Feelings Matter

Michelle Stinson Ross
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#FeelingsMatter - Our mission is to demystify everything about emotions. Helping us all get more comfortable talking about them. Join Tina Schweiger, Heather Hampton, and Michelle Stinson Ross as they unpack a new angle on emotions, draw on the science of the human brain, and delve into the psychology of human nature.

  1. Pleased #FeelingsMatter

    JAN 28

    Pleased #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the emotion of feeling pleased - that crossover feeling that includes both happiness and contentment. The conversation examines how pleased differs from other positive emotions, why it often quietly exists in the background of our lives, and how this self-satisfied feeling connects to pride and outcomes we've influenced. The hosts discuss the importance of recognizing and banking these quiet positive moments to draw on during difficult times. Episode Highlights:Michelle describes pleased as a "blended emotion" combining happiness and contentment that often exists as a "low key, quiet emotional experience" we might not give enough attention to, though recognizing these moments helps build resilience for challenging timesTina associates pleased with "self-satisfaction," particularly when she's accomplished something she didn't think she could do or created something that turned out well, describing it as being "just gonna be self-satisfied for a little bit"Heather observes that pleased seems to require personal influence over the outcome - feeling pleased when someone loves a gift you gave them rather than simply being delighted by receiving a gift yourself, noting "pleased has a reflection of I influenced a good outcome"The hosts brainstorm creating a "resilience piggy bank" feature where users could save stories of positive emotions like pleased to pull out during tough moments, providing strength during trying timesMichelle connects pleased as "the antidote for shame," noting that the self-satisfaction of being pleased would make it difficult for shame's critical voice to take hold, suggesting that banking pleased moments could serve as powerful counter-narratives when experiencing shame Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    9 min
  2. Shame #FeelingsMatter

    JAN 21

    Shame #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton tackle one of the most powerful and challenging emotions: shame - that feeling of being self-conscious because you feel bad about yourself as a person, not just about something you did. The conversation explores how shame differs from guilt, the role of culture and religion in shaping shame responses, and why this "slippery eel" of an emotion can be so difficult to recognize and address. The hosts share deeply personal experiences with shame and offer strategies for building resilience against its spiral. Episode Highlights:Heather explains the crucial distinction between guilt ("I did something bad") and shame ("I'm a bad person because I did something bad"), noting she rarely experiences shame due to growing up in an atheist household without religious or cultural shaming mechanismsTina vulnerably shares how shame manifests as post-social anxiety, where she lies in bed ruminating and "looking for places where I should feel like a bad person," tracing this pattern to growing up in an authoritative household where shame was used for coercion and control, particularly around her female body during pubertyMichelle credits her encouraging upbringing in a religious household (but with supportive parents) for giving her resilience against shame, noting how behavioral mistakes were framed as learning opportunities rather than identity-defining failuresThe hosts explore practical strategies for combating shame, including identifying adjacent emotions that are "safer to see" (like frustration instead of shame), reintroducing safety and curiosity to counteract shame's inward contraction, and practicing self-compassionMichelle emphasizes building resilience to shame by creating habits of self-encouragement during good moments, telling yourself "you are smoking hot today" to have reserves when the inner critic attacks, and giving friends explicit permission to call out shame patterns and offer counter-narratives of truth and support Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    23 min

  3. JAN 14

    Supported #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the emotion of feeling supported - that state of feeling understood and upheld by others, knowing you're not alone in facing challenges. The conversation examines how support intersects with safety, trust, and belonging, why savoring positive emotions like feeling supported is crucial for building resilience, and how lack of support contributes to societal loneliness. The hosts share how their connection provides mutual support and discuss why this emotion belongs in the love category. Episode Highlights:Tina describes feeling supported as experiencing belonging, safety, and trust simultaneously, noting physical manifestations like warmth in her heart, relaxed tension, better sleep, and increased gratitude and trust in othersMichelle shares how meeting with her co-hosts twice weekly provides an "infusion of energy" that she carries forward, describing how she's keenly aware when they miss time together and misses the support when it's not thereHeather reveals that feeling supported makes her "more daring, more bold" and willing to take risks, emphasizing the special magic of external validation even for self-confident peopleThe hosts connect the emotion of support to practical realities like government shutdowns that prevent people from "supporting their family," noting how losing the ability to provide support is heartbreaking and creates cascading effects on those who feel less supportedTina explains her decision to place "supported" in the love category rather than neutral affect, arguing that feeling supported "blends right into the place of love" as an act and feeling of love, not something neutral or merely pleasant Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    9 min
  4. Carefree #FeelingsMatter

