Jaclyn Bacon: The Role of Anxiety in Autoimmunity

Show Notes

Jaclyn Bacon is joining us today and we are talking about high functioning anxiety.  What it looks like in your everyday life, what the common root causes are, and how it relates to autoimmunity.  Jaclyn illuminates the common pitfalls of the overachiever and gives us an amazing step to take to begin to shift into presence and step out of anxiety and illness.

➡️  Complete Show Notes

Creators and Guests

Host

Julie Howton

What is Inspired Living with Autoimmunity?

The podcast for high achievers who want to stay sharp, focused and full of energy despite their diagnoses. Those who know there has got to be something better than simply accepting decline.

Hosted by Julie Howton, a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach who used to suffer from crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis until she learned the tools and strategies to take her power back from autoimmunity.

In this podcast, Julie brings you interviews with thought leaders in the Functional Health and Wellness space. You will get actionable recommendations to Take Your Power Back and catapult your health. No fluff, just concrete, useful steps to improve your health!

Welcome back to the inspired
living with auto-immunity podcast.

I'm your host, Julie Michaelson.

And today we have such a treat for you.

Jacqueline bacon is joining us and we're
talking about high functioning anxiety.

What it looks like in your everyday
life, what the common root causes are.

And how it's connected with auto-immunity
Jacqueline illuminates the common

pitfalls of the overachiever and
gives us an amazing step to take,

to begin to shift into presence and
step out of anxiety and illness.

Jaclyn welcome to the podcast.

I'm so excited to have you with us today.

Thanks Julie.

I'm so excited to be here.

So one of the first things I
usually ask our guests is, you know,

how did you get to be doing the
wonderful work that you're doing?

Because most of us have a personal
story that brought us to this world.

So can you share with listeners
a little bit of your journey that

got you in functional medicine?

Yeah, I'd be happy to.

So, I mean really getting into nurse
practitioner school, I started out pretty

disgruntled about the conventional system.

So I was going through clinicals,
learning it with ease, but I was

like, man, in the family practice.

Still challenging to see people 10
minute visits one after another, with

multitude of complaints and felt like we
were only like scratching the surface.

So I felt that about 15 years ago
and that really led me into lifestyle

medicine and integrative and functional
medicine at it at a young age.

I went down that road through my
own medical training and whatnot,

and then really got to experience
it myself personally as well.

So I have always been a very
healthy person and in high achiever.

And then I came to a point where
it's working as an MP and I was on my

second pregnancy and never experienced
really anxiety that affected my life.

Maybe it helped me Excel in school
and different things like that, but

never created sleep problems or any
issues until after my second pregnancy.

And so that's where I was really
experiencing some and insomnia.

I was feeling like really fatigued
and tired, but also wired and

on edge and having difficult.

Unwinding.

Like I literally would be watching a
Netflix show and not be able to relax.

That's when, you know, I
was like, something's wrong.

Like I should be able to unplug, but
my nervous system was just like on

overdrive and I was depleted after
breastfeeding and all these pregnancies.

And I went to my conventional providers
as well as a functional medicine provider.

And I wasn't getting any answers through
the conventional, like insurance paradigm.

They would do my labs,
everything looked normal.

I'm like, but this is totally new for me.

I've literally, I used to, I remember
before I even had my first kid, I was

like, I don't think I'm gonna be able
to wake up in the middle of the night.

I was such a deep sleeper now.

I think they even sleep
well through the night.

So it was like the stress change.

But I didn't feel people are
really looking deep enough

to explain why for myself.

And so that's what really got me into the
deep dive approach of functional medicine.

And I do my own functional medicine labs.

You know, my gut had imbalances, so
I wasn't digesting things as well.

I had early, very early
auto-immune conditions.

So I had thyroid antibodies
that were elevated, but my

thyroid hormones were not.

So if I left that alone, I could have
been on medication for life down the road.

So I was like, okay, this explains some
things I was super depleted in magnesium,

which is your relax and mineral, and
which is no surprise after pregnancy

and breastfeeding that I was so depleted
and had some inflammation going on.

And then I also had kind of my upbringing
and conditioning that led to all of this.

So.

I was so grateful for more
clarity of the answers and then

more of a holistic approach.

I was able to really unravel things
and do the deep work and reverse these

symptoms are for good, rather than just
feeling which I was starting to feel.

And the conventional realm
see provider after provider.

No answers.

Get thrown more pills at
myself and I'm like this.

And even when I was doing better, I
was getting thrown more pills at me.

And I was like, this
just doesn't seem right.

And I have that background and I, so I
had to kind of exit personally myself

out of that conventional spiral of.

Being victim to the system almost,
you know, as a patient and take

my power back of my health and
Hey, let's get to the root cause.

And that was like mind
blowing experience for myself.

That then led me into the work because
I'm like I wanted this level of care

as a mother, as a high achiever, as,
you know, a working functioning high

level person and not to just be.

Medicaid it for life and kind of
like, here you go, five minute visit.

Like that.

Wasn't the solution I wanted.

So I'm really providing the level
of care that I wanted for women now.

Yeah, which is amazing.

And your, your story is so familiar
because I'm guessing at some point,

somebody alluded to the fact of, well,
you'll have young kids, of course

you're exhausted or stressed, or,
you know, it's always, especially

when labs are normal, especially when
they're not running complete labs.

Right,

I would imagine.

And, and you, you, you touched
on it, like how then, how do you

practice that medicine after that?

Like you have to, you have
to provide that service.

This is why we do what we do.

And use the words, take my power back.

I have a, I run a challenge.

Take your power back from auto-immunity.

That is why we're having
this conversation today.

We can inspire one listener.

To, you know, dig deeper and
look to some of those root causes

Yes.

and maybe go beyond the care
that they've already received.

That, that what I, what I love was
so exciting to me about your story is

that you basically prevented on it.

You know, it was prevented
auto immunity or.

Any kind of permanent damage from it.

And, and so that's one of the other
reasons I wanted to bring your story

to listeners because I share my story.

I was 11 years in on 10 prescriptions and,
you know and the exciting part is here.

I am, you know, with RA that,
you know, they tell you, if you

don't take the drugs, you're
going to have permanent damage.

Now, my life is amazing.

I feel so great.

That's awesome.

But there's something.

So I would love if I not F when
it will be exciting when we get to

a point where enough people know
that, you know, they, they can turn

things around right away and to,

Yeah.

Early detection.

Like we're doing early
detection for other diseases.

Why aren't we checking
antibodies proactive.

yeah.

Yeah.

And no level of antibodies is
essentially normal physiologically

for our body, right?

Right.

Which we should not be
attacking our own tissue period.

Like, no matter what.

Yeah.

So I, I said those are, those are
just the things that I wanted to.

Yeah.

you recycle a, of this whole, like w
we can do it early, trust yourself.

Like so many things I hear in your story
are the, like, those are the drums.

I be like, nobody knows you like you do.

And so if your doctors look at your
beautiful labs and tell you you're fine,

and you don't feel fine, find another

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

And how disempowering and
confusing that can be.

Like, if we're getting cues from our
body to listen to our body, I need help.

I need help.

It's communicating to us.

And then we're like,
oh, you're, you're fine.

Go on your Merry way.

It's like, okay.

So I'm just supposed to survive,
feeling like CRA essentially.

And then it kind of creates this
mistrust almost with your own body.

Or like it's not on your side.

It is a hundred percent on our side.

We can see the appropriate answers
and tools to guide and support it.

And that isn't often found with
auto-immune conditions or chronic

nagging symptoms in the conventional
realm, unfortunately, present day.

Right.

Amazing for acute illness.

Amazing for surgery,

I say that all the time, God forbid,
you know, there's I need acute care.

I am going to the Western medical system,
like that's where I'm headed immediately.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

So you, you touched on anxiety and I
was thinking, as you were just saying,

you know, this whole is, we're talking
about trusting your body, right.

And knowing that those symptoms you're
experiencing are signals, that is

your body's way of crying for help.

I can only imagine as somebody who
is already in this anxiety pattern,

that being told you're fine.

And then, you know, who do you try?

Like your, your medical provider and
the medical providers are telling you?

You're fine.

So I, I just can imagine that would
just fuel the anxiety and continue

that, that pattern you talk about.

This idea of high functioning anxiety.

Can you share with us,
I love that by the way.

Can you share with us what that
looks like in our everyday lives?

Because so many of us hear anxiety and
we think of crippling anxiety, right?

We think of somebody who is,
you know, really in a bad place.

Yes.

Yeah.

So it's really interfered
with their daily life.

And, and so you alluded to which,
which is I, I just get really excited.

You're like, I think having
a little anxiety is what

made me a go getter, right?

Like there's, it does go hand in hand.

With being a high achiever.

So, so, you know, explain to us what you
mean by, by high functioning anxiety.

What does, what does that look like?

Yeah, definitely.

So high functioning anxiety is way more
common than the diagnosis of anxiety.

And so it will commonly show
up in our day-to-day life.

Like you said, it's like those
overachievers people who might over

commit, they have a difficult time saying
no, and they're there, they're your yes.

People.

And so they might.

Over work, find themselves really
immersing in their work career.

They're often big people pleasers.

And so they are like prioritizing
other people's needs before their own.

They may have difficulty
just like being present.

So they're always busy bodies on
Mingo, perfectionist tendencies, high

achievers, but difficulty just be.

And you'll kind of find those patterns
and a lot of people and in a lot of

successful people, and that can be the
pros of high functioning anxiety, but

then there's the bad that comes with it.

Which is

Yeah.

So.

I'm like, okay.

You know, I could see, I hear things
with different ears because I know.

I know what the cons are.

But, but it's like, yeah.

I mean, drive, like, so some of
that really does equate to drive

and achievement and but the key
was that, you know, they, they

hard to be in the present moment.

You mentioned that you're in your
own story, can't unplug, right?

There's the, and that's, you know,
when you what's, what do you hear

all the time about high achievers?

You hear the word burnout, right.

But.

Exactly.

So, but let's get into, so this high
functioning anxiety, you're not,

you know, it's not debilitating.

It may even be helping in
certain areas of your life.

What are some of the negative consequence?

Yeah.

So you might see some of the positive
effects aspects and your career, but

you may see some of the negative effects
more in your interpersonal relationships.

So, you know, your social
life may compromise if you're

overworking, not really having
the most secure relationships.

So you might have like anxious attachment
patterns in your relationships.

And so seeing that play out a lot
of really high functioning people,

they you'll see that commonly
in their relationships too.

And if you're unable to fully be
present, I imagine that's going

to affect your relationships.

Of course, that's also gonna affect
your work, even though you might.

Idolized productivity.

It won't be a positive thing often
when you're distracted or you're always

busy or you're always on, you know that
difficulty just relaxing and enjoying.

So when you have these perfectionist
tendencies, we tend to be over

critical of ourselves and we tend
to not feel like we're always good

enough or compare yourself to others.

And lacking just contentment and
acceptance of what is, so what I

kind of found my previous pattern
is I was living in this place

unknowingly of resistance, so, okay.

I felt uncomfortable.

Stress or I felt uncomfortable symptoms.

Why wasn't one plugged into my body
enough to almost be in touch with that.

And then I would resist that, oh, that
anxiety and I would just turn externally.

I would focus on other people's needs.

I would overwork, I would
go, go, go distract numb.

Right.

We all do this by
different coming magnets.

Yeah.

So just that resistance
though, of your own anxiety.

It makes it so much worse.

Oh my gosh.

It just like this spiral.

So if we're able to get into a place
of awareness and shift, not first and

then meet our needs and accept what is
not as huge, but that really takes some

practice and like training that muscle
and rewiring of our brain neuroplasticity.

But it's so possible.

So very, very possible.

And what about some of the, you
know, here we're on inspired

living with auto-immunity.

How, how does that play
in to auto-immunity?

You know, what are some.

Physical consequences of set
of not creating that change.

Right.

Not shifting.

Right.

Yeah.

I love looking at.

The root causes of like, say in this
instance with high-functioning anxiety,

what are the root causes of that?

Right.

So we really need to get a really
detailed intake to evaluate that

from a whole person perspective.

And that I find it's very much
missing in the conventional realm.

Right.

So one part I find very much
missing is looking at Trump.

From our background.

So, you know, doing, looking at adverse
childhood experiences, then it's not,

when we think here trauma, just like you
were saying with anxiety, we hear the word

have to be a capital T it
could be a little D yeah.

Great.

These it's not these overt abuse always.

Right.

It can be these kind of nagging,
emotional or neglect, or our caregivers.

Not exhibiting their own boundaries, not
having their own, you know, their coping

with, with alcohol or with overworking
themselves, you know, so that conditioning

and what we've, we've been taught to
not listen to our own needs, not to cope

in healthy ways to perform in order to
get rewarded, you know, high achievers.

They're doing well in school while
that's not just by chance, typically

know that often was rewarded by
our culture and conditioning.

And so, you know, being aware of
that aspect of our background.

But then beyond that, the physical
aspects are huge, like you were saying.

So the root causes to really dive in
deep through functional medicine testing

really looks under the surface to why,
why are we experiencing these symptoms?

And that could be a multitude
of things you're alluding to.

So one common pattern we find with.

Anxiety, which is just a symptom
and also auto immune conditions as a

root cause is really our gut health.

I knew you were going
there because it's so true.

So, you know, our gut health, that is
one of our most protective barriers

from the external environment.

And so when you have the
symptom of anxiety, you have

to think of a couple of things.

One, is there a neuro
inflammation going on?

Is there inflammation of brain?

Is there leaky gut in permeability
of your gut that's then causing leaky

brain and inflammation of your brain?

Yeah, you're going to have brain fog.

Yeah.

You're going to have decreased
mental clarity and cognition

and poor memory retention and
anxiety and possibly depression.

Of course, you're going to
experience those things.

If your gut isn't balanced, not only
that, just the permeability of your gut.

Okay, then these good bacteria,
they actually helped make your

neuro-transmitters, you know, 90% of our
serotonin, that happy hormone in our gut.

And so if we have these imbalances
and that ecosystem of our gut, we're

not going to have good nutrients.

We're not going to have
good neurotransmitters.

We're not going to have
optimal deep restorative sleep.

We're going to get more autoimmune
issues because two thirds of her

immune function is in our gut.

So it's.

Man, if we can get a really good
assessment of your ecosystem and

microbiome, that gives so much
clarity to the root cause and help

guiding other aspects of care.

It is.

So I know it, some listeners may be
like, oh, the gut again, like this,

all anybody wants to talk about, but
I want to repeat the two things that

you said that often people really
genuinely don't realize, which feels

like newer information, is that.

Most of our neurotransmitters
are made in our gut.

They're not made in our brain.

And as you just said, over two thirds
of our immune system is in our gut.

So this, you know, why are they always
talking about gut with auto-immunity?

Why are we talking about gut
with mental health and mood?

But because it, I mean,
it, it really is that.

So our second brain.

It is an, you know, it
almost, maybe the first one.

Yeah.

we'll see, we'll see
how that goes in time.

you'll probably be renamed I'm sure.

And so it, it is fascinating to
see the impact on gut healing.

Yes.

both things, you know, anxiety
auto-immunity it's it is unbelievable.

I can't tell you how many clients I've
had with really lifelong anxiety issues.

And then, you know, no coincidence, a
laundry list of autoimmune diagnoses,

and there'll be doing really well.

I have this one, one in
particular keeps coming to mind.

Would it be doing, you know, doing
better, doing better, and then.

The anxiety would come flooding back
and the depression would be terrible.

And we would check in and I'd say,
well, you know what, what's going on?

You know, oh, you know, I had birthday
cake last week at a UN like, do

you see the pattern between what,
what you're doing with your gut?

And I mean, literally that
was like direct feedback of,

Right

but, and it's not, I'm oversimplifying,
there's more to it than that.

It is always fascinating to me to see,
because I think I used to be on the other

side where I had no understanding of it.

And I was like, I don't understand
what is, what you're eating

has to do with your mood.

And how does anxiety plan
to auto-immunity, you know

Right.

And I love taking it that step.

We will look often as humans,
we'll look at our behavior

and just want to go straight.

There let's change the behavior.

Let's change that food let's change that.

But even taking a step back and saying,
why are we engaging in that behavior?

So we all cope in different
ways and we've been conditioned,

to have to identify the trauma.

right.

And the handle, you know, and
change to change those patterns.

You have to know why they're there.

All of our patterns served us at one time.

Like you were saying that being that
overachiever really probably got

that positive attention or relief
from negative attention as a child,

you know, to get those good grades
or go after whether it's athletic.

Academics doesn't matter.

And again, those are things that seem
to surface on the surface, but they

create these patterns that expire that

Yeah.

As adults.

Yeah.

They serve as children.

We have to adapt to our environment
and, you know, we have to really

we're dependent on other people then.

So the coping mechanisms we use then are
very different than what creates a very.

Balanced and resilient adult.

And there's kind of this bridge and time,
and we just aren't taught healthy coping

skills as children, or like how to have
self-awareness and meet our own needs.

It's, it's, it's one of the
most overlooked things I think,

as us as humans, what we're
doing in our education system.

But I see it starting to
evolve, which is powerful.

It is, it is I see a
lot of younger people.

I was thinking the same thing, you know,
we send our kids to school and they're

taught, you know, Trust your instincts.

And you know, all of that,
the creativity is take all of

Right.

Yeah.

suppress.

And then, you know, when we decided to,
you know, handle all of it as adults and

relearn, like what really does serve us.

I do see, you know, for me, I
think I was in my third year.

And already diagnosed with immunity before
I got a glimpse of like, huh, maybe I

don't want to raise my kids that way.

Maybe there's a way so that
they don't have to undo all

of this and their thirties and
forties or twenties and thirties.

So I do see.

Shifting, but it, again, as you
said, we weren't taught these skills.

There's still a lot of, you know,
the kids are only being raised with

the level of which should their
parents have dealt with their stuff.

Right.

So it's it's

your parents, their teachers, like
all these people living around

and, and I find it interesting.

I hear that story commonly.

When you mentioned, when you became
a mom, That's when we kind of look

at our own stuff a little more.

And that was definitely my situation too.

It's like, oh, I don't want
the same thing for my kids.

And it makes you look at you.

Can't just say most people, apparently
my counselor she's like, yeah, most

people will just try to compensate
and do the opposite of their child.

Right,

you're really not dealing
with your stuff still.

You know, you're just attempting on
the external though, like, oh, I'm

going to do different, but if we can
look within and really we can stop

that generational trauma habits.

So that's the most powerful as far
as that, but of course all this

stuff leads to more physical causes.

And if we have that sympathetic
nervous system constantly activating.

You know, not only gut health, but
our hormones and thyroid health.

And it's just this like

Well, you said you
weren't sleeping, right?

Like, I mean, it all plays together
and that's why that the approach

of what's your symptom, here's your
pill doesn't work because, you know,

Working at the Y.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So you, do you talk about.

The, you know, these root causes of the
anxiety and the auto-immunity and you,

we talked, we just were talking about
trauma and neuroplasty, you know, all

these amazing things cause that it,
it keeps coming back to what you said.

