
Hosted by Sarah Baldwin · EN

In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah unpacks how dysregulation can lead us to feeling behind in life or that we’ve missed our chance to have the relationships, purpose, and community we desire. You’ll learn about your three states of self-protection and why anchoring into regulation is the key to shifting how you experience time. By harnessing the power of your nervous system, it’s possible to move forward with more ease, patience, and empowerment. Episode Highlights:[00:00] Introduction[01:30] Understanding how we orient to time[02:37] Anchoring in regulation helps us perceive what’s actually true[06:30] Time from your sympathetic nervous system[12:35] Time from your dorsal vagal complex[14:24] Time from your blended state of freeze[14:55] Our experience of time when aligned vs. misaligned[21:31] Why we compare ourselves to others[28:55] Connecting to presence and the truth of our unfolding[31:15] Question 1: Muscling through versus getting out of your comfort zone[36:29] Question 2: How to start healing even when you’re in chronic stress[41:13] Question 3: Being patient while you are healing RSVP to Sarah’s FREE Live Training + Q&A Series:Ready to take the next step with nervous system healing? Join Sarah for “Unlock the Life You Desire,” a 2-part somatic healing series to help you experience more joy and aliveness, and step toward the purpose that’s calling you. Click below to save your spot (limited time replays available!): http://bit.ly/sp-live-training Download the FREE Workbook:https://bit.ly/yms-yt-workbookhttps://bit.ly/yms-sp-workbook Connect with Sarah on:Email Community - bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram — instagram.com/sarahbcoachingWebsite — sarahbaldwincoaching.com Submit a Question:sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast Quotes:“Our nervous system is creating our entire experience, including how [we] perceive the movement of time.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:01:47]“None of us pick [the] right life when we are choosing from survival.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:08:33]“No one is on the path of life that you are on besides you.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:11:33]“Living happens only in this moment in time, and that means it only happens when we’re in regulation.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:23:59] Other Links Mentioned in This Episode:https://programs.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/navigating-your-nervous-system

Sarah breaks down how the autonomic nervous system shapes your entire lived experience, using clear metaphors to explain why you may feel blocked from the relationships, purpose, and opportunities you long for. She shares why the nervous system responds to what you show it (somatically), not what you tell it, and how regulation helps create the internal conditions for growth and fulfillment.The episode closes with questions about finding purpose, knowing when to push versus pause, and navigating fear during big transitions. Join Sarah to learn how small, steady capacity-building steps can help you move toward the life you long for with more trust, clarity, and ease. Episode Highlights:[00:00] Introduction[01:11] Why effort and willpower alone aren’t enough[05:03] Your nervous system creates your entire experience[11:29] Healing unresolved experiences is how we create the life we desire[15:04] Why our deepest desires are often an invitation into our healing[20:47] The power of nervous system regulation[25:23] Simple ways to build the capacity in your nervous system[31:00] Using parts work to build trust with your younger parts[0:36:27] The importance of walking, and not sprinting, toward the life you want[0:43:06] Question 1: Tools for how to figure out your purpose[0:56:05] Question 2: Pushing through discomfort versus slowing down[1:03:03] Question 3: Consistent regulation during fear or uncertainty at work Join the Waitlist for Navigating Your Nervous System:Living a full, expansive life starts with nervous system regulation. If you’re looking for practical tools and support on your healing journey, you can now get on the waitlist for my upcoming 6-week LIVE program. Everyone on the waitlist receives access to limited-time pricing:https://bit.ly/sp-nyns-waitlist Take Sarah’s FREE Quiz:Feeling stuck in your life? Not sure where to start with somatic healing? Sarah’s free quiz, “What’s Keeping You Stuck,” will equip you with free tools and a personalized guide to better understand your nervous system specific to you. Click below to get started: https://bit.ly/yms-sp-quiz Connect with Sarah on:Email Community - bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram — instagram.com/sarahbcoachingWebsite — sarahbaldwincoaching.com Submit a Question:sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcastQuotes:“No amount of energy, no amount of focus, of pushing, of grinding is going to get us the life we’re desiring. It can work to a degree, but we do reach a point where the fullness of life that we want cannot be found on that treadmill.