Unlock Your Blocks with Elyssa

Elyssa Smith
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Self-Improvement

You know you are meant for more, but you keep getting stuck in the same frustrating cycle! I see you. I’ve been there. And I’ve got you! I’m Elyssa Smith, a trauma-informed executive coach and the host of Unlock Your Blocks Podcast. I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by triggers, stuck in survival-mode, and cycles of self-sabotage. The great news is that you can overcome all of this! I know firsthand how to follow the roadmap to freedom. You can rewire your survival brain, heal the trauma holding you back, and unlock the next level of success and confidence! On Unlock Your Blocks, I’ll teach you the exact tools and strategies to break free from self-doubt, regulate emotions, and finally be able to follow through with your biggest goals! Subscribe now! Let’s get you the right keys to unlock your blocks and create the life you were made for!

  1. 13h ago

    Why Constant Task-Switching Leaves You Exhausted

    Do you ever end a day feeling completely exhausted, even though none of the individual things you did felt that difficult? Emails. Messages. Open tabs. Quick questions. Tiny decisions. A dozen different things that somehow leave you feeling more drained than spending hours focused on one big project. In this episode, Elyssa breaks down why context switching takes so much more energy than we realize and why constantly moving between small tasks can leave high achievers feeling like they worked all day without actually accomplishing anything. You’ll also learn two practical ways to reduce that drain: Elyssa’s sticky note method for keeping your brain focused on one priority at a time, and a simple 60-second transition technique that helps your nervous system close one task before moving into the next. If you’re constantly busy but still ending the day depleted, overwhelmed, or wondering why your capacity feels so low, this episode will help you reduce the mental load without needing to do less.   ✅ What You'll Learn ✔️ Why a day filled with small tasks can feel more exhausting than one big project ✔️ What happens in your brain and nervous system every time you switch tasks ✔️ Why interruptions create more mental effort than the task itself ✔️ How the sticky note method can help you manage distractions and see your progress ✔️ Why seeing what you’ve completed can reduce overwhelm and mental depletion ✔️ Why exhaustion is often caused by the effort of transitioning, not the difficulty of your work ✔️ The four-step 60-second transition technique for switching tasks more smoothly ✔️ How to mentally and physically close the loop on your previous task ✔️ Why a quick body reset can help your nervous system move into the next task ✔️ How narrowing your focus to one job at a time reduces your total mental load ✔️ Why regulating stress throughout your workday matters for your energy and long-term health   🕒 Episode Chapters 00:11 – Understanding Context Switching Drain 01:00 – The Impact of Small Tasks on Productivity 01:12 – The challenge of task switching and mental effort 03:18 – The sticky note method for managing distractions 05:47 – Understanding that exhaustion comes from effort, not task difficulty 06:36 – The 60-second transition technique for smooth task switching 07:01 – Closing the previous task loop and body reset 07:56 – The importance of a body reset and naming the next task 08:50 – Focusing solely on the current task to reduce mental load 09:19 – Living in a regulated state to prevent energy drain 09:48 – The long-term health impact of managing stress and distractions 10:14 – Introducing the Procrastination Reset guide for stress management   💬 Free Resource for Women   ✨ The Procrastination Reset Simple, practical nervous system tools to help you move out of overwhelm, stress, and survival mode and get back to a calmer, more focused place. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset   💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you stuck and overwhelmed, and get a clear, gentle plan for your next step. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

