Extraordinary Strides
Welcome to Extraordinary Strides, the podcast that celebrates the spirit of running and the inspiring stories of those who lace up their shoes and hit the pavement.
Here, we dive into the heart of what makes running an extraordinary adventure.
Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just starting out, Extraordinary Strides is your go-to source for expert tips, motivational stories, and the camaraderie of the running community.
Our episodes feature seasoned runners, coaches, and everyday athletes sharing their triumphs, challenges, and the joy they find in every run.
Join us for casual, uplifting conversations that will leave you excited to put on your running shoes and hit the road. We believe that every run, no matter the distance, is a step towards something greater.
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At Extraordinary Strides, we're here to inspire, motivate, and celebrate with you every step of the way!
Extraordinary Strides
Boost Your Mood: A Journey into Mental Health and Neuroplasticity
Have you ever found yourself wondering about the mysterious inner workings of your brain and how it can influence your mental health? Imagine if you could tap into that power, harness it, and channel it to uplift your mood and overall mental wellbeing.
Welcome to our enlightening and empowering conversation around mental health awareness, in honor of World Mental Health Day.
We'll take you on an explorative journey through the history of this day and its significance, the role of physical exercise in boosting mood, and the importance of mental health as a fundamental human right.
The conversation doesn't stop there. We venture into the intricate mechanisms of our brains, discussing neuroplasticity and how we can leverage it for better mental health, especially for women as they age.
Want to learn more and join The GlowGetter Guild, home of the PeriGlow Posse and MenoGlow Mavens? Read here >>
We debunk some myths about exercising during pregnancy and discuss how our daily activities, nutritional habits, and sleep patterns can influence our mental health.
Want to learn more about perinatal and postnatal best practices while conectiong with other Moms on the Move? Read here >>
Ever heard of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis? We've got you covered and reveal how simple activities like walking your pet or checking the mailbox can contribute to maintaining or losing weight.
Finally, we shed light on the therapeutic potential of music and its relation to EMDR therapy, the importance of self-care habits, and the power of advocating for mental health.
We discuss the benefits of yoga, journaling, and the right nutrition to boost your mood. After all, who wouldn't want a delicious recipe that not only satiates your hunger but also boosts your mood?
So, whether you're on the run or folding laundry, we invite you to join us for this insightful and light-hearted conversation. Let's break the stigma surrounding mental health together because mental health matters, every day.
Disclaimer: The information provided in these blogs is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical or mental health advice. We are not mental health professionals. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health challenges, it is important to seek help from a qualified therapist, counselor, or medical professional.
If in crisis, please reach out to988lifeline.org
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Hey friends, coach Shelby and Coach Christine, welcoming you in and letting you know it's time for brunch. We're here at brunch. There's always an open table, a hot cup of coffee, an endless fun to keep you moving and grooving, no matter if you are getting some movement in or maybe tending to that to-do list. We are excited to have you here and this long brunch we're tackling everything with a side of smiles, some real talk, because you know it is World Mental Health Day, coming on October 10th, and here at brunch we are passionate about making sure that we continue to break down the stigma and talk about how we need to take care of ourselves mind, body and soul. So it felt like the appropriate time to shed some extra light. And, just like you, can't run before you walk, there is no healthy life without a mental health awareness. So we are dedicated to giving you all the good information and, coach Christine, we talk about this a lot within our training groups, a lot with our one-on-one athletes, but I don't feel like we can ever really talk about it enough.
Speaker 2:I agree, and I also think that in putting this together, this is a little bit of our love languages with folks and really connecting the benefits of the physical movement in their days and how just adding in little segments of what we call exercise confetti, or even like how to tackle those harder effort runs and how it boosts beyond what so many of us are motivated by, which sometimes is a scale or even finish lines, this goes really past all of that and helping us live the best we can every single day.
Speaker 2:So this is very near and dear to both of our hearts for very specific reasons, but we are absolutely excited to get this show on the road officially. So thanks everyone for joining us in and bear with us, because we know sometimes you're like, ah, mental health, I don't want to talk about mental health, I just want to go out and have a good time. We're going to have so much jam packed information in this episode that it's going to help put a little extra pep in your stuff or at least give you some really good reasons behind why you should tackle some extra movement throughout your day. So just buckle up, buttercup, because we're in for a good time.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. And again, mental health doesn't have to always be a heavy conversation. Well, yes, it is not always the most fun to talk about. There are so many tips and tidbits and a little bit of that calm within that mental storm. So I'm so happy you said that, coach Christine, because it really is something that out of the gate know that this is not going to be super heavy, it's going to be uplifting.
