Another new (old) (renamed) series! Welcome to Dialogues, the segment where you send in your queries, questions, and scenarios, and I respond with my personal, and sometimes dubious, advice.

The name Dialogues was a collaborative effort between the Prologues instagram community, with listener Emily Searth suggesting the name, and the community as a whole voting for it (the other option was Letter to the Editor, which I fear is too good to not use for something....need a segment for that).

xx

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Introducing a new segment on Prologues: the Freewrite. We love book/writing-related puns around here. Freewriting is a writing technique that calls for stream-of-consciousness-style writing for a predetermined amount of pages or time. The goal is to kickstart your brain's creative juices by demanding that it produce words - any words, even nonsensical words, just as long as you don't stop physically writing until you hit the goal. Freewriting is effective because it helps you bypass your mental blocks and tap into deeper ideas.

Sometimes, I have several episode ideas rolling around in my head, but I can't record them because I have a block. I have something else occupying space in my head and I can't talk about anything else until I talk about That Thing. Freewrite episodes are brain dumps of anything and everything that is taking up space in my head, so that I can get it out of the way and keep moving forward.

This is the first of what I'm sure will be a frequent series on the podcast.

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This week on Prologues, my friend Sierra is here to share her experience getting re-diagnosed as an adult and the importance of staying open in your healing journey. We also dug into our childhoods to reflect on the experience of growing up mentally ill, and what that means for the rest of our lives still to come. Honest conversations like this one help us all feel less alone in our own journeys - thank you, Sierra, for your vulnerability!

FIND SIERRA:

https://www.instagram.com/sierrainphotos?igsh=MXg2aGlmZG1ncG1lNg==

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/sierra-brittany-boudreaux9

https://www.tiktok.com/@averagesisi?_t=ZT-8uAs3P42CLL&_r=1

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One of the keys to romanticizing your life, in my view, is developing an appreciation for everyday moments that make life more special. Although I love the big luxuries, it's the small ones that give me moments to look forward to each day

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Say it with me: the only way out is through. This is one of my favorite sayings, because it serves as a reminder to me that if I want to truly process and move on from a difficult feeling, I have to actually.....feel it. So whether you struggle with "feeling your feelings," or you've just been told you're too self aware to benefit from talking about them, this episode is for you.

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Long distance daughters, self-employed or small business owners, and anyone feeling stuck - this episode is for you. My friend Gabby from @scotlandmagic sat down with me to discuss her incredible journey moving 10,000 miles across the world and the self-reinvention and courage necessary to change your entire life. Gabby has dedicated her career and businesses to helping women find community, feel empowered, and reconnect with their childlike whimsy, and her story of risking it all to take the ultimate chance on herself is personally inspiring to me.

This episode is sponsored by LMNT. Get a free sample pack of LMNT with the purchase of a drink mix powder only at DrinkLMNT.com/MarySkinner

FIND GABBY:

Instagram: @scotlandmagic @mccscotland

Tiktok: @scotlandmagic

Website and photography: www.scotlandmagic.uk

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I've been in and out of therapy over the last decade, but the years I've spent with my current therapist have taught me more than all the rest combined. Over our sessions, I've noticed the same core principles and ideas coming up time and time again, so today I have compiled them into this episode. The top lessons I've learned in therapy - use these as journal prompts, bring them up in your own sessions, or simply have a think about them - they've helped me so much and I hope they help you.

SOURCES:

https://www.charliehealth.com/post/how-to-release-trauma-from-the-body

https://cohesivetherapynyc.com/blog/5-trauma-release-exercises-you-can-try-at-home/

https://www.innisintegrativetherapy.com/blog/2017/5/2/how-exercise-helps-your-brain-heal-after-trauma

https://www.moderneracounseling.com/7-trauma-release-exercises-you-can-do-right-now/

Follow Prologues on Instagram @theprologuespodcast.

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68. If you have also been haunted for years by glamdemon2004 asking if you could name a hobby outside of media consumption...this episode is for you. But on a serious note, during my 3 month break from the podcast, I realized that I did not have enough offline hobbies filling my time, sparking my creativity and interest, exercising my brain, and enriching my life. I realized that in order to be an interesting person, you have to fill your time doing interesting things, and I just...wasn't. In today's episode I break down why I think we all need to prioritize hobbies in 2025, and I give 52 suggestions for hobbies you could pick up this year!

67. Three months later....welcome to Prologues Season 2! I hope you missed me as much as I missed you. What better time to enter into a new era on the podcast than now, at the start of a brand new year. I've spent the last three months getting serious with myself about what I'm doing - in my career, in my pursuits and hobbies, in my relationships, in life as a whole - and now I am back and so excited to start fresh. Tune in every Monday at 8am GMT / 3am EST / 12am PST for a new episode.