Episode 28:

Embracing the Hallmark Decade: Turning 30

Turning 30 is a significant milestone, often marked by a blend of excitement and reflection.

For some, it’s an invitation to join the "Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving" club, while for others, it sparks introspection about life’s journey and the achievements yet to be realized.

On this week’s episode of SoothingH.E.R, we delve into what we call the "Hallmark Decade." This period isn’t about harsh self-criticism over missed opportunities; instead, it’s a time to embrace genuine happiness, inner peace, and gratitude for the path ahead from our lessons learnt along the way.

This week’s episode highlights conversations on:

**Saying Goodbye to Our 20's:**

- Reflecting on major lessons learned in our 20's.

- Discuss the trials and tribulations we encountered and how they shaped us.

-Consider what we might change if given the chance to relive our 20's and whether we would actually alter anything.

**This is 30:**

- Exploring the significance of turning 30 in our society, especially as women.

- How this milestone influences our personal growth and healing journeys.

**A New Beginning:**

- Envisioning the Hallmark Decade: New identity, adventures, and transitions.

-Identify any barriers preventing us from fully embracing this new chapter of life.

**Conclusion:**

- How we plan to embrace this Hallmark Decade and soothe ourselves this week.

Our last episode of May is one so beautiful, and affirming on the profound impact of affirmations on our healing journey. An episode filled with discovery, and attention on how we would like to use the power of words to transform our lives. We begin our conversation by exploring the purpose of affirmations, and whether they truly work in promoting a positive mindset.

There is something transformative that happens with affirmations that allow a shift from negative self-talk and limiting beliefs to embracing truths that empower you-so we have learned.

Creating your own affirmations give you words which hold an immense amount of power to communicate love, appreciation, and respect for ourselves. We propose how to create and integrate these affirmations into daily routines and measure how they are leading you to greater peace and happiness.

As we discuss using affirmations as a secret weapon for healing, consider which areas of your life you would choose to speak life and positivity into. An encouraging note from us is to understand the importance of giving yourself permission to rest, heal, and grow.

You will enjoy hearing how we'll be affirming ourselves this week, nurturing our journey towards healing and self-love as we are continuously SoothingH.E.R.

Show Notes:

Opening thought & question:

⁃ In the context of healing, what is the purpose of affirmations and do they really work?

⁃ What affirmations do we currently use daily?

A shift in mindset:

⁃ Drifting away from negative self-talk, habits, beliefs, and thought patterns

⁃ Believing what is true about ourselves and overpowering the opinions of others

⁃ How can we develop our own daily affirmations?

Importance of positive affirmations:

⁃ Significance of words that communicate love, appreciation, and respect for ourselves

⁃ Incorporating affirmations into our daily routine for more peace and happiness

Using affirmations as a secret weapon to healing:

⁃ Which areas of our lives would we choose to speak life and affirmation into?

⁃ What does it look like to give yourself permission to rest, heal, and grow

Conclusion: How we will be affirming ourselves this week as we are SoothingH.E.R.?

As they say, “Let it blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.”

As we continue our theme of growth during the month of May, we want to bring light to the conversation of the new things blossoming in our lives.

Our conversation this week on the SoothingH.E.R. podcast is focused on personal growth, new beginnings, and flourishing in various aspects of life. 

Our discussion includes:

1. Understanding Growth: Defining what "blossoming" means in the context of personal development, the new things blossoming from our life lessons learned in our healing journey, and what we are hoping to gain from these focused areas. 

2. Areas of Blossoming: Identifying new blooms in our lives, the old layers of ourselves that we are shedding, and how to maintain and practice acceptance during this transformative season. 

3. Nurturing Growth: Highlighting the areas within our lives where we feel resistance to change, reasons why retreating back to what is familiar can hinder us, and sharing practical tips on how to cultivate an environment that fosters growth.

4. Challenges to Growth: Discussing the common obstacles that impede growth, strategies for overcoming these challenges, and how to thrive during this season of growth despite the challenges we face. 