Speaker 2:But you know what we do around here. We keep, we keep our brunch talk a little lighter, but it's still going to be jam packed of some assessments. That's going to keep you satisfied as you get into your day. However, you're listening to us, whether you're out on the run already and already boosting that brain health, or because you are holding laundry which I've been called out about, by the way, coach Shelby, recently somebody said that to me. They're like oh, you don't have to worry about just having one shirt in that color, because you do laundry every day anyway. I'm like that's true.
Speaker 1:But now I got confused. At first because mental health awareness month is in May, but October 10th every year marks World Mental Health Day and the history behind it. It was officially recognized in 1992, one of the best years ever, if I do say so myself, because hello, I welcomed into the world. But coming in 1994, each day every year is actually themed which I didn't know about, which I mean talk about great marketing, but I really think that that's a pretty cool little tidbit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, we can't refuse a good theme around these here parts, so I totally, totally get behind that. But what I love is that the theming is that what it does is that mental health is such a broad topic and what they do with their theme is that they allow us to kind of almost have like one pathway to spend some time and energy and focus on. And I think 2023 is absolutely the best theme Many of all that they've had, because it is that mental health is a universal human right. And can I get an amen? It is Amen. Hopefully you guys are out there getting an amen and as well. It truly is.
Speaker 2:I think that one of the things that I feel very much gratitude toward every single day is that when we talk about, like the mazo hierarchy of needs and where I am in my life, that I have the opportunity to spend more time in some of the things that we're going to talk about here, or that I even have the opportunity to be able to have this kind of conversation, which is why we're so passionate about this specific platform and why thank you again to our Brunch Plus community for helping to support us with this, because we want to make sure that it is a universal human right that, no matter where people are at, they can access us, whether it's a browser from their local library or because they have a cell phone that they're able to get this podcast. We want to make sure that everyone has resources available to them, so this is a wonderful opportunity to definitely make sure that we realize that it is almost a privilege to have these discussions, but it shouldn't be.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and you know we've again talking about being fortunate. We've had the founder of Stil I Run, sasha Wolfe, on the show before and hearing her journey, as well as so many of the guests and the athletes that we've had on the commons thread through all of their stories and at some point mental health has played a role in their lives, in their movement, in their running, and I mean we're even seeing that, with the elites becoming a lot more transparent about the ups and downs that they go through. So it goes to show, the more we do talk about it, well, it's still a little uncomfortable, if I'm being honest, because it is something that you never know how somebody's going to react. It is becoming more acceptable and more of a norm and, in all honesty, especially as we talk about post pandemic life, I don't know of many, many people that don't have some form of anxiety, depression or some some thing that needs to be tended to specifically with their mental health.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that what the pandemic did, is it?
Speaker 2:Wow?
Speaker 2:I definitely don't want to get into like a social topic, but because it did close down so many different aspects of life, we kind of were having to reconcile with where we were at a mental health standpoint, where prior to that, we could busy our days and maybe put it on the back burner or maybe not even put it on the grocery shopping list whatsoever.
Speaker 2:So it is a great opportunity and I think that that's my biggest takeaway from the silver lining, if you will, of that time period in our history is that it did really allow us to highlight that, yeah, there's, we're all going to go through these periods of lives where there may be some factor of mental health or that we may need to seek the help and services of a therapist or a psychiatrist. There's really nothing wrong with it. So I do love I know you love your elites. What I love about your elites is that they're willing to use our platforms to really advocate for that, because that is so important to hear like, hey, if they're going through it, then it's okay. It's, it gives permission in a lot of ways. We kind of need that.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and one of those where I've made it a pretty poignant part of my life, specifically when it comes to pre and postnatal individuals. I've not been afraid to share kind of what I went through mentally during pregnancy, after pregnancy. All of that because, again, talk about somewhere that a lot of shame is put on mothers expecting that we should be happy, we should be the best parts of our life. This is amazing. You're creating a human when it's a lot and I didn't feel like. That was a conversation that I had during my pregnancy and after, and it was something that I learned about more as I went through that journey. So it it's something that I feel very drawn to with my athletes, with my friends, with anybody, to not come from a scaring mindset, but more of like hey, just so we are aware we're on the same page and we know how these shouldn't surprise us if we do have some mental health tendencies coming up.