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:02:46]“What we have to do is we have to learn to speak the language of our nervous system and begin letting it know in a way that it understands that the life we want is actually safe for us.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:11:16]“Your nervous system does not want to be working so hard. When you are in dysregulation, it is working very hard; it wants to rest. Resting is the doors opening, but it needs to know you're safe.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:29:33]“What we have to do is begin becoming the primary protector of our vulnerable parts.” — Sarah Baldwin [0:32:04]

What if the key to living more fully isn’t “fixing” yourself, but learning to meet every part of you with compassion? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores how reparenting our younger parts helps us move from fragmentation back into wholeness. She explains the role of vulnerable parts, protective parts, and the adult self, and how trauma can leave those younger parts stuck in the perpetual pain of the past.Sarah shares practical steps for recognizing, differentiating, and building trust with these parts so they no longer run our lives from the shadows. From learning to anchor in your adult self, to showing up consistently for your inner child, to offering both softness and fierce protection, she outlines a tangible process of reparenting that paves the way for more freedom, safety, and authentic self-expression. Episode Highlights:[00:24] The importance of reparenting your younger parts[01:23] How trauma fragments us into vulnerable parts[05:38] The role of protectors in guarding against pain[08:14] Self vs. Self-like parts[11:55] Signs protectors are limiting your life[14:05] Reparenting your parts to end suffering and live fully[17:10] Anchoring in adult you through regulation[20:22] Differentiating Self from younger parts[22:30] Meeting, introducing, and building a relationship with your parts[27:26] Becoming the internal parent and safe home for your parts[31:05] Question 1: What you need to know about the age of your parts[38:12] Question 2: Overcoming resentment and anger after childhood trauma[52:53] Question 3: Why we might struggle with basic self-care Get on the Waitlist for Sarah’s 10-Week Program:Ready for tools to heal every area of your life? You Make Sense is a 10-week live program that goes far beyond these weekly podcast episodes to give you powerful somatic exercises and resources to address your nervous system, relationships, younger parts, purpose, boundaries, grief, and more!Click below to get on the waitlist for limited-time reduced pricing:https://bit.ly/sp-yms-waitlist Take Sarah’s FREE Quiz:Feeling stuck in your life? Not sure where to start with somatic healing? Sarah’s free quiz, “What’s Keeping You Stuck,” will equip you with free tools and personalized guide to better understand your nervous system specific to you.Click below to get started:https://bit.ly/yms-sp-quiz Connect with Sarah on:Email Community - bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram — instagram.com/sarahbcoachingWebsite — sarahbaldwincoaching.com Submit a Question:sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast

Sexuality is a completely normal and inherent part of the human experience. However, many of us have learned to disconnect from our bodies, hide from our sexuality, or become oversexualized as a result of trauma or societal messaging. If you’ve struggled to feel fully alive in your sexuality, this episode will give you a tangible, step-by-step guide to help you come back into this embodied experience.You’ll learn two predominant reasons why we struggle with sexual intimacy, how culture and conditioning affect how we show up with others, and how childhood trauma impacts our adult romantic partnerships. Join Sarah for a conversation on pleasure, connection, and safety, and how qualities like embodiment, presence, and openness play a vital role in our sexuality, both with ourselves and with another person. Episode Highlight:[00:25] Human beings are inherently sexual beings[01:25] Sexuality has very little to do with the act of sex itself[02:50] 2 reasons we struggle to have the sexual aliveness we want[04:12] How society affects how we show up in our sexual life[09:10] Why it’s important to resolve trauma[10:50] How childhood trauma impacts adult sexual dynamics[18:00] What healthy sexuality requires of us[24:40] Parenting our parts to connect to our internal value[26:10] How we can begin stepping toward healthy sexuality[31:06] The importance of having agency[32:55] Being present in the natural unfolding[33:30] Ridding ourselves of the idea of it being a performative act[34:50] Sexuality should have an element of play[35:37] Question 1: How to fully explore yourself in moments of intimacy[40:40] Question 