If slowing down makes you feel guilty, anxious, or like you’re falling behind, it’s not because you lack discipline — it’s because your nervous system learned that rest was unsafe.

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, trauma-informed executive coach Elyssa Smith unpacks how productivity quietly becomes a survival pattern for high-achieving women. When your worth, safety, or emotional approval were once tied to being helpful, productive, or high-performing, your body learned to equate rest with danger.

You’ll learn why pushing harder only deepens burnout, how productivity can function as anxiety management, and what it actually takes to reclaim your energy without losing your edge.

• Why rest can feel undeserved, unsafe, or anxiety-inducing
• How productivity turns into a nervous system coping mechanism
• The childhood patterns that wire “doing more” to emotional safety
• Why planning, busyness, and overachievement can mask anxiety
• How productivity keeps your nervous system in survival mode
• What happens when you finally slow down (and why it’s normal)
• How to rebuild a sustainable rhythm of rest + productivity
• Simple ways to expand your tolerance for slowing down
• The question that reveals what your body is really afraid of

00:00 — When Rest Feels Unsafe 01:20 — Productivity as a Survival Strategy 03:00 — How Childhood Conditioning Shapes Adult Overachievement 04:25 — Why Your Mind Can’t Rest (Even on Breaks) 06:40 — The Nervous System’s Original Design for Rest & Work 08:30 — When Productivity Becomes Compulsion 09:45 — The Exhaustion Pendulum (What Happens When You Finally Stop) 11:30 — Why Slowing Down Feels Like a Threat 12:45 — How to Start Reclaiming Rest Safely 13:30 — The Question That Changes Everything

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith

If you’ve ever sat staring at a decision — unable to choose, unable to move, stuck in a fog of “I don’t know” — this episode is going to feel like a breath of relief.

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, trauma-informed executive coach Elyssa Smith breaks down the freeze response and reveals why so many high-achieving women mistake it for overthinking, procrastination, or indecision. You’ll learn how your childhood shaped this protective pattern, why your brain slams on the brakes when things feel overwhelming, and—most importantly—how to gently thaw the freeze so decisions feel doable again.

If you’ve been blaming yourself for “being stuck,” this episode will help you finally understand your nervous system and move forward with compassion, clarity, and momentum.

• Why freeze mode masquerades as indecision, overthinking, and procrastination
• How childhood chaos, responsibility, or perfectionism wired your brain to shut down
• Why high-achievers freeze when too many expectations or decisions pile up
• The hidden link between overwhelm, shame, and decision paralysis
• How to recognize the signs of a freeze response in real time
• Somatic tools to move your body out of shutdown and back into clarity
• How to take “micro steps” that break the freeze and rebuild trust with your nervous system
• Why your inner child still thinks she has to handle everything alone — and how to reassure her

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith

If you’ve ever wondered how someone rebuilds their life after devastating loss — not just surviving, but truly thriving — this episode will deeply move you.

In this episode of Unlock Your Blocks, trauma-informed executive coach Elyssa Smith sits down with Rochelle Gilbert, UK-based property investor and founder of a hands-free property investment company helping business owners build passive income and generational wealth.

Rochelle shares her powerful journey of losing her husband suddenly while raising two young children — and how that life-altering trauma became the catalyst for rebuilding her confidence, purpose, and financial independence. Together, Elyssa and Rochelle explore grief, nervous system healing, imposter syndrome, fear, risk-taking, and the courage required to build a meaningful life after loss.

This episode is both a compassionate conversation about trauma recovery and an inspiring look at how women can reclaim agency, wealth, and joy — one small step at a time.

• How grief and trauma impact the nervous system — and why distraction, shutdown, or overworking make sense
• Why surviving trauma often sparks a deep desire for purpose and meaning
• How Rochelle rebuilt her life and business after sudden loss
• The role of small, consistent steps in overcoming fear and imposter syndrome
• Why nervous system safety is essential when taking financial or career risks
• How passive income can support freedom, stability, and family time
• Why women often hesitate to invest — and how to build confidence around money
• How connecting to your why helps override self-sabotage
• Why ease and abundance don’t have to come at the cost of burnout

00:00 — Introduction to Trauma, Survival, and Thriving 01:30 — Rochelle’s Business & Passive Property Investing Explained 03:30 — Losing a Partner Suddenly: Navigating Shock and Grief 07:15 — Survival Mode, Distraction, and Emotional Overload 09:50 — Rebuilding Life After Trauma 10:36 — Starting a Business Without a Roadmap 12:58 — Imposter Syndrome & Early Business Fears 14:30 — Nervous System Responses to Risk & Visibility 16:15 — Finding Your “Why” After Loss 18:45 — Small Steps, Safety, and Confidence 21:17 — Passive Income, Time Freedom & Family Life 23:02 — Fear, Risk, and Financial Decisions 26:57 — Why Women Approach Money Differently 30:43 — Putting Wealth in the Hands of Good People 31:13 — First Steps After Trauma & First Steps to Investing 35:32 — Music, Self-Care, and Nervous System Reset 38:10 — Where to Find Rochelle

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rochelle-gilburn/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/property_by_rochelle

Facebook: https://facebook.com/RochelleGilburn

✨ 5 Nervous System Tricks You Can Do at Your Desk Designed specifically for high-achieving women who want to calm their body in under 60 seconds — even in the middle of the workday. 👉 Download it here: https://elyssasmith.com/reset

Book your FREE 15-minute Unlock Your Blocks Focus Call to uncover what’s keeping you from the balance, clarity, and peace you’ve been craving. This private call is just for women who are ready to stop running on empty and start leading with ease. 👉 elyssasmith.com/focus

Let’s stay connected:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/elyssacsmith

💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/elyssacsmith