You’re Not the Problem: Why Your Nervous System Keeps You Stuck (And How to Finally Break Free) with Lori Montry

Have you ever wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns even when you know better? What if those patterns aren't flaws, but brilliant adaptations your nervous system created to help you survive? In this episode, somatic healing practitioner Lori Montry shares her powerful framework for understanding yourself through a nervous system lens. We explore why willpower alone never works, how to actually build a foundation for lasting change, and what it means to move from your "adapted self" to your "expansive self." If you've been battling yourself for years, this conversation will show you a new way home. What You'll Learn: 🧠 Why your nervous system keeps pulling you back to the same behaviors (and why it's not your fault) 🌱 The three things your nervous system needs: Safety, Capacity, and Energy 🔨 Why building change at the behavioral level is like building a second-floor balcony with no foundation 💡 How to tell the difference between your adapted self and your expansive self ✨ The reframe that will change how you see every single one of your struggles 🛠️ Why your toolbox needs more than one tool, and how to build yours ❤️ The beautiful truth about emotional eating (and why food should still be part of celebration and comfort) [00:00] – The hook: Why Monday motivation never lasts [05:30] – Lori's story: Adaptations, survival, and the four-year-old who learned to turn to food [12:15] – What are adaptations? And why every single one of us has them [18:40] – The three things driving every coping behavior: Pathways, Nervous System, Emotions [24:15] – Why "fixing" your behavior without tending to your nervous system never works [30:00] – Introducing the Freedom Formula: Building your foundation [36:20] – Safety, Capacity, and Energy: What your nervous system actually needs [42:10] – Why mindset work fails when your body is in survival mode [48:30] – How to start building your own tool belt (and why it looks different for everyone) [54:00] – Lori's book: You're Not the Problem and the mission to reach 50 million people [58:15] – Lightning round: Lori's go-to self-care practice Connect with Lori Montry: 🌐 Website: www.lorimontry.com 🙏 Thank you for tuning in to the Soul Aligned Self Care Podcast! ✨ If you loved this episode, please: Subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode Share it with a friend who needs this message If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, leave a quick review to help this show reach more amazing women like you 💜 🔗 Connect with me here: 🌐 Website: https://www.tinastinson.com 📌 Patreon (support the podcast & receive exclusive practices + monthly resets): https://www.patreon.com/tinastinson 🎁 Freebie: The Self Healing Toolkit - stop burnout, stress, and overwhelm in their tracks & start to regulate your nervous system: https://www.tinastinson.com/signup 📺 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SASCTinaStinson 🌿 Work with me more deeply: The Self Care Intensive - heal your nervous system, reset boundaries, body, mind, and soul, and step into your next phase of life with power: https://www.tinastinson.com/aligned-worthy-ps Enjoyed this episode? If this conversation shifted something for you, would you take 30 seconds to leave a rating and review? It helps other people find these conversations when they need them most. 💛