Speaker 2:So there's two things that come to mind, and you know that I'm very action-oriented in just how I tackle things, but one of the things that comes to mind is that I have to put a face to the fear. For me, it's like I don't want to hear a ghost story, unless if I know what the ghost is gonna look like, because just knowing that helps me to feel a bit more prepared, and I think that that's what that allows when you open up the conversations of hey, maybe this might happen to you, maybe this might not, but it's good to just be aware that it's a possibility and that it's okay and that it's normal and that you have other people that are there to support and encourage you. Same with me on my side, where I'm going into paramedipause and it's been quite the roll of code throughout the time and getting to chat with my friends, and then, of course, where I recently got the menopause special test and be able to kind of like disseminate some of this information to folks and hearing that, oh my gosh, that's it. Like you put, like you actually put words to it, and I didn't realize this was part of it. And one of the things that comes to mind is one of my closest friends, is one of the happiest, most silly, most fun people to be around.
Speaker 2:But one of the things that happens with us as we get older and we start going through paramedipause and menopause is the fact that our serotonin drops so heavily. So things that used to boost our mood and used to make us happy don't quite do that. So you become a little bit more sullen. You don't recognize yourself, you get a little moody girl. I've been crying at a drop of a hat, for, like all the things elemental was like a full 90 minute cry.
Speaker 1:I'm telling you, I'm not even like hormonal right now, and that was a cry fast.
Speaker 2:I will see. There you go. So it is good to know that this kind of happens, and I remember the first time telling her that you know, like, hey, I'm studying this and I learned this, and she's like, oh my God, I didn't realize that. But that's exactly it, and I don't feel like myself. So, guys, again, we're all about action here, so we do wanna inform about some of these things, but we've got a lot of resources about how, if you're out there for a walk or a run, right as you listen, just maybe again even folding laundry how movement is really going to help you to battle all of those things and to help empower your brain. Now let's caveat that, coach, we would never have this kind of discussion without saying exercising movement are not a substitute in the recipe of a mental health toolbox for therapy or psychiatry.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly, and while we are professionals, we are not doctors. So please always take the advice of your doctors and make sure that you are hearing what they are prescribing or advising. So just those little disclaimers, right out of the gate.
Speaker 2:Right, absolutely so, throwing that out there, that it is a tool to be utilized, and we're gonna now back up all of the really great ways to incorporate it to help. But does it again it's. I love the idea of a toolbox because for me it's like sometimes you need a flathead screwdriver, sometimes you need a hammer, and that's where it all comes into play. Sometimes you just need to pause, step away from the toolbox and take a deep breath. We'll be talking about that as well.
Speaker 1:I feel like that's the extent of what we know about tools.
Speaker 2:I know a drill bit Flathead okay, that's like super fancy, A wrench, a socket.
Speaker 1:Could you just call me a wench?
Speaker 2:What is Spiky season two? So maybe a little bit of that, all right. So let's get into some of our favorite things that we love to chat about with our athletes and our training groups that we're gonna share here, and that's about our beautiful brains. So, coach, I'm curious do you think your brain Cause I do, I like actually spend like dedicated time? I know it sounds really weird for people who are listening, but, like when I do meditations, I'm very grateful for my brain and I spent a little bit of time just recognizing how much it does and how much I put it through.
Speaker 1:As interesting as it is. I didn't think my brain until I kind of walked my own mental health journey and my own mental pathway because I realized just how powerful it was. And then I kind of felt bad for it cause there's a lot going on up there. I mean, even now there's a lot of space dedicated to movie quotes that probably could be used elsewhere. But I definitely do think my brain and I think it goes into. We're often very hard on ourselves which can dampen our mental health. So taking a moment to appreciate all the good your brain does do I actually think is really important and I feel like this was a really big segue into you going into science mode, because I see that little grin behind that mic. I'm so excited.
Speaker 2:I truly, truly am.
Speaker 2:So one of the things that I want to say is that when we start to think of what our, when we start to use that computing processing organ there to think of all the things it does, it allows us to also have space and grace, Because I think that when we say that we come from a place of gratitude for our brain, that almost puts it at like oh, it works perfectly all the time.
Speaker 2:Oh, hell's to the note, it has brain fog. Definitely there's days that it isn't quite computing I stumble over my words frequently, or whatever the case may be. Or there's days where I have a low mood or low anxiety, or have high anxiety and a low mood. So it's not that it's coming from a place of it we think it because it's constantly running perfectly but more along the ways of allowing to see like oh well, what am I doing and why is that impacting me? So we're going to talk a little bit about that here, and when we were chatting with some of our runners in one of the other premium podcasts, the topic of endocannabinoids came into play.
Speaker 1:But I deemed abracadabinoids because I cannot say it correctly, and it just seemed like the magical way to do things.
