Explore every episode of the podcast Regulate & Rewire: An Anxiety & Depression Podcast
Dive into the complete episode list for Regulate & Rewire: An Anxiety & Depression Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
My *Almost* Anxiety Attack at the Airport
10 Sep 2024
00:29:38
Today let’s talk about the anixiety attack I *almost* had at the airport earlier this summer. Warning I’m going to take you on this journey with me detail by detail, so if you’re already feeling a little worked up today, maybe come back to this episode later when my airport stress won’t increase your stress but can instead be simply a chaotic story you get to listen to for your education & entertainment purposes. Hit play for the full convo!
Here's the 3 takeaways:
When you experience the same situations differently than someone else, that doesn’t have to mean you or they are wrong for the way it is experienced
When we’re stuck in states of dysregulation that changes the way we view and interpret situations in our life. The next time you find yourself ranting, spiraling out about, or even simply retelling an experience can you pause to reflect on whether this story is being filtered through a lens of regulation or dysregulation?
If this would have happened a few years ago, I would have had a meltdown equivalent to my toddler's and it likely would have thrown me off for days. I didn’t match his meltdown and I was mostly reset before the plane took off. This is just a testament that you can in fact increase your capacity for stress; there are tangible tools that work to help you regulate your nervous system; you can soften the parts of you or beliefs you have about being too much, not enough, needing to control, etc… that make situations in our lives feel bigger than they need to & this is the work we support clients with every day.
How Does Botox Impact the Nervous System & Emotional Regulation?
03 Sep 2024
00:28:00
Today, we're talking about something that might surprise you—we’re going to talk about Botox. If you're asking, “Why are we discussing Botox on a podcast focused on mental health?” Another centerpiece to this podcast is talking about ways to support, heal and regulation your nervous systems, in that it's important to consider how everything we do—including something as common as a Botox—could play a role. Today we'll talk about both the cosmetic & medical uses of Botox as we talk through it's benefits and it’s potential impact on your nervous system, brain, and emotional regulation (potentially of you and your kids). Hit play to learn more!
Here's the 3 takeaways:
Botox is a neurotoxin. It is used both medically & cosmetically. Most of the research show’s it’s more safe than not but that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks and side effects. Do you feel aligned with how or why you choose Botox? Does it improve that quality of your life in a way that outweighs potential costs?
Potential costs of botox include muscle atrophy, changes in brain activity, and emotional regulation - with potential implication for both you and your children’s emotional literacy.
Long-term effects of Botox are not fully understood.
Sources mentioned:
Stark, S., Stark, C., Wong, B. et al. Modulation of amygdala activity for emotional faces due to botulinum toxin type A injections that prevent frowning. Sci Rep 13, 3333 (2023).
Davis JI, Senghas A, Brandt F, Ochsner KN. The effects of BOTOX injections on emotional experience. Emotion. 2010 Jun;10(3):433-40. doi: 10.1037/a0018690. PMID: 20515231; PMCID: PMC2880828.
Weise D, Weise CM, Naumann M. Central Effects of Botulinum Neurotoxin-Evidence from Human Studies. Toxins (Basel). 2019 Jan 6;11(1):21. doi: 10.3390/toxins11010021. PMID: 30621330; PMCID: PMC6356587.
Have you ever found yourself rushing to do something or rushing get somewhere when you really didn’t actually need to rush? You weren’t running late, there wasn’t a timeline, no one was waiting on you and yet you felt this urgent need to move faster. If so, this episode is for you.
We all have default patterns, default ways of responding to the world around us because of our past lived experiences. Join me for a conversation about why these patterns take hold, but more importantly what it looks like to begin to rewire and repattern these default responses if they're no longer serving you. Hit play to learn more!
Here's the 3 takeaways:
Catch: Notice this week anytime you feel rushed when you might not need to be?
Challenge: Pause, and ask “can I slow down?” (& know that your brain will immediately scream "NO!"at you, pause again, maybe asking, "but what if we just try?")
Change: Do differently. Maybe you keep driving, doing the dishes, or walking but can you do just 1% slower, with 1% less urgency, 1% less tension. If you do differently enough times, and things work out, you reset your baseline responses.
The Power of Suggestion (& What I Learned From an Ecstatic Dance Event)
25 Jun 2024
00:31:08
Episode 70
If you've ever felt frustrated by a therapist or coach responding to your request for tools with something like, "Well, what do you think a helpful tool would be?" then today's chat is for you. in this episode I share what I learned in attending my first ever ecstatic dance class and how it demonstrated for me the importance of suggestions in our healing journeys. When you've lived so much of your life inside a specific box, it can be really hard to see anything else.
Join me as I discuss the balance between being client-led and offering guidance in therapeutic practices, emphasizing the importance of context, choice, and connection for creating a sense of safety; and as I reflect on my desire (and maybe yours too) to feel more free.
Here's the 3 takeaways:
If you, like me, don’t have a practice of moving your body, of dancing freely, here's my invitation to start. Remember, "the weirder I move my body, the more I fit in."
Healing requires action and changes in daily living. Seek out practitioners and spaces that offer practical tools and suggestions to support your journey.
I’m sending you my love and support as you also figure out how to learn to feel more free. As always, we would love to support you. My calendar is open for those of you interested in booking a discovery call to learn more about our 1:1 coaching program, doors to the membership are always open, as is my inbox (amanda@riseaswe.com). I love love love hearing from you.
