“I don’t even know how I feel today…” I sighed in frustration during one of my therapy appointments. “I honestly feel it ALL.”

My therapist smirked at me, “Caitlyn, healing isn’t linear. You can feel many emotions at once — trust me, it’s human.”

Woah, what?

Anyone else hear that before? Her statement was actually quite comforting, but, ugh - also perplexing. Why isn’t the human experience more straightforward?

I mean, is it true that our sweet delicate souls are actually wired with beautiful complexity? Is it true I can hold an array of emotions all at once? Oh, it’s true. And it might be safe to say that our featured guest, Allie Karagozian agrees.

Allie Karagozian is an occupational therapist who has extra training and a background in mental health, women's health, and health literacy. She is the founder of Holding Both, an organization that supports parents experiencing secondary infertility. She also supports those navigating pregnancy loss while parenting their child(ren). She is from Michigan and lives just outside of Chicago with her husband and two little boys. Tune in to hear how Allie’s story guided her to create a supportive organization for parents enduring difficult times. Find Allie on IG at @holdingboth and visit her website at ⁠holdingbothllc.com⁠ for more information. Also, check out her new podcast launching in January 2024 - can’t wait to listen!

Please note: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal health advice. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Ever think you’ve got it all figured out…and then BOOM. Your DoorDash driver doesn't deliver the chicken pad thai you had originally ordered. Instead, they deliver a huge basket of lemons straight to your doorstep. You notice the lemon basket is adorned with a mockingly beautiful bow and accompanied with a card that says: “Hey, uhhh yeah, sorry bro. -Life.”

Yeah. That blows. Did “Life” really just organize a lemon drop when you were least expecting it?! So inconsiderate. But, as the wise philosopher, Andy Milonakis once poetically rapped, “It’s MY show you can’t tell me what to do. When life hands me lemons I make BEEF STEW.”  I like his spunk. This guy’s onto something. But even when we are completely determined to make the best of life’s lemons, sometimes the lemon drops don’t seem to stop - in fact, they start to feel unbearable. So how do we manage?

Tune into Episode 9 where athlete/occupational therapist, Brittany, shares her story and touches on the following points: 1.) adapting to the lemons, 2.) re-writing the story, 3.) embracing a new plan/identity

Did anyone else feel a wave of anxiety flood though their guts, just from reading the title of this episode? SAME (or if not... #good4u). Everyone has some type of relationship with budgeting -- whether we like it or not. Lucky for us, our featured guest, Noah Bader, sheds light on the topic and makes the idea of budgeting feel A LOT less intimidating.

Noah is an anomaly with a background in Math. He grew up in Toledo and currently lives in Thornton, Colorado. He is passionate about finance, sports, music, and learning. In this episode, Noah discusses how his own budget has acted as a compass for meeting his long term personal goals. We learn some key concepts that may promote a greater sense of financial well-being.

Take a listen to learn more about: 1) the benefit of STARTING a budget (imperfection is welcome), 2) the importance of initiating further education on the topic, and 3) behavioral strategies that promote greater financial self-control.

Noah, thank you for sharing helpful insight on this topic. Please see the free budgeting resources mentioned in the podcast (below):

Financial Calculators for any occasion: dinkytown.net

Specific Budget Template: dinkytown.net/java/home-budget-analysis.html

Wikipedia of Finance: Investopedia.com

Just a Great Resource: khanacademy.com (see life skills section for financial literacy and personal finance videos)

Feel free to contact Noah for additional budgeting advice at nbader12 on Instagram. Cheers!

IMPOSTER SYNDROME. The persistent INABILITY to believe that our success is deserved or truly achieved as a result of our hard work. We all have experienced it; some more than others. I’d rank imposter syndrome near the top of my list of LEAST favorite things — it'd probably fall near the other super annoying life items: soggy socks, sticky fingers, mouth breathers, city traffic…you get the gist…

What if you woke up one day and decided to trade in your self-doubt for some self-belief. You heard me. SELF-BELIEF. How good would it feel to give yourself some credit for your hard work…to be able to confidently own your passions, hobbies, work, and projects without feeling like a fraud? That life sounds awesome…at least, my good friend Ashley thinks so…

Ashley is a physical therapist and small business owner who discusses her journey of discovering/growing her interests and talents. Ashley is passionate about encouraging others to be the best versions of themselves — knowing that each day that may look a little different. This philosophy is something she manifests in her business as a lifestyle photographer and also as an oncology physical therapist. Tune in to hear about how she uses her passions (science and the arts) to curate a meaningful and balanced life. The key ingredient? Self-belief.

Find Ashley on IG at @carbonashphotography and visit her photography business website at carbonashphotography.com

It’s time to look at the big picture. What’s stopping you?

I’m going to keep this description short and saucy.

Tis the season for transformation -- but change can be SPo0o0oKY. Let’s look, "the FEAR of personal growth," dead in the eyes and blow it a patronizing kiss.

Here’s how:

1.) Write down the big vision (and the small steps to get there)

2.) Welcome imperfection

3.) Get uncomfy

What personal changes are you hoping to make this season?

Check out Athlete Dietitian - Laura Asbury, from Episode 5 at @mindfuelingnutrition

Interested in being the next featured podcast guest? Follow and message @eudaimonia_podcast and let’s connect!

