Whether you're feeling tired, invisible, or simply longing for more meaning in the everyday, this episode is a poetic call to return to what soothes you, delights you, and reminds you of who you truly are.

Key Takeaways

• Beauty has the capacity to stabilize our nervous system by calling us back to the present moment. 
• Aging can be seen as a season of ripening. Just like summer, your radiance can be unapologetic, full, and deeply nourishing.
• Even simple acts, like lighting a candle, noticing the way light hits a leaf, or wearing something that feels like you, can ground you in moments of grief, stress, or transition. These quiet gestures become anchors, reminding you that you’re still here… and still worthy of beauty.

Resources

Unlock Your Resilience Style FREE Quiz: https://www.thecalmingground.com/resilience-quiz

Podcast Episode on the Healing Power of Music (Episode 72): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/72-the-healing-power-of-music/id1704337948?i=1000689185340

Explore the Self-Care Membership: https://www.thecalmingground.com/calming-ground-membership-waitlist

Learn more about 1:1 Coaching: https://www.thecalmingground.com/inner-compass

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Share your reflection using #TheCalmingGround

If you found this episode supportive, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with a friend. Every bit of kindness helps this podcast reach more people who could use a moment of calm.

Have you ever woken up at 3 a.m. worrying about money - your chest tight, your mind racing, even if you’ve done everything 'right'? 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores why financial stress activates your fight-or-flight system, how to shift to an abundance mindset, 5 grounded strategies to work with money as energy (not just numbers), and how to gently soothe shame, comparison, or catastrophizing with practical self-compassion. Plus, she guides you through a short grounding practice to close the episode so you can reset your nervous system and reconnect to a sense of possibility, even in uncertain times.

Key Takeaways

• Thinking of money as energy can shift the way we relate to it. 
• Financial concerns often layer on top of other responsibilities (like caregiving, health, or career stress) amplifying the overall emotional load.
• An abundance mindset focuses on flow, gratitude, generosity, and alignment with your values. This does not mean ignoring limitations, but rather choosing a perspective of hope and agency.

Resources

Unlock Your Resilience Style FREE Quiz: https://www.thecalmingground.com/resilience-quiz

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Find us on IG & FB @thecalmingground

Visit The Calming Ground: http://www.thecalmingground.com

If you found this episode supportive, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with a friend. Every bit of kindness helps this podcast reach more people who could use a moment of calm.

Do you ever find yourself endlessly scrolling through bad news, feeling more and more stressed, anxious, or hopeless? You’re not alone. 

In today’s episode, host Elizabeth Mintun explores the impact of doomscrolling - that compulsive pull to stay plugged into a constant stream of alarming stories - and why our brains are wired to do it. She talks about what doomscrolling is and why it feels so hard to stop, how our nervous system responds to negative news, and offers practical ways to create boundaries for news and social media so that we can stay informed without being consumed. 

Elizabeth also shares inspiring examples of human goodness,  reminding us that even tiny acts of kindness can reconnect us to hope and resilience.

Key Takeaways

• Doomscrolling is designed to keep us engaged, not necessarily to keep us healthy
• Negative news activates our stress response and raises cortisol, leading to physical and mental impacts
• Small steps - like mindful time limits and trustworthy sources - can protect our peace
• Grounding practices and gratitude can help us re-center and reconnect to what is within our power

Resources

Unlock Your Resilience Style FREE Quiz: https://www.thecalmingground.com/resilience-quiz

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Find us on IG & FB @thecalmingground

Visit The Calming Ground: http://www.thecalmingground.com

Good News Network: goodnewsnetwork.org

On Being Episode: ​​https://onbeing.org/programs/david-bornstein-on-our-lives-with-the-news/

If you found this episode supportive, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with a friend. Every bit of kindness helps this podcast reach more people who could use a moment of calm.

So many of us enter midlife feeling like we’re fighting against our bodies - battling fatigue, physical changes, mood swings, and stress that seems to settle into our bones. But what if the answer isn’t to fight harder… but to listen more closely? 

In this episode, host Elizabeth Mintun is joined by Wendy Kleinke, a fitness and menopause coach. Wendy shares how tuning into your body’s changing needs - through strength training, nourishing nutrition, and stress resilience - can actually help you feel stronger, more balanced, and more at home in your body than ever before. In this conversation with Elizabeth, Wendy reminds us of the importance of the mind/body connection in life in general, and particularly when we’re facing life changes like perimenopause and menopause. 

