Inner Work With MaryAnn Walker: Stop People Pleasing and Start Honoring You!

Bonus: When You’re Feeling the Weight of the World: Government Shutdown Reflections and Hope

• MaryAnn Walker

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Feeling overwhelmed by the news, politics, or the state of the world? You’re not alone. In this bonus episode, MaryAnn Walker dives into how empaths and highly sensitive people can stay grounded during times of uncertainty — like the current U.S. government shutdown — without shutting down emotionally. She shares practical strategies for transforming overwhelm into hope and meaningful action.

Whether you’re stressed about finances, worried about loved ones, or simply drained by constant headlines, this episode provides tools to help you regain clarity, calm, and control.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • How highly sensitive people experience macro vs micro stress during crises
  • Techniques to reduce overwhelm while staying empathetic
  • Practical ways to take small, meaningful actions that help both yourself and others
  • How serving your community can regulate your emotions and restore hope
  • Why staying centered in your values is more powerful than trying to fix everything

Challenge for the Week
Ask yourself: what is the one thing weighing heaviest on me right now? Choose one small, compassionate action that can lighten that burden — whether it’s donating to a local food pantry, reaching out to a friend, or simply taking a mindful pause for yourself.

Work With Me
If you’re an empath or highly sensitive person struggling to stay grounded in overwhelming times, I can help you find clarity, calm, and emotional resilience. Email me at maryann@maryannwalker.life or click here to get started. https://maryannwalker.life/contact-me


If you have been impacted by the shutdown, reach out. I have deferred billing and scholarships that can help. Want to contribute? Venmo me or add a few bucks to my digital tip jar!

Venmo: @MaryAnn-Walker-Life, Digital Tip Jar: https://maryannwalker-life.kit.com/products/tip-jar

Don’t Forget to Subscribe
If you found this episode helpful, subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes on emotional regulation, empath self-care, and navigating life as a highly sensitive person.



