In this deeply personal, unscripted episode of NeuroHeir, Leanna records from a hotel room in Cozumel on the one-year anniversary of her father’s passing — reflecting on timing, grief, nervous system resilience, and what it really means to move beyond survival.

After a whirlwind 24-hour journey just to arrive, Leanna shares how nervous system regulation made it possible to navigate stress, uncertainty, and loss without shutting down. This episode weaves together personal storytelling, intergenerational trauma research, and gentle somatic awareness to explore how silence, protection, and survival patterns get passed down and how awareness can begin to shift them.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, honor where you are, and begin listening to what your body has been communicating all along. It also marks the start of a deeper series focused on the window of tolerance and Leanna’s four-part framework: Notice, Name, Nurture, Navigate.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why noticing is the true starting point of nervous system healing
• How grief, timing, and unexpected disruption reveal nervous system capacity
• The difference between surviving and thriving and how many of us are stuck in survival without realizing it
• How silence can be both a protective strategy and a source of ongoing anxiety
• Why vulnerability with yourself is the doorway to deeper connection with others
• What it looks like to expand your window of tolerance without avoiding emotion
• A gentle somatic noticing practice you can return to anytime you need grounding
  
  

💬 Have a Question You’d Like Answered on the Podcast?

If you have a question around the nervous system, healing relationships, or generational patterns, you’re invited to submit it anonymously using the link below.

There’s also an optional box you can check if you’d like to be considered for a short audio coaching conversation on a future episode.

👉 Submit your question

Connect with me:
Instagram → @aligningwithleanna

Website → leannahunt.com

Disclaimer:
Although I am a licensed Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor, The NeuroHeir℠ Podcast is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, or medical treatment. The tools and practices I share are for educational and coaching purposes only. Every nervous system is unique, and what we discuss on this podcast should not replace your own individual therapeutic work or professional support.

The focus of this podcast is my coaching work, which centers on education, nervous system practices, and generational healing tools designed to support—not replace—your personal journey with a qualified provider.

If you are struggling with your mental health or experiencing overwhelming emotions, please seek support from a licensed professional in your area. You don’t have to do this work alone.

By the end of January, many people begin questioning themselves — why motivation feels harder, why consistency slips, or why the changes they were excited about already feel fragile.

In this episode of The NeuroHeir Podcast, Leanna Hunt offers a compassionate reframe: what if nothing has gone wrong, and what you’re noticing is simply how your nervous system actually works?

If you’re trying to stay with the changes you’re making while honoring your limits, your relationships, and your body’s cues, this episode offers a grounded, sustainable path forward.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why willpower fails under pressure and what your nervous system actually needs first
• How baseline frequency and acclimation shape sustainable change
• The difference between growth and self-abandonment (and how to tell when you’re crossing that line)
• Four NeuroHeir orienting points for staying with change without burning bridges
• How to integrate growth at a pace that supports safety, connection, and follow-through

💬 Have a Question You’d Like Answered on the Podcast?

If you have a question around the nervous system, healing relationships, or generational patterns, you’re invited to submit it anonymously using the link below.

There’s also an optional box you can check if you’d like to be considered for a short audio coaching conversation on a future episode.

👉 Submit your question

Connect with me:
Instagram → @aligningwithleanna

Website → leannahunt.com

Disclaimer:
Although I am a licensed Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor, The NeuroHeir℠ Podcast is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, or medical treatment. The tools and practices I share are for educational and coaching purposes only. Every nervous system is unique, and what we discuss on this podcast should not replace your own individual therapeutic work or professional support.

The focus of this podcast is my coaching work, which centers on education, nervous system practices, and generational healing tools designed to support—not replace—your personal journey with a qualified provider.

If you are struggling with your mental health or experiencing overwhelming emotions, please seek support from a licensed professional in your area. You don’t have to do this work alone.

What if sustainable change has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with safety?

In this episode of The NeuroHeir Podcast, Leanna explores why so many cycles of burnout, over-functioning, and “starting over” aren’t personal failures, but nervous system patterns rooted in familiarity and survival.

You’ll learn:

• Why your nervous system resists change even positive change
• How “visiting” a new way of being is part of acclimation, not failure
• The difference between forcing growth and stabilizing a new frequency
• Why expansion can feel lonely before it feels freeing
• How healing one nervous system sends an invitation (not a demand) to others

​​References

Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410–422.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780716728504/self-efficacy

Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. Jason Aronson.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1978-24329-000

Lieberman, M. D., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2011). Self-affirmation reduces neural responses to threat. Psychological Science, 22(1), 94–101.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610390389

McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179.
https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199801153380307

McEwen, B. S., & Stellar, E. (1993). Stress and the individual: Mechanisms leading to disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 153(18), 2093–2101.
https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1993.00410180039004

Porges, S. W. (2009). The polyvagal theory: New insights into adaptive reactions of the autonomic nervous system. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 76(Suppl 2), S86–S90.
https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.76.s2.17

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393707007

Connect with me:
Instagram → @aligningwithleanna

Website → leannahunt.com

Disclaimer:
Although I am a licensed Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor, The NeuroHeir℠ Podcast is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, or medical treatment. The tools and practices I share are for educational and coaching purposes only. Every nervous system is unique, and what we discuss on this podcast should not replace your own individual therapeutic work or professional support.

The focus of this podcast is my coaching work, which centers on education, nervous system practices, and generational healing tools designed to support—not replace—your personal journey with a qualified provider.

If you are struggling with your mental health or experiencing overwhelming emotions, please seek support from a licensed professional in your area. You don’t have to do this work alone.