Feeling Stuck? Small Shifts to Help You Feel Better Again

Feeling stuck lately? You’re not alone.

In this follow-up to last week’s vulnerable conversation about overwhelm, Penny shares gentle, practical ways to begin moving forward again when life feels heavy, messy, or emotionally off.

This isn’t about hustling harder or pretending everything’s fine. It’s about small shifts that help you reconnect with yourself, your joy, and the people you serve.

Through stories, mindfulness practices, sensory grounding, and reflections on community, connection, and Wine Camp memories, Penny offers encouragement for anyone navigating overwhelm, burnout, or uncertainty right now.

In this episode:

•  Why asking a better question changes everything 
•  The difference between hustle culture and feminine momentum 
•  Simple grounding practices that help you feel better fast 
•  How mindfulness helps move you from overwhelm into action 
•  Why joy and connection matter more than perfection 
•  The role community plays in healing and growth 

If you’ve been waiting to “get it together” before showing up again, this episode is your reminder that you don’t have to do this alone.

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Transcript

Feeling Stuck? Small Shifts to Help You Feel Better Again

[00:00:33] Penny Fitzgerald: Hello, my friend. Last week I shared, and it felt a little bit like I overshared, that I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am truly thankful, but still I was feeling a little bit stuck. Some of that, I think, is a little bit of possibly embarrassment, and it's weird to say that, but,I'm not really sure how to describe it. it [00:01:00] feels sometimes like I should just have my ​ together, right? It's part of what I coach on, for Pete's sake. How to get organized, how to stay that way, and even how to repurpose your content and share your expertise with those you serve.

The thing is, though, that It's so much easier to see the brilliance in someone else and to help them bring out their leadership, show them how to share those talents with others. And it got me thinking, if I were coaching me, what would I ask to encourage me in moving out of overwhelm?

I know it's always about asking a better question. So I would ask, what do your people need from you right now? How can you serve them? How can you support them in what they need from you? And I would also ask, what brings you joy, And how can you insert a little more of that into your days and into your work?

So let me go back and answer these [00:02:00] questions. What do my people need from me right now? I think you need me to be honest. I think you need me to be real and raw when I feel real and raw. I suspect, and actually I know, many of you are going through some of the same things right now.

And if you aren't currently feeling wonky, then you certainly know what it's like, and you've felt that at some point too. I also know it's way easier to go through the dips when you feel like you're not in it alone. It's easier to go through a valley when you do it with a friend, or at least when you feel like someone else gets it.

So how can I serve and support you? By showing you that you're not alone, by sharing what I'm going through and letting you know it's not always a quick fix or just a blip. It's okay to feel a little bit off, and it's okay to ask for help. It's okay to doubt and question if you're on the right path, and it's okay not to have all the answers.

I think the bigger win [00:03:00] is to shift even just a little toward asking a better question. Another way I can support you is by sharing what I'm doing to get out of overwhelm. Through years of coaching women, and through coaching myself sometimes, I know that action always brings clarity.

And in the past, I would just try to grind it out. When you make yourself uncomfortable, you expand your comfort zone, right? This is true, but how does that feel? It's tough to intentionally make yourself uncomfortable, right? That's a very masculine approach. As I've gotten older, and wiser, I know that we're not built that way.

Women's energy is nurturing. We're collaborative rather than looking at goals and life in general as a zero-sum game. We know it's not a pie, and we can just make more rather than grab our piece. Oh, and we also know it's more fun to bake with a friend, with cocktails, and stories, and lots of laughter. [00:04:00] So what do you do when you don't feel like taking the action?

What do we do instead of hustle and grind? What do you do to make yourself feel better? Because it all starts with how you feel. When you feel good, you do good. When you feel better, you do better. You feel like taking that first step, and then that fosters the next step and the one after that. It just builds momentum.

So to feel good, what can you do? There are some actual physical things you can do, and that I do, to feel better. One very good and zero-cost thing is to get out into nature. Feel the sun on your face. If you're able to, feel the grass in your toes. Smell some fresh air. Take a walk, even around the block or to the mailbox and back.

Take three deep breaths. Breathe in for three seconds, hold for four seconds, then out for six to eight. [00:05:00] Repeat. So breathe in, two, three. Hold, two, three, four. Then out, two, three, four, five, six. Breathe in, two, three. Hold, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four, five, six. How's that feel? Better? It always helps me.

Engage all your senses in something you love. Pick up your kitty or your doggo and give them a big hug. Feel how soft the fur is on and around their ears. Give their nose a boop. Tell your cat, "I said psst, psst, psst, psst, psst." Listen to their gentle purrs and smell those puppy feet. Have you ever picked up your cat after she's been sitting at an open window- You know, I remember every spring opening the sliders for the first time of the year [00:06:00] and how fresh that air was coming in, and the cats just always loved to s- to just sit in that open window, and they would just smell that fresh air.

