Podcast | Join the Conversation Today

Balanced but Barely

Welcome to the “Balanced but Barely” Podcast page! Here you will find show notes for each episode, including links and resources referenced, guest information, and where you can listen. I am so excited you are here!

Please remember to subscribe, download, share, and leave a review so we can spread the love around! I appreciate you.

Available on ALL streaming services below:

SHOW NOTES: Click on the plus sign to expand the episode you are interested in. A link to listen to each episode is included within the description of the episode.

What if healing didn’t look perfect? What if growth was messy, emotional, nonlinear… and sometimes looked like crying in your car before walking into Target like nothing happened?
Welcome to Balanced but Barely, a podcast for the ones doing the inner work while still feeling like they’re barely holding it together.
Hosted by Carla Jean Lundgren, this show is a safe space for real conversations about stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma healing, overwhelm, self-love, spirituality, and emotional resilience—without toxic positivity and without pretending life is always figured out.
Here, we talk about what it actually means to be human:
Because healing is not linear. And you are not broken.
Through honest storytelling, relatable humor, and grounded reflection, Balanced but Barely explores what it means to build a life rooted in mental wellness, emotional balance, and personal growth, even when life feels overwhelming.
This podcast is for you if you are:
Each episode blends real-life experiences with practical insights to support your growth—without pressure, perfectionism, or shame.
This is your reminder that you don’t have to have it all together to start healing. You just have to show up as you are.
No perfection. No pretending. Just real life, real healing, and real conversation.
If you’ve ever thought: “I should be further along by now…” “I thought I healed this already…” or “Is it just me?”
You belong here.
If this resonates with you, subscribe to Balanced but Barely so you never miss an episode.
Follow along for daily real talk, encouragement, and behind-the-scenes healing conversations:
- Instagram: @_carlajean143
- YouTube: carlajean143
You don’t have to be fully healed to be growing. You just have to start.
Welcome to Balanced but Barely.
Welcome to the very first episode of Balanced but Barely — a podcast for the people holding it all together on the outside while internally running on caffeine, survival mode, and nervous system alarms. 😅
In this deeply personal launch episode, Carla Jean shares why she intentionally chose this release date — the anniversary of her breast cancer diagnosis — as a way to reclaim the day and create something rooted in purpose, growth, and connection.
This episode dives into the powerful relationship between self-talk, identity, anxiety, overwhelm, nervous system regulation, and communication. Together, we unpack how the words we repeatedly speak to ourselves can quietly shape our reality, relationships, emotional health, and sense of self.
If you’ve ever felt:
…this conversation is for you.
✨ In This Episode, We Talk About:
🧠 How Your Words Shape Your Identity
💬 Nonviolent Communication & Feeling Truly Heard
🔄 Reframing Thoughts Without Toxic Positivity
🛠️ Practical Tools Shared in This Episode
✔️ The “Catch & Change” self-talk exercise
✔️ A simple nervous system-friendly reframing process
✔️ Communication prompts for deeper connection
✔️ Ways to identify identity-attacking language patterns
✔️ Grounded mindset shifts for anxiety and emotional overwhelm
💭 Memorable Quotes from the Episode
“You might feel stuck, but you’re not stuck. You’ve just been speaking in a way that makes it feel like you are.”
“You don’t need to become a different person. You just need to start speaking to yourself like someone you care about.”
“Balance? Yeah… some days it’s less balanced and more barely.”
📚 Resources & Mentions
- Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
- Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg
🤍 Support the Podcast
If this episode resonated with you, make sure to:
🎧 Subscribe to Balanced but Barely
⭐ Leave a review
📲 Share this episode with someone who needs it
Connect with Carla Jean:
- Instagram: @_carlajean143
- YouTube: carlajean143
🛍️ Sponsors Mentioned
Special thanks to:
- Poshmark — Use promo code CARLAJEAN143 for $10 off when you sign up
- Find the Good — Use promo code CARLAJEAN143 for 10% off at findthegood.com
Take a deep breath. Drink some water.
And remember—you don’t have to have it all together to keep going.
🎙️ Balanced but Barely — where growth meets real life.
Friendship heartbreak is a kind of grief we don’t talk about enough.
