Episode 67 - Essential 8 Series (Part 8)

Do you struggle to feel connected or at home in your body? Do you often feel ungrounded? Do you have anxiety or lack self awareness? When someone is having a hard time are you overly empathetic - is it almost like you absorb their hard emotions? Do you struggle to easily feel when you're hungry or full? These are all signs of low or impaired interoceptive awareness.

Interoception is the ability to fell and understand what's happening on the inside of your body and it is a foundational skill to somatic healing. Hit play to join me for a longer conversation on what it is, why it matters, and how to cultivated stronger interocetion.
 
Resources:

• 📓 Download your Interoception Workbook! - CLICK HERE

Here's the 3 takeaways:

1. Interoception is the awareness of how you feel on the inside, it is the key to navigating your nervous system with agency and to really feeling at home in your body.
2. If you struggle to feel connected to your body, find yourself overly empathetic, struggle knowing when you’re hungry or full, or often feel ungrounded – these are signs of weak interoception.
3. Want an easy place to start? Pee when you need to pee. 

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Episode 66 - Essential 8 Series (Part 7)

Today we’re taking a deep dive into how community helps you heal & I would go as far as to say how and why community is a non-negotiable for healing, how it’s the cornerstone to it. Humans are hardwired for connection. You were never meant to carry or navigate as much as you have on your own. Hit play to learn more!
 
Resources:

• 📓 Download your Community Workbook! - CLICK HERE
• IG post I referenced
• 3 research studies referenced:
  • The Role of Social Support in Coping with Psychological Trauma
  • Developing trauma resilient communities through community capacity-building
  • How does social support enhance resilience in the trauma-exposed individual?

Here's the 3 takeaways:

1. Human are hardwired for connection, it is a biological imperative. Take a moment to reflect on the spaces, places, and people you feel an authentic connection with. Consider doing the, “Who’s at your table?” exercise.
2. The modern world is moving in away from real-time, in-person connection, be intentional about keeping it in your life. Consider putting your phone away more often and look for ways big and small to create human connection in your daily life.
3. Social support enhances our resilience to trauma. Community-based spaces to heal, connect, play, and have shared experiences are essential.

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Episode 65 - Essential 8 Series (Part 6)

Today we’re chatting about nutrition and its impact on mental health, specifically anxiety, depression. Treat today’s episode sort of like you and I were casually chatting and I said, “Hey, did you know…”

"Did you know that blood sugar regulation (or lack there of) has been linked to anxiety and depression?"

"Did you know your gut is often referred to as your “second brain” and that research shows that emotions play out in your gut and gut issues can create mental health symptoms?"

"Did you know that the quality and quantity of food we eat matter?  If you’re under-eating or under-nourishing yourself then you’re likely nutrient deficient and those deficiencies stress out the nervous system contributing to living in survival mode?"

To which, you’d look at me with awe and wonder and reply, “OMG Amanda, I didn’t know that - tell me more?”

Wonderful, that’s the conversation we’re having here - let’s chat through blood sugar, mind-gut connection, and nutrients needs that can impact your mental health.

CLICK HERE to get on the waitlist for our upcoming new RESET program. 

📓 Download your Nutrition Workbook! - CLICK HERE

So here’s the 3 takeaways:

1. Mind-gut connection is well research and established, if your gut flora isn’t healthy then having mental health implication of that makes sense. Especially if you're someone who struggles with IBS, food intolerances, or other digestive related issues as well as anxiety or depression it might be work taking a deeper look at your gut health.
2. Blood sugar regulation, or lack of, is directly linked to mood and the likelihood and intensity of anxiety or depression symptoms.
3. Both macro and micro nutrients matter, consistently eating too much or too little of the things we need can stress out our system and there are certain micronutrient deficiencies that are been directly linked to symptoms we cluster and label as anxiety or depression

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Pre-order my new book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

A quick intermission from our 8 part "Essential 8" series because my brain needed a break after juggling a lot the past few weeks. At the heart of this episode is a conversation about this quote, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”

In the context of your healing the quote can be rewritten as “when you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, you fix the environments in which you’re healing and growing, not you.”

