5D AGO

Ep 7: From Survival Mode to Sacred Connection: Understanding Motherhood Overwhelm

*** This episode has a companion guided practice to help you gently connect with a felt sense of safety and support in your body. Click the link below to join my email list and the link to the practice will be sent your way*** https://the-rediscovered-self.kit.com In this episode of The Rediscovered Self, Erica explores motherhood overwhelm through the lens of the nervous system — not as a personal weakness, failure, or character flaw, but as an intelligent response from a body carrying too much for too long. If you have been feeling reactive, overstimulated, exhausted, touched out, emotionally stretched thin, or quietly wondering why you “can’t just get it together,” this conversation is an invitation to see yourself with more compassion. Together, we explore the invisible load so many mothers carry — emotional labor, decision fatigue, mental tabs, sensory overload, constant planning, and the pressure to hold everything together — and how this chronic demand can shape the way the autonomic nervous system responds. Through a grounded and accessible introduction to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, Erica shares how fight, flight, fawn, and shutdown can show up in motherhood, parenting, relationships, creativity, and daily life. This episode offers a reframe: your overwhelm may not be proof that you are failing. It may be your nervous system asking for more safety, support, restoration, and reconnection. This is a conversation about moving from self-blame to self-understanding, from survival mode to sacred safety, and from inner criticism to a more compassionate relationship with your body, mind, and heart. Because healing is not about becoming someone new. Healing is remembering how to come home to yourself. This coming home to self will foster safety, connection, and healing within that will ripple out to your loved ones around you. *** This episode has a companion guided practice to help you gently connect with a felt sense of safety and support in your body. Click the link below to join my email list and the link to the practice will be sent your way*** https://the-rediscovered-self.kit.com Thanks for being here! With love, Erica

37 min

APR 29

Ep 6: Staying With Yourself When Everything Feels Too Heavy

There are moments in life when everything just feels… heavy. When everything feels overwhelming in a quiet, yet consuming way that makes even the smallest steps feel impossible. In this episode of The Rediscovered Self, we explore what’s really happening in those moments—not from a place of judgment, but through the lens of the nervous system, mindful awareness, and self-compassion. If you’ve ever found yourself shutting down, losing motivation, craving comfort, or feeling like all of your progress disappears when things get hard… this episode is for you. You’ll learn: Why your nervous system moves into shutdown or collapse How your responses are not failures—but protective patterns The difference between trying to “fix” yourself and actually supporting yourself A simple, gentle 3-part practice to help you move through overwhelm Most importantly, this episode introduces a powerful shift: Learning how to stay with yourself… instead of abandoning yourself in the moments you need support the most. This is not about pushing through. It’s about meeting yourself differently.

19 min

APR 22

Ep 5: Anything But Nothing: An Gentle Way Out of Procrastination & Perfectionism

In this episode, I share a simple but powerful mantra that came to me during one of the hardest seasons of my life—postpartum depression—and how it continues to shape the way I move through procrastination, perfectionism, and taking action today. “Anything but nothing.” What started as a survival tool—helping me to take even the smallest steps when everything felt too overwhelming—has become a grounded, compassionate practice for moving forward when I feel stuck. And it can support you, too, in moving toward your soul's purpose and highest expression of self ... today. Because often, what looks like procrastination isn’t laziness. It's protection. Often, what looks likes diligence and efficiency, isn't actually getting you where you want to go. It’s-- you guessed it-- protection. It’s the nervous system trying to keep us safe from failure, judgment, being seen, and from the vulnerability that comes with stepping into something meaningful. In this episode, we explore: How perfectionism quietly keeps you stuck (even when it looks well-intentioned) How procrastination is often rooted in nervous system protection The hidden cost of waiting until everything is “just right” How to gently move forward without forcing or overwhelming yourself A simple, supportive way to take action—even when it feels hard This is not about pushing harder, being more disciplined, or finally “getting it together.” It’s about learning how to work with yourself (and your protector parts) To listen. To soften. And to take one small step at a time. Because you don’t need to do everything. But you do need to do something. Anything… but nothing. Reflection to take with you: What is your version of “not starting the dishwasher”? What is it costing you to not start? What would it look like today… to make one small action? When you feel stuck in overwhelm and/or freeze, take this mantra with you... "Anything but nothing" or... "I don't have to do it all; I just need to do something." 🎧 Want support reconnecting with yourself? Join my email list + receive my Return Meditation → [Coming Soon] 📲 Connect with me on Instagram: @therediscoveredself I'd love to hear how these episodes are resonating for you, and to create a community to support each other in the journey of self remembrance. Please subscribe to and rate the show on Apple Podcast and share this episode with a friend who could use the reminder that Anything But Nothing... is enough! 3 You got this!