There are no breakup playlists. No sympathy cards. No dramatic movie montages of someone eating ice cream on the couch while crying over a lost best friend. And yet… losing a friendship can feel just as painful—sometimes even more painful—than a romantic breakup.
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, Carla Jean opens up about the love and trust friendships are built on, the heartbreak that comes when those relationships change or end, and the boundaries required to create healthy, emotionally safe friendships.
This conversation is for anyone who has:
Through grounded reflection, relatable humor, and honest conversations, this episode explores how friendship impacts our nervous system, identity, emotional safety, and self-worth.
Because friendship should feel like connection—not emotional survival mode.
✨ In This Episode, We Talk About:
🤍 The Love & Trust Inside Friendship
💔 Friendship Breakups & Emotional Grief
🚧 Healthy Boundaries in Friendship
🛠️ Key Takeaways from the Episode
✔️ Friendship grief is real grief
✔️ You are allowed to miss someone and still know the relationship was unhealthy
✔️ Boundaries create clarity, not rejection
✔️ You do not have to earn love through overextending yourself
✔️ Healthy friendships allow honesty, reciprocity, and rest
💭 Memorable Quotes from the Episode
“Being needed is not the same thing as being loved.”
“Friendship should not constantly feel like emotional survival mode.”
“You can love someone deeply… and still need limits.”
“The ending of a friendship does not erase the love that existed inside of it.”
🌿 Reflection Questions
Take a few moments to reflect after listening:
🎧 Mentioned in This Episode
Topics discussed:
🤍 Connect with Carla Jean
📲 Instagram: @_carlajean143
📺 YouTube: carlajean143
Subscribe to Balanced but Barely for more real conversations about anxiety, overwhelm, emotional wellness, relationships, boundaries, self-awareness, and figuring out life without pretending to have it all together.
Take a deep breath.
Text your strong friend back.
And remember—you don’t have to carry everything alone.
🎙️ Balanced but Barely — where growth meets real life.
If saying “no” makes your nervous system react like you just keyed someone’s car… welcome. You’re among friends. 😅
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, Carla Jean dives into the connection between boundaries, emotional safety, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, anxiety, people pleasing, stress management, and emotional burnout. This honest and relatable conversation explores why so many high-functioning people struggle to protect their peace without guilt—and how mindfulness and self-awareness can help break the cycle of self-abandonment.
Inspired by The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, this episode breaks down how the agreements can improve communication, emotional wellness, self-awareness, personal growth, and healthier relationships.
Carla Jean also shares a very real Balanced but Barely moment about navigating a week of scattered energy, overwhelm, lack of focus, nervous system overload, and mental exhaustion—and the mindfulness techniques that helped her move forward without spiraling into shame.
If you constantly feel emotionally exhausted, overstimulated, overwhelmed, responsible for everyone else’s feelings, or unable to rest without guilt… this episode is for you.
✨ In This Episode, We Talk About:
🌿 Boundaries & Emotional Safety
🧠 Mindfulness, Anxiety & Nervous System Regulation
💬 The Four Agreements & Healthy Communication
Inspired by The Four Agreements:
This episode explores how these agreements support:
🛠️ Practical Tools Shared in This Episode
✔️ Mindfulness prompts for emotional regulation
✔️ Nervous system support techniques
✔️ Boundary-setting language examples
✔️ Self-awareness practices for overwhelm and anxiety
✔️ Reframing guilt around rest and saying no
✔️ Emotional regulation tools for highly sensitive and high-functioning individuals
💭 Memorable Quotes from the Episode
“Boundaries are mindfulness in relationship form.”
“Resentment grows wherever honesty is absent.”
“Protecting your peace is not selfish—it’s necessary.”
“Your nervous system can’t heal in places where it constantly has to perform.”
“Some days your best is thriving. Some days your best is answering one email and drinking water. Both count.”
🌿 Mindfulness Reflection Questions
Take a few moments after listening to reflect:
🎧 Topics Covered in This Episode
📚 Resources Mentioned
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
🤍 Connect with Carla Jean
📲 Instagram: @_carlajean143
📺 YouTube: carlajean143
Subscribe to Balanced but Barely for more conversations on anxiety, mindfulness, emotional wellness, burnout recovery, nervous system regulation, relationships, boundaries, yoga, meditation, self-improvement, and navigating real life without pretending to have it all together.
