Becoming Wildly Resilient

In this episode, Dr. Michelle Martel helps us learn that giving unconditional gifts has the power to elevate our mood and strengthen our social connections. When we prioritize giving in a non-transactional way, we experience more joy and well-being. We also learn oftentimes the most memorable gifts are small, homemade or inexpensive. What counts in a meaningful gift is the love you wish to express to someone. Love that is given freely with no expectation for something in return. This holiday season, consider switching things up with the family. Instead of spending a lot on gifts, consider a family trip or experience. Michelle reminds us that shared experiences tend to have stronger, more lasting positive effects on our well-being, as opposed to giving and receiving material things. 

Listen as host Jackie Carroll, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, leads you through a short meditation focused on building more awareness around our common humanity. How can focusing on our common humanity help us to bridge differences? Each month, Jackie will guide you through a new meditation aimed at deepening the resilience practice offered by co-host Amy Rodquist-Kodet. 

Listen as host Amy Rodquist-Kodet, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, shares helpful, research-based assessments and tools for cultivating our ability to bridge differences! Bridging differences recognizes a common humanity. In the process of Bridging Differences, we may not always find the ideal compromise, but the key is we don't dehumanize each other in the process. This practice consistently requires modesty and cultural humility by accepting the fact we don't all have the answers, or the monopoly on truth. Each month, Amy will explain a new practice you can try to build your resilience and thrive more; thanks for listening! 

Listen as host Sebastian Calmes, a Wellness Specialist with UK HR Health and Wellness, and Dr. Jess Dominguez, Assistant Professor of Communication, discuss the topic of Bridging Differences.  

Bridging differences is all about how to have tough conversations, looking past bias, and focusing on what is common as opposed to what is different. Being able to bridge differences is important to well-being because as members of a community, we don't live in isolation. We are diverse in race, creed, genders, opinions, and beliefs. As we continue to develop and evolve as human beings, it’s important to remember that our ability to connect with others is a critical component of our well-being. And through remembering our common humanity, we are more likely to see ourselves in everyone, lending to the mutual respects we strive to cultivate for each other. 

Listen as host Jackie Carroll, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, leads you through a short meditation focused on building more resiliency in our lives. This meditation invites us to investigate where and how we can grow our resilience muscles. What need is not being met? Each month, Jackie will guide you through a new meditation aimed at deepening the resilience practice offered by co-host Amy Rodquist-Kodet. 

Listen as host Amy Rodquist-Kodet, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, shares 5 helpful tools and research-based exercises for furthering our mental health resilience! Each month, Amy will explain a new practice you can try to build your resilience and thrive more. 

Listen as host Sebastian Calmes, a Wellness Specialist with UK HR Health and Wellness interviews Laura Williams, a UK Health Care Informatics Director. This special episode invites our guest to share their mental health and personal resilience journey to help end the stigma in getting the needed well-being support or help people need.

Listen as host Jackie Carroll, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, leads you through a short meditation focused on cultivating humility in our lives. How could growing into a humbler person help you thrive more at

Listen as host Amy Rodquist-Kodet, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, shares 5 helpful tools and research-based exercises that can help us strengthen our intellectual humility. Each month, Amy will explain a new practice you can try to build your resilience and thrive more. 

It’s important to ask ourselves questions that test our assumptions, bias or information. We may find that we don’t have the whole picture. We may even learn something new! 

Try journaling or self-reflecting from a 3rd person view. By creating ‘self-distance,’ one may be able to gain a new perspective on one’s life, beliefs and challenges. 

Practice admitting when you’ve made a mistake. Research suggests that admitting mistakes can often be seen as a strength as opposed to a weakness! 

Listen as host Sebastian Calmes, a Wellness

In this conversation, we explore the topic of digital wellbeing and how it impacts other dimensions of wellness. We learned that technology is like a tool. Something to be used with a specific purpose. With any tool it can be used for good or for ill. This conversation reminds us to be mindful and intentional with technology. Without mindfulness and discipline, technology and social media can quickly become a hindrance to wellbeing. Educate yourself on what technology and social media are. Social media is designed to be addictive. With this information, we are better equipped to create positive technology and social media habits.