Many of us play small — not because we lack ambition, but because our nervous system doesn’t feel safe to expand.

If you grew up in an environment where being seen, having needs, or taking up space led to punishment or volatility, your body learned that shrinking was safer.
Even in adulthood, that conditioning can surface as fear of visibility, fear of asking for more, or guilt for wanting a better life.

In this episode, I share my personal story of learning to take up space after a childhood of walking on eggshells — and how I rebuilt the self-belief to allow myself more than I was ever allowed before.

In this episode:
• Why childhood trauma creates fear around visibility and asking for more
• How the nervous system interprets expansion as danger
• What “playing small” looks like in adulthood
• How to gently override survival programming
• Reparenting the inner child who learned to minimise herself
• Building self-belief one small expansion at a time
• The mantra that rewired my self-worth and allowed me to receive
• Why taking up space is an act of self-love, not selfishness

Reflective question:
Where in your life have you been shrinking — and what would it feel like to take up a little more space today?

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YouTube: @BeHealing
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About the podcast:
Be Healing with Claire Louise Hay is a weekly podcast for heart-led women, empaths, and lightworkers ready to heal trauma, expand their self-worth, and live guided by love instead of fear. Expect personal stories, emotional healing guidance, and practical tools for stepping into your full expression and purpose.