Take a deep breath.
Unclench your jaw.
Drink some water.
And remember—you are allowed to protect your peace.
🎙️ Balanced but Barely — where growth meets real life.
Are you constantly wondering when things are finally going to fall into place?
Do you feel frustrated that your healing, relationships, finances, career, or personal growth aren't moving as quickly as you'd hoped?
Do you find yourself saying things like:
If so, you're not alone.
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, Carla Jean explores the often-misunderstood concept of patience and why it can feel so difficult when you're navigating anxiety, overwhelm, uncertainty, burnout, trauma recovery, personal growth, or major life transitions.
Through relatable stories, practical mindfulness exercises, nervous system education, and a healthy dose of humor, you'll learn why patience is not passive waiting—it's learning how to stay grounded while life unfolds.
This episode also explores the important differences between patience, tolerance, and accommodating, and how many high-functioning, emotionally exhausted people unknowingly cross the line from healthy patience into self-abandonment.
If you're tired of feeling behind, stuck, overwhelmed, or pressured to have everything figured out, this conversation will help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and find peace in the process.
✨ In This Episode, We Discuss
🌿 What Patience Really Means
🧠 Anxiety, Uncertainty & Nervous System Regulation
🚦 Patience vs. Tolerance vs. Accommodating
A powerful discussion on the differences between healthy and unhealthy versions of each:
Healthy Patience
Unhealthy Patience
Healthy Tolerance
Unhealthy Tolerance
Healthy Accommodating
Unhealthy Accommodating
🌱 Mindfulness & Emotional Regulation Tools
This episode includes practical mindfulness techniques to help manage stress, anxiety, and overwhelm:
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
A simple anxiety regulation exercise designed to:
Reflection Questions
💭 Memorable Quotes from This Episode
"Patience is not passive. It's active trust."
"A delayed season is not a failed season."
"Patience should not cost you your peace."
"Tolerance should not require disrespecting yourself."
"Accommodating others should never mean abandoning yourself."
"Sometimes anxiety is just your brain demanding certainty from an uncertain situation."
"Slow progress is still progress."
‍
🎧 Who This Episode Is For
This episode is especially for:
📚 Recommended Resources
The Mountain Is You — by Brianna Wiest
Focus: Self-sabotage, emotional intelligence, personal growth, resilience, and transformation.
The Body Keeps the Score — by Bessel van der Kolk
Focus: Trauma, PTSD, stress, anxiety, how trauma affects the brain and body, and evidence-based healing approaches.
Self-Compassion — by Kristin Neff
Focus: Self-compassion, overcoming self-criticism, emotional resilience, mindfulness, and mental well-being.
Insight Timer
Free guided meditations, mindfulness practices, sleep support, breathwork, and anxiety management tools.
🔑 Key Takeaways
✔️ You are not behind in your life.
✔️ Healing is not linear.
✔️ Anxiety thrives on urgency.
✔️ Mindfulness helps bring you back to the present moment.
✔️ Patience is not giving up—it's staying grounded while things unfold.
✔️ Healthy boundaries protect you from turning patience into self-abandonment.
✔️ Your worth is not determined by how quickly you achieve your goals.
🤍 Connect with Carla Jean
📲 Instagram: @_carlajean143
📺 YouTube: carlajean143
Subscribe to Balanced but Barely for weekly conversations about anxiety, stress management, burnout recovery, emotional wellness, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, self-awareness, personal growth, boundaries, self-love, yoga, meditation, PTSD recovery, and creating a life with more peace, balance, and purpose.‍
Take a deep breath.
Drink some water.
Stop trying to have your entire future figured out by Thursday.
And remember:
Slow growth is still growth.
🎙️ Balanced but Barely — where growth meets real life, and we're figuring it out together.
Have you ever felt like you're waiting for permission to become the person you're meant to be?
Waiting until you're more confident.
Less anxious.
More qualified.
More healed.
More certain.
If so, you're not alone.
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, Carla Jean explores the powerful concept of audacity and why it may be the missing ingredient between where you are and where you want to be.
This isn't a conversation about arrogance, ego, or believing you're better than anyone else. It's about self-trust. It's about learning to take up space, use your voice, set healthy boundaries, and pursue your goals before you feel completely ready.