Speaker 2:And henceforth it shall be referred to as abracadabinoids right here. So, science, start listening to Coach Shelby, because I mean, come on, it really does give a much better synopsis of exactly what we're going to be talking about. It is a little magical and that's why we do advocate so much for movement and for exercise specifically. But how and why and what and how do you actually motivate yourself to get out there when you're already just exhausted and your brain doesn't feel like it can motivate you? So this is where it's definitely going to come in play, folks, where we're going to suggest don't necessarily tackle all of the things that we're going to talk about, but more along the lines of just try something very small. And what I'm going to start it off with and I'm going to back into it a little bit, is a little bit of neat, which is non-exercise activity thermogenesis, and I preach this a lot with folks. But I think when people hear about it, the minute they hear about it, they go straight into the physicality, which is that it is a really great tool for weight loss or weight maintenance.
Speaker 2:But we are so beyond the scale here.
Speaker 2:It is more so because it also really helps to release a lot of chemicals, like neuropeptide Y, which helps to protect the amygdala and works directly with the amygdala, which is our fear-based part of our brain, where a lot of our anxiety comes from, and that in of itself we're going and just adding in a little bit more of taking a couple trips out to bring in the groceries from the car or parking a little bit further away, adding in that neat activity and I know it can be hard when we're struggling but just that alone.
Speaker 2:So I'm not asking you to necessarily set up to go out for a run, we're not asking you to go out and train for a marathon tomorrow, but adding in just some dedicated little pockets of like Coach, you know I am super stoked about it, I'm standing right now which allows me to kind of move around a little bit more. Just that neat in of itself will help to kind of increase that mood and boost, because we live a very sedentary lifestyle. I mean, I do I think I do more than you do, actually because you've got your kiddo, you're out and about chasing her around. You've got the dogs I'm sure you're chasing them around, yep.
Speaker 1:And I was going to say that, like it's one of those to where I think, especially when it comes to mental health, we think that we have to make those big impacts when, quite frankly, there are some days that people struggle to get out of bed to feed themselves. So to think about adding something else on, like going for a run, can feel like you're asking them to just run a marathon.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I love that idea of just taking an extra trip or two, going and walking and getting the mail. Like, even if you know the mail doesn't come until, let's say, 2 o'clock, go ahead and every hour, walk to your mailbox, walk back, maybe, go ahead and take the dog, even in your backyard, even if you don't want to go out in people, maybe just walking around the yard with the dog, those little things that seem so insignificant can bring such a lightness because it is forcing you to participate in the smallest regards.
Speaker 2:And again, as you mentioned, those small things sometimes can't feel very herculean, but I do love that and I'm glad you mentioned it right out of the gate getting outdoors and spending time with our fur babies or some, in my case, other people's fur babies. I'm quite literally trying to figure out whose dog I'm going to steal next month. You can have mine, okay, we just have to figure getting you a little closer so I can go for a run with your dog more often, because, yeah, they have. There's so much boost in that regard as well. So getting outdoors, especially just if there is any kind of a park or nature, will help you in boosting that mood and create a little bit of those arachnabinoids.
Speaker 2:Now we talked a little bit about the amygdala, which I know is kind of it's.
Speaker 2:So we hear it frequently, more so when you start to get into more yoga and meditation. But the amygdala is a really beautiful part of our brain that gets a whole lot of flak because people think of it like it's fear based and it acts just out of primitive portion. Portion is our primitive part of our brain. I love the fact that we have an amygdala. It's what got us here, it's what's kept us safe. We just have to remember that the amygdala also doesn't really recognize the difference between a deadline for work and a saber tooth tiger. So that's when we have to just give it that extra boost with that little bit of meat or that light walking which will help with communicating to it that it's okay and you can take a step backwards. Coach, one of my other favorite things about the brain is that we're not just preset with what we got right, like we sometimes think about. Like well, I got my parents genetics, this is what it is, and that's all I can do.
Speaker 1:And that is a really big barrier and a mental block, quite frankly, that people go through. But your brain is like any other muscle If you continue to work it, it does change, it does adapt. Just like we talk about strength training and cross training, helping our running to do those mental exercises will help your brain. A big thing that I prescribe to people when their anxiety is a little bit heightened and they're having a little stress is to actually do some brain teasers because it does help to focus the brain at some of my favorites or crossword puzzles, even those games on the phone. I know people love wordle. That was a huge thing was wordle. I'm not sure if it still is as much, but even like a little Tetris game, something to focus it, to work your brain and to take it out of the cycling and the spinning that could often happen when you are dealing with things like anxiety and depression.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's actually a great move to do, no doubt about it. There's also friends. There's incredible resources. Again, we live in a wonderful time where YouTube has vast amount of brain teasers that are also coupled with a little bit of light movement. So, doing a quick Google research or if you're stuck and you need help, send us an email and we'll help to point you in the direction of where you can find some of these different channels.