2: How to deal with past trauma that comes up during intimate moments[46:43] Question 3: Why we might use our sexuality to gain love Get on the Waitlist for Sarah’s 10-Week Program:Ready for tools to heal every area of your life? You Make Sense is a 10-week live program that goes far beyond these weekly podcast episodes to give you powerful somatic exercises and resources to address your nervous system, relationships, younger parts, purpose, boundaries, grief, and more! Click below to get on the waitlist for limited-time reduced pricing:YouTube: https://bit.ly/yt-yms-waitlistSpotify/Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/sp-yms-waitlistFREE Workbook: How to Gain Control Over How You FeelEnjoying what you’ve heard so far and want to go deeper into somatic healing? “How to Gain Control Over How You Feel” is a free workbook packed with trauma-informed tools to help you get in the driver's seat of your experience and step toward your desires with more ease.Click below to download:https://bit.ly/yms-sp-workbook Connect with Sarah on:Email Community - bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram — instagram.com/sarahbcoachingWebsite — sarahbaldwincoaching.com Submit a Question:sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast

We are all created with the ability to access both our inner masculine and feminine energies. These energies shape how we move through the world, but are not confined to gender or societal expectations. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah breaks down the science behind these polarities, how nature reveals that they’re universal and designed for survival, and why we all carry both within us.You’ll learn about what causes us to disconnect from one of these energies, how society distorts them from the moment you’re born, and why you might identify with one more than the other depending on the area of life. Sarah also unpacks how each of these energies plays out in romantic relationships and steps to begin leaning more into your true self. Finally, Rachel joins Sarah to answer questions from listeners that touch on healing protective parts, staying in the present, and joining instead of merging. Episode Highlights:[00:25] The science behind masculine and feminine energy[01:57] How nature teaches us that masculine and feminine energy are not gender specific[08:36] Why we all have both energetic qualities and how we oscillate between them[09:27] What causes us to disconnect from one of these energies[23:00] How to access both of these energetic qualities within ourselves[26:05] Leaning into feminine energy within a romantic relationship[29:17] Leaning into masculine energy within a romantic relationship[38:47] Question 1: Healing protective parts that refuse to let you receive help[52:23] Question 2: The power of orienting yourself to the present moment[1:01:47] Question 3: The concept of joining rather than mergingGet on the Waitlist for Sarah’s 10-Week Program:Ready for tools to heal every area of your life? You Make Sense is a 10-week live program that goes far beyond these weekly podcast episodes to give you powerful somatic exercises and resources to address your nervous system, relationships, younger parts, purpose, boundaries, grief, and more!Click below to get on the waitlist for limited-time reduced pricing:https://bit.ly/sp-yms-waitlist Take Sarah’s FREE Quiz:Feeling stuck in your life? Not sure where to start with somatic healing? Sarah’s free quiz, “What’s Keeping You Stuck,” will equip you with free tools and personalized guide to better understand your nervous system specific to you.Click below to get started:https://bit.ly/yms-sp-quiz Connect with Sarah on:Email Community: bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram — instagram.com/sarahbcoachingWebsite — sarahbaldwincoaching.com Submit a Question:sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast

What if your chronic illness, pain, or fatigue is not random but a reflection of unresolved trauma stored in your body? In this episode, Sarah unpacks the powerful link between trauma, the nervous system, and physical health. Drawing on her own lived experience with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, she explains why time alone does not heal all, how unresolved experiences live on in our bodies, and why nervous system regulation is the most effective medicine.You’ll get tangible somatic tools for how to process unresolved trauma and emotions by doing what’s called “completing the incomplete experience,” along with steps for reconnecting with your body, validating your pain, and restoring safety and resilience to your system. Later in the episode, Sarah is joined by Rachel to answer listener questions about menstrual cycles, fertility struggles, and navigating chronic pain. Tune in for clarity, reassurance, and hope that healing is always possible. Episode Highlights:[0:00:00] The physical symptoms of trauma, chronic illness, and pain[0:01:25] An overview of trauma and