This is episode number 202 and you're listening to Soultime, a show that explores the world of unlocking your unique potential. My name is Dr. Katja Makowka, and I’m a teacher at school, a former teacher at universities, and a stress and mental coach, and I’m your host.

Today, we’re diving into something so many of us do without even realizing it: shrinking ourselves to fit the noise around us. You know the feeling - when you hold back your thoughts, soften your words, dim your energy, or avoid sharing your ideas just to keep the peace, fit in, or avoid conflict. It feels safe, right? Until it doesn’t. The truth is, every time you shrink, you give your power away to the noise - the opinions, judgments, expectations, and chaos of the world around you. And over time, that quiet compliance builds up, leaving you drained, frustrated, and disconnected from the person you truly are.

In this episode, we’re going to explore why this shrinking happens, how it silently shapes your life, and what it feels like to finally stop bending to the noise. Because when you stop shrinking, something magical happens: you reclaim your energy, your clarity, and your freedom.

Follow me on instagram for more inspiring, motivational and uplifting content. See you there❤️🫶

http://www.instagram.com/drkatjamakowka

For more ideas to raise your confidence and energy listen to the following episodes:

Episode 100: The power of love and gratitude - a state of being

Episode 105: Fail Forward: How Embracing Failure Can Propel Your Personal Growth

Episode 108: Juggling Priorities in a Busy World

Episode 124: Embrace Growth: Prioritizing Progress Over Perfection

Episode 127: Judgment Detox: How to Stop Worrying About What Others Think

Strong, Soft, and Unshakable: How to Stay Soft in a World That Wants You Hardened

Today’s episode touches something many people feel quietly but rarely dare to name out loud:

What happens to you when you spend too much time in relationships that make you shrink? The ones that make you second-guess yourself. The ones where you feel too much or not enough. The ones where your softness, your ideas, your honesty, or even your boundaries become treated as inconveniences rather than essential parts of who you are.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth we’re starting with today:

You can be the kindest, most self-aware, most compassionate person in the world - and still find yourself in relationships that are too small for your soul. And it usually doesn’t happen dramatically. It happens in tiny moments - the moments where you dim your light to keep the peace, where you apologize for things you didn’t do, where you pretend something doesn’t bother you just to avoid conflict, where you quietly carry the emotional weight for everyone. We’re unpacking what it actually means to have relationships that allow you to expand, not contract.

We’re talking about the subtle signs that you’re shrinking, why you tolerate it even when it hurts, and how to rebuild the inner strength that makes expansion your new normal. Because the truth is simple: You deserve relationships that feel like home You deserve spaces where your presence is welcomed, not managed. You deserve connections that help you grow, not disappear.

Follow me on instagram for more inspiring, motivational and uplifting content. See you there❤️🫶

http://www.instagram.com/drkatjamakowka

For more ideas to raise your confidence and energy listen to the following episodes:

Episode 100: The power of love and gratitude - a state of being

Episode 105: Fail Forward: How Embracing Failure Can Propel Your Personal Growth

Episode 108: Juggling Priorities in a Busy World

Episode 124: Embrace Growth: Prioritizing Progress Over Perfection

Episode 127: Judgment Detox: How to Stop Worrying About What Others Think

Strong, Soft, and Unshakable: How to Stay Soft in a World That Wants You Hardened

Today, we’re diving into something most of us have been taught since childhood: that being a “good person” or “compassionate” means being nice all the time, saying yes, fixing things for others, and never causing conflict. But what if that idea is holding you back? What if real compassion isn’t always comfortable - and doesn’t always make people like you? Today, we’re unpacking the myths, exploring what authentic kindness really looks like, and showing how it can empower you without costing your peace.

Follow me on instagram for more inspiring, motivational and uplifting content. See you there❤️🫶

http://www.instagram.com/drkatjamakowka

For more ideas to raise your confidence and energy listen to the following episodes:

Episode 100: The power of love and gratitude - a state of being

Episode 105: Fail Forward: How Embracing Failure Can Propel Your Personal Growth

Episode 108: Juggling Priorities in a Busy World

Episode 124: Embrace Growth: Prioritizing Progress Over Perfection

Episode 127: Judgment Detox: How to Stop Worrying About What Others Think

Strong, Soft, and Unshakable: How to Stay Soft in a World That Wants You Hardened