  2. Sep 28

    The Post-Stress Crash: Why You Fall Apart After Everything Is Over

    Do you hold it together beautifully through the deadline, crisis, launch, or high-pressure season… only to completely fall apart once it’s over? For high achievers, this post-stress crash can feel confusing and even frustrating. You handled the hard part. You performed. You kept everything moving. So why does your body suddenly feel exhausted, scattered, emotional, or even sick once the pressure is gone? In this episode, Elyssa breaks down what is actually happening in your nervous system when you perform under pressure, why your body may suppress your needs until it finally feels safe enough to stop, and how years of being “the responsible one” can train you to function through stress while abandoning your own needs. You’ll also learn Elyssa’s “It Is Over Reset,” a simple process for helping your nervous system recognize that the stressful event has ended so you can transition from performance into intentional recovery instead of crashing.   ✅ What You'll Learn ✔️ Why high achievers often crash after a stressful event instead of during it ✔️ How being “the responsible one” can teach you to suppress your own needs ✔️ Why pressure can make you feel productive while keeping your body in survival mode ✔️ How fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses affect your ability to notice hunger, fatigue, and other basic needs ✔️ Why your nervous system may react similarly to a work deadline and a physical threat ✔️ How pushed-down fatigue and emotions can surface once the pressure finally ends ✔️ Why it’s important to consciously tell your nervous system when a stressful event is over ✔️ The steps of Elyssa’s “It Is Over Reset” for transitioning out of survival mode ✔️ How orienting to the present and releasing your role can help your body begin to recover ✔️ Practical recovery strategies that teach your nervous system to expect rest after performance   🕒 Episode Chapters 00:12 – Introduction to high achievers and stress response 02:04 – Understanding the nervous system's reaction to pressure 03:19 – The impact of high-pressure work on health and performance 04:39 – Why the nervous system perceives threats in different scenarios 06:53 – The importance of recognizing when a pressure event is over 09:27 – Steps to reset the nervous system after stress 10:38 – Naming and acknowledging the end of a stressful event 11:29 – Releasing roles and focusing on recovery needs 12:52 – Practical recovery techniques for high achievers 13:40 – Introducing the Procrastination Reset guide for nervous system regulation   💬 Free Resource for Women   ✨ The Procrastination Reset A simple nervous system regulation guide to help you step out of overwhelm, procrastination, and survival mode so you can get back into a place of control, rest, and repair. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset   💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what may be keeping your nervous system stuck in survival mode and get clarity on your next step. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

  3. Sep 21

    The Safety Trap: When Comfort Keeps You Stuck

    Sometimes the hardest thing to leave isn’t the thing that’s hurting you. It’s the thing that feels familiar. Your nervous system is designed to protect you, and sometimes that means keeping you in patterns, relationships, jobs, or habits that aren’t actually good for you simply because they’re predictable. Even when your logical brain knows something needs to change, your body may still experience the unfamiliar as dangerous. In this episode, Elyssa breaks down why the nervous system often chooses familiar dysfunction over unfamiliar growth, how survival responses can affect your ability to make clear decisions, and why forcing yourself out of your comfort zone can actually backfire. You’ll also learn a simple “Familiar vs. Safe” exercise to help you identify where you may be confusing familiarity with safety and how to begin moving toward something healthier one tiny step at a time.   ✅ What You'll Learn ✔️ Why your nervous system can prefer familiar dysfunction over positive change ✔️ How childhood trauma and past experiences can shape what feels “safe” as an adult ✔️ Why knowing something is unhealthy doesn’t always make it easy to leave ✔️ How uncertainty can trigger fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses ✔️ Why survival mode makes logical decision-making more difficult ✔️ The difference between what feels familiar and what is actually safe or healthy ✔️ Why forcing yourself out of your comfort zone can create more resistance ✔️ How to use the “Familiar vs. Safe” list to gain clarity ✔️ Why tiny, manageable steps help build trust with your nervous system ✔️ How to move toward growth without pushing yourself back into survival mode   🕒 Episode Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to the nervous system and stuckness 01:44 – Trauma and familiarity: why change is hard 04:01 – The role of the nervous system in decision-making 05:53 – Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses 08:35 – Practical exercise: creating a “familiar vs safe” list 10:45 – Taking tiny steps toward safety and growth 12:32 – Resources and next steps for healing   💬 Free Resource for Women   ✨ 5 Nervous System Hacks You Can Do at Your Desk Quick, science-backed tools to help calm your nervous system, build a greater sense of internal safety, and move forward without forcing yourself through overwhelm. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset   💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover hidden blocks or trauma patterns that may be keeping you stuck and get clarity on your next step. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

