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After talking about toxic relationships and red flags in their last episode, the hosts of Life Coaches Unfiltered flip the script, and explore what healthy relationships really look like. From green flags and emotional regulation to communication, consistency, and mutual respect, this conversation challenges the idea that healthy love is boring and shows why stability is actually the goal.

The episode also gets personal. Michelle, Doree & Desiree reflect on how family dynamics shaped what felt “normal,” how old patterns show up in dating and friendships, and how healing changes what we are willing to accept. If you’ve ever wondered whether healthy relationships are supposed to feel calm instead of chaotic, this episode offers honest insight, relatable stories, and a grounded look at what makes connection work.

In This Episode

• Why healthy relationships can feel unfamiliar if you grew up around chaos or dysfunction.
• How family patterns influence the way we choose partners and friends.
• The difference between excitement and instability in relationships.
• Green flags like consistency, reliability, accountability, and emotional regulation.
• Why communication and speaking up for yourself are essential in adult relationships.
• How healing changes your attraction patterns and your standards.

Key Takeaways
The hosts share that it took time to understand that their early models of love and family did not represent the full picture of what healthy relationships can be. They discuss how some people are drawn to familiar dysfunction because it feels easier to navigate, even when it isn’t good for them. The episode makes the case that many people confuse intensity with connection, when what they actually need is consistency, honesty, and safety.

Another major theme is self-awareness. The hosts talk about how healthy relationships require emotional regulation, being able to pause before reacting, and saying “this doesn’t work for me” without fear. They also explore the idea that as people heal, their “green flags” change too, and what once seemed attractive may no longer fit who they are becoming.

Related episodes:

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy listening to
~ Setting Boundaries and Safe People

Is your teen choosing college based on pressure or purpose? The College Clarity Program is an 8-week guided experience for sophomores and juniors. Powered by the Harrison Assessment, your teen discovers their strengths, motivations, and the right path forward. In-person in Metro Atlanta or online. Limited spots. Visit the link to enroll or book a free parent strategy call today.

https://www.michelle-hibbert.com/college-clarity-program-page

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***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

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Join Desiree, Doree & Michelle for this raw and honest episode of Life Coaches Unfiltered. The 3 hosts get real about toxic relationships, red flags, manipulation, and what it takes to finally say, “enough.” They explore how dysfunction can feel normal when you grow up surrounded by it, why toxic dynamics can show up in dating, friendships, family relationships, and even marriages, and how fear, isolation, and low self-worth can keep people stuck far too long.

The conversation goes deep into the emotional toll of toxic relationships, from lying and controlling behavior to jealousy, anger, cheating, and unsafe conflict. The hosts also talk about the hard, necessary work of therapy, nervous system regulation, and rebuilding self-esteem after leaving harmful relationships.

Key takeaways & how to move forward
This episode highlights the emotional cost of staying too long in toxic dynamics. The hosts discuss how manipulation often convinces people they are unlovable or that nobody else will want them, which makes leaving feel impossible. They also talk about how therapy can help reveal the truth of a relationship once the “blinkers” come off.

A major theme is recovery: learning to trust yourself again, rebuilding self-esteem, and recognizing that leaving a toxic relationship is often a decision you make more than once. The conversation closes with a strong reminder that healing is possible, but it takes honesty, support, and a willingness to stop calling chaos love

Domestic Violence help is available

If you are experiencing domestic violence and need help, there is help.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)

or TEXT START to 88788

The Partnership Against Domestic Violence

Women's Resource Center to end Domestic Violence

Related episodes:

• When ‘Self-Centered’ Becomes Toxic: Understanding Narcissism in Relationships
• Gaslighting: What It Is, How It Shows Up, and How to Reclaim Your Reality

Is your teen choosing college based on pressure or purpose? The College Clarity Program is an 8-week guided experience for sophomores and juniors. Powered by the Harrison Assessment, your teen discovers their strengths, motivations, and the right path forward. In-person in Metro Atlanta or online. Limited spots. Visit the link to enroll or book a free parent strategy call today.

https://www.michelle-hibbert.com/college-clarity-program-page

Support the show

***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

Intro & Outro background music provided by: Bliss by Luke Bergs | / bergscloud Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

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Do you get the "Sunday scaries" before another week in a career that no longer feels right for you or the life you want? In this episode of Life Coaches Unfiltered, Desiree, Michelle, and Doree get real about career transitions, burnout, and what happens when your work no longer matches your values, purpose, or season of life.​

They share personal stories about leaving familiar careers, talk through the emotional and practical side of change, and explore why a career shift is about much more than just finding a new job.

You’ll hear honest advice about transferable skills, support systems, side hustles, and how to start moving forward without jumping blindly.​

If you’re feeling stuck, over it, or quietly wondering “Is this really it?”, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:​

• Sunday scaries and the feeling of being stuck in a soul-sucking job.​
• Why people consider career transitions, including burnout, outgrowing a role, misaligned values, and major life changes.​
• The difference between leaving a bad job and making a true career shift.​
• Personal career transition stories from Desiree, Michelle, and Doree.​
• How transferable skills can help you pivot into something new.​
• Why support systems matter when you’re making a big life change.​
• The role of side hustles, passion projects, and small steps in exploring a new path.

Related episodes:

• Burnout Is Not a Badge of Honor: How to Stop Spinning All the Plates and Start Healing​
• Is Work–Life Balance Bulls**t? Redefining Balance, Boundaries and Burnout in Real Life

Is your teen choosing college based on pressure or purpose? The College Clarity Program is an 8-week guided experience for sophomores and juniors. Powered by the Harrison Assessment, your teen discovers their strengths, motivations, and the right path forward. In-person in Metro Atlanta or online. Limited spots. Visit the link to enroll or book a free parent strategy call today.

https://www.michelle-hibbert.com/college-clarity-program-page

Support the show

***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

Intro & Outro background music provided by: Bliss by Luke Bergs | / bergscloud Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

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If someone secretly recorded your evenings, would it look like you have a healthy work–life balance OR that you just switched from one job to another?

In this candid episode of Life Coaches Unfiltered, Desiree, Michelle, and Doree get painfully honest about what “balance” actually looks like in midlife when you’re juggling a business, a JOB, caregiving, creativity, family, and an exhausted nervous system.

You’ll hear confessions about answering emails at music bingo, working through weekends, binge‑watching instead of resting, and feeling like you’re on a treadmill with no off-switch.

The coaches unpack why so many high‑achievers feel behind all the time, how values (family, creativity, health, spiritual life) should drive your version of balance, and why boundaries at work are non‑negotiable, even if your boss expects you online at 11 p.m.

They also dig into:

• What work–life balance really means when you’re a go‑go‑go person vs. someone who craves quiet.​
• How to know when work has taken over your life AND what it’s costing your health, relationships, and joy.​
• The role of values (family time, creative pursuits, wellness, spirituality) in designing a custom “balance recipe” that actually fits your life.​
• How to start setting boundaries with demanding bosses, constant email, and unrealistic expectations.​
• Why saying “no” is a complete sentence and a nervous system intervention.​
• Micro‑shifts like time‑blocking, small creative breaks, and redefining productivity beyond hustle culture.​

If you’re tired of generic advice about “self-care” and want a real‑life conversation about working, caregiving, creating, and still trying to have a life, this episode is for you.

Related episodes:

Burnout is not a badge of honor: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448048/episodes/18764014

Is your teen choosing college based on pressure or purpose? The College Clarity Program is an 8-week guided experience for sophomores and juniors. Powered by the Harrison Assessment, your teen discovers their strengths, motivations, and the right path forward. In-person in Metro Atlanta or online. Limited spots. Visit the link to enroll or book a free parent strategy call today.

https://www.michelle-hibbert.com/college-clarity-program-page

Support the show

***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

Intro & Outro background music provided by: Bliss by Luke Bergs | / bergscloud Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

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Desiree, Michelle, and Doree take a brutally honest look at burnout: what it feels like, where it really comes from, and why “rest” that looks like doom scrolling isn’t rest at all.

