Inspired Questions: Conversations on Self-Worth, Burnout & Showing Up Authentically

Ruth Hirshberg, MSW — Grounding with Ruth
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Inspired Questions is a podcast for women who are tired of performing, people-pleasing, and pretending they’re fine — and who are finally ready to reclaim their voice, soften their nervous system, and live with more authenticity and self-worth. Hosted by Ruth Hirshberg, MSW, self-worth and breathwork coach, each episode blends grounded conversations, honest storytelling, breathwork and meditation, and practical tools for navigating burnout, pressure, perfectionism, and the belief that you’re “not enough.” You’ll hear from women who’ve stopped shrinking and started showing up with presence. You’ll learn how to regulate your nervous system, rewrite old stories, set boundaries without guilt, and reconnect with your real self — not the version you’ve been performing. Whether it’s a guided meditation, an honest solo episode, or a conversation with a leader, therapist, or coach, Inspired Questions is your reminder that you’re not broken — you’re human, and you deserve to feel like enough. New episodes weekly. Connect with Ruth at groundingwithruth.com or @groundingwithruth.

  1. 5D AGO

    Unearthing You: A Guided Garden Visualization

    This meditation is for moments when you have drifted a little far from yourself. When life has been full, or hard, or just a lot, and you can't quite remember the last time you felt like you. Rather than trying to fix anything or figure anything out, this practice offers something different: a chance to come back. Through a guided visualization, you will be invited to imagine uncovering something that has always been there, buried beneath the layers of everything you have been carrying. It was never lost. It was just covered. This meditation may be supportive if you are: coming back from a hard stretch or a period of depletion feeling disconnected from yourself without knowing why tired of rebuilding and ready to just find your way back needing something quiet and unhurried In this practice, you will be invited to: settle into your body and let the world slow down follow a gentle visualization into a quiet garden uncover something true about yourself that has been waiting return to the room feeling a little more like you There is no right way to do this meditation. You can sit, lie down, pause, or come back to it later. If your mind wanders, that is not a problem — it is part of the practice. If you would like more grounding practices like this, you can follow the podcast or find me at Grounding with Ruth, where I share meditation, breathwork, and self-worth focused support for women who are ready to stop running from themselves and start coming home. Links: Join my free Facebook community: The Enough Project Learn more about The Self-Worth Solution: www.groundingwithruth.com Follow me on Instagram: @groundingwithruth And if this meditation resonated, a rating or review helps other women find it — thank you.

    10 min

  2. APR 2

    How to Reconnect With Yourself When You Feel Lost

    I spent the weekend doing yard work. Not something I would normally describe as meaningful — but we uncovered our backyard walkway that had been buried under grass for five years, and Keith found something hiding underneath that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. Stone feet. Just sitting there the whole time. This episode is about what that made me realize about the work we do on ourselves. Not rebuilding. Not transforming into someone new. Just clearing away what has grown over the top of us until what was always there can finally be seen. It's also about spring, dormancy, and why staying buried can feel safer than being uncovered — even when it's costing us everything. I wrote more about this on the blog this week if you want to go deeper. Read Here  Connect with me at groundingwithruth.com or on Instagram and Facebook at Grounding with Ruth.

    10 min

  3. MAR 26

    Make Friends with Your Mistakes — A Guided Self-Compassion Meditation

    Last week I sat down with Hilary Momberger Powers and we talked about something that has stayed with me ever since — the idea of making friends with your mistakes. Not excusing them. Not bypassing them. Just meeting them with a little more compassion than we usually do. This meditation is built around that idea. It's about eight minutes. Find a comfortable spot and let's practise together. If you haven't listened to my conversation with Hilary yet, start there — this one pairs well with it. Stay grounded.  Connect with me at groundingwithruth.com or on Instagram and Facebook

