Have you ever noticed how easy it is to fall off the bandwagon of prioritizing your self-care when life gets hectic? 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun reveals her own journey to discovering grounding and centering self-care practices that worked for her and eventually led to her creation of The Calming Ground Membership. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Simple activities that can be incorporated into daily life can be very effective at increasing inner peace and calm. 
• Receiving reminders and support to practice grounding strategies can be useful - especially when life is busy and it’s particularly easy to cast them aside or forget. 

Resources: 

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

[email protected]

https://www.thecalmingground.com/

Have you ever had a person you deeply care about go through a terrible loss and you didn’t quite know what to say or how to help? 

In our culture here in the United States, grief is so misunderstood. People often are very well-intended, but say things to their friends, co-workers, and family members in an effort to help that ultimately leads to greater isolation for the person in grief. 

In this week’s episode, Elizabeth Mintun shares the “do’s” and “don’ts” on how to best support someone experiencing intense grief. She offers details and actionable steps that will hopefully support anyone wanting to be there for someone who is currently grieving. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Advice-giving and attempting to “cheer someone up” is typically not helpful (and even potentially damaging) to someone in the grieving process. 
• Everyone’s experience of grief is unique; one person’s grief cannot be compared to another’s. 
• Offering to step in either to simply compassionately listen or to offer acts of service to lighten the load for the griever tends to be the most helpful. Telling a griever to “call me if you need me” isn’t usually helpful because that puts the work on the griever to reach out at a time when they’re exhausted and in survival mode. 

Resources: 

https://refugeingrief.com/

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans! 

Is one of your greatest fears not getting things “right” and/or seeming like a fool?

Retired psychotherapist Margy Davis-Mintun suggests that being a fool in life at times is not only inevitable, it’s actually a privilege because it signifies that we have opportunities to learn and grow.  

In this week’s episode, Elizabeth Mintun offers a short and powerful interview with Margy revealing her wisdom and insight into the beauty of making mistakes and the power of allowing ourselves the permission and space to be vulnerably human. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Making mistakes is part of life; we can offer ourselves grace through the reframe of seeing foolishness and mistakes as part of our lifelong growing process rather than shunning ourselves. 
• “Shoulds” were handed to us by others at some point in our lives; we inherit them. As we grow, we can decide whether or not we ascribe to those values and rules in our life. 

Resources: 

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans! 

Have you ever felt trapped in a cycle of self-criticism, struggling to balance your aspirations with kindness towards yourself? 

What if you could hold yourself accountable and practice self-compassion at the same time? 

In this week’s episode, Elizabeth Mintun shares her ARROW framework to help others practice compassionate accountability. She offers details, actionable steps, and a real-world example of how to practice implementing this framework to support new habits, lifestyle shifts, and a happier life! 

Key Takeaways: 

• Recognizing pitfalls and potential barriers with compassion can be key in implementing new habits and ways of being. 
• It is possible to hold ourselves accountable successfully and build a more supportive, positive and compassionate relationship with ourselves at the same time. 

Resources: 

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans!

Have you ever felt like words were just too limiting to express what you were experiencing? What if art-based mindfulness could offer a non-judgemental and safe alternative to both release and express emotion?

For this episode, Elizabeth interviewed Jodi Rose Gonzales, ATR, NCC, ERYT, YACEP. Jodi is a nature-based artist, art therapist, author and yoga teacher who empowers creative people using art-based mindfulness, her unique fusion of art therapy, positive psychology, yoga philosophy, and trauma-informed neuroscience. Celebrated as Global Impact Artist of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals, and Top Artist by Marquis Who's Who in America, Jodi is the author of two Amazon #1 new releases, an art therapy journal prompt card deck, and a suite of online courses. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Art-based mindfulness offers an approach that is non-judgemental and intentional and offers a way to bear witness to our own process and experience.
• Art-based mindfulness can be a wonderful avenue for a regular mindfulness practice.
• Different materials can be intentionally and mindfully chosen in order to best respond to our needs in the moment. 

Resources: 

JodiRoseStudio.com.

Link to 30 Free and Easy Expressive Art Therapy Prompts: https://www.jodirosestudio.com/art-prompts

FB: https://www.facebook.com/jodirose.studio

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jodirose.studio/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodirosestudio/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jodirose.studio/videos

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans! 

Have you ever wondered how you can both feel confident and good about what you wear and make a positive step toward creating a more sustainable earth-friendly lifestyle?

