About this episode

Brooke Oniki shares three tools to help manage personal responses during family gatherings to foster connection and reduce stress.

Family reunions. Holidays. Summer trips. Long weekends with adult children, in-laws, and extended family. Sometimes they’re full of connection and joy. Sometimes they come with stress, hurt feelings, unmet expectations, or that one conversation that catches you off guard. In today’s episode, I’m sharing three simple tools to help you show up differently at family gatherings this summer. Instead of trying to manage everyone else, we’ll talk about how to manage you . Because when you feel more grounded, everything changes. In this episode we discuss: Why regulating your nervous system matters more than managing the event A story about a mother who thought criticism was coming—but discovered connection instead How “manuals” (unspoken expectations) create frustration at family events The birthday cake story and what it teaches us about curiosity and compassion Why curiosity often works better than control How deciding who you want to be before you arrive can completely change your experience Simple ways to stay connected, grounded, and present during summer gatherings Questions to consider before your next gathering: What tends to activate me? How will I care for myself if that…

People in this episode

Host: Brooke Oniki

Topics covered

• family reunions
• stress management
• self-regulation
• expectations
• connection
• curiosity
• personal growth

Keywords

• family gatherings
• nervous system
• manuals
• curiosity
• expectations
• self-care
• connection
• grounded
• presence

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