Edward finds himself ready for the return of his House Manager. Edward talks about looking forward to time off, then returning to doing only his job. Edward explains to Jason where he is at using Spoon Theory. Spoon Theory is often used to describe the amount of energy or the ability to do a specific task when one has an autoimmune disorder. In this case Edward uses it to describe his brain activity and the processes that don’t seem to be working for him currently. Jason asks Edward if he thinks it will be difficult to transition from problem solving mode and having a sense of responsibility. Edward feels that he may have a hard time transitioning but talks about giving himself the time to do so and then using his vacation time to reset. Edward and Jason talk about setting hard boundaries so that Edward can fully detach from that side of things.

In this week’s Deep Dive, we talk about burnout, and compassion fatigue. We discuss the differences between these two states of being. We also talk about the signs that we are suffering from burn out and compassion fatigue. These signs can include inefficiency at work, feeling of uselessness, not being able to feel compassion for other’s circumstances, and more. Lastly, we discuss some ways to recover from these spaces.

Jason starts us off this week lamenting the lack of light and about a rough week at work. From a discussion around some very chaotic new clients, to current clients having expectations that are unrealistic. To the craziness of the Holiday season, Jason has had a wild ride.

Self-Soothing is something we’ve touched on before, but what is it? In this episode Jason introduces us to what it means to self-sooth, and why it is such an important part of our personal growth. We find ourselves talking a lot about setting boundaries and working through trauma, but not necessarily how ugly those processes can feel in the moment. Jason lays out a process for bringing ourselves back to a calm space after such a moment. We discuss about how to relax and reset our nervous systems after we find ourselves in the heat of fight or flight. Edward discovers that his understanding of self-soothing is not what he thought it was, nor is he truly familiar with the process. This leads us to a question and answer session that may be very enlightening.

This week finds Edward taking back some power and resetting some boundaries at work. After working on one of our recent episodes, Edward finds himself taking a closer look at his own work boundaries. Realizing that he is going to burn out sooner rather than later if he tries to keep up the pace, he has set for himself, Edward has decided to give up his 6th day in order to preserve some of his sanity. Edward also shares with us stories around a visit from corporate management and his feelings around being praised. Lastly Jason and Edward talk about advertisement that Edward feels has found him in error but seem to be following him.

In this week’s Deep Dive, Jason and Edward investigate the world of Parental Alienation. In its simplest definition parental alienation is a form of child abuse that involves manipulation of the child by one parent in order to change the child’s view of the other parent. This fundamental abuse can take place at any time within a child’s development. Having both experienced this form of abuse, Jason and Edward discuss the warning signs, their own experiences, and some strategies for parents who might find themselves in this power dynamic.

Jason shares with us an update on the sleep study he took at home along with his continuing concerns about his oxygen levels. The sleep study found nothing out of the ordinary, but now Jason finds himself having to partake in a more traditional sleep study in a hospital.

We finish out our check in with some Family drama, Jason is experiencing with his biological brother. Jason finds a lot of growth within a manipulative situation involving his biological brother’s family. Jason has set clear boundaries with his brother and realizes that he is experiencing no guilt in maintaining those boundaries.

As we are quickly approaching the new year Edward and Jason talk about their New Year’s resolutions. They speak about their views of this tradition, their own ways of keeping it, and some advice for those who are looking to make a change in the upcoming year.

This week we check in with Jason and the darker days of winter. Jason finds himself struggling with the darkness and looked up the actual amount of light we are getting to find it only 8 hours. This is not enough for most of us with any mental health issues. Jason also tells us about a startling discovery he made with his wife. Jason’s oxygen levels are down in the low 90s. This has obviously caused some concern and worry. Jason discusses with us his conversation with the nurse at his doctor’s office and the upcoming sleep trial that he is going to take part in, which will hopefully shed some light on this issue.

During our podcasts we often talk about our therapists. This week we discuss in depth the process of finding a good therapist. We discuss some questions that one should ask themselves before going into therapy, as well as questions to ask potential therapists in the first interview. We round out our episode with some signs of a good therapist, as well as signs that it might be time to switch therapists due to our own personal growth. Lastly, we discuss some red flags for those in therapy already or who are looking to start therapy.

