Inner Peace to Go

Usually, when we feel stressed, it's not because we're being chased by a bear or find our lives in immediate danger. Most often, we're stressed because of traffic, work stuff, relationship stuff, ordinary inconveniences and other things we face on the daily.

That's when these two simple calming techniques can provide a quick dose of peace.

In this episode, I share two science-backed techniques that leverage our physiology to calm the stress response within minutes. I use both of them often. They're free, easy and don't require anything other than a body and a brain.

One is the long exhale and the other is the simple foot meditation.

I hope you find them helpful and would love to hear if you try them and how they work for you.

Please reach out anytime: I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy or at innerpeacetogo.com.

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

What if we could live by our intuitive wisdom?

Georgiana Alexander lets that inner voice guide her life and career. In this episode, she shares how to hear your intuition, live from the heart and honor your unique gifts.

This episode is a re-run because it's one of the most popular to date!

Find Georgie at chaoscalm.com and on Instagram @heyhellogeorgie and @thechaoscalm. Her podcast is called In the Calm.

As always, I'm on Instagram @YouKnow Sandy.

Thank you Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

It can often feel like our thoughts are thinking us and we're just the audience for this endless stream of chatter in our minds.

But we have a choice in which thoughts we pay attention to and which we ignore, and psychologist Brian Krolczyk explains a simple strategy for how to identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with thoughts that support our mental and emotional well-being.

Brian is a psychologist, a health & wellness coach and director of the Health & Wellness Coaching program at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

You can find Brian online at LinkedIn and I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy.

Thank you Michael Kobrin for the music!

Have a peaceful week.

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

Clutter isn't just an eyesore and a reason to not have guests over. It actually takes a toll on our mental health. People who spend time in cluttered spaces are more distracted and less calm.

I am someone who personally struggles with clutter (of the books, clothes and cosmetics kind), so the tips presented in this episode are all ones I can use.

This is the fourth installment in my Shondaland.com series, based on articles I've been writing for that website.

You can read the original article here.

Also, I mentioned in the episode that I read a book on decluttering to write this story. It was "Breathing Room" by Lauren Rosenfeld and Dr. Melva Green. Another great one I read recently is "Heal Your Living" by Youheum Son.

I will be taking a break over the next several weeks to catch my breath and prep some new episodes. Thank you for your patience as I get more good stuff ready.

Please reach out to me @YouKnowSandy! I would love to hear about your decluttering journey. And the book club will continue during my break, so please come join me there if you like reading self-help!

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

Summer is peak FOMO season. School is out, bikinis are on, vacations are happening and our social media feeds are full of enviable images that make us feel like we're the only ones who aren't out being fabulous.

This third installment of the Shondaland series, based on articles about well-being that I've been writing for Shondaland.com, is about how to try a summertime digital detox. These expert tips will make it easy to take baby steps away from your phone and back into your life.

You can read the original story here.

Also, I wrote an e-book!! It's a collection of science-backed tips to reduce stress instantly and build resilience over time -- and it's FREE! Download your copy here.

Have you ever wanted to start a podcast? My friend John Chao is launching a podcasting course next week! Here are the details: https://www.thejohncollective.com/course.

What did you think of this episode? How are you doing with embracing the basics of well-being? Please let me know!! DM me on Instagram @YouKnowSandy or drop me a note at innerpeacetogo.com.

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

Strong social ties are the number one predictor of happiness. Yet we are living in a time of epidemic loneliness, which was only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this second installment of the Shondaland series, based on articles about well-being that I've been writing for Shondaland.com, we focus on the importance of fostering good relationships and staying connected.

Learn about the science that shows that good relationships and good health are inextricably linked and discover ways to bring more social richness into your life.

You can read the original story here.

Also, I wrote an e-book!! It's a collection of science-backed tips to reduce stress instantly and build resilience over time -- and it's FREE! Download your copy here.

What did you think of this episode? How are you doing with embracing the basics of well-being? Please let me know!! DM me on Instagram @YouKnowSandy or drop me a note at innerpeacetogo.com.

And it's not too late to join the free Self-Help Circle book club! Part book club, part support group, we meet once a month on Zoom. Get in on it here.

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

Since January, I've been writing about mental health and well-being for Shondaland.com, and I've learned  so many healthy, helpful, inspiring things that I want to share them with you here!

As you probably know, Shondaland.com is the lifestyle website from Shonda Rhimes, the creative visionary behind "Bridgerton," "Scandal," "How to Get Away With Murder" and other amazing shows. I've loved this site since it debuted in 2017 and I am beyond honored to be a contributor.

Each of these stories focus on a different aspect of well-being, the science behind it and strategies you can use to bring more health and happiness into your life. For the next few weeks, I'll spotlight one topic each week and share some of the implementable takeaways.

This week is about embracing the basics of sleep, nutrition and exercise and why these things matter so much to our mental health.

You can read the original story here.

Also, I wrote an e-book!! It's a collection of science-backed tips to reduce stress instantly and over time -- and it's FREE! Download your copy here.

What did you think of this episode? How are you doing with embracing the basics of well-being? Please let me know!! DM me on Instagram @YouKnowSandy or drop me a note at innerpeacetogo.com.

And it's not too late to join the free Self-Help Circle book club! Part book club, part support group, we meet once a month on Zoom. Get in on it here.

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

Striving toward the life we dream about is scary.

What if we stumble? (We will.)

What if things aren't perfect? (They won't be.)

The key is to give ourselves permission to try and to cultivate confidence along the way, according to musician, producer and chaplain Nick Phelps, founder of Music &  Life Mindset.

Nick shares how intentionally shaping his mindset helped him forge a path from a life of limited options to one of love, creativity and entrepreneurship as a music mentor, husband and father.

Nick is the host of the "Who Told You That?" podcast. Connect with him on Instagram @musicandlifemindset.

And please let me know what you think of this episode! What was your most valuable takeaway? I LOVE hearing from you, so please DM me @YouKnowSandy or drop me an email at innerpeacetogo.com.

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

It's hard to imagine something more traumatic than losing a child, but Mesha McKittrick transformed this shattering experience in her teens into a lifelong commitment to hone and shape her mindset to empower her growth.

Mesha shares her story in this moving conversation, along with some of the strategies that have helped her seize control of her thoughts and the life narrative they create.

Mesha is a mindset coach and host of the Mindset Check podcast, where she shares elements of her story every week through readings of the journals she kept as a teen.

Find Mesha at her website and on Instagram @myfriendmesha.

What do you think of this episode? Please drop me a line at innerpeacetogo.com or on IG @YouKnowSandy.

And it's not too late to join my free monthly virtual book club! We just picked a new title for our June meeting. Shoot me your email and I'll send you the details!

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.

Jocey Wiitanen traveled across the globe to find herself, and she's sharing her happiness and well-being secrets here!

(Spoiler alert: Dancing and deep breaths are part of her approach.)

An emotional-healing coach and host of the "Make Life Fun" podcast, Jocey is full of warm wisdom and practical advice for feeling more at ease in our mind and body.

Get more of her contagious joy by following her on Instagram @JoceyWiitnanen!

Which of Jocey's tips will you try? Please let me know at innerpeacetogo.com or on IG @YouKnowSandy.

As always, thanks to Michael Kobrin for the music.

Have a peaceful week!

What do you need to feel more peaceful? Let me know! I'm on Instagram @thesandycohen and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And want to see me in your inbox on the regular? Get my (Not) Everything Sucks newsletter! Sign up here.