“I’m Too Much” & Other Beliefs I’m Unpacking in Therapy Right Now
18 Jun 2024
00:25:33
Episode 69
One of my deepest beliefs is that “I’m too much” – I’m too loud, I’m too energetic, I ask too much, need too much, my idea’s or dreams or plans are all too much, my pace is too much, etc… It’s a wound that gets triggered a lot in my friendships, entrepreneurship, and especially in my marriage. It's also a belief that holds me back from fully showing up in a lot of areas of my life.
Join me for a conversation about how all our beliefs, while well-meaning and self-protective at one point, may no longer serving us anymore and when left unchecked they'll hold you back in your healing journey and keep you stuck in patterns you don't want anymore.
Here's the 3 takeaways:
If you’re feeling stuck in your healing, it might be happening out of order. Reflect on my pyramid of healing (pg 85 in my book Healing Through the Vagus Nerve) and ask yourself if you maybe skipped a step? Often times before we can do the deeper healing and rewiring work, we need to first stabilize and regulate our nervous system.
As long as I believe it to be true, that I’m too much and people prefer a muted version of me, I’ll filter everything through that. What belief do you currently have as a filter that are no longer serving where you'd like to go?
If you can identify a belief, spend some time with these final two questions: “What do I risk if I stop doing or believing X?” and “What do I gain if I stop doing or believing X?”
When you’re not sleeping, eating, breathing, moving, resting, playing, or connecting enough — you should expect to be sick, your mental health will suffer because your brain and overall health are suffering.
When we, or life, expects us to sacrifice the very habits that nurture our nature of being human — we suffer and there's no amount of talk therapy or meds (while possibly helpful) that heals symptoms caused by a dysregulated nervous system or daily habits that rob you of general health.
You cannot heal when continuing to live in chronic stress.
So, what is regulated living? It’s about living with routines, habits, and practices that support a regulated nervous system, habits that support healthy mental, physical, emotional, and relational health. It involves the habits that make up your daily life as well as cultivating the skills necessary to effectively self-regulate and manage stress.
Today’s conversation acts like a wrap up to the 8 episode Essential 8 series, providing moments of invitation and reflection to step into some aspect of more regulated living.
Here's the 3 takeaways:
Regulated living isn’t a perfect protocol to follow but a way of living based in understanding your psychology and physiology enough to meet their needs. It's a general way of living that prioritizes health, stress & emotional management, and social connections in a way that regulates your nervous system and supports healing from anxiety & depression.
As you do this, your systems will do what they naturally do which is to trend towards healing. There’s often deeper work to do, but it can be helpful to stabilize and create capacity within your system as a whole before diving in.
A nudge to join us inside the newly-named Regulated Living Membership (or if you want more personalized support to book a discovery call with me to learn more about RESTORE our 1:1 coaching program). Working through our programs, healing in this way isn’t a quick fix – it’ll invite you over and over again into an assessing and editing your life to step into more sustainable and regulated living. It would be our honor to support you.
How INTEROCEPTION Helps You Heal [Essential 8 Series]
04 Jun 2024
00:29:43
Episode 67 - Essential 8 Series (Part 8)
Do you struggle to feel connected or at home in your body? Do you often feel ungrounded? Do you have anxiety or lack self awareness? When someone is having a hard time are you overly empathetic - is it almost like you absorb their hard emotions? Do you struggle to easily feel when you're hungry or full? These are all signs of low or impaired interoceptive awareness.
Interoception is the ability to fell and understand what's happening on the inside of your body and it is a foundational skill to somatic healing. Hit play to join me for a longer conversation on what it is, why it matters, and how to cultivated stronger interocetion.
Interoception is the awareness of how you feel on the inside, it is the key to navigating your nervous system with agency and to really feeling at home in your body.
If you struggle to feel connected to your body, find yourself overly empathetic, struggle knowing when you’re hungry or full, or often feel ungrounded – these are signs of weak interoception.
Want an easy place to start? Pee when you need to pee.
Today we’re taking a deep dive into how community helps you heal & I would go as far as to say how and why community is a non-negotiable for healing, how it’s the cornerstone to it. Humans are hardwired for connection. You were never meant to carry or navigate as much as you have on your own. Hit play to learn more!
Human are hardwired for connection, it is a biological imperative. Take a moment to reflect on the spaces, places, and people you feel an authentic connection with. Consider doing the, “Who’s at your table?” exercise.
The modern world is moving in away from real-time, in-person connection, be intentional about keeping it in your life. Consider putting your phone away more often and look for ways big and small to create human connection in your daily life.
Social support enhances our resilience to trauma. Community-based spaces to heal, connect, play, and have shared experiences are essential.
Today we’re chatting about nutrition and its impact on mental health, specifically anxiety, depression. Treat today’s episode sort of like you and I were casually chatting and I said, “Hey, did you know…”
"Did you know that blood sugar regulation (or lack there of) has been linked to anxiety and depression?"
"Did you know your gut is often referred to as your “second brain” and that research shows that emotions play out in your gut and gut issues can create mental health symptoms?"
"Did you know that the quality and quantity of food we eat matter? If you’re under-eating or under-nourishing yourself then you’re likely nutrient deficient and those deficiencies stress out the nervous system contributing to living in survival mode?"
To which, you’d look at me with awe and wonder and reply, “OMG Amanda, I didn’t know that - tell me more?”