W you know, we do have the power,
we have the power, we have the

power to improve our health.

We have the power to.

Create new parenting opportunities.

You know, we don't have to
either repeat the same pattern.

I mean, that used to be how it
was right with the family dynamic.

We either repeated, or we did
the opposite, which was often

just as unhealthy the opposite.

And, and we're not stuck with that.

We do have the power, if we're willing.

To learn and grow, to create
a whole new opportunities and

shift our family experiences.

But what, yeah, what are some of
the tools that people can use to

help reduce that anxiety and improve
that and maybe, you know, avoid

auto-immunity or turn it around quickly.

Yeah.

So I always go back to
the top three root causes.

If you kind of look at them very big
picture wise, it will often come down

to stress and that could be physical,
emotional, mental, spiritual, right?

So stress is one, two
nutrition, and then three talks.

And so every individual,
the root causes of the.

And the priorities will be different
at any given time, but let's just

talk with one that is generalized.

Everybody can benefit from, and yes, we
can look at our backgrounds and do that

work with an amazing trauma informed
counselor or provider, but regardless

of where you're at with your backup.

Everybody lives in a modern society can
benefit from nervous system regulation.

And so I love to give some tips on how
it can do that super practically, because

it doesn't need to be a big thing and
incorporate that in our daily life.

Because that's you just touched on, I
think that that's some of the biggest

resistance people think it has to be here.

Like, you know, I don't have time
to go to a cave and meditate for 30

Right, right, right.

I'm like, no, no, that's
not absolutely need to do

right, right.

Yeah.

That would be great.

Let's go there.

What, what.

So, you know, we have the spider flight
system versus our rest and digest.

We want that rest and digest
parasympathetic nervous system

relaxation, more, not this constant
activation of fight or flight.

Like most of our modern society.

So how can we intentionally do that by
engaging and really biohacking our nervous

system with practical tools day to day.

So those parasympathetic nervous system
tips that are just transformational

and play with it, like experiment
with the ones that you enjoy.

And first I would recommend attaching.

Simply to an existing habit.

So a couple things is I love, love,
love building self-awareness first.

So when you build self-awareness,
that is not only impactful on its own.

Checking in with your.

And, but it then directs your future
behaviors and how to meet your needs.

So that would look like
a simple self check-in.

And so that could be while you're
doing existing habit and brushing

your teeth in the morning.

Yeah, exactly.

Like, Hey, what am I feeling like rating
your stress levels zero to 10, naming an

emotion or two you're feeling, you know,
Naming, like what is my physical energy?

Like zero to 10.

What's my mental clarity.

Like, so you already have an intake
and the day of your capacity.

And so you can like you don't,
you're not pushing through

and burning yourself out more.

You're like, man, my stress is
already a four and I'm just waking up.

Okay.

Well, I can take some deep breaths
and calm that down pretty quick.

But if you wait until your stress
levels and eight later in the day,

oh, that takes so much more time,
energy and effort to decrease.

Right?

So it's all about that
earlier cues and awareness.

So we can nourish ourselves.

We can meet our own needs.

It's very simply, and it literally
takes like two minutes to do that.

It's amazing.

And I love literally when.

We speak the same language
would be an understatement.

Always saying like awareness is the
first step you can't create change.

If you don't know where you are,
you need to know where you are.

right.

do you want to go?

And then you can start
to move that needle.

And literally everything, you know,
I mentioned that challenge that I run

sometimes, literally everything that you
just, the tech ends, those are all on.

Like the first day they get attracted.

Because just to, because again, as
you were saying, these are the things,

when you're in that, go, go, go.

Next thing, next thing, next thing
you, you have to be present to do that.

Check-in and so many people haven't
been present in a really long time.

And so I love that.

And even the.

For those of you that
are listening on audio?

I w I was brushing my teeth
with my imaginary toothbrushes.

