Heather Rafael explores how holiday gatherings can trigger old versions of ourselves and how to stay rooted in the woman you are now. She explains why some people interact with you from the past, the difference between capacity and worth, and why you don’t need to shrink to make others comfortable. The episode offers three practical, gentle practices to stay regulated in real time: slow your pace, bring attention back into your body (hands to heart and belly), and choose presence over performance. Heather closes with an invitation to deepen support through her coaching experience for women ready to become their own emotional anchors.