Let's face it: You're drowning in shoulds. I should have done this over the summer. I should be more prepared for back to school. I should have my shit together by now. Every single "should" is a tiny weight you're carrying—and you're suffocating under the pressure you're putting on yourself.

Life threw Michelle a curveball today, and instead of fighting it, she rolled with it. What was supposed to be a different episode became something more powerful: a raw reminder to stop obsessing over "the how." That death grip you have on controlling every detail of how things will unfold? It's keeping you stuck, stressed, and stealing your joy.

Here's the thing: After a year of traveling and flowing with life's rhythm, Michelle discovered something magical—when you stop shoulding on yourself and release the fixation on how things have to happen, life becomes more playful, more present, and infinitely more fun. This isn't about giving up on goals or lowering standards. It's about releasing expectations that are suffocating your peace of mind.

This episode breaks down the pressure balloon visualization that literally pops the stress in your mind, why faith has to be bigger than your fear of the unknown, and the difference between flowing with life versus giving up on your dreams. Michelle doesn't sugarcoat it—she drops the F-bombs and tells it like it is.

You're not broken. You're just carrying pressure that isn't yours. This is your reckoning. Yet.

IS THIS EPISODE FOR YOU?

Listen if you're: ✓ Drowning in "shoulds" as summer ends and back to school season hits ✓ Obsessively trying to control "the how" of everything in your life ✓ Putting immense pressure on yourself to have it all figured out ✓ Exhausted from trying to force outcomes instead of flowing with what shows up ✓ Afraid that letting go of control means giving up on your dreams ✓ Ready to hear the raw, unfiltered truth about why you're your own worst enemy ✓ Needing permission to stop shoulding on yourself and release expectations ✓ Curious about what happens when faith gets bigger than fear of the unknown

This is for you if you're done suffocating under pressure and ready to breathe.

WHAT GETS EXPOSED

The "shoulding on yourself" pattern that's drowning you: Every "I should have done this" is a judgment against yourself—and you're carrying hundreds of them, especially during transitions like back to school season

Why your fixation on "the how" keeps you stuck and stressed: You're so obsessed with controlling every detail of how things will unfold that you miss the magic happening right in front of you—and you create more resistance than flow

The pressure balloon visualization that pops the stress: Michelle shares the mental exercise that literally releases the pressure you're carrying in your mind—imagining it as a balloon you can pop and let float away

Faith vs. fear of the unknown: Your fear of not knowing how things will work out is bigger than your faith that they will—and that imbalance is keeping you caged in control mode instead of opening to possibility

Flowing with life vs. giving up on your dreams: There's a massive difference between releasing control and giving up—flowing means trusting the path while still moving forward, not abandoning what matters

BURKE BOMBS

💣 "Stop putting so much goddamn pressure on yourself. Every 'should' is a weight you're carrying—and you're suffocating under expectations that aren't even yours."

💣 "Your fixation on 'the how' is keeping you stuck. When you release the death grip on how things have to unfold, life becomes more playful, more present, and infinitely more fun."

💣 "Faith has to be bigger than your fear of the unknown. That's the only way to stop controlling and start flowing."

QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE

Why am I so obsessed with controlling "the how" of everything? Because you think if you can control how things unfold, you can prevent pain, failure, or disappointment. But here's the truth: the obsessive need to know how things will happen creates more stress than it prevents. Michelle spent a year traveling and flowing with life's rhythm—and discovered that when you release the death grip on "the how," magic shows up in ways you couldn't have planned. Controlling isn't protecting you. It's suffocating you. The how will reveal itself when you stop forcing it.

What does "stop shoulding on yourself" actually mean? Every time you say "I should have done this over the summer" or "I should be more prepared" or "I should have my shit together by now"—that's a judgment against yourself. Each "should" is a weight you're carrying, especially during transitions like back to school. Shoulding on yourself means living by expectations (yours, society's, everyone else's) instead of what's actually true for you right now. Stop judging where you are. You're exactly where you need to be—even if it feels messy.

How do I release expectations without giving up on my dreams? There's a massive difference between flowing with life and giving up. Flowing means: trusting the path while still moving forward, releasing control over how things have to happen, staying open to magic you didn't plan for, letting go of the timeline and pressure. Giving up means: abandoning what matters, stopping the forward movement, resigning yourself to "this is as good as it gets." You can have big dreams AND release expectations. They're not mutually exclusive. Faith is the bridge.

What is the pressure balloon visualization and how does it work? Michelle shares a mental exercise: imagine all the pressure you're carrying—the shoulds, the expectations, the need to control—as a balloon in your mind. See it inflated, heavy, taking up space. Then mentally pop it. Watch the pressure dissipate, float away. This isn't toxic positivity—it's a somatic practice that signals to your nervous system: I'm releasing this. It doesn't have to be perfect or permanent. Just the act of visualizing the pressure leaving creates space for breath, ease, and flow.

CONVERSATION BREAKDOWN WITH TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] - Life's curveball: What was supposed to be a different episode became something more powerful

[01:30] - The shoulding spiral: Summer ending, back to school pressure, drowning in "I should have done this"

[03:45] - Letting go of "the how": Why obsessing over how things will unfold keeps you stuck and stressed

[05:30] - The year of flowing: Michelle's journey of traveling and releasing control—what she discovered about playfulness and presence

[07:15] - The pressure balloon visualization: The exercise that literally pops the stress in your mind

[09:00] - Faith bigger than fear: Why you have to trust the unknown more than you fear it

[10:30] - Flowing vs. giving up: The difference between releasing control and abandoning your dreams

[12:00] - Final truth bomb: Stop being your own worst enemy—you're exactly where you need to be

ABOUT MICHELLE BURKE

Michelle Burke is the bestselling author of Hot Mess Magic, keynote speaker, and host of Hot Mess Magic podcast.

