Have you ever reacted under stress and immediately thought, “Why did I say that? That’s not who I am.” If pressure makes you sharp, withdrawn, overly apologetic, or disconnected, this episode will bring relief and clarity.

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, trauma-informed executive coach Elyssa Smith explains why stress and survival mode disconnect you from your true self — and why the version of you that shows up under pressure is not a character flaw.

You’ll learn how fight, flight, freeze, and especially fawn responses override your values when your nervous system perceives threat, why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to this pattern, and how to pause before reacting in ways you later regret.

• Why stress prioritizes protection over connection and values
• How survival mode hijacks your responses in conflict or pressure
• The difference between your true self and your protector self
• Why fawning and over-apologizing are so common in high-achieving women
• How childhood pressure wires reactive responses in adulthood
• Why shame and regret often follow stress reactions
• The “palm tree vs. oak tree” model for real resilience
• A simple pause practice to stop saying things you regret
• How nervous system regulation helps you respond instead of react

00:00 — Why You Regret What You Say Under Pressure 01:40 — Protection vs. Connection in Survival Mode 03:30 — Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn Explained 05:10 — Why High-Achieving Women Default to Fawning 06:45 — When Stress Pulls You Away from Your Values 08:10 — Shame, Regret, and the 2 a.m. Spiral 09:45 — The Palm Tree vs. Oak Tree: Real Resilience 11:20 — How to Pause Before You React 12:45 — Reconnecting to Your True Self Under Stress

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith

If slowing down makes you feel guilty, anxious, or like you’re falling behind, it’s not because you lack discipline — it’s because your nervous system learned that rest was unsafe.

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, trauma-informed executive coach Elyssa Smith unpacks how productivity quietly becomes a survival pattern for high-achieving women. When your worth, safety, or emotional approval were once tied to being helpful, productive, or high-performing, your body learned to equate rest with danger.

You’ll learn why pushing harder only deepens burnout, how productivity can function as anxiety management, and what it actually takes to reclaim your energy without losing your edge.

• Why rest can feel undeserved, unsafe, or anxiety-inducing
• How productivity turns into a nervous system coping mechanism
• The childhood patterns that wire “doing more” to emotional safety
• Why planning, busyness, and overachievement can mask anxiety
• How productivity keeps your nervous system in survival mode
• What happens when you finally slow down (and why it’s normal)
• How to rebuild a sustainable rhythm of rest + productivity
• Simple ways to expand your tolerance for slowing down
• The question that reveals what your body is really afraid of

00:00 — When Rest Feels Unsafe 01:20 — Productivity as a Survival Strategy 03:00 — How Childhood Conditioning Shapes Adult Overachievement 04:25 — Why Your Mind Can’t Rest (Even on Breaks) 06:40 — The Nervous System’s Original Design for Rest & Work 08:30 — When Productivity Becomes Compulsion 09:45 — The Exhaustion Pendulum (What Happens When You Finally Stop) 11:30 — Why Slowing Down Feels Like a Threat 12:45 — How to Start Reclaiming Rest Safely 13:30 — The Question That Changes Everything

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith

If you’ve ever sat staring at a decision — unable to choose, unable to move, stuck in a fog of “I don’t know” — this episode is going to feel like a breath of relief.

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, trauma-informed executive coach Elyssa Smith breaks down the freeze response and reveals why so many high-achieving women mistake it for overthinking, procrastination, or indecision. You’ll learn how your childhood shaped this protective pattern, why your brain slams on the brakes when things feel overwhelming, and—most importantly—how to gently thaw the freeze so decisions feel doable again.

If you’ve been blaming yourself for “being stuck,” this episode will help you finally understand your nervous system and move forward with compassion, clarity, and momentum.

• Why freeze mode masquerades as indecision, overthinking, and procrastination
• How childhood chaos, responsibility, or perfectionism wired your brain to shut down
• Why high-achievers freeze when too many expectations or decisions pile up
• The hidden link between overwhelm, shame, and decision paralysis
• How to recognize the signs of a freeze response in real time
• Somatic tools to move your body out of shutdown and back into clarity
• How to take “micro steps” that break the freeze and rebuild trust with your nervous system
• Why your inner child still thinks she has to handle everything alone — and how to reassure her

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith