When life feels overwhelming and your mind won’t stop racing, the instinct for many of us is to retreat and figure things out alone. What if resilience isn’t always found in solitude, but in community?

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores how overthinking often thrives in isolation and how connection can be a powerful antidote. Through personal stories, insights from years of facilitating groups, and real-life transformations, she dives into how emotionally safe communities foster clarity, accountability, and confidence.

• Though being vulnerable in a group can feel more daunting than in individual one-on-one experiences, the power of being in an emotionally safe community can’t be overstated. 
• Anxiety tends to operate in overthinking loops and over-analyzing. When we’re alone, it is harder to interrupt these cycles. 
• Often, as we feel more connected and trusting in community, we simultaneously experience greater confidence, connection, and trust in ourselves. 

Resources 

Register for my free one-hour masterclass on March 27th: www.thecalmingground.com/stress-resilience

Email me at: [email protected]

DM me on Instagram or Facebook: @thecalmingground

Stress is a part of life, but it doesn’t have to knock you down. 

In today’s episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores the difference between stress management and stress resilience. She shares a personal story of getting stuck in people-pleasing and discusses the benefits of both stress management techniques and stress resilience. In addition, Elizabeth unpacks why building resilience is the key to navigating life’s inevitable ups and downs with greater ease and confidence. 

Elizabeth also announced her FREE live masterclass on March 27th at 11 a.m. ET, where she will be teaching the four paths to building resilience. If you’re ready to shift from feeling overwhelmed to feeling steady and capable, you won’t want to miss this! 

Key Takeaways

• Mindful stress prevention techniques can be vital to me managing overthinking and stress after it has taken hold, while stress resilience pathways that help you grow through the stress and become more resilient in the face of it. 
• When you build resilience, you become more adaptable, more grounded, more confident in your ability to handle whatever comes your way.
• Self awareness is a key component to resilience. 

Resources

📅 Sign up for the Free Masterclass on March 27th at 11am ET

📖 Elizabeth’s article on People-Pleasing

📚 Rising Strong by Brené Brown 

Articles on Resilience: 

https://www.in-equilibrium.co.uk/comparing-resilience-training-and-stress-management-training-what-is-the-difference/

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review — it helps more people discover the podcast!

What helps us stay connected to ourselves and our identities even when we’re patients in a healthcare setting?

This is the second episode in a 2-part series inspired by listener Debbie Margulies' powerful question about maintaining control in medical settings and managing unhelpful pity from others based on your medical condition. Elizabeth interviews oncology social worker Samantha Hulett about her experience working with patients and their families. In this conversation, Sam shares the importance of identifying for ourselves what our priorities are in life. In addition, she speaks to the importance of slowing ourselves and our providers down in order to ensure that our needs are getting met and we are getting the clarity we need. 

Key Takeaways

• Keeping a journal by the bed can be a useful way to record any thoughts that arise when the distractions aren’t as prevalent before bedtime. This can become a tool to help later formulate questions and concerns to take to the doctor. 
• Value-based decision making can be helpful in determining your non-negotiable priorities in your life, even while undergoing medical treatment. 
• Slowing ourselves down before, during, and after medical visits can help us remain clear about the questions we need answered, and to help us remain grounded and centered. 

• Email your thoughts, topic ideas, and questions: [email protected]
• Connect on social media: @thecalmingground on Facebook and Instagram

How do we navigate the medical system in a way that feels empowering and maintains our sense of dignity?

This episode was inspired by listener Debbie Margulies' powerful question about maintaining control in medical settings and managing unhelpful pity from others based on your medical condition. Elizabeth explores the difficult experience of needing expert care while feeling stripped of your autonomy, as well as medical trauma that can impact our experience of getting medical care. Elizabeth also offers several tips and strategies to help with grounding. This is the first of two episodes on this topic.