    8 min

  4. MAR 19

    Making Friends with Your Oopsies: A Conversation with Hilary Momberger Powers

    In this episode I sit down with Hilary Momberger Powers, a transformational mentor, motivational speaker, and life coach who has been in recovery since 1983. You may recognise her voice — she was the original voice of Sally Brown in the Peanuts cartoons. Her work now is all about helping women get free from the belief systems and wounds that keep them stuck. We talk about people pleasing as a trauma response, the beliefs we pick up in childhood that we never chose for ourselves, what it actually takes to stop living in your rear view mirror, and why hitting bottom might be the best thing that ever happened to you. This conversation is honest, a little raw, and full of moments I know are going to stay with you. In this episode we explore: How childhood trauma shapes the patterns we carry into adulthood People pleasing as a survival response, not a character flaw The difference between who you are and who you were told to be Using your five senses to come back to yourself when the world feels like too much Why hitting bottom is an invitation, not a verdict Making friends with your mistakes instead of being defined by them Connect with Hilary: Website: hilarymombergerpowers.com Instagram: @hilarymombergerpowers Book a conversation with Hilary: https://api.conversionpro.ai/widget/bookings/hilary-momberger-personal-calendar-li-a6i0fc Connect with Ruth: I am currently figuring out what I want to create next and I want to hear from you before I decide anything. There is a short survey at the link below — it takes about two minutes and it would mean a lot. Survey: https://forms.gle/Te667mfGo3Ja96g58 Website: groundingwithruth.com Instagram: @groundingwithruth Facebook: Grounding with Ruth If this episode resonated with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a woman in your life who needs to hear it. Stay Grounded.

    55 min

  5. MAR 12

    A Meditation for When You're Tired

    Sometimes you don't need a long practice. You don't need a transformation. You just need a few minutes of quiet that belong to you. I recorded this episode after a few nights of broken sleep — thunderstorms, a restless body, the usual things that add up. And instead of pushing through and making something elaborate, I made something I would actually want to listen to when I feel like this. This is a short grounding meditation for the tired days. The days when you showed up anyway. If you missed last week's episode about grounding in self-trust when life feels uncertain, I'd start there — this one pairs well with it. Stay grounded. Ruth Connect with Ruth: Learn more about working together at www.groundingwithruth.com Instagram: @groundingwithruth

    6 min

  6. MAR 5

    Why You Can't Think Your Way Out of Anxiety

    In this solo episode, I get honest about something most of us experience but rarely talk about — knowing exactly what we should do when anxiety or overwhelm hits, and still not being able to make ourselves do it. I share what happened when I tried to logic my way through my own anxiety a couple of weeks ago, why that never works, and what our nervous systems are actually doing when we can't access our tools in the moment. I also talk openly about what it's been like preparing for my workshop — the discomfort of visibility, promoting myself, asking for help — and what I'm doing to stay regulated through it all. In this episode, we explore: What happens in your nervous system when life feels uncertain Why the thinking part of your brain goes offline when you're overwhelmed The four ways we respond when we're dysregulated — fight, flight, freeze, and fawn Why you can't think your way out of a nervous system response Why practicing grounding tools when things are okay is what makes them available when things aren't What I do when my own warning signals show up Links & Resources: Grounding in Self-Trust When Life Feels Uncertain — online workshop, March 14th, 10 AM EST, $37 CAD, replay and resource guide included. Register here: SIGN ME UP Connect with me on Instagram or Facebook: @groundingwithruth Thank you for listening and for being part of this space. Stay grounded.