19 min

APR 20 · BONUS

Bonus: The Original Transmission of The Missing Piece in Your Healing Journey and Why It's not Your Fault

HI Friends, I kept feeling this quiet tug to share the original, raw download and transmission of Episode 4: The Missing Piece in Your Healing Journey and Why it's Not Your Fault. Last Monday, April 13th, 2026, I received this message. It came through me without any planning or preparation. I had simply been moved while listening to music while driving home from drop off that morning. I came home ready to record an episode around the power of music in regulating our nervous systems, and out came this episode around: -my own healing journey -the importance to stay with modalities that are "safe enough" while you find your more synchronistic space or person to do the work (especially when you know you need support) -How I knew I had found my "right person & container" during my own dark night of the soul -& more! In last weeks episode, I spoke from a more structured truth-- from an outline and bulleted notes ...in an attempt to make what flowed through me in *this episode* in a more chaotic way...make more sense to you, my sweet listener. However, in doing so, it felt like there was something special that was lost in that re-recording. If you do happen to listen to both, I invite you to let me know which style of transmission comes across better for you: Do you prefer more scripted and structured messages , as in Episode 4? Or do you prefer a channeled raw message, even if it feels a bit more "all over the place"? Please, let me know over on instagram @therediscoveredself in my DMs! I'd be so grateful to hear your thoughts. In this episode, I share about my own nervous system dysregulation, the difference between understanding healing conceptually and actually experiencing it in the body, and how I began to recognize what true support felt like in a therapeutic relationship. This original episode landed with a natural guided practice that invites you to tune into a felt sense of safety and support that is available to you in any moment-- without you having to do or be anything at all-- (other than being willing to notice what might be possible). Inside this episode, I explore: why education is important, but not always the first thing the body needs how to recognize when a healing space feels safe enough *for you* the role of connection, co-regulation, and presence in deep healing how your nervous system may be protecting you (not working against you) This episode is for anyone who has ever: –felt stuck in their healing –blamed themselves for not “doing the work well enough” or for not “being motivated enough to make changes” –or has ever wondered why change isn’t lasting when what they may have really needed was a more aligned, supportive, and safe container for their unique and wise nervous system. This is not about blame. This is about unapologetically honoring your body’s unique and sacred wisdom. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or wellbeing.

46 min

APR 15

Ep 4: The Missing Piece in Your Healing Journey and Why It's not Your Fault

In this episode, I share a personal reflection on something I have come to understand about healing: information alone is not what transforms us. If you’ve been feeling stuck in your healing journey—despite doing the work, learning, making changes and trying to understand yourself—this episode offers a different perspective. Sometimes what we need most is not more education, more strategy, more pushing, or even more insight. Sometimes what we need is a safe enough space for the body to soften, open, and finally receive support. In this episode, I share my own nervous system dysregulation, the difference between understanding healing conceptually and actually experiencing it in the body, and how I began to recognize what true support felt like in a therapeutic relationship. This understanding has deeply shaped how I now discern: –relationships –environment –and healing containers This episode is for anyone who has ever: –felt stuck in their healing –blamed themselves for not “doing the work well enough” or for not “being motivated enough to make changes” –or has ever wondered why change isn’t lasting when what they may have really needed was a more aligned, supportive, and safe container for their unique and wise nervous system. This is not about blame. This is about unapologetically honoring your body’s unique and sacred wisdom. Inside this episode, I explore: why education is important, but not always the first thing the body needs how to recognize when a healing space feels safe enough *for you* the role of connection, co-regulation, and presence in deep healing how your nervous system may be protecting you (not working against you) If you feel called to experience a gentle guided practice to help you reconnect with support in your body, you can reach out to me on instagram @therediscoveredself – I would love to share it with you. ***************************************************************************************** You are not failing if healing has felt hard. If you’ve made changes and found yourself right back where you started… It may not be a lack of effort, motivation, or strength. Sometimes the body is simply waiting for the conditions that communicate enough of a felt sense of safety to your beautiful & wise system, so that you can open once more. And that is not weakness. That is wisdom, friend. Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or wellbeing.

