SoulFull Wellness

Clean Your Space, Empty Your Mind

A few clutter facts, to begin:

• Clutter can lead to decreased focus, confusion or tension.
• Clutter makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally. 
• A disorganized space signals to your brain that your work is never done.
• Physical clutter bombards your brain with excessive stimulation.
• Taking the time to streamline your space and organize your life is practicing a very important form of self-care.

Hello listeners, we’ve been feeling the "spring cleaning” vibe pulling us toward organizing so much recently. We’ve mentioned “organizing your space” as an anxiety tool in a few recent episodes, and a few of you have contacted us requesting more info on how to make this happen.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Today we’re talking about getting organized, because clutter and mess are linked to negative emotions like confusion, tension, and irritability while an organized environment tends to produce positive emotions like calmness and a sense of well-being. An organized space helps you have an organized mind. An organized mind helps keep anxiety at bay.

Great news! We’ve re-upped our GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY for April! This is YOUR chance to win a FREE YEAR-LONG SUBSCRIPTION to the CALM app! Thank you to our longtime listener, Kenny, for sponsoring this give-away! 

All you have to do to win is leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iTunes by the end of the month, just like SadieMac23 did last week. Thank you SadieMac23 for the 5 stars and for writing, “Love listening to the great advice they give every week!!” Love it, thank you.

Or, if you’ve already kindly left us a review in the past, get a friend to leave a review and DM us a screenshot of it. Happy reviewing!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soul-full-of-wellness/id1506103423

Learn more on our website.

https://www.soulfullofwellness.com

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Are you feeling overwhelmed lately, but you’re not sure why? Are there just too many items on your to-do list, that you could never get it all done? Today we’re inspired by nature to calm down and take things one step at a time. 

Much like Mother Nature is able to accomplish the seemingly impossible as she completely reinvents herself each season, you too can achieve even your loftiest goals with daily progress, baby step by baby step. 

In today’s episode we share coaching tools (including the “Zoom Out” strategy & Habit Stacking) to help you calm your overactive brain and give three specific tools that will inspire your progress and empower you to tackle your lengthy to-do list.

With Spring fully underway, we’re inspired to take a page out of nature’s book and apply the lessons of nature to our own lives. Mother nature never freaks out because she’s overwhelmed by too much to do. She has an ancient wisdom of her own, and can show us a lot about how to take care of ourselves. Mother nature has her own perfect timing, and takes things one step at a time, calmly & methodically. So can we!

Take a quick moment to brainstorm: what do you associate with springtime? What words or images come to mind?

A friendly reminder that you can win a year-long subscription to the Calm app in our April GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY!! You have a chance to win by simply posting a rating and review for Soul Full of Wellness on Apple podcast or Spotify. A special thank you to our sponsor, Kenny Fitzgerald, for sponsoring this give-away! We’ll announce April’s winner on our May 5th episode.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soul-full-of-wellness/id1506103423

Learn more on our website.

https://www.soulfullofwellness.com

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

“The root of self-care is setting boundaries: it’s saying no to something in order to say yes to your own emotional, physical, and mental well-being.” - Nedra Tawwab

Healthy Boundaries Are the New Self Care

Healthy boundaries are a crucial component of self-care and when done right, can help you find more fulfillment and less stress - leaving more room for wellness in your personal life. Which is why today, we’re going over the what, why, who, when & how of boundary setting!

THE WHAT:

Setting boundaries IS self care. It’s an important part of establishing your personal identity and a crucial aspect of mental health and well-being. If you’re not used to setting boundaries, you might feel guilty or selfish when you first start out, but  know that setting boundaries is necessary to live a balanced life. Appropriate boundaries look different depending on the setting and can be as unique as you are!

THEMES OF BOUNDARY SETTING: THE WHY

Self Compassion

Learning to show compassion and kindness to yourself is crucial in setting healthy boundaries.

The consequences of not setting healthy boundaries often include stress, financial burdens, wasted time, and relationship issues, which can cause mental distress. In other words, a lack of healthy boundaries can negatively affect all aspects of your life.

Self Empowerment

Setting healthy boundaries has many benefits, including helping you make decisions based on what is best for you, not just the people around you. This autonomy is an important part of self-care.

