Building Resilience

What if the story that once kept you safe is now keeping you stuck? In this final episode of the ReStory Yourself series, Leah Davidson guides you through how to release the old narratives that no longer serve you, not by ignoring them or forcing positivity, but through compassion, nervous system regulation, and embodied practice. Leah introduces her powerful GRACE framework, a step-by-step proces...

Two people can live through the same experience—a breakup, a job loss, or a childhood wound—and walk away with entirely different realities because of the story they tell about it. In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson explores how your inner narrative shapes both your mindset and your nervous system, and how stories can become survival codes that keep you stuck. She sh...

Have you ever noticed that your nervous system doesn’t just react to what happened? It reacts to the story you tell about it. In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah unpacks how the stories we carry, those we’ve inherited, absorbed, or created, shape the way we think, feel, and move through the world. You’ll learn how these stories can become survival codes that your nervous syste...

We often think resilience means pushing through, staying strong, toughing it out, and keeping a brave face. But what if true resilience comes from something softer, kindness?  In this grounding episode, Leah Davidson shares how kindness, especially self-kindness, can shift your nervous system from survival to safety. You’ll learn how harsh self-talk activates stress in your body, while even t...

Is it possible that the true key to success, in business, healthcare, and life, isn’t found in data, but in kindness? In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson explores how kindness, far from being a “soft skill,” is actually a powerful nervous system practice that sustains growth, connection, and creativity. From medical school ceremonies to entrepreneurial struggles, Leah...

In this milestone episode, Leah is joined by bestselling author and master coach Molly Claire to talk about her new book, She Rises. Together, they explore what it really means to rise through adversity, whether that’s grief, burnout, perfectionism, or life transitions, and how emotions, nervous system health, and community all play a role in building resilience. You’ll hear powerful stories from...

If you’ve ever struggled with IBS, you know it’s about more than digestion. It’s the discomfort, unpredictability, anxiety, and sometimes even shame that come along with it. And while food lists and symptom trackers may help a little, they rarely get to the root of the problem. In this episode of Building Resilience, Leah explores IBS from a nervous system perspective. She unpacks the fascinating...

What if the very things you do to manage your health are actually keeping you stuck? In this episode of Building Resilience, Leah uncovers the common habits that may be making you sick, like constantly talking about symptoms, compulsive Googling, avoiding activities, or delaying joy. These everyday patterns can keep your nervous system locked in protection mode, fueling chronic pain and stress. Th...

Have you ever felt like food has all the power, that you can’t trust yourself around it, or that no matter how hard you try, you keep falling into the same patterns of overeating, restricting, or guilt? What if your struggles with food aren’t really about willpower at all, but about your nervous system? In this episode of Building Resilience, I’m joined by Jane Pilger, a coach who helps people mov...

More and more parents are quietly noticing a growing distance with their adult children, and many Gen Z kids are just as quickly setting boundaries or even stepping away completely. If you’ve wondered why this is happening, you’re not alone. In this episode of Building Resilience , I explore the generational nervous system gap and why relationships between Gen X parents and Gen Z children can feel...

Silence can be one of the most powerful tools we have but it can also become one of the most damaging. In this episode of Building Resilience, we talk about the double-edged nature of silence: when it truly helps regulate your nervous system, and when it tips into avoidance, shutdown, or even self-abandonment. You’ll learn five different ways silence shows up: from a healthy reset to a symptom of...

Do you ever feel guilty for spending time on things that don’t feel “productive”? Or maybe you’ve let go of hobbies altogether because they don’t seem to “count”? In this episode of Building Resilience, we explore why skipping hobbies is actually wrecking your nervous system, and how bringing them back can help restore your energy, identity, and joy. Hobbies aren’t just frivolous or “nice to have....

What happens when your kids grow up, and your role as their parent quietly, but profoundly, changes? In this episode of Building Resilience , I unpack the real meaning behind the shocking phrase, “I hate my kids.” Spoiler: it’s not about hate at all. It’s about the complex, often unspoken realities of parenting young adult children, the shifting roles, the nervous system toll, the grief of being n...