Speaker 2:Of course, while we're there, I think it's only only fair to talk about the fact that we have been dipping our toe into another aspect of things that we personally use and love. Now, I haven't used meditation personally as long as I have journaling, but it's something that my mental health professional Bestie has been trying to get me to do for probably a decade. So I think for the last year, I've really 100% focused my intentional practice with meditation, and the biggest thing that came into my ADHD brain was how do I stop it from having all of the thoughts for three, five, 10 minutes, however long? And it was basically just allowing myself to kind of baby step my way through the meditation journey and process, and it started off with more of a guided visualization and a guided meditation, which is what we've dipped our toe into recently here with our YouTube channel as well. Time for brunch on YouTube.
Speaker 1:And it was really well received. When we did it for the Crown and Conquer Challenge, people really appreciated having something to focus on. So it wasn't that they had to silence their brain, but they were continuously redirecting their brain. And one of the biggest tips I have is when you have a thought that comes up, you acknowledge it, you see it and then you just kind of again course correct back into what you're trying to focus on, whether that's the guided meditation or the silence, the quiet, and not always trying to fight your brain to be silent, but again working that muscle to redirect, which honestly, we do in our runs as well. How many times on the run you're like, oh, this sucks, I don't want to do this, I'm tired, and you focus on okay, let me just get to the next 10th of a mile, the next quarter of a mile and you keep bringing it back. You hear the thoughts, but you're instead of trying to silence it, you just focus on something new.
Speaker 2:So what I love specifically about what you just talked about, coach, is that there's a little bit of a debate of brain and mind and are they the same thing? And I again way beyond my pay grade and research capabilities as to whether or not that's a possibility that they're exactly the same thing, or if there is a separation. But I think it is really important to note that, whether you treat it as the brain being because that's the actual physical organ or mind being more of those thoughts and feelings and perceptions, and like the subconscious part of our, like our being, it is important to utilize again these tools like the meditation, to recognize that thoughts are thoughts. You'll have anywhere from five, 10, 15,000 thoughts a day, depending on what research you look into. That doesn't mean they're all true, and I think that with meditation, that's where I love being able to recognize oh okay, I have a lot of anxiety because the entire world's waiting for me to do whatever and being able to focus in a lot of like. That's not actually true. The world has literally still rotating on its axis and I'll be fine. So I think that that's really such a great way and what it leads to is that, with movement, with mindfulness, with meditation, you can create those new neural pathways, which is through neuroplasticity.
Speaker 2:Let's talk a little bit about neuroplasticity, because this is where I have never been more motivated to do my tempo and lactate threshold workouts as I have when I as I finally was, when I learned how great neuroplasticity is and how dependent it is on lactate. So neuroplasticity is quite literally that where we get to rewire our brain, we get to even maybe like produce new brain cells. This is especially important again for us women. They're getting older and sometimes where our brain kind of starts to maybe shut down certain portions or if we have any genetic predisposition to certain like Alzheimer's or dementia, so it's really important to keep that functioning and as healthy as possible. So getting in those upper level tempo work, getting into that lactate threshold, so it's definitely like it shows it. Basically what it does is it produces. It produces chemicals that allow it to permeate through that blood brain barrier in your mind or in your brain and kind of just flood those new neural pathways which, if you guys could see me live, I'm literally flooding little pathways into the air fingers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it's so exciting. So that's probably why we feel so much better after we do those harder efforts too. I don't know about you, but like I hate them when I'm in them, but I love them afterward.
Speaker 1:Well, and that's a barrier that's hard for those during the pre and postnatal, because, while the big misconception is that we have to stop running, we have to stop working out, it's untrue.
Speaker 1:You don't have to, but you do have to make different concessions.
Speaker 1:So sometimes, especially as we get into our pregnancies, being able to do those lactate threshold type runs aren't always in the cards. But that doesn't mean that we still aren't getting the benefits. And I feel like I know for me I was not able to run during my pregnancy, which was very difficult and it wasn't something that was really talked about that your mental health can take a little bit of a nose dive while you're actually pregnant and I know I said a little bit in the beginning about having a hard time during that pregnancy to where you're like, oh, I'm supposed to be happy, I'm supposed to be great, and if you're not able to run, it can take a big chunk out of your mental health toolbox. And it's when we have to readjust and still be doing those easy runs, still getting those endorphins, but also rewiring ourselves in the process of taking those walks, maybe again bringing it indoors, going on the elliptical, different, different items that maybe we didn't utilize before, but still being able to get that runner's high without getting into that lactate threshold area.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I mean that's directly where that neuropeptide Y crumbs into place with those light walks which, to me, the individual that I was closest to during her pregnancy, where you know she'd been trying to get pregnant forever and when it finally happened, I feel like we walked the path together, even though I was definitely not caring, so I'm not trying to say, but I remember her anxiety getting like literally through the roof, because much of it was, of course, it was such a struggle for her to get pregnant and a lot of it also was the hormonal aspect. So that's where, quite literally, she was able to combat it by getting in those walks. Now that doesn't mean that it was by any means a substitution for all the other things that she had to do Again, caviating that therapy and psychiatry all have their really proper places in this world. But she did notice that immediately getting into those light walks really, really helped.
Speaker 1:And you brought up a great point. So again, you obviously are specializing in the pre and peri and the postmenopausal eras. So it sounds like that the hormones are more suppressed during that time in your life to where, when you are pre and postnatal, they, the hormones, are definitely not suppressed. They're on high alert, full force. So each has its own ebbs and flows and different considerations, but it seems like they still talk to each other, they still produce a lot of the same thing.
Speaker 2:Well, even though we're talking about pre and para and all of the like, before, during and afters, of both of these really big transitions in our woman's body from a hormonal perspective.
Speaker 2:Realistically, that even on an average day for an average person who's not pregnant and not going through menopause, you have these ebbs and flows within those hormones, in your mood, within that just regular cycle.
Speaker 2:So it's almost just like it's that regular cycle of having those roller coasters of suppression or heightened certain chemicals and really, at the end of the day, a lot of the things will be a little different.
Speaker 2:But it does come back to movement and nutrition and sleep and basically the basics. And that's one of the things that I think we struggle with is that we think of it and I'm personally working through this we think of it as a chore, like, oh, I have to go grocery shopping or I have to cook, or I have to meal prep, or whatever the case may be. But this is it, this is this one chance that we get on this little merry-go-round ride that we know of anyway on this earth. This is our opportunity to love our bodies by movement, by nutrition, by getting sleep. So I think that what it comes down to is helping people, and that's what I know that we both love to do. How can we help you tweak your day so you are able to still self-care and self-love and I really do believe self-love comes from taking care of yourself Absolutely, and I've said this, I don't even know how many, how many times.
Speaker 1:Showering something so simple as taking a shower, or even a bath, if you're a bath person, can change your entire day, even if that's all you accomplish in the day, you get up and you take a shower. It's that step in the right direction. And you know I love my music, and music has been proven over and over again to be such a mood booster and especially for neurodiverse individuals. There's actually been studies shown that they'll tend to listen to the same song because it evokes a certain emotion. It almost gives that runner's high, that hit of that endorphins, and they'll use it over and over to be that mood booster.
Speaker 2:Coach, have you been listening to my playlist?
Speaker 1:Not, but you rubbed off on me.
Speaker 2:I do tend to gravitate towards EDM, which is electronic dance music, specifically because it has a lot of binaural beats and we even have a wonderful brunch bunch crew member who talks about that because she is currently working on all of her upper level work to guide into the world and be that resource that folks need as therapy. So she talks about the benefits of exercise, specifically running and walking, and benefits of music with that repetitive beat and how they seem to have a correlation to EMDR, which does help to kind of reprogram the brain with that biomechanic aspect that we all tend to go into. So I'm not going to try to pretend like I know everything she knows, because I don't and she's actually studying for it. But I do know that there is so many benefits to both listening to music, having those little bits of self care, and to really prioritizing our wellness and I think that what's most important to do so is building that now.
Speaker 2:So if you're feeling like good right now, this is the time to hone in on those freaking habits so that when and I I'm struggling and not curse, but when the poop hits the fan, my friends, you have to be so heavily rooted into these habits of self care, that it helps you to go through the process, so you're not struggling through it or it's not as hard.
Speaker 2:So I think again that that's something that comes to mind. Whether it's because somebody is planning on getting pregnant, I think that's a great time to touch base with a coach and get a really good habit going so that when you hit that aspect of your hormones going a little wonky you already have that habit built in with your coach. You have that accountability. Or again, if you're starting to see that you're going into paramedic pause, don't wait until it's a struggle to actually get up to go shower. Start building that habit now so you can rely on it. So it's just kind of some like brushing your teeth, which we do know it's still hard, but at least you've got that already wired in through that neuroplasticity.
