Broken to Brave | Guiding you to heal & break free from anxiety

Embracing Holistic Healing with Gigi Michalak

• Dr. Stephanie Lopez • Episode 76

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What if the key to healing isn't found in perfect diets or strict protocols, but in a profound mindset shift? At 22, Gigi hit rock bottom while battling scleroderma, taking oral chemotherapy, and feeling like she was on a path to death. Through a powerful spiritual experience, she discovered that believing in her ability to heal was the first step toward transformation. In this moving conversation, Gigi shares her journey from victim mentality to empowered healing, and why emotional wellbeing is just as crucial as physical health when dealing with chronic illness.

In this episode, we talk about the following:
1. Gigi's story of living with scleroderma and navigating autoimmune disease.
2. The powerful connection between mindset, spirituality, and physical healing.
3. Breaking free from restrictive diets and embracing holistic wellness.

You can connect with Gigi on:
Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/autoimmune.babe
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@autoimmune.babe
Podcast: https://www.autoimmunebabe.com/podcasts/road-to-remission-podcast
Website: https://www.autoimmunebabe.com

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Speaker 1:

I'm Dr Steph and I want you to know that you do not have to suffer from anxiety or explosive emotional reactions like lashing out. You are not, in fact, broken and I'm going to show you how to have the ultimate control over your reactions so that you are unstoppable. Welcome to the Broken to Brave podcast. Welcome back. I have Gigi Mahalik on the podcast today. We originally met, I think, in 2021 in a business program and we've stayed connected since then and I've watched her journey through Instagram and just the shifts in her business and the shifts, you know, in you getting married and all types of things. Anyways, I just can't wait to introduce you to the podcast listeners. Can you tell me a little bit more about who you are? Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

I'm just so excited to be here, steph. It's been, I feel, like a long time coming, and it's so nice to meet all of you who are listening today. My name is Gigi, I am a clinical nutritionist and I specialize in autoimmune inflammation, so I help women live more vibrant and fulfilling lives. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and it started from my own experience with autoimmune disease and that's kind of how I started I went from sick to now like serving women, which is just an honor.

Speaker 1:

So I love that so much of what I do today which you probably know is because of all the struggles that I had and it feels amazing to be able to, for at least for me to be able to say, oh, okay, that's at least part of why I went through all of that, because now perfectly equipped to help many, many women. So true.

Speaker 2:

I feel like I couldn't agree more with that statement. Having somebody in your corner that gets it because they've gone through it is a gift, and being able to give people women especially that gift it is, it's an honor for sure.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. So now I know for you, inner work, spirituality and your autoimmune disorder are connected. Tell me what was life like before starting this inner work or personal development journey? Yeah, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

What a good question the best way that I could describe it. I'm going to describe it as this first, and then I'm going to dive into the details. I was diagnosed with scleroderma, which is a connective tissue autoimmune disease, at 12 years old. So, like at 12 years old, especially as a young girl, we're going into puberty, our identity is being formed, we're starting middle school At least that's what that was my case living in South Florida.

Speaker 2:

That was my case living in South Florida, and so very early on I started to experience the unfortunate impact of my illness becoming my identity and it really became how I positioned myself in my world, where I was either at a disadvantage, I was broken, my genetics were off, I was the unlucky one and, as we all very well know, when it comes to personal development, when it comes to mindset, this victim mentality, even that we're going to use victim mentality. We're not going to shame it, we're just going to call it what it is Right. It put me at a disadvantage in so many other areas in life, and that followed me for over a decade. And so that's really what my experience was before this, this healing journey, both on an emotional and physical level. I was a victim of my diagnosis, both in a spiritual, emotional and physical capacity.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wow, I had no idea that you were 12. And as I was listening to you, I was just picturing a 12 year old girl getting this diagnosis and it makes me teary eyed, because of course you said we're not going to shame victim mentality. Of course you, you were like a baby. Of course you went into that place. Yeah, did I. Curious question did you have anybody that you could look up to like? Oh, they dealt with this and they get it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's such a good question. I actually kind of did the opposite. Oh, so I okay. So two things come to mind. Yeah, one was like my family dynamic when I realized that I was sick and and this wasn't a flu, right, cause there's a point in time when you get diagnosed with an autoimmune disease where you're like, oh wait, this is more serious, right, and naturally as a child, even as an adult, we do this, this, especially as a child, we kind of like watch our parents reaction, right, how serious is this? Yeah, and my parents were distraught, they were beside themselves, so they were scared.