What if the way we teach kids about emotions is actually making things worse? In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, I’m diving into 10 essential truths I wish every kid, and every parent, knew about mental health. We’re having more conversations about emotions than ever before, but we’re still missing the most foundational piece: the body.  We tell kids to calm down, to use thei...

Do you feel like you’ve done all the right things - mindset work, supplements, protocols - but your symptoms still linger? In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, I share a compassionate reframe: maybe the goal isn't to fix your body… but to help your nervous system feel safe enough to stop fighting. Whether you're navigating chronic pain, illness, or stress-related symptoms, I unpack...

What if the quickest way to calm your nervous system didn’t involve meditation, mindset work, or even deep breathing, but just a pen and a few minutes? In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson shares three simple, science-backed tools to help you gently regulate your nervous system, using creative expression, not perfection. These practices don’t require artistic skill or...

Do you ever feel like you're doing all the inner work, journaling, processing, consuming wisdom, but still not feeling purposeful or alive? In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, we explore a powerful reframe: healing alone isn’t the goal. Living is. Using the metaphors of weeding vs planting and consuming vs creating, we’ll unpack how real purpose isn’t something you chase, it’s some...

What if the most resilient people aren’t the ones who bounce back quickly—but those who allow themselves to break, feel, grieve, and still move forward? In this heartfelt episode, we explore tragic optimism—a powerful reframe introduced by Viktor Frankl—and how it allows us to hold both pain and hope without bypassing either. You’ll learn how real resilience comes not from fixing or rushing, but f...

If you’ve been calling yourself lazy, unmotivated, or inconsistent, this episode is your wake-up call. What if the reason you’re stuck isn’t a mindset problem… but a nervous system one? In this deeply validating solo episode, Leah Davidson explores how procrastination, avoidance, and “invisible resistance” are often signs of a protective nervous system, not personal failure. From ghosting your own...

What if being “messy” doesn’t mean you’re disorganized—and clutter isn’t the real issue? In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, I’m joined by organizing coach Tracy Hoth for a powerful reframe on what it really means to be organized. Spoiler: It’s not about color-coded bins or minimalist living. It’s about safety, clarity, and knowing where your stuff is—80% of the time. We talk about...

That voice in your head that says, "Who do you think you are?" The one that shows up right before you do something brave or bold? It’s not a flaw, it’s a signal , and the way you respond to it might be the difference between staying stuck or stepping forward. In Part 1, Leah Davidson explored where imposter syndrome comes from, how it shows up, and why it’s actually not the enemy. Now, in Part 2,...

Do you ever feel like any minute now, someone’s going to figure out you don’t actually belong, even though you do? In this episode, Leah reframes imposter syndrome not as a flaw to fix, but as a signal that you’re growing. Through neuroscience, personal reflection, and powerful analogies (yes, including “bicycle face”), she explores the real reason you feel like a fraud—and why it’s actually a goo...

Do you replay conversations in your head, second-guess your words, or feel a wave of shame from just one comment or look? You’re not too sensitive and you’re not alone. You’re simply human with a nervous system doing its job to protect you. In this episode, we unpack why you take things personally and what you can do to shift that response. This isn’t about “toughening up” or just thinking positiv...

You know that moment when someone says something small, but your reaction feels huge? Like, your heart’s racing, your mind is spiralling, and you’re suddenly questioning everything? Or maybe you lose it, and then after think "Oof, where did that come from?" (Or I've often seen others lose it and also wonder, "Oof, where did that come from!") One of my clients recently asked a question that I know...

Have you ever felt yourself pulling away right as things started going well? You finally feel joy, connection, or success—and suddenly you sabotage it, shut down, or spiral. You’re not broken. You’ve just hit your nervous system’s upper limit. In this episode of the Building Resilience Podcast, Leah Davidson explores why so many of us unconsciously resist the very things we want—and how to shift t...