Growth Over Easy: Relationship Skills for Long-Term Love

Lilly Rachels
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Growth Over Easy is a relationship podcast for couples and individuals who want long-term love that actually feels good to be in. Hosted by Lilly Rachels, MSW — relationship coach, Relational Life Therapy practitioner, and co-founder of Relational Somatics — this podcast goes beyond communication tips to explore the nervous system patterns, attachment styles, and childhood blueprints that shape the way you love, fight, shut down, and connect. Most couples aren't failing for lack of love. They're failing because nobody taught them how to stay: in conflict, in discomfort, in the moment when it would be easier to check out. Each week, Lilly delivers short solo episodes on emotional regulation, intimacy, conflict repair, attachment, nervous system flexibility, and the relationship skills that build lasting partnerships. Drawing on Relational Life Therapy and somatic work, this show makes the complex practical and the heavy stuff surprisingly human. If you're in a long-term relationship or marriage, rebuilding after a rough season, or just want a smarter approach to love and connection — this podcast is for you. New episodes weekly. The real work of long-term love. www.growthovereasy.com

  1. 184: The Takeover: Why You Escalate During Arguments (Part 2 of 5): The Nervous System Pattern Quietly Killing Connection

    3D AGO

    184: The Takeover: Why You Escalate During Arguments (Part 2 of 5): The Nervous System Pattern Quietly Killing Connection

    Subscribe to get the free guide: The 5 Relational Patterns That Are Quietly Killing Your Connection You’re not trying to fight. You’re trying to fix. But somewhere between feeling disconnected and trying to close that gap, something takes over. You get louder, faster, more urgent. You need this resolved right now. Work with Lilly: Complimentary Consult That’s the Takeover. And it’s not a character flaw. It’s a nervous system pattern that learned connection is fragile and must be protected immediately. In this episode: * What the Takeover looks like and why it happens * Why your urgency feels like love but lands like attack * Two somatic tools to discharge fight energy during a break * How to take a break in a way that creates safety for both of you Subscribe to get the free guide: The 5 Relational Patterns That Are Quietly Killing Your Connection This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    8 min
  2. 183: Why You Shut Down During Arguments (Part 1 of 5): The Nervous System Pattern Quietly Killing Connection

    MAY 12

    183: Why You Shut Down During Arguments (Part 1 of 5): The Nervous System Pattern Quietly Killing Connection

    This is the first of five episodes on the relational patterns that quietly kill connection. Book a free consult: https://calendar.app.google/RE8uiXs1oL9LrKZ67 Your body doesn’t shut down because you stopped caring. It shuts down because it decided the threat was too big to stay present for. You go quiet. You give one-word answers. Maybe you leave the room entirely. And your partner reads it as indifference, but that’s not what’s happening. Thanks for reading Growth Over Easy! Subscribe for free to receive The 5 Relational Patterns That Are Quietly Killing Your Connection. www.growthovereasy.com The shutdown is a nervous system response. Your body pulled the emergency brake. And as long as it keeps happening without interruption, intimacy moves further away. In this episode: * Understand what dorsal vagal shutdown actually is, and why your nervous system uses it as a protection strategy * Catch the pattern before it completes, so you can interrupt it before you’re already gone * Use one phrase with your partner and one physical tool to keep the connection alive while you ground. This isn’t about pushing through the discomfort. It’s about learning what your body is doing so you can give it what it actually needs, without disappearing from the people you love. If this one felt familiar, get the free guide that covers four more patterns when you subscribe to Substack below. www.growthovereasy.com This is episode 1 of 5. Subscribe so you don't miss the next pattern, dropping next Tuesday. —Lilly This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    7 min
  3. 182: Why You Think You Know What Your Partner Is Thinking (And Why You're Wrong)

    APR 28

    182: Why You Think You Know What Your Partner Is Thinking (And Why You're Wrong)

    Are You Picking It Up or Making It Up? How Assumptions Are Silently Destroying Your Relationship You think you know what your partner meant by that tone. You think you know why they’re quiet. But what if you’re not picking it up, you’re making it up? In this episode, Lilly shares a concept that stops assumption-based communication in its tracks. In this episode, you’ll learn: * The difference between picking something up and making something up * Why assumptions kill communication in relationships * How thinking you know what your partner thinks makes you stop asking questions * Why your brain creates stories that may have no basis in reality * The one antidote to assumption-based thinking in relationships * How to trust your instincts AND still get clarity from your partner * Why curiosity is the most underrated communication skill in a relationship The Takeaway Practice: Next time you catch yourself inferring meaning from your partner’s tone, words, or behavior, pause and ask: “Am I picking this up or am I making it up?” Then get curious. Ask the question. Operate from clarity, not assumption. Work with Lilly: Ready to break the assumption cycle in your relationship? Book a free consult or email lilly@growthovereasy.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    5 min

  4. APR 21

    181: You're Not Avoiding the Fight — You're Making It More Expensive Later

    The Right Thing vs. The Real Thing: Why Agreeing Is Slowly Killing Your Relationship Are you keeping the peace, or quietly losing yourself? In this episode, Lilly breaks down one of the most common and most overlooked patterns she sees in couples: saying the right thing instead of the real thing. It feels like a solution. It’s actually a slow leak. If you’ve ever found yourself saying “it’s fine, do whatever you want” when it’s absolutely not fine, this episode is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why agreeing with your partner can actually be the problem * The difference between healthy compromise and being “agreeably defeated” * How people-pleasing in relationships quietly builds resentment and contempt * Why saying the right thing is just postponing a more expensive fight later * How truth, delivered with love, creates safety and deeper connection * The one question to ask yourself before you respond in a conflict * Why your partner can’t truly love a version of you that isn’t real The Takeaway Practice: Before you respond in a tense moment this week, pause and ask yourself: “Am I saying this to keep the peace—or to tell the truth?” The goal isn’t less conflict. The goal is more truth. Work with Lilly: Ready to stop going in circles and start building real connection? Book a free consult or email Lilly directly at lilly@growthovereasy.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    8 min

