Wellness Podcast

In this week's episode, I talk about my introvert (manager) burnout, give examples of what I mean and how I am feeling right now, and give 6 tips to help manage this burnout. While I am a department chair/middle manager, this advice works for all introverts who are feeling exhausted/burned out right now from too many meetings, events, etc., at work, at home, wherever. Advice includes taking breaks from people, not checking your email during down time, scheduling one-on-one meetings instead of larger group meetings, turning off your screen or minimizing the faces in Zoom meetings (or just meeting in person instead when possible), etc. At the end, I give advice for recharging and action item: pick one of these pieces of advice that you think might work for you and try it out!

In this episode, I talk about six strategies that work for anyone, whether it's the end of the school year for you, for your kids (Maycember anyone?), or just a hectic time for any reason. 1) Build in time for breaks, even super short ones. Maybe re-think what a "break" is (folding laundry and listening to podcasts?). 2) Make a schedule plan that you can actually follow. Maybe undersell yourself (write down 5 things on your list instead of 10 at least sometimes- I promise, it feels great)! 3) Forgive yourself when things take 2x as long as you thought. (Also, maybe it means you really do need a rest). 4) Do not let sleep slide. If you have to, let cleaning or laundry or something else slide, but not sleep. I promise, it will make everything worse if you don't sleep. 5) Let your people know you are going through a tough time and ask for help! You might just be pleasantly surprised. 6) Come up with a plan for when you are "done" with the hectic time and make yourself take a day off or rest in some real way. For me, I need my plan to be vague or my "senioritis" will get even worse, but it's up to you. Put it in your calendar if it helps you focus! Good luck!

This week, I thought about what I wanted my college students to hear at this time of the semester (about a month left until summer) and it is this: move your body! I talk about 3 tips to get you started moving your body and to remove barriers to exercising every day. 1) Lower the bar to starting as much as possible- just aim for 5 or 15 or even 2 minutes a day if that is all you have, and remember that any amount of exercise is better than nothing. 2) Pick something that you actually like- in terms of location (at home, at a gym, outside), in terms of solo vs with others (yoga class, etc.) and the type of exercise- walking, running, swimming, biking, weightlifting, etc. Why do we always think we have to hate exercise for it to work? 3) Come up with a good reason (for you) to exercise (more energy, to be stronger, to complete your stress cycle etc.) and write it on a post-it note for motivation! Action item: write your post it note, leave your gym shoes by the front door and get moving!

In this week's episode, I talk about the best way I've ever learned to start a difficult project (writing an academic paper for example), pick up a habit I've been wanting to start (like weightlifting), or just get an annoying daily task done (think laundry or checking the mail). It's to "lower the bar." Also called "just open the document" by Dr. Cathy Mazak, the key here is to make the initiation of a task/project so simple that you almost can't NOT do it. This trick is great for everyone but particularly neurodivergent folks who have trouble with executive functioning/task initiation (like those with ADHD). Similar ideas have been suggested by Gretchen Rubin (anything you can do in 1 minute or less always do now) and James Clear of Atomic Habits (2 minutes a day to start a new habit). I talk about some of my own examples of ways I've started new habits, completed big projects, or just gotten myself to start folding that pile of laundry, all in just 2-5 minutes. Action item: pick one thing you'd like to try this trick on and find an amount of time/way to set the bar low enough that you can start!

In this week's episode, for the first time since week 8, I touch on mindfulness again and being in the moment. I talk about focusing on being in the moment for good things, bringing calm and giving time to our kids (or pets, or friends, or to watching the trees and the flowers and the rain or whatever is going on in the physical world around you). I talk about trying to find just a few moments each day where you put down your phone and really focus on where you are and how you feel in any given moment, noting positive things but also tightness in your chest or other signs your body is showing you. I talk about how what we do with each individual moment of our lives becomes what our lives were about, and so sometimes just trying to live in this exact moment can really make our lives happier overall. Action item: just take a few moments each day this week to pause, see how you feel (even if there are negative emotions there, that's OK too) and pay attention to where you are in the world, who is around you, and what you are doing! Easy peasy, right? (And also impossible).