GET INTROSPECTIVE: THE WHO & WHEN

Understanding your limits and triggers will allow you to discover and name your boundaries

When you’re conscious of feeling uncomfortable or angry, it might mean a boundary has been crossed.

Respect is a two-way street, and so setting your own boundaries will help you respect others’ boundaries. 

The process of setting boundaries in your life encourages empowerment, which allows you to know yourself better.

KEY COMPONENTS OF SETTING A BOUNDARY: THE HOW

Listen now to become a boundary-setting pro!

Great News! We’re extending our GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY!! Longtime listener, Kenny Fitzgerald, and his company TEKsystems are giving YOU a chance to win a FREE YEAR-LONG SUBSCRIPTION to CALM!  Thank you, Kenny, for sponsoring this give-away! 

All you have to do to win is leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by the end of the month. Or, if you’ve already kindly left us a review in the past, get a friend to leave a review and DM us a screenshot of it. You have until April 30th to be entered to win! We’ll announce the winner on our May 5th episode. Happy reviewing!

So take a minute to follow, rate & review SFOW on Apple podcasts or wherever you’re listening today, so you never miss a week of wellness goodness! 

Learn more and read the full episode show notes on our website.

https://www.soulfullofwellness.com

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

We’re so excited to announce our GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY!! Longtime listener, Kenny Fitzgerald, and his company TEKsystems are giving YOU a chance to win a FREE YEAR-LONG SUBSCRIPTION to CALM!  Thank you, Kenny, for sponsoring this give-away!

All you have to do to win is leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by the end of the month. Or, if you’ve already kindly left us a review in the past, get a friend to leave a review and DM us a screenshot of it. You have until March 31st, to be entered to win! We’ll announce the winner on our April 7th episode. Happy reviewing!

Anxiety & Sleep: The Vicious Cycle

We all know that getting quality sleep is important for your wellness. Getting good Zzzs improves your cognitive function, regulates your mood, boosts your metabolism, and strengthens your immune system to fight off illness & infection. Being well rested allows your body to function optimally, including regulating blood sugar, improving athletic performance and promoting heart health. Basically, getting good sleep keeps us healthy! But what if our oh-so-familiar friend and foe, anxiety, is getting in the way of our trusted beauty sleep?

In today’s episode we’re discussing sleep anxiety, specifically the vicious cycle created when anxiety impedes your ability to get quality sleep, how not getting regular shuteye revs up your anxiety, and how this negative pattern impacts your wellbeing. We’ll start by defining sleep anxiety, talk about the relationship between anxiety and sleep, and give you tips to improve 5 categories of your life to help you end sleep anxiety and wake rested & refreshed every day!

I’s time to take a look at SHI (that’s your Sleep Health Index) as we chat about Sleep Wellness and anxiety. Today we’re exploring the complicated relationship between anxiety & sleep and sharing ways you can improve your wellness with better sleep every night!

*** Fun fact: Sleep used to be divided into five different stages, but this was changed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2007.***

Many people with anxiety disorders have trouble sleeping. That's a problem. Too little sleep affects mood, contributing to irritability and sometimes depression. Vital functions occur during the different stages of sleep that leave you feeling rested and energized or help you learn and forge memories. Sleep usually improves when an anxiety disorder is treated. Practicing good "sleep hygiene" helps, too.

But what if you have sleep anxiety? Sleep anxiety is a feeling of fear or stress about falling asleep or staying asleep. Sleep problems and mental health disorders such as anxiety are closely intertwined. Afterall, sleep deprivation increases cortisol, the stress hormone, so one often makes the other worse, and it can feel like a never-ending cycle. 

Serious sleep disturbances, including insomnia, have long been recognized as a common symptom of anxiety disorders. When you’re plagued with worry, you often ruminate about your concerns in bed, and this anxiety at night can keep you from falling asleep.

In fact, a state of mental hyper-arousal, frequently marked by worry, has been identified as a key factor behind insomnia. When you have an anxiety disorder, you’re inclined to have higher sleep reactivity, which means your sleeping problems increase in proportion to your stress level.

But good news: anxiety and sleep problems are both treatable!

Practicing good "sleep hygiene" helps, too. 

Listen now for 5 specific ways to improve your sleep and escape the vicious sleep-anxiety cycle.

Practicing good "sleep hygiene" helps, too. 

