Guiding humans to wrangling inner squirrels: Busting Procrastination with Stacy Braiuca

I'm Stacy Braiuca — your Squirrel Wrangler™ — and in this episode I unpack a truth that's changed my life and my work: procrastination is not laziness; it's your nervous system trying to keep you safe. If you want practical tools and a playful, no-shame approach to change, this article (and the workshop I mention) are for you. Guiding humans to wrangling inner squirrels is what I do — and in this piece you'll get the same straightforward, warm coaching I bring to the show.

Table of Contents

• 🐿️ Why procrastination isn’t the enemy
• 📸 Meet Peggy: using images to reframe identity
• 🛠️ Systems and small actions that cut through freeze
• 🔧 Tools I use to stay moving
• 🌱 Stories, experiments, and permission to be messy
• 🗓️ Upcoming: Procrastination workshop
• ❗ Key takeaways 🧠
• ❓ FAQ: Common questions about procrastination and change
• 🎯 Final note

🐿️ Why procrastination isn’t the enemy

Let's get loud about this: procrastination is protection. Your nervous system is doing its job — trying to stop you from stepping into perceived danger. That feels embarrassing, and society loves to slap on labels like "lazy" or "stupid." Those labels only deepen the freeze response and build limiting beliefs.

"Procrastination is not laziness. It's your nervous system trying to keep you safe."

When we reframe procrastination as protection, we de-shame it. Once the shame drops, curiosity can show up. Curiosity lets us ask: What am I protecting myself from? What's the smallest brave step I can take right now?

📸 Meet Peggy: using images to reframe identity

I welcomed Peggy McCartha — a Certified Professional Photographer with 37 years behind the lens — to talk about how visuals can tell the right story and help overcome procrastination around visibility.

Peggy reminded us a critical thing: a picture captures more than your face — it captures your energy. If the person in the photo is inward with worry, your audience picks up insecurity, even if you look “fine.” So getting visible isn't just a matter of posing; it’s about expressing the feeling you want to convey to your ideal clients.

"A pretty picture isn't going to move your brand forward. But an impactful picture will stop someone in their scroll." — Peggy

🛠️ Systems and small actions that cut through freeze

Systems are resilience. They give your nervous system a safety net so you can move through fear without having to invent courage every single time. Here are practical tools we discussed — the things I use personally and with clients when I'm guiding humans to wrangling inner squirrels.

• The Two-Minute Brave — Set a timer for two minutes and do the scariest AF task on your list. Two minutes only. Short bursts reduce the brain's alarm.
• The Good-Enough Draft — Make a 60% draft to break the freeze. It’s permission to be imperfect and learn in public.
• The Safety Check — Breathe, go inward, and ask: what am I protecting myself from? Name it. Naming reduces its power.

These micro-actions are the scaffolding of resilience. Small brave actions break big stuck patterns. When you practice them consistently, you're literally guiding humans to wrangling inner squirrels — rewiring how your nervous system responds to risk.

🔧 Tools I use to stay moving

I love tools that remove friction. One I mentioned is a planner called Ellie — a place to forward emails, create tasks, block time on your calendar, and keep everything synced across devices. Why this matters: checking things off raises your frequency, replaces the "lazy" story with evidence that you actually did stuff, and builds momentum.

Gamification works because our brains reward completion. The little checkmark matters. It says, "You are capable." And when we stack days of capability, our nervous system learns safety in action.

🌱 Stories, experiments, and permission to be messy

Perfectionism fuels procrastination. I love Peggy's speed-networking story: she tested something new (78 signups!), it went messy, and she thought she failed — until attendees told her it was the best networking they'd ever had. If she'd shut the laptop and walked away, she'd have learned none of the lessons. Instead she gained momentum and community.

When you run experiments — small, playful, imperfect — you remove the all-or-nothing stakes that keep your inner squirrel hiding. This is how I practice guiding humans to wrangling inner squirrels with real people: let’s try, learn, iterate.

🗓️ Upcoming: Procrastination workshop

If this resonates, join me for a free live workshop on procrastination: Tuesday, August 12th at 2:00 PM Central (3 PM ET / 1 PM MT / Noon PT). We’ll identify procrastination triggers, map nervous-system protection patterns, create a personal action plan, and connect with others working the same edges. Details and sign-ups are on my events page; come bring your real self.

❗ Key takeaways 🧠

• Procrastination is protection, not a character flaw.
• Resilience — built through systems and tiny braver steps — moves you forward more effectively than force.
• Small experiments and the permission to be messy are essential. Done beats perfect every time.
• Regularly ask: what am I protecting myself from? Truthful answers shrink the fear.
• Keep tools and communities that reduce friction and celebrate checkmarks.

❓ FAQ: Common questions about procrastination and change

Q: Is procrastination ever laziness?

A: Rarely. Most often it’s overwhelm, fear, or shame. Treat it like a protection strategy — respect it, then plan a safe way forward.

Q: How do I start when I’m totally stuck?

A: Try the Two-Minute Brave. Commit to two focused minutes. Repeat. Those tiny wins build momentum and change your nervous system’s estimate of safety.

Q: What if I don’t have an accountability group?

A: Find one — even a small regular coffee or online room where you can say out loud what you’re trying to do. Saying it aloud often unlocks the answer.

Q: How often should I run experiments?

A: As often as you can without burning out. Weekly micro-experiments keep learning light and low stakes.

Q: How does this relate to "wrangling inner squirrels"?

A: "Wrangling inner squirrels" is a playful way to describe guiding the parts of you that dart away when things feel risky. Every micro-action, system, and experiment is a leash, a treat, and a little training session rolled into one. Keep practicing — guiding humans to wrangling inner squirrels works.

🎯 Final note

If you want to walk this journey with a community that celebrates messy experiments, practical tools, and real human feels — come hang out. We build resilience by doing the thing together. And remember: small brave actions break big stuck patterns. Keep showing up, keep trying the Two-Minute Brave, draft the Good-Enough piece, do the Safety Check, and keep practicing the art of guiding humans to wrangling inner squirrels.