For those navigating anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-doubt, trauma recovery, or major life transitions, this episode offers practical tools and honest reflection on what it means to stop shrinking yourself and start showing up authentically.
Through relatable stories, mindfulness exercises, nervous system insights, and practical strategies, Carla Jean challenges listeners to examine where they may be waiting for permission, approval, or certainty before taking action—and why that waiting may be keeping them stuck.
If you've ever asked yourself:
This episode is for you.
✨ In This Episode, We Discuss
🌿 The Audacity to Be Seen
🧠 Anxiety, Self-Doubt & the Nervous System
🤍 The Audacity to Disappoint People
🌱 The Audacity to Believe More Is Possible
🧘 Mindfulness Practices Included
Visibility Check-In
A guided reflection designed to identify where fear of judgment may be keeping you small.
Boundary Breath Practice
A grounding exercise to help reconnect with your needs before automatically saying yes to others.
Future Self Visualization
A mindfulness practice that helps you connect with the version of yourself who trusts, believes, and takes action despite uncertainty.
🛠 Practical Tools Shared
The Pause Technique
Before saying yes, practice responding with:
Creating space between a request and your response can help break people-pleasing patterns and support healthier boundaries.
The "Why Not Me?" Reframe
When self-doubt appears, challenge the thought with a simple question:
Why not me?
A powerful mindset shift that encourages possibility over limitation.
💭 Memorable Quotes from This Episode
"Audacity isn't arrogance. It's self-trust in action."
"Confidence often comes after action, not before it."
"Someone else's disappointment is not always evidence of your failure. Sometimes it's evidence of your growth."
"The life you want may require you to stop waiting for permission."
"You don't need certainty to take the next step. You need willingness."
"Maybe the question isn't, 'Who am I to do this?' Maybe the better question is, 'Why not me?'"
📚 Recommended Resources
Daring Greatly By Brené Brown
A powerful exploration of vulnerability, courage, shame, and authentic living.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace By Nedra Glover Tawwab
Practical guidance on setting boundaries, improving communication, and protecting your emotional well-being.
The Mountain Is You By Brianna Wiest
A transformative book on self-sabotage, emotional resilience, personal growth, and creating meaningful change.
Insight Timer
A free meditation and mindfulness app featuring guided meditations, breathwork, stress management tools, and sleep support.
🎯 Who This Episode Is For
This episode is especially for:
🔑 Key Takeaways
✔️ Audacity is not about being fearless.
✔️ Courage often comes before confidence.
✔️ People-pleasing may feel safe, but it can keep you stuck.
✔️ Boundaries are an act of self-respect.
✔️ Self-trust grows through action, not waiting.
✔️ Your dreams are allowed to take up space.
✔️ You don't need permission to become who you're meant to be.
✔️ The life you're longing for may begin with one courageous step.
🤍 Connect with Carla Jean
📲 Instagram: @_carlajean143
📺 YouTube: carlajean143
Subscribe to Balanced but Barely for weekly conversations on anxiety, stress management, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, personal growth, boundaries, emotional wellness, self-love, burnout recovery, PTSD, healing, yoga, meditation, and creating a life with more balance, purpose, and peace.
Take a deep breath.
Drink some water.
Stop waiting for permission.
And remember:
You are just as worthy as anyone else in the room.
🎙️ Balanced but Barely — where growth meets real life, and we're figuring it out together.
Have you ever looked around at your life and thought:
"Why can't I just get it together?"
You know what needs to be done.
You want to feel better.
You want to have energy.
You want to enjoy your life again.
But everything feels heavy.
Even the simple stuff.
Especially the simple stuff.
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, Carla Jean takes an honest, compassionate look at depression, one of the most misunderstood mental health challenges people experience. Together, we unpack the harmful myths surrounding depression, why it is not laziness, weakness, or a character flaw, and what depression can actually feel like from the inside.
This episode is for anyone struggling with depression, anxiety, PTSD, burnout, grief, chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, overwhelm, or feeling disconnected from themselves and the people they love.
