Tending the Soul

In this solo episode I talk about our addiction to speed in modern culture, and adopting practices to counteract the speed culture by intentionally slowing down and savoring moments.

Ironically, the quest for quickness and productivity often fails to deliver the intended benefits and instead fills up any created space with more tasks.

This episode delves into the concept of slow movements, such as the slow food and slow dating movements, and the positive impacts of slowing down on mental well-being and deeper thinking.

Practical tips for incorporating slowing down and savoring into daily life, such as mindful eating, distraction-free walks, and appreciating nature, are shared.

Takeaway: How can you practice these techniques to build positive memories and enhance your overall quality of life?

As always, I welcome your thoughts!

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction: Our Addiction to Speed

01:27 The Illusion of Creating More Space

05:46 The Slow Movements: A Revolutionary Act

06:55 The Neuroscience of Slowing Down

12:00 Practical Tips for Slowing Down

19:19 Savoring Techniques: Making Moments Luxurious

25:06 Conclusion: Embracing Slow Moments

LINKS

Maggie’s Substack

Today I’m excited to share my first interview for the podcast! I had a lovely conversation a few weeks ago with Liisa Kovala, a Finnish-Canadian writer and book coach. We found each other on Substack when we both shared posts about sisu around the same time. What is sisu? Well, listen up and you’ll hear all about it!

GUEST BIO

Liisa Kovala is a Finnish-Canadian writer and book coach. Her debut novel, Sisu’s Winter War, was released by Latitude 46 Publishing in 2022. Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) was translated and published by Docendo in Finland, and short-listed for a Northern Lit award. Liisa’s short stories and creative non-fiction have been published in a variety of anthologies and literary magazines, and she received first prize in Geist’s 18th Annual Literal Literary Postcard Short Story Contest. As a certified Author Accelerator fiction and memoir book coach, Liisa works with writers both in small group settings and individually. Liisa features fellow writers in her Women Writing newsletter, hosts the Women Writing Podcast and co-hosts Rekindle Creativity Women’s Writing Retreats with Dinah Laprairie. Learn more about Liisa at liisakovalabookcoach.com and visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:39 First Interview: Liisa Kovala on Sisu

00:56 Exploring the Concept of Sisu

03:15 Liisa's Journey and Work

06:06 Sisu in Historical Context

20:52 Practicing Sisu in Daily Life

31:26 The Importance of Community

35:35 Closing Remarks and Outro

LINKS

Maggie’s Substack

Maggie’s website

Liisa’s Substack

Liisa’s website

The book that started me on my sisu journey! (Note: this is an affiliate link and I think I get three tenths of a penny if you buy the book here.)

On this episode of Tending the Soul, we're diving into the topic of trauma.

I explore the evolving definition of trauma, emphasizing that it is not necessarily the event itself but our response to it that determines its traumatic nature.

I'll also frame trauma in the way I do with my clients: as a nervous system digestive issue, which vibes with ancient wisdom found in Ayurveda -- fun fact!

We'll go over the differences between healing tools for trauma recovery, and preventative measures to build resilience. Practical tools for recovery, such as journaling, walking, and therapy techniques like brainspotting and EFT (tapping), are highlighted.

Finally, we'll look at fundamental daily practices like sleep, exercise, meditation, and journaling for fostering a more trauma-resilient nervous system.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction to Tending the Soul

00:38 Understanding Trauma: Definition and Evolution

06:15 Trauma as a Digestive Issue

13:17 Tools for Trauma Recovery

18:24 Building Trauma Resilience

25:40 Conclusion and Resources

LINKS

Maggie's Substack: http://maggiehollinbeck.substack.com

Bilateral music track (royalty-free):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YcD_HYhHDYlmx1WPhh-2yRPeY4YTZbpk/view?usp=drivesdk

Waitlist for "Healing Everyday Trauma" Course:

https://maggie-hollinbeck.myflodesk.com/het-waitlist-sas

E002: What the Happiest Countries on Earth Do Differently

Maggie explores four aspects of the world's happiest countries -- key cultural values and practices that shape the mental health of the people who live there, and what we can learn from them.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Name Change

00:51 Exploring the Happiness of Nordic Countries

04:08 Security: A Pillar of Nordic Happiness

09:44 Flat Hierarchy: Equality in Nordic Societies

19:11 Connection to Nature: Embracing the Outdoors

23:03 Community and Togetherness: The Nordic Way

27:34 Conclusion and Reflections

Links:

Maggie’s Substack

Produced by Maggie Hollinbeck, all rights reserved.

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin from Pixabay.

Embracing Stubborn Gladness: Finding Joy in Hard Times

In the inaugural episode of the 'Stubborn Gladness Podcast,' host Maggie Hollinbeck, a psychotherapist and happiness enthusiast, introduces the concept of 'stubborn gladness' inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's book 'Big Magic' and Jack Gilbert's poem 'A Brief for the Defense.'

Maggie shares personal stories and insights from her 20-year career, emphasizing the importance of cultivating grounded positivity despite life's challenges. She encourages listeners to adopt stubborn gladness as a practice to find small moments of joy and resilience. Maggie also provides a call to action for listeners to reflect on their unique interpretations of stubborn gladness and participate in the community through her Substack.

00:00 Welcome to the Stubborn Gladness Podcast

00:37 Introduction to Stubborn Gladness

02:10 Personal Journey and Challenges

02:46 Choosing Stubborn Gladness

06:35 The Power of Finding Joy in Hard Times

08:33 Reflections

10:47 Conclusion and Staying Connected

Maggie’s Substack

Produced by Maggie Hollinbeck, all rights reserved.

Music by Dmytro Kuvalin from Pixabay.

This is the Tending the Soul podcast, formerly the Stubborn Gladness podcast!

I’m your host, Maggie Hollinbeck and I am so glad we’re here together.

On this podcast I’ll talk about mental health in America and around the world, sharing insights from my 20+ years of experience as a psychotherapist and trauma specialist. I'm passionate about making mental health accessible to anyone who wants it, even if you can’t afford or don't want to go to therapy, so I'll share helpful ideas, tools and practices that you can put to use in your life to feel less overwhelmed and more empowered in your life.

I’ll also talk about the pursuit of happiness and simple ways to cultivate a kind of stubborn gladness in your life, even in hard times.

And, because I'm a total word nerd, I’ll occasionally (okay, more than occasionally) talk about my love of words that don’t have direct translations into English — especially words that explain very valuable mental health concepts.

If you want to take a more active role in cultivating happiness in your life and taking care of yourself when the world hits you hard, and learning some new vocabulary words, this is the place for you.

Episodes will drop about twice a month, so if you like what you hear, you know what to do. Follow, subscribe, review and share! You’ll find more of my work at my Substack publication. Go to substack.com and search “Tending the Soul”. You can be a free subscriber or choose one of the paid subscriptions to become a part of my community and get access to my monthly care package as well as special live events and other goodies.