    12/24/2025

    Carefree #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the emotion of feeling carefree - that state of having no cares or worries where things feel easy. The conversation examines how responsibilities and life stages affect our ability to experience carefreeness, whether this feeling can be intentionally cultivated, and how creative flow states might provide unexpected moments of being carefree. The hosts discuss practical ways to reverse-engineer carefree moments in adult life despite accumulated responsibilities.  Episode Highlights:Tina reflects on not feeling truly carefree since her late teens/early twenties during a brief period after finishing college before starting work, describing carefree as "having no responsibilities, nothing to worry about, nowhere to be, nothing to do" and wondering if it's possible to craft such experiences nowMichelle suggests that the stage of parenting significantly impacts carefreeness, noting how she couldn't feel carefree when vacationing with young children but now experiences it when traveling alone as an adult with grown childrenThe hosts explore "reverse engineering" carefree moments through mindfulness techniques like 20-minute meditation, mind-mapping to dive into problems without worry, or giving yourself permission to let your mind wander freelyMichelle observes that Tina likely experiences carefree moments during creative flow states when deeply engrossed in art or singing, even if she doesn't consciously recognize them as carefree in the moment because she's so absorbed in the creative processThe conversation concludes with the insight that cultivating carefree might be more accessible than chasing joy directly, offering a pathway to joy's "slightly different flavor" that feels more achievable given adult responsibilities - noting that "you have to work harder to find your happy feelings when you're older, but you can still find them" Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    12 min
  5. Mortified #FeelingsMatter

    12/17/2025

    Mortified #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the emotion of feeling mortified - that sense of being so incredibly humiliated that you may have lost your dignity. The conversation examines the Latin roots of "mortified" (meaning death), how this emotion differs from simple embarrassment, and why it's more common during teenage years when identity is still forming. The hosts share personal stories of mortification and discuss the importance of self-soothing and curiosity when processing this painful emotion. Episode Highlights:Michelle explains the etymology of "mortified" comes from the Latin word for death, describing it as "I did something so bad, so disgusting, that I just died a little," and notes the mortifying feeling makes you want to curl up small to avoid others' judgmentThe hosts reflect on how life experience reduces mortification, with Michelle noting she hasn't felt truly mortified since her teenage years when identity is still forming and stakes seem higher, raising her empathy for young people navigating this intense emotionHeather distinguishes mortification from embarrassment by noting intentionality - getting caught cheating on a test in high school created mortification because she knew she "was better than that" and had acted against her own integrityTina shares being mortified in her early twenties when a manager's "joke" led her to ask restaurant customers to leave, resulting in complaints and feeling she'd "ruined their night," describing the classic response of going into the walk-in cooler to cryThe conversation emphasizes curiosity as a resilience mindset for mortification and highlights self-soothing techniques like comfortable blankets, favorite tea, pleasant scents, or showers - small sensory experiences that bring you into the present with pleasant sensations when you don't have "your mommy to come and snuggle you" Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    16 min
  6. Revulsion #FeelingsMatter

