Alveena | Reflections & Realizations
Reflections & Realizations isn’t just a podcast — it’s a series of introspective conversations I have with myself, and you’re invited to be part of the journey.
I’m Alveena — a Psychology MSc student, writer, and seeker blending mental health, psychology, and Islamic spirituality to unpack life’s challenges and growth.
This podcast was born from years of journaling, therapy, and faith, combining:
🖊️ Unfiltered personal stories and reflections
📚 Psychology insights and research
🤍 Spiritual lessons rooted in Islam
If you’re craving honest, personal conversations about mental health, faith, healing, and self-discovery — this is your space.
No quick fixes. No polished answers. Just me, questioning, processing, and sharing — so you don’t have to feel alone in your own reflections.
Together, we’ll explore:
- Mental health struggles and resilience
- The intersection of faith and psychology
- Healing through self-awareness
- Growth that feels real and personal
Join the conversation. Let’s reflect, realize, and heal — one episode at a time.
Alveena | Reflections & Realizations
The Person You Didn’t Choose to Be: Breaking Free from Autopilot Reactions
How to stop becoming the person you swore you’d never be—using psychology, faith, and self-awareness to interrupt unconscious patterns.
Ever found yourself mid-reaction thinking, “I swore I’d never be this person”?
In this week’s episode of Reflections & Realizations, I take you behind the scenes of how we get stuck in autopilot living—reacting, repeating, and slowly becoming the very people we promised ourselves we wouldn’t be. That gut-punch moment is your System 1 brain—fast, automatic, and emotionally hijacked—running the show.
But it doesn’t have to.
I introduce a two-step Realignment Tool, inspired by Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, to help you catch those unconscious loops and start choosing differently. This is about waking up. Interrupting your patterns. And reclaiming the version of you that’s been buried under habit and survival mode.
🛠️ From Reaction to Reflection – Realignment Tool
➤ Step 1: Catch & Pause
Start by noticing when you're about to fall into a familiar, automatic response. This is your System 1 kicking in—lightning-fast, emotion-fueled, and often unhelpful. Common triggers might be:
- A sudden argument
- A wave of self-doubt
- Parenting stress or work pressure
When it happens—pause. Don’t judge it. Just witness it. That awareness is power.
➤ Step 2: Reframe & Respond
Now engage your System 2—the slower, more deliberate, thoughtful part of your brain. Ask:
- What else could be going on here?
- Am I reacting from pain, or responding from values?
- What would the version of me I want to become do right now?
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence. When we shift from autopilot to awareness, even just once, we plant the seed of real change.
I’d love to hear how this episode landed with you. Share your reflections or any moments where you caught yourself in the loop—and chose differently.
With love,
Alveena
Reflections & Realizations
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