, your breath, and a few grounding thoughts that remind you: you’re safe, nothing has gone wrong, and you can be with yourself here. The more you practice this, the easier it becomes to regulate your nervous system and support yourself through hard moments. In This Episode We Talk About • What it means to “plant yourself in the moment” • How to use your senses to ground yourself anywhere • A simple breathing pattern to calm your body • The role of safety-based thoughts in nervous system regulation • Why getting out of your head and into your body changes everything • How to be present with yourself even when you’re experiencing discomfort Key Takeaway You can feel grounded and safe even in the middle of a difficult emotion. When you learn to bring yourself back into the present moment — instead of getting lost in your thoughts — your nervous system settles, your body softens, and you reconnect with yourself. Nothing has gone wrong. This is just a feeling. And you can be with yourself through it. Ready to Go Deeper? If this resonated and you want support applying this work in your own life, I’d love to help. You can book a discovery call with me and we’ll talk about what’s going on for you and whether coaching together is a good fit. Book here: amandahess.ca/bookacall

In episode 302, I shared the first 10 lessons I’ve learned from living 50 years with a sensitive nervous system. Today we’re continuing with the next 10. These lessons are about something I think many sensitive women struggle with: emotional adulthood. Many of us are technically adults, but we’re still letting the hurt version of us, the teenage version of us, or the people-pleasing version of us lead our lives. And when that happens, we end up exhausted, resentful, and disconnected from ourselves. Learning emotional responsibility changes everything. It means recognizing that your feelings are yours to care for. It means setting boundaries instead of quietly crossing them and then feeling resentful. It means advocating for yourself even when it’s uncomfortable. These are lessons I learned the hard way — through relationships, mistakes, and a lot of personal growth. My hope is that by sharing them with you, you might learn them a little more gently. If you’ve ever struggled with resentment, over-explaining yourself, feeling responsible for everyone else’s emotions, or performing in order to be accepted, this episode will help you see those patterns more clearly. And once you see them, you can start choosing something different. In This Episode We Talk About• Why other people are not responsible for your feelings • How resentment often means you’re crossing your own boundaries • Why over-explaining is usually fear of rejection • Why advocating for yourself might make people uncomfortable — and why that’s okay • How you can disappoint someone and still be a good person • Why being “low maintenance” is often conditioning, not a personality trait • The difference between being needed and being valued • Why you don’t need to be relevant — you need to be important to yourself • How to recognize when you’re performing instead of living • Why you will almost never regret choosing yourself Key TakeawayEmotional adulthood begins the moment you stop trying to manage everyone else’s feelings and start taking responsibility for your own. When you learn to set boundaries, validate yourself, and choose what actually matters to you, your life becomes more peaceful, more powerful, and far more fulfilling. Choosing yourself isn’t selfish. It’s how you stop leaking your energy everywhere and start building a life that actually feels good to live. Ready to Go Deeper?If you want support implementing this work in your own life, you can book a discovery call with me. We’ll talk about what’s going on for you and whether coaching together would be a good fit. Book here: amandahess.ca/bookacall