Wonderful, that’s the conversation we’re having here - let’s chat through blood sugar, mind-gut connection, and nutrients needs that can impact your mental health.
Mind-gut connection is well research and established, if your gut flora isn’t healthy then having mental health implication of that makes sense. Especially if you're someone who struggles with IBS, food intolerances, or other digestive related issues as well as anxiety or depression it might be work taking a deeper look at your gut health.
Blood sugar regulation, or lack of, is directly linked to mood and the likelihood and intensity of anxiety or depression symptoms.
Both macro and micro nutrients matter, consistently eating too much or too little of the things we need can stress out our system and there are certain micronutrient deficiencies that are been directly linked to symptoms we cluster and label as anxiety or depression
A Quote & a Soapbox About How Mental Health is "Health"
14 May 2024
00:32:58
A quick intermission from our 8 part "Essential 8" series because my brain needed a break after juggling a lot the past few weeks. At the heart of this episode is a conversation about this quote, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”
In the context of your healing the quote can be rewritten as “when you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, you fix the environments in which you’re healing and growing, not you.”
You are not broken, you do not need fixing. Your symptoms make sense and assessing and addressing these underlying factors lies at the heart of healing.
How STRESS MANAGEMENT Helps You Heal [Essential 8 Series]
07 May 2024
00:45:07
Episode 63 - Essential 8 Series (Part 5)
At the heart of understanding and healing anxiety or depression through a nervous system lens is stress management and understanding the basics of stress physiology. In this conversation I share with you (what I hope is) a refreshing perspective on navigating overwhelming stressors. I'll reintroduce the "stress bucket analogy" and unpack it in a bit of a different way than we have before providing you with a tangible framework for understanding stress load and creating more capacity.
Stress isn't the problem, chronic stress is - let's figure out how to navigate that better together. Hit play to learn more!
Ps. Today's the day my book hits shelves and get's dropped off at your doorstep. I'm extending the pre-order bonus to anyone who purchases Healing Through the Vagus Nerve in the next 7 days.
Preorder --> head to the book page on my website to fill out that form --> keep an eye on your inbox this week!
There is no managing an unmanageable amount of stress, assessing and editing to some extent likely needs to happen. Doing that with third-party assistance and/or using your core values as filters can be really helpful in this process.
You have to have room in your bucket before you can do the deeper work.
There are many paths towards more managed stress, the key is finding yours. My advice for that would be, start with what’s easiest, get support, and know that your environment and community influences matter.
This isn't the first conversation we've had about the vagus nerve, and it won't be the last, but it's definitely worth a listen! In this episode I'll share again the basics of what the vagus nerve is, why it matters when healing anxiety & depression, and you'll get a few more sneak peak reads of my new book!
What I want you to leave this episode hearing most clearly is that you are not broken, healing is possible, and I’m honor to be here supporting you. Hit play to learn more!
Understanding vagal tone plays an integral role in regulating your nervous system and healing anxiety & depression. High vagal tone is the key ingredient to stress management, decreased reactivity, and overall mental and physical health.
There is no one size fits all blueprint to improving vagal tone or healing things like anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and so on. There are, however, a number of research-supported practices that can support healing in measurable ways. There are powerful ways to work with your physiology to shift and heal your psychology. Each of the essential 8 supporting that end and supporting vagal tone.
When you pre-order my book before May 7th you'll get my book course and a code to join my next RELEASE class absolutely free!
If you’re new here, my "good enough" episodes typically happen as a result of me getting behind on recording podcasts. They happen when I realize on a Monday night that I don’t have anything recorded for tomorrow’s podcast episode and I don’t have the time, energy, or capacity to do the full outlining, researching, or scripting that other podcast get. Instead I just talk more candidly from the heart - today that conversation is about the "A-lot-ness" in my life right now and how I'm navigating in very differently than I would have years ago.
I share 3 things that are really helping me as I fall into my default patterns of urgency and "just get it done" and end chatting through how easy it is to label natural physiological responses as "disorders" when you don't understand the nervous system.
Two spoilers -
(1) We'll be opening up a handful of spots for our new labs offering before the end of the year, want first dibs on detail & those spots? CLICK HERE to get on the waitlist
(2) I'm looking to update my branding & redesign my website - do you or someone you know do aMaZiNg modern websites? Email me, please.
My final ask of the podcast is that I'd LOVE to hear from you. If you hit play today, send me an email or DM and let me know what from today's conversation impacted you most!
Breath can be used as a powerful proactive and reactive regulation tool. Your respiratory system (aka breath) is one of the most powerful physiological levers you can pull to shift the state of your nervous system. Did you know that every time you inhale your heart rate speeds up, and every time you exhale it slows down? Let's say you extend your exhale out longer than your inhale — well now your heat rate slowed down longer than it sped up. This sends an immediate message to and through your nervous system to activate your relaxation response.
You can also use breath to activate your system when you're in a state of Shut Down or want to practice increasing your stress threshold.
Ideally you want your natural breath throughout the day to steady, diaphragmatic breaths, in and out your nose. This is how we're evolutionarily supposed to breath. But it's estimated that at least 50% of the adult population has some kind of breathing inefficiency. Maybe that's mouth breathing during the day and/or night, short shallow breathing, imbalanced breathing, and so on. Let's change that!
Breath is a pillar of health, your mental and physical health is only optimal when your breathing is optimal.
Before you can use breath as a powerful regulatory tool you have to understand your basic breath physiology, when you do it becomes one of the most powerful proactive and reactive regulation tools.
