2024 is off to a great start. In this episode, I talk about my pod hiatus so I can spend time writing the book I'm dreaming up, plus three books I've read this year.
While I'm on a pod break, you can find me on Substack writing on the same wellness topics: https://youaredoinggreat.substack.com/
I pulled together 7 of my go-to self-care items for 2023. I think they can be helpful as you head into the holiday season or start to think about how you want to take care of yourself in 2024. Full links below too.
Kitsch Satin pillowcase: https://www.mykitsch.com/products/satin-pillowcase-ivory
JL Lawson Breathe Stone: https://www.jllawsonco.com/products/breathe-stone?variant=40386062254146
Indigo Wellness Ear Seeds: https://www.indigowellnessgroup.com/online-store/p/indigo-24k-gold-ear-seeds
Indigo Wellness Hack Your Nervous System Cards: https://www.indigowellnessgroup.com/online-store/p/hack-your-nervous-system-card-deck
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson: https://amzn.to/3RtQRQ6
Bonita Fierce Candles: https://bonitafiercecandles.com/collections/signature-scents/products/cafecito-con-leche-candle
Pretty Kind Affirmations Sweatshirt: https://prettykind.co/collections/all
I consider myself the queen of solo dates. I like spending time with myself and have done it so often that sitting at a restaurant alone doesn't feel as awkward anymore.
I know the holidays can be especially hard when you don't get a quiet moment to yourself, so in this episode, I'm sharing tips for guaranteeing even a minute to yourself and planning a solo date no matter how much time you have. It's the ultimate form of self-care.
This is part 1 of a three-part series about the holiday season and protecting your mental health.
During this episode, I share the two questions I use to guide my decisions during this season. I also share how to account for others' expectations of you.
Part 2 will focus on solo date ideas!
This is the episode I mentioned during the pod: A Therapist Answers: How Do I Set Goals For My Future Self?
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7I2asC4Fpj9Vk76eeb3rH8?si=1de9bf3d3f744730
Myeisha Essex is a purpose coach and an advocate for meditation. Throughout our conversation, we talk about how life changing grief is, how she is approaching her first holidays without her mom, and what books have helped her learn more about her grief journey. I share more on how it’s like navigating my 21st holiday season without my mom and we compare notes on how much is actually more similar than different.
You can find Myeisha @myeisha.essex
This week is a solo episode, and we're talking about Thanksgiving. I know that the holidays can kick off an emotional rollercoaster, so this year, the pods are dedicated to helping you keep your balance and preserve your peace.
I share 3 books to read if you need a distraction, what to do when grief pops up, and how to prioritize yourself no matter how you spend Thanksgiving.
Meghan Riordan Jarvis is a grief therapist and the author of End of the Hour. Her memoir tells her own story of processing grief and trauma after her parents’ deaths. We talk about tips she gives to her patients, how to navigate the holidays if you’re grieving, and how grief is a lot like sex.
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
1 — Meet Meghan author of End Of The Hour
3:55 — What happens when you write through your grief or trauma
5 — The myth behind managing grief perfectly
8 — Why you should choose your action verb for your grief
12 — How to find your grieving practice
20 — What to expect from End of The Hour
25 — What grief and sex have in common
27 — How to use Meghan’s M.E.N.T.O.R. method when grieving
31 — The power of books when you’re grieving
38 — Tips for navigating the holiday season if you’re grieving
43 — An exercise for “counting” how many grief thoughts you have
Emory Hall is a poet and the author of 'Made of Rivers.' Her poetry book is full of reflections on womanhood, grief, mental health, and motherhood. We talk about how she uses writing as a coping tool, plus how it's made it easier for her to offer herself self-compassion.
You can find Emory @emoryhall.
We're talking periods, why doctors expect women to manage so much pain, and hormone health on this week's podcast episode.
I ask OB/GYN, Dr. Robbins, all of our women's health-related questions and even share a bit about my own colposcopy this past summer.
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
:45 — Meet Dr. Robbins, OBGYN
4 — Why is there such a gap in women’s health?
6:31 — My colposcopy experience
13 — A doctor’s advice on how to advocate for yourself with your provider
15 — How much period pain is normal?
20 — What is hormone health and how do you know if your hormones are off?
32 — How acupuncture and other wellness habits can help your health
36 — How stress can impact your period and mental health
38 — What are the different menstrual phases and what should you know if you want to cycle sync?
I’m interviewing Jordan Scott, the founder and CEO of Cobble, an app that helps you plan and agree on date nights and group outings. We talk about how to get those plans out of the group chat and how she’s navigated entrepreneurship in her twenties and now as a mom, too. During our conversation, you’ll learn about the one time we had to arrange sex toys and the life lessons our twenties taught us that we’re bringing into our 30s.
Find Jordan and Cobble at trycobble.com
The Born This Way Foundation launched the “Be There” certificate as a way to help you help those around you. Josh Meredith is the Chief of Staff at Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and walks us through everything you need to know about the certificate and their partnership with jack.org.
Learn more: https://www.betherecertificate.org/
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
3 — How the stigma is lifting around mental health
4 — What is the Be There certificate?
6 — Tips for keeping relationships when you’re struggling with your mental health
9 — Finding joy in the midst of your mental health journey
15 — Who is the Be There certificate for
20 — The power of having vulnerable conversations
Rebeca Landa brings all her sports knowledge to answer our questions about football, Travis Kelce, and picking up hobbies for fun. We also go down a Swiftie conspiracy rabbit hole as she contextualizes Travis' reputation on and off the field.