Conclusion & Call to Action: 

We discuss how we will be SoothingH.E.R. during this season of growth and new blossoming, encouraging our listeners to reflect on their own personal stories of growth and new beginnings. 

Life Lessons: Embracing Growth Through Heartbreak

In our life lessons episode, we explore the internal processing of difficult, yet transformative learning we embraced through our personal heartbreak.

Taking the conversation so close to the foundation of the women we are becoming, we share the vital lessons learned from our past relationships and how they have guided our path to personal development.

Our discussion includes:

1. Unpacking the Lessons: Recognizing the signs of learning from heartbreak, the tough lessons it teaches, and the challenges of facing these truths.

2. Embracing Accountability: Understanding what accountability means in healing and why it's often daunting to acknowledge our roles in past relationships.

3. The Power of Forgiveness and Self-Compassion: Highlighting the importance of forgiving ourselves and fostering self-compassion, which are crucial for moving forward.

4. Conclusion - SoothingH.E.R. Reflection:

We conclude with our weekly SoothingH.E.R. reflection, focusing on the lessons learned and how they reshape our approach to life and love.

Inspiration to Take Away: Ashley guides us to craft a personal mantra.

You can find uplifting words from this episode in to turn your lessons into stepping stones for self-discovery and empowerment.

Our first episode for the month of May is one where we blossom into the heart of spring, embracing the growth and renewal that May brings.

In this episode, we focus on three key observances that resonate deeply with our ongoing conversations:

1. Mental Health Awareness Month - We discuss the importance of tuning into your emotions and checking in with yourself and your loved ones. 

We ask, and share strategies we can employ to enhance our mental wellbeing this month.

2. Better Sleep Month - Sleep is fundamental to our overall health, but it can be profoundly affected by trauma. We explore how sleep disturbances can impact us, and discuss practical tips for incorporating better sleep habits to improve our overall wellbeing.

3. Women's Health Month - We highlight the unique health challenges women face, particularly in the aftermath of personal pain, trauma, and heartache. 

How can we prioritize health and wellness, ensuring that caring for ourselves isn’t overshadowed by other demands?

Start by reviewing the materials available on:

womenshealth.gov

myhappyflo.co

In conclusion, we ask, "How will we be Soothing H.E.R this week?"

Listen in, and share with someone to reflect, learn, and grow with us this May, as we aim to nurture our minds, bodies, and spirits.

Show Notes:

Episode 24:

The month of May gives us time to settle old emotions, past stories and plant new seeds.

There are a few observances in the May that align with our conversations here on the podcast.

1. Mental Health Awareness Month

0. How are you tuning in to your emotions this month

0. How could you check in with yourself, and loved ones this month

2. Better Sleep Month

0. How is sleep integral for overall wellbeing

0. How does our sleep get disrupted by trauma?

0. Are there focuses we can look towards to incorporate better sleep for a better you

3. Women’s Health care Month

0. Women are at a higher risk of developing certain health conditions, these risks are heightened after personal pain, trauma and heartache, how does that challenge our overall wellness.

0. How can we always make our health a priority ?

Conclusion:

How will we be SoothingH.E.R this week?

Continuing our Character Choice Series, this week’s enlightening episode brings and exploration to the transformative power of gratitude in the healing process. We find that merely embracing thankfulness can markedly improve your emotional, physical, and mental well-being, especially when recovering from life's significant pains, and traumas.

We begin by defining gratitude in the context of healing and delve into its profound effects on our brain and body. Then, we examine gratitude as an essential tool for navigating adversity and major life changes.

Ashley and Shanel offer practical strategies to cultivate gratitude even during the lowest points. We share how keeping a gratitude journal with a thankful heart can enhance your life and relationships.

Don’t miss our thoughtful sign-off on the power of gratitude!

Join us in soothing H.E.R with gratitude this week.

Show Notes:

1: Understanding Gratitude

- Define gratitude in the context of healing .

- How does gratitude change us?