Different breath practices are optimal for different nervous system states, my book Healing Through the Vagus Nerve offers a section where it outlines supportive practices for the different nervous system states, including breath work practices.
I’m going to just come out with a pretty blunt to start today: there’s a set of minimal physical activity guidelines for a reason, if you’re not meeting them then you’re going to have problems (one of which is mental health).
Second only to sleep, I think movement is one of the most fundamental and non-negotiable habits for brain health. Research shows that even just a daily walk of 30 minutes can decrease depression and anxiety symptoms in almost all clinical populations as well as strengthening connections between brain circuits important for emotional processing, problem solving, decision making, and memory.
Human body’s are designed to move, the healthiest version of your brain lives inside a body in motion. Hit play to learn more!
Movement is essential for physical and mental health. If we aren’t consistently hitting the minimum guidelines for physical activity then we can’t be surprised when we aren’t optimally well.
If you already have a consistent habit of movement and exercise then the next question to consider might be: Are the types of movement you’re doing are optimally supporting your mental health journey?
What can you do today to make movement a more integral part of your daily life and healing plan? It is a cornerstone habit that heals and if you’re looking for more personalized support I’d love to support you inside my RISE membership where you’ll find tangible tools and personalized support to step into a life full of habits that heal.
Sleep plays a vital role in our overall health and wellbeing, yet 1 in 3 adults aren’t getting the recommended amount. If you're not getting the recommended amount of sleep, your mental and physical health will suffer.
In this episode we’re going to talk about – what happens when we sleep, why sleep matters for our mental and physical health, common struggles with sleep, and practical strategies for getting better shut-eye. If you're tired of feeling tired, let's dive in!
Prioritize Sleep: set a goal to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep at least 80% of nights.
Reflection: If you are not currently getting the recommended amount of sleep, what small change can you start making today tonight to get you 1% closer to that?
General Sleep Guidelines: Get off tech at least 30 minutes before bed. Get exposure to natural daylight especially in the first half of your day. Avoid stimulants like caffeine and sedatives like alcohol later in the day. Dim your lights in the evening and create conditions for optimal sleep when possible. And lastly, beds are for sleeping. So if you can't sleep, get out of bed, do a relaxing activity away from the bedroom until you feel sleepy, and then come on back.
Why behavior change matters when healing (even if it’s not that cool to talk about)
02 Apr 2024
00:34:09
EPISODE 58
Your habits matter, your lifestyle matters. Your overall health is the greatest contributor to your mental health. There’s no about of talk therapy or meds that can combat the natural stress load that gets put on your system by chronic sleep deprivation, sedentariness, dysfunctional breathing, too many inflammatory foods and too little nourishing ones.
AND YET... behavior change is hard, especially when struggling with anxiety & depression.
Today and in the next 8 episodes we’ll take a deep dive into talking all about habits that hurt versus habits that heal. This conversations paves the way for the Essential 8 series by helping you understand the neuroscience of behavior change, why it's hard and what can make it easier. Now let's dive in!
Your daily habits play a big role in your healing journey. If you’re not living well, you won’t be mentally well.
When you are stressed it makes sense to default to your most well-worn habits. When you do offer yourself equal parts compassion, accountability, and strategy for how to step back into your habits that heal.
When establishing a new habit start small, laughably small, 1% small. Install a tiny habit by giving it a cure and a purpose, and then once that tiny habit is your new baseline – optimize it overtime.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
Are Cold Plunges & HIIT Training Hurting Your Healing?
26 Mar 2024
00:34:52
EPISODE 57
When your nervous system has grown accustomed to chaos, things like stillness , rest, and slowing down feel unsafe. Because of this we often choose "healing" modalities that feed into the familiarity of chaos and intensity.
So are the cold plunges and HIIT workouts hurting your healing? I don't know. But join me for a conversation to talk through how they might be, to talk about how they held me back in my early healing journey and what I'd do differently if I knew then what I know now.
Your nervous system will always default to familiar chaos over unfamiliar safety, the path towards healing means assessing whether the things your engaging in reinforce a familiar avoidance of stillness or invite in the discomfort of experiencing it.
There are non negotiable needs you have as a human, things like sleep, movement, quality breath, community and so on. Stepping into habits that nurture that nature while simultaneously choosing experiences that build familiarity around safety is the path to more regulated living.
Is a reminder to filter all suggestions, even research supported ones, from myself and others through a personalized lens to find your unique path towards healing.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
Let's have another conversation around stress. Chronic stress can come as a symptom of our choices or the reality reality of our life circumstances, but it's usually a mix of both. I spent a decade create a life of chronic stress based on beliefs I acquired in my childhood and teenage years.
Here's the thing, stress isn't the problem, chronic stress is. There's also some cool new research that suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case.
Join me for the full conversation as I unpack 3 main goals when it comes to stress.
ps. this episode includes a sneak peak reading of part of my new book, "Healing Through the Vagus Nerve"
Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
3 take aways from today's conversation:
Take your stress seriously, but not so seriously that it stresses you out.
Stress management starts with an intentional look at your stressors. Check out episodes 37, 38, 39, & 40 for a series on how you can do just that.
When it comes with to stress the 3 goals are to: (1) decrease the likelihood of long term chronic stress (2) to increase your ability to reset from stress more quickly through the vagus nerve (3) To increase your overall capacity for stress
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
If you've been in the healing space for more than 4 seconds you've heard things like, "you need to feel your feeling" or "healing comes through feeling." There's truth in it AND what does that even mean? What if feeling even a little bit opens the floodgates? What if feelings show up 5 minutes before a meeting?
Join me for a realistic conversation around emotional regulation and how you don't always have to feel your feelings right now.
Auditory Overstimulation - What it is, Why is Happens & What You Can Do
05 Mar 2024
00:36:24
EPISODE 54
Do you ever feel overstimulated by sounds? Maybe especially when you're stressed? This has been a part of my anxiety journey and something that's come up a lot amongst my conversations with other lately. In this episode we'll talk about what Auditory Overstimulation is, why it happens, and some things you might be able to do today to support yourself (or a loved one).
Here are links to the two things referenced in the conversation: (1) Learn more and join my next Release Class by clicking HERE - First class? Use the code "ATTUNE" at checkout for 40% off (2) CLICK HERE to learn more about the "Safe & Sound Protocol"
We hear sounds differently when we’re in a sympathetic state, this can make those sounds feel overwhelming, distracting, and increase the stress load on our system.
Awareness of how you experience this is the first step. I invite you to pay attention to when and how you notice this showing up most for you and if there are any particular sounds or types of sounds that are the most aggravating.
Take time to brainstorm strategies to minimize sound, manage emotions, and decrease stress as part of a larger, long term plan to decrease the intensity in which you experience auditory overstimulation.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
This conversation is a shameless celebration with you all that I wrote a book and a sneak peak as to what's held within its pages. Healing Through the Vagus Nerve is a guide to understanding and healing anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma through nervous system regulation.
It still feels quite surreal to say I wrote a book but I’m so stinking proud of it and I wholeheartedly believe it's pages hold hope and healing for thousands and thousands of people & you can pre-order your copy TODAY!
Nervous system regulation is about elasticity, it’s about increasing your capacity for the hard, not about avoiding it, and vagal tone plays a big role in this.
One final shameless ask to preorder the book! Pre-orders are really important first time author. I promise this book will not only be a beautiful addition to your library but a tangible and powerful part of your healing journey!
Join me for a conversation on all the things from how I started this podcast because I was annoyed with instagram, to a story about my son spilling THOUSANDS of corn kernels and me NOT losing my -ish about it, to a list of random episode topics coming soon, and ending with a reassuring message about how healing is possible.
Hit play, listen to the end, and take what you need. And in the words of my son, "you are strong, and capable." Thanks for being here friends!
How to Unblend & Unburden (Parts Work Series, Pt. 2)
20 Aug 2024
00:33:53
Episode 78
Ever feel at war with yourself? Ever find yourself frustrated that you overreacted or that you've again turned to a less than ideal way of coping? In IFS this is called being "blended" - this is when a particular part (usually a younger wounded or protective part) of you has taken over, influencing your thoughts, emotions, and actions, so much so that it feels as if you are that part.
Today we're talking about how to "unblend" to put your regulated self back in the driver seat of your mind, body and life. Today's conversation builds on last week's part 1 of our Parts Work conversation. Hit play to learn more!
Here's the 3 takeaways:
Our parts are often the coping strategies we’ve developed in response to difficult experiences. They are a welcomed part of our internal system, we just don’t want them running the show.
Unblending is the process of separating our authentic self from these reactive parts, allowing you to respond to situations with more clarity and compassion. Unburdening involves helping these parts release the heavy emotions or beliefs they carry, creating more harmony and flexibility in your internal system.
Successful healing requires an integrated approach, mind and body, psychology and physiology. If you’re looking for this kind of support, I’d love to hear from you.
Want to learn more about parts work/IFS? Here's some other introductory resources:
With this episode I want to give you permission to DO less and BE more this week. I also talk about why that’s hard, why it’s something I was virtually incapable of doing for over a decade and still have to make a conscious effort for sometimes. Join me as I share about the time I walked away from playing duck duck goose with orphans to do dishes because productivity felt so much safer than play and how this pattern showed up for me even today when faced with the option of quality time with friends or outlining this podcast. Healing can feel messy, with each episode you listen to, thanks for inviting me into yours.
Last week I had an instagram post that immediately lost me followers, while also being my most liked and shared post in over a year. Let's talk about it.
Let's talk about how this same post could feel so validating and empowering for some people, while angering others.
In this conversation I share various individuals perspectives and experiences around being prescribed psych meds and the ways I think the mainstream medical model often falls short in providing personalized mental health support.
I also offer a thanks to the mental health providers who offered me a gut check for the way my intention behind the post didn't entirely match the impact, and I take absolute responsibility for that.
Trigger warning, this conversation includes mention of the terms: drug dealer, suicide, and anorexia
This post was not anti medication, it was anti physician that puts people and symptoms in a box and presents medication as the only solution. Meds can be needed, even life saving, AND as a community we are overmedicated and undereducated around personalized healing. Medication is presented as THE SOLUTION TO versus AN OPTION FOR anxiety & depression far too often and it’s hurting people.
There is no shame in medication being part of your healing. I cannot emphasize this enough. It played a role in mine, AND your symptoms are there for a reason. True and lasting healing doesn’t just take the edge off symptoms but in getting to the root.
You have options, if you weren’t provided context or choice when seeking support for healing I hope the conversations I have here help provide some of that for you.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
Ever feel shut down and unsure how to pull yourself out of it? Or maybe you tried to, only to have you system back lash and become even more stuck, numb or disconnected?