Speaker 2:

They were terrified. When we look at different types of scleroderma, it's a really scary condition, and I processed this in a way where I was like, how do I describe this? Okay, the way that I process this was I am sick and that makes my parents sad. When I pretend to be okay, that will make my parents happy, oh yeah, that will make my parents happy, oh yeah. And so I masked a lot of my anguish, I masked a lot of my pain and even to this day like I almost have to talk to my mom about this because she was like, johnny, you just handled it so well I'm like no, I didn't, oh, she didn't, oh, she didn't know. My mom didn't know. And I think that that was truly because it's a beautiful thing, because I think that it showcased the love that I have for my parents and I think that it shows a pattern, a mindset pattern of mine, that I'm willing to sacrifice myself to the point of despair for the people that I love.

Speaker 1:

You were, I'm assuming. Yes, yeah, wow, wow, okay. Small note ironic the episode coming out right before yours is about pretending and masking, really, yeah yeah. So I was like, oh, look at this beautiful. I mean not, but it brings it to life.

Speaker 2:

It brings it to life, which is so important, because so often when we feel like we're masking, we feel like we're hiding and that hiding kind of feels like shameful and like there's usually a common I don't a common narrative when it comes to masking symptoms, but a common narrative when it comes to masking symptoms. A lot of it can come with good intentions and it feels right, but it's not necessarily going to lead you to the true healing that can be within your reach.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay, For those listening that are like never heard of scleroderma, like what is this? Can you just give us like a couple sentences?

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah for sure. So one. If you've never heard of scleroderma before, you're not alone. It's pretty rare, so that's okay. It is a connective tissue autoimmune disease, so the best way that I like to describe it is one. It's a cousin of lupus, so it's like lupus but different, more of like a relative.

Speaker 2:

Scleroderma literally means scarring of the skin, scarring of connective tissue, and the scarring can have a multitude of severities. So for me, a lot of my scarring happened on my connective tissue within the dermis, so that's like your skin tissue, right? This can lead to like hyperpigmented lesions that look like bruises and it could be a very physical, like a physical outwardly what's the word? Excuse me. You can observe it Like you can see it on your skin, your skin. I was like how do I describe this? Um, and in other forms, that connective tissue scarring can be in your organs and in those cases you can actually pass away from the effects. So the severity of this condition can be devastating and, just like lupus, it could be devastating. Scleroderma can be devastating for a multitude of reasons, but that's just kind of more of a superficial idea of what this condition is and how severe it can get.

Speaker 1:

Yeah Okay, ignorant question Connective tissue is that muscle too? Yeah, good question.

Speaker 2:

This is really good. So connective tissue lives all throughout the body, but within your skin, your muscles, your organs, it's really the webbing that allows your it like holds your muscles together, right, and so connective tissue is just kind of everywhere. It's one of the reasons why connective tissue autoimmune conditions can be so all consuming, because pretty much anywhere can be affected Exactly.

Speaker 1:

Wow, wow, wow, okay, okay. So anything else about your journey before, whether it's masking, or how you felt, or how you viewed life, looked at the world, any of that that you want to share? Yeah?

Speaker 2:

There was one other thing that, my goodness, that was very prevalent. Oh, my gosh, I can't talk today. What is the word Human? Yeah, prevalent, thank you so much. Prevalent in the time of the early 2000s, which was kind of like this diet culture, fad, right, yes, and so often what I'm going to be sharing a lot on the other side of my healing journey is that, like, food can be medicine, right, but there was such a long time where I try to utilize food as medicine in a really toxic way and it didn't work, and so a lot of this came from looking at my body like a math equation and not like a woman, like a growing woman, especially during, like my late teen, early young adult years, like 16 to 19.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

I was like counting calories and working out and measuring, okay, well, like this should be this and that way should be that way, this is bad and this is good. And that quickly drove my mind insane because I was still getting sicker. I just had more stress on top of it because I was trying to measure and count and control things that were not actively helping me. And so, before we kind of talk about like healing and like mindset and how that really can transform our relationship with food and that can allow food to become medicine, yeah, I wanted to kind of paint the picture and say, hey, I've done this wrong before for many years and unfortunately, when I say wrong, I mean almost like just not supportive, not effective, and a lot of that is still being marketed, it is pushed today Like it's, like it's the brand new thing and it's not. And so I'm excited to kind of share what that looks like on the other side as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay. And so in that 16 to 19 range, even though you observed oh, I'm getting sicker the thought process was like oh, I must still not be getting it quite right, or were you kind of not even thinking about it like that?