how it overwhelms the nervous system[0:03:31] Learn about the process of ‘completing the incomplete experience’[0:08:41] How chronic dysregulation can lead to long-term illness[0:14:40] Sarah shares her story of autoimmune disease[0:18:52] Moment-to-moment psychosomatic symptoms and how they manifest[0:22:52] Anticipatory anxiety, its impacts, and the drivers behind burnout[0:27:16] Find out how recovery time is affected by chronic dysregulation[0:31:01] Practical steps to overcoming chronic pain and illness[0:39:32] Question 1: Why women tend to suffer more from autoimmune conditions[0:53:06] Question 2: How we become disconnected from our bodies and how to fix it[1:05:20] Question 3: Ways to overcome physical pain and discomfort Build a toolbox for regulation inside Nervous System Essentials:Ready to make tangible shifts in your life? Sarah’s brand NEW introductory course, Nervous System Essentials, will equip you with science-backed tools to regulate your nervous system, so that you can experience more freedom and ease in your daily life. And for a limited time, you can join for only $47!bit.ly/sp-nse Connect with Sarah on:Email Community: bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram — instagram.com/sarahbcoachingWebsite — sarahbaldwincoaching.com Submit a Question:sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:How to Gain Control Over How You FeelUnderstanding Healthy Aggression and How Unprocessed Anger Becomes Internalized

What if the work you do isn’t just a paycheck but a path to alignment and fulfillment? In this episode, Sarah breaks down how our nervous system influences career choices and why so many of us end up in survival-based jobs rather than roles that truly inspire us. She explores the impact being misaligned in our work has on our nervous system, relationships, health, and overall well-being.If you’ve ever felt like you’re meant for more, this episode will teach you how to step into a career (and life) that truly aligns with your gifts. You’ll learn how to create congruency in your current role, identify your true calling, and take tangible steps toward your desires. When you’re aligned with your purpose, it not only allows for deeper personal fulfillment — it also lights up the world around you.Episode Highlights00:00 Intro00:27 Choosing a Career or Job From Survival06:45 Human Beings Thrive When Purposeful08:39 Finding Your Unique Gifts11:03 How Being Misaligned Impacts Our Relationships13:53 How Being Misaligned Impacts Our Health14:51 Tools For Becoming More Aligned22:50 Changing Your Role As You Heal25:12 Our Systems Deeply Desire Alignment26:47 Transitioning Careers and Finding Fulfillment 32:51 Work Environments Can Replicate Dynamics From Childhood37:55 Why Self-Like Parts Keep Us From Our Purpose Download Sarah’s FREE Workbook: Want more science-backed tools? Download Sarah’s free workbook, “How to Gain Control Over How You Feel,” for actionable prompts and exercises to help you start feeling better on a daily basis.https://bit.ly/yms-sp-workbookConnect with Sarah on:Email Community - https://bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Submit a Question: https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcastImportant Keywords:Protective Parts - Protective parts are internal mechanisms (or versions of ourselves) developed to shield us from pain or harm, often formed during childhood. These parts use behaviors like perfectionism, overachievement, or avoidance to keep us safe from perceived threats. While they are well-intentioned, they can also keep us stuck in unhelpful patterns until their needs are addressed.Nervous System Regulation – Techniques and strategies used to calm and stabilize the nervous system. Regulation helps move the body out of a fight/flight, freeze, or shut down responses and into a balanced state of presence and connection.Internal Safety – The feeling of stability and security that comes from within, rather than external circumstances. Sarah emphasizes that without internal safety, change can feel terrifying or overwhelming for our system and parts, making it difficult to step into a fulfilling career.“Self-Like” Parts – These protective parts often sound like adult you but are in fact a protective part that is coming online to keep us safe. This often looks like self-doubt, avoidance, hesitation, retreating, or seemingly “rational” arguments that are based in fear.Alignment – The state of living in accordance or congruency with one’s purpose, values, and natural gifts. Sarah explains that when we are aligned with our work, it energizes us rather than drains us, creating a ripple effect of positive impact.Disconfirming Experiences – New, positive experiences that challenge and override old self-protective beliefs. For example, if it was unsafe in the past to use our voice, any time we tolerably step toward using our voice in the present, that is a disconfirming experience, showing our nervous system the past is over and it’s now safe to speak up.