Speaker 1:And going back to kind of tending to your own garden, as you are going through a life change and this could be a new job, this could be moving, this could be a million different things that can kind of trigger mental health to be a little bit of a struggle. It's really important that you know ahead of time that you can talk to somebody, so maybe that is a professional, maybe that is a friend, and not being afraid to open up. It was one of those things to where, again, I had anxiety prior to carrying my child and then after they were born. Good, lordy, miss Molly, that hit hard.
Speaker 1:And you know, 50 to 80 percent of individuals that do give birth actually do have some form of baby blues in the first few weeks and people believe it's normal which it is, and then it doesn't get better and then they think it's oh, the lack of sleep, oh, it's the lack of this, it's lack of that, and they hold it in thinking that it's going to just go away. And that's where we can't keep it up without saying that you need to say something. We have our six week follow up appointments for a reason If something is still not feeling quite right, you're not feeling that the clouds are parting, speak up to your OBGYN and address it, because if it's not already starting to part, you may need something a little bit extra to help you, whether that is talking to a therapist medication or, again, maybe having a different support system in place. Absolutely.
Speaker 2:So I think you guys are going to hear a common thread and that is advocating for yourself here and now, whether it's because you're feeling great and starting to really hone in on creating habits that are going to pay off for you in the long run Ha ha, ha ha because you're actually in the thick of it and it takes a. It may take a hurling effort, it may take an incredible act of bravery, but to advocate for yourself and reach out and this is something again I feel like for para menopausal women and menopausal women they tend to there's a lot of opportunities of going to doctors and then just be like oh, it is what it is, this is what you got, sorry.
Speaker 1:Or the best one you just need to lose weight. Yeah, that is the biggest. I'm sorry medical professionals, you're all the same, but that is like the biggest medical cop out ever is just chalking up to that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I mean again in the science shows that sometimes there is even a little bit of benefit to having not a heavy amount of weight on your frame but a little bit extra, sometimes going through paramount pause because some of those hormones that you start to get depleted of are stored. But again, whether or not that's healthy for you, check in with your doctor. That's something that, again, checking in with our doctors, I think not demonizing the mental health profession, but knowing that one, it's still something that you have to advocate for yourself. So if you go in there and you just nod and you're just okay and not necessarily trying to learn more, educate yourself, bringing them possible solutions or information that you've found so you guys can have a healthy discussion and a healthy treatment plan, it's just not gonna benefit you. So you're gonna walk away feeling a little disappointed and again reaching out to your circle and your local neighborhood friends might help you, point you in the direction of a doctor who can't help with all of those different things. So I think that's super important as well.
Speaker 1:Well, we always advocate about finding, like, the best coach for you. The same goes for the doctors and other professionals, but it's and I know I keep going back to the pre and postnatal portion, but I feel like, especially right now, we're seeing such a crisis with mothers and kind of going through that transition. I saw the other day on social media about a mom getting mom shame because she chose not to breastfeed because she needed to take care of herself, and it was so astounding to me how her trying to take care of herself and tend to her mental being so she can be productive, take care of herself, take care of her child, was being demonized as something less than and I talk about things that get me fired up.
Speaker 2:I bet, I absolutely bet I think that does come down to again educating, empowering ourselves with those resources and advocating for ourselves, whether it's with a doctor or with other people, and it's hard and it takes a big act of bravery. But that's why, also in circling yourself with people who are supportive, in care, and that's where, again, even if you're not at the point where you want necessarily one-on-one coach, but come on over and join our Facebook group page and let them absolutely help, like boy you, and push you through and encourage you and support you and just be an ear, listen to. Again. We're gonna share some resources in our episode notes. But of course there are wonderful resources of finding, maybe, a therapist or a psychologist and they could help with a psychiatrist. And we're also gonna include the mental health crisis line in case that's something that you wanna at least get started with to help you until you can get in with a therapist.
Speaker 2:But we talked about how we're action oriented and we're gonna go ahead and give you guys some additional resources. I mean, I think at the end of the day, we're both on team. Get in some movement. Whether it's neat because you're bringing in the groceries and you decide to bring them in four trips instead of the one, or if it's because you go to the walk with your dog, or if it's all the way up to getting that maximum neuroplasticity with a tempo or lactate threshold and everything in between. We're all about team movement. We've started to touch a little bit on the other things that we can do and other resources that are available to you. So let's get into those, coach, because I know that we're both really big fans of kind of programming stuff for our athletes but also advocating for everyone who's willing to listen to us, so hopefully you guys are still listening to us. All the different resources that you can utilize that aren't necessarily just movement focused.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I'm gonna say another tip because, again, right now a lot of us are working from home. You and I work from home on our non-recording days. I do try to get out of my home office because it is very easy to shut yourself in, to kind of cut yourself off because we are busy, we're doing a million different things, and that's where, again, that change of scenery go work at your local coffee shop Sometimes I'll go and I'll work at the beach because I can work from my phone and kind of doing those little bit of tricks to help sometimes go into your local library or even maybe visiting a lot of co-op offices that allow for remote workers to go in and be around people. It doesn't mean that you're necessarily having conversations with them, but just the act of not being isolated can go a long way to again break down those barriers and break down those little bit of stop signs that often can come from being alone.