Through personal reflection, mindfulness practices, nervous system education, mental health resources, and practical tools, Carla Jean explores how depression impacts our thoughts, emotions, energy, motivation, relationships, and sense of self-worth.
If you've ever felt stuck, numb, hopeless, exhausted, or like you're carrying an invisible weight that nobody else can see, this conversation is for you.
‍ 🌿 What You'll Learn in This Episode
🧠 What Depression Really Looks Like
⚡ Depression & The Nervous System
‍🤍 The Power of Self-Compassion
‍ 🌱 Connection, Support & Asking for Help
🧘 Mindfulness Practices Included
🌿 Name What's Here
A mindfulness exercise designed to help you acknowledge your emotions without judgment and create awareness around what you're truly experiencing.
Reflection Questions:
🌿 Self-Compassion Break
A simple but powerful practice for moments when you're struggling with self-criticism, shame, anxiety, or depression.
Practice:
🌿 Who Is In My Corner?
A grounding reflection designed to reconnect you with support and remind you that you don't have to navigate depression alone.
Ask Yourself:
📚 Resources Mentioned
Feeling Good
By David D. Burns
A classic cognitive behavioral therapy resource that helps readers challenge negative thought patterns and develop healthier emotional habits.
‍Self-Compassion
By Kristin Neff
Practical tools for overcoming self-criticism, increasing emotional resilience, and developing a healthier relationship with yourself.
‍The Body Keeps the Score
By Bessel van der Kolk
A foundational resource for understanding trauma, PTSD, chronic stress, emotional healing, and the connection between the brain, body, and nervous system.
‍ 🚨 Crisis Support Resources
If you are struggling with thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or are experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
📞 Call or Text 988 (United States)
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You do not need to be actively suicidal to reach out. If you are experiencing emotional distress, anxiety, depression, hopelessness, or concern for a loved one, support is available.
If you believe you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services right away.
💡 Key Episode Takeaways
✔️ Depression is not laziness.
✔️ Depression is not a character flaw.
✔️ Mental health challenges affect both the mind and body.
✔️ Thoughts experienced during depression are not always facts.
✔️ Self-compassion is more effective than self-criticism.
✔️ Asking for help is a sign of strength.
✔️ Connection can be a powerful part of recovery.
✔️ Small steps still count as progress.
✔️ You do not have to carry everything alone.
✔️ Hope can exist even when you can't feel it yet.
🎯 Who This Episode Is For
This episode is especially helpful for:
🔑 SEO Keywords Included In This Episode
depression, anxiety, PTSD, trauma recovery, mental health, emotional wellness, nervous system regulation, chronic stress, burnout recovery, self-compassion, emotional resilience, mindfulness, meditation, yoga for depression, coping skills, emotional healing, grief support, overwhelm, mental health podcast, self-care, holistic wellness, therapy resources, personal growth, wellness tools, stress management, emotional regulation, suicidal thoughts, suicide prevention, mental wellness, healing from trauma
‍🤍 Connect with Carla Jean
📲 Instagram: @_carlajean143
📺 YouTube: carlajean143
🌐 Website: www.carlajean143.com
Subscribe to Balanced but Barely for weekly conversations on anxiety, depression, PTSD, stress management, mindfulness, yoga, meditation, nervous system regulation, emotional wellness, trauma recovery, personal growth, self-love, burnout recovery, and creating a life with more balance, purpose, connection, and peace.
If all you did today was listen to this episode...
That counts.
If all you did today was get out of bed...
That counts too.
And if all you did today was keep going...
That absolutely counts.
🎙️ Balanced but Barely — where growth meets real life, and we're figuring it out together.
What if happiness isn't something you find?
What if it's something you practice?
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, we're unpacking one of the biggest myths keeping people stuck: the belief that happiness is waiting somewhere in the future.
"I'll be happy when..."
When I lose weight.
When I make more money.
When I find the right relationship.
When life finally settles down.
The problem? Life rarely settles down.
In this honest and deeply personal episode, Carla Jean shares how childhood trauma, self-sabotage, anxiety, divorce, parenting, and decades of seeking external validation shaped her understanding of happiness—and how she eventually learned that happiness is not a destination but a daily practice.