• To help with medical appointments and/or hospital settings, you might consider bringing an advocate to appointments, setting boundaries with medical staff, and maintaining personal rituals to anchor your sense of self. 
• Depending on the situation, focusing on your personal growth journey rather than your patient/victim journey (as well as reminding others to focus on the power involved in this as a personal growth journey) can sometimes nourish a sense of empowerment rather than pity. 
• It can be helpful to identify elements you can control even in challenging circumstances (no matter how small). 

• Email your thoughts, topic ideas, and questions: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground
• Connect on social media: @thecalmingground on Facebook and Instagram
• Study on discrimination in healthcare
• Free Guided Meditation: https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

Have you ever experienced a sense of deep loss for something you never actually had?

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores the concept of grieving the empty space - an often overlooked form of grief. This grief typically centers around circumstances or things that never happened - the empty spaces where something should have been such as mourning a relationship that didn’t reach its full potential, a path we didn’t take, a childhood we deserved but didn't receive, and futures we planned that disappeared. In this episode, Elizabeth also offers ways to navigate this form of grief. 

• Invisible grief is real and valid – mourning what never happened is a legitimate form of grief that deserves acknowledgment.
• Grief for what never was often ripples through time, affecting not just our past but our present circumstances and future possibilities.
• Naming your grief helps validate your experience and begins the healing process. 
• Sharing your experience with others can provide validation and connection, revealing how common this form of grief actually is.

• Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]
• November 2023 interview with Jean Sutton on the power of rituals: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/05-interview-with-jean-sutton-using-rituals-to-enhance/id1704337948?i=1000633317348
• Psychology Today article: "2 Types of Invisible Grief" - Read here

Ever feel the urge to slow down and rest more in winter? According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, that instinct is deeply connected to the Water Element, which is the element of winter. 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun dives into the wisdom of Qigong and ancient Chinese medicine to explore how we can align with winter’s natural rhythm for better well-being. Elizabeth explains about what the water element represents in Chinese medicine and how this connects to inner balance, especially in the season of winter. 

Key takeaways

• Many of us tend to fight against rather than listen to our natural rhythms in winter. 
• A simple foot soak can offer rest and relaxation in the winter time.
• Certain essential oils, like basil and sandalwood, are particularly associated with winter wellness. 

Resources

Free Journal Reflection Prompts: https://www.thecalmingground.com/reflection-prompts-selfcare

Podcast episode “Breathing Through Stress: 5 Breathing Techniques for Calm & Balance”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/71-breathing-through-stress-5-breathing-techniques/id1704337948?i=1000686586207

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Foot Soak Recipe: 

Approximately 1 gallon warm water

Juice of one lemon

½ cup of sea salt

2 Tablespoons of ground ginger. 

Stir the ingredients into the water and then soak your feet in the mixture for about 10-20 minutes. (https://www.webmd.com/beauty/features/purifying-lemon-ginger-foot-soak)

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who could use a little winter wellness wisdom. I’d love to hear from you! How do you embrace rest during winter?

What if mastering communication and connection with your partner wasn’t just about what you say, but how you embody and balance both the masculine and feminine energies within you? 

In this episode, I’m joined by Nicola Navon, a Communication & Leadership Coach, and Expert in Masculine/Feminine Dynamics. She specializes in helping driven couples create a deeper connection and lasting passion through masterful communication. In this conversation, we explore the dance between masculine and feminine energies in communication and how balancing them can create more meaningful connections.

Key Takeaways

• The process of repairing and reconnecting after conflict is powerful for deepening connection and intimacy for a couple. 
• Often when we’re giving more than receiving in a partnership there is also an imbalance within us that needs attending to. 
• Pausing and checking in with our bodies when we’re feeling hurt or triggered can help us to build our self awareness and determine how to best communicate what is happening for us within the relationship. 