Well, hello and welcome back. Today is a bonus episode. I have some things to say that I just don't think can wait, and so I am recording here on a Sunday morning, and I plan to push this out later today because there's a lot that's on my mind right now, and I'm assuming there's probably a lot on your mind as well Now. First, I do want to acknowledge that yes, I have some big feelings I'm going to be sharing today. And also by way of a trigger warning, I am going to be talking a little bit about the current political climate and I just wanna get that outta the way. So if you are currently in a position where hearing anything about politics is too overwhelming for you, I know I work with a lot of empaths and highly sensitive people and that can be hard. So if you need to skip this episode, I 100% understand it's totally okay. I do intend to end on a hopeful note, but I wanted to give you an opportunity to opt in or opt out depending on where you are currently emotionally at and wherever you're at that's okay. Okay. I'm not offended if you need to skip. There are many people struggling in the US right now, and since I have a decent number of listeners outside of the US I'm going to give a very brief rundown. Of course, there's so many things I could be talking about. I'm only gonna be talking about a few, but here's a very brief rundown. Currently the US government is shut down, meaning that a budget has not yet been passed, and that means that currently there are approximately 670,000 federal employees that are furloughed. That means they're not going into work and they're not getting paid, and they won't be for the foreseeable future. Additionally, there are 730,000 federal employees that are currently being asked to work, but they're not receiving pay. And while historically these employees have received back pay once the government's up and running again, when asked about it, then leadership has said, well, it depends on who we're talking about as to if they're going to receive back pay or not. And that's creating a lot of fear and uncertainty. As an extension of this shutdown, many people are experiencing food insecurity. Not only the federally employed families that are not currently receiving a paycheck, but also those who are on SNAP benefits and receiving supplemental nutrition from the government. Never before has any administration withheld funds from this program, not even during a shutdown. So everything that we're currently experiencing right now is unprecedented. And as you know, I work with the highly sensitive people and the empaths, and this population is being very significantly impacted right now. Even if it doesn't impact them directly, they feel the weight of it. This last September I attended a women's retreat. And honestly, for me it was perfect timing to go because I do get sucked into the news. I do get overwhelmed, and for me, the most healing part was just being unplugged for a few days. And while I was at this retreat, I was talking with somebody and I was telling them how much I've just been thoroughly enjoying having one-on-one conversations with people being unplugged. How amazing that's been for me. And she made the comment that, yeah, I've really been enjoying these one-on-one conversations too. And also they're just making me so tired. And that kind of led into a conversation where we were talking about the macro and the micro experience, that right now we're experiencing so many things on the macro level. We're experiencing so many things as a country, so many things as a world that that can feel so overwhelming and how that really changes and shifts our micro experience. And so, yeah, of course you're gonna be tired when you're still trying to process everything that's happening on the macro level, especially if you're an empath and you're feeling it in your body. And it's gonna shift how you engage in your one-on-one conversations. It's so interesting how those contribute to each other. So on the macro level here in the United States, we are experiencing more division than I've ever seen before in my life. There is so much othering that is happening right now, and it seems like everybody is looking for somebody to blame. So whether it's Republicans, Democrats, remote workers, federal employees, members of the LGBTQ plus community or the immigrant community, we're seeing so much division right now and so much blaming. So. I'll be honest with you, as I listened to the episode that dropped this last Thursday on anger, it was a really interesting experience for me because I, to be honest, I recorded that episode months ago. I had been recording a bunch of episodes to get them all scheduled out because I was planning to have surgery. The surgery didn't happen. I ended up having COVID instead. So that's been rescheduled for January. But I had recorded this episode at a different time on anger, and honestly, as I was listening to it, I thought, oh, it sounds a little outta touch. People have a lot to be angry about right now. People are hungry right now. They're experiencing fear and uncertainty and that's definitely going to be impacting, um, not only their experience with anger, fear, insecurity, but it's gonna be impacting how it is that I wanna talk about those things. So yeah, I do still plan to drop part two on Thursday, but I really wanted to create this episode to just kind of address that, that people are really experiencing a lot right now. So backing up a tiny bit to this conversation that I was having with this new friend of mine, as we were talking about the macro experience that we're all having as a collective, she shared with me a little bit about her micro experience. She has a daughter who is attending UVU, and that is the college where Charlie Kirk was killed. And while her daughter was not at the event, she had friends who were. And their individual experiences honestly, they sounded terrifying. And I will not be sharing them here out of respect for those families. But I will share one thing that really stood out to me. For those of us that were watching all this happen on the news, we all knew it was in the beginning headline that one shot was fired, right? One shot fired. But those that were in attendance, they had no idea how many shots would be fired or who the intended target was. They were scared, and honestly, rightly so. Because here in the US we're currently experiencing more than one mass shooting per day. In fact, as of today, November 2nd, there have been 359 mass shootings in 2025 here in the US. So their fear is very real. It's very valid. And so there's the fear and the experience of everybody that was there at the event, and their fear and experience is very valid. And then there was the experience of my friend's daughter who was experiencing secondhand trauma, hearing about her friend's experience. And then that trickles down to mom, where now mom is also feeling traumatized, hearing about her daughter's friend's experiences. It really seems to have this big trickle down effect. So there's a significant amount of emotion going on right now. Um, many things that are happening, and not only are all of these big things happening at the global level, but when you add into that food insecurity, that adds a whole new layer when it comes to processing emotion. So why do I bring all of this up? Because as I said on Thursday's episode, yeah. Emotions