34 min

MAR 18

Ep 3: When Mothers Lose Themselves: The Quiet Disconnection No One Talks About

There’s a quiet moment many mothers experience—but rarely speak about. The moment you realize… you don’t quite feel like yourself anymore. In this episode of The Rediscovered Self, Erica explores the subtle, often invisible ways mothers can lose connection with who they are—through the demands of caregiving, the pressure to hold everything together, and the slow drift away from their own inner world. This isn’t about self judgement, blame, or even the pressure to do something to "fix yourself." This is about bringing this very common and understandable experience into the light, so that we can have more compassion with ourselves... It’s about gently noticing... The invitation that this disconnection lays at our feet. The one that invites us back home to ourselves. Through honest reflection and grounded insight, this episode opens a compassionate conversation around identity loss in motherhood—and the beginning of the return. Inside this episode, we explore: Why losing yourself in motherhood is more common than we admit The quiet signs you’ve drifted away from yourself Why this experience isn’t a failure—but an invitation Small, meaningful ways to begin reconnecting with who you are (without having to do more) This episode is for the mother who feels a little disconnected… a little tired (or a lot)… & a little unsure of where she went. Remember, your light isn't lost It's waiting to be rediscovered. Thank you for listening and joining in on the conversation. If you found this meaningful or inspiring in any way... please follow the show so that you won't miss out on weekly episodes, and share this episode with a friend who this might encourage, too.

16 min

MAR 18

Ep 2: My Story— When Your Body Calls and Your Soul Whispers You Back Home

In this episode of The Rediscovered Self, Erica shares more of her personal story and the journey that brought her back home to herself. Through the lens of motherhood, burnout, and chronic illness, she explores what it means to pause, reflect, and process in a world that asks us to hustle, push through, and ignore the wisdom of the body. Instead of seeing our symptoms as wrong, Erica invites us to consider them as the sacred communication of our body’s wisdom— an invitation toward healing, deeper presence, and transformation. She reflects on: the season before her own unraveling, the breakdown that became a turning point, and the combination of tools and healing modalities that helped her begin to release unprocessed emotions, old wounds, and conditioning that were keeping her disconnected, stuck in illness, and her light dimmed. This episode is a reminder that while each healing journey looks different, many of us know the moment when life asks us to surrender, listen, and remember who we really are. Inside this conversation, Erica explores: Remembering yourself in the midst of motherhood, illness, and survival mode Listening to and responding to the body’s whispers instead of overriding them How healing can restore the flow of energy, creativity, love, and aliveness The role of compassion, mindfulness, and presence in transformation Coming back into deeper connection with yourself, your loved ones, your life, and the creative path of your soul. This is an episode about responding to the body’s call and the soul’s whispers to come home to yourself — gently, honestly, and one layer at a time.

13 min

MAR 18

Ep 1: Healing is Remembering: Motherhood, Burnout, and Remembering Who you Are

In this opening episode of The Rediscovered Self, Erica explores the idea that healing isn’t about becoming someone new — it’s about remembering who you were before survival mode took over. Through reflections on motherhood, burnout, nervous system regulation, and spiritual integration, this episode reframes exhaustion, over-researching, and self-doubt as protective intelligence and a doorway toward growth, rather than personal failure. You’ll hear about: Motherhood as an initiation into deeper embodiment Burnout as information, not weakness The nervous system as sacred intelligence Rest and creativity as wisdom, not indulgence Moving from survival mode into grounded presence This podcast is for women — especially mothers — who feel the quiet tug toward something softer, steadier, and more aligned. You are not broken. You are remembering.

5 min

MAR 18

The Rediscovered Self Trailer

Welcome to The Rediscovered Self. This short trailer introduces the heart behind the podcast — a space for women, especially mothers, who feel the quiet pull to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and live a life that feels more grounded, aligned, and alive. Every Wednesday, host, Erica Cortis, explores themes of burnout, motherhood, mindfulness, creativity, emotional processing, and the process of remembering who we are beneath survival mode and various layers of conditioning. If you’ve ever felt like you've lost pieces of yourself along the way...this space is an invitation to return. If you've ever felt a quiet tug toward deeper presence, connection and alignment in your life...this space is an invitation to rediscover. Listen to the trailer and follow the show, so that you don't miss upcoming episodes, released every Wednesday.

2 min

The Rediscovered Self

Episodes

Ep 7: From Survival Mode to Sacred Connection: Understanding Motherhood Overwhelm

Ep 6: Staying With Yourself When Everything Feels Too Heavy

Ep 5: Anything But Nothing: An Gentle Way Out of Procrastination & Perfectionism

Bonus: The Original Transmission of The Missing Piece in Your Healing Journey and Why It's not Your Fault

Ep 4: The Missing Piece in Your Healing Journey and Why It's not Your Fault

Ep 3: When Mothers Lose Themselves: The Quiet Disconnection No One Talks About

Ep 2: My Story— When Your Body Calls and Your Soul Whispers You Back Home

Ep 1: Healing is Remembering: Motherhood, Burnout, and Remembering Who you Are

The Rediscovered Self Trailer

Trailer

The Rediscovered Self Trailer

About

Information