You are not broken, you do not need fixing. Your symptoms make sense and assessing and addressing these underlying factors lies at the heart of healing.

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Episode 63 - Essential 8 Series (Part 5)

At the heart of understanding and healing anxiety or depression through a nervous system lens is stress management and understanding the basics of stress physiology. In this conversation I share with you (what I hope is) a refreshing perspective on navigating overwhelming stressors. I'll reintroduce the "stress bucket analogy" and unpack it in a bit of a different way than we have before providing you with a tangible framework for understanding stress load and creating more capacity.

Stress isn't the problem, chronic stress is - let's figure out how to navigate that better together. Hit play to learn more!

Ps. Today's the day my book hits shelves and get's dropped off at your doorstep. I'm extending the pre-order bonus to anyone who purchases Healing Through the Vagus Nerve in the next 7 days.

Preorder --> head to the book page on my website to fill out that form --> keep an eye on your inbox this week!

📓 Download your Stress Management Workbook! - CLICK HERE

So here’s the 3 takeaways:

1. There is no managing an unmanageable amount of stress, assessing and editing to some extent likely needs to happen. Doing that with third-party assistance and/or using your core values as filters can be really helpful in this process.
2. You have to have room in your bucket before you can do the deeper work. 
3. There are many paths towards more managed stress, the key is finding yours. My advice for that would be, start with what’s easiest, get support, and know that your environment and community influences matter.

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Order my new book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Episode 62 - Essential 8 Series (Part 4)

📚 Pre-order my new book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!
🌏 International orders, click here!

This isn't the first conversation we've had about the vagus nerve, and it won't be the last, but it's definitely worth a listen! In this episode I'll share again the basics of what the vagus nerve is, why it matters when healing anxiety & depression, and you'll get a few more sneak peak reads of my new book!

What I want you to leave this episode hearing most clearly is that you are not broken, healing is possible, and I’m honor to be here supporting you. Hit play to learn more!

📓 Download your Vagal Toning Workbook! - CLICK HERE

3 Tangible Takeaways:

1. Understanding vagal tone plays an integral role in regulating your nervous system and healing anxiety & depression. High vagal tone is the key ingredient to stress management, decreased reactivity, and overall mental and physical health.
2. There is no one size fits all blueprint to improving vagal tone or healing things like anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and so on. There are, however, a number of research-supported practices that can support healing in measurable ways. There are powerful ways to work with your physiology to shift and heal your psychology. Each of the essential 8 supporting that end and supporting vagal tone.
3. When you pre-order my book before May 7th you'll get my book course and a code to join my next RELEASE class absolutely free!

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Episode 61 - Essential 8 Series (Part 3)

Breath can be used as a powerful proactive and reactive regulation tool. Your respiratory system (aka breath) is one of the most powerful physiological levers you can pull to shift the state of your nervous system. Did you know that every time you inhale your heart rate speeds up, and every time you exhale it slows down? Let's say you extend your exhale out longer than your inhale — well now your heat rate slowed down longer than it sped up. This sends an immediate message to and through your nervous system to activate your relaxation response.

You can also use breath to activate your system when you're in a state of Shut Down or want to practice increasing your stress threshold.

Ideally you want your natural breath throughout the day to steady, diaphragmatic breaths, in and out your nose. This is how we're evolutionarily supposed to breath. But it's estimated that at least 50% of the adult population has some kind of breathing inefficiency. Maybe that's mouth breathing during the day and/or night, short shallow breathing, imbalanced breathing, and so on. Let's change that!

📓 Download your Breath Workbook! - CLICK HERE

So here’s the 3 takeaways:

1. Breath is a pillar of health, your mental and physical health is only optimal when your breathing is optimal.
2. Before you can use breath as a powerful regulatory tool you have to understand your basic breath physiology, when you do it becomes one of the most powerful proactive and reactive regulation tools.
3. Different breath practices are optimal for different nervous system states, my book Healing Through the Vagus Nerve offers a section where it outlines supportive practices for the different nervous system states, including breath work practices.