If you’re constantly “shoulding” all over yourself, spinning a hundred plates, or treating burnout like a badge of honor, this conversation is your wake-up call.​

They unpack burnout at work and at home, from tech and teaching to healthcare and caregiving, and share deeply personal stories of ulcers, emotional explosions, and nervous systems locked in overdrive. You’ll hear practical, real-life ways they learned to step back, breathe, say no, and let some plates fall without their whole life collapsing.​

***Related Episodes***

Stress & Anxiety: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448048/episodes/16867507

Boundaries: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448048/episodes/17024953

Finding Calm Amid Chaos: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448048/episodes/18348480

In This Episode:

• How to spot the real signs of burnout beyond “I’m just tired”​
• Why burnout isn’t only about work…and how relationships, caregiving, and money stress pile on​
• The cultural myth of “do more with less” is contributing to burnout
• How people-pleasing, being “the responsible one,” and not saying no drive you toward the edge​
• The nervous system piece: fight-or-flight, constant productivity, and why stillness can feel terrifying at first​
• Simple nervous-system tools like breathing, bodywork, and retreats that actually help​
• Why boundaries, community, and doing things you enjoy are non-negotiable in burnout recovery​

Practical Takeaways

• Start with breathing: When your nervous system is fried, the first step is often a simple, conscious breath.​
• Notice the stories you tell yourself about productivity, worth, and “earning” rest.​
• Audit your plates: Which responsibilities actually matter, and which are “paper plates” you can let drop?​
• Take your PTO and real breaks—not just “time off” where you secretly check email.​
• Reclaim things you enjoy: the gym, walks, hobbies, retreats, or just reading without your phone nearby.​
• Build or find people-first communities that normalize saying “I need a break” instead of glorifying burnout.​
  
  

Desiree, compassionate Grief Mentor & Coach. Helping midlife humans learn and grow from grief & loss.

Book a free Connection call with Desiree

Support the show

***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

Intro & Outro background music provided by: Bliss by Luke Bergs | / bergscloud Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

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Tune in for an emotionally honest episode where Desiree, Michelle, and Doree unpack what self-esteem really is - and what it isn’t. They explore how childhood, family expectations, body image, bullying, and societal standards shape the way we see ourselves, often tying our worth to productivity, perfectionism, and people-pleasing.​

They dive into the difference between genuine confidence and arrogance, how self-talk quietly erodes (or supports) self-esteem, and why low self-esteem can make life feel exhausting. Doree brings in manifestation and explains why you can’t call in what you don’t believe you deserve, while Desiree shares powerful stories that influenced her understanding of self-esteem & worthiness from her journey.​

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• A practical definition of self-esteem and how it shows up in real life​
• How childhood, caregivers, and early experiences quietly program your self-worth​
• Why self-esteem issues affect both women and men, just in different ways​
• The difference between confidence and arrogance + how to spot each in yourself and others​
• How your body posture and somatic habits can shift how confident you feel
• Why low self-esteem can block manifestation and keep you repeating the same patterns​
• How to “borrow belief” from others when your own self-belief is at rock bottom​
• Why learning to say “no” is a powerful self-esteem move, not selfishness​

Episode Resources

• “What is Self-Esteem?” by Kelly Machan, M.A. and Karin S. Ryan, M.A (article).​
• Book: "Your Body Is Your Brain” by Amanda Blake (on leveraging somatic intelligence).​
• Amy Cuddy’s TEDx Talk on power posing / “Superman pose” for confidence.​

If this episode on self-esteem, confidence, and manifestation resonated with you, share it with a friend who needs a reminder that they matter. Subscribe to Life Coaches Unfiltered so you don’t miss upcoming conversations that connect self-esteem with boundaries, relationships, and creating a life that actually feels like yours.

Desiree, compassionate Grief Mentor & Coach. Helping midlife humans learn and grow from grief & loss.

Book a free Connection call with Desiree

Support the show

***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

Intro & Outro background music provided by: Bliss by Luke Bergs | / bergscloud Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

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If overthinking burned calories, half of us would already be in our goal jeans. Instead, it’s burning us out. It’s impacting our sleep, time, and sanity. In this episode of Life Coaches Unfiltered, Desiree, Michelle, and Doree get honest about what happens when your brain won’t shut off, you’re "catastrophizing" every scenario, and you’re replaying past conversations on a loop.​

They unpack what overthinking actually is, how it shows up as rumination about the past and worry about the future, and why your nervous system believes worst-case scenarios are keeping you safe.