We'll explore why happiness can feel inaccessible when you're overwhelmed, how your nervous system impacts your ability to experience joy, and practical ways to cultivate happiness even when life is messy.
This isn't toxic positivity.
This is real life.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
• Why happiness and joy are not the same thing
• The psychology behind the "I'll be happy when..." mindset
• How hedonic adaptation keeps us chasing the next achievement
• Why trauma and chronic stress make happiness harder to access
• The connection between nervous system regulation and emotional well-being
• How self-worth impacts your ability to experience happiness
• Practical ways to build happiness during difficult seasons
• Why gratitude doesn't have to feel forced or performative
• The role relationships, belonging, and connection play in long-term happiness
Powerful Topics Discussed:
✨ Childhood trauma and the impact of not being believed
✨ Self-sabotage and seeking external validation
✨ Anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional survival mode
✨ Learning to trust yourself again
✨ The healing power of mindfulness
✨ Choosing happiness after grief, loss, and life transitions
✨ Finding beauty in ordinary moments
Mindfulness Practices Featured:
The Good Right Now
A simple exercise to reconnect with what is already working in your life.
Leaves on a Stream
A mindfulness technique for managing anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and self-criticism.
The Joy Audit
A reflection exercise to identify what genuinely brings you peace, connection, and fulfillment.
Resources Mentioned:
📖 The Happiness Trap – Russ Harris
📖 The How of Happiness – Sonja Lyubomirsky
📖 The Book of Joy – Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu
Memorable Quotes From This Episode:
"Life appears to have no intention of settling down."
"There will always be another mountain. The question is whether you're allowing yourself to enjoy the view along the way."
"Happiness isn't something we arrive at. It's something we practice."
"My core beliefs about happiness and love were lies that I had to confront."
"Happiness is not a destination. It is a way of traveling."
Connect with Carla Jean:
Instagram: @_carlajean143
YouTube: @carlajean143
Website: www.carlajean143.com
Email: hello@carlajean143.com
Loved This Episode?
Subscribe, follow, and leave a review to help more people discover practical tools for managing stress, healing old wounds, and creating a life filled with more love, balance, and self-compassion.
Share this episode with someone who keeps postponing happiness until life feels less messy.
Because happiness was never waiting at the finish line. It's happening in the moments we're willing to notice.
What if the greatest source of stress in your life isn't your job, your schedule, your relationships, or your finances...
What if it's the way you treat yourself?
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, Carla Jean explores Ahimsa, the first principle of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, and one of the most profound practices for creating lasting peace. Often translated as non-violence or non-harm, Ahimsa extends far beyond physical violence. It challenges us to notice the subtle ways we create suffering through our thoughts, habits, relationships, and daily choices.
Together, we'll examine how practicing non-harm can transform the Four Pillars of Wellness—mental, physical, spiritual, and financial wellness—and why true healing begins with the relationship you have with yourself.
If you've ever struggled with harsh self-talk, chronic stress, burnout, people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional exhaustion, financial shame, or feeling disconnected from your purpose, this episode offers practical tools to help you move from self-criticism toward self-compassion.
Because peace doesn't begin when life becomes perfect.
It begins when we stop declaring war on ourselves.
🌿 What You'll Learn in This Episode
🧠 Mental Wellness: Ending the War in Your Mind
💪 Physical Wellness: Listening to Your Body
✨ Spiritual Wellness: Living in Alignment
💰 Financial Wellness: Creating Peace with Money
🧘 Mindfulness Practices Included
🌿 Rewriting Your Inner Dialogue
Take a quiet moment to notice the thoughts running through your mind.
Ask yourself:
🌿 Body Awareness Check-In
Pause for one minute.
Without trying to fix anything, ask:
Practice responding with compassion instead of criticism. ‍
🌿 The Four Pillars Reflection
Place one hand over your heart and take a slow breath.
Reflect on each pillar of wellness:
Mental: How am I speaking to myself?
Physical: How am I caring for my body?
Spiritual: Am I living according to my values?
Financial: Am I making decisions that create peace or stress?
