There are moments when it's not that you don't feel anything.

It's that you feel too much all at once.

And none of it has a clear name.

In this episode of At the Counter with the Baking Pastor, Laura sits down with author and researcher Doug Earl Johnston to explore what it means to name your emotions, especially during seasons of uncertainty, grief, overwhelm, and change.

If you've ever found yourself saying:

• I'm just tired.
• I'm overwhelmed.
• I don't know what's wrong.
• I don't even know what I'm feeling.

This conversation is for you.

Drawing from nearly a decade of research and his book Choosing Emotions, Doug shares why language matters, how emotions shape our lives, and why naming what we're feeling is often the first step toward healing and clarity. As Doug explains, many people struggle to identify emotions because they rely on only a small emotional vocabulary when there may be hundreds of emotional experiences happening beneath the surface.

In This Episode

• why "tired" and "overwhelmed" only tell part of the story
• how naming emotions creates clarity
• understanding what you're actually feeling
• emotional awareness and self-understanding
• the connection between emotions, healing, and growth
• why words matter more than we realize
• practical ways to begin identifying emotions
• learning to approach emotions with curiosity instead of judgment

Counter Pause

Take a slow breath.

Then gently ask yourself:

What am I actually feeling right now?

Not what I should feel.

Not what sounds acceptable.

Just what's true.

You don't have to solve it.

Just name it.

Breath Prayer

Breathe in: God of truth...

Breathe out: Help me notice.

About Doug

Doug Earl Johnston is a former corporate executive, researcher, and author of Choosing Emotions: Thinking with Your Head and Acting with Your Heart.

After nearly a decade of research across disciplines and traditions, Doug created a resource designed to help people better understand what they feel and how to move forward with greater clarity.

Resources Mentioned

Choosing Emotions: Thinking with Your Head and Acting with Your Heart

https://amzn.to/430dPEM

Connect with Doug

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/choosingemotions

Website:
https://choosingemotions.com/

Gentle Reminder

You don't have to carry unnamed things forever.

Sometimes healing begins with one honest word.

Closing

Pull up a chair.

There's space for you here.

If this episode met you where you are, I’d love to hear from you. What stayed with you?

Support the show

The counter is always open.

If you’d like a quiet place to sit with what this stirred, A Seat at the Counter: A Soul Pause Journal is available here: https://amzn.to/4c4RSIv

*****

Considering being a guest on At the Counter With the Baking Pastor?
I invite you to listen to 1–2 recent episodes first to get a feel for the tone and heart of the conversations.

If it feels like a good fit, you’re welcome to reach out to me directly on PodMatch and share a bit about what you’d love to bring to the counter: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/atthecounterwiththebakingpastor

I’m especially drawn to conversations that are honest, reflective, and rooted in real-life experience.

Sometimes the hardest part about exhaustion isn't the exhaustion itself.

It's how long you've been pretending you're okay while carrying it.

In this solo episode of At the Counter with the Baking Pastor, Laura responds to listener questions and reflections about grief, survival mode, hidden exhaustion, emotional overwhelm, and the invisible weight many people quietly carry every day.

Together, we'll explore what happens when strength becomes a survival pattern, why slowing down can feel frightening, and how exhaustion often disguises itself as productivity, caregiving, people-pleasing, or simply trying to hold everything together.

This conversation is for the people who keep showing up while carrying more than anyone realizes. As Laura reflects, many people become so accustomed to carrying emotional pain quietly that they no longer notice how heavy it has become.

In This Episode

• hidden exhaustion and emotional fatigue
• survival mode and burnout
• pretending you're fine when you're not
• grief that resurfaces unexpectedly
• comparison rooted in exhaustion rather than envy
• feeling unseen or unsupported
• why functioning isn't the same as flourishing
• what gentleness might look like for weary hearts

Soul Pause Questions

• If you could say one honest thing to God right now, what would it be?

• What would gentle look like for you this week?

Counter Reflection

What have you been carrying for so long that you no longer notice how heavy it feels?

You don't have to solve it today.