Key takeaways

• Stress can take the form of physical stress, emotional stress, and chemical stress. 
• It’s best to introduce new habits and lifestyle changes slowly and allow yourself to adapt before adding more changes. 
• Often heavy cardio exercise isn’t the best fit for people and strength training can lead to more sustainable and healthier results. 

Resources

Visit The Calming Ground: http://www.thecalmingground.com

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

https://www.lifebeyondhormones.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@lifebeyondhormones

https://www.instagram.com/lifebeyondhormones/

https://www.facebook.com/lifebeyondhormones/

https://www.youtube.com/@lifebeyondhormones

What if going to the doctor feels just as scary as the diagnosis?If you’ve ever left an appointment feeling dismissed, anxious, or shaken…this episode is for you.

In this episode, Elizabeth is joined by a fellow therapist and EMDR practitioner Hannah Ciampini, who shares both professional insight and personal experience with chronic health challenges and the emotional toll of feeling dismissed or misunderstood by medical providers. Medical trauma is often overlooked. But for those living with chronic illness or having gone through invalidating or dismissive medical experiences, the emotional toll can be immense. Whether you're new to EMDR or simply looking for tools to feel safer in your body and in the exam room, this episode offers validation, education, and hope.

Key Takeaways

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can  help reprocess distressing memories stored in the body.
• Walking, humming, and bilateral tapping offer accessible forms of self-regulation.
• Common negative beliefs people carry into healthcare settings are ones like “I’m not safe” or “My body is broken.” These beliefs can shift.

Resources

Free Summer Reset Checklist: https://www.thecalmingground.com/summer-reset

Visit The Calming Ground: http://www.thecalmingground.com

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

https://www.hellocalmtherapy.com/

​​[email protected]

When the days get longer and the invitations stack up, it’s easy to overextend yourself and forget that “no” can be one of the most generous, self-honoring things you can say.

In this final episode of our summer mini-series, Elizabeth talks about boundaries - especially how to hold them in a heart-centered, grounded way during the expansive, often overwhelming season of summer. Elizabeth also offers a short reflective practice to identify where you might need a boundary and what it would feel like to honor it. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or simply someone feeling pulled in too many directions, this episode offers real talk and real tools to help you stay rooted - without guilt.

Key Takeaways

• A gentle mindset reframe: Boundaries aren’t rejection, they’re direction
• The 3 R’s of Rebuilding Rhythm: Remember, Reclaim, and Reset
• Each “no” is also a powerful “yes” to rest, sanity, and self-trust. You might ask yourself: “Where is my ‘yes’ costing me too much? And what boundary would bring me back to myself this season?”

Resources

🌿 Summertime Sanity Series

A 6-week private audio and coaching experience to help you stay centered and calm in the midst of summer busyness.Includes weekly 15-minute audio drops + a private Marco Polo support group.

Begins June 16th.

→ Join here: https://www.thecalmingground.com/summertime

Free Summer Reset Checklist: https://www.thecalmingground.com/summer-reset

Visit The Calming Ground: http://www.thecalmingground.com

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Summer says “lighten up,” but your heart feels heavy. What if you don’t need to match the season to belong in it?

In this heartfelt episode, Elizabeth Mintun explores the experience of emotional dissonance - the feeling that your inner world doesn't match the bright, cheerful energy summer often demands. This is the second episode in a special 3-part summer series, Staying Centered in Summer Busyness. Elizabeth talks about why emotional dissonance happens, how summer can stir up unexpected emotions like grief, burnout, and unmet needs, and most importantly - how to stay grounded and whole when your insides don’t match the outside.

Elizabeth reminds you that if you're navigating overwhelm, heaviness, or even loneliness while the world around you seems carefree and full of sunshine, you're not alone…and you're not doing it wrong. You'll also be guided through a gentle grounding practice to help you come home to yourself, wherever you are.