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah, that's such a good question. I think that response was a little bit more complex. And it would go. It would ebb and flow. The ebbs and flows would be extreme, and so the best way that I could describe it is that I wouldn't go into. So the best way that I could describe it is that I would go into. I would go from like numb to depressed.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

Numb to depressed, and that numb was more like that space where I could be like okay, like I can push through, I can count and measure and cook and obsess. And then the depression was when I would like not be able to get out of bed because I was in a flare up and I was a victim of my illness and so I was really kind of a slave to both.

Speaker 1:

In case others and this is me I don't totally know what a flare up is, what symptoms. I'm just curious now, were you dealing with?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's such a good question. So when we're talking about autoimmune disease, when the term flare-up means that there is a drastic increase or progression when it comes to symptoms, so this varies from person to person and diagnosis to diagnosis. So for me, a lot of the times flare-ups would be muscle pain, joint pain and then the scleroderma lesions would get bigger. So there was like a cosmetic my body would cosmetically look different and with these lesions they looked like burn marks. So people would be like what happened? And I'm like, okay, are my? Yes, like in high school, people thought I was getting beaten home and I'm like no, just sick, you know, and so not to be like the trauma jokes but yeah, so it was just I there that that would ultimately happen.

Speaker 2:

There would be more pain and then more progress, and then that would be the new standard until the next flare up. So there was a fears of the next flare up. What is the flare up going to be like? And then, once that flare up hit, would be a depression, because there would have to be this new level of acceptance for this new body that's just getting sicker and sicker and now you have to adjust based on your capacity.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wow, okay. So tell me, was there a peak moment for you where everything shifted?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah there definitely was. So this was when I was 22. So, 10 years after, I've had this condition. And there's something about having an autoimmune disease for 10 years where you're like I'm forgetting what it even feels like to be healthy.

Speaker 1:

That makes sense.

Speaker 2:

Right, yeah. And so during this time I was going through a flare up and now this new lesion started to affect my arms. So during this time I got really really good at sighting and dressing and the ways that I felt confident and really kind of hiding my lesions to the best of my ability, and that meant. So the fact that I had a new lesion on my arm meant that I no longer could dress the way that I wanted to to feel confident, and it broke my soul. There was something about this flare up where I looked in the mirror and I no longer saw myself anymore. I felt like I was going to just a trigger warning, a want to make sure that everyone's like kind of prepared. I'm just being transparent. I looked in the mirror and I literally thought that I was just going to die from the medications that I was taking or the condition itself. I felt like I was on the road to death.

Speaker 2:

I don't know how else to describe it and to kind of give you a picture of like the medications that I was taking, I was 22 years old, taking like oral chemo, cause that's often what's prescribed to women with autoimmune disease, especially with connective tissue. So I was 22 years old, working two jobs at the university of Florida, taking chemo, getting sicker, and I just found myself bankrupt on an emotional, physical and spiritual level and it brought me to my knees. Yeah, it brought me to my knees because it got to the point where I no longer saw a future. I'm like, if this is the rest of my life, like I no longer want it, like I don't want to live this way, and it was a heartbreaking moment and that heartbreak led to me kind of just like crying out to God and being like I don't even know if you're out there, I don't even know if you exist. You know, ring, ring, ring, like if you're out there, please just give me a life worth fighting for and I'll serve you for the rest of my life.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, oh, goosebumps. It was truly a point of desperation in so many aspects and in that moment I felt this, what I can only describe as like a lift of like peace and the peace was not my own because I never experienced that in my life. And that night I've had my first tangible experience with God. That night, and I had a vision which was like vines and flowers and produce, and it was like colorful and beautiful and it was like my frontal lobe was like, not in the conversation, but my like spirit was locked in and I it was like I knew what.

Speaker 1:

I needed to do. I have full body goosebumps like all down my arms, all down my legs, Just wow.

Speaker 2:

It was such a life-changing moment. The craziest part that that day was the day my healing journey started. The craziest part is that I was not healed that day. But there was a miracle that day, and that miracle was that I believed that I could heal.

Speaker 1:

Yes. My mindset changed Continual. Just I wish you could see them, my whole, like everywhere, goosebumps oh my gosh.

Speaker 2:

I love that. It's, it's it. I don't share it, like I don't share this often, but I should share it more because it's so profound and that that mindset shift, that belief, is what ultimately carried me into any a completely new life. That's ultimately why I deeply believe to the core of my being, that mindset and belief are at the root of this. If you, you can be doing all the right things, but if you believe that your body is broken, if you feel like you're on the road to death, it doesn't matter what you do. Your brain is just going to be looking for death and despair.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, wow, yeah, okay, that was powerful. Talk to me about okay, okay. So what's next?