are here to teach us. They're here to move us into action. And also as a collective, we're processing a lot right now on the macro and the micro level. And the empaths and the highly sensitive people, they are really, really feeling it. And depending on what their volume is currently tuned into at the moment, right? Whether it's something on the macro or the micro level, whatever it is that you're tuned into right now, whatever's the loudest for you, that's going to be impacting how it is that you choose to navigate that experience. For example, if right now the macro experience is what's loudest for you and your main concerns are around public safety, fairness, caring for your community, you'll be navigating those things a lot differently than if your main focus is something personal on the micro level, like food insecurity or not knowing when your next paycheck will come. So sit for a moment and ask yourself, what's weighing most on me right now? And once you've identified that, ask yourself, okay, what is one thing that I could do right now to make it a little bit lighter? Maybe it's reaching out to talk with a friend. Maybe it's taking a social media break. Maybe it's helping somebody in need, but pick one small act and it's amazing to see how these small things really can create significant shift. So here in my own town, I have been so inspired by how people have been choosing to show up. Porch pantries are popping up. People that have had those little mini libraries in their front yards, they're taking the books out and they're putting canned food in so that they can help their neighbors. Several of the local restaurants are offering free meals to families that are impacted by this shutdown. People are actively looking for small ways that they can contribute, and it's a beautiful thing to witness. And today, that's what I want to encourage you to do is, yes, it is so overwhelming to see everything that's going on right now, and honestly, it's because I know how overwhelming it can be. That's why I haven't talked much about politics on here. I know that I often need a safe place to talk about things that Aren't politics because it can be so all consuming. But I think it's time that I start to speak up more about this and not to just raise more noise or to blame, but to remind us that no matter where it is that we fall politically, most of us want the same thing. We're all seeking to have safety and stability and a sense of community and belonging. I have learned that for me, when I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the things that are going on in the world, then one thing that really helps me is shifting my focus to a micro experience. So when I'm experiencing the weight of the macro, that can be so overwhelming. And of course I'm gonna feel like things are out of my control because they are. But shifting it to something that is in my control, by bringing it back to a little micro experience, then it really helps to shift things for me. So this might be something as simple as being fully present with somebody as they're sharing their pain and helping them to feel a little bit lighter. Maybe it's making a donation to your local food pantry and that can help you to feel like you're making a difference. Maybe it's inviting a family over for dinner who isn't sure when their SNAP benefits will renew. That can help to create community and connection, and also help to fill a very real need. This last week I was exchanging Marco Polos with a friend of mine, someone whose family is also federally employed, and she was laying in bed and crying as she was expressing overwhelm as she was looking into different loan options as she's facing the uncertainty as to when they will be paid. Because the truth is that stretching funds is one thing, but stretching them when you have no idea how far it is that they need to stretch. That's another fear entirely. And as I listened, then I recognized that, boy, it does feel like a lot, like this can feel like a lot because I don't know what to say in that situation. I don't know how to help her. I can listen, but I can't personally change her financial situation. So yeah, it can feel like a lot. And honestly, I felt a little bit helpless in that conversation. So I listened and I loved, and when we were done talking, she said, you know what? Just having somebody just be with me and listen has helped me to feel so much better. Thank you. And hearing that also helped me to feel a little bit better. So what I want to encourage you to do today is if you're feeling overwhelmed, I want you to see if you can identify one small thing that you could do that might have a positive impact on the world, and then do it. Serving other people really can be an amazing way to regulate your own emotions. It helps us to shift from fear and overwhelm into love and hope because we're actually helping to create that love and hope and create that change. My husband is one of those who is federally employed, meaning that he hasn't received a paycheck in nearly a month now. And don't worry, we're doing okay. And also I know that not everyone is. And yes, more than likely we will all get back pay, but groceries cannot be bought on a promissory note, and mortgages can't be paid, and that creates a lot of fear and uncertainty for many people right now, and that fear and uncertainty that people are experiencing on the micro level, it does make it a lot harder to navigate that fear and uncertainty that we're all experiencing. On the macro level. It makes it a lot harder to process what's happening globally, and as I've been thinking about what it is that I could do personally, then this is what I've come up with. If you have been hurt by the shutdown, I want to help. So come and work with me, and I will not send you an invoice until the government is up and running again. And at that point, if we have received back pay, great. I'll send you the invoice. If we, for whatever reason, do not receive back pay, you will not receive an invoice. You can just consider it my gift to you. So I am currently expanding my availability so that I can help more people. So come and work with me. Also, I am still accepting regular paying clients as well, and so if you've been waiting for a nudge from the universe thinking, well, I don't know, I'm kind of thinking about coaching, consider this your nudge and come and work with me. Also, if you feel compelled to make a donation to sponsor somebody else, or if you just wanna add a couple of bucks to my tip jar because you enjoy the content that you're seeing here, then I do have a link in the show notes for both my Venmo as well as to my digital tip jar. So come and make a donation. It'll help me to do even more good here in our local community. So you can email me at maryann@maryannwalker.life to apply to work with me. Come to my website, www.maryannwalker.life. But come and work with me. Let me know what kind of support you're needing and let's start working together. When the world feels overwhelming and especially during times of crisis, then focusing on small, tangible ways to help other people. It not only helps to support the community, but it can also help to soothe our own overwhelm. We are all in this together, so let's do some good. Reach out. If you'd like support, you don't have to face this alone. I love you guys and I'll see you on Thursday. Bye now.