She was saying when you brush,

Yeah, totally.

Because this stuff
really, really does work.

It does.

And so,

When you were saying about being
present our brain, literally can't be

anxious and thinking about the future
past, if we're in the moment present.

yeah.

So before.

say right.

Fresh.

And when you're stuck in the past and
anxiety is when you're stuck in the

future present, this is where it's at.

That's what it does.

It takes training.

It is a month.

We definitely yeah, but, but the,
the fun thing is even just the shift

from doing that check-in exercise
is you get rewarded like you, and it

just starts to build on, on itself.

Oh, wow.

I didn't even realize I
was feeling sad about that.

And that's why I've been numbing
and watching more shows or wine or

Yeah.

And you, you mention well
looking for the unplug, right?

That that sometimes is elusive.

And you mentioned how much more difficult
and longer it takes to address, you

know, a stress level of an eight.

Right.

But often until you start doing these
check-ins and, and, you know, just dipping

your toe into some presence sometimes,
you know, feel a for you, you know, you

don't even feel the difference between a
foreign and eight you're just constantly.

Yeah.

And your brain going.

Yeah.

And so I love that.

So, Yeah.

I always ask what's one step
listeners can take, but you just

gave us and yes, it had multiple
parts, but I'm going to, I'm going to

umbrella it under just the check-in.

Right.

I hopefully everybody brushes
their teeth in the morning to.

Morning coffee, maybe.

I do have one client who, when
we started working on toxins and

I got him to understand what was
in the toothpaste he was using.

He for apparently for about two weeks,
just didn't get clean toothpaste

and just stopped using toothpaste.

And I'm like, oh, well, probably better.

But your poor girlfriend, and deodorant,
he did the same with Bodel same time.

I was like,

dedicated.

That's amazing.

I'm glad you were no longer,
you know, putting toxins in

your mouth and under your arms,

That's the most important part.

Anyhow, the brushing action.

but even he was still brushing.

So when you brush in the morning,
you know, it start to, to do that.

Check-in I love it.

And I love the.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And some of it, you and I, you know,
we're giggling and it, it's simple and

it's fun and it's, it's not simple.

Like, it is simple in that you can
do it in less than two minutes,

but so many people, you mentioned
name and emotion, I'm feeling so

I know how to do that at first.

I literally didn't have that
skill to identify my emotions.

Yeah.

So, and that's, that's common, you

It's very common.

And so I just wanted to
acknowledge for anybody who is

it's going to feel weird.

pick up this, this exercise that yes,
we're saying it's simple in the, it

is, it's a small step to create huge
change, but that it, it is, it will

take practice and some of it will
be uncomfortable when you start.

Especially in the beginning.

Yeah.

Trust in that and making it fun.

That's what keeps you engaged and
realizing the positive feedback.

How you continue to build habits
is our brain is always looking

for the negative for survival.

But if we look for the positive, oh, how
did I feel when I checked in that day?

Oh, wow.

I actually felt a little lighter.

It was more engaged.

I was more mindful with
my meals, you know?

So even when you exercise,
pay attention to that positive

reward, because that's what.

You to continue that habit.

Absolutely.

That's an, and then it's a whole
healthy drive instead of overdrive.

I've love it.

Before we wrap up, where
can listeners find you?

I will have all of the ways to get
ahold of you in the show notes.

But just for people listening
that don't want to take a peak,

where can they track you down?

Yeah.

I love connecting with
people on Instagram.

If they're on there and I put
valuable content out there all the

time and people message me and ask
me, you know, advice and things.

And so, yeah, just my
Instagram, Jacqueline, JC L I N

underscore bacon like the meat.

So that's always fun.

And then just my website.

So jaclynbacon.com

You have given us so much gold today.

Jaclyn.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Yeah, it's so fun.

for everyone listening.

Remember you can get the
show notes and transcripts by

visiting inspired living.show.

I hope you had a great time and
enjoy this episode as much as I did.

I'll see you next week.