Speaker 2:

you, that was the moment, but nothing physically had shifted nothing at all, yeah, just my mind, and so the best way that I could describe it was like urgency. I was like, okay, if I could do this, like I got to do it now, right, none of the pain went away. The flare up was still there. I want to emphasize that the only thing that changed was my mind, yeah, and it was almost like nothing could stop me. It was crazy, and so serendipitously. This is actually you know what's crazy? Yeah, this it's. It's 11 years ago today, today. That's actually crazy. I just looked at that.

Speaker 2:

It's not a while I like celebrated it over the weekend, but anyway, I digress. So I had urgency and at the time I was like, okay, well, I feel like my brain was just like looking for options. But so often we're like, okay, well, which one's going to work? Right, because you're like, okay, there's so many people just saying a bunch of stuff, but what's bogus and what's actually fact? Right, right. And so I found myself serendipitously walking into like a, an herbal store. So there was like herbs and I was honestly looking for a Himalayan salt lamb because I was like, okay, this is all that I could find. It's supposed to help with joint pain. So like, let's get it, it's cute and it's supposed to help. So I went in looking for Himalayan salt layer and who I found inside that room end up being the catalyst to believing that remission was possible.

Speaker 2:

And she was really the first person to really show me what it looks like to fight for your health. Naturally, and her name was Otter. She was like as hippie as you could think she was a cancer survivor and the day that we met she really spoke life into me in a beautiful way. She didn't necessarily like believe in the same things I did, but like she was such a huge part of my healing journey in a huge way, and we're still stay in touch. She is, she is such a powerful woman in so many ways and she was ultimately that first person to say, hey, you can do this, let's get you started on this, on this path immediately. And so, three days later, I actually have somebody in my corner helping me really getting this thing going. When it comes to like herbs and superfoods and diet and breaking habits that were quite literally making me sicker, which was like self-medicating on, like alcohol and smoking, weed and things of that sort that are very common to college kids but for me, were toxic and lethal at the time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, wow, yeah, I think it's no coincidence that you walked into that shop and that she was there and that I assume you chose to be open with her because you could have gone in, bought what you wanted to buy and walked out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah 100% she. She asked me questions, for sure, she had a sixth sense about her which was like mind blowing in a multitude of ways, but ultimately, yeah, like I had to be on, I had to like accept her offer. I had to say yes. And I think about that often, where it's like. Sometimes we're like, okay, well, we want to feel better, but when we have the opportunity to really fight and put your sneaker to the pavement, like you're going to say yes and you're going to learn, and that's ultimately fighting for your life.

Speaker 1:

That is so good. So good Because, yeah, how many times has someone been in pain, emotionally, physically, had an opportunity where it was like, oh yeah, this can help me, and they walk away, they?

Speaker 2:

wait and the cost of waiting and I've waited before and the cost of waiting can far exceed the cost of moving forward, even if it doesn't work. That's the craziest part, which nine times out of 10, it does. Yeah Right, but the cost of waiting and not choosing to fight for your health on an emotional level does something to you and you and you choose to say yes, that in my opinion, you can't force anyone to fight for their health. I firmly believe that you have to be ready, you can right.

Speaker 2:

And it breaks my heart a little bit every time somebody does that, because what I know is that they're essentially choosing in that moment. They're like I don't want to bet on myself. I actually don't believe in myself enough that I'm willing to say in misery, and that is heartbreaking.

Speaker 1:

It is for sure. I see it too. Yeah, wow, wow, okay. What else do you want to share? I feel like we could be here for two hours.

Speaker 2:

I know I feel like there's so many things that I want to be like, oh my gosh, like food is medicine.

Speaker 2:

There's so many things, so many there.

Speaker 2:

I'll share this because I know that I briefly shared about like what didn't work for me nutritionally and like the mindset behind that, and so something that Otter shared with me very early on was the impact of like adding in foods, right, and so just kind of painting this picture of where I was when I started, cause so often when I share with people that I had like a tangible experience with God and it's like really like a spiritual thing, they think that's like oh, you were like good at the beginning and it's like no, no, no, I still had a, I still had crippling anxiety, I still had a horrible relationship with my body, I was still actively in pain.