    10 min

  7. FEB 26

    When Life Feels Like Too Much: A Grounding Meditation to Help You Pause

    This meditation is for the weeks when there's just a lot. When your nervous system is working overtime, your feelings are bigger than usual, and you haven't had a real chance to stop. Rather than pushing through or trying to fix what's hard, this practice offers something different: a few minutes to pause, to acknowledge what you're actually carrying, and to remember that you don't have to hold it all alone. This meditation may be supportive if you're: moving through a heavy week or a heavy season carrying big emotions you haven't had space to feel exhausted from pushing through and pretending you're fine in need of a real pause, not a quick fix In this practice, you'll be invited to: let your body settle and feel supported check in honestly with how you're actually feeling soften around what you're carrying without trying to fix it reconnect to your breath and the present moment There's no right way to do this meditation. You can sit, lie down, pause, or come back later. If big feelings come up, that's not a problem - that's the point. If you'd like more grounding practices like this, you can follow the podcast or find me at Grounding with Ruth, where I share meditation, breathwork, and self-worth-focused support for women navigating burnout, people-pleasing, and uncertainty. I'm also hosting a live online workshop - Grounding in Self-Trust When Life Feels Uncertain - on Saturday March 14th, 2026 at 10 AM EST. If this meditation resonated, this workshop is the next step. Details and registration below. If you're interested in working together: Register for the March 14th workshop: REGISTER Book a free discovery call: BOOK HERE Learn more about The Self-Worth Solution course: www.groundingwithruth.com Join my free FB group, The Enough Project: JOIN HERE Follow me on Instagram: FOLLOW HERE And if this meditation was supportive, a rating or review helps others find it too.

    9 min

  8. FEB 19

    Take Your Break Time Back: A Conversation with Naturopath Sara Love on Stress, Gut Health, and Permission to Rest

    Sometimes the most supportive things are also the most overlooked: a real break, a bit of movement, and something warm in your hands. In this conversation, I'm joined by naturopathic doctor and tea maker Sara Love to talk about stress, the gut microbiome, and what it actually looks like to build self-care into a busy life—without turning it into another job. This episode is for you if: You've been running on empty and keep telling yourself you'll rest "later" You're curious about how stress affects digestion, mood, and energy You want practical, small shifts that are realistic to stick with You're trying to set boundaries but keep sliding past your own limits We talk about: Sara's path from pharmacy to naturopathic medicine Why stress can make even "good" health habits feel less effective The gut microbiome (and why the research is changing so quickly) Supporting your vagal nerve with short, intentional breaks What "intentional rest" looks like (and why doomscrolling doesn't count) Boundaries that actually hold: time blocks, hard stop times, and recovery days Ultra-marathons, mental training, and the mantras that carry you through Being more intentional about what you consume—food, media, and everything else How herbal tea blends come together (including the personalities of herbs) Guest bio: Sara Love is a naturopathic doctor in Oregon with a wide scope of practice, blending evidence-informed natural medicine with conventional tools when needed. She's also the founder of Lichen Leaf Tea, where she creates herbal blends designed to support real life—stress and all. Find Sara + Lichen Leaf Tea: Website: lichenleaf.com Connect with Ruth: Website: groundingwithruth.com Instagram: @groundingwithruth Facebook: Grounding with Ruth If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a reminder to take a break, or leave a review—it truly helps. Stay Grounded.

    43 min
See All (60)

About

Inspired Questions is a podcast for women who are tired of performing, people-pleasing, and pretending they’re fine — and who are finally ready to reclaim their voice, soften their nervous system, and live with more authenticity and self-worth. Hosted by Ruth Hirshberg, MSW, self-worth and breathwork coach, each episode blends grounded conversations, honest storytelling, breathwork and meditation, and practical tools for navigating burnout, pressure, perfectionism, and the belief that you’re “not enough.” You’ll hear from women who’ve stopped shrinking and started showing up with presence. You’ll learn how to regulate your nervous system, rewrite old stories, set boundaries without guilt, and reconnect with your real self — not the version you’ve been performing. Whether it’s a guided meditation, an honest solo episode, or a conversation with a leader, therapist, or coach, Inspired Questions is your reminder that you’re not broken — you’re human, and you deserve to feel like enough. New episodes weekly. Connect with Ruth at groundingwithruth.com or @groundingwithruth.

Information