Joyful Love

Do you ever wish your relationship felt more connected, more joyful, or more intimate? In this episode, I'm sharing a powerful mindset shift that can help you make those changes—"Acting As If." This concept, from Susan Page's book Why Talking Is Not Enough, teaches you how to act as if the changes you want in your relationship are already happening, even if things aren't perfect yet.

This simple, yet profound approach can help you heal and grow your relationship, improve communication, and deepen your connection with your partner.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to use "Acting As If" to inspire positive change in your relationship.
• Why seeing your relationship as a spiritual growth opportunity is a game-changer.
• How small mindset shifts can lead to big transformations in your marriage.

Ready to start making these shifts? Listen now, and give this experiment a try in your own relationship!

*** If you love this podcast, subscribe and leave a review to share the love and help others know about it too! For full show notes, go to www.rachaelcunningham.com

Ever feel like you just need a moment to yourself but aren't sure how to bring it up? Or what else do you want in your marriage, but aren't getting? In this episode, I'm showing you - through real life examples - how asking for and getting what you want in your marriage is easier than it seems. I tell you exactly how to communicate your needs without guilt or frustration. In fact, you'll strengthen your relationship in the process!

What You'll Learn From This Episode:

• How to clearly and calmly ask for what you need from your partner.

• Tips for framing your requests in a way that avoids conflict and builds understanding.

• The power of being upfront about your self-care needs and how it benefits both you and your relationship.

• Real-life examples of effective ways to ask for time to recharge and get what you want.

If you're ready to start asking for what you want and need, this episode is your go-to guide!

Action Items After You Listen:

• Try out the methods I share and see how they change your conversations at home.

• Got a story to tell me or a question? Email me at [email protected].

• Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review and help others find us too!

For full show notes and more about working with me, head to https://rachaelcunningham.com/.

Are you struggling to stay connected with your partner amidst ongoing conflicts? Do you feel like unresolved issues are driving a wedge between you and your spouse? In this insightful episode, I sit down with Relationship Coach Raquel Reis to discuss how to maintain a strong bond even when disagreements are left unresolved. We dive deep into effective communication strategies and explore powerful insights from the book Fight Right by John and Julia Gottman.

What You'll Learn From This Episode:

• How to maintain connection with your partner during conflicts.
• Effective communication techniques for resolving disagreements.
• Key takeaways from Fight Right by John and Julia Gottman.
• The importance of having fun together.
• Practical tips for fostering a healthy and resilient relationship.

If you're tired of feeling distant from your spouse and ready to reignite the connection, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in now to transform your relationship and discover the secret sauce to staying connected, no matter what challenges come your way!

Find full show notes and how to work with Raquel at rachaelcunningham.com.

Ever wonder what a coach talks about with her coach? You're in for a treat. In this episode of Joyful Love, I'm diving into a topic that affects many of us—burnout and how to rediscover joy in our lives. I'm working on these things with another coach friend and I knew I wanted to share it with you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• A Peek into My personal coaching
• Understanding Burnout: How to recognize and address burnout, even when you're passionate about your goals.
• Learn about anhedonia, the inability to feel joy, and how it can impact your life.
• Discover simple yet effective ways to combat anhedonia and rediscover joy and pleasure in your daily life.
• When it's okay to re-evaluate what you need.

Join me as I explore these topics and share my personal journey of navigating midlife challenges and finding balance. It's a candid and heartfelt episode that I'm honored to share. For full show notes, go to rachaelcunningham.com

In today's episode of Joyful Love, I'm diving into a question from one of my clients that I think many of us can relate to. Her question was: "How do I handle detrimental thoughts?"

I know this is a topic that hits home for many of us, and it certainly does for me. So let's explore some practical ways to take control of your mind when intrusive thoughts start creating anxiety.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• 5 steps to take back control of your mind when detrimental thoughts create anxiety.
• How to calm your nervous system to find a sense of peace.
• When to embrace logic and take action to counteract those thoughts.
• How gratitude can help soothe your overactive, worrying brain.

