Are you struggling to keep your emotions in check but have no idea why? You may be dealing with some unresolved trauma. In episode 21 of Work Mom Says: Don’t Be an Idiot, Work Mom dives into the topic of trauma and all the ways it can impact you.
Themes discussed in this episode
- What is trauma?
- Complex PTSD
- Types of trauma responses
- The importance of therapy
Episode Highlights
Timestamped inflection points from the show
3:45 – ACES: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Score is a scale that measures the number of major life-changing events you experienced as a child. If you have experienced a specific number, you likely exhibit the effects of PTSD.
6:20 – Effects of unresolved trauma: From anxiety to insomnia to addiction to difficulty managing emotions, unresolved trauma can cause a variety of reactions that stick with you far into adulthood.
9:30: Complex PTSD: This is a reaction to trauma that was repeated over and over again during a difficult childhood or an extended period of trauma. The feelings aren’t attached to any particular memory.
11:30 – Types of trauma responses: The four types of trauma responses are fight, flight, fawn, and freeze.
Quotes
4:50 – “Trauma is the unique individual experience of an event or enduring conditions in which the individual’s ability to integrate his or her emotional experience is overwhelmed, and the individual experience is either objectively or subjectively a threat to his or her life, bodily integrity, or that of a caregiver or family member.
5:55 – “A trauma survivor can be a CEO, a marketing executive, a journalist, a doctor, your neighbor, your teacher, your coworker, or your boss.”
9:00 – “You might wake up in the morning and just feel really fearful and anxious, and you have no idea why. Nothing’s happening. The bills are paid. Everybody’s happy. And you just have this horrible feeling of pending doom. That’s a trauma reaction that can happen to people with complex PTSD.”
14:20 – “We blame ourselves for things that happen. We think everything’s our fault, and it all goes back to those childhood experiences and the beliefs we created as children that are stuck in our brain somewhere.”
Who is our ideal listener?
This podcast is for young professionals, so they can learn to play the emotional context sport of business and experience less drama and more success.
The ideal listener is anyone struggling on an emotional level in the workplace. Work Mom Says it helps you learn to be strategic at work. This means you can look at the big picture without getting lost in the weeds. How can you be more logical and less emotional? Be strategic, and Work Mom Says can help you.
“I tell people to back up, put down the magnifying glass, and look at the big picture when you’re responding to something,” said Lori Jo Vest, Work Mom. “In doing this, you will understand that what’s really upsetting you right now will be something you don’t even remember next week.”
What value can people get from listening to this podcast?
Listening to Work Mom Says can help you grow your mood management skills, grow your ability to reframe situations, and look at things from a strategic point of view. This makes it easier to go into a work situation and get the most positive results.
On Work Mom Says, we also offer tips and tricks for creating connected positive relationships that last over time. People will want you on the team if you can create connected positive relationships and work environments. You become an asset, and you will be more successful when you’re an asset.
“I also like to talk about developing traits like optimism, persistence, tenacity, stick-to-itiveness, sticking with things, and approaching every project with a curious mind instead of a fearful mind,” said Lori Jo Vest, Work Mom
Why do I do this? A few more words from Work Mom
I do this because I naturally fell into the Work Mom role when I worked in the ad agency business and had so much fun with it. I also realized I had made just about every mistake there was to make. I don’t hold myself as a stellar example of truth and how you should be. I hold myself out there as someone who has been bruised, battered, and beaten up and learned some important lessons. I’d love to share these lessons with young people, so they don’t have to make those same mistakes or be the idiot I was.
I also want to help young professionals realize that many things our culture prioritizes aren’t really important. We talk a lot about what should be important and how to present your best face at the office so that you can succeed.
I’ve learned so much throughout my career, and it’s gratifying to share that with young professionals and help them avoid some of those mistakes and get to that success sooner.
Episode 21 – “What’s Your Trauma?” appeared first on Work Mom Says.