This week’s podcast outlines eight personal mantras I used to maintain mental well-being during 2020-2021.

Four are Stoic virtues: courage, wisdom, moderation, and justice.

Four are the Brahmaviharas from Buddhism: compassion, loving-kindness, equanimity, and sympathetic joy and I explain how each concept helped me cope with challenging times, emphasizing their practical application in daily life.

Loved this episode? You can find extra goodies, gentle tools, and printable doses of wonder over in my Ko-fi shop. You can also buy me a coffee to help support me. Every purchase supports this quiet corner of the internet and helps keep the podcast going. Thank you for being here. 💛

References:

8 Reminders Keeping Me Sane During 2020/2021 and Onward https://medium.com/mindful-mental-health/8-reminders-keeping-me-sane-43427de7c721 by Caitlin McColl

This week’s podcast talks about performing random acts of kindness to improve mental well-being. It connects kindness with positive psychology principles, highlighting the ten positive emotions—joy, serenity, gratitude, etc.—that such acts can cultivate. I also emphasize the role of character strengths, another key aspect of positive psychology in finding meaning and purpose, ultimately leading to increased happiness. Several examples of simple acts of kindness are provided.

Loved this episode? You can find extra goodies, gentle tools, and printable doses of wonder over in my Ko-fi shop. You can also buy me a coffee to help support me. Every purchase supports this quiet corner of the internet and helps keep the podcast going. Thank you for being here. 💛

References:

How To Cultivate Meaning, Purpose and Happiness: And improve your mental health by Caitlin McColl

This week’s podcast highlights the different chronotypes—lion, bear, wolf, and dolphin—and their impact on daily life. I talk about my personal experience with my husband's contrasting sleep schedule and seeks advice from listeners facing similar situations. The overall theme centres on the difficulties and potential solutions for couples with differing chronotypes.

References

Does The Early Bird Always Get The Worm? by Caitlin McColl on Medium

Music by: https://pixabay.com/fr/users/audiorezout-14761081/

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In this weeks episode I dive into drama both in real life and online - defining dramatic personality traits and talking about the online phenomenon of ‘flouncing’ - dramatically existing online spaces. I also talk about different strategies to help manage the impact of people who have a need for drama, focusing on mindfulness and emotional regulation.

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References

Medium: https://medium.com/mindful-mental-health/flouncing-the-mystery-of-drama-on-social-media-4dbb76da1c2

Urban Dictionary: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Flounce

Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/flouncing

Power of Positivity: https://www.powerofpositivity.com/5-behaviors-drama-avoid/

Bustle: https://www.bustle.com/articles/159109-6-signs-you-may-have-a-dramatic-personality

Science Alert: https://www.sciencealert.com/psychologists-have-come-up-with-an-official-test-to-measure-your-need-for-drama

Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2018/08/10/your-brain-on-drama-what-your-social-media-means-for-personal-growth/?sh=7a8696db7e91

Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/you-illuminated/201104/under-pressure-your-brain-conflict

Podcast music by: https://pixabay.com/users/audiorezout-14761081/

This week’s podcast talks about coping mechanisms for tragedy and trauma through exploring the loss of a fellow author I knew online and offering advice on processing tragedy focusing on emotional responses and self care practices, and also via a university health website that outlines symptoms and more coping strategies and the importance of self care.

REFERENCES

https://medium.com/mindful-mental-health/comprehending-the-incomprejensible-31d3a06f35c2

https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-promotion/health-topics/coping-trauma

Music by: pixabay.com/fr/users/audiorezout-14761081/

If what you've read or heard resonated with you, maybe you'll consider supporting me for less than the price of a fancy coffee - just $3! - by clicking below. Thank you for your support. With gratitude.

https://ko-fi.com/caitlinmccollauthor

This week’s podcast is all about the neurological condition of Synesthesia where sensory experiences are blended (like hearing colours or tasting words) and explores the downsides such as social difficulties, as well as upsides like creativity and benefits for memory. It also goes into various different types of synesthesia (of which there are about 80!)