Stick around to discover strategies that can help you manage and reduce those pesky thoughts. Let's get started!

Ever have crazy thoughts pop in your head? Like, "OMG, this plane is going down and my children will be orphans!" Or anxious thoughts about your relationship, your kids, your home, or anything else? In this episode, we tackle the common yet challenging issue: managing detrimental thoughts and anxiety. 

Join me as I share practical steps and my personal experiences to help you navigate through periods of intense anxiety. You'll learn: * How to observe your thoughts without judgment, * Appreciate your brain's natural protective mechanisms, * Ground yourself in the present. * Building in a spiritual practice of Trust, * And using our higher brain to give us peace of mind.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a toolkit to help you manage and reduce the impact of detrimental thoughts.  Don't miss this empowering discussion that promises to transform the way you handle anxiety and intrusive thoughts! For more information, go to: https://rachaelcunningham.com/

In today's episode of Joyful Love, I talk with Dr. Carla Atkinson about perimenopause. There's a lot of discussion about this time of life for women right now ... and it's about time! We live in an era of awakening around women's health, and we are lucky to have providers like Dr. Carla who stay up to date with the latest and best care for their clients.

However, there are still many providers who don't know how to help women with midlife shifts. This is why we must learn to take charge of our own health and understand our bodies well enough to ask for the care we deserve.

If you're a mother still raising children, you may need extra support to navigate your self-care while parenting! Dr. Carla Atkinson addresses this as well. Tune into episode 111 to learn more and be inspired to view this time of life with grace and strength!

• Symptoms of perimenopause
• Where to begin if you're noticing changes
• What to ask your doctor if you're near 40 or above
• How to navigate perimenopause and mothering
• Why this is a beautiful, powerful time of life!

Listen now! For more information go to https://rachaelcunningham.com/

We're tackling the problem of overdrinking In today's episode with Patrick Fox. Patrick helps men who want to stop drinking and is the host of the Alcohol Rethink Podcast.

Alcohol can have damaging affects on relationships. I've seen it too many times to count. But there is hope! Patrick shares his own story about drinking and how he changed his life. He gives tips on how to talk to our partners about their drinking, how we can help them, and we can help ourselves.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How drinking too much can hurt our relationships.
• The importance of learning why people drink too much.
• Why letting go of shame is at the root of healing.
• How drinking can affect parenting.
• Tips for talking to your partner about their drinking.

Listen now! And share with a friend who might have a spouse struggling with over - drinking. She will thank you!

For more information, show notes, and links to Patrick's information, visit https://rachaelcunningham.com/

Have you ever snapped at your partner after they said something, only to regret it later? Maybe you wondered, "Why did I react so quickly? Where did THAT come from?"

In this episode, we delve into the powerful difference between reacting and responding. You'll learn how to understand your emotions and transform your interactions with your partner by choosing conscious, intentional responses.

What You'll Learn:

• The difference between a reaction and a response, and why it matters.
• Practical steps to train your brain to pause and respond thoughtfully.
• Techniques to build confidence and compassion as you navigate emotional triggers.

Tune in now to empower yourself with the tools to show up as your best self in every situation.

To join The Stoked Marriage for Women Only, go to stokedmarriage.com For more information, go to rachaelcunningham.com

Have you ever wondered if your partner even likes you anymore? You know you love each other deep down, but has the fondness, laughter, and enjoyment of each other left the building? When we have a culture of criticism and irritation in our homes, it can feel as if you don't even like each other. You can change that culture though. Listen to this episode to learn:

• Why feeling liked is sometimes better than being loved

• How one person can lead the way to creating more "Likability" in the relationship
• How we influence each other in the relationship
• How the amount you like yourself affects how you feel about your partner

Tune in now to bring back a little "LIKE" in your relationship! Get the full episode notes here: https://rachaelcunningham.com/category/podcast/