The Active Optimist

This week we are joined by Devon Loftus and Jenna Radomski, MScN, co-authors of "The Moon Cycle Cookbook." Together the three dive into many different aspects of having a menstral cycle that we never talk about including (but not limited to): shame, feeling depressed, and why we can have low energy. Your period is more than cramps, PMS-ing, and eating chocolate! The trio also dives into feeling worthy of striving towards health even when you mess up. Yes, depression begets depression, but you are meant to feel happy & connected and it's your birthright to strive to be so.

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Follow Devon on IG - @devonloftuswrites!  Learn more about Jenna's work here or on IG/TikTok @jennabeebasics.
Find the bakery on IG - @mooncyclebakery. Check out their cookbook "The Moon Cycle Cookbook" and website mooncyclebakery.com!

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist and find me on TikTok @theactiveoptimist. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

The more the merrier! On this week's podcast we not only have one topic, we have three!

I am entering her ex-influencer era aka building a better relationship with social media that serves me and aligns with my boundries. As we all know, social media can take a toll on our mental health so I breakdown what has led me to this point and the actual step I've taken upon reflection.

I also guide you through the signs of burnout and what we can do to address it. Burnout is not only a work-related feeling, but it extends to school, relationships, social media, or even creativity. With this, I also discuss dealing with rejection surrounding our dreams and goals. Things change, plans change, the entire world changes, but that does not mean that your goal must change as well.

And just remember, no is NEVER the final answer!

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

Today, I am with you all to learn all about abusive relationships and mental health. I am joined by Ada Sang Mata, a Licensed Social Worker and Psychotherapist, to talk about what an abusive relationship actually looks like so you can RUN FOR THE HILLS, some myths and truths about abusive relationships, and practical ways to move forward. 

We also talk about the normalization/romanticization of toxic love or struggle love in popular culture. This is a must-listen for all of us to be aware and knowledgeable to not only help ourselves, but also the people around us.

Mentioned in this episode

• United States – Hotlines:
  • 1-800-572-7233
  • 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
• Video call for people with hearing disabilities:
  • 855-812-1001
  • [email protected]
• NY – Hotlines:
  • 1-800-621-4673
  • 1-800-942-6906
  • 1-866-604-5350 (TTY)
• Video call for people with hearing disabilities: 
  • 711 
  • Text messaging: 844-997-2121
•  NJ – Hotlines: 1-877-218-9133
• Sexual violence: 1-800-601-7200

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

Irina is back with a SOLO EPISODE! This week we are talking about standing your ground in being treated with respect and high self worth. With depression or without, our self worth can be at an all time low. We can find ourselves paralized by anticipating rejection if we stepped up, but fear not! You can start today building back your self respect and making desicions from a high worth space. 

Today, I'm talking about my own experience getting to a place where I couldn't live another day without my self respect, how I said no, stood my ground, and how I started passing other self worth tests.

Support the podcast by shopping our hats!! 

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

Welcome, Jerson to the podcast! In today's episode, Jerson shares his insight into accepting that you can adapt to what you need and remain true to yourself. He talks about how he used his university wellness hotline to get him through his most precarious moments and connect to a therapist.

Jerson shares the importance of idenifying vulnerable moments and putting his coping skills to work before his mental health takes a hit. He also shares a bit about how coming out effected his mental health in both positive/negative ways. Through this he's learned that key to being stopping people's homophobia has less to do with changing their mind, but accepting himself and his sexual idenity.

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Mentioned in this episode

• NYC Well 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355)
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline available 24/7 (800-273-8255) 

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

Social Media. Flex Culture. It goes without saying that social media has effected this generations mental health like no other and it's getting worse.

We start to believe in the lie: I am no good and there is only one right way to be. This week I will be talking about building the mental strength to start building self confidence and being ok with feeling bad in a world that seems always lit.

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Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

Welcome, Jonathan! On this week's process episode, Jonathan tells us about his mental health history over the past 16 years, starting at age 14.

He gives a honest recount of navigating medication, trying to refine what balance means in his life, and his diagnosis with Bipolar Disorder. Jonathan also talks about how parental dynamics have effected his mental health and learning to reevaluate absolutist thinking.

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

They said it was a mental breakdown, a deranged homeless man, and not a racially motived hate crime. In this week's episode, I am reflecting on muliple anti-Asian attacks over the past year that have been overshadowed by investigations of the attacker's mental illness history.

While no one will ever really know what happened, the immediate response to it illustrates a larger reality: when the offender is mentally ill, we as a society have an exceedingly difficult time ascribing political or racial motivations to their actions. I share how this furthers mental health stigma and doesn’t acknoledge the very real reality of racism against Asians which has risen/been accepted over the past 2 years.

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

Welcome to another process episode! Today we have Abigail, a true active optimist, who share's her dive into depression after falling 18 feet and shattering her arm.

 As a professionally trained nurse, Abigial share's how she struggled under western (mainstream) medicine's separation between the mind and the body. She tells us how a more holistic approach was the key to her healing and acknowledging sexual trauma was the connection she had to make that finally put her on the road to recovery.

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.

Happy New Year! To start off 2022, I am recaping all the guests of 2021 and sharing some of my favorite clips from every episode.

A big thank you to my interviewees, who were extremely generous with their time and their willingness to explore difficult subjects, having these conversations, and let us hear it.

Thank you for supporting the podcast! Follow me on Instagram @the.activeoptimist or @irinaerickson. Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions, I love them!

The content shared here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, care, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified & licensed healthcare provider.