In today's conversation I talk about why this happens and offer 7 gentle ways to meet your system where it is in that shut down state of depression, immobilization, and disconnection. It's in meeting yourself where you are with compassion that your inner system will feel safe enough to move towards regulation (without the backlash).
When in a shut down state one of the most powerful things you can do is to give yourself permission to be where you are, and it’s often that permission that opens the gate to more regulation.
Shift your focus to nurturing your nervous system versus fixing it.
An invitation that the next time you’re shut down, try a gentle self compassion practice and see how your system responds.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
Today I share with you 10 ways to stop a panic attack & the nerdy science behind why they work. I start by answering the questions: What is a panic attack? Why do they happen? And what can I do about it?
Here's a list of the 10 tools:
Color spotting
Near far jumps
Sour candy
Strong smell
Hold an ice cube
What can I hear that's the closest? What sound is farthest away?
Panic attacks happen when the threat load on your nervous system has reached a tipping point.
Experiment, practice, dare I even say play with some of these tools proactively. \
Understanding your physiology is foundational to healing anxiety & depression. It demystifies your symptoms and helps you realize you're not broken and you can heal.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
What Blood, Breath, and Belonging Have to do With Healing
16 Jan 2024
00:40:02
EPISODE 47
Do you feel like you've been chasing healing for so long and falling short? It might be that one of these pieces is missing. Let's talk about some pitfalls in mainstream mental health support and the role that bloodwork, breath, and belonging might have in your healing. I'll also peel pack the curtain on a new program we're currently developing that'll help bring a true, physiology first approach to healing anxiety & depression. Hit play for more!
Order bloodwork: As I firm up some of the RESET programs process with our nurse practitioner I’ll be happy to share with you an exact script/list of tests to take to your doctor and request - I wish I had that for you now, but if nothing else I just want to put on your radar that blood testing has a huge role to place in healing anxiety & depression.
Pay attention to your HRV on your apple watch or Oura ring - I’m an Oura ring wearer and absolutely love it for a million reasons I’ll share in another episode. But HRV is an accurate measure for overall nervous system health. As you engage in certain changes like breathwork, trying to get more sleep, etc… watch to see how that influence your HRV overtime.
If you feel like you’ve been trying so hard to heal for so long and falling short, it’s likely that the system is falling short not you. I want to offer a heartfelt invitation to join us at the entry point that’s the best fit for you financially or support wise.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
This year I'm choosing regulation over resolutions. I'm choosing tiny habits over lofty goals. Join me for a conversation that unpacks why only 9% of people who set resolutions actually get there (and why I'm not interested in being part of that 9% this year). I'll also share with you 12 habits for a more regulated year.
Happy new years friends and just a reminder that the new year doesn't need a new you, it needs the you that you're already becoming. The you taking brave steps towards healing. The you who's been through the unimaginable to be right where you are. Let this be your year of hope and healing.
3 Takeaways:
Regulation over resolution
Behavior change is hard, start so small, laughably small
Taking a month to focus on each of these habits will set you up for so much more regulation and healing: (1) bathroom check in, (2) sleep, (3) morning sunlight, (4) breakfast, (5) daily walk, (6) breathwork, (7) play & community, (8) exercise, (9) cold exposure, (10) declutter environment, (11) tech boundaries, (12) vagal toning
Looking for more personalized support? Book a free discovery call to learn more about RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
Or join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
I had a really curated “regulated reflection” planned for this episode but that was until I almost had a panic attack in a pizza place while on a family vacation last week and decided, let’s talk about that instead. Join me for a conversation on grief, hope, and why I’d really love to have you join me on Thursday for my annual NYE Circle event.
This is my largest community event of the year, over 100 people have signed up so far and I’d love for you to be there too!
CLICK HERE to learn more & save your spot! (Ps. It’s free)
I also mentioned my book in this conversation which is finally available for pre-order, CLICK HERE for that!
Do you struggle staying regulated this time of year? Maybe you have more anxiety around holiday events? Feel high expectations from others and have a hard time setting boundaries?
Juggling real life and the “magic” of the season can feel exhausting. The financial pressures and pressure to make new goals as the new year approaches is a lot.
I address all of this and more in today’s episode. This is part 2 of a mini series more candidly answering 10 listener submissions to the question: What do you struggle with most in the winter or around the holidays?
The holidays can be a lot — a lot of joy and a lot of hard. I asked you all what you struggle with most in the winter or around the holidays so I could offer some more personalized support for my listeners. This and next week I’ll work through more candidly answering 10 of the submissions. I’ll list all 10 here, but not before I invite you to join me at the end of this month for my biggest community event of the year (& it’s totally free).
Join me for my annual NYE circle event on Dec. 28th @ 8p ET
Have you ever felt like a part of you wanted one thing and a part of you wanted something else? Or maybe on your healing journey you've started to notice these seemingly problematic beliefs or behaviors, things like perfectionism, emotional eating, doom scrolling, etc... — each of these can be labeled as one of our "parts."
Today we’re diving into a healing modality called parts work, or internal family systems (IFS), and the role it can plays in healing anxiety & depression. I'll also talk through how it overlaps with nervous system regulations so beautifully and why this modality has felt so helpful to so many of our clients.
Here's the 3 takeaways:
We all have parts, each of these parts are well intentioned AND their mechanisms for handling situations may no longer be the best options for you.