And when you picked them up, when I would pick them up and smell them, they... That smell of lanolin and fresh kitty, there's nothing like it. Trust me on that. You need to try it, It'll bring you back to happy really fast. Smell your morning cup of coffee or tea.

Really smell it before you take a sip. Enjoy every second of it. Do a wine tasting. You remember how to do that, right? I know you do. Engage all your senses. So remember how you do it, right? You pour your glass of wine. You look at the color. Roll it around in the glass.

See how much it's clinging to the sides of the glass. Is it clinging to the sides? Swirl it around. Bring it to your nose. Really smell it. Take that first sip and swirl it around in your [00:07:00] mouth. What sensations do you get on your tongue? Where do you feel it? And now open your, open your mouth just a little and, and breathe. Can you taste more? And after you finish the wine, what lingers on your palate? What do you sense in your mouth afterwards? Is it tingling? Is it making your mouth water?

All of those things, all those senses, when you engage with all of them and when you feel all of them or really pay attention to it, it really enhances your enjoyment of whatever it is you're tasting. wine, chocolate, whatever it is that brings you joy. Enjoy every second of it. Being mindful and present is a practice, and it has so many benefits.

You've probably heard me say many times to try meditation, even for five minutes a day. There are many apps out there that provide guided instruction on how to learn how to meditate. I use Calm. Headspace is another good [00:08:00] one. both are excellent for beginners and offer free options.

Another meditation app that has a lot of free options is InsightTimer. I find that it has so many options that it can be Wait for it. Overwhelming. if you experience overwhelm like I do, I'd highly recommend starting with the mindfulness for beginners options on Calm or Headspace, and I'll provide a link in my show notes to a 30-day free guest pass for Calm if you'd like to check it out.

The other question I always come back to to get out of overwhelm is, what brings you joy? What lights you up? And the more specific you can get, the better. Digging deeper helps you uncover the real and the raw. It helps you move out of the surface level where you feel like, "I'm fine.

It's fine. Everything's fine." You're moving from talking with my bestie to calling up my bestie and reliving the moment we were on vacation together at Siesta [00:09:00] Key and saw that guy in the neon green shorts dancing up and down the beach, twirling a pole like a baton. Remember that? I remember that, and that brings back feelings.

I get goosebumps when I dig into that level of memory, and it really brings you back to the present moment quickly. You can apply all of that to your work, too. So for me, I thought, "What was my favorite part of my work this last week?" And it was hands down the happy hour I did for Wine Camp. Several of my campers got together over Zoom.

It was a pretty equal mix of those who have been to one of our previous trips and those who are going to experience Wine Camp for the first time this year. I asked those who had been to one to talk about a memory they enjoyed. And while the wine was definitely fun, they all mentioned it was the other women they shared the experience with that meant the most to them, the connections and the friends they made, the community.

And [00:10:00] specifically, because again, you remember, it's so important to be s- as specific as possible, so you can feel all the good. They loved the time together making our signature cocktail. Last year was the Bee Sting at the pool, and this year we'll have a bit of a contest to see who can create the best s'mores cocktail around the fire pit.

They also loved the disco dance and the calftailing, being totally silly with each other and following a theme and including everyone in the silliness and just laughing until our cheeks hurt. Those were some really pivotal moments and just really brought us all together. We really felt the community, and we shared a, an amazing experience together.

This year, I can't wait to share the sunset dinner cruise on Seneca Lake. We'll have the top deck of the boat with live entertainment and dancing. And of course, lots of time to chat back at the resort around the fire pit with our friends, new and [00:11:00] old. So thinking about all those warm, glowy memories and the Wine Camp happy hour, how can I incorporate more of those moments into my upcoming week?

I'm confirming Wine Camp stops for this year and can definitely envision how each decision is going to bring this year's campers an amazing experience. And I can begin each day by closing my eyes and picturing everyone together enjoying each stop and each activity, and especially enjoying our time together.

So what was your favorite memory or activity from the past week? how can you bring more of that into your day and into your upcoming week? How can you feel more of that in your work? 

I hope these insights and questions have prompted you to think of how you can ask yourself a better question, how you can also move out of overwhelm and into action, and how you can be mindful of the people you serve.

how can you better serve them and create a [00:12:00] greater impact? And how can you have fun while doing it? As always, if you'd like help in moving through any blocks you're having, I'd be honored to support you. You can reach me on my website, pennyforyourshots.com, or even book a complimentary call with me to dig a little deeper at pennyforyourshots.com/call.

Have a fantastic week, my friend. Cheers.