Listen now for 5 specific ways to improve your sleep and escape the vicious sleep-anxiety cycle.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soul-full-of-wellness/id1506103423

Learn more on our website.

https://www.soulfullofwellness.com

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Take a minute to follow, rate & review SFOW on Apple podcasts or wherever you’re listening today, so you never miss a week of wellness goodness! We love getting feedback & suggestions, so please write a review, send a quick email, or DM us on Instagram.

We’re so excited to announce our GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY!! Longtime listener, Kenny Fitzgerald, and his company TEKsystems are giving YOU a chance to win a FREE YEAR-LONG SUBSCRIPTION to CALM!  Thank you, Kenny, for sponsoring this give-away! 

All you have to do to win is leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify by the end of the month. Or, if you’ve already kindly left us a review in the past, get a friend to leave a review and DM us a screenshot of it. You have until March 31st, to be entered to win! We’ll announce the winner on our April 7th episode. Happy reviewing!

So take a minute to follow, rate & review SFOW on Apple podcasts or wherever you’re listening today, so you never miss a week of wellness goodness! We love getting feedback & suggestions, so please write a review, send a quick email, or DM us on Instagram.

On to today's episode...

We, here at SFOW are dog lovers! And can safely assume that if you’re listening to today’s episode, you likely fall into that same camp and are lucky enough to call yourself a pet “Paw-rent”. For most of us, our pets are more than just our companions, they are family. And who wouldn’t want their family members to be as healthy & happy as possible?

Thanks for joining us for another week of wellness goodness. As you may have guessed, this week is particularly special as we are taking the focus off our own personal wellness journeys, to focus on nurturing and giving back to those we love so dearly… our dogs.

Studies show that when we focus on helping and giving back others, it can have positive effects on our own wellness! To ensure that your pet remains healthy throughout the year, consider these 7 tips from the American Pet Products Association and the American Kennel Club.

Learn more on our website.

https://www.soulfullofwellness.com

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Rudeness is contagious, in a similar way to a virus. When experiencing a rude encounter, our brain perceives it like a threat. And once we’ve tuned in to this low-level threat, we’re more likely to notice it around us, and are therefore more likely to display rude behavior ourselves.

Today we’re talking about rudeness and its impact on our wellness. We’ll walk you through what rude behavior actually is, what our evolutionary response to it is, and how we can take steps to mitigate its negative effects.

By the end of today’s episode you’ll be armed with 7 tools to be less impacted by micro-aggressions when you encounter them, break the rudeness cycle, and start spreading kindness in your world.

Rudeness is a low-intensity display of disrespect or incivility. It’s often ambiguous & malice isn’t necessarily intended. Our brains interpret rudeness as a form of micro-aggression and react accordingly. When someone acts with aggression it’s typically a response behavior, but rudeness sometimes comes out of nowhere, so it’s disconnected from our usual explanation of where negative behaviors come from. Rudeness is bad for our health & well-being. 

** Bonus tool: Smile.

A smile can go a long way to counteracting rudeness. Remind yourself that even the kindest people have hard days, instead of internalizing it or taking it personally. To help dismiss random rude behavior you encounter or witness, assume the person is particularly rushed, stressed, tired, hungry, or whatever is going on for that person that has nothing to do with you.

Listen now to learn how to protect yourself from rude behavior.

We love getting feedback & suggestions, so please write a review, send a quick email, or DM us on Instagram like @karyllovespaper did. She DMed in response to the video celebrating our new cover art with “I appreciate all the wonderful insight and knowledge base you give so many of us that help us to better ourselves and improve our lives!” Love it, thank you!

Learn more on our website.

https://www.soulfullofwellness.com

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Mind-Body Connection: the belief that the causes, development and outcomes of physical illness are determined from the interaction of psychological, social and biological factors.

Examples of signals from your mind to your body:

• Skin issues: hives, rashes, breakouts, eczema 
• Aches and pains
• Chest pain or feeling like your heart is racing
• Exhaustion or trouble sleeping
• Headaches, dizziness or shaking
• High blood pressure
• Muscle tension or jaw clenching
• Stomach or digestive problems

We love getting feedback & suggestions, so please write a review, send a quick email, or DM us on Instagram.

Learn more on our website.

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Today we’re talking about the inner monologue we all have. This inner voice, often called self-talk, combines our thoughts, beliefs and biases, to provide a way for our brains to interpret and process our daily experiences.