"Hey baby, you single?" "No sir, I'm in a very healthy and happy relationship with food."

Oh my goodness, if we could all say that...life would be SO GOOD. Is it just me, or do most of us struggle with this ideology that some foods are "good" and some foods are "bad" and then we go down this spiral of shame when we eat something...I don't know, delicious? I can only speak for myself, but I think the diet culture we were raised in has a huge effect on people's attitudes toward their meals. I think a lot of us view our nutrition as this black and white diagram and we so often use jargon like "I'm being bad," "I'm being skinny," "I'm having a cheat day," "This is low cal, right?" -- how damaging is this to our mental health? I am guilty of using all of these phrases! If you are too, this may be a good episode for you.

Tune in to hear Laura Asbury, a registered dietician, walk us through healthier mindsets to improve our relationship with food. She discusses the fact that "skinny is not a personality," that words and compliments matter, and how to put a positive psychological twist on fueling your body instead of dwelling on foods you *think* you cannot have. Laura talks about the difference between being a registered dietician and nutritionist, and cautions listeners to be mindful who you are taking nutrition guidance from. Laura works with athletes to ensure they can fuel properly for peak performance and she absolutely loves what she does. Check out her IG at @mindfulfuelingnutrition and feel free to DM her with any nutrition related questions!

Bye for now!

You heard me kid, BREATHE. "Adulting," as we millennials say. It’s overwhelming sometimes, ain’t it? Like, "YES Karen…I’ll call you back after my 12 zoom meetings, dentist appointment, and taking my cat for a walk." (Yes, I said cat…I meant it.) 

So when do we find the time to assess what we actually need? That’s where intention and mindfulness come in…perhaps we have to slow ourselves down enough to actually process what our mind and body could benefit from. Maybe it’s eating pizza in a blanket fort with your closest buddy. Maybe you need a night out dancing like a fool! Or on the contrary, maybe you need a nap. Maybe you’re realizing you’ve got a creative itch you’ve been meaning to scratch. (Stand up comedy, music, art, poetry, etc.) Here’s the dealio. We MIGHT need to slow down and practice mindfulness to actually know what we need. Wild right? 

We’re not used to hearing “slow down.” Well…unless you’re driving through a school zone…in that case, "SLOW DOWN @$$HOLE!"

Ahem, speaking of school and pumping the brakes…tune in to listen to 1st grade school teacher Katie North give insight on how she allows herself to breathe and regroup after a crazy day at work. Katie gives us some practical tips, good laughs, and inspiring ideas to keep in our back pocket when we are left feeling drained from the happenings around us. You can find Katie on IG at @knorth93 and you can find her Yoga/Teacher IG at @missyogiteacher.

Peace!

Okay, don’t get your panties in a bunch; we aren’t talking about swear words here. (For goodness sake, my MOTHER listens to this podcast.) Lee Ann Song -- aka my second grade soulmate -- brings to light to a totally different F word. 

Freedom.

Living without worrying about meeting the expectations of others and society as a whole. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Ha, it’s totally not! But it’s certainly doable and worth trying! Can we look fear in the eyes, accept it, and flow with it the next time the "child within" is nudging us closer to our true passions? Tune in to hear Lee Ann break down some of her life experiences and share insight on her search for true freedom in a country full of rigid professional expectations. 

Keep in touch with Lee Ann by adding her on IG at @leeannsong

Enjoy!

I know, I myself, have struggled with being that INDEPENDENT WOMAN WHO DON'T NEED NO MAN (lol) in any simple circumstance (e.g., eating lunch by myself at a bar). But the exotic wonder, Claire Parlette, surpassed this insecurity of doing activities alone a LONG TIME AGO. In fact, she decided to pack up her bag a few years ago and travel abroad SOLO DOLO -- and the outcome? Eudaimonia. Hopping on a plane by yourself to who-knows-where takes some serious balls. Join us in listening to my friend of 15 years -- Claire Parlette -- talk about tips, tricks, recommendations, and valuable perspective on how to travel to promote the greatest sense of well-being.

The hardest part? Traveling in the truest form of yourself and honoring your inner child.

Keep in touch with Claire by adding her on IG at @BigRedClaire

Enjoy!

Eudaimonia. I thought it was a beautiful theme to focus on -- a phenomenon resulting from being self-aware, continuously seeking knowledge, and having the ability to capture control over our emotions in relation to life context, to yield the greatest level of life satisfaction. 

I would love this to be a platform for anyone who wants to use it. A safe and accepting space where anyone can reflect on how certain lived experiences or ideologies promote a sense of eudaimonia. There’s beauty in serious reflection...there's empowerment in having these, "true-to-yourself," conversations. In fact, these self-reflections and conversations may spark a true sense of self-awareness and flourishing. Sometimes, we're given chapters of life that make us think, adapt, and reshape our beliefs and values. We're given moments of life (good and bad), that allows us to form perspective on how to move forward. With these new perspectives, we're sometimes left with this sense of self. Perhaps, a sense of well-being and improved life satisfaction. In turn, embracing and reflecting on our own experiences can allow us to "take on the world," with greater empathy, acceptance, wisdom, and confidence.

I would love to connect with any beautiful soul who is willing to share any aspect of their own story. It all starts with a simple conversation. Let's chat.