  4. Sep 14

    How to Stop Living for Everyone Else's Approval

    What if the biggest thing standing between you and the life you really want isn’t fear of failure, but fear of disapproval? For many high-achieving women, the need for approval runs much deeper than simply wanting people to like you. It can shape your decisions, keep you small, and even cause you to abandon what you actually want in order to avoid judgment, disappointment, or rejection. In this episode, Elyssa breaks down how approval-seeking can become a nervous system survival strategy, why it often begins in childhood, and how it can quietly sabotage your goals as an adult. You’ll also learn a simple three-question “Approval Check” to help you separate what you truly want from what you’re doing just to keep everyone else comfortable. If you find yourself overthinking decisions, struggling to say no, worrying about disappointing people, or holding yourself back because others might not understand, this conversation will help you begin choosing from self-trust instead of fear.   ✅ What You'll Learn ✔️ Why fear of disapproval can quietly block your success ✔️ How childhood experiences can teach your nervous system that approval equals safety ✔️ Why people-pleasing is often a survival response rather than a personality flaw ✔️ How the fawn response can lead you to abandon your own needs ✔️ Why other people’s doubt can trigger self-sabotage and keep you stuck ✔️ How fear of judgment can show up as procrastination, paralysis, or perfectionism ✔️ Why adulthood requires creating a new sense of safety that doesn’t depend on everyone agreeing with you ✔️ The three-question “Approval Check” for making clearer decisions ✔️ How to identify whose opinion you are actually afraid of ✔️ How to begin teaching your nervous system that it is safe to choose what you want   🕒 Episode Chapters 00:12 – Introduction: The Hidden Block of Disapproval 01:53 – Childhood Roots of the Need for Approval 04:09 – Nancy's Story: Business and Disapproval 06:04 – The Nervous System's Role in Self-Sabotage 07:40 – Rewiring Safety and Belonging as Adults 09:25 – The Approval Check: Three Key Questions 11:36 – Removing the Fear of Disapproval 13:16 – Practical Nervous System Hacks 13:43 – Conclusion: Taking Care of Yourself   💬 Free Resource for Women   ✨ 5 Nervous System Hacks You Can Do at Your Desk Quick, science-backed tools to help calm your nervous system, reduce overwhelm, and move forward with more clarity. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset   💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you stuck and overwhelmed, and get a clear, gentle plan for your next step. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

  5. Sep 7

    The Invisible Rules Running Your Life

    Do you ever feel like there is a “right” way you are supposed to do everything? The right way to work. The right way to parent. The right way to keep your house. The right way to show up in relationships. The right way to look, speak, perform, and hold it all together. In this episode, Elyssa breaks down the invisible rules and impossible standards that keep high-achieving women stuck in stress, perfectionism, and survival mode. You’ll learn where these rules actually come from, why your nervous system can interpret getting something “wrong” as a threat, and how to start questioning the standards you have been carrying for years. If you are exhausted from constantly feeling like you should be doing more, doing better, or getting everything exactly right, this conversation will help you identify the rules running your life and begin replacing them with more peace, flexibility, and self-trust. ✅ What You'll Learn ✔️ Why high-achieving women often live by invisible rules and impossible standards ✔️ How perfectionism can become a survival strategy ✔️ Why your nervous system can interpret mistakes as a threat to your safety ✔️ How the need to “do it right” keeps your body in stress and hypervigilance ✔️ Why relaxing your standards does not mean becoming lazy or less successful ✔️ How old beliefs about acceptance, belonging, and safety can shape your adult expectations ✔️ How to recognize the “shoulds” creating unnecessary pressure in your life ✔️ The Should Audit exercise for identifying your invisible rules ✔️ How to question whether your expectations are actually supported by evidence ✔️ How to begin replacing rigid standards with peace, flexibility, and self-trust 🕒 Episode Chapters 00:10 – Introduction: The Exhaustion of Invisible Rules 00:39 – Who Is Elyssa Smith and What She Does 01:05 – The Origin of Invisible Rules and Standards 01:30 – Living by Perfection and High Standards 02:29 – The Impact of “Doing It Right” on Stress 04:18 – The Survival System and Its Roots in Evolution 05:38 – The Challenge of Relaxing Standards as an Adult 06:34 – Reprogramming the Nervous System for Peace 08:54 – Taking the First Step to Relax the Rules 10:43 – The “Should Audit” to Identify Stress Triggers 12:35 – Questioning the Evidence Behind “Shoulds” 14:57 – Moving Toward Peace and Self-Trust 💬 Free Resource for Women ✨ 5 Nervous System Hacks You Can Do at Your Desk Quick, science-backed tools to calm your body in under 60 seconds, even in the middle of the workday. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset 💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what's keeping you stuck and overwhelmed, and get a clear, gentle plan for your next step. 👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

