Learning To Be With Yourself

Send us Fan Mail Silence can feel like a threat when you have trained yourself to move fast, stay busy, and never stop thinking. We sit down with Sara Kassam, a DBT-certified therapist and group fitness leader, to unpack why “being present with yourself” is so often uncomfortable, and why that discomfort is not proof you are doing it wrong. A lot of us are not afraid of being alone, we are afraid of what our thoughts will say when the noise finally drops. We dig into how hustle culture, constant productivity, and even popular self-help habits can become subtle avoidance. Sara shares how perfectionism and low self-worth can turn self-improvement into a reassurance loop that keeps you chasing “better” instead of practicing self-acceptance. We also talk about the real role of decompression and dissociation after mentally demanding days, especially for therapists and other helping professionals, and how to tell when scrolling is a short reset versus something that starts disrupting sleep, work, and daily functioning. Then we get practical: mindfulness does not have to mean sitting still with your eyes closed. We explore everyday mindfulness skills you can use right away, including nature walks, breath awareness during workouts, and small “science experiment” practices that build tolerance for presence without forcing your mind to stop. We also separate solitude from loneliness, and why learning to be with yourself can strengthen relationships and even help kids develop creativity through boredom and imaginative play. Subscribe, share this with someone who is tired of overthinking, and leave a review if the conversation helps you build a calmer relationship with your own mind. Want to learn more about Sara? You can find her at: https://www.risetherapycenter.com/sara IG: seenbysarak and Email: [email protected] Thank you for tuning into And Still WE Rise! If you would like to learn more about me or the work our practice is doing, feel free to follow us on Instagram at: @atltherapygirl and @risetherapycenter Or check us out at www.risetherapycenter.com Disclaimer: And Still We Rise is meant to provide perspective and meaningful conversations around mental health topics. It is not meant to provide specific therapeutic advise to individuals. If anything in these podcasts resonates, ASWR recommends consulting with your individual therapist or seeking a referral from your primary care physician.