Key Takeaways

• Despite the cultural pressure to feel light, carefree, and energized during summer, many people experience emotional heaviness or inner struggle. Acknowledging this dissonance is the first step toward self-compassion.
• Suppressing or ignoring what feels heavy tends to amplify it. When you name your emotions - grief, overwhelm, uncertainty - it can sometimes create space for gentler responses and realignment with what you need.
• Simple rituals like connecting with nature, slowing down your pace, or creating sensory anchors can bring emotional steadiness. You don’t have to force lightness; you can gently return to your own rhythm.

Resources

Free Summer Reset Checklist: https://www.thecalmingground.com/summer-reset

Visit The Calming Ground: http://www.thecalmingground.com

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Summer is often painted as a season of ease, sunshine, and relaxation. But for many of us - especially those with caregiving roles, flexible work schedules, or families - it can feel like anything but chill. 

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun shares a candid reflection sparked by a conversation with her husband about their very different experiences of summer. She unpacks the hidden pressures, shifting routines, and internal dissonance that can come with this season. And offers gentle reminders that you are allowed to feel overwhelmed, even when the world says it's time to unwind. 

Whether your calendar is suddenly full, your routines have vanished, or your nervous system feels off-kilter, this episode is here to help you reclaim your summer rhythm and return to your center, without guilt or pressure.

Key Takeaways

• Seasonal expectations can clash with inner realities. Summer often feels busier (not calmer) than some of the other seasons. 
• Gentle mindset shifts and micro-practices can help you stay grounded. Anchor into what you need, not just what the season expects - even five minutes of calm can shift your energy.
• There is an early peek at a summer support offering: a 6-week audio course with a “Coach in Your Pocket” experience via Marco Polo

Resources

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

Visit The Calming Ground: http://www.thecalmingground.com

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun is joined by Carley Weissert, a self-love and body image coach for women, who helps her clients create peace with their bodies, find freedom with food, and dismantle the rules and beliefs that keep them stuck in cycles of shame, perfectionism, and restriction.

Carley shares her own transformational journey, from years of disordered eating and self-criticism to hitting her rock bottom. Through candid storytelling, she walks us through the moment she got “sick of herself” and how working with a coach opened the door to body peace and self-trust. Carley’s honesty, warmth, and lived experience make this episode a must-listen for anyone who’s ever struggled with their relationship to food, their body, or the internalized need to be "perfect."

Key Takeaways

• Inner-child and - especially - inner teen work can uncover hidden beliefs that could be significantly contributing to body image issues. 
• Self-compassion, including common humanity (the idea that we’re not alone) is a key component of healing body image struggles. 
• Shame keeps us silent, and bringing our shame into the light is one of the first steps to healing. 

🎧 Quotable Moments 

“Your body has always been your friend. You just have to come back to her.”

“Body peace isn’t a destination. It’s a daily practice.”

“You’re not here to be small and perfect. You’re here to live your life.”

Resources

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

Contact Elizabeth: [email protected]

Visit Carley’s website: https://www.carleyweissert.com/

Find Carley on IG: https://www.instagram.com/carleyweissert/

Take the Quiz: Food Freedom + Body Love Quiz

Join Carley’s Free Body Peace Boost Challenge: Body Peace Boost Challenge

Is luck something that simply happens to us, or can we actually influence how lucky we are?

In this episode, Elizabeth Mintun draws on insights from psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman’s decade-long study on the nature of luck. She explores how lucky people think, act, and respond to life differently - and how you might do the same. Elizabeth also shares a personal story from her winding career path that illustrates how what can look like “bad luck” might really be a redirection in disguise.

Key Takeaways: 

• Research has shown that our brains filter our perception of opportunities that come our way (confirmation and negativity bias). 
• Openness, emotional flexibility, and mindfulness can possibly increase your chances of “lucky breaks”.
• Different cultures offer unique perspectives on luck, from qi and harmony to being in right relationship with the natural world. 
• A practice for the next week could be to approach each day as if something beautiful is about to happen. Stay open, follow a nudge, say yes to a gentle stretch, and see what unfolds.

Resources

Learn more or inquire about Inner Compass Coaching: www.thecalmingground.com

💌 Contact Elizabeth directly: [email protected]

🎧 Like this episode? Share it with a friend or leave a review - it helps this work reach more hearts and minds.

Learn more about Dr. Richard Wiseman’s research at richardwiseman.com