What do you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? Do you think that reflection is the truth?

Many things can affect how we see ourselves, with or without a metaphorical mirror. Past experiences, present state of mind, general sense of self regard, and concerns about the future all play a role in how we each see ourselves. If you struggle with your self image, finding one thing you like about yourself and anchoring your attention on this item can improve the way you see yourself slowly but surely. Like so much of the healing journey, this is easier said than done. We explore our own approaches to this challenge, and the supports we find helpful.

One useful thing to remember is that oftentimes, the way you see yourself and the way others see you are not the same. This can be a useful consideration particularly if/when your self esteem is feeling low - leaning on a trusted friend, family member, partner, etc. can be just the shift in perspective you need to wipe the mirror clean.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
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Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

Welcome to our first episode of 2025 - it's tune up time!

In this episode, Tim and Karen challenge the mainstream notion of, "New Year, New Me." We're sharing our approach to focus instead on realizations. January 1st is another day, another opportunity to reflect on your habits and realize what actions will help you get closer to reaching your goals.

Many of us can be impatient with ourselves - if we focus all our attention on the perceived end result, we are likely to miss all the small steps that need to happen each and every day to get us there. Goals are meaningless unless we back them up with action. We all face barriers that need to be overcome, and at times stray off course. These barriers and challenges are opportunities to re-route, learning what keeps us moving forward. Let's face it, the hard truth is that 2025 won't be any better than 2024 unless you make a decision and act on it. Repeatedly.

We'll continue to be here every Wednesday with episodes filled with our past and present lived experiences, the lessons we continue to learn, conversations with inspirational guests, and pieces to help you stay motivated and on the wellness side of the spectrum!

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
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Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

This week we welcome another guest, and local podcaster, Chris Osborne! This conversation touches on a lot of things that have come up repeatedly here on Pieces to Wellness. Things like connection, finding and pursuing what brings you joy, the fun of learning and growth, and lifting others up. Chris's podcast, Stories From a Bar, does this through connecting with bar owners, brewers, entrepreneurs and other cool people doing business in the 518.

Chris and the guys have a vulnerable conversation about grief, and the special loss of losing a parent. Chris shares many details about his mother, Maureen, who passed away suddenly shortly before Christmas 2023. He talks about the surreality of a parent's death, going through the motions of doing the adult business, and finding deep healing through community and unexpected signs. Chris, we hope you enjoy some bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos this Christmas, and it is our pleasure to honor your mother Maureen during this holiday season. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Please check out Chris's podcast, Stories from a Bar on all the places you listen to podcasts - Spotify, Apple, etc. You can also check him out on IG: @storiesfromabar, and Twitter/X: @storiesfab.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

Well, it's that time again. Time to check in for your monthly tune up!

Each month, we take our mental wellness vehicle into the proverbial garage for some routine maintenance. This month, we're talking about S.A.D. which stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Mental Health America describes S.A.D. as a subtype of depression or bipolar disorder that occurs and ends around the same time (season) annually. Seasonal depression symptoms generally begin in the fall and can continue throughout the winter. Many people experience mood shifts this time of year that are likely related to shorter days and increased darkness. This includes people without a diagnosis of depression, and those who already live with depression may see an increase in their symptoms.

We each talk about our own experiences with increased depressive symptoms during the darker months, and of course, what we do to enhance our wellness. We have found things like increasing movement (indoors or outdoors), increasing connection, and being willing to slow down and be still more are all good tools to dust off from your toolbox. Nature slows down in the winter, and we would be wise to follow suit. Be gentle with and kind to yourself. When in doubt, reach out to a friend, or drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you!

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

If you're a regular Pieces to Wellness listener, you have heard us talk about our own "non-negotiables", those activities that are essential for us to maintain our own holistic wellness. We also like to discuss the distinction between helpful and unhelpful habits. This conversation brings both of those topics together.

One of the reasons we talk about habits consistently is because it's repetition that establishes an activity as a habit. Consistency is key. And sometimes it's those simple, mundane things that are absolutely essential to setting yourself up for success and wellness. Whether it's hydrating, mindful mono-tasking, feeding yourself nutritiously, or building strength, setting small goals, prioritizing wellness and growth in ways that are meaningful to YOU, and building consistent practices is the way. Consider scheduling tasks to build habits, whether it is making a list, setting a reminder on your phone, or another way, find whatever works for you.

Sharing our progress, our goals, and our challenges is one of the things that helps us stay on the wellness side of the spectrum. We hope you also take a little bit of inspiration away to apply to your own wellness journey. Feel free to share with us what habits work for you!

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

This week, we're excited to welcome special guest, Lauren Toolin to the podcast. Lauren shares with us some ancient practices that can dramatically enhance holistic wellness today.

Lauren is a seasoned yogi who has garnered multiple advanced yoga instruction certifications and is a professional Ayurvedic Practitioner. She is also a recognized and professional Yoga Therapist and Miracle Minded Master Life Coach, having studied directly and intensively with Marianne Williamson. Her Yoga Vidya School has graduated hundreds of qualified teachers over the past 20 years (including Karen!) and her most recent project, Flourish, is a holistic wellness support and solutions community for women in perimenopause and menopause.

Today, Lauren talks with us about ayurveda. Ayurveda is a centuries old, practice-based approach to wellness that originated in India. Ayurveda is often referred to as yoga's sister science, and its practices intentionally support and enhance wellness, as opposed to the Western model of treating disease. Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit ayur - meaning life, and veda - meaning knowledge or science; it is literally the science of life, and living well. Lauren demystifies this ancient practice, debunking myths (like turmeric isn't automatically ayurvedic, though it does have many health benefits!). She also gives us a brief overview of doshas and describes how knowing your constitution can help you achieve balance in many aspects of life. To learn more about your dosha - ayurvedic body type - take this quiz.