An invitation to try to identify some of your wounded or protector parts and decide which one, if any, you feel ready to work with.
A second invitation to do that work, you can do it through journaling, a quick google search of “journaling prompts for parts work” or find a therapist or coach trained in IFS. As always an invitation to join one of my coaching programs if it feels like a good fit, but we are just a few of many incredible practitioners out there who can support you in this modality.
Want to learn more about parts work/IFS? Here's some other introductory resources:
Join me for a conversation about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), more commonly referred to as Seasonal Depression. What makes SAD unique is its timing, it has a distinct seasonal onset, typically in winter, and a spontaneous remission of symptoms sometime in spring. In short, it’s just normal depression with a seasonal pattern.
In this conversation I'll unpack more on what it is, what might be contributing to it and some research supported things you can do to alleviate symptoms. In this conversation I'll discuss how the environmenal variable that is most closely tied to seasonal depression is the changes to daylight house and I'll present you with some new science that presents a possible light exposure proticold that could be impactful for anyone struggling with SAD.
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
One thing I hear a lot from people who come to work with us are, “I’m tired of just talking about how I feel, I want to actually DO something about it.” Talking is a really important and special part of healing and it’s not enough if your underlying physiology is depleted, hypersensitive, or packed with unprocessed trauma.
Getting into the DOING alongside the talking, processing, and space holding is something my coaching methodology specializes in. It’s not always a sexy to say, but behavior change is an essential part of what we do and the way we work with clients & sometimes the places we start seem almost too plain or too simple to matter but the science is clear:
There is a strong link between anxiety & depression and things like sleep, food, breathing and boundaries.
In this episode we'll dive into the nitty-gritty of small daily habits that when repeated overtime make all the difference in your healing. You'll also learn why relying on therapy alone might not be enough to address your mental health concerns. And, of course, we'll leave you with some practical tips on how to optimize your body for better mental health.
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Feeling overwhelmed by the endless to-do and a life that feels mostly stressful most of the time? It's time to take control and edit your stress bucket. Think of it as a gentle dance of self-awareness and adjustments, not a one-time fix. Now, the fun part (IMO): the "Delete, Delegate, Different" method. Delete stressors that drain you and are unnecessary. Delegate tasks that others can handle, freeing up your time and energy. For stressors that can't be deleted or delegated, find ways to do them differently, reducing their impact on your stress levels.
Remember, editing your stress bucket is a process. Be patient with yourself, celebrate your progress, and don't hesitate to seek support when needed, this is exactly the work we support clients in all the time.
**We're hiring! CLICK HERE to learn more and apply to be our next trauma-informed mental health coach.**
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
In this episode, we're diving into the 3rd step of the Stress Bucket Exercise, which is all about managing your stress bucket. You'll learn three ways to increase your "buffer zone" and manage our stress bucket: poking holes in the bucket, "scooping" out, and making your bucket bigger. 🪣
We also discuss the difference between baseline stressors and daily stressors - this distinction matter because the way that you manage those particular stressors can look different from the other. Stress management is a crucial part of mental health.
**We're hiring! CLICK HERE to learn more and apply to be our next trauma-informed mental health coach.**
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
In this episode I admit that as a thirty-something year old I currently have the average heart rate variability of a healthy 60 year old. I've significantly decreased the chronic stress load on my nervous system, but unfortunately not before it took a really and measurable toll. The good new is that there are ways to improve HRV, things I'm actively doing in my life today. The bottom line though is that we HAVE to, and I'm speaking as much to myself as I am to you right now, we have to take stress more seriously.
This is part 2 in my 4 part series on managing your stress bucket. We're diving into the Stress Bucket Audit, a tool to assess your stress levels. We'll explore the impact of chronic stress on your well-being, understand the role of HRV (heart rate variability) in stress management, and identify the factors that contribute to stress. You'll learn how to audit your stress bucket, both on a macro level (twice a year) and on a micro level (daily check-ins). By understanding your stress signatures and identifying your stressors, you can start to take control and manage your stress bucket effectively. Stay tuned for the next episode where we'll discuss practical strategies to minimize stressors, train your stress capacity, and increase your HRV. Remember, it's never too late to prioritize your stress management and optimize your well-being.
**We're hiring! CLICK HERE to learn more and apply to be our next trauma-informed mental health coach.**
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
We’ve all heard the saying you can’t pour from an empty cup, but I’d also like to put a twist on it today and say you can’t add to a full one. Join me for part 1 in a 4 part series unpacking the steps to the Stress Bucket Exercise. Todays conversation is all about step 1: Assess - this answers the question of, "What is in my stress bucket?" Until you can get it out of your head and onto paper you'll likely stay mostly stressed most of the time - and that's no way to live! Join me while I walk you through the 4 categories of common stressors and explore which ones contribute most to your stress bucket. Hit play to learn more!
**We're hiring! CLICK HERE to learn more and apply to be our next trauma-informed mental health coach.**
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
None of us will ever be a perfect friend, parent, partner, or self-healer – so one of the most valuable skills we can learn is how to repair. In the last two episodes I’ve shared pretty openly that my default survival mode is FIGHT, I’m someone who’s nervous system is still pretty primed for quick activation and as a result I’ve often shown up in relationship with other people in way’s I'm less proud of. Join me for a conversation on how to return and repair, first with yourself and then with others. This chat was inspired but Dr. Becky's recent TED talk which you can find HERE.