Many women say they want deeper friendships. They want their people — the women they can laugh with, text, and go for coffee or brunch with. But there’s a hidden pattern that quietly blocks connection. When we walk into rooms believing that nobody likes us, we become hyper-focused on ourselves — how we’re being perceived, whether we’re awkward, whether we said the wrong thing. And when our attention is turned inward like that, it becomes almost impossible to actually connect with someone else. Real friendship doesn’t grow out of self-consciousness or performance. It grows out of curiosity, generosity, and genuine interest in another person. In this episode, I talk about the mindset patterns that make adult friendship harder than it needs to be — and what actually creates meaningful connection. I also share the simple framework I use with my coaching clients to understand how friendships develop over time and why so many women unintentionally put pressure on the wrong relationships. If you’ve ever felt like everyone else has friends except you, or like making friends as an adult feels confusing or exhausting, this episode will help you see what’s really going on — and how to start approaching connection in a healthier, more empowering way. In This Episode We Talk AboutWhy believing “nobody likes me” makes connection almost impossibleHow insecurity creates self-focus that blocks real friendshipThe difference between collecting friends and building relationshipsWhy adult friendships feel harder than friendships earlier in lifeThe three “friendship buckets” that explain how friendships actually formWhy putting pressure on a few people to become your friends often backfiresThe importance of growing your self-relationship so friendships can form naturallyHow vulnerability and invitations create opportunities for connectionWhy genuine curiosity is one of the most powerful tools for building friendships Key TakeawayFriendship isn’t something you acquire or secure. It’s something you build — one conversation, one interaction, and one genuine connection at a time. The question isn’t “Do they like me?” The real question is: “Am I showing up with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to connect?” Ready to Go Deeper?If you’re ready to work on your relationship with yourself — the foundation for every relationship in your life — you can book a discovery call with me. We'll talk about what’s going on for you and whether coaching together would be a good fit. Book here: amandahess.ca/bookacall

I turned 50 this week. And I’ll be honest — this birthday feels different. There’s awareness. There’s fear. There’s grief. And there’s a level of self-trust I would have begged for in my twenties. In this episode, I’m starting a 5-part series sharing 50 things I know at 50 about being a sensitive woman in 2026 — not just how to survive, but how to thrive. Today, I’m giving you the first 10. These are the foundational lessons — the ones about your nervous system, your emotions, your responsibility, and your capacity. Because if you don’t understand how you’re wired, you will misunderstand your entire life. In This Episode, I Cover:Why sensitivity is not a flaw (even if it’s been treated like one)How your nervous system drives your reactionsWhy emotions are messengers — not problemsThe difference between regulation and suppressionWhy other people are not responsible for your feelingsHow to stop f*****g yourself overWhy joy must be cultivatedHow to move with fear instead of shrinking from itWhy friendship takes work (especially at midlife)What loving yourself actually requiresWhy focusing on what you want MORE of changes everything Key TakeawayBeing a sensitive woman in 2026 is not about hardening yourself. It’s about building emotional capacity. It’s about regulating your nervous system instead of reacting from it. It’s about becoming unwilling to betray yourself. Turning 50 hasn’t made me less sensitive. It’s made me more skilled. And skill changes everything. Continue the SeriesThis is Part 1 of a 5-part birthday series: 50 Things I Know at 50 About Being a Sensitive Woman in 2026 Stay tuned for Part 2 next week. Connect With MeIf this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram: @theamandahess Or visit www.amandahess.ca to learn more about working together.

If you’ve been trying to “fix” yourself for years… this episode might change everything. So much of the emotional wellness space is focused on one thing: Getting rid of what’s wrong. The anxiety. The stress. The overthinking. The guilt. The burnout. The trauma. And while support matters, here’s what’s missing: You cannot build a thriving life by only trying to eliminate what hurts. In this episode, I’m teaching a core concept I walk my private clients through — the emotional teeter-totter — and why balance, not eradication, is the real goal. Because life is 50/50. Your brain is wired to scan for danger. And trying to remove every uncomfortable emotion will keep you stuck in survival mode. Instead, we need to learn how to build the other side. Joy. Pleasure. Excitement. Belonging. Desire. Purpose. When you intentionally build those, everything changes. ✨ In This Episode, We Talk About:Why “fixing yourself” can actually make you feel worseHow self-help sometimes overemphasizes what’s brokenThe 50/50 nature of emotional life (and why it’s normal)How your primitive brain keeps you in survival modeThe emotional teeter-totter analogy that explains everythingWhy eliminating stress isn’t the goalHow to build emotional capacity instead of avoidanceThe difference between tolerating emotions and processing themWhy creating joy is a skill (not a luxury)How doing hard, scary things on purpose builds empowermentWhy pleasure, excitement, and fulfillment are your responsibility 💛 The TruthYour life won’t feel better because you finally eliminate anxiety. It will feel better because you’ve learned how to: Feel anxiety without collapsingCreate joy on purposeBuild balance instead of chasing perfectionEmpower yourself emotionally You don’t need to become stress-free. You need to become emotionally stronger and more intentional about building what you want. 🌿 Want to Go Deeper?If this resonates and you want help applying this to your real life: 📍 Book a consultation: amandahess.ca/bookacall You don’t have to keep running on the “fixing” treadmill. 🎧 If You Loved This EpisodeShare it with someone who’s tired of trying to repair themselves. And if this podcast supports you, leaving a review helps more women find this work.

