Canaries in the Coal Mine
Welcome to Canaries in the Coal Mine—a podcast and YouTube channel for sensitive souls, truth-tellers, and cycle-breakers who see the fire before anyone else smells the smoke.
I’m Shannon—recovering party girl, trauma survivor, boundary-setter, and fellow feel-everything-er—and I’m here to help you stop gaslighting yourself, set sacred boundaries, and remember: your sensitivity is your superpower.
If you were raised around addiction, narcissism, codependency, or emotional neglect, you might feel like you're too much, too emotional, or just plain broken.
But here's the truth:
💛 You're not broken. You're not crazy. You're just the canary.
Through raw conversations, grounded tools, and gently rebellious truth-telling, we’ll explore healing from trauma, setting boundaries without guilt, reparenting ourselves, and rebuilding the nervous system—one deep breath at a time.
No toxic positivity. No bullshit. Just soul-level self-care, emotional wisdom, and some dry humor to get us through the hard stuff.
Whether you're just beginning to question your family patterns or knee-deep in breaking generational cycles—you belong here.
🎙️ New episodes every week.
—Let’s stay connected:
🕊️ Free healing guide: www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com
📬 Email: shannon@thecanariesinthecoalmine.com
🎥 YouTube: @thecanariesinthecoalmine
Canaries in the Coal Mine
Why Saying No Feels So Wrong (When You’re Not Wrong at All)
This video explains why saying no feels wrong, why guilt shows up when you set boundaries, and how childhood conditioning, trauma, and people-pleasing shape your nervous system.
If your stomach drops when you disappoint someone…
If your chest tightens when you set a boundary…
If guilt floods you the moment you choose rest…
This episode is for you. 💛
For those raised in chaos, emotional immaturity, or addiction, guilt around “no” isn’t a character flaw —
it’s conditioning.
Today we’re talking about:
• why guilt feels like a threat, not a feeling
• the survival role you learned before you ever knew you had one
• why saying no triggers panic, shame, and over-explaining
• how your nervous system confuses boundaries with danger
• the first steps toward responding from self-respect instead of fear
You are not selfish for having limits.
You’re not unkind for needing rest.
You’re simply unlearning who you never had to be.
Watch Next:
The Hidden Ways Childhood Trauma Affects Your Adult Life → https://youtu.be/M8NOmHApwfw
What Does “Family Cycle Breaker” Mean? → https://youtu.be/UQuw9pgf03E
Each film is a soft place to land — cinematic truth-telling for cycle-breakers, deep feelers, and anyone healing from the inside out.
Subscribe:
New cinematic healing films → @thecanariesinthecoalmine
If you want to support my work:
• Explore the Canary Book Nook → https://amzn.to/4fzi6Eu
• Share this film with someone who needs it
• Subscribe, like, and comment — your engagement helps this work reach more people
Free Resources (for your journey):
Canary Love Notes → https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/c6ivxhp4ti
Vagus Nerve Reset Guide → https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/4qzfwvxxp7
7 Tools for Sensitive Souls → https://mailchi.mp/7d6d2342bb0b/the-canarys-survival-guide
Find Us Online:
Website → https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com
Podcast → Canaries in the Coal Mine (Spotify / Apple / Amazon)
Book Nook → https://amzn.to/4fzi6Eu
Community Question:
Do you feel guilty when you set a boundary or choose rest?
What helps you stay steady when that old survival guilt rises?
Share below — your story helps someone else breathe easier. 💛
Helpful Link:
The Peacemaker’s Reset Guide
A trauma-informed way to steady your body when old guilt tries to pull you back into overgiving.
Download → https://www.thecanariesinthecoalmine.com/er5leo0mxf
Sponsorship Disclosure:
This episode is not sponsored. Affiliate links help support this channel at no additional cost to you.
Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Patterns of Conditioned Guilt
3:42 - Where This Pattern Began
6:55 - Practical Shifts That Support Healing
10:40 - Empathy, Truth, and Reclamation
#Boundaries #PeoplePleasing #TraumaHealing #CycleBreaker #CPTSDRecovery #AdultChildrenOfAlcoholics #SettingBoundaries #PeoplePleaserRecovery
About This Channel:
A cinematic space for cycle-breakers, deep feelers, and truth-tellers.
We aren’t “too much” — we’re wired for honesty, healing, and connection.
New episodes every other Tuesday at 1 PM ET, plus podcast uploads.
Educational Disclaimer:
This content is for educational and supportive purposes only. It is not therapy or medical advice.