Workshop Recap: You Power Through, But at What Cost?
By Seoka Salstrom, PhD
How often do you find yourself just “powering through”? Strong enough to keep going, to get things done—but at the expense of your energy, your peace of mind, even your connection to what really matters to you?
So often, I hear from people who are “strong enough” to keep going—who power through, grind it out, and somehow manage to do all the things. I know this place well myself. But I also know the toll it takes. When we live in constant coping mode, we can lose touch with our values, our bodies, and even our joy.
In my recent free mini-workshop, “You Power Through, But at What Cost? Recognize the toll of constant coping—and build something more sustainable,” I invited participants to pause and take a closer look at the difference between coping and living in alignment with our values.
Coping vs. Sustainable Living
Coping isn’t bad—it’s often necessary. Sometimes life throws us a flat tire, an unexpected illness, or just the overwhelm of daily responsibilities, and coping gets us through. It’s protective. But coping also tends to be reactive: our attention is on the problem, on trying to feel better in the moment, rather than on the bigger picture of how we want to live.
It keeps our focus on the problem instead of the bigger question: How do I want to live my life, right here, in this moment?
That’s why we practiced something different: slowing down, pausing, and listening.
A Different Kind of Check-In
I invited everyone to recall a situation they were coping with, notice the emotions that came up, and then ask those emotions a simple but powerful question:
“What would you like me to know?”
It may sound unusual, but emotions are messengers. When we ignore them, they often grow louder—or show up at 3 a.m. to remind us they haven’t gone anywhere. But when we acknowledge them, even with curiosity or gratitude, something shifts.
Instead of emotions driving the car, they become passengers. We can thank them for trying to protect us—and then choose whether to act on their impulses or not. This creates more freedom, more resilience, and more alignment with our deeper values.
Why This Matters
The truth is, I don’t always embody the “perfect outcome” of these practices. What I embody is the struggle, the practice itself. And that’s what makes this work so human: we’re all in it together.
For me, pausing to ask my emotions what they need to tell me has led to surprising clarity. Sometimes I realize I need rest. Other times I see a better way forward. And sometimes, simply asking the question is enough to bring relief.
Join Us Next Time
If any of this resonates with you—if you’ve been powering through and coping, but sense there could be another way—I’d love for you to join the next workshop in this series. Together, we’ll continue practicing tools that help us move beyond coping into living with more intention, space, and wisdom.
To see upcoming topics and to get your Zoom link, visit our event page. I hope you’ll join us.
Photo by SHVETS production