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The False Sense of Safety in Certainty
Manage episode 479547744 series 3326796
The power to feel emotionally safe, even when life feels uncertain, might be the greatest gift you can give yourself after divorce. But our brains make this challenging in ways you might not realize.
Have you ever wondered why leaving an unhappy marriage feels so terrifying, even when you know it's the right choice? The answer lies in how your brain processes certainty versus uncertainty. Your amygdala—the primitive part of your brain responsible for survival—doesn't distinguish between physical threats and emotional ones. When divorce disrupts your predictable patterns, your brain interprets this uncertainty as danger, triggering fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses that can leave you feeling constantly anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck.
What's fascinating is how we can mistake familiarity for safety. Even in disconnected or toxic relationships, the predictability creates a false sense of security. Your brain says: "I know what to expect here, therefore I'm safe"—even when you're deeply unfulfilled.
The transformative truth? Uncertainty itself isn't dangerous. We live with it constantly! The key is learning to create emotional safety for yourself without requiring external certainty. In this episode you’ll learn the first steps to dismantle false safety mechanisms and build true emotional security.
If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.
To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.
For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep213
Chapters
1. Welcome to Becoming You Again (00:00:00)
2. LA Trip with My Son (00:01:19)
3. The False Sense of Safety in Certainty (00:05:50)
4. How the Amygdala Processes Divorce (00:09:02)
5. Why Unhappy Marriages Feel "Safe" (00:13:49)
6. Creating Safety Within Uncertainty (00:22:20)
7. Two Questions to Transform Your Thinking (00:25:39)
8. Closing Thoughts and Invitation (00:28:52)
214 episodes
Manage episode 479547744 series 3326796
The power to feel emotionally safe, even when life feels uncertain, might be the greatest gift you can give yourself after divorce. But our brains make this challenging in ways you might not realize.
Have you ever wondered why leaving an unhappy marriage feels so terrifying, even when you know it's the right choice? The answer lies in how your brain processes certainty versus uncertainty. Your amygdala—the primitive part of your brain responsible for survival—doesn't distinguish between physical threats and emotional ones. When divorce disrupts your predictable patterns, your brain interprets this uncertainty as danger, triggering fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses that can leave you feeling constantly anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck.
What's fascinating is how we can mistake familiarity for safety. Even in disconnected or toxic relationships, the predictability creates a false sense of security. Your brain says: "I know what to expect here, therefore I'm safe"—even when you're deeply unfulfilled.
The transformative truth? Uncertainty itself isn't dangerous. We live with it constantly! The key is learning to create emotional safety for yourself without requiring external certainty. In this episode you’ll learn the first steps to dismantle false safety mechanisms and build true emotional security.
If this podcast resonated with you in any way, please take a minute to follow and give me a rating wherever you listen to podcasts.
To schedule your complimentary consult with Karin click here.
For more information and full show notes go to:
https://www.karinnelsoncoaching.com/post/ep213
Chapters
1. Welcome to Becoming You Again (00:00:00)
2. LA Trip with My Son (00:01:19)
3. The False Sense of Safety in Certainty (00:05:50)
4. How the Amygdala Processes Divorce (00:09:02)
5. Why Unhappy Marriages Feel "Safe" (00:13:49)
6. Creating Safety Within Uncertainty (00:22:20)
7. Two Questions to Transform Your Thinking (00:25:39)
8. Closing Thoughts and Invitation (00:28:52)
214 episodes
All episodes
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