Inner Peace to Go

A near-death experience inspired Brian Krolczyk, PhD, to shift his professional priorities. He not only became a health & wellness coach, he teaches others to become coaches and is on a mission to help people harness one of our most important health behaviors: our thinking.

Brian Krolczyk, PhD, NBC-HWC, is the director of the Health & Wellness Coaching program at University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point (which I completed in 2020).

In this episode, he shares some incredibly powerful strategies for recognizing unhelpful thought patterns and replacing them with healthy thoughts that inspire greater peace, ease and vitality. I love his tips and am putting them to use already!!

One of the most important things I learned from Brian in the health coaching program is that thinking is a health behavior -- it's something we DO and it has a significant impact on our life and well-being.

In this conversation, he mentions taking a values inventory.  Here's a sample to consider. We also did this Character Strengths Survey as part of the coaching program.

Our affirmation this week is: I pause and choose healthy thinking.

You can find Brian online at LinkedIn or at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

Please get in touch with me anytime! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy or visit innerpeacetogo.com.

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.

Being diagnosed with MS changed Linda Burke's life. She left behind her corporate career and began exploring consciousness, that awareness of existence that unifies all sentient beings. Linda ultimately became a certified conscious parenting coach -- which she's since expanded to include conscious adulting and conscious coupling -- and create A Conscious Moment podcast.

In this episode, we talk about the power of consciousness, how being still allows us to become aware of the reality of the present moment, which enables us to move into the next moment with more clarity and calmness.

We mention a few books during this conversation, including "Happy Not Perfect," by Poppy Jaime, "The Body Keeps the Score," by Bessel van der Kolk, MD, and "The Energy Codes," by Dr. Sue Morter.

Find Linda at becomingmoreconscious.com. 

Please let me know what you think of the episode and the show! I will be so excited to hear from you! I'm on Instagram @youknowsandy (same handle on Twitter) and at innerpeacetogo.com.

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.

Happy Valentine's Day!

On this day of celebrating love, I want to remind us to love the MOST IMPORTANT person in our lives: US!

It's so easy to be critical and downright mean to our precious selves. I know I do it. But we can choose to recognize that we are just human, fallible and flawed, and as worthy of love as any other living creature on Earth.

In this little episode, I'm sharing some of the things I try to remember when my vibe is less than loving to the living being that is me.

Please share your self-love ideas, too!! I am always looking for more strategies and tips to cultivate inner kindness. You can DM me on Instagram @YouKnowSandy, find me on Twitter @YouKnowSandy or email me through the link on innerpeacetogo.com.

Happy self-loving!!

(Thank you Michael Kobrin for the music!)

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.

Inner peace can sound so nebulous, which is one reason I love learning about the workings of the brain and the science of  the mind. So I'll be bringing you periodic science breaks, where we dig into some of the science behind why we are how we are.

To help with these science breaks, I'm joined by my friend and fellow journalist Branimir Kvartuc. He's not as much of a science nerd as I am, but he's curious and enthusiastic, so he's a wonderful sounding board for these concepts.

In this episode, we talk about the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that links the brain with the gut and is a channel to the parasympathetic nervous system -- the rest-and-digest system -- which is the opposite of the stress-induced fight-or-flight response.

Also, we clearly do not know what we're talking about when it comes to "The Hulk."

Here's a recent scientific study about the functions of the vagus nerve.

You can find Branimir on Instagram @Branimir.

Thank you Michael Kobrin for the music!

What do you think about the vagus nerve? Please let me know, or just pop by to say hi! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy (same handle on Twitter) or at innerpeacetogo.com.

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.

There were so many great takeaways from my guests in January that I wanted to collect them in one handy little bonus episode!

This month, we learned about the restorative power of solo dates (episode 2) and were reminded that wearing something nice can give our mood a boost; we talked about the significance of the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves (episode 3) and the role journaling can play in self discovery and self empowerment; we discussed the importance of honoring our unique makeup and tuning into intuition (episode 4); and we learned about trauma, depression and the essential elements for good physical and mental health: sleep, nutrition, movement and fresh air (episode 5).