Choose one small act of non-harm you can practice this week.
📚 Resources Mentioned
Apps Mentioned:
• MindShift CBT
A free app designed to help with anxiety, stress, and negative thinking patterns through guided tools, coping strategies, and practical exercises for reframing self-talk.
Books Mentioned:
• My Money My Way by Kumiko Love
Provides tools to align your emotional health with your financial health, helping you release deprivation and embrace a life of fulfillment.
Documentaries Mentioned:
• The Wisdom of Trauma
A documentary featuring Gabor Maté that explores trauma, healing, and how pain can live in the body, behavior, and relationships.
💡 Key Episode Takeaways
✔️ Ahimsa means practicing non-violence toward yourself as well as others.
✔️ Self-criticism is often one of the most overlooked forms of self-harm.
✔️ Your inner dialogue directly impacts your nervous system, emotional health, and self-worth.
✔️ Rest is productive when your body needs it.
✔️ Boundaries are an act of compassion, not selfishness.
✔️ Living in alignment with your values creates lasting peace.
✔️ Financial wellness begins with awareness, not shame.
✔️ Small daily acts of kindness toward yourself create lasting transformation.
✔️ Wellness is not perfection—it's practicing compassion one choice at a time.
🎯 Who This Episode Is For
This episode is especially helpful for:
🔑 SEO Keywords Included In This Episode
Ahimsa, non-violence, non-harm, Eight Limbs of Yoga, yoga philosophy, mindfulness, self-compassion, mental wellness, physical wellness, spiritual wellness, financial wellness, stress management, anxiety, depression, PTSD, burnout recovery, nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, self-awareness, personal growth, holistic wellness, meditation, yoga for stress relief, people-pleasing, perfectionism, boundaries, emotional healing, trauma recovery, self-love, intentional living, abundance mindset
🤍 Connect with Carla Jean
📲 Instagram: @_carlajean143
📺 YouTube: carlajean143
🌐 Website: www.carlajean143.com
Subscribe to Balanced but Barely for weekly conversations about stress management, anxiety, depression, PTSD, nervous system regulation, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, personal growth, emotional wellness, and practical tools to help you create a life of greater balance, peace, and purpose.
The practice of Ahimsa doesn't ask you to become perfect.
It simply asks you to notice where you're creating unnecessary suffering—and to choose compassion instead.
One thought.
One breath.
One decision at a time.
🎙️ Balanced but Barely — where growth meets real life, and we're figuring it out together.
Have you ever stared at your to-do list, reorganized your junk drawer instead, and somehow convinced yourself you're just lazy?
Same.
If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, burned out, emotionally exhausted, or caught in a cycle of overthinking and procrastination, this episode is for you.
In this episode of Balanced but Barely, we're unpacking one of the biggest myths in personal growth—that feeling stuck means you're unmotivated or lacking discipline. In reality, your brain is designed to prioritize safety over change. When you've experienced chronic stress, anxiety, trauma, burnout, or major life transitions, your nervous system may interpret even positive changes as potential threats.
The good news? You don't have to wait until you "feel motivated" to move forward.
Through practical tools, relatable stories, mindfulness exercises, nervous system regulation techniques, yoga, and the Four Pillars of Wellness, you'll learn how to replace self-criticism with self-understanding and create lasting momentum one small step at a time.‍ ‍
💛 In This Episode You'll Learn
✔ Why your brain chooses familiarity over change
✔ How anxiety, chronic stress, and burnout can make you feel stuck
✔ Why perfectionism is often fear disguised as productivity
✔ The surprising connection between procrastination and self-protection
✔ How overthinking keeps your nervous system trapped in survival mode
✔ The difference between being stuck and simply feeling unsafe
✔ Practical ways to build momentum without relying on motivation
✔ How the Four Pillars of Wellness can help you identify where you need support
✔ Why tiny, consistent actions create lasting transformation ‍
🌿 The Four Pillars of Wellness
One of the biggest takeaways from today's conversation is that feeling stuck rarely affects just one area of life.
Instead of asking, "How do I fix my whole life?" try asking:
Which pillar needs my attention today?
🧠 Mental Wellness
Notice the stories you've been repeating about yourself.
Are they facts—or familiar narratives?
Replacing judgment with curiosity is often the first step toward meaningful change. ‍
💪 Physical Wellness