Hey my beautiful friend… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but welcome to Episode 300. When I started this podcast, I had no idea if anyone would listen… or if I’d even keep going. But here we are — and today I want to revisit the most important message I’ve ever shared: Loving yourself no matter what is the key to everything. Because self-love isn’t about bubble baths or positive affirmations. It’s about learning how to be safe with yourself. It’s about learning how to support yourself when you’re struggling… how to regulate your nervous system… how to stop spiraling into shame… and how to stop living your life trying to earn love from everyone else. In this episode, I’m walking you through where the message of Love Yourself No Matter What came from, why it matters so deeply, how it actually works, and how to begin implementing it in your real life — even if you feel like you’ve tried everything. This is the foundation of emotional healing, confidence, boundaries, and true inner peace. And if you’ve been feeling stuck, anxious, lonely, reactive, exhausted, or like something is “wrong” with you… This episode is for you. ✨ In This Episode, We Talk About:Why self-love is still deeply misunderstoodThe difference between being loving vs. being permissiveWhy so many people feel anxious, lonely, and emotionally exhaustedHow perfectionism and pressure keep you stuckMy personal rock bottom — and what I was told about myselfHow nervous system sensitivity can be mistaken for “something wrong with you”Why learning to love yourself creates emotional safetyThe “abused puppy” metaphor that explains healing perfectlyHow self-love helps you stop procrastinating, people pleasing, and spiralingWhy your life becomes unrecognizable when you stop abandoning yourselfHow to start practicing loving yourself daily (even when you don’t feel lovable) 💛 Ready to Go Deeper?If you want support implementing this work in your life, I’d love to talk with you. 📍 Book a call here: amandahess.ca/bookacall 🎧 Loved this Episode?If this podcast has supported you, I would be so grateful if you left a review — it helps more women find this work and start healing too.

Show notes coming soon

I’m recording this one off the cuff, because it matters. I cry a lot. I cry every day. Sometimes I cry because I’m sad. Sometimes I cry because I’m angry, happy, proud — or because I just need to cry. I’ve always been this way, and if you’re listening to this, you probably are too. In this episode, I talk about why crying isn’t something to fix — and why nothing has gone wrong when tears show up. We’ve been taught to feel shame or guilt when we cry, especially in front of other people, but that doesn’t mean crying is wrong. More often than not, it just means other people don’t have the tools to be with it. This is a conversation about sensitivity, emotion, and why big girls do cry — not because we’re weak, but because we feel deeply, we care, and we’re human. In This Episode, I Cover:Why I cry every day — and why that’s not a problemThe shame and guilt many women feel when they cry in front of othersWhy people try to fix crying instead of allowing itHow we’re taught that crying is inappropriate or “too much”Why crying isn’t manipulativeCrying as release, connection, and a non-aggressive expression of emotionA thought to try on: Big girls do cry — and I’m okay with myself when I do A question to sit with:What happens when I let myself cry without making it mean something has gone wrong? You don’t need to answer it — just notice the urge to stop it, explain it, apologize for it, or judge yourself for it. That noticing is the work. If this episode brought up relief, resistance, or confusion, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to carry it by yourself. ✨ Come say hi on Instagram: @theamandahess I’d love to hear what this stirred for you — the real, unpolished version. If this episode resonated and you want support applying this work to your real life, I’d love to talk with you. I currently have space in my 1:1 coaching practice. Book a discovery call here: 👉 https://amandahess.ca/book-a-call Stay ConnectedIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. I’ll see you next week. 💛