Thank you to all my January guests!
Lena Porter: @lenaporter
Krystal Carruthers: @krystalcarruthers
Georgiana Alexander: @_georgianaalexander
Regina Randle: @reginarandle610

And please get in touch! I would love to hear from you. Find me on social @youknowsandy (or @youknowsandy)  or at innerpeacetogo.com.

Thank you @michaelkobrin for the music!

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.

Get ready for a hootenanny in podcast form!

This special hybrid-interview episode features therapist and minister Regina Randle, host of the Faith & Theory podcast. Regina and I are students in the same podcasting class. We'd planned on interviewing each other in separate episodes for our individual podcasts, but ended up spontaneously interviewing one another during this conversation.

Regina draws on her professional expertise to talk about trauma, resiliency, identifying symptoms of depression and the basic self-care steps that shore up mental health. We also dive into our own insecurities and discoveries as we've reshaped our work lives based on knowing  ourselves better in our forties. There's also a lot of laughter in this episode.

When discussing trauma and rumination, Regina mentions a book called "The Body Keeps the Score." It's by Bessel van der Kolk, MD.

Check out Regina's podcast, Faith & Theory, which explores the intersection between spirituality and mental health, wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find Regina at warroomcounseling.com and on Instagram @faithandtheory or @reginarandle610.

You can always find me on Instagram @youknowsandy (same handle on Twitter) and at innerpeacetogo.com.

Thank you Michael Kobrin for the music!

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.

Georgiana Alexander has been on a seeker's path since her earliest days -- as a kid, her parents would punish her by making her go to Tony Robbins' seminars! Now a multi-passionate entrepreneur,  wellness coach and host of the In the Calm podcast, Georgie relies on intuition and self-knowledge to chart a soulful way forward for herself and her clients.

In this episode, she talks about the power of intention and how recognizing our unique makeup and the gifts in our life can lead us to discover more purpose and fulfillment. She also offers practical tips to bring more happiness into our lives and the feel-good practices she regularly turns to.

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

Please let me know what you think of the episode and the show! I will be so excited to hear from you! I'm on Instagram @youknowsandy (same handle on Twitter) and at innerpeacetogo.com.

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.

Krystal Carruthers has come to see health and wellness as an interlocking 3D puzzle, where all the pieces are interdependent. This holistic approach has allowed her to reach new levels of physical fitness, mental health and general contentment. She also replaced her inner critic with an inner badass and is now proud to let her fangirl flag fly. We also talk about what "Star Wars" and the Marvel universe can tell us about our own futures.

Krystal is the host of the "Fierce, Fun and Free" podcast, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Krystal on Instagram @krystalcarruthers. 

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

Thank you to Michael Kobrin for the music!

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.

Looking for a New Year's resolution you'll be eager to keep? Consider regular solo dates!

After reading Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way," Lena Porter started taking herself on weekly solo dates to recharge from her busy life as an entrepreneur, stylist and mom. These dates have taken her to a Russian bathhouse, tae kwon do lessons and kundalini yoga classes, among many other experiences, and inspired her to start her "Dating Lena" podcast.

In this episode, she shares how these dates have made her happier, more confident, more creative at work, more patient with her kids and more grounded overall. 

Find Lena on Instagram @LenaPorter and visit her style website at lenaporter.com. Be sure to take her superfun style quiz!  

Read more about Julia Cameron and "The Artist's Way" here. 

And please stay in touch! I'm on Instagram @YouKnowSandy and at innerpeacetogo.com.

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.

Hello, happy new year and welcome to the Very First Episode of Inner Peace to Go! I'm your host, Sandy Cohen, and I am new at this.

In this intro episode, I share how my career as a Hollywood entertainment reporter led to a decade-long quest for inner peace. I also explain what I mean by "inner peace" by discussing the six dimensions of wellness  I learned about while studying to become a health & wellness coach.

Here's a link outlining these six dimensions from the National Wellness Institute.

Please contact me and let me know what inner peace means to you and what you'd like to hear on the podcast! Find me on Instagram or Twitter or at innerpeacetogo.com.

Thank you for being here!

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.