Struggle Well School

How do you know if you have depression or anxiety? At what point do you seek help?

Rebekah came on this week to share her story and we talk a lot about fear, lies, mental health and faith. When your identity is tied to your accomplishments it’s easy to start to feel like you’re drowning. So, what has to change? What does God say about rest, food, connection, creativity? Rebekah shares with us a lot of her ah-ha moments in her new book, Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose, Lyons pulls from her own journey with anxiety and depression to guide readers through four life-giving rhythms to overcome fear and live an abundant, vibrant life.

Rebekah Lyons is a national speaker and bestselling author of You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are and Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey Toward a Life of Meaning. An old soul with a contemporary, honest voice, Rebekah reveals her own battles to overcome anxiety and depression—and invites others to discover and boldly pursue their God-given purpose. Alongside her husband, Gabe, Rebekah finds joy in raising four children, two of whom have Down syndrome. She wears her heart on her sleeve, a benefit to friends and readers alike. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, Huffington Post, The Tennessean, Publisher’s Weekly, and more.

• how stress can lead to anxiety and build into depression

• knowing when it’s time to get outside help

• battling the lies of depression with the truth of Christ

• what it actually means to “take your thoughts captive”

• the power of speaking the truth about your friends

• never allowing our label or diagnosis to be our identity

• a few practical ways to guard our rest

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

This month it was decided that we need to have a catch up session BUT that we would keep it purposeful. Here’s what we covered: Important dates in September (there are a surprising amount of things to celebrate), glitter cuticles and back to school. Em talks openly about “breaking her brain” while trying to switch medications and we deep dive mascara. You know, the ushe.

• Katie’s “the kids are at school” body glow

• Emily’s teacher’s anxiety producing email requirements

• all things September

• Emily’s secret guacamole ingredient

• Starbucks fall drink ordering pro tips

• the mystery of why Emily’s new meds are making her both nauseous and crave bean burritos

• why Emily has made the very difficult decision to not make her daughter clean her room anymore

• how Emily is struggling well by watching 5 minute craft and funny cat videos with her kids

• what’s giving us life + what’s killing us softly

Boots No. 7 Stay Perfect Mascara Origins GenZing mascara

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

Do you ever feel like an outsider no matter where you are? Do you need motivation to be courageous and talk to the people that could be "your people”?

Rachel lives and writes in Djibouti, a small country in the Horn of Africa. Her family has learned (is still learning) how to struggle well while living as cultural and spiritual outsiders in this Muslim country. She has published a book about raising kids abroad: Finding Home: Third Culture Kids in the World and has a book coming out in October. It’s a biography of "Somalia's Mother Teresa", a woman who also struggled well in Djibouti, fighting against terrorism, disease, and fundamentalism.

Rachel writes about life at the crossroads of faith and culture (for places from the New York Times to Christianity Today) and loves encouraging others to live with love and courage. She is also the runner that I want to become! I know you're going to love hearing from this inspiring lady!

• the culture of Djibouti

• what led Rachel and her family to move to Djibouti

• what it’s like for Rachel to be an outsider both culturally and spiritually

• what Rachel has learned from about faith in a primarily Muslim country

• what Americans misunderstand about Muslims

• starting a conversation with someone from another culture

• the pros and cons of raising kids in a foreign culture

• why Rachel and her husband decided to send their kids to boarding school

• how living in Africa has changed the way Rachel sees God

• how the African culture honors the connection between our spiritual and physical lives

Altra running shoes

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Better Help: get 10% off your first month when you visit betterhelp.com/msw Prep Dish: start your 2-week free trial when you visit prepdish.com/msw

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

This week for our 200th episode celebration Rebecky and Katie combined forces to surprise Emily with sweet sentiments, cutting sarcasm and a little bit of encouragement. It was so fun to celebrate and take some time to reflect on the past 4 years. Thank you all for being here and I’m so glad you get to celebrate with us!

• facts involving the number 200 (because Emily knows that you love facts)

• Emily answers Patreon questions: her favorite episodes, who she would love to interview and the hardest topics for her to discuss

• the transition from having to seek out guests to people asking to be on the show

• the anxiety of releasing episode one

• an introduction to Rebecky’s new dog, Mojo

• Rebecky and Katie’s favorite episodes

• looking back on some changes from episode 1 to episode 200

• meeting MSW listeners in real life

• Rebecky’s favorite parts of the show

• a homework assignment for MSW listeners

Better Life Bag Fanny Pack Episode 1: Breena Holt #47: Surrendering All and Bad Burritos with Nicole DeFord #28: Exercise, Monsters, and NO MORE BROCCOLI with Layne and Porter Problem Solved: the Maiden Voyage #38: Starting Small and Saying "Hello" with Rebecca Smith Diva Cup #32: You Are Loved and Worth Loving with Brandi Lea #58: Journey Toward Healing with Brandi Lea #43: Viewing Inadequacies as Gifts with Anjuli Paschall #100: The People In My Neighborhood #77: Lay Your Worry Down and Sing a Song Instead with Ellie Holcomb #153: Cultivating What You're Given with Ellie Holcomb

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

Have you ever made the connection between the growth of a plant and the growth in your faith? Have you ever encountered a communicative plant? If you’re a plant lover, buckle in! If you aren’t YET, you're going to learn about totipotent nodes. I mean, that's just going to happen. But you're also going to hear a beautiful story about rising up through the soil in a broken home, battling depression/anxiety and flourishing. You see what I did there?