She doesn't do curated advice or toxic positivity. She tells the truth that gut-punches you awake.

Hot Mess Magic was born from the fire—the breakdowns, the unraveling, the full-blown identity crises. The kind that crack you open and refuse to let you go back to who you were.

This isn't self-help. It's self-trust.

Connect with Michelle:

📧 Newsletter: https://michelleaburke.substack.com/

📱 Instagram: @michelleaburke

🌐 Instagram: @hotmessmagicmedia

📖 Book: Hot Mess Magic

Work with Michelle:

💬 Expansion Sessions (one-on-one guidance for trusting yourself again. Only 20 spots available till Jan. 31, 2026)

🎤 Speaking

KEY REALIZATIONS FROM THIS EPISODE

On shoulding yourself: "Every 'I should have done this' is a judgment against yourself. You're carrying hundreds of these weights—and wondering why you're suffocating." - Michelle

On controlling the how: "Your fixation on how things will unfold is keeping you stuck. When you release that death grip, life becomes more playful, more present, more fun." - Michelle

On faith vs. fear: "Faith has to be bigger than your fear of the unknown. That's the only way to stop controlling and start flowing." - Michelle

On pressure release: "Stop putting so much goddamn pressure on yourself. You're exactly where you need to be—even if it feels messy." - Michelle

On flowing vs. giving up: "There's a difference between flowing with life and giving up. Flowing means trusting the path while still moving forward. That's not resignation—that's faith." - Michelle

THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH NOBODY'S SAYING

You're drowning in shoulds. And most of them aren't even yours.

I should have done this over the summer. I should be more prepared for back to school. I should have my shit together by now. Every single "should" is a judgment against yourself—and you're carrying hundreds of them. Especially during transitions. Stop shoulding on yourself. You're exactly where you need to be, even if it feels messy.

Your obsession with "the how" is suffocating your joy.

You need to know how things will unfold. How you'll achieve the goal. How the pieces will come together. How you'll avoid pain or failure. But that death grip on control? It's keeping you stuck. Michelle spent a year traveling and flowing—and discovered that when you release the how, magic shows up in ways you couldn't have planned. The how reveals itself when you stop forcing it.

Fear of the unknown is bigger than your faith. That's the problem.

You say you have faith. You say you trust. But when it comes down to it, your fear of not knowing how things will work out is louder than your belief that they will. That imbalance keeps you in control mode—planning, forcing, gripping. Faith has to get bigger than fear. That's the only way to flow.

The pressure balloon is real. And you can pop it.

All the pressure you're carrying—the shoulds, the expectations, the need to control—imagine it as a balloon in your mind. Heavy. Inflated. Taking up space. Now pop it. Watch it dissipate. Float away. This isn't bypassing—it's a somatic signal to your nervous system: I'm releasing this. Even temporarily, that visualization creates space for breath and ease.

Flowing with life doesn't mean giving up on your dreams.

There's a massive difference. Flowing means: trusting the path while moving forward, releasing control over timelines, staying open to magic you didn't plan. Giving up means: abandoning what matters, stopping movement, resigning yourself to "this is it." You can have big dreams AND release expectations. Faith is the bridge between the two.

You're not broken. You're just carrying pressure that isn't yours. This is your reckoning. Yet.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

The Pressure Balloon Visualization - Michelle's mental exercise for releasing stress: imagine pressure as a balloon, pop it, watch it float away

Michelle's Year of Traveling and Flowing - The journey that taught her to release control over "the how" and trust life's rhythm

Faith vs. Fear Framework - Understanding when fear of the unknown is bigger than your faith—and how to rebalance

Stop Shoulding on Yourself Practice - Catching yourself in "should" statements and releasing the judgment

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Website

If this episode cracked something open—if you're ready to stop shoulding on yourself and release that death grip on control—subscribe so you never miss an episode.

And if you popped your pressure balloon this week? Leave a review. Tell us what this conversation exposed for you.

Your mess is your medicine. Your breakdown is your breakthrough.

Welcome to Hot Mess Magic.

TAGS

#StopShoulding #LetGoOfControl #ReleasingExpectations #FaithOverFear #PerfectionismRecovery #HotMessMagic #MichelleBurke #FlowingWithLife #BackToSchoolPressure #PressureBalloon #GenXWomen #XennialWomen #SelfCompassion #TrustTheProcess #ReleaseControl #DoItMessy #SacredMess #RawAndReal #SoloEpisode #RealTalk

SEO KEYWORDS REFERENCE

Primary: stop shoulding on yourself, let go of control, releasing expectations, faith over fear, perfectionism recovery

Secondary: back to school pressure, controlling the how, flowing with life, pressure balloon visualization, stop being your own worst enemy, releasing judgment, faith bigger than fear

Long-tail: how to stop putting so much pressure on yourself, what does stop shoulding on yourself mean, how to let go of controlling how things unfold, difference between flowing with life and giving up, faith vs fear of the unknown, visualization exercise for releasing stress, why am I obsessed with controlling everything, how to release expectations without giving up on dreams

Note: This is a raw, unfiltered solo episode where Michelle practices what she preaches—rolling with life's curveballs instead of fighting them. Perfect example of flowing vs. forcing, even in content creation.