The Health of the People

I am finally beginning to understand the intensity of the impact that the last three years has had on me, and am feeling just how deep the burnout really is. Join me as I reflect on all of that, and find out what I discovered in a flock of birds dancing over the lake.

Have you ever heard of liminal spaces? I haven't been able to stop thinking about them and the miracles that can be found when we are in that shaky and uncertain space of the in between.

Our bodies have a really cool way of communicating with us, and when we don't listen, it finds another way.  Of course, it is MUCH easier to decode these experiences from the outside.  But last week I noticed something about my hips and this nagging feeling of instability that has been following me around lately.

I had an unexpected trip to the vet with Chloe tonight, so please enjoy this Replay Reminder of I've Got 99 Problems and My Closet is One. 

When the feels get too big, I tend to go into an "all or nothing" mode with my emotions.  Ok, lets be real, I am all or nothing with most things in my life.  And over the years, I have discovered ways to interrupt the cycle from detached to overwhelm and back again.  That's what I'm rambling about today.

When you hear the phrase "gut feelings", what comes to mind?  My mind went in a myriad of directions with it.  Join me as I peel back the layers and discuss different connotations of our gut feelings.

What does learning a dance routine have to do with your weekly weigh-in?  Maybe the similarities will surprise you as much as they did me. 

It's my birthday, and I had a pretty great realization today.  I can't wait to share it with you. 

I don't know about you, but I grew up believing that if you had a job, you had people relying on you.  No matter what, you couldn't let them down.  So I would push through all kinds of sicknesses and injuries, because there was a job to be done and it was my obligation to be there... No matter what.  Sound familiar?  Today, I saw the impact that belief still has on me today, and recognized the unworkability of ignoring a request from our bodies. 

If I could scream it from the rafters, if I could wave my magic wand, if I could somehow implant this knowledge into the hearts and minds of every human being, and ESPECIALLY every medical professional, I would say "it's time to take the morality out of food".  AKA: A bit of a rant on our culture of body shaming and fat bias.

Today I found my survival trigger pushed, and my anxiety loop threatened to engage.  And then I remembered the prompt I released last week for Manifest 2023, and that shifted everything. 

Haven't signed up yet?  You can do that for free on acuwellwi.com!

Today, I'm sharing a little more about my trip to Panama and what there was to be learned from catching an infectious disease in a foreign land.  Spoiler: I did make it out alive. 

Ok, so I meant this to be a quick update, and then ended up getting so excited about everything that I have to tell you, that it's a full one.  I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU!

I am still reeling from the recent rulings of the SCOTUS when I learned about another tragedy too close to home.  I need time to process and grieve. 

We made it to 100 episodes!  Here's all the fun and exciting things we have to celebrate! And also BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Woo!

I've been sorting through some of the amazing work I did back at the beginning of 2020, and I found this gem.  Boy, am I excited to share this with you!  Join in and play along as I kick off the Empowerment Series as we talk about taking inventory and getting clear with where we stand. If you decide to follow along with the exercise, choose one, some or ALL of the prompts to examine for yourself.

I've been examining areas where I feel like I'm not enough, and practicing letting that go.  Want to see what the process has been like for me?  Tune in, and let me know if there are areas where you've got "too much not enough".

A LOT of life has happened since we were last together, and some circumstances that were beyond my control got me thinking.  When things are happening that are beyond my control, how can I apply those three little letters in ASK?

It is crunch time prepping for my next doctoral residency week IN PERSON!!!! It's been over two years since I've gotten to see my friends and be on campus in Austin.  I can't wait to get back, and I have. SO. MUCH. WORK. to do to get there.  So I'm taking a quick pause, and when we come back, we will be celebrating our TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Catch you on the other side!

TW: I'm talking about disordered eating, so if you need to sit this one out, please take care of you.  

I got myself a new gadget to measure my metabolic flexibility, and I have gained a whole new understanding of the impact of food.  Check it out!

We did the spring-forward with our clocks and my whole internal clock is off, so let's take a listen back and ask ourselves "Am I cheating on me?"

I got stuck in a pantry rabbit hole and didn't realize it until today.  Instead of exerting energy on make-wrong, I am looking at how we can embrace our individuality when it comes to organizing our worlds.

I used to make myself all kinds of wrong when the "I-don't-wannas" showed up.  It was pretty refreshing to notice what was driving the car when they showed up today.

I just hit a milestone in my doctoral program, and it has me thinking about everything that has gotten me to here.

I've been dealing with a bit of a non-covid virus, so I'm taking this week off.  Please enjoy this replay reminder of Leaning Into the Tug of More while I recoup!

I just turned 41, and have been reflecting on the last year while I look to the year ahead.  Join me as I talk about what I plan on my 41st year having in store, and the goal crushing steps that will get me there!