Resources

https://www.nicolanavon.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nicolanavon/

Free Reflection Journal Prompts: https://www.thecalmingground.com/reflection-prompts-selfcare

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Have you ever noticed how a familiar song can instantly shift your mood? 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores the profound impact music has on our emotions, nervous system, and physical health. Elizabeth dives into the fascinating ways music influences the brain and supports overall well-being; from ancient healing traditions to modern neuroscience, she uncovers why sound is such a powerful tool for relaxation and stress relief. In addition, Elizabeth offers a little sound experiment for you to try tuning into your mind/body and the impact of different sounds on how you feel. 

Key Takeaways

🎵 Music can bring us into a flow state, helping us become fully present.

🎵 Music triggers feel-good hormones. When we listen to or move to music, we may release dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, which boost mood and reduce stress.

🎵 Music has been used for healing for centuries. From the didgeridoo of Australian Aborigines to Pythagoras using harmonies for sleep, music’s power to restore balance has stood the test of time.

Resources

Free Playlists for to relax or feel energized: https://www.thecalmingground.com/relax-and-energize-playlist

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

The Science and History of Sound Therapy

Psychology Today: The Power of Music

Johns Hopkins on Music and Brain Health

Berklee College of Music: Music & Brain Connectivity

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review—it helps others discover the power of music for stress relief! 💙🎶

Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh said: "Breath is the bridge between mind and body. When you return to your breath, you return to yourself." 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun shares a personal story about my journey from being an anxious child to discovering the transformative power of breathwork. She discusses the science behind how breathwork helps shift us from a high-stress state to a calm and balanced one. In addition, she offers five practical breathwork techniques you can start using today to soothe your body and mind, reset your nervous system, and build resilience against stress. Whether you’re new to breathwork or looking to deepen your practice, this episode offers tools and insights to help you on your journey.

Key Takeaways

• The difference between helpful anxiety that prepares us and the anxiety that gets in our way. 
• Breathwork activates the “rest and digest” mode.
• Practicing daily, even in short sessions, helps make breathwork a natural response during stressful times.
• If breathwork feels challenging at first, starting with awareness of your natural breath can help you ease into the practice.
• Five breathwork techniques to try:

1. 5-Finger Breathing - A tactile technique that combines touch and breath.
2. Box Breathing - A method to calm your mind through balanced inhales and exhales.
3. Straw Breathing (Pursed Lip Breathing) - Perfect for releasing tension and slowing your breath.
4. Focused Breathing - Pairing breath awareness with phrases for relaxation.
5. Resonant Breathing (Coherent Breathing) - A practice to optimize your heart rate variability and reduce stress.

Resources

Free Guided Meditation: https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation

Follow/DM me on Instagram or Facebook: @thecalmingground

Email: [email protected]

Let’s take a breath together and create more calm in our lives! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend or leave a review. Your support means the world!

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I’m just not good at this," or "I never have enough time?"

It might feel like these thoughts are just facts of life, but what if they’re not? What if these are actually limiting beliefs - stories we tell ourselves that keep us stuck?

In this episode Elizabeth Mintun explores what limiting beliefs are and how they form, three clear signs that you’re likely experiencing a limiting belief, and a simple 5-step process to start breaking free from these thoughts and reclaiming your confidence. Elizabeth also shares a personal story about how she noticed a limiting belief sneaking into her own life recently, and how she used the 5-step process to shift it.

Plus, as a bonus, Elizabeth created a free tool to help you take these insights even deeper: Break Free: A Simple 5-Step Guide to Releasing Limiting Beliefs and Reclaiming Your Confidence. Grab your copy here: 

https://www.thecalmingground.com/download-releasing-limiting-beliefs

Key Takeaways

• Building awareness is a crucial first step - once we identify we’re grappling with a limiting belief, we can take the steps to break free from it. 
• When we notice a thought pattern as part of a limiting belief, we are already weakening its power.
• There are clear steps we can take to begin to transform our limiting beliefs into empowering ones. 

Resources

Free Guide to Break Free from Limiting Beliefs: https://www.thecalmingground.com/download-releasing-limiting-beliefs

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Stay Connected

Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Calming Ground. Share this episode with someone who could use a little mental peace today!