“With traumas, for the most part, I think a lot of our stuff that we work through and really the tough shit that we as adult.” In this episode, Nick talks about feeling trauma in ourselves and what to do with it. When we think about trauma, most people think about the kind of crazy traumas like head traumas or something major like a car accident or even a tragedy where somebody died. There’s also the trauma that a lot of us don’t often talk about, but we all actually have… which are the traumas we experienced at a young age. What to listen for: What are traumas actually Where do traumas reside in our body Where do traumas show up and how we can become aware of them Practical ways to become aware of our internal state, our past traumas and make changes quickly “When you think about trauma or when I think about trauma, and I think most people when they think about trauma, they think about kind of crazy shit like head traumas or something.” Learn the actual definition of trauma Traumas aren’t just the horrific and tragic things that happen, sometimes they’re subtle Triggers bring traumas to the surface and you may have experienced one and not even really registered it yet How smells, sights, and touch can bring upon past traumas “With traumas, for the most part, I think a lot of our stuff that we work through and really the tough shit that we as adults work through are our traumas from when we were children. But that’s not where they all stop. It’s not like you from four to nine, you went through some fucking wacky shit, but after that, everything was peachy because there’s still stuff that’s going to happen no matter what. But it’s also how you react to those things that had happened before.” Childhood experiences and trauma linger unless we properly process them How we can bypass our emotions and write off a trauma as “just a bad experience” I talk about a story from when I was a little boy with my father and how this trauma affected me for almost 2 decades “I think we all kind of know when we feel anxious at times, even though it’s not always easy to know it right in the moment, being aware of it, but it is knowing that, hey, I feel really anxious right now, even if it’s just been simmering for a little bit. So being aware of those things and being able to work through them are two different parts” How a recent experience flooded my body with anxiety and reminded me of past traumas I still need to work on How traumas stack upon themselves How my traumas kept repeating and showing up because of the processing that was done and not done The commitment I made to myself and how I stuck to it About Nick McGowan I’m Nick McGowan, entrepreneur, podcaster, and mental health advocate, and I've been on a 20+ year journey of personal development, learning to master my mindset, emotions, and the art of living with purpose. As a Mindset and Self-Mastery Mentor, I work with ambitious men and women who want to live their most authentic and joyous life, by helping them master their mindset, emotional awareness, and authentic communication. My mission is to empower people to lead lives that feel aligned, grounded, and truly their own. Throughout my career, I’ve built teams, streamlined systems, and improved client experiences across SaaS, media, marketing, and personal development spaces. Whether I’m leading cross-functional projects, optimizing SEO, Podcasting, designing strategies, or guiding clients through transformation, I bring a hands-on, solution-focused approach to everything I do. I’m also the host of The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show, where my guests and I unpack the stories that shape us, challenge us, and ultimately guide us back to who we are at our core. On this show, we uncover the secret gems others have discovered through trial, error, and breakthroughs so you can fast-track your growth, and master your mindset on your pursuit toward self-mastery.  With years of podcasting and two decades of marketing experience,