In this episode, following this month’s theme of living with compassionate accountability, Elizabeth Mintun interviews Nicole Riggs Broesch, founder and designer of fern+daisy. Nicole weaves her passion for ethical fashion and community upliftment into every garment. With an eight year career in apparel design as a small town girl from rural Central Appalachia America, she has merged her love for her community, the planet, fashion, and marginalized women. fern+daisy, born in 2020, creates sustainably made pieces that empower both wearers and makers, reviving ethical practices with timeless style. As an artist, mentor, and nature enthusiast, Nicole embodies the spirit of fern+daisy—where style meets purpose.

This information-packed and inspiring interview is definitely worth a listen! 

Resources: 

Website: https://www.fernanddaisy.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fernanddaisy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fernanddaisy

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans! 

Has anyone ever told you: "Look at all you have, you should be grateful!" when you were experiencing an uncomfortable feeling like sadness, anger, grief, or maybe trying to uphold a boundary for yourself? 

Some of us may have even expressed this kind of thing to other people too, or even to ourselves! 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores the “dark side” of gratitude. In particular, Elizabeth addresses how gratitude can be used as a way to invalidate or minimize people’s struggles. This “gratitude platitude” is the opposite of the medicine of gratitude, which can uplift, connect us with our abundance, and offer ease. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Using terms like “you should be grateful!” as a way to shame someone for struggling can be damaging. 
• Reminding people of all that’s around them to be thankful for can be helpful, but often first it is important (and typically more effective) to meet them in the struggle they’re in rather than telling them to be different than they are. 
• Gratitude can be a powerful medicine when used to connect with abundance rather than invalidate feelings. 

Resources: 

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans! 

Did you know that when you are kind to someone else, your own brain’s pleasure and reward center activates, as though you were the recipient of the good deed – not just the one offering kindness? This is referred to as the “helper’s high”. 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores the many physical and mental health benefits of practicing random acts of kindness. The research is astounding! 

Key Takeaways: 

• Engaging in and witnessing acts of kindness stimulates the production of the feel-good hormones oxytocin and serotonin, which helps lift our mood and reduces stress. 
• People who are regularly kind have 23% less cortisol (a stress hormone) in their bodies and live longer than people who are not regularly practicing acts of kindness. 
• People who perform random acts of kindness report feeling stronger and more energetic, calmer and less depressed, and over all a greater sense of self-worth.

Resources: 

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science-of-kindness

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans! 

Have you ever had an experience that completely transformed your life and offered you tremendous freedom?

In this week’s podcast episode, Elizabeth Mintun interviews Kelli Trinoskey, an award-winning writer and content creator, lives in Columbus, Ohio, where she practices storytelling as the associate director of marketing and communications at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Kelli’s documentary, Our Dyslexic Children, was the 2022 Toronto Documentary Film Festival winner for Best Long Form Short Film. In this conversation, Kelli talks about her incredible journey of moving from feeling stuck in a trauma-infused narrative, to feeling freedom and fluidity in her life - and how she has used the artform of collage as a way to integrate her experience. 

Key Takeaways: 

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a technique in psychotherapy that can be quite powerful in reprocessing traumatic memory.
• Collage can be a creative tool that nourishes expression on the conscious and unconscious levels and can be a beautiful and accessible part of a healing journey.
• The process of collage can offer a space for self-care within which we can attend to whatever is coming up for us in the moment, in playful, creative, and expressive ways. 

Resources: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ7xa6meD2Q&t=6s

https://kellitrinoskey.wixsite.com/website

[email protected]

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/313183/the-body-keeps-the-score-by-bessel-van-der-kolk-md/

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans! 

What if you could transform your life – and even change your brain structure, by practicing something as free and simple as gratitude? 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores the many physical and mental health benefits of having a regular gratitude practice. She also explains some of the important ingredients in a gratitude practice to increase those juicy medicinal benefits of vitality, wellbeing, and overall happiness. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Engaging in a regular gratitude practice can have a lasting impact on physical and emotional health and wellbeing by impacting important areas in the brain and hormonal responses. 
• The impacts of a regular gratitude practice are not immediate, but they are long-lasting and worth the effort! 
• Saying a simple “thank you”, while it matters, is not a gratitude practice that will reap lasting rewards - to truly engage in a gratitude practice it is best to dedicate 3-5 minutes and truly notice and/or express more depth and detail of what it is you are grateful for. 

Resources: 

https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

“I love Elizabeth and The Calming Ground Podcast.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! Your feedback on this platform helps me support more people - just like you - move toward the balanced life they desire. Scroll to the bottom, tape to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! 

Also, if you haven’t done so already, remember to follow the podcast so you keep receiving the wisdom and insights of all of these amazing humans!