  5. APR 14

    180: Why Playing the Victim Is Wrecking Your Relationship (And What to Do Instead)

    In this episode, Lilly breaks down how victim mentality shows up in relationships and why it keeps couples stuck. She explains what happens when one or both people make change dependent on the other person apologizing first, changing first, or growing first, and why real change starts when you take ownership of what you actually control: you. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How victim mentality shows up in unhealthy relationship dynamics * Why making your partner the problem keeps you stuck * Why waiting for your partner to go first stunts the growth of the relationship * Why blame keeps you powerless * How radical responsibility gives you agency and autonomy * Why taking ownership allows you to become part of the solution Email Lilly: If you’re seeing this victim pattern show up in your relationship dynamic and you want support, email Lilly.Email: lilly@growthovereasy.com Book a free consult: https://calendar.app.google/zsmc4BbDodcmFVh57 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    6 min

  6. APR 7

    179: What ChatGPT Said About Being Human, Presence, and Why You Need to Slow Down

    What if ChatGPT gave you a better reminder about being human than most people do? Episode Description: In this episode, Lilly shares a prompt she gave ChatGPT — if you were human for a day, what would you do? — and the response became a reminder about presence, embodiment, and what actually matters. She breaks down why so many of us are missing our lives by moving too fast, thinking too far ahead, or staying stuck in our heads, and how slowing down helps us come back to connection. In this episode, you’ll learn: * What ChatGPT said it would do if it were human for a day * Why direct experience matters more than abstraction * How moving too fast pulls you out of the present moment * Why presence creates deeper connection in your relationships * How small moments of noticing compound over time * Why slowing down helps your nervous system downshift into safety * A simple practice to help you come back to the present moment * How to use this practice before connecting with your partner, kids, or friends Try This Practice: Take one minute to notice: * 5 things you can see * 3 things you can hear * 1 thing you can feel Then notice what shifts in your body. Work with Lilly: If you’re ready for more connection, more clarity, and healthier patterns in your relationships, Lilly would love to support you. Let’s talk and see if this work is the right fit for you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    8 min
  7. 178: How to Stop Ruminating on the Past and Worrying About the Future (A Nervous System Approach)

    MAR 31

    178: How to Stop Ruminating on the Past and Worrying About the Future (A Nervous System Approach)

    In this episode, Lilly breaks down why so many of us get stuck in the woulda coulda shouldas of the past or the what ifs of the future. Using a quote from Peter Crone, she explores why the past could not have happened any other way, what regret and worry look like in the nervous system, and how to come back to the present moment using a simple orienting practice. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why we get stuck trying to rewrite the past * How past, present, and future connect to nervous system states * Why the present moment is where peace, joy, and connection live * What orienting is and how it helps bring you back to the here and now * A simple practice using sight, sound, and smell to ground yourself Book a Call with Lilly: If you’re ready to move away from anxiety, worry, or regret and start feeling more present, grounded, and connected, book a call with Lilly to explore what nervous system work could do for you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    7 min
  8. 177: The Simulation You're Living In, Why You Keep Misreading Your Spouse, and What Past Wounds Have to Do with It

    MAR 24

    177: The Simulation You're Living In, Why You Keep Misreading Your Spouse, and What Past Wounds Have to Do with It

    You are not always seeing your partner as they are. A lot of the time, you’re seeing them through your wounds, your beliefs, and your fears. In this episode, Lilly breaks down how we each live in our own simulation when it comes to relationships. She explains how your beliefs about your partner can shape your perception more than reality, how Terry Real’s concept of the core negative image shows up in conflict, and what you can start doing today to clear the lens and bring more love, respect, and gratitude back into your relationship. In this episode, you’ll learn: * What it means to live in your own simulation in a relationship * How belief shapes perception more than reality * What Terry Real means by a core negative image * How past wounds can cloud the way you see your partner * Why feedback or simple requests can feel much bigger than they are * How childhood experiences can shape the way you receive your partner * Why slowing conflict down helps you see what’s actually happening * A simple practice to start shifting the lens in your relationship * How appreciation and gratitude can help seed more safety and connection Book a Call with Lilly: If you’re ready to clear the lens and stop living in the same painful relationship patterns, book a call with Lilly and see if deeper somatic and belief work could support you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.growthovereasy.com

    7 min
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About

Growth Over Easy is a relationship podcast for couples and individuals who want long-term love that actually feels good to be in. Hosted by Lilly Rachels, MSW — relationship coach, Relational Life Therapy practitioner, and co-founder of Relational Somatics — this podcast goes beyond communication tips to explore the nervous system patterns, attachment styles, and childhood blueprints that shape the way you love, fight, shut down, and connect. Most couples aren't failing for lack of love. They're failing because nobody taught them how to stay: in conflict, in discomfort, in the moment when it would be easier to check out. Each week, Lilly delivers short solo episodes on emotional regulation, intimacy, conflict repair, attachment, nervous system flexibility, and the relationship skills that build lasting partnerships. Drawing on Relational Life Therapy and somatic work, this show makes the complex practical and the heavy stuff surprisingly human. If you're in a long-term relationship or marriage, rebuilding after a rough season, or just want a smarter approach to love and connection — this podcast is for you. New episodes weekly. The real work of long-term love. www.growthovereasy.com

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