I have had a little fever off and on since last week, and it's got me thinking... Why did it take a global pandemic for us to give ourselves permission to be sick?  Join me as I unravel how I learned to just push through illness, and how tiny paintings have been helping me heal. 

I got caught up playing in the kitchen and lost track of time.  Oops!  But my poor planning is a great opportunity to catch up on this oldie but goodie, When You Wish Upon a Thai Constellation. 

Every year, I come up with a word that is my over-arching theme throughout.  Join me as I look at how "failing" at my detox got me connected to something deeper when I began exploring how my word of the year fit in. 

I'm on day two of a detox, and ALLLLLLL I could think about this morning was my favorite restaurant's meatball sub.... the same restaurant where I had lunch plans today.  Did I stick to the plan?  Did I give in to temptation? Tune in as I explore what it looks like to cheat on ourselves.

I got my covid booster and am feeling a little under the weather, so in the spirit of the pivot, please enjoy this reminder of a return to being.  

We've made it through another Covid Christmas. I shoved all of my difficult emotions all the way away until last night when they came crashing down.  Join me as I explore the ways ignoring an imbalance in one of our pillars can have a domino effect on the others.   

A childhood dream of mine was almost thwarted this weekend, and it has me looking at ways that we learned to deal with difficult emotions.  Join me as I explore our how our relationship to our inner child is related to our five pillars of well-being, and how we can start shifting our unconscious coping strategies from our childhood.

A funny thing happens when you start disconnecting from all the noise of the world for four minutes a day.  Come explore with me as I look at where and how I've taken on letting go of the anchor, embracing where I am, and aiming for the future. 

What the heck is body stirring, and what does it have to do with stuck ribs?  Join me this week as we begin to take a deeper dive into the Five Pillars, and look at some real life ways to take stock of your well-being.

I'm back! I couldn't wait til next week, so we're getting right back at it, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to go!  Join me as we take a cursory glance at the Five Pillars of Well-being, and how they can be used to bring balance to your life. 

I have a killer headache today, so I'm taking a self care break.  This is one of my favorite conversations about anxiety! Take a listen.

I meant to go to the grocery store yesterday, but I was so exhausted I ended up taking a two hour nap instead.  No big deal, but the little impact it had on the week opened my eyes up to a bigger picture.  Check it out. 

The past six weeks have been kind of a whirlwind of processing old traumas and dealing with new.  Yay for healing.  And then, last week, in the middle of an active trauma response, I posted a TikTok video that went viral.  Here's one of the things I learned from the experience of TikToking while also trauma-ing.

Well, I recorded a new episode, but it seems that it is not uploading.  So let's revisit a conversation from the beginning of August about finding balance between all or nothing.

I ordered myself a kind of rare and exotic houseplant..... and it's not doing so great.  Listen in as I unravel the yarn ball around the emotions that came up around... yup... a houseplant.  

Today marks one year since the shooting of Jacob Blake started a cascade of events that left Kenosha and the nation shaken.  In light of that, today we are revisiting a conversation I had last year with Dr. Obehi Okojie about the global crisis of racism. 

I had an elegant summer picnic and it filled me with existential dread. Oh boy! I'm really proud of myself for not swearing in this one.  

I've been exploring the edges of my All or Nothing, and I'm discovering opportunities all around!

Remember all the way back to the beginning of 2021 when we chose a word for the year?  How's that been going for you? 

Have you ever had a thing looming ahead of you, and you were like, all nervous and anxious about it, and then you got there and you were like "Oh, wow.  That was actually really good, and I just discovered things about myself."?

Are you suffering from B.O.?  You know, Burn Out.  I know I have been riding the edge of empty lately.  This week, one of my friends made a comment that shifted my perspective and I gave myself permission to take an actual day off! Guess what I discovered?  Listen to find out!

Sometimes, I will tell myself that I need to clean the fridge and next thing I know, I'm sorting through old boxes of stuff that seem to be totally unrelated.  Other times, I'll tell myself that I need to get back into a routine with my exercise, but I don't have a clear structure in place and then nothing happens.  Join me as I wander through the exploration of the All or Nothing trap, and discover ways to interrupt that pattern. 

Having the opportunity to explore what was bubbling up last week gave me the space to examine the threads of my anxiety more closely.  Here's what I discovered for myself.

I have been having a nasty case of the feels, and it all started to make more sense after a conversation with a friend and reflecting on it all today.

A long time ago, someone told me that I was needy, and I believed them.  Join me as I discover something new about the context that we put on ourselves out of an impulsive decision to buy a chocolate cake. 

I attended an amazing workshop and conference last week where we spent some time practicing being present.  Some pretty amazing things have begun to shift and open up as I practice returning to "be-ing".

