In this episode of Life Sucks, Now What?!, Dr. Natalie discusses the concept of having big emotional reactions to people or situations that remind us of past experiences. She explains that our body and mind are wired to recognize patterns and make quick decisions based on past experiences. However, this can lead to overreactions and misunderstandings in current situations.

Dr. Natalie suggests using mindfulness and self-awareness to recognize when we are falling into old patterns and to interrupt those patterns. She emphasizes the importance of choosing new ways of responding and experimenting with different approaches. Keywords emotional reactions, past experiences, patterns, mindfulness, self-awareness, interrupting patterns, choosing new responses Takeaways - Our body and mind are wired to recognize patterns and make quick decisions based on past experiences. - Having big emotional reactions to people or situations that remind us of past experiences is a natural response. - Mindfulness and self-awareness can help us recognize when we are falling into old patterns. - Interrupting old patterns and choosing new ways of responding can lead to healthier and more effective interactions. __________________________________________________ To Learn More About Dr. Natalie Marr, check her out at: ⁠NatalieMarrCounseling.com⁠ __________________________________________________ DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast and video is not a replacement for therapy and is not clinical, medical, or mental health treatment. Dr. Natalie Marr is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Minnesota. Her work with ⁠NatalieMarrCounseling.com (https://⁠NatalieMarrCounseling.com) ⁠ and all affiliate social media entities is educational and coaching based ONLY. She IS NOT offering therapeutic services of any kind on these mediums. If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide, please use the following crisis resources (this is not an exhaustive list of available resources): National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: ⁠⁠https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ ⁠⁠ CALL 988 Crisis Text Line: ⁠ ⁠https://www.crisistextline.org/ ⁠⁠ Text HOME to 741741