Dusty Hegee is a coffee-obsessed houseplant educator, wife and mother living in the Pacific Northwest. She can’t help but see the incredible parallels between plant growth and the way God brings us through seasons in our lives. It is her goal is to equip people with the tools needed to navigate those seasons WELL, keep their houseplants alive, and learn to enjoy the growth process along the way.

• how and why Dusty decided to make houseplant education her career

• Dusty’s houseplant recommendations for the plant challenged - Golden Pothos and the Snake plant

• simplifying potted plants

• different types of plant propagation and how they work

• Dusty’s journey with anxiety and depression and what’s been helping her cope

• the traumatic birth story of Dusty’s first child and what she’s learned about God in the process of healing

Get Planty waitlist

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Third Love: get 15% off your first order when you visit thirdlove.com/swp

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

Have you ever heard of a vampire facial? Ever considered a fanny pack for fashionable bike riding emergencies?

This month we talk about the importance of treating yourself, or, as Tom and Donna from Parks and Rec say, “Treat Yo Self!”. This doesn’t have to be fancy or extravagant. We all need a little something fun to celebrate our fantastical selves every now and again. Listen to hear some of our tips and let us know what you like to do to treat yo self!

• Treat Yo Self stories gone wrong

• vampire facials

• Treat Yo Self spending limits

• ideas for cheap ways to Treat Yo Self

• our first Mom Struggling Well mug winner

• what’s killing us softly and what’s giving us life

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

What is a God Dare? Will it be scary? How can I be sure that it’s actually God speaking to me?

I can’t WAIT for you to get to know Kate. She speaks to us today about letting Jesus pick your future and what that looks like. She’s down to earth and blows her own cover on some pretty personal things along her journey. Kate wrote her book, The God Dare, for anyone who feels they have lost their purpose. She hopes that readers will be reminded that all God ever needs are willing vessels.

Kate Battistelli is an author, speaker, former actress/singer and mother of Contemporary Christian recording artist Francesca Battistelli. Kate’s goal is to see you be all God has created you to be, and she truly believes each of us is here to change the world. She is a natural encourager and believes in your ability to change the world, even if you don’t! She lives in Franklin, she’s been married to her husband Mike for thirty-four years and loves being near her family.

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Prep Dish: start your 2-week free trial when you visit prepdish.com/msw Homer: get a free 30-day trial when you visit learnwithhomer.com/msw

Patreon | Amazon

If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

• Rebecky’s decision to stop homeschooling her kids (and she doesn’t care if you like it or not)

• Emily’s marathon training and what inspired her to try something she didn’t even think was possible

• saving up for our son’s weddings - is that a thing now?

• how FaceApp is making us all fear turkey necks and wrinkles with its age filter

• date night ideas for staying in or going out

• weighing the pros and cons of changing jobs

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Brooklinen: get 10% off + free shipping when you use promo code SWP at Brooklinen.com Jelly Telly: pre-order the Laugh & Learn Bible for 50% off at laughandlearnbible.com with the promo code STRUGGLEWELL

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love the Struggle Well Project? Please leave a review here!

I don’t want to abuse food. I workout, but nothing changes. I try hard and then I fail hard.

You are not alone, sweet girl! Alisa came on the show to talk to all of us about the lies we are telling ourselves when it comes to wellness. She is packed full of knowledge and hits us with some incredible science that links our brains and our bodies. You can’t help but feel motivated when you hear from her and she makes you think deeper about what truly motivates you, specifically.

Alisa is the founder and C.E.O. of Revelation Wellness and the author of The Wellness Revelation. As a twenty-five plus year fitness professional, Alisa feels called to convey the message of wholeness as it pertains to health and well-being of the soul and body. She believes that the Gospel is a wholistic message of heart, mind, soul, and strength and each body holds a story that must be told. I double-dog dare you to check her out and get free!

• dispelling the lie that wellness isn’t for you

• how traumas can impact our ability to pursue wellness in a healthy way

• your limbic brain and how it impacts your wellness

• changing your perspective on vulnerability

• 4 exercises to help you reconnect with your body

• holding your peace

• trying softer, not harder

• embracing and appreciating the ways our bodies change

• details on Revelation Wellness’ upcoming 21-day sugar fast

Revelation Wellness Podcast Body Scan episode

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Jelly Telly: pre-order the Laugh & Learn Bible for 50% off at laughandlearnbible.com with the promo code STRUGGLEWELL Third Love: get 15% off your first order when you visit thirdlove.com/swp

Patreon | Amazon

If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love the Struggle Well Project? Please leave a review here.

Really? My pants are tight again? I need a plan and some wellness motivation, stat!

The Struggling Sisters just had this conversation in real life and it got us thinking about a wellness plan. We will share what it is and why it’s working for us. Em also shares that she has always wanted to run a marathon and how she plans to train for her first one ever! Katie pours out her heart as Yuliya in a poem about a recent trip to the Whatever Craft House and so much more. Enjoy!

• the struggle to eat healthily

• tips for keeping healthy eating simple

• Emily’s marathon prep plan

• the return of Stash It or Trash It

• crazy news headlines

• Katie shares a poem she wrote about the Whatever Craft House (in a Russian accent)

• what’s killing us softly and what’s giving us life

Better Help Stephanie Ackerman Noom Revelation Wellness Podcast Eat Your Coffee Confronting: OJ Simpson

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Brooklinen: get 10% off + free shipping when you use promo code SWP at Brooklinen.com Daily Harvest: get 3 free cups in your first order when you use promo code SWP at Daily-Harvest.com

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If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love the Struggle Well Project? Please leave a review here.