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This week, we consider reading as a form of rest and restoration. We sit down with Emily Jolley, a lifelong reader and enthusiastic book recommender, to talk about reading as a hobby that supports real rest and a calmer inner life. 

We get practical fast: how Emily chooses what to read next when her TBR stack is out of control, why “mood reading” is not shallow, and how the season you are in (summer travel, fall routines, a heavy news cycle, a full parenting season) can shape what feels nourishing on the page. We also swap bookish joy, from romance and romantasy to historical fiction, plus the fun of rereading when a beloved book becomes a movie or streaming series. 

If book clubs have ever stressed you out, you will love Emily’s low-pressure model where everyone reads whatever they want and still gets the connection, conversation, and swap-worthy recommendations. We also talk about building a family reading rhythm, helping kids find age-appropriate books with librarians and Common Sense Media, and the most freeing takeaway of all: you do not have to finish that book. 

If you enjoy grounded conversations about hobbies, restorative practices, and simple rhythms that nurture peace, hit subscribe, share this with a fellow reader (or aspiring reader), and leave a review so more people can find Create Harmony.

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Your garden might be the most underrated tool you have for stress relief. We’re joined by Brittany Robinson Whitenhill, founder of Our Backyard, to talk about gardening not as a perfection project, but as a practice of slowing down, observing, and letting nature restore you.

We walk through what it actually looks like to begin, especially if you feel intimidated or convinced you “don’t have a green thumb.” Brittany explains how her work blends garden design, edible garden installation, and garden coaching so new (and seasoned) gardeners can build confidence, learn seasonal rhythms, and grow within their real capacity. We also get practical about midsummer beds, seed saving, composting, and how to start thinking ahead for a fall garden with cool-season vegetables.

Then we widen the lens to wellness and community. Brittany shares how she brings workplace wellness to life through gardens and workshops, and she defines herbalism as a holistic approach that honors ancestral wisdom and treats the whole person, not just symptoms. Along the way, we even talk about cinnamon and ginger tea, grounding with bare feet, and how a simple watering routine can turn into a daily ritual of peace.

If you want a calmer nervous system, a more meaningful backyard, and a hobby that helps you feel alive again, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find these conversations about peaceful living.

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You can feel it in your body when your phone stops being a tool and starts being your default coping mechanism. We sit down with Melissa Ward, the creator behind Preppy Goods, to talk about what it looks like to reclaim your attention and rebuild calm through hobbies that are beautiful, social, and screen-free. Melissa shares her journey from pharmaceutical marketing into content creation, and how curating colorful, preppy home decor became both her work and a way to bring everyday joy within reach. 

Then we get into the hobby that changed her rhythm: American Mahjong. Melissa explains how a single lesson hooked her, why playing regularly helped with grief, anxiety, and overworking, and how the community side of Mahjong can open doors even if you are shy. We also trade practical beginner advice, including why a Mahjong 2.0 lesson can be the confidence boost you need and how a free app can help you learn the hands without the pressure of a table full of experts. 

Finally, we talk needlepoint as a powerful antidote to doomscrolling. Melissa describes the awkward learning curve, the moment it starts to “click,” and why stitching can quiet the mental checklist that keeps so many of us on edge at night. We share simple tips for choosing a beginner-friendly canvas, finding local classes, and building a hobby practice that fits real life as a parent and a working adult. If you are searching for calming hobbies, screen-free self-care, or creative ways to support mental health and work-life balance, this conversation is a practical place to start. 

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Your body knows when it has been indoors too long, and your mind usually pays the price. We sit down with Shawn, a forest therapy guide and the founder of The Art of Moxie.  We dig into what a guided forest therapy experience feels like, including a sensory awakening meditation that expands your soundscape and pulls you back into the present. Shawn shares how nature can act as a mirror during hard seasons, and we explore the “wood wide web,” as a surprisingly practical lesson in resilience, diversity, and community support.

We also talk about modern balance: AI and virtual reality can be helpful, but they cannot replace the real thing. If you cannot get to a forest, Shawn offers simple ways to bring nature indoors with grounding objects, plants, and natural scents, plus a beginner-friendly explanation of phytoncides and why the smell of pine or cedar can feel like an instant reset.

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 Your nervous system can’t heal on leftovers of attention. In this thoughtful conversation, firefighter Hayne Griffin shares what it means to care for your well-being while carrying the demands of a high-stress profession. Together, we explore presence, resilience, and the practices that help us show up with a clear head, an open heart, and a little more peace. 

We talk about hobbies as real recovery, not “time off.” Hayne shares how mountain biking and rock climbing force him into the present moment in a way that feels like moving meditation, and why watercolor painting can be its own kind of reset when the weather or the season calls for something quieter. Along the way, we connect the dots between burnout, rest, breathwork (including box breathing), and the surprising power of doing one thing that fully holds your focus, whether that’s a trail ride, a yoga practice, a puzzle, or time in the garden.

We also go deeper on connection and digital wellness. Hayne explains how shared activities can build trust and vulnerability, especially for men, and he offers a metaphor you’ll probably steal: your phone can be a wood stove or a couch. Used with intention, it brings warmth and connection; used without boundaries, it can burn down the peace you’re trying to build.

To close, we reflect on pain and resilience, drawing from Hayne’s spiritual background and the idea that suffering can become a teacher when we stop running from it. If you’re looking for practical self-care, a healthier relationship with social media, and hobbies for mental health that actually work, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find Create Harmony.

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A good meal can be more than dinner. It can be a doorway into curiosity, a weekly reset button, and sometimes the safest place to tell the truth. We sit down with Denise Baker, a gifted home chef with a deep love of global cuisine, to talk about how a simple cooking plan grew into a month-by-month journey through more than 20 countries and cultures. Denise shares how her family cooked one country at a time, learned the rhythms and history behind the food, and even turned those months into community potlucks that welcomed dozens of people around the table.