In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah dives into the complex layers of family dynamics, personal boundaries, and healing from past experiences. You'll learn how the dynamics within your family of origin created the roles you had to play, how those roles shape your adult relationships, and how to begin breaking free from those roles to step into your most fully-expressed self.Through personal insights and therapeutic wisdom, Sarah discusses why our family of origin often triggers or activates us the most—and why we often see our caregivers as an extension of ourselves. If you’ve ever dreaded going home or struggle to set boundaries with your family, this episode will equip you with the somatic tools necessary to release the pain of the past and move forward with more ease.Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction 00:15 Why We Struggle with Our Family of Origin12:57 Becoming the Primary Parent to Your Parts22:45 Access Healthy Aggression 27:41 Finding Belonging Through Chosen Family30:58 Differentiating From Our Caregivers37:37 Creating Safety & Setting Boundaries49:40 Processing Recent Traumatic Experiences 56:58 Healing From AbuseConnect with Sarah on:Email Community - https://bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Join the 10-Week You Make Sense Course:Ready to go even deeper into somatic healing? Sarah’s 10-week live course, You Make Sense, is now open for enrollment. You’ll get tangible, science-backed tools to help you step toward the relationships, purpose, and life you desire.https://bit.ly/sp-ymsSubmit a Question: https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcast Important Keywords:Family of Origin – The family system you were born into or raised in that shaped how you relate to others, your sense of belonging, and your identity. This dynamic then informs the way you show up in your adult life.Boundaries – Boundaries are not a cognitive process but a somatic one that is informed by our internal truth, limits, and needs. We are all born with an innate ability to know our internal truth, but many of us become disconnected from that truth as a result of trauma. Somatic Healing - Somatic healing focuses on addressing trauma and stress stored in the body, rather than just the mind. It involves practices that help release trapped activation/energy, regulate the nervous system, complete the incomplete response to trauma of the past, and reconnect with the physical self. Techniques like movement, touch, and breathwork are commonly used to support this healing process.Healthy Aggression - A term coined by Peter Levine, this is our lifeforce energy, which is needed to set boundaries, protect oneself, and assert personal needs. It’s also the energy that allows us to experience full aliveness, connection, wonder, and awe. When suppressed, it can lead to unresolved anger, resentment, and even physical symptoms, but when expressed appropriately, it helps complete past emotional responses.

