How Chronic Stress Fuels Autoimmune Flare Ups, with Shelli Galvan

June 9
18 mins

Episode Description

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Your autoimmune flare-ups might not be “out of nowhere.” When chronic stress keeps the nervous system on high alert, the body can learn to brace for danger, and that constant bracing can make pain, fatigue, and inflammation feel even harder to manage. We sit down with Shelli Galvan, a master transformation coach and hypnotherapist who helps women break the flare-up cycle by restoring a sense of safety in the body and rebuilding self-trust.

Shelli shares the personal story that brought her here, including years under a lupus misdiagnosis before learning she was dealing with Raynaud syndrome, plus watching her sister live with multiple autoimmune conditions. From that experience, she makes a compassionate case for expanding the “just medicate it” approach into a fuller autoimmune healing support plan that includes nervous system regulation, boundaries, breathwork, mindset shifts that your body can actually believe, and tools like hypnosis and guided affirmations.

We also dig into the flare fear loop: how anticipating symptoms can create more stress, how self-talk becomes a signal to the nervous system, and why “my body is safe” is not cheesy positive thinking but a practical way to lower internal threat cues. Shelli explains what hypnotherapy does in this context, how it supports the unconscious mind, and why tiny habits like a two-minute breathing routine can be the start of real change.

If you’ve been managing autoimmune disease alone, this conversation is a reminder that you deserve support and you’re allowed to pause. Subscribe for more honest talks on mental health and healing, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.


Connect With Shelli Galvan:

Avita Yoga
Free Avita Yoga class and exclusive interview with Jeff: Know Your Constitution

Immunology Diagnostics
30% off of IMBXX. Code: Healthymind Get the test, insurance covers.

Towards Wellness Coaching
Offer: 25% off | Code: POD2026. Available internationally in paperback and eBook formats.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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