For our Football 101 section, you'll learn what a down is, how the ball gets passed down the field, what to expect from the Jets and Chiefs game this weekend, and so much more.
Find Rebeca @larebecalanda
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
2 - Meet Rebeca Landa
4 - What to know about the Chiefs and Jets game
6:22 - Who is Travis Kelce? What is a tight end?
9 - Football basics to know - what is a down? How does a ball get passed?
12 - What is a field goal?
13 - Rebeca Landa’s career trajectory in sports
17 - Finding a hobby that’s just fun without the pressure of making it productive
21 - How we’ve objectified and dehumanized athletes
22:30 - The objectification of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s potential relationship
30 - Rebeca’s final football beginner tips
Dr. Kara Fanelli is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Clinical Specialist in women's health PT at Indigo Wellness.
For 30 minutes, I asked her what pelvic PT is and how it can help you whether you're struggling with painful periods, constipation, or even postpartum.
Find Kara: https://www.indigowellnessgroup.com/meet-our-team
Or on social: https://www.instagram.com/karafanelli_pt/
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
1:23 — Meet Dr. Kara
3 — What does pelvic PT actually help?
7 — How pelvic PT can help pain with sex
10:30 — Is pelvic PT only for women postpartum?
13 — What happens during a pelvic PT consultation?
16 — A holistic approach to your pelvic health
18 — What to ask yourself if you’re curious about your pelvic health
22 — How pelvic health can help women after a C-section or vaginal delivery?
24 — When should you see pelvic PT if you’re trying to conceive or already pregnant?
Elisabeth Morray is a licensed psychologist and Alma’s VP of Clinical Operations. I wanted to go straight to the source to ask some of the bigger questions we probably all have at the beginning of a new season, for starters, how do I not breakdown?
Elisabeth is caring and to the point as she offers tips on how to set goals for your future self, what to do if money anxiety is creeping in, how to even start therapy, and what to look for in a therapist.
Full episode breakdown below! Find Alma at helloalma.com
:30 — Welcome September!
1:24 — Meet Elisabeth + Alma
3 — How to embrace the back to school mentality as an adult
4:30 — Tips for managing future changes
6 — How to manage the onset of S.A.D. and days getting darker
8 — How to set goals based on who you want to be in 6 months
10 — What therapy can do for your life
13 — First steps to find the right therapist for you
22 — Managing financial anxiety after the summer spending season
28 — Take care of your physical health to support your mind
Noelle Crooks is the author of "Under the Influence" a fun and cozy read about a twenty-something girl who gets her dream job and then wrestles with questions around social media, influence, and boundaries. AKA all of the things we think about on a daily basis. In our conversation, Noelle shares her inspiration for the book, how she views influence now, and why you should read it this fall.
Follow Noelle @noellecrooks.
1:30 — Meet Noelle
2:30 — What inspired Under the Influence
4:30 — What is Under the Influence about
6:37 — How does influence play a role in your life and the characters in the novel
11 — How to set boundaries on social media and its influence on your life
16 — How life shifts when you’re working on a big project like a book
23 — How Noelle has set boundaries in her own career and life
28 — How friendships shift in your twenties
31 — Why you should read Under the Influence this fall
Gina Moffa is a grief therapist and someone who has navigated grief personally, too. After losing her mother, she realized there was more she wished she could have told patients who had navigated similar experiences. Now, as the author of her first book — Moving On Doesn't Mean Letting Go — she's able to do just that.
We talk about how grief requires you to reset expectations, what role signs or spirituality can take in your journey, and how getting back to the basics of self-care helps as you’re grieving.
1:40 — Meet Gina Moffa
4:30 — Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go…especially when it comes to grief
9 — How signs and grief are intertwined
17 — How a relationship continues to grow even after loss
20 — Choosing comfort over logic (intellect) when it comes to grief
23 — We never stop missing or wanting the people we lose
28 — Resetting expectations after loss
30 — After loss get back to your self-care basics
32 — Distraction isn’t a bad thing when you’re grieving
34 — How The Bear (the show) handles grief conversations
Kathryn Cross is the founder and CEO of Anja Health, a cord blood banking service. During our conversation, she walked us through what inspired her to start Anja, what cord blood banking is, how much cord blood banking costs, and the benefits of cord blood banking.
Stacy Igel is the founder of fashion brand, Boy Meets Girl, and the author of Embracing The Calm In The Chaos: How to Find Success in Business and Life Through Perseverance, Connection, and Collaboration. She also happens to be my first boss ever. Back in college, I interned for Stacy and it sparked my love of social media and entrepreneurship. It's a personal treat to be able to have a conversation with her under this umbrella — talking all things business and mental health.
Meet Whitney Hanson a poet and author who has taken to TikTok to share her writing. In our conversation we talk about process, how building a large community impacts your creativity, and she ends the episode by reading one of her favorite poems.
Welcome to our Sugar 101 episode! Lauren Kelly is the Head of Nutrition and Community at Sound, plus an expert RD Nutritionist. On this episode she answers all of my sugar-related questions. We talk about how sugar impacts energy levels, how sugar can impact your mental health, and how to read a nutrition label.
EPISODE BREAKDOWN