If you’ve ever tossed and turned at night, wondering why you just can’t seem to get the rest you need, you’re not alone. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah Baldwin breaks down how insomnia, struggling to stay asleep, and other sleep disorders are often deeply connected to what’s happening in your nervous system.Sarah explains why stress, unresolved trauma, and even daily overwhelm can keep you stuck in fight-or-flight, making deep sleep and rest nearly impossible. From easy, science-backed strategies like movement and time in nature to simple bedtime routines and setting boundaries, this episode is packed with practical tools to help you experience better quality sleep.Episode Highlight:00:00 Intro00:35 Why Do We Struggle with Sleep?04:31 7 Things You Need to Achieve Deep Rest12:36 Effects of Chronic Lack of Sleep16:50 The Epidemic of Sleep Disorders21:24 3 Categories of Sleep Struggles30:02 Why Nervous System Regulation is Needed for Deep Sleep32:57 Creating a Nighttime Routine39:00 Finding Relief From Insomnia43:30 Unresolved Emotions or Grief Can Impact Sleep46:58 What To Do When You Wake Up During the Night 48:40 Setting Boundaries Around SleepJoin the 10-Week You Make Sense Course:Ready to go even deeper into somatic healing? Sarah’s 10-week live course, You Make Sense, is now open for enrollment. You’ll get tangible, science-backed tools to help you step toward the relationships, purpose, and life you desire.https://bit.ly/sp-ymsConnect with Sarah on:Email Community - https://bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Submit a Question: https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcastImportant Keywords:Nervous System Regulation – Techniques used to discharge activation and bring the nervous system back into a state of rest. Regulation helps move the body out of a fight/flight, freeze, or shut down response and into a balanced state of presence and connection.Dysregulation – A state of active self-protection where the nervous system perceives danger. This can either be caused by a real threat based in the present moment or stem from past trauma, danger, or hardship, causing our system to superimpose a past experience onto the present.Sympathetic Nervous System – When our system believes there is something we can do about the threat, it will send us into this mobilized state of dysregulation, often sometimes referred to as “fight or flight.” This is where we experience things like anxiety, terror, rage, panic, fear, agitation, or irritation.Freeze State – A blended state of dysregulation experienced as tonic immobility. It is made up of equal parts mobilizing sympathetic energy and immobilizing dorsal energy, rendering us stuck. This state of dysregulation can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep..Circadian Rhythm – The body’s internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Exposure to natural light in the morning and evening helps align this rhythm, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.Restorative Rest – True rest that recharges the nervous system, which is different from passive activities like watching TV or scrolling on your phone. Practices like meditation, sound baths, and deep breathing help bring the body into a relaxed state before sleep.

In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the profound shifts that occur as we heal—both within ourselves and in our relationships. She delves into the challenges of evolving while being in partnerships, the difficulty of letting go when growth outpaces connection, and the natural distance that can emerge between those on different healing journeys.Sarah also answers listener questions about navigating major life transitions. From unfulfilling marriages and moving forward when a partner is unwilling to grow, to forgiveness and releasing resentment following a betrayal, these questions spark a powerful conversation about trauma, self-protection, and reclaiming life after pain.Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction 00:15 Processing Endings03:26 Internal Safety and Connectivity06:42 Unwritten Contracts and Change in Our Relationships09:59 Healing Decreases Our Toleration for Suffering12:15 Giving Ourselves the Things We Never Got13:21 Healing Invites Space for Change18:58 Meeting New Parts of Ourselves28:14 Leaving A Stagnant Relationship32:13 Navigating Betrayal and Resentment36:41 Forgiveness and Resolving Past TraumaJoin the FREE live training:There’s still time to RSVP for Nervous System Starter Kit! Take this work to the next level in Sarah’s FREE 75-minute live training to help you get into the driver’s seat of your experience and step toward your desireshttps://bit.ly/sp-nsskConnect with Sarah on:Email Community - https://bit.ly/yms-sp-newsletterInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahbcoaching/Website - https://www.sarahbaldwincoaching.com/Submit a Question: https://sarahbaldwin1.typeform.com/podcastImportant Keywords:Resentment – Resentment often signals unmet needs or unprocessed emotions. Nervous system regulation helps in addressing these feelings by discharging the underlying dysregulation.Forgiveness – True forgiveness can only happen when a person has processed the appropriate response and emotions related to their trauma, by accessing what’s called healthy aggression.Relational Shifts in Healing – As healing progresses, people may feel disconnected from past relationships, social circles, or roles. This is a natural part of transformation, signaling new growth and self-awareness.Somatic Experiencing – Created by Dr. Peter Levine, this therapeutic modality uses body awareness, movement, and nervous system regulation to release and resolve stored trauma. By building capacity to be in our embodied experience, we can teach our nervous system how to pendulate, resulting in the discharge of stored trauma and overall regulation of the nervous system.