  6. Aug 31

    Why You’ll Never Feel Fully Ready (And Why Waiting Is Keeping You Stuck)

    Why You’ll Never Feel Fully Ready (And Why Waiting Is Keeping You Stuck)   Have you ever told yourself you’ll take the next step once you feel more confident, more prepared, or more qualified?   Maybe you’re waiting for the website to be perfect, the plan to be finished, or that feeling of certainty to finally show up. The problem is, your nervous system may never give you that feeling before you move.   In this episode, Elyssa breaks down why perfectionistic high achievers often wait for readiness before taking action, and why unfamiliarity can feel unsafe to your nervous system.   If you’ve been holding back on something important because you don’t feel completely ready, this conversation will show you how to create enough internal safety to move forward anyway.   ✅ What You'll Learn   ✔️ Why waiting to feel ready can keep you stuck indefinitely ✔️ How perfectionism turns uncertainty into a threat ✔️ Why unfamiliar opportunities can activate your survival system ✔️ The connection between confidence, readiness, and nervous system safety ✔️ Why even major accomplishments may not make you feel qualified ✔️ How imperfect action builds trust with your nervous system ✔️ The 60% rule Elyssa uses to keep moving forward ✔️ Why simple safety cues can make uncertainty easier to tolerate ✔️ How to take bigger steps without needing 100% confidence first   🕒 Episode Chapters   00:00 – Why waiting to feel ready keeps you stuck 00:55 – How perfectionistic high achievers delay action 01:45 – Why unfamiliar things feel unsafe to your nervous system 02:35 – The advice to move before everything is perfect 03:25 – Why asking for help can feel like you are not ready 04:15 – The trap of waiting for confidence or certainty 05:00 – Elyssa’s TEDx experience and still not feeling qualified 05:50 – The choice between certainty and moving forward 06:40 – Learning to feel safe without being 100% ready 07:15 – Why readiness does not create action 08:05 – Safe, imperfect action and the 60% rule 08:55 – Using nervous system safety cues before taking the next step 09:35 – Why deep breathing actually helps with uncertainty 10:20 – Building trust through small imperfect actions 11:05 – Moving forward with 60% confidence 11:40 – Letting your goals get bigger without staying small   💬 Free Resource for Women   ✨ 5 Nervous System Hacks You Can Do at Your Desk   Quick, science-backed tools to calm your body in under 60 seconds, even in the middle of the workday.   👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset    💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough   Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what's keeping you stuck and overwhelmed, and get a clear, gentle plan for your next step.   👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

  7. Aug 24

    How to Tell If You're in Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn

    How to Tell If You're in Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn   Do you ever wonder why you react the way you do under stress?   Maybe you become angry over small things, avoid difficult conversations, procrastinate on important tasks, or constantly put everyone else's needs ahead of your own.   In this episode, Elyssa explains the four common survival responses—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—and how they often show up in the lives of high-achieving women. You'll learn why these patterns aren't personality traits or character flaws, but protective strategies your nervous system developed to help you survive.   If you've ever thought, "This is just who I am," this conversation will help you understand where those patterns come from and how you can begin creating new, healthier responses that lead to more peace, confidence, and freedom.   ✅ What You'll Learn   ✔️ The difference between fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses ✔️ Why your survival responses are not personality traits ✔️ How childhood experiences shape the way you respond to stress today ✔️ Why perfectionism and people-pleasing are forms of survival mode ✔️ How procrastination and shutdown are connected to the freeze response ✔️ Why high-achieving women often live in chronic survival mode ✔️ A simple exercise to identify your default stress response ✔️ How observation creates the first step toward lasting nervous system healing ✔️ Why your brain can be rewired through neuroplasticity   🕒 Episode Chapters   00:00 – Why survival mode isn't your personality 01:05 – Understanding fight, flight, freeze, and fawn 02:30 – Elyssa's personal experience with all four responses 03:45 – Why your nervous system is trying to protect you 04:45 – How procrastination, perfectionism, and people-pleasing show up as survival responses 06:05 – The surprising truth about the fawn response 07:05 – Why these patterns keep you stuck and disconnected from yourself 08:10 – How survival responses develop in childhood 09:35 – Why your nervous system reacts before your thinking brain can 10:35 – A simple challenge to identify your default stress response 12:00 – How observation leads to nervous system healing 13:10 – Rewiring old patterns through neuroplasticity 14:05 – Taking your next step toward lasting regulation   💬 Free Resource for Women   ✨ 5 Nervous System Hacks You Can Do at Your Desk   Quick, science-backed tools to help calm your nervous system in under 60 seconds—even during your busiest days.   👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset    💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough   Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what's keeping you stuck, overwhelmed, or living in survival mode, and walk away with a clear, personalized next step.   👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

