Building Resilience from the Inside Out - Unlocking Emotional Resilience with ER Nurse Jillian Riddell

Why Listen? In this deeply engaging episode, Andy Brown sits down with ER nurse, relationship expert, and podcast host Jillian Riddell to explore the concept of emotional overdraft and the profound impact it can have on our lives. Through personal anecdotes and professional insights, Jillian shares her journey from being a hidden child to a teen mother, and how these early experiences shaped her approach to life and relationships. This episode is packed with practical advice, emotional exercises, and inspiring stories that will resonate with anyone looking to build emotional resilience and find balance in their lives.

Key Topics and Insights:

• The Origin of Emotional Overdraft: Jillian opens up about her challenging childhood, revealing how being a “secret” child shaped her self-worth and drove her to overachieve in an attempt to fill emotional voids. "I was almost addicted to achievement, not for my internal purpose, but for an external result."
• Self-Awareness and Emotional Health: Jillian discusses the importance of understanding our emotions and their origins. "If we don't know how we feel, then we don't know what we need." She introduces practical exercises like her “Clarity Sessions” and the "Emotional Playlist" to help listeners manage stress and build emotional resilience.
• Overcoming Personal Adversity: From being a teen mum to becoming an ER nurse, Jillian's story is one of perseverance. She shares the impact of societal judgements and how she defied expectations to build a successful career and a fulfilling life. "I had my son on a Monday when I was nine months pregnant in college, went back the next Monday, and became valedictorian."
• Emotional Overdraft in Relationships: Jillian dives into how unresolved emotional baggage can strain relationships and shares how she and her husband worked through their own challenges. "If we don’t know how to unpack those grief cases together, we end up just being each other's source of grief."
• Practical Tools for Emotional Resilience: The episode is rich with practical advice, including the importance of regular self-check-ins, deep breathing exercises, and the creation of an “Emotional Playlist” to maintain a positive mindset. "Emotions are primary energy drainers, but they can also be our primary energy drivers."

Personal Anecdotes:

• Jillian’s Secret Childhood: Jillian candidly shares how being hidden from her father’s family until she was 18 affected her sense of self-worth and led to a lifelong struggle with people-pleasing and achievement addiction.
• Andy’s Reflection on Adoption: Andy connects with Jillian by sharing his own experience of being adopted at a young age and the impact it had on his need to prove his worth. "I spent years, probably still do at 59, trying to prove that I was worthy."

Further Resources:

• Life Without Secrets Podcast: Hosted by Jillian Riddell, this podcast dives into personal growth, relationships, and emotional resilience.
• Emotional Overdraft Book by Andy Brown: For more insights on managing emotional overdraft, Andy’s book is available on Amazon in various formats.
• HeartMath Institute: Explore the science behind emotions and heart rate variability, as discussed by Jillian in this episode.

Follow Jillian Riddell:

• Instagram: @LifeWithoutSecretsPodcast
• Website: Life Without Secrets

Connect with Andy Brown:

• LinkedIn: Andy Brown on LinkedIn