In this follow-up episode to my episode #50 from 5 years ago, I discuss the necessity of slowing down from time to time. This week, I was forced to slow down, because as I've said many times on this podcast, since I didn't slow myself down, my body did for me- by getting me sick! I give examples from media, including Parks and Rec (a TV show from the early 2000's) and Kiki's Delivery Service (an old Hayao Miyazaki movie from the 80's) and from my own life, of my kid learning to tie his shoes after going to sleep one night, about the necessity of just slowing it down sometimes. In all these cases, slowing down/stopping what they were trying to do led them to 1) be more productive (in the case of Leslie Knope) and come up with 10,000 ideas, 2) learn to tie his shoes (in the case of my son) overnight while sleeping and 3) re-teach herself how to literally fly (on a broom) for Kiki the witch in Kiki's Delivery Service! Action item: in whatever big or small way you can, give yourself a rest this week. Read a book and drink a cup of tea for 15 minutes, listen to a song and dance in your kitchen, take a sick day or a week off (if you have spring break) or just go to bed early and don't get that last work thing or those dishes washed one time. Whatever you have the capacity to do, big or small, will help you to remember that this, right now, is your life. Don't let it pass you by! See you all back here in 2 weeks after I take a short break as well!

In this week's episode, I talk about 2 ways that we deal with our emotions (from Brene Brown's work): 1) processing and 2) perseverating. Basically, processing is when we acknowledge and address our emotions constructively, either by working to resolve an issue or accepting something that has happened to us. Perseverating is when we find ourselves in what I like to call a "feelings loop" where we are just going around and around in circles witout actually resolving anything. Perseverating also often makes us feel worse/makes our emotions stronger without fixing anything. I give some examples of these from my own life, and the action item for this week is to pay attention to whether your emotions are in the processing or perseverating camp. If you notice that you are perseverating (also called ruminating), maybe set yourself up with a "worry" time (or just time to feel that feeling and ideally write it down) once a day and then if you start to think about the thing at other times, remind yourself about your one time a day and try to let it go until then.

In this week's episode, I talk about my adventures in weightlifting in 2026! I explain why I decided to start weightlifting (to alleviate some neck and shoulder pain and stop taking so much Advil each week- it worked!) and how (lots of YouTube videos and Googling and starting out SLOWLY which for me was just 1 rep of 10 with 5 pound weights). I also mention Peter Attia's book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, which I am reading right now, which also has helped me to understsand the importance of weightlifting along with cardio for long term strength as we age. Action item: just start lifting weights! Even just 1-2 pounds a couple of times a week for a few minutes can really make a difference and can help you to be able to lift your grandkids, continue hiking/skiing/whatever you like to do as you age! Think of 100 year-old you and get to lifting!

In this week's episode, I talk a bit about my own history with anger, as a half-Italian whose family of origin is somewhat quick to anger. I talk about how during the pandemic I started meditating to yell at my kids less but then found myself not getting "good and angry" when things happened that actually required me to be angry. I talk about being angry at the appropriate level-that is, matching the situation to my anger and not screaming at someone for cutting me off in traffic- as long as they aren't endangering myself or my family, etc. (That's a 1 or 2 on a 10-point scale) But also, if my kids are running into the street to an oncoming car (probably a 10), that is the time to yell and jump in there and grab them. Action item: pay attention to your anger this week and try to match your level of anger to the situation. If the situation requires a 1 then give it a 1. But if the situation requires a 10, then be sure to give it a 10. The necessary part of anger is that if we don't get angry when it is required, we often can't get ourselves out of bad or scary situations, and sometimes we find ourselves being "walked all over," as they say. Have a great week!

In this week's episode, I talk about the difference between being happy in your life (experiencing positive emotions on a daily basis) and being happy with your life (a more general sense of life satisfaction, fulfillment and purpose). I give examples of each and talk about how it is best to try to balance the two. Action item: my action item depended on if you are working on happiness in your life (focus on delights, consider meditation, keep a list of things you are grateful for) vs focusing on happiness with your life (think about "future you," keep a 5-year plan and go back to it every once in a while, plan adventures or for a career change, etc.).