Along the way, they share real-life stories - from ice-storm prep with contingency plans all the way to Z, to lying awake worrying about insurance claims, to imagining you’ve ruined a relationship just because someone hasn’t texted back.

You’ll also hear how perfectionism, people-pleasing, grief, and busyness all feed overthinking, and where the line is between healthy reflection and mental torture. Most importantly, the coaches offer simple, practical tools you can use right away: how to notice when you’re looping, how to get thoughts out of your head and onto paper, and how to gently question your own stories with “Is this true?” and “Where is the evidence?”.

In this episode, we cover:

• What overthinking is and how it differs from problem-solving
• Rumination about the past vs. anxiety about the future
• Real-life examples of catastrophizing (storms, insurance, step-parenting, texts)
• How grief and constant busyness can delay emotions until you finally slow down
• The perfectionism trap and analysis paralysis at work and at home
• When overthinking becomes a problem (sleep, looping, stalled decisions, relationships)
• List-making, brain dumps, and time-limited “thinking windows”
• Becoming your own inner coach with evidence checks and kinder self-talk
• How to approach conversations when you’re afraid you hurt someone
  
  
  

You’ll walk away with:

• Language to spot when you’ve crossed from planning into overthinking
• Practical tools to interrupt 3 AM spirals and fall asleep more easily
• A way to question your stories without gaslighting yourself

Permission to take one small imperfect action instead of waiting for things to feel perfect

Desiree, compassionate Grief Mentor & Coach. Helping midlife humans learn and grow from grief & loss.

Book a free Connection call with Desiree

Support the show

***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

Intro & Outro background music provided by: Bliss by Luke Bergs | / bergscloud Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

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When life finally calms down, does your brain immediately ask, “Okay, but what’s about to go wrong?”

In this episode of Life Coaches Unfiltered, Desiree and Michelle dive into hypervigilance and what it feels like.

Living on constant high alert, always waiting for the other shoe to drop and how it shows up for stressed, burned-out women in midlife.​

​From obsessing over germs after COVID to mentally rehearsing every worst‑case scenario in your business, relationships, and health, they talk about how hypervigilance is often a learned survival response from grief, illness, trauma, caregiving, and years of chronic stress, not a personal flaw.

You’ll hear real stories about how COVID impacted Desiree and her fear of germs, backseat driving with a fear of car accidents, and always choosing the restaurant seat that faces the door.

The coaches unpack the difference between healthy intuition and hypervigilance, why your nervous system may still act as if the emergency is happening long after the crisis is over, and how mirror neurons mean your dysregulated state can spread. The good news? Calm is also contagious.

They also share practical tools to gently work with hypervigilance instead of shaming yourself for it.

​In this episode, we talk about:

• What hypervigilance actually is (and why it’s more than “just anxiety”)
• How hypervigilance develops after grief, illness, caregiving, chaotic childhoods, or repeated life disruptions
• Signs you’re living on high alert: can’t relax when it’s quiet, always scanning for danger, exhausted but unable to shut your brain off
• The difference between intuition (calm, grounded, clear) and hypervigilance (urgent, loud, repetitive)
• How hypervigilance strains sleep, health, and relationships—and why partners can feel criticized or micromanaged
• Small, nervous‑system‑friendly practices to start feeling safer in your own body

If you're a midlife woman, who's tired of being "on all the time", sleeping with one eye open (figuratively & literally), this episode is for you.

Is your teen choosing college based on pressure or purpose? The College Clarity Program is an 8-week guided experience for sophomores and juniors. Powered by the Harrison Assessment, your teen discovers their strengths, motivations, and the right path forward. In-person in Metro Atlanta or online. Limited spots. Visit the link to enroll or book a free parent strategy call today.

https://www.michelle-hibbert.com/college-clarity-program-page

Support the show

***** Connect with the Coaches *****

Michelle Hibbert

Doree O’Neal

Desiree Doucet

Do you have any questions you'd like the coaches to answer? Awesome - we'd love to hear from you! You can submit questions via this form and we'll answer them in a future episode: https://forms.gle/QMPqRrvhvkzezPRn6

Intro & Outro background music provided by: Bliss by Luke Bergs | / bergscloud Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/