Just notice it.

A Gentle Reminder

Unseen does not mean unreal.

Functioning is not the same as flourishing.

And surviving quietly does not make your pain less valid.

If you've been strong for too long, tired of pretending you're fine, or carrying more than anyone realizes, this conversation is for you.

From the Counter

If you're walking through a weary or emotionally heavy season and need a gentle place to process, pray, or breathe a little deeper, Laura offers soul care conversations and coaching sessions.

Learn more at:

https://bakingpastor.com/

Closing

Pull up a chair.

You don't have to carry everything alone.

If this episode met you where you are, I’d love to hear from you. What stayed with you?

Support the show

The counter is always open.

If you’d like a quiet place to sit with what this stirred, A Seat at the Counter: A Soul Pause Journal is available here: https://amzn.to/4c4RSIv

*****

Considering being a guest on At the Counter With the Baking Pastor?
I invite you to listen to 1–2 recent episodes first to get a feel for the tone and heart of the conversations.

If it feels like a good fit, you’re welcome to reach out to me directly on PodMatch and share a bit about what you’d love to bring to the counter: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/atthecounterwiththebakingpastor

I’m especially drawn to conversations that are honest, reflective, and rooted in real-life experience.

There are seasons when you're not just tired.

You're emotionally stretched thin.
Running on fumes.
Trying to keep going while carrying pressure, responsibility, fear, trauma, and expectations all at once.

And sometimes faith feels tired too.

In this deeply honest conversation, Laura sits down with Atlanta-based alternative hip-hop artist Ashton Stevens to talk about emotional exhaustion, spiritual pressure, fatherhood, healing, identity, and the tension of trying to hold yourself together when life feels heavy. Inspired by his song Edge, Ashton shares how learning to name emotions, listen for God's voice, journal through difficult seasons, and embrace rest became part of his healing journey. The conversation explores emotional regulation, spiritual exhaustion, trauma, faith, and what it means to keep going when you're stretched thin. Based on his reflections, healing often begins by being honest about what you're carrying and learning not to let your circumstances define you.

In This Episode

• emotional exhaustion and overwhelm
• spiritual fatigue and burnout
• faith during difficult seasons
• emotional regulation and healing
• fatherhood, responsibility, and identity
• journaling and self-awareness
• learning to rest without guilt
• staying connected to God when life feels heavy

Counter Pause

Take a slow breath in...
and let it out gently.

If you can, rest your hand over your heart.

And simply notice:

Where do you feel stretched too thin right now?

Not where you should be stronger.
Not where you need to fix something.

Just where you're tired.

God is not absent in that place.

Even if it feels quiet.

Breath Prayer

Breathe in: I am held...

Breathe out: Even here.

Blessing

May you be honest about where you're tired.

May you release the pressure to hold everything together alone.

And may you discover that even at the edge,
you are still being held.

About Ashton

Ashton Stevens is an Atlanta-based alternative hip-hop artist originally from the Florida Panhandle. Known for his introspective style, Ashton creates music rooted in faith and real-life experiences. His work centers on emotional regulation, purpose, and personal growth, using music as a tool for healing, reflection, and truth.

Connect with Ashton

Website:
https://www.ashtonstevens.com/

Listen to "Edge":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-IrWD_RYo

Closing

Take a breath.

Notice what's in front of you.

And remember:

There's a difference between being at the edge...
and being alone there.

If this episode met you where you are, I’d love to hear from you. What stayed with you?

Support the show

The counter is always open.

If you’d like a quiet place to sit with what this stirred, A Seat at the Counter: A Soul Pause Journal is available here: https://amzn.to/4c4RSIv

*****

Considering being a guest on At the Counter With the Baking Pastor?
I invite you to listen to 1–2 recent episodes first to get a feel for the tone and heart of the conversations.

If it feels like a good fit, you’re welcome to reach out to me directly on PodMatch and share a bit about what you’d love to bring to the counter: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/atthecounterwiththebakingpastor

I’m especially drawn to conversations that are honest, reflective, and rooted in real-life experience.