Sensitive women feel deeply — and for many, emotional pain can feel overwhelming, unsafe, or impossible to sit with. There’s often a fear that if you really let yourself feel it, you’ll fall apart and won’t be able to recover. In this episode, I unpack why emotional pain feels so intense for sensitive and neurodivergent women — and why this has nothing to do with being fragile or broken. We explore how emotional overwhelm is actually a capacity issue, not a personal flaw, and how many of the ways we’ve learned to cope with emotion are protective — but ultimately keep us stuck. This is an honest conversation about emotional overwhelm, overthinking, self-judgment, and how learning to stay with yourself during emotional pain can fundamentally change your relationship with your emotions — and with yourself. In This Episode, We Cover:Why sensitive women often fear fully feeling their emotionsThe difference between emotional pain and emotional overwhelmWhy emotional overwhelm is a capacity issue, not fragilityHow we’re taught to fix, explain, or numb emotions instead of feeling themWhy intellectualizing emotions leads to overthinking and burnoutCommon patterns sensitive women use to cope with emotional painHow urgency, meaning-making, and self-judgment intensify emotional painThe difference between managing emotional pain and relating to itWhy emotions don’t need to be solved in order to moveHow to separate sensation in the body from the story in the mindWhat it actually looks like to “stay with” an emotionWhy emotional processing should feel quiet, boring, and non-dramaticHow emotional capacity grows through presence, not forceA personal water-skiing story that illustrates how emotional capacity is built Key TakeawayEmotional pain isn’t the problem — being alone inside it is. When you learn how to stay with yourself instead of trying to fix, outrun, or explain your emotions, your capacity grows. Sensitivity stops being something you manage and becomes a strength you can trust. Mentioned in This EpisodeEmotional capacity vs. emotional fragilityClean emotional experience vs. emotional overwhelmSeparating sensation from storyInternal companionship and self-trustPresence as the path to emotional confidence Work With MeIf this episode resonated and you want support applying this work to your real life, I’d love to talk with you. I currently have space in my 1:1 coaching practice. Book a discovery call here: 👉 https://amandahess.ca/book-a-call Stay ConnectedIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. I’ll see you next week. 💛

Jealousy is one of the most misunderstood emotions — and one of the most shamed. Most of us were never taught how to feel jealousy without turning it against ourselves or others. In this episode, I unpack what jealousy actually is, why it hurts so much, and how it can either become a source of unnecessary suffering or a powerful source of self-awareness. We explore the difference between clean jealousy and dirty jealousy, how judgment gets layered on top of pain, and why jealousy isn’t a character flaw — it’s information. This is an honest conversation about desire, disappointment, self-worth, and how learning to let jealousy stay clean can change the way you relate to yourself and others. In This Episode, We Cover:What jealousy actually is (and what it isn’t)Why jealousy often feels so intense and painfulThe difference between clean jealousy and dirty jealousyHow we turn jealousy into extra suffering through judgmentThe two most common ways jealousy gets “dirty”A personal story about trying out for Stampede Queen and what jealousy revealed in hindsightHow jealousy can lead to growth — or cause us to shrinkWhy avoiding the clean pain of jealousy often keeps us stuckHow jealousy points directly to desire, longing, and possibility Key TakeawayJealousy doesn’t mean something has gone wrong. It means you want something. When you stop judging yourself or others for that desire, jealousy becomes a clean signal — not a punishment. Mentioned in This EpisodeClean pain vs. dirty painDesire as information, not a problemEmotional honesty without self-abandonmentUsing emotion as guidance instead of self-judgment Work With MeIf this episode resonated and you want support applying this work to your real life, I’d love to talk with you. I currently have space in my 1:1 coaching practice. Book a discovery call here: 👉 https://amandahess.ca/book-a-call Stay ConnectedIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. I’ll see you next week. 💛