* our brain

*our body

2: Gratitude in the Face of Adversity

- How gratitude can be a tool during challenging times

- Can we use gratitude to navigate serious major life changes

-Are there strategies to cultivate gratitude during low points.

3: How it ties into our Character Choice Series

- Tips and techniques for practicing gratitude daily

- Discuss how to maintain a gratitude journal and its long-term benefits.

-How does gratitude improve your life, and relationships

Conclusion

-How will we be SoothingH.E.R in gratitude this week

Outro

- Thoughtful sign off message message on gratitude.

Dive deep into the heart of healing on this week's episode of SoothingH.E.R., where we unravel the tangled web of depression and anxiety.

Join us as we explore the quiet battles of sadness and discomfort that accompany any journey toward feeling like yourself again, or reaching for a better version. You will hear us share intimate stories from our own paths—not shying away from including the challenges, setbacks, and the profound role of faith in our resilience. Learn with how to embrace patience and self-compassion while effectively managing the overwhelming feelings and fears that anxiety can bring.

If you listen long enough, you will discover practical steps for seeking professional guidance, reaching out to loved ones, and the crucial practice of acceptance through the ups and downs.

You do want to hear how we will be SoothingH.E.R this week, and our reminder to navigate your healing process with kindness and care.

Tune in to feel understood, inspired, and ready to take a gentle step forward in your own journey.

Episode 22 Show Notes:

In a healing journey, one of the most difficult topics of discussion is how to cope with feelings of depression and anxiety.

1. Navigating and Coping with Depression

⁃ Highlighting the common feelings of sadness/discomfort while healing

⁃ Practicing patience, self-compassion, and persistence

⁃ Importance of seeking professional help and reaching out to family and friends

2. Navigating and Coping with Anxiety

⁃ Recognizing when our body is in flight or fright mode

⁃ Overcoming feeling overwhelmed, fears of uncertainty, and triggers

⁃ Practicing acceptance and the highs and lows of healing

3. How we have each navigated depression and anxiety through our own healing journeys

⁃ What did this look like?

⁃ What challenges did we each face?

⁃ Were there any setbacks?

⁃ Did our faith play a role?

Conclusion: How will be SoothingH.E.R. this week as we reflect on our own journeys of how we have or are still navigating depression and anxiety.

⁃ How can we be more gentle with ourselves as we navigate the healing process?

⁃ Practicing mindfulness and tuning into yourself during this time

“Forgiveness and Letting Go” conversation which takes straight into the heart of healing. Forgiveness plays such a profound role as a path to liberation on our personal growth, and recovery journey.Our check in at the top of the episode sets the stage for an introspective journey. We flow in asking what does forgiveness mean to us, its essence, what genuine forgiveness looks like as we know there can be difficulty in forgiving. With insight, it is with enduring that difficulty, we learn to answer the question is who is forgiveness really for, who does it benefit.As we ask these questions, it leads us to navigate the intricate landscape of triggers and traumas. We share our personal experiences that illuminate the struggles to move forward. This is where Surrender meets us-the acknowledgement of the strength in vulnerability, the release of pain, and the courage in letting go of what hinders our healing to find peace in the journey ahead.Concluding with a commitment to #SoothingH.E.R., we share honest steps towards embracing forgiveness and finding peace within. We hope that you join us in this thoughtful exploration, where letting go becomes a pathway to profound peace and self-renewal.What to expect the conversation flow to look like:The journey to forgiveness  0. What does forgiveness really mean? 0. Why is it so hard to forgive? 0. Who is forgiveness for? Us or the people that have hurt us? 0. What does forgiveness looks like?The triggers and trauma that keep us stagnant in our healing journey and make it difficult to forgive  0. What triggers did we experience in our own healing journey? 0. How did our triggers and trauma keep us stagnant?The power of surrendering, letting go, and releasing control  0. Importance of feeling our emotions and releasing the pain 0. The liberating feeling of letting go of what no longer serves us in our healing journey 0. Inviting in the ability to trust that everything will work out for the greater good