Then we move from the kitchen into a Friday night Sabbath practice that has shaped their family for years. Denise explains why they chose Friday, how lighting candles and saying a blessing changes the tone of the whole weekend, and what it looks like to build a Shabbat-inspired rhythm with music, liturgy, bread, and meaningful table questions. If you’ve been craving slow living, intentional rest, or a faith-rooted practice that feels practical instead of abstract, this conversation offers a grounded roadmap.

We also go somewhere tender and necessary: mental health. Denise speaks honestly about supporting a daughter with bipolar disorder, the uncertainty of diagnosis, the stigma families carry in silence, and why therapy and boundaries matter for caregivers too. You’ll hear what shifted when trust in psychiatric care finally took root and why hope can be realistic, not naïve.

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Your life can look “right” on paper and still feel wrong in your body. Sally Burlington sits down with author Tara Mae Temple to unpack the moment when career success, productivity, begins to collide with intuition, stress signals, and a deep need for change. Tara shares how obstacles at work and a health scare became the wake-up call that helped her stop, listen, and begin a healing journey grounded in faith, self-trust, and daily rhythm.

We get practical fast. Tara walks us through peace practices you can actually do when life is busy: a mindfulness walking practice that uses your senses and a simple affirmation (“May I be healthy, may I be happy, and may I be free from suffering”), a five-minute visualization to pull you out of fear and fight-or-flight, and guided meditation approaches that make stillness feel more accessible. We also talk about why healing is not a destination, how to come back to your practices after you miss a day, and how these tools can calm the nervous system and retrain attention away from rumination.

Tara also shares what’s inside her book, Life Hacks for Healing and Harmony, including chapters on anxiety, grief, identity shifts, ego, fear, and self-limiting beliefs, plus journaling prompts to help you process what you’re carrying right now.   If you want more info about Tara, please check out www.tarasweetawakening.com

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Shopping sounds simple until you remember how personal it is. What you put on your body can amplify insecurity or it can help you feel steady, confident, and seen. This week, we talk with Christie Johnson, the founder of Purpose Boutique, a retail brand built on a bold idea: how you shop can change a life. With every purchase, a percentage is donated to fight human trafficking and to support foster children and foster families through preventative care, turning everyday spending into ethical shopping with real-world impact.

We also talk about what makes Purpose feel different the moment you walk in the door. Christie shares how her team approaches styling as relationship, not judgment. Instead of “cool girl” energy, they hire and train around values like humility, positivity, and playfulness so customers feel disarmed and supported. We dig into why in-person shopping experiences still matter in an online world, and why human connection and great customer service are the competitive edge that AI can’t replace.

Then the conversation gets deeply practical about leadership and mental wellness. Christie opens up about a her first panic attack after back-to-back store launches, what it taught her about living in fight-or-flight, and how she’s learning to regulate her nervous system through rest, walking, sunlight, massage, and therapy tools like EMDR and internal family systems. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow something meaningful without burning out, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of pacing, community, and sustainable ambition.

If this resonates, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share the episode with a friend who needs a calmer rhythm, and leave a review to help more people find Create Harmony.

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A coffee shop can be more than a caffeine stop. We sit with Cody and Johnny, the founders of Unhinged Coffee, to hear how two people with demanding corporate careers made a fast, fearless pivot into the Raleigh coffee scene and built something that feels like a true third space. Cody shares the personal roots of the idea, including how coffee became a way to stay close to his dad, and how that meaning shaped the heart of the brand.

We talk about what makes Unhinged Coffee different: a mission anchored in mental health advocacy, a refusal to treat wellness like a buzzword, and a tagline that lands with honesty, “Sip Through The Struggle.” Cody and Johnny open up about anxiety, ADHD, therapy, stigma, and why accessibility matters. Coffee is the vehicle, but community is the point, from clinician and nonprofit partnerships to events designed to help people feel safe, seen, and steady.

You’ll also hear the behind-the-scenes growth story: starting with a coffee cart and pop-ups, operating out of borrowed spaces, then taking the leap into a brick-and-mortar shop with warm murals, thoughtful design, and the unforgettable Unhinged Wall where sticky notes turn into threads of anonymous support. We get into what’s next too: expanding hours, building out a patio and alleyway markets, adding limited beer and wine and THC beverages without becoming a bar, and long-term dreams of roasting their own beans. If you care about small business building, community over competition, and how coffee culture can support mental wellness, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave us a review with your biggest takeaway.

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We sit down with Amanda Rigby to trace how The Well Mental and Spiritual Care grows from a late-night COVID-season burden into a real, local pathway toward healing and wholeness. We break down what The Well actually offers, how to choose between therapy, spiritual direction, and life coaching, and why lowering stigma often starts with a simple first step.  
• The midnight phone call that sparks The Well’s founding vision during COVID lockdown isolation  
• Barriers to mental health care even in privileged spaces, from insurance issues to full therapist caseloads  
• The Well’s mission of accessible and affordable mental and spiritual care for church and community  
• A “constellation of care” model, combining clinical therapy with relational supports  
• Community classes that lower stigma, including couples enrichment, aging as spiritual practice, yoga nidra, and support groups  
• Clear distinctions between therapy and counseling, spiritual direction as companionship, and life coaching for calling and purpose  
• Big dreams to replicate the model in other churches while honoring what each community already has  
• Practical ways to connect, share the story, and help others find support in the Raleigh area  

You can check that out at mycreateharmony.com if you want more information on how to do that.

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