Your body and your mind are constantly communicating.
Sleep, hydration, nutrition, movement, and breath all influence your ability to think clearly, regulate emotions, and make decisions.
Supporting your body is supporting your brain.
‍ ‍✨ Spiritual Wellness
Purpose isn't about having all the answers.
It's about reconnecting with your values and asking yourself whether the life you're building truly reflects what matters most to you.
‍ ‍💰 Financial Wellness
Financial wellness isn't simply about income.
It's about creating awareness, reducing shame, making intentional choices, and building a healthier relationship with money—one decision at a time.
‍ ‍🧘 Mindfulness Practice
This week's mindfulness exercise invites you to pause before trying to "fix" yourself.
Ask:
What am I afraid might happen if I move forward?
Then ask:
What am I afraid might happen if I stay exactly where I am?
Notice your answers without judgment.
Awareness always comes before change.
‍ ‍📝 Journal Prompts
Spend a few minutes reflecting on these questions this week.
• Where in my life do I currently feel the most stuck?
• What might my brain be trying to protect me from?
• What story have I been repeating about myself that no longer serves me?
• What's one small action I can complete in the next five minutes?
Remember:
Small steps create lasting momentum.
‍ ‍📚 Resources Mentioned
📖 Read
The Mountain Is You By Brianna Wiest
This powerful book explores self-sabotage through the lens of emotional intelligence and personal growth. It helps readers understand that what looks like resistance is often unresolved fear or unmet emotional needs.
Mindset by Carol S. Dweck
This book explores the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and shows how our beliefs about our abilities influence our willingness to embrace challenges and change.
‍ ‍📱 Download
How We Feel
A free emotional wellness app designed to help you identify emotions, increase self-awareness, and build emotional resilience.
Finch
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by giant goals, Finch helps you build momentum through tiny, achievable daily actions while encouraging self-compassion instead of perfection.
‍ ‍🎬 Watch
Stutz
A powerful documentary featuring psychiatrist Phil Stutz, who shares practical tools for overcoming fear, emotional obstacles, and self-limiting patterns.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
At first glance, it's an adventure movie.
Underneath, it's a story about fear, comfort zones, taking risks, and discovering that life doesn't begin when you stop being afraid—it begins when you decide fear doesn't get the final vote.
‍💬 Quote of the Week
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
— Carl Jung
‍ ‍🌱 This Week's Challenge
Try the Five-Minute Rule.
Choose one task you've been avoiding.
Set a timer for five minutes.
That's it.
You're not committing to finishing.
You're simply committing to beginning.
Because movement creates momentum.
And momentum creates confidence.
❤️ Favorite Reminder from This Episode
"Being stuck isn't a verdict. It's information."
Your nervous system isn't trying to ruin your life.
It's trying to protect it.
Sometimes the greatest act of courage isn't taking a giant leap.
It's taking one tiny step while your knees are still shaking.
‍🎧 Let's Stay Connected
If this episode encouraged you, challenged you, or made you laugh and think at the same time, I'd love for you to subscribe to Balanced but Barely so you never miss an episode.
Please consider leaving a review and sharing this episode with a friend who's been feeling stuck. You never know whose next step might begin with a simple conversation.
You can connect with me on Instagram at @_carlajean143 for encouragement, behind-the-scenes moments, and reminders that balance isn't about perfection—it's about practicing.
For guided meditations, yoga classes, wellness tools, journal prompts, and additional resources, visit www.carlajean143.com and subscribe on YouTube at carlajean143.
Until next time...
Take a deep breath.
You've got this.

Balanced but Barely

Trailer: Balanced but Barely Podcast

Episode 1: Your Inner Voice Needs A Rebrand - Fixing Inner Talk, Anxiety, & Overwhelm

Episode 2: Friendship Breakups Hurt More Than We Admit

Episode 3: Boundaries Are Not Mean - Protecting Your Peace Without Feeling Guilty

Episode 4: Patience Is Cute Until Your Life Isn’t Moving Fast Enough

Episode 5: The Audacity - Why Not You?

Episode 6: Depression Isn't Weakness - What No One Tells You About Feeling Stuck

Episode 7: Happiness Called...It Said You're Making This Way Too Complicated

Episode 8: Stop Beating Yourself Up - Ahimsa, Self Harm & the Violence We Don't Talk About

Episode 9: If Overthinking Burned Calories, You Would Be Ripped

CarlaJean143