  8. Aug 17

    Why You Shut Down Under Pressure (And the 1% Rule That Gets You Moving Again)

    Why You Shut Down Under Pressure (And the 1% Rule That Gets You Moving Again)   Do you ever have a long list of things you know you need to do, but every time you try to start, you freeze?   Maybe your brain gets foggy, you suddenly feel exhausted, or you find yourself procrastinating on the very thing that matters most.   In this episode, Elyssa explains why shutting down under pressure isn't a character flaw—it's often your nervous system trying to protect you. You'll learn why high achievers and perfectionists are especially prone to this response, what's actually happening inside your brain when you feel stuck, and one simple strategy that can help you build momentum without overwhelming your system.   If you've been frustrated by procrastination, burnout, or feeling like you "just can't get yourself to do it," this episode will help you understand why—and show you a gentler way forward.   ✅ What You'll Learn   ✔️ Why overwhelm often leads to shutdown instead of productivity ✔️ What's happening inside your nervous system when you feel stuck ✔️ Why high achievers and perfectionists are more likely to procrastinate ✔️ What a dorsal shutdown is and why it happens ✔️ How your nervous system mistakes uncertainty for danger ✔️ Why big projects feel impossible to start ✔️ The 1% Progress Rule and how it helps you build momentum ✔️ How breaking tasks into tiny steps helps your brain feel safe ✔️ Why nervous system regulation creates more sustainable productivity   🕒 Episode Chapters   00:00 – Why overwhelm causes your nervous system to shut down 01:10 – What high achievers experience under pressure 02:25 – A real client story about feeling stuck and overwhelmed 03:10 – Why your brain sees certain tasks as dangerous 04:45 – How uncertainty and perfectionism trigger procrastination 06:00 – Understanding dorsal shutdown and survival mode 07:20 – The cycle of overworking, crashing, and hiding from your to-do list 08:30 – Introducing the 1% Progress Rule 09:20 – Why your brain needs a staircase instead of a cliff 10:15 – Real-life examples of breaking overwhelming tasks into smaller steps 12:00 – How tiny actions create momentum and reduce resistance 13:15 – Building long-term resilience by creating nervous system safety 14:05 – Free nervous system resource and final encouragement   💬 Free Resource for Women   ✨ 5 Nervous System Hacks You Can Do at Your Desk   Quick, science-backed tools to help calm your nervous system in under 60 seconds—even during your busiest days.   👉 https://elyssasmith.com/reset    💖 For Women Ready for Their Next Breakthrough   Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what's keeping you stuck, overwhelmed, or burned out, and walk away with a clear, personalized next step.   👉 https://elyssasmith.com/focus

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out of 5
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About

You know you are meant for more, but you keep getting stuck in the same frustrating cycle! I see you. I’ve been there. And I’ve got you! I’m Elyssa Smith, a trauma-informed executive coach and the host of Unlock Your Blocks Podcast. I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by triggers, stuck in survival-mode, and cycles of self-sabotage. The great news is that you can overcome all of this! I know firsthand how to follow the roadmap to freedom. You can rewire your survival brain, heal the trauma holding you back, and unlock the next level of success and confidence! On Unlock Your Blocks, I’ll teach you the exact tools and strategies to break free from self-doubt, regulate emotions, and finally be able to follow through with your biggest goals! Subscribe now! Let’s get you the right keys to unlock your blocks and create the life you were made for!

Information

  • Creator
    Elyssa Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Unlock Your Blocks with Elyssa