This episode was inspired by two powerful voice notes from members of this community - voices that echoed something so many of us feel:

• “I don’t even know where to start. My inner critic is so loud, I end up doing nothing.”

• “I feel unsteady and unfinished…but something in me still wants to sing.”

If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by self-doubt or convinced you’re not good enough to share your art, your message, or your ideas, this conversation is for you.

Together, we’ll explore: 🎤 Why your inner critic feels so believable - and what it’s actually trying to protect 🎤 How perfectionism and the fear of judgment keep you stuck in hiding 🎤 The role of your nervous system in making your voice feel unsafe 🎤 How to practice compassionate interruption - so you can show up anyway 🎤 A reminder that you don’t have to feel “ready” or “healed” to take up space

• The hidden link between the inner critic and your nervous system’s need for safety

• Why your critical thoughts are often just old survival strategies

• How to reframe being “unsteady” and “unfinished” as proof you’re alive and growing

• Simple ways to reclaim your voice - even if it's shaking

🎤 Leave an anonymous voice note for future episodes HERE 🌿 FREE "Performance Anxiety Toolkit" HERE 🛜 Check out Elise's website HERE 👯‍♀️ Follow Elise on IG HERE

In this episode of Voice Notes With Elise, we’re exploring the complex, often unspoken relationship between body image, voice, and visibility.

You’ll hear three raw and relatable voice notes: 🌀 Two women navigating the impact of uninvited comments about their bodies 🌀 One woman questioning whether her body is a barrier to opportunities in her industry

Through a nervous system - informed, anti - diet culture lens, Elise unpacks how shame lives in the body, how it shapes the way we speak (or stay silent), and what it takes to reclaim your voice in a world that teaches you to shrink.

This isn’t about appearance. It’s about survival, self-expression, and the long journey back to embodied belonging. 🎤 Leave an anonymous voice note for future episodes HERE 🌿 FREE "Find Your Voice" audio training HERE 🛜 Check out Elise's website HERE 👯‍♀️ Follow Elise on IG HERE

Why does your voice disappear when all eyes are on you? This episode explores the deeper roots of performance anxiety—not just as fear of being seen, but as a survival response shaped by your nervous system, trauma history, and unspoken expectations.

Elise responds to three vulnerable voice notes:

• A singer who cries every time she sings (but it’s not emotional).

• A speaker who freezes just before corporate presentations.

• A chronic over-preparer who can’t stop rehearsing for fear of getting it “wrong.”

You’ll walk away with a new lens on your performance fear—one that’s rooted in compassion, embodiment, and voice liberation.

• The biology behind stage fright (not just psychology)

• Why over-preparing is often a trauma response, not perfectionism

• How voice work can re-pattern old shutdown habits

• What to do when your body reacts before you can stop it

🎤 Leave an anonymous voice note for future episodes HERE 🌿 FREE "Find Your Voice" audio training HERE 🎧 Grab the Performance Anxiety Toolkit for $7 HERE 🛜 Check out Elise's website HERE 👯‍♀️ Follow Elise on IG HERE

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