Why so many women stay stuck in fight-or-flight and how to learn to pause and exhale

Many women are managing careers, families, aging parents, partnerships, and their own expectations, often in a constant state of inhale (fight or flight), never taking a pause or remembering to exhale.

In this episode of Spark Me, we sit down with Stacy Fritz, speaker, wellness strategist, and inventor, to talk about breath and self-regulation not as soft ideas, but as practical tools for staying well over time.

Stacy shares how her deep work with breath and nervous system regulation grew not only from years in corporate wellness, but from trying to teach her terminally ill brother how to breathe to manage pain and anxiety. That experience ultimately inspired her to invent a guided breathing tool called the vidaBALL. Along the way, she discovered that breath was not just a wellness practice, but a way through grief, stress, and sustained caregiving.

Rather than offering another list of things to fix or optimize, Stacy reframes self-care as protection. Caring for yourself now is not indulgent. It is how you stay healthy, resilient, and present for the life you are still living and the future you want to reach.

This is a Spark Me conversation about pause, nervous system awareness, and learning how to protect yourself without stepping away from the people and responsibilities you care about.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why so many women live in a constant state of “inhale” and how that keeps the body locked in fight-or-flight

• What Stacy learned trying to teach her terminally ill brother how to breathe and how that changed her work forever

• Why “protection” of your future health matters

• How to exhale and use breath as a practical tool in moments of pressure, conflict, and overwhelm

Resources mentioned in this episode

• vidaBALL – A guided breathing tool Stacy created to help people regulate their nervous systems in under two minutes - https://vidaball.com Code: CHRISTINE

• Believe Big – A nonprofit supporting individuals and families navigating cancer through integrative and conventional care - https://believebig.org

• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, MD – A book referenced in the episode that reframes health around longevity, protection, and long-term decision making - https://a.co/d/bpdWU7C

• Stacy Fritz – Speaker, wellness strategist, and founder of FIT2Order
  
  
  

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If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short

• Share this episode with a parent, educator, or friend navigating screen time struggles

• Leave a rating or review — it helps more women discover the show

• Tag us and share: What’s one moment in your day where you’re practicing the pause?

What if the thing we reach for to relax is actually exhausting us—and quietly reshaping our kids’ brains along the way?

Social media is woven into nearly every part of modern life, but in this candid Spark Me conversation, Liz Graham and Michele Dempsey take a hard look at the unintended consequences of constant scrolling—for adults and kids. From dopamine hits and “bed rotting” to comparison culture and lost creativity, this episode pulls back the curtain on why so many of us feel worse the more connected we are.

Liz and Michele unpack how even grown adults struggle to self-regulate their screen time, and why that reality makes unrestricted access especially dangerous for developing brains. They explore how boredom, quiet, and presence—once natural parts of life—are being squeezed out, and what we lose when they disappear.

The conversation deepens with a powerful sidebar featuring Rachel Olszewski Conrad, who shares how she and her husband are already setting boundaries around technology for their young children. Together, they discuss parenting strategies, societal responsibility, and why this isn’t just a “parent problem,” but a cultural one.

This episode isn’t about shaming or fear—it’s about awareness, intention, and starting a movement toward healthier relationships with our phones, our kids, and ourselves.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• Why social media is engineered to deliver dopamine hits—and why that matters

• How boredom and quiet are essential for creativity, emotional regulation, and self-awareness

• Why kids’ developing brains are especially vulnerable to social media addiction

• The hidden emotional toll of comparison culture (even for adults)

• Why some platforms are uniquely dangerous for kids and teens

• Practical boundary-setting strategies for phones and screen time

• How modeling adult behavior shapes kids’ relationship with technology

  Why real change will require a societal—not just individual—shift

  
  

• Resources

  
  

• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/dp/0593655036

• Bark – Parental monitoring and safety tools bark.us

• Common Sense Media – Research and guidance on kids & media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/parents-ultimate-guides/social-media

Keep Sparking

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a Spark Short

• Share this episode with a parent, educator, or friend navigating screen time struggles

• Leave a rating or review — it helps more women discover the show

• Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: What boundaries are you setting with social media—for yourself or your kids?

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do in your second act is walk away from a life you thought you were “supposed” to live.

This week on Spark Me, Liz and Michele sit down with Rachel Olszewski Conrad, founder of Fear Less Publicity, for a deeply honest conversation about reinvention, resilience, and trusting yourself when life takes an unexpected turn.

Rachel shares her journey from growing up in Chicago to building a life in Northeastern Pennsylvania — a path shaped by love, loss, and courage. She opens up about her first marriage, navigating divorce in her early 30s after her husband suffered a life-altering stroke, and the quiet shame and self-judgment that often accompany experiences we don’t talk about enough.

Together, the conversation explores how trauma can change people, why listening to your gut matters more than checking the boxes society hands you, and how healing often comes through unexpected paths — including therapy, community, and connection to the natural world.

This episode is a powerful reminder that starting over isn’t failure — it’s often the first step toward building a life that actually fits.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why divorce can feel isolating — even when it’s the right decision
• How trauma and major life events can reshape identity and relationships
• The courage it takes to trust your gut when everything feels uncertain
• Why shame keeps so many women silent — and how naming it can be freeing
• How therapy (including somatic approaches) can support both kids and adults
• What it looks like to rebuild confidence in your second act
• Why redefining success can lead to more meaningful work and life
• How unexpected paths often lead to the most aligned futures

Resources:

• Fear Less Publicity: https://fearlesspublicity.co

• Marley’s Mission (Equine Therapy Program – Clark Summit, PA): https://marleysmission.com

• University of Dayton: https://udayton.edu

• Penn State University: https://www.psu.edu

• Rushing Women's Syndrome by Dr. Libby Weaver: https://a.co/d/11Xsbkq

• DOAC - Chris Williamson: If You Don't Fix This Now, 2026 Is Already Over!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_vZ4H3uW28

Keep Sparking.

If this conversation resonated with you:

• Follow Spark Me wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode
• Share this episode with a woman navigating divorce, reinvention, or a major life pivot
• Leave a rating or review — it helps other women in their second act discover the show
• Follow us on Instagram at @sparkmepodcast and tag us when you’re listening
• Tag us when you’re listening and tell us: What part of Rachel’s story sparked something in you?