S1:E9 Flexible Resilience: Is Your Inner Elastic Being Pulled Too Far?

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Flexible Resilience: Bouncing Back Without Breaking

In this episode of the Flourishing After Adversity podcast, host Laura Mangum Broome discusses the concept of flexible resilience, especially relevant for those in midlife feeling overstretched. She shares practical tips on how to recognize signs of being overextended, set boundaries, and implement daily recovery rituals to maintain mental, physical, and emotional health. 

Laura also provides a free guide to help shift negative thoughts for those struggling with worry and self-talk spirals. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own limits and make changes to support their well-being.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
01:05 Understanding the Feeling of Being Stretched Too Thin
01:43 What is Flexible Resilience?
02:14 The Importance of Boundaries
02:48 Three Ways to Build Flexible Resilience
04:06 Personal Story and Practical Tips
05:04 Reflection and Action Steps
06:44 Recap and Closing Remarks

Transcript

S1:E9 Flexible Resilience: Is Your Inner Elastic Being Pulled Too Far?

 Welcome to the Flourishing After Adversity podcast. I'm your host, Laura Mangum Broome.  If you've been knocked down by life--grief, illness loss, or unexpected change--you're  in the right place. Today we're talking about something that creeps up on so many of us, especially in midlife. The feeling of being pulled in every direction until you're stretched too thin.

By the end of this episode, you'll know how to spot when your inner rubber band is pulled too far, and exactly how to recover your shape before you snap. 

But before we dive in, I want to remind you that if you're stuck in spirals of worry and negative self-talk, I have a free guide just for you: Reframe the Spiral: 5 Quick Coping Strategies to Shift Negative Thoughts and Reclaim Your Day. You can grab it in the show notes right now or go to iCope2Hope.com/reframe. It's short, simple, and these are the same tools I still use when my mind tries to hijack my day. 

Understanding the Feeling of Being Stretched Too Thin

Do you ever feel like this?

Not just busy. Stretched. One friend needs your emotional support. Your grown child is going through something and needs you too. Your boss piles on last minute task at 4:59 PM  Your parents need help getting to appointments, and somewhere in there around 3:00 PM you realize you haven't eaten lunch.

You are like an elastic band pulled tighter...and tighter...until you can feel the tension vibrating inside you.  You're doing all the things--but you feel like you could snap at any moment.

What is Flexible Resilience?

What is flexible resilience and what does it look like?  Flexible resilience is about learning to bend without breaking. It means you realize you do not have to be everything to everyone. You start listening to your limits instead of resenting them, you create margin to recover. After you stretch, you let go of perfection and lean into presence.

Flexible resilience is not fancy, it's not loud, but it's life giving 

The Importance of Boundaries

Boundaries are your secret weapon. Without boundaries, everything becomes yours to carry. When everything's yours to carry, you lose your shape. Flexible resilience means saying "Not today."--without guilt. Delegating without apology.  Letting people help you even if they do it Imperfectly.

Boundaries are not selfish, they're not walls. They're guardrails for your wellbeing. If you're going to stretch again tomorrow, you must stop snapping today. 

Three Ways to Build Flexible Resilience

Here are three simple ways to build flexible resilience. The first one, do a daily tension check. Pause and ask "What part of me feels stretched right now?"

Body, mind, spirit? What  am I doing out of obligation, not choice.  What would give me more give today?  Even noticing your tension is a first step to softening it.  The second one is, choose a daily recovery ritual. Your nervous system needs a daily reset.  Try 10 minutes of silence after dinner. A slow shower with no rush.

Gentle stretching before bed,  reading something light and encouraging,  jotting down three things that went well today.  These tiny rituals are not luxuries. They're how you recover your elasticity.  And the third one is stop overcommitting to people who drain you.  The plain truth? You do not have to answer every text right now.

You do not have to say yes to every invite.  You do not have to pour from an empty cup.  Flexible resilience knows your energy has limits. Protect it.

Personal Story and Practical Tips

I'll share something personal. Years ago after my divorce, in a season of deep grief, I was still trying to be strong. I went to events I wasn't ready for.  I kept picking up the phone when it rang until one day I didn't. I remember staring at my phone ringing, and I recognized the person calling,  and I thought, I do not want to talk to anyone, even a good friend, about anything right now.

That was my moment. I realized I wasn't bouncing back, I was breaking down, so I made a decision. I stopped measuring my worth by how much I could stretch. Instead, I rebuilt what helped me recover. I said, "No, not right now." I canceled or rescheduled things. I went to bed early. And you know what?

The world did not fall apart. But something inside me began to heal. 

Reflection and Action Steps

Let's make this practical. I want you to pause and reflect.  Here are three things you can do this week. First, reflect on these journal prompts. The transcript is in the show notes.  Where in my life am I stretched too far?

What's  one thing I'm saying yes to that's costing me peace?  What could I delegate, delay, or drop?  Second, do a simple self check. Am I bending or breaking? Am I doing this out of love or out of obligation?  If I were my own best friend, what would I tell myself today?  And third, start a recovery ritual planner.

Pick one thing from the following four categories this week  For physical, do a gentle stretch, go for a walk or take a nap.  For mental, read, journal, or take a 30 minute screen break.  For emotional talk to a safe friend, laugh, or cry.  For spiritual, say a prayer, sit in silence, or practice gratitude.

Remember, resilience grows in the margin, not in the rush.  You're not made to snap. You are made to stretch and to rest. To show up, and to slow down. To support others without losing yourself. So the next time you feel pulled in every direction, remember this, let go of what's not yours to carry. Recover your shape.

And honor the strength that comes from flexibility not force. 

Recap and Closing Remarks

So let's do a quick recap.  Today we talked about why midlife can stretch you thin. What flexible resilience really means.

How boundaries protect your shape.  Three daily ways to recover your bounce back.   If negative thoughts are spiraling down, grab my Reframe The Spiral Guide. It's free, and it helps so many people take back their day. The link is waiting in the show notes, or you can go to iCope2Hope.com/reframe.  

All right. That's it for this episode. Please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or leave a review. It helps more people find hope when they need it most. Better yet, I would be very grateful if you could share this episode with three friends who are going through a difficult challenge.  Until next time, remember, adversity can make you bitter or better.

Choose better. You've got this!