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Pre-order my new book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Episode 60 - Essential 8 Series (Part 2)

I’m going to just come out with a pretty blunt to start today: there’s a set of minimal physical activity guidelines for a reason, if you’re not meeting them then you’re going to have problems (one of which is mental health).

Second only to sleep, I think movement is one of the most fundamental and non-negotiable habits for brain health. Research shows that even just a daily walk of 30 minutes can decrease depression and anxiety symptoms in almost all clinical populations as well as strengthening connections between brain circuits important for emotional processing, problem solving, decision making, and memory.

Human body’s are designed to move, the healthiest version of your brain lives inside a body in motion. Hit play to learn more!

📓 Download your Movement Workbook! - CLICK HERE

3 Tangible Takeaways:

1. Movement is essential for physical and mental health. If we aren’t consistently hitting the minimum guidelines for physical activity then we can’t be surprised when we aren’t optimally well.
2. If you already have a consistent habit of movement and exercise then the next question to consider might be: Are the types of movement you’re doing are optimally supporting your mental health journey?
3. What can you do today to make movement a more integral part of your daily life and healing plan? It is a cornerstone habit that heals and if you’re looking for more personalized support I’d love to support you inside my RISE membership where you’ll find tangible tools and personalized support to step into a life full of habits that heal.

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Pre-order my new book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

Sources: 

• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
• https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/18/1203
• https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/massive-review-identifies-exercises-that-could-most-benefit-mental-health-370600

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

Episode 59 - Essential 8 Series (Part 1)

Sleep plays a vital role in our overall health and wellbeing, yet 1 in 3 adults aren’t getting the recommended amount. If you're not getting the recommended amount of sleep, your mental and physical health will suffer.

In this episode we’re going to talk about – what happens when we sleep, why sleep matters for our mental and physical health, common struggles with sleep, and practical strategies for getting better shut-eye. If you're tired of feeling tired, let's dive in!

Resources Mentioned:

• Sleep: Essential 8 - Mini Workbook
• Book: "Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker
• Sleep Foundation: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
• National Sleep Foundation: https://www.sleep.org/

3 Tangible Takeaways:

1. Prioritize Sleep: set a goal to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep at least 80% of nights.
2. Reflection: If you are not currently getting the recommended amount of sleep, what small change can you start making today tonight to get you 1% closer to that?
3. General Sleep Guidelines: Get off tech at least 30 minutes before bed. Get exposure to natural daylight especially in the first half of your day. Avoid stimulants like caffeine and sedatives like alcohol later in the day. Dim your lights in the evening and create conditions for optimal sleep when possible. And lastly, beds are for sleeping. So if you can't sleep, get out of bed, do a relaxing activity away from the bedroom until you feel sleepy, and then come on back.

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Pre-order my new book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise

EPISODE 58

Your habits matter, your lifestyle matters. Your overall health is the greatest contributor to your mental health. There’s no about of talk therapy or meds that can combat the natural stress load that gets put on your system by chronic sleep deprivation, sedentariness, dysfunctional breathing, too many inflammatory foods and too little nourishing ones.

AND YET... behavior change is hard, especially when struggling with anxiety & depression.

Today and in the next 8 episodes we’ll take a deep dive into talking all about habits that hurt versus habits that heal. This conversations paves the way for the Essential 8 series by helping you understand the neuroscience of behavior change, why it's hard and what can make it easier. Now let's dive in!

Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE consultation for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program.
• Join me inside RISE, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space.
• Pre-order my new book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!

3 take aways from today's conversation:

1. Your daily habits play a big role in your healing journey. If you’re not living well, you won’t be mentally well. 
2. When you are stressed it makes sense to default to your most well-worn habits. When you do offer yourself equal parts compassion, accountability, and strategy for how to step back into your habits that heal.
3. When establishing a new habit start small, laughably small, 1% small. Install a tiny habit by giving it a cure and a purpose, and then once that tiny habit is your new baseline – optimize it overtime.

Have questions you'd like me to answer on the podcast? SUBMIT HERE

Website: https://www.riseaswe.com/podcast

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaontherise/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandaontherise