The Real Work with Maggie Sterling

You're doing all the "right" things — the breathing exercises, the meditation apps, the journaling — and you're still anxious. Still wired. Still can't relax. Here's the thing: some of the habits you think are helping are actually keeping your nervous system stuck in survival mode. In this video, I'm sharing 3 things to stop doing if you actually want to feel calm. These aren't obvious mistakes. They're the subtle patterns that keep you in the loop of trying to fix yourself — which is the exact energy that keeps your nervous system on high alert. If you've tried everything and nothing seems to work, this might be why. Soft Regulation System Waitlist  

You've heard that acceptance is the key to healing. But when you try to "accept" your symptoms, nothing changes. That's because acceptance isn't something you do—it's what happens when you stop doing. In this episode, I'm breaking down what acceptance actually looks like in practice (hint: it's not saying affirmations or trying to feel calm). I'll share why your "fix it" energy is keeping you stuck, what to remove before you add anything new, and how to know if you're actually accepting or just using acceptance as another tool. Hw If you've been asking "but HOW do I accept this?"—this one's for you. Soft Regulation System Waitlist  

I used to have one anxious thought hijack my entire day. Now it passes in about 7 seconds. In this episode, I'm sharing the shift that made this possible—and it's not a breathing technique or a hack. It's understanding the difference between being "anxiety free" and being "free from anxiety." One keeps you stuck. The other is where the suffering actually drops. I'll tell you about a moment I had recently while sick—a scary thought popped up about post-viral symptoms—and what I did differently this time that let it pass in seconds instead of spiraling for hours. If you've been doing all the things and still feel trapped by anxious thoughts, this one's for you. Soft Regulation System Waitlist  

For years, I was doing everything therapy told me to do… and somehow, I was still getting worse. More panic. More symptoms. More fear. More confusion. It didn't make sense. Until it finally did. In this episode, I'm sharing the part of healing that talk therapy never explained — the piece I didn't even know I was missing. If you've been in therapy, doing the work, trying your best… but nothing is changing, this conversation is going to make something click. Soft Regulation System Waitlist  

Feeling lazy, exhausted, and overstimulated? You're not lazy—your nervous system is maxed out. Learn why you're tired all the time even when you "haven't done anything" and how to rebuild capacity. If you've been calling yourself lazy because you can't seem to make yourself do anything, this episode is for you. What looks like laziness is often a nervous system that's been running at 12 out of 10 for years—maybe decades. Your body is burning massive energy internally through hypervigilance, worry loops, and constant stimulation... even when you're not "doing" anything visible. In this episode, I talk about: Why laziness is almost never the real problem The difference between functional freeze and full freeze How overstimulation drains you without you realizing it Why your exhaustion isn't about today—it's cumulative What's actually happening when you "know what to do but can't do it" This isn't a productivity problem. It's not a willpower problem. It's an overload problem. Soft Regulation System Waitlist