We start off this week’s episode with Edward checking in about his medications. Edward finds himself having trouble taking his medications every day, but also shares with us his increased energy and better mood. Edward discusses his excitement around his blood pressure situation and how he is hopeful for the return to Adderall. One scary element to him is a temporary increase to his suicidal ideations. With the decrease of impulse control that occurs with some medications Edward is looking to speak with his doctor about these side effects. Jason sheds some light on how this works with depression medications, as well as shares his own experiences with this type of side effect.

As we move into the colder months with less light, Jason and Edward share some of their tips and habits that help them navigate the darkest times of the year. Whether they are feeling the winter blues or are experiencing increased depression, the first step is to be aware of their current mental and emotional states. Some of the tips are common ones that most people talk about, such as exercising regularly. However, some are self-care tips around making day to day tasks easier when they find themselves with less energy.

In this episode we start off with an update on Jason’s candid camera situation at work. We start out discussing his therapy session around what happened and the insights that came with it. Jason shares with us that he didn’t feel safe in that environment, but that he is moving to a good place with it. Realizing that he is safe has allowed him to be at peace with what happened and his workspace. Now that he has been able to process the incident, Jason is also able to see the growth that has occurred in him.

Why do we collect things? Why do we accumulate stuff? How do we deal with it and how do we clear the physical clutter from our lives? These are the questions we address in this week’s Deep Dive. Approximately 75% of all Americans who own a garage use it for storage instead of for parking their car. This single fact points to an issue that many of us have. We discuss some of the reasons as well as some of the dangers, like collecting things turning into hoarding. We talk about the root causes of this common behavior as well as some of the ways we can make changes. We end our conversation with a set of options that can be used to make a plan of attack and some helpful tricks to get us to a cleaner space.

In this segment we talk about Fung Shui. This link gives a basic overview of it's principals. The Basic Principles of Feng Shui (thespruce.com)

This week we start off with Edward relaying a particularly good week of some much-needed self-care. After spending a day off out of town with a friend, He talks about spending time with his sister, going to see a movie for the first time since the pandemic started, and a search for Indian food.

As we have now entered the Holiday season it is again time to remind ourselves that setting boundaries is necessary and saying no is acceptable. Since the pandemic started, we have found many people have realized that spending time with family can be quite toxic. Sometimes when we do things out of habit for so long, we forget, or do not realize how bad a situation is. This year we feel the increase in expectation due to long absences. Last year recorded an episode with a toolbox of coping skills and a survival guide. This year we touch on some tools that we have used and a couple new ones that we have learned. Mostly it is about permission we give ourselves to be absence from abusive and toxic gatherings.

This week’s episode is all about Attachment styles. We begin by taking one of the tests that can easily be found online. We talked about the questions and answered them which gave us scores. The scores alone did not tell us much, but through some reading, and delving into the subject we have started the journey of understanding our individual attachment styles.

Our Deep Dive is the explanation portion. Knowing our attachment style, was just the first step. In this segment we detail each of the 4 attachment styles, what situations caused them when we were children, and what the attachment styles look like in our adult lives. We both found this subject very interesting and enlightening and are eager to learn more as we grow.

Edward Starts us off this week with a tale of frustration and anger with a huge learning potential. He discusses a situation that arose within his work, that caught him off guard when a coworker sets a boundary that is at odds with the needs of the program. Edward sees red and discusses his reactions and anger in that moment. Jason assists with helpful insight and together they navigate some emotional land minds and harsh realities of the position Edward finds himself in.

This week’s Deep Dive is a discussion style Deep Dive into the topic of boundaries vs. selfishness. With a situation at work still on his mind, and as a continuation of our Check-In Edward delves into his feelings around the situation. Seeing that there is something there for him to work with he engages Jason to have a discussion from different viewpoints around this topic. They discuss the pros of each side as well as the viewpoints of where, when, and how boundaries are appropriate and how far can they be taken. Listen to this lively discussion as we work through this topic.