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
What Is Your Partner's Default Survival Response? (& Why It Matters)
17 Oct 2023
00:35:49
Episode 35
Last week we talked about default survival responses and I invited you to see if you could identify yours – if you haven’t listened to that episode yet I recommend starting there because today’s conversation is a natural extension of that chat where I’ll expand on reasons why it might be helpful to identify your partner’s default way of responding when their sense of self or safety feels at all threatened and how even if they never consciously acknowledge their default survival response how your awareness of it might help you better navigate that relationship. Hit play to learn more!
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
What Is Your Default Survival Response? (& Why It Matters)
10 Oct 2023
00:29:56
EPISODE 34
When you're in an argument or when something doesn't go according to plan - do you face it head on? Avoid conflict? Say sorry when it wasn't your fault? Shut down? We all have a default way of responding when our sense of self or safety is threatened, and that default response looks different for each of us based on biology, our past lived experiences, and the percieved intensity of the threat. In this episode I unpack identifying what your default survival mode ore response is and why that matters.
Next week's conversation will be a natural extension from today's conversation and we'll talk about how it might be helpful to also identify the default survival responses of a partner, friends, or parent as well. Hit play to lean more!
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
How to Decrease Load & Increase Capacity - Parenting Edition
03 Oct 2023
00:30:34
Episode 33
It can feel important and go undone if your capacity isn’t there. For me right now sitting on the porch with my kid is more important than a lot of the house projects I’d like to get done. And getting to bed by 9:30pm is more important to me than any shows I want to watch or DM’s I want to get caught up on. Ask yourself, what takes care of me so that I can better take care of my kids? Choose that.
If you’re a parent to young kids, the most important thing you can do is model for them the way you want their life to FEEL. If you don’t want you daughters or sons to endlessly self sacrifice and run themselves into the ground, stop modeling that. Start prioritizing the basics you prioritize for them, bedtime and breakfast. Want to create capacity that changes your life - go to be by 10pm, eat a quality high protein breakfast, and stay off your phone from 9pm - 9am. Don’t think it’s that simply? Try me and report back in 2 weeks.
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
Ever feel like your feelings get so big so fast and you're not sure how to handle them? This week I'm sharing a lesson I taught about emotional fitness (aka emotional regulation). Hit play for the full conversation!
Watch to watch the video module instead? CLICK HERE Emotional Fitness Worksheets: CLICK HERE
Have you ever felt like being a parent is simultaneously the best and hardest thing you'd ever done? In my opinion, it is both of those things. Today's conversation is guided by some incredible and vulnerable parents who submitted questions to my AMA form that I want to provide some support for today. We chat through navigating anxiety & depression, activation and shut down, as parents. I'll offer a simple way to audit your "load" as a means to increasing your capacity (something I'll also expand on in next week's conversation). Hit play for some tangible ways to move through parenting differently to decrease overstimulation and increase your capacity to show up the way you'd like to!
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
🗝️ In this special episode, I'm diving into questions submitted by our amazing listeners. I'll be sharing insights and offering thoughts on a variety of topics that you've been curious about. This format is something I'd love to do more of in the future, so keep those questions coming! Drop your questions or struggles in the form link below for future AMA episodes.
🔍 In this episode, I covered three key questions:
Question #1: How to communicate with our family/friends when something they say is triggering
Question #2: How to encourage a loved one who's struggling to take the first steps to heal & take care of themselves
Question #3: What to do when someone else's low energy/low mood is constantly pulling you down
Hit Play to hear more!
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CLICK HERE to submit a question for me to answer on our next "AMA (Ask Me Anything)" episode.
Want a free 7-day trial of RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space? SUBMIT a screenshot of your rating/review and as a thank you I'll send you a link!
If you’ve been trying to heal your health anxiety & haven’t been able to, it might be because you’re missing one of the 4 evidence-based approaches I discuss in today's episode. My hope is that this 2 part mini series on health anxiety gives you a really clear roadmap as to some possible next steps on your journey to overcoming health anxiety. We'll discuss the brains built in negativity bias and why some people can calmly float through health issues and other cannot before discussing the 4 different approaches. Hit play to learn more!
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
In this 2-episode mini series on health anxiety we'll discuss what it is and how to overcome it using an evidence based 4-pronged approach. Join me today to learn more about the anxiety response in your brain and body, how this applies to health anxiety, and an exercise to explore your unique experience of health anxiety symptoms, thoughts, and behaviors. Gaining understanding of the basic physiology of anxiety and how you uniquely experience it in a health related ways lays a foundation for working with your mind-body system instead of constantly feeling against it.
Health related anxiety has been steadily on the rise since 2020. It's a topic that’s been requested by many of you for me to cover on this podcast and a recent survey indicated that 1 out of 3 individuals experience heightened anxiety over their health status. Hit play to learn more!
Looking for more personalized support? Join me inside RISE, my mental health membership and nervous system healing space for those struggling with anxiety or depression. Sliding scale pricing available.
Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE
The minute we are born we start to lay down patterns of protection and connection. Join me for a reflective conversation on the piece of your healing that might be impacted by early patterns of protection and how vital laying down new patterns of connection are to your healing. I offer some suggestions in this episodes takeaways on how you might be able to do just that. Hit play to learn more!
Join the next ATTUNEMENT CLASS mentioned in the podcast, use the code "ATTUNE" for 40% off