Inner Peace to Go

Does creativity require suffering?

Rachel Moore, a therapist who specializes in working with creative people, has an illuminating answer to this question. She also talks about the connection between therapy and spirituality and why she compares Julia Cameron's book "The Artist's Way" to the Bible.

Rachel mentions a couple of her psychology heroes in this episode: Irvin Yalom and Gabor Mate'.

Learn more about Rachel's work at rachelmoorecounseling.com and connect with her on Instagram @rachelmoorecounseling.

Rachel is also the cohost of a great new podcast, Therapists at Play.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode! I'm @YouKnowSandy on Instagram and Twitter.

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.

Feeling grateful doesn't just boost mood and psychological well-being, it improves overall health and leads to a better quality of life, according to Robert Emmons, PhD, the leading scientific expert on gratitude and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis.

This week, my friend Branimir Kvartuc and I discuss the science of gratitude and what thankfulness looks like in our own lives.

Here are a few links to Dr. Emmons' work, if you'd like to learn more:

The Psychology of Gratitude
Gratitude and Well-Being
Why Gratitude is Good

Branimir shares photos from his grateful life on Instagram @Branimir.

I'd love to hear what you are grateful for! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy (and same handle on Twitter).

Love reading self-help? Join my free virtual book club!

Thanks, as always,  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.

Albert Einstein once said, "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

What happens when we live as though everything is a miracle? We feel immense wonder, delight and gratitude. We become aware of the incredible abundance around us. We remember that we can choose what we focus on and what meaning we assign to the circumstances of our lives.

I'd love to hear what miracles you've noticed! Please let me know on Instagram @YouKnowSandy or email me through innerpeacetogo.com.

Thanks, as always,  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.

In our booze-loving culture, alcohol is part of celebrations and occasions of all kinds. Having a drink can take the edge off a stressful day, so it seems like a useful jumpstart to create inner peace. But does it really help? What if life actually feels better with less booze?

My friend and colleague Christy Lemire and I are sharing our journeys with alcohol in this episode: the role it played in our lives and how things have changed in recent years. Spoiler alert: Neither of us drinks like we once did.

What helped Christy change her patterns with alcohol was the Dry January app, which is free. I changed my relationship with wine with the Alcohol Experiment, a free 30-day program. I also found the book "The 30-day Sobriety Solution" very helpful.

I hope this conversation helps you feel less alone if you are questioning your relationship with alcohol. It's not easy to talk about.

You can connect with Christy at christylemire.com and on Twitter @ChristyLemire. Check out her podcast at Breakfast All Day movie reviews.

I'm @YouKnowSandy on both Instagram and Twitter.

It's not too late to join the free Self-Help Circle book club!! Click here to join.

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.

A close call in the Grand Canyon led Haley Peel to explore the role of adventure in her life and tap into a deep well of inner strength, which inspired her to help others discover how outdoor adventures can unleash their own grit and growth.

In this fourth and final installment of the spring series, we discuss how adventures on the edge of our comfort zone -- particularly in nature -- open a portal to greater strength and equanimity, as well as the role gratitude and self-compassion play in this growth.

We mention a LOT of books in this episode. Here are the titles and authors:

"The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy Self," by Michael Easter

"Atomic Habits," by James Clear

"Happy Not Perfect," by Poppy Jaime

"You Are a Badass," by Jen Sincero

"The High 5 Habit," by Mel Robbins

We also mention Cathy Heller and her podcast, "The Cathy Heller Show."

Connect with Haley on Instagram @Haleyscomments310 and check out her podcast "The Empowered Adventurer."

Please get in touch with me anytime! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy (same handle on Twitter)  and at innerpeacetogo.com.

And please come join the free book club! Sign up here.

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.

Our culture  values productivity over rest, so it's easy to put off sleep in favor of more work, more socializing, more Netflix,  more scrolling. Yet sufficient sleep is key to our energy, mood and overall well-being. It keeps our brains sharp, our bodies strong, our skin supple and our systems running smoothly -- and it's free!

In this episode, sleep evangelist and "Inner Peace to Go" host Sandy Cohen discusses why sleep is critical to inner peace and how to structure our days so we can log more shut-eye.

Also, it's not too late to join the free Self-Help Circle book club! Click here to sign up.

What helps you wind down and rest? Let me know on Instagram or Twitter @YouKnowSandy.

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.

Clutter in your physical space can manifest as tension in the body and hangups in the mind.

Kira Rodenbush, a professional organizer and licensed massage therapist, has seen how too much stuff affects not just the home, but the people who live there.

In this second part of our special spring series, Kira offers some fun-making decluttering tips and powerful insights about how our stuff affects how we feel.

Check out Kira's podcast, "What's Up With Your Stuff? Conversations on the Consequences of Clutter," anywhere you get your podcasts. And follow her on Instagram @KiraRodenbush.

You can find me on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com.

To sign up for my new book club -- it's free!-- click here.

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.

When Heather Webster hit a personal low, she turned to nature. Now a mindful outdoor guide, Heather helps other women -- and all of us -- tap into the restorative power of nature to find calm, connect with our intuition and live a more joyful life.

In this first episode in our special spring series, Heather talks about how being outside helped her find peace inside and how anyone can draw on the magnificence of nature to enliven their spirit,  feel more deeply into their intuition and experience the majesty of the present moment.

Heather is the host of the "Saved By Mother Earth" podcast. You can connect with her at HeatherWebsterWellness.com and on Instagram @HeatherWebsterWellness.

As always, you can find me on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com.

If you want to join my free book club, please click here!

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.

A roundup of the insights from February's episodes!

Learn about how stimulating the vagus nerve can bring about instant inner peace, the power of consciousness, powerful strategies for pointing our thoughts in a helpful and healthy direction and how to recognize our inner light.

Plus a sneak peek at what to expect from the spring series coming up in March!

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.

If you've ever taken a yoga class, you've heard the word namaste, but what does it really mean to know your inner light and honor it in others?

Former intensive care nurse Rachael Blair was inspired to discover and celebrate her inner light when job burnout caused her to question her purpose and reexamine her identity.

We discuss that journey in this conversation, along with the importance of self-care and play and how Rachael is teaching her young children these valuable lessons.

We also mention the book "Ask and It Is Given," by Esther and Jerry Hicks.

Our affirmation this week is: I am open to seeing the light in myself and others.

Find Rachael on Instagram @rachaeldblair and I'm @YouKnowSandy.  Rachael is launching her podcast, "Raising Vibrant Kids," in March, so be sure to look for it! Meanwhile, you can join her Raising Vibrant Kids Facebook group here.

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.