I had every intention to talk about food prep tonight, but apparently, I needed to tell you about a crack in my shell instead.  

I don't know about you, but my apartment has been looking a little... post-apocalyptic lately.  Join me as I share about my Cleancation and the thing I discovered about the tug of more. 

Season 2 is here and I have a migraine!  Wooo.  Join me on a rambly journey exploring what a detox is, how the word gets thrown around too much, and when to take one on.  I know I'll be doing one soon, cause I have been doing some pretoxing lately.  And words are harder with a migraine. 

It's our anniversary! We have been doing this jig for a whole dang year, y'all!  Join me as I sing a little song, reflect on how far we've come, and start looking ahead to season twooooo! 

Y'all, it has been a very, VERY long residency week, and to top it off, Gadget is sick.  I am admitting to myself that I am exhausted and worried.  What a perfect time to remind me that it is okay to be not okay.  

I had a really terrible dream the other night that made me realize how much I've been wanting to be hopeful, but how scary it feels to hope again.  And then I was asked to speak to a group of business students and somehow hope isn't so scary anymore.  

Tonight, I'm angry about the dramatic rise in anti-Asian hate crimes we've been seeing.  Listen in as I awkwardly stumble through this uncomfortable conversation, and join me in looking at actions to take to interrupt the racism that is all around us in America.  

Resources:

https://www.thesolidaritylibrary.org/

https://kateaslater.com/antiracist-roadmap

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_keys_to_everyday_anti_racism

https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch

I found myself wishing (ok, complaining) to myself that I just needed more time to myself, and then my whole schedule fell apart.  Join me as I pull apart the discovery of what is possible when you mind the things you ask for.  

I had a moment this morning where I realized I've turned a corner, and then the sky cracked open and I saw an opportunity to practice having a little grace for my humanity.

There are sooooooooooooooo many things that I want to do and so many experiences that I want to have.  I've gotten pretty good at saying "no" to the things that just don't work for me, but..... saying no to something that I want?  That's gonna take some continual practice. 

Today's conversation is longer than normal, but you won't want to miss out on this. 

On August 23rd, 2020, Kenosha was thrust into the global and national spotlight after Jacob Blake was shot seven times by a Kenosha police officer.  Koerri Elijah was there live-streaming it all for tens of thousands of people watching his feed from his skateboard.  

Join me as I have a conversation with this every-day guy about self-care, community activism, experiencing trauma, and the impact of being Kenosha's sneakers on the ground.  

I'm on the cusp of 40, my responsibilities and accountabilities are expanding, and I am massively sleep deprived tonight.  Join me as I stumble through my insomnolent thoughts on the experience of stepping outside of your container. 

Who remembers waking up on a Saturday morning, running downstairs to pour a huge bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Lucky Charms and zoning out in front of Saturday morning cartoons for hours?  There is something about the nostalgia of that memory that we still seek out as adults when difficult emotions come up.  Join me as I look at how we can feed our inner child while still honoring and nourishing our adult bodies. 

I got the first dose of the Moderna vaccine last week, and I am sharing with you my thought process into choosing to get it as well as my experiences since!

Just finishing up my doctoral residency week, and I can not sit at this computer for one second longer, so please enjoy this re-visitation of My Evil Twin Wants a Cookie. 

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is making an announcement soon, and it seems like all of Kenosha is holding its breath.  When you don't know what's coming, how can you prepare?  Today, we are looking at some of the steps to take to be as ready as you can as we head into the unknown.

Another thing happened that turned a big ole' spotlight on the places trauma stands in the way, and on practices to engage in to stand for the things that really matter. 

Today we're revisiting episode 29, where we talk about self-care in unexpected times. 

So, my therapist and I kind of got into a fight last week, but as I've been sorting through and processing "what's so", there have been some surprising lessons to discover along the way.

After I realized that I wasn't honoring my word to myself, I spent some time journaling about the dread I was experiencing when I think about the upcoming isolation of winter.  And out of the pages of my journaling, I may have just created the most nourishing eleven-week opportunity for myself.  Wanna join me?

I have not been keeping my word to myself, and in today's episode, I'm talking through some of the breakdowns I've experienced and the lessons along the way.

My doctoral residency week is coming up, and because I love putting all the pressure on myself to be perfect in the middle of an active trauma response, I triggered a panic attack on Friday.  Which gave me the perfect opportunity to discover something about the four R's. 

Technical difficulties tonight, folks, so let's revisit this conversation from the summer where we're exploring that magic question that could transform it all. 

In 2020, we've faced a LOT of unexpected challenges.  We've been forced to think outside the box, and that includes self-care.  

I'm starting to unwind a little from the trauma response I've been swept up in, and I am beginning to discover how nail polish, yarn, and naps all helped me get through some of the physiological response to trauma. 

Truth be told, you guys.  I am toast.  I am wiped.  I have not been sleeping well since that young man was murdered on my block last week.  So we are revisiting and reminding ourselves of how to discover what our lives are really for.

In this episode, I'm processing something kind of scary that I saw the other day.  This episode may not be appropriate for all audiences, and listener discretion is advised.  I stumbled upon a crime scene close to home, and today, I am just being in the trauma response and exploring what is available in being present to all of it.  

I finished 75 Hard!  Tune in as I share the unexpected benefits of committing to honoring my word to myself for 75 days.  

As we enter yet another joy-tastic month of 2020, maybe it's time to start reflecting upon all the little golden nuggets that have come as well.

My tiny little hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin has made international headlines, but not in a good way.  In the wake of the Kenosha Police shooting of Jacob Blake, I have had an opportunity to really begin to discover my commUNITY, and I have rediscovered what my life is for.  

Seeing as we had tornados and what-not during the time I had scheduled to record..... Today we're revisiting episode 14 and my AMAZING conversation with Dr. Obehi Okojie as we talk about the global health crisis of racism.

Ever wonder why your stomach aches when you're stressed out, or why that nagging pain in your shoulders just won't go away?  Maybe your body is trying to tell you something, and you just need to hire an interpreter to translate.  

Do you have a big goal that you're working towards?  Does it ever seem like you're not making progress towards that goal?  Do you get frustrated when it seems like you aren't making progress?  Do you quit when you're frustrated?  Do you get the feeling that "you" really is "me" in this conversation?

A while ago, we talked about the opportunities available in the things that we complain about.  In this episode, we take a deeper look at shifting towards solutions by asking ourselves a secret, magical question. 

After recording tonight's episode multiple times, only to have it vanish into the dark misty darkness of the interwebs yet again..... we are reminding ourselves about the illusion of control with a replay of Episode 15.  Hopefully everything will be straightened out in time to release next week's episode... because this subject is just so good!

You know me.  I make 100% PERFECT choices when it comes to pursuing my Wellness Warrior journey.  I make ALL the right choices with my diet, and I listen to exactly everything my body needs with grace and compassion and joy....  But my evil twin, on the other hand......... well, she likes to come around and mess everything up.

If I've learned nothing else from the outbreak of a global pandemic, it is clear that as much as I think I'm in control of everything, that is not exactly the case.

Have you noticed that there are certain things in your life that you complain about and they never seem to shift or change?  What if we shifted the context of our complaints and looked for the hidden treasures within?  In this week's episode, we're talking about how negative thinking has helped us survive, and taking a look at how we might shift our perspective to shift our complaints into solutions.

Are you ready to join the Wellness Warrior's movement?  Become a listener supporter today for exclusive perks!  Visit https://anchor.fm/thehealthofthepeople and click the "Support" button today, and let's keep this conversation going!

In this episode, I introduce Chloe and her favorite toy.  Also, we look at the spleen and talk about mental chewing.

The Safer at Home has lifted in Wisconsin, and the Long Pause is bringing out my inner two year old and my inner cat lady.  

In episode nine, it's Mother's Day and it feels like this stay at home order is going to go on forever.  So I'm turning to my new solution to the threatening gloom and reminding my patient... er... myself to keep things slow and steady.

Ever ask yourself "Why am I doing this?", or "Why does this matter?"  In this episode, I'm starting to look at the different sides of the question of "What does this provide me?" and I am getting clear on my why.

In episode SEVEN!!!! I've been rebuilding some foundational health stuff and I go off on a little of a tangent about how broken our food is.  

In this episode, we are starting to explore what it is to be a #WellnessWarrior, and how to prioritize the five pillars of wellness in life. 

My closet fell and it has me confronting some of my apparent control issues.  Listen in as I sort through the unexpected discovery from the experience.  

Today I am looking at how I've been using "I'm Busy" as an opportunity to look good, avoid confronting some stuff, and keeping me from really engaging fully.  Instead of being busy, maybe mindfulness can come out to play.  

In episode three of Health of the People, I am looking at what happened when someone told me my body was disgusting and when someone else told me that I have fat ankles.

Today we are taking a look into the idea of coping mechanisms and what they could be telling us about what our underlying physical or emotional needs really are.

It's been really easy to wear that badge of being "SO BUSY" as an excuse to not do the things that I say really matter.  In this very first episode, I am getting really straight with myself about some of the areas of my health that I've been telling myself I'm "too busy" to do.  And I am inviting YOU to join me as I begin to explore what it means to be a Wellness Warrior for The Health of The People.