Our self-talk can be cheerful and supportive or negative and self-defeating. Self-talk is beneficial when it’s positive, calming fears and bolstering confidence. Human nature, unfortunately, is prone to negative self-talk, what we here at SFOW call the Inner Gremlin. (Listen to episode #5 Hello Inner Gremlin, We See You to learn more about your Inner Gremlin.)

Negative thoughts are just part of having a brain! (very normal) When we get stuck in rumination, we zoom in on the problem, and the emotions get so intense that we get stuck in a thought loop.

Negative self-talk generally falls into one of these four categories:

1. Personalizing: You blame yourself for everything.
2. Magnifying: You focus on the negative aspects of a situation, ignoring any and all of the positives.
3. Catastrophizing: You expect the worst, and you rarely let logic or reason persuade you otherwise.
4. Polarizing: You see the world in black and white, or good and bad. There’s nothing in between and no middle ground for processing and categorizing life events.

Do any of those sound a little too familiar? When you begin to recognize your type(s) of negative thinking, you can work to turn them into positive thinking. This requires tools & practice. The good news is that it can be done!

In this episode we’re giving you new tools to improve your self-talk and quiet your inner gremlin. Self-talk can enhance your performance and overall well-being. 

Positive self-talk and generally having a more optimistic outlook can have health benefits, including:

• improved function of your immune system
• reduced chronic pain
• better cardiovascular health
• better physical well-being
• less stress and distress
• greater life satisfaction

Listen now to learn 4 tools to transform your inner dialogue, stop ruminating, calm your fears and bolster self-confidence!

Take a look at our new cover art in celebration of 100+ episodes! Please take a minute to follow, rate & review SFOW on Apple podcasts or wherever you’re listening today, so you never miss a week of wellness goodness! Writing a review is a great way to let us know what you’re enjoying and what you’d like to hear more about.

Learn more on our website.

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Have you ever found yourself working toward an important goal, something you had the will & ability to accomplish, only to spectacularly fail because you got in your own way? Or, maybe you feel stressed and anxious when you're trying to achieve something important. This, in turn, might make you feel more and more frustrated, discouraged and angry with yourself. These feelings trap you and keep you from doing what you need to do.

These are all signs of self-sabotage.

In today’s episode we talk about: what self-sabotage is, signs you may be doing it, how it affects your self-esteem, how it damages you, and - of course - how to overcome your self-sabotaging behaviors to be more successful in relationships, at your job, and in life.

Please take a minute to follow, rate & review SFOW on Apple podcasts, so you never miss a week of wellness goodness!

Learn more on our website.

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Soul Full of Wellness embraces living from the soul, your spirit, how to stay lovingly connected to your true self - learning tools from certified health & wellness coaches to help you successfully navigate the ups and downs of life. Kit & Kaelynn bring something new: a blend of Millennial & Gen X perspectives to create a unique listening experience that motivates you to go after the life you want.

TODAY marks our 100th episode! (Cue celebratory music!) In honor of our podcasting milestone we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to chat about what being SOULFULL means to us!

We want to thank YOU, dear listener, for making the Soulfull Society possible. It’s an honor to get to know you, your goals, and to hear your feedback on how SFOW has impacted your wellness journey. We’re delighted you’re here with us and are so excited for this next chapter, year 3, with you!

Listen now to hear Kit & Kaelynn share what it means to live Soulfully, how the pod’s theme music came to be, about the rigorous selection process for the NEW cover art, and reflections on 100 episodes of wellness!

Please take a minute to follow, rate & review SFOW on Apple podcasts, so you never miss a week of wellness goodness!

Learn more on our website.

https://www.soulfullofwellness.com

Email questions & suggestions to [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram @soul_full_of_wellness

Follow us on Twitter @SFOWpod

Follow Kaelynn on Instagram @coaching_with_kae

Follow Kit on Instagram @breathe.relax.trust

Thank you to Nick Serena, from Astro Inn, for our theme music!

Soul Full of Wellness embraces living from the soul, your spirit, how to stay lovingly connected to your true self - learning tools from certified health & wellness coaches to help you successfully navigate the ups and downs of life. Kit & Kaelynn bring something new: a blend of Millennial & Gen X perspectives to create a unique listening experience that motivates you to go after the life you want.