Speaker 2:

Truly, the only difference was that I've had faith and I literally thought about my disease differently. I saw my body and my disease in a completely new light and so, with that new perspective, I almost had this like a little bit more wisdom. And as I approached this new healing journey, I very much saw my past experiences with different restrictive diets and paleo and in the ADP diet nox, harm, all these diets that I tried that didn't work and that led me to more anxiety than actually freedom, and I made a decision very early on that I was not going to neglect my emotional health for the sake of being physically healthier, and it was the smartest decision that I could have made early on in my healing journey.

Speaker 1:

Give me one example of what you mean there, like paint that picture for listeners.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so good. So when we are on this pursuit of physical health, this could be weight loss, reducing inflammation, it could be a fitness journey, right? So much of what this looks, looks like when it comes to mainstream wellness is very physical measuring, counting, discipline, willpower, yep, but it's not usually emphasizes. Hey, how is your emotional health? Are you actually living a living life, one, ever, ever? The most miserable people that I know sometimes are the ones that wake up at five o'clock in the morning and work out. Right, and don't get me wrong, we love a good workout routine. We're not shaming that. Is it actually a life-saving practice for you? Yeah, and that's the difference.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes.

Speaker 2:

All because you're doing the checklist does not mean you become a happier human.

Speaker 2:

And ultimately, when we're thinking about freedom, when we're thinking about health and vibrancy and a fulfilling life, your emotional health is what's going to allow that to happen.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and so we both need to be considered.

Speaker 2:

Now, when it comes to autoimmune disease, in my professional opinion, if you are looking to increase remission, it's a non-negotiable to consider both, because autoimmune disease, in nine out of 10 cases, is a stress-ind induced condition, which means that if you are going through stressful seasons, you will likely experience flare ups or you increase your risk drastically for one, which makes you feel like you're a victim of your condition, because there are times where they're just simply out of your control, yeah Right, where they're just simply out of your control, yeah Right.

Speaker 2:

And so so often we neglect our emotional health on this pursuit, and I didn't have necessarily that clarity at the time, but what I did have was the wisdom and I decided in that moment, and it has been something that I teach 10 years later, 11 years later now, and it is a game changer 10 years later, 11 years later now, and it is a game changer the more that you find out how directly like connected our brain health, our digestive health and our inflammation are. It is a. It is a seed back loop to healing and restoration in the most magical and miraculous way, but so much of us don't tap into it.

Speaker 1:

So the vast majority of people, yeah, wow, and it was just not the shortcut option that's marketed often. No yeah.

Speaker 2:

Oh, this is so good. It's, it's. I'm so glad if this is so much fun. Just kind of highlighting this stuff, because this is the secret sauce. Yeah, yes, it's like we're human. We're not math equations. Right, it's like the best news ever.

Speaker 1:

Right, let's get the word out to more people. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2:

So that's ultimately what led me to start adding in and like adding in nourishment and adding in anti-inflammatory foods and ultimately against like there was elimination and things of that sort on my healing journey. But I did it with like an empowered decision. Right, it was never I have to do this. It was like no, okay, this doesn't serve me. And now I'm creating a boundary decision. Right, it was never I I have to do this. It was like no, okay, this doesn't serve me. And now I'm creating a boundary. And so something that I teach in my program is that like hey, when we have a food, like a food intolerance, yeah, establish a boundary. Just like a like someone, we need to establish a boundary. In real life, so often we're like bad or good, it's's like what if? What if? We just need a boundary there versus like black and white.

Speaker 1:

I love it. I talk about black and white and all or nothing all the time. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I don't know if it's. It's easy Again. This is one of those things where it's easy to just be like bad or good and it's like satisfying to the mind when it comes to like simplicity, but once we dive into the complexity of our emotions, it doesn't make sense no, no in the mind.

Speaker 1:

You know, one of the things that it does automatically is bucket it in good, bad, right, wrong, all or nothing. Yeah, however, you, we get to look at that and say like, okay, do I, do I have to buy into that, do I have to believe that, or is my mind just doing it because this is efficient and it's trying to be efficient? Period, yes, yeah, 100% yes, okay, anything else that's really important or that you want listeners to know about your healing journey?

Speaker 2:

I want to make sure that the first thing that came to mind is actually the thing that I should say, but ultimately I want to encourage the person who has been trying for a really long time to support their health and they're not seeing the results that they want, whether that is weight losses and budging, or their immune markers are still sky high or they're in pain. Your body was designed to heal. Your body has a mechanism that allows you to regulate inflammation, just like how you can better regulate emotions. Both are so so possible and they are connected. So please know that there is hope. Where you're standing right now has so much potential, and all because you didn't experience it right now, up until this point, does not mean that it's out of reach for the future.

Speaker 1:

I love that so much. Is there anything else that you would tell to someone who is feeling like they're broken, or their body's broken, or asking themselves like why am I like this? Anything you would want those women to know?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So this is something that I'm even practicing right now, because something that I shared with you, Steph, before we started recording. It's something that's really been prevalent in this season of my life. Right now is there's really no point in which you have arrived. There's always something to like move towards when it comes to health and personal development and business achievement, like put any kind of subject line and if you're a high achieving woman, you're moving towards it.

Speaker 1:

Right, right there's. There's a goal or a destination that we want to achieve.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, and that's a good thing. Oftentimes, when we're on this journey, it can feel agonizing, and when I'm experiencing these times, right Gosh, you just feel like you're like is it, should it be this hard? Is it? Am I going in the right? Did I hear something wrong? And I thought I was good in this. Am I really that good? You know, and you start doubting yourself. That's when you know, when you start really doubting your skill or doubting yourself. Focus on the next step. Don't need to do all the things, especially if you're a mom. All so often we are thinking about the whole day and what time to pick up our kids and what needs to be done after the children get home, and all of that is valid. But in that moment, just feel where your feet are and take the next step.

Speaker 1:

The next best step. The next best step.

Speaker 2:

This is what I recommend to my clients when they're going through flare-ups. It has gotten me through flare-ups. When you feel like you're out of control, just focus on one thing at a time and once you accomplish that, move on to the next and you'll be surprised how productive you can be when you focus on one thing at a time.

Speaker 1:

I love that so much. I talk about that in a similar way because I'll have clients who they want to figure out A to Z Like I want to know Z before I move. And it's like you got to take one step and then B and C appear. And then you get to decide do I want to go B, do I want to go C, do I want to go E? And then you take the next step and it's so funny. Just maybe 40, 50 minutes ago I shared something in my stories that said it has a little character at the bottom of a full flight of stairs and it's like when you are feeling overwhelmed, and then it has another flight of stairs with the same character. It just circles one step. Focus on this.

Speaker 2:

It's so good. I'm going to share it online too, because it's so true. It's so powerful in the moment. It makes so much sense when you're looking at an image of it. Yeah, when you're in the moment and you choose it, it's so freeing. Yes, it really can be so freeing when you just like, you're like okay, this is it, this is what we're focusing on, and then you just let everything kind of melt away for just a moment.

Speaker 1:

It doesn't happen forever, right, and it makes life just a little bit more tangible, and that's sometimes what we need Yep Rather than okay today, even though there's overwhelm, I'm not going to choose overwhelm, I'm not going to spiral. I'm just going to focus on that next best step and trust that everything will work out. Because when I look at my life, when you look at your life, when all of us look at our lives, how many things did we think were going to be awful or we were had so much fear, oh, my goodness, what's going to happen? And then, when you look at it, it worked out Okay, or sometimes better than you ever imagined Exactly.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and sometimes that one step can be like taking a shower right.

Speaker 1:

It doesn't have to be.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, Make it easy. It can be so, it could be in your capacity. And so it doesn't make you for saying that you're so welcome, Cause that's like it could be making yourself lunch, it could be stepping away from work, because it is so true. I I've experienced that personally where you're just like this is going the worst way possible and you freak out and then something happens. You're like, oh, thanks. And then you know you're like wait, hold on, I just freaked out. And then you go into this point of reflection. It's so often we have actually the choice to be like you know what? What's this next step? Hey, what if everything goes right? And this is hard, yes, and what if I choose to believe that everything goes right?

Speaker 1:

Love it, love it. Okay, so if listeners are like, oh my gosh, I want to follow you, connect with you, what is the best way that they can find you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, of course. So you can find me on social media TikTok, instagram, at autoimmunebabe, or you can find me on my website at autoimmunebabecom. Oh, and I also have a podcast, the Road to Remission podcast, and there's episodes every Tuesday, so feel free to listen in if you want.

Speaker 1:

Love it. I'll link everything up in the show notes so you can just click that with ease and follow Gigi. Thank you so much for coming on today. Thank you for having me, steph, it's the best. Thank you so much for listening today. Are you ready to finally heal and break free from anxiety, including symptoms like replaying interactions, fearing, making mistakes, imagining worst case scenarios and constant worrying? If so, dm me the word free on Instagram at Dr Stephanie Lopez and I will send you a link to my completely free class to officially ditch anxiety.

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Dr. Stephanie Lopez

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