To learn more about all of Lauren's offerings, visit her website: laurentoolin.com. She has two special workshops coming up at Maitri Yoga (also available online): Harmony - A Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra Experience on Sat Dec 21 from 4-6 pm  and Resolve: Start Your New Year Right! on Jan 4th from 1-3:30 pm.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

What makes you feel unsafe? The answer to this question is different for everyone. This week's episode is an exploration of how feeling unsafe can be holding us back while also pushing us forward.

What makes you feel safe? This answer can also be different for everyone. For many, feeling safe comes from a predictable environment. When your environment becomes chaotic, that's when things start to feel unsafe. Many people want everything to be in our control, but we know that's not realistic or even possible. Thriving amongst unpredictability can occur only if we embrace the unknown, and release external expectations for our safety. In most situations, keeping an open mind, and not always using the past to predict the future opens the door to an internal sense of safety . We must learn to assess our environment realistically.

Not everything that feels unsafe will harm you, and not everything that feels safe is good for you. Start to build the habit of noticing and identifying your feelings, especially when new ones arise. Then you can discern whether those feelings are helpful or unhelpful. From here you can begin to cultivate a helpful relationship with your fear to extract the good stuff. Fear is a good tool. Fear helps us find ways to preserve safety and avoid harm. Fear is good as long as we move forward without letting it hold us back.

Aim at what you want in life and move toward that goal beyond your fear. Your safety correlates with your trust in yourself and your ability to adapt to the unknown.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

This week's guest is author, professor, and clinical psychologist Dr. Mary Lamia. Dr. Mary shares her deep roots in the mental health field, both through lived experience as well as her formal education and career as a mental health professional.

Our conversation focuses on the emotions grief and shame. Despite being prevalent topics of mental health conversations, both emotions are often misunderstood. Grief comes in many forms and manifests along a spectrum of severity. Dr. Mary describes an especially severe form of grief which she calls, "psychotic grief". Broadly speaking, grief comes from the mind trying to find space for a live event that doesn't fit into our perceived worldview or as a response to an event that forces us to drastically shift our worldview, sometimes very quickly.

Shame, on the other hand, as Dr. Mary describes it, often originates in our early childhood. She explains that there is much to learn from shame as well as grief. After all, most of our feelings are trying to teach us something. "There's not an emotion that doesn't help us learn," says Dr. Mary. The perspectives offered by these emotions have the potential to turn pain into wisdom. By exposing and expressing shame and grief instead of disowning them, we can better connect and relate to others.

To purchase Dr. Mary's books, including The Upside of Shame: Therapeutic Interventions Using the Positive Aspects of a "Negative" Emotion and Grief Isn't Something To Get Over: Finding a Home for Memories and Emotions after Losing a Loved One, visit https://marylamia.com/.

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

On this month's tune-up episode, we take a look back at the past few months of community-based events we've attended, either as a group, or individually. We've tabled at events put on by AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) including Out of the Darkness Walks,  NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), even a Punk Rock Flea Market! Bringing the podcast to local community events first and foremost helps us continue to break the stigma against talking about mental health challenges openly and vulnerably. It also gives us the opportunity to connect with listeners face-to-face, building a more personal connection. Additionally, attending events like these has broadened our reach and allowed us to bring the podcast to people who have never even heard of podcasts!

There's a lot to look back on, and taking time to reflect, connect, and build community are all important parts of our wellness. Be well folks! Stay tuned for more opportunities to see us out and about the Capital Region!

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91

Rolling with the punches is an underdiscussed aspect of routine maintenance. This can mean consistently overcoming hurdles, barriers, challenges in managing our own mental and emotional needs, and for some, helping loved ones who struggle with mental illness.

Enter Alyssa, this week's guest. Alyssa Caroprese is a meteorologist with CBS6 in NY's Capital Region. She has a close loved one who lives with mental illness challenges. She describes adaptability and openness as qualities that help us cope with these challenges. Alyssa shares tools, programs, & approaches that have been beneficial in her experience:
 - Support groups/peer groups: many wonder whether a support group or peer group will help. Alyssa describes the sense of community, openness, and understanding she has gained through participating in support & peer groups.
 - Ongoing, evolving care: Some individuals with persistent mental illness challenges require care throughout their lives, and their needs evolve and change. Alyssa encourages folks not to downplay symptoms in emergency situations; communicate clearly and explicitly with any professionals involved in care for a loved one.
 - Handle with Care is a community-driven initiative that aims to help children who have experienced or witnessed trauma. It involves a communication system between law enforcement, schools, and mental health professionals to provide care and support to children. Because as we know, open communication is key. More often than not, using a team of people to help us get through hard times is the best bet.

Interested in hearing more about what NAMI is all about? Listen to last week's episode (#41) conversation with Matt Shapiro, Senior Director of Government and Community Affairs for NAMI-NYS. Or check out episode #37, "Thinking Big with Tom" where we talk with Tom Fryxell, VP of the Board of NAMI Capital Region. Two other folks doing the work to break down stigma and provide services to those impacted by mental illness.

NAMI NYS Annual Education Conference is this Fri and Sat! Nov 8&9 at the Desmond in Albany. Packed with speakers and vendors (like us!). Come on out and say hi!

We are very grateful to all our listeners.
We'd love to hear your feedback or ideas for future episode topics.
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at [email protected].

Reminder - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
Like, Follow, Share 🧩 

Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You 
by clicking the link below:

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91