Becoming Wildly Resilient

Listen as host Amy Rodquist-Kodet, Health Coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, shares simple, research-backed practices to help steady your mood during the dark Winter months. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) impacts millions each year, but small actions—light exposure, gentle movement and self-compassion—can make a meaningful difference. Amy says, “These practices aren’t about fixing everything at once; they’re about shifting your internal weather by a few degrees, building resilience over time.”Key Points:

• Light: Morning light exposure is a powerful cue for your circadian rhythm. Even a short burst of brightness—like turning toward a window or a bright lamp—can support a more positive circadian rhythm.• Movement: Just 10 minutes of low-intensity movement can increase BDNF, a brain chemical tied to emotional stability and resilience. Think of gentle movements like rolling your shoulders or shifting in your seat.• Self-Compassion: Brief moments of self-kindness reduce stress and regulate the nervous system. Pairing a small action with a compassionate phrase—such as “I deserve steadiness and kindness”—makes the practice more powerful and sustainable.

Listen as host Sebastian Calmes, Wellness Specialist with UKHR Health & Wellness, speaks with Lee Anne Walmsley, Assistant Dean ofWellness and Well-Being at the College of Nursing, about Seasonal AffectiveDisorder (SAD)—what it is, why reduced sunlight can impact mood and practicalstrategies to support yourself and others through the winter months—it's timeto become more Wildly Resilient!

Other SAD Episodes:

·       "SAD" During Winter Months? 3Simple Tools for a Resilient Winter | BWR: Practice Ep. 114

·       A Meditation for Seasonal AffectiveDisorder (SAD) | BWR: Meditation Ep. 115

Personal Resilience Resources:

Key Takeaways:

·      SAD is more than “winter blues”—it’s arecurring, persistent pattern.
Seasonal Affective Disorder can show up as a consistent heaviness/sadness andlow mood that returns year after year, not just a temporary slump from coldweather or a bad week.

·      SAD is biological, not a personal weakness—lightchanges brain chemistry and sleep cycles. Reduced daylight can influence circadianrhythms, lower serotonin (mood support) and increase melatonin (sleepiness),which helps explain why people can feel more fatigued, down and unmotivated inwinter.

·      Small, consistent strategies can meaningfullyhelp—especially light, routine, movement and support. Practical tools includegetting outside when the sun is out, considering light therapy, prioritizing regularsleep, adding consistent activity and using social connection as a moodsupport. For persistent or debilitating symptoms, professional support like CBTand healthcare collaboration is important.

Listen as Jackie Carroll, health coach with UK HRHealth and Wellness, guides listeners through a calming resilience meditationdesigned to help you reconnect with your inner strength. As you settle intostillness, you’ll reflect on past challenges, uncover the qualities that helpedyou rise above them and embrace the wisdom and growth those experiences brought!

Listen as host Amy Rodquist-Kodet, health coachwith UK HR Health and Wellness, shares “Hope Mapping,” a tool for cultivating resilienceand self-efficacy when life feels hard. Hope Mapping is grounded in Hope Theory,the idea that hope is not wishful thinking, but a mindset that cooperativelyuses agency and strategy!

Listen as host Sebastian Calmes, Wellness Specialist, speaks with Tony Lynn and Jamie Brown, both UK employees, about their personal resilience stories. In this episode, we discover how our understanding of personal resilience can change over time, and how oftentimes resilience is a daily choice—it's time to become more Wildly Resilient! 

Listen as Jackie Carroll, health coach with UK HRHealth and Wellness, guides you through a meditation aimed at emotionalwell-being and the arts. Jackie invites you to explore your emotions and awakenyour creative spirit in a space free of judgment, encouraging healing throughartistic expression. Thank you for listening, and as always, be well.

Listen as host Amy Rodquist-Kodet, health coachwith UK HR Health and Wellness, shares a joyful and science-backed approach toemotional regulation through music!

Learn how to create three intentional playlists—Soothe,Move and Lift—that help you navigate stress, reconnect withmeaning, and build resilience. Drawing on neuroscience and personal stories,Amy explains how music can regulate mood, reduce stress hormones and evokepowerful memories that restore a sense of self. Whether you're dancing in yourkitchen or pausing to ask what you need most, this practice invites you to usemusic as a tool for emotional renewal and self-awareness.

Listen as host Sebastian Calmes, Wellness Specialist, and Dr. Beth Arnold, Associate Dean and Professor of Music Performance and Voice, explore the deep relationship between our emotional well-being and the arts. Dr. Beth Arnold and her colleague, Dieter Yeomans, also perform Monteverdi's Laudate Dominum from Selva morale e spirituale (SV 287). 

Listen as host Sebastian Calmes, Wellness Specialist, and Dr. Beth Arnold, Associate Dean and Professor of Music Performance and Voice, explore the deep relationship between our emotional well-being and the arts. Dr. Beth Arnold and her colleague, Dieter Yeomans, also perform Monteverdi's Laudate Dominum from Selva morale e spirituale (SV 287).

Listen as Jackie Carroll, health coach with UK HRHealth and Wellness, guides you through a reflective journey centered on spiritual well-being. Building on Amy Rodquist-Kodet’s practice of Transcendent Reframing, Jackie invites you to explore what spiritual connection means to you—whether through mindfulness, prayer, sacred texts or simply a sense of belonging. Thank you for listening, and as always, be well!