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We're not doing great and we're not here to pretend otherwise.

In episode 199 of The Empowered and Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil show up exactly as they are — exhausted, angry, tumbled around by a world on fire. They talk honestly about what it actually takes to find your footing when everything feels like a giant what-the-f**k moment.

They're not looking for the why or the right answer. But what happens when you stop pushing for a minute and let yourself be.

They talk grounding... not as a practice you have to set up perfectly, but as something that can happen on a walk, in a backyard, in five minutes between things. They talk about why the question "why" stops serving us at a certain point, what self-trust actually looks like when there are no clear answers, and why "it depends" might be the most empowering thing you can say right now.

This one's for anyone walking around with their hands in the air wondering "what the f**k?!" Which, honestly, feels like most of us these days.

Key Takeaways:

• You've always been figuring it out as you go. It just feels harder right now because it's more obvious that no one knows.
• Stopping isn't giving up. It's how you find your way through.
• You don't need a meditation cushion, just five minutes in your backyard.
• Asking why can be useful, until it isn't.
• "It depends" is a real answer. Embrace it.
• There's no right answer. There's just the next step that's right for you.

Key Moments:

00:00 Intro and Welcome

01:52 When neither of us are doing okay

03:42 Midlife + world on fire = a lot

06:33 What grounding actually is

10:32 Being held (even when you don't know you need it)

16:54 Just being and why it works

19:05 What to do with a what-the-f**k moment

20:36 Do we always need the why?

24:34 When the right answer doesn't exist

29:49 "It depends" is a real answer

33:41 Taking the next step anyway

37:34 Getting off autopilot

40:16 Coming back to yourself

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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Exhausted? You're not imagining it — and you're not alone.

In episode 198 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, Kim Romain and Louise Neil get real about the collective weight so many of us are carrying right now: the bone-deep tiredness, the emotional overwhelm, and the quiet shame that shows up when we think we should be handling it better. We explore what it actually means to honor what you're feeling instead of rushing past it — and why the path forward isn't a massive overhaul, but a series of tiny, honest movements toward yourself.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why exhaustion and emotional overload are showing up everywhere right now and why that matters
• How shame and guilt compound depletion and make it harder to recover
• Why "fine" isn't neutral, but a slow drain that's harder to escape
• How survival mode is quietly shrinking our sense of what's possible
• What it means to honor your "am-ness" by meeting yourself where you actually are instead of where you think you should be
• Why micro-movements, micro-joys, and small honest adjustments are enough

Key Moments

00:00 Introduction and Connection

04:16 Navigating Emotional Exhaustion

06:48 The Impact of External Energy

09:14 Honoring Our Emotions

11:42 Understanding Exhaustion and Guilt

14:16 Finding Micro Joys

16:54 Survival Mode vs. Thriving

19:16 Breaking Free from 'Fine'

21:51 Micro Adjustments for Change

24:35 The Power of Tiny Habits

27:22 Closing Thoughts and Reflections

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Micro-shifts video series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_z45Gwg5RxSHIGzji8rO3q1n3YGfOLCc&si=0lmqL7ByRi-kZKxe
• Spoon theory explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn5IBsm49Rk

A note for our listeners: If what we're describing feels like more than micro-movements can reach right now, please know that's okay too, and there is support available.

• In the US: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) | Text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line) | NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-6264
• In Canada: Call 1-833-456-4566 (Crisis Services Canada) | Text 45645 | cmha.ca to find local support
• Crisis Text Line also serves the UK and Ireland — text HOME to 85258
• Find a therapist: psychologytoday.com or therapyden.com
• International crisis center directory: iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com

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There's always another tool. Another framework. Another person telling you this is the thing that will finally make it click.

In episode 197 of The Empowered & Embodied Show, co-hosts Kim Romain and Louise Neil get honest about why we keep reaching outside ourselves... and why it never quite lands the way we are hoping it will.

We talk about the difference between connecting to a big external purpose and knowing what genuinely sustains you. We get into capacity... not as a productivity hack, but as a form of self-respect. And we share two completely different approaches to getting through hard things. Both completely right, because we're different people.

This is why you can't outsource knowing yourself.

Key Takeaways

• The problem you think you have probably isn't the actual problem
• Honoring your capacity is how you honor your own humanity
• What works for someone else might not work for you... and that's okay!
• The closer you are to your own why, the easier it is to stay grounded

Key Moments

00:00 — Welcome and introductions

05:24 — What "all the things" is really about

07:44 — The problem you think you have isn't usually the problem

09:21 — Coming back to your why

11:19 — Capital P Purpose vs. the personal spark

16:06 — When the spark is hard to find

21:57 — Where does the inner work fit in a full life

25:27 — Two completely different ways to get things done

31:04 — Why tools and tactics miss the spot without self-knowledge

35:53 — Wrap up and takeaways

Join a circle of changemakers committed to leading with purpose, presence and ease inside Kim's Rising Visionaries mentorship program.

Reclaim your career and confidence during midlife through Louise's Rise & Redefine program.

If you’re loving this show, come check out the Feminist Podcasters Collective, where creators like us are uplifting diverse voices and driving meaningful change. If you’re looking for new shows to fill your feed, head to https://feministpodcasterscollective.com