    12/10/2025

    Revulsion #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the intense emotion of revulsion - that sense of loathing or repulsion toward someone or something. The conversation distinguishes revulsion from simply finding something revolting, examines how this emotion often connects to moral beliefs, and explores how life experience affects both the frequency and processing of this powerful feeling. The hosts share personal triggers for revulsion and discuss when mindfulness techniques are helpful versus when walking away is the better choice. Episode Highlights:Heather distinguishes revulsion from merely finding something "revolting," describing revulsion as including layers of loathing, disgust, and abhorrence - using the example of feeling revulsion toward attacks on hospitals during wartime versus simply finding roadkill revoltingMichelle shares how she experiences revulsion when encountering certain personality types, particularly narcissists, based on past negative experiences, questioning whether her knee-jerk avoidance reaction still serves her or blocks potentially meaningful connectionsThe hosts observe that revulsion often appears in response to large-scale issues that make them feel disempowered, with Heather noting she lets the emotion go quickly because "there's nothing I can do about it"Tina reveals her experience of revulsion remains "childlike" and tied to physical disgust (like gross porta-potties) rather than evolving to encompass larger moral or societal issues, describing this as where the emotion is "stuck" for herThe conversation emphasizes that mindfulness techniques for processing revulsion work better for interpersonal situations (like difficult coworkers) than for moral offenses, and sometimes the healthiest response is simply to "turn the TV off" and walk away from the trigger Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    13 min

  7. 12/04/2025

    Present #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the state of being present - a grounded emotional state where your attention, awareness, and energy are fully in the here and now. The conversation examines how presence can be both uncomfortable and powerful, how introverts and extroverts may experience presence differently, and the relationship between presence and flow states. The hosts discuss practical ways to practice presence and why it's often easier to be present for others than for ourselves. Episode Highlights:Heather describes being present as "bringing a light bulb into your life" that shines a spotlight on things that may not be working, noting that this awareness can feel uncomfortable if you're not ready to make changesMichelle observes that as an extrovert, she tends to be most present in social situations and conversations with others, while at home alone she switches off environmental awareness and becomes more "internally present"Tina distinguishes between presence as a practice versus presence as a feeling, describing the emotional experience as "quiet and still" - like turning off a ceiling fan so you can sense energy moving through your body and interpret your senses clearlyHeather connects presence to flow states, wondering if practicing presence as a discipline can help people more easily access that powerful state where time seems to disappearThe hosts suggest that activities requiring focus but not being too hard - art, music, creative pursuits, sports, puzzles, or spending time with animals or children - can help cultivate presence and potentially lead to "hyper presence" or flow states Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    11 min
  8. Humorous #FeelingsMatter

    12/02/2025

    Humorous #FeelingsMatter

    In this episode of #FeelingsMatter, hosts Michelle Stinson Ross, Tina Schweiger, and Heather Hampton explore the emotion of feeling humorous - that sense of being amused, finding something comical, or feeling like acting silly. The conversation examines humor's relationship to life's absurdity, its healing power in difficult times, and how laughter serves as emotional release similar to crying. The hosts discuss how humor connects us communally and how multiple emotions can coexist, including humor during periods of depression. Episode Highlights:Michelle describes her belief that "life is absurd" and her tendency to find humor even when it's not appropriate, noting how she uses humor in public speaking to make connections by getting people to "sit in the space of humor" with herTina shares how humor can emerge at the bottom of "emptying that sadness cup," describing humor as both healing and a coping mechanism she uses to break the hold of negativity when situations get dark or uncomfortableHeather offers important insight for understanding depression, explaining that people can experience multiple emotions simultaneously - laughing and having fun with friends doesn't mean depression has disappeared or been "cured"Michelle draws a powerful parallel between crying and laughter as forms of emotional release, noting both are "cathartic, therapeutic, and healing" and give us what we need to continue moving through difficult experiencesThe hosts explore the communal nature of humor, noting how we literally buy tickets to comedy shows to "feel humorous with other people" and how sharing emotions - whether positive or challenging - is essential for emotional intelligence growth beyond just naming our feelings Podcast theme music by Dubush Miaw from Pixabay This episode of the #FeelingsMatter Podcast was recorded and produced at MSR Studios in Saint Paul, MN. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission. This episode is sponsored by  FeelWise - bridging the gap between reflection and resilience, offering practical tools to help people overcome obstacles, embrace change, and grow stronger emotionally. https://www.feel-wise.com/ Don’t miss a moment of the conversation, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcasting platform

    12 min
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About

#FeelingsMatter - Our mission is to demystify everything about emotions. Helping us all get more comfortable talking about them. Join Tina Schweiger, Heather Hampton, and Michelle Stinson Ross as they unpack a new angle on emotions, draw on the science of the human brain, and delve into the psychology of human nature.

Information

  • Creator
    Michelle Stinson Ross
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Feelings Matter