Loved this episode? You can find extra goodies, gentle tools, and printable doses of wonder over in my Ko-fi shop. You can also buy me a coffee to help support me. Every purchase supports this quiet corner of the internet and helps keep the podcast going. Thank you for being here. 💛

REFERENCES:

https://medium.com/mindful-mental-health/6-fun-facts-about-synesthesia-f9a87e51b8c3

https://www.ranker.com/list/what-is-synesthesia/jacobybancroft

https://listverse.com/2012/09/02/10-disadvantages-to-synesthesia/

https://space-timesynesthesia.weebly.com/fun-facts.html

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/synesthesia/the-many-types-of-synesthesia-explained/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-neuroscientists-guide-to-developing-synesthesia_n_55e4b004e4b0aec9f35429c9

https://synesthesia.com/blog/types-of-synesthesia/

Podcast music by: https://pixabay.com/users/audiorezout-14761081

My Substack is free!

But if what you've read or heard resonated with you, maybe you'll consider supporting me for less than the price of a fancy coffee - just $3! - by clicking below or the ‘Support Me’ link at the top. Thank you for your support. With gratitude.

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Thanks for listening to Dose of Wonder! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This week’s podcast explores the many benefits of positive thinking on mental and physical health, relationships, and overall well-being. I give practical strategies for developing positive thinking habits including CBT techniques like identifying your inner critic’s negative thought patterns and replacing them with constructive ones.

I also talk about how positivity can help various areas of life like work and relationships.

References:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-power-of-positive-thinking

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950

https://www.verywellmind.com/benefits-of-positive-thinking-2794767

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/positivity-life-changing-benefits/

https://www.healthyplace.com/self-help/positivity/benefits-of-positive-thinking-how-it-helps-your-mental-health

Loved this episode? You can find extra goodies, gentle tools, and printable doses of wonder over in my Ko-fi shop. You can also buy me a coffee to help support me. Every purchase supports this quiet corner of the internet and helps keep the podcast going. Thank you for being here. 💛

This week’s episode is all about how our modern way of living might be impacting our overall health and well-being - from our sleep, our breathing, giving birth, our diet, and even going poop (yes, you read that right!) and also how the effects of modern technology impact our health too.

Podcast music by: https://pixabay.com/users/audiorezout-14761081/

References:

https://venngage.com/gallery/post/let-sleeping-dogs-lie/

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783

https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath/

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/18/truth-about-poo-doing-it-wrong-giulia-enders-squatting

https://web.archive.org/web/20161223063205/http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20161221-the-real-reasons-why-childbirth-is-so-painful-and-dangerous

I’m releasing this week’s podcast two days early because I think we could all do with a dose of gratitude - which is what I’m talking about this week. It’s something I think would probably benefit most people right now. It would help put things into perspective a bit and maybe boost our moods.

The article that this podcast is from explores the concept of gratitude and its positive effects on overall well-being, drawing on research in positive psychology to define gratitude as an appreciation for what one receives, tangible or intangible, and highlights its ability to increase happiness, optimism, and social connection.

I share my personal experiences with practicing gratitude, including a gratitude jar practice my husband and I had for 3 years, and a "30 Second Gratitude Experiment" I did during the the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This podcast encourages listeners to incorporate gratitude practices into their lives, citing specific examples of how to cultivate a sense of thankfulness and invites listeners to share their own experiences.

The Facebook group I mention in the podcast, One Small Thing, you can find here: Facebook.com/groups/1smallthing

References:

https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good

Podcast music courtesy of: https://pixabay.com/fr/users/audiorezout-14761081/

If what you've read or heard resonated with you, maybe you'll consider supporting me for less than the price of a fancy coffee - just $3! - by clicking below or the ‘Support Me’ link at the top. Thank you for your support. With gratitude.

Today’s episode is about my personal experience with grief and death following the passing of my mom. It explores my journey toward accepting death, drawing on personal experiences and various resources, including books about death by the mortician Caitlin Doughty.

I also find comfort in the understanding that energy is conserved, even after death, and I encourage listeners to embrace the topic of death instead of avoiding it.

The music is by: https://pixabay.com/fr/users/audiorezout-14761081/

References:

https://medium.com/mindful-mental-health/demystifying-lifes-biggest-mystery-e3c065048467