Episode 6: You’re Not Broken—You’re Wired: The Neuroscience of Being Human - Entreé

Do you ever feel like you’re broken—or like you’ll only be “enough” once you’ve healed enough?

In this episode of the Relish Podcast, host Alyssia Sheikh unpacks the neuroscience of being human, revealing why your patterns aren’t problems to fix but adaptive wiring that once kept you safe. Drawing from applied neuroscience, mindfulness, and her own journey, Alyssia reframes personal growth through the lens of compassion, nuance, and wholeness.

✨ In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why your brain is wired for survival—not perfection
• How predictive processing and “body budgeting” shape your emotions and behaviors
• Why willpower isn’t enough for lasting transformation
• The roles of the Default Mode, Executive Control, and Salience Networks
• How to reframe conditioning and shame into self-acceptance and wholeness

This episode is your invitation to stop striving to “heal enough” and instead embrace your already-whole, deeply human self.

💭 Reflection to try today:

“I’m wired for survival and born for freedom. I’m already whole, exactly as I am.”

Follow & Connect:

• Join the Newsletter
• IG: @alyssiasheikh
• TikTok: @alyssiasheikh
• YouTube: Alyssia Sheikh

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Lisa Feldman Barrett – How Emotions Are Made / Body Budgeting → https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com
• Dr. Sarah McKay – Neuroscience Educator → https://drsarahmckay.com
• Harvard Study: Wandering Mind = Unhappy Mind → https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1192439