Speaker 2:Which makes me feel like I have to advocate again for learning about a local run club friend. So if you are struggling and you feel like maybe you aren't able to get out during your work day, maybe you are bound to your desk or a cubicle, or whatever the case may be, it is super important that maybe combining that physicality with a group of folks, whether it's a walking group or a running group or joining in with a group fitness of some sort, is always wonderful as well. Of course, we are big fans of, again, movement with strength training and cross training. We've already touched on meditation. We kind of lightly talked about yoga. Do we want to talk a bit more about yoga as well?
Speaker 1:Ooh, yes, yes, yes, yoga is wonderful. No matter what level you're at, Yoga is one of those activities just like running in a lot of regards that you can really start at any time and you're going to get the benefits pretty quickly. Again, yoga can help not only make you feel connected with your body, but if you are having a little hesitation to meditation and journaling and all of those, it's a really great stepping stone because you are moving while practicing those other tools and it is a more of an entry level way to again, like you said, build up those blocks and let that muscle grow, figuratively and literally in this case.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know same Talk about an evolution of who I am, because when I first started with yoga, if it wasn't physically exhausting me to where I was left in a pool of sweat, I wasn't able to do it because I couldn't still my mind. So I went from those super intense type of yoga sessions to gradually being able to get more into a vinyasa and from the vinyasa flow getting gradually more into a restorative yin. So again, utilizing it in all of its forms. And if you go to yoga class and you're like this is not for me or what I expected, that's okay. Reach out again, we're happy. Well, again, we are not yoga therapist or yoga certified. We will absolutely help point you into the right style for you and help you find some incredible resources as well. That might be even low cost or free, because why?
Speaker 2:This year's World Mental Health Day is all about it being a universal right. We wanna make sure you guys have access to that. So you know, coach, that we ain't gonna have a discussion about mental health without talking about journaling, because that is my all time favorite and it talks a lot about. And you started to mention it as well with the meditation. The guided meditation is kind of seeing and recognizing our thought and letting, just acknowledging it and moving it out. And for journaling, that's exactly what it is. It's allowing us to have this really safe space, I mean, and I'm talking about the safest space ever, where you could say things in your journal that you literally would not say to even the closest individual, letting yourself get it out and not judge it and move on.
Speaker 2:And again, I know we did this just recently with our crowd and conquer group, but we advocated several times and there's resources on our website as well Time for Brunch on all the different ways to get started on journaling. That maybe will help you in terms of getting past the. But it has to be pretty and it has to be super. Like I'm pinning this wonderful autobiography. It doesn't have to be any of that, it just has to be pen on paper, getting it out.
Speaker 1:I know, for me at least personally, when journaling was first kind of thought of, I approached it too much as writing, as if I was writing for somebody else to read and for it to make sense, and it put more pressure onto it and I always thought it was sitting in a quiet room with a pen and a paper and just going for it and making this next big novel.
Speaker 1:And I had to really work on reframing how it looked for me. So I actually journal by typing now because I enjoy typing way more than I do physically writing. It does give a lot of the same benefits because you are getting out and then I just delete it after because for me it's very cathartic. It almost feels like I'm getting it all out, I'm letting myself feel everything. It's all gibberish and then it's gone and it's almost like that balloon type mentality you hold onto the balloon, you let it go and everything floats away. It's that same type of release for me personally. So again, breaking down that picture perfect, which we talked about a lot with our group participants, taking away what it has to look like and making it work for you.
Speaker 2:And there's so many different ways of tackling this specific one. So head on over to our website, friends, because in our blog you'll have an entire blog entry. It takes less than two minutes to read, but it talks about five different styles of journaling, from Coach Shelby's favorite to doing the brain jump, to my favorite, where I have a bit more structured practice and it's a bit more including a little bit of gratitude journaling. There's also prompts. There's a bazillion ways to tackle it so you can actually make it a friend versus this arch in it arch enemy. Yet another thing I have to get to, and you're thinking where do I get this? And I only have 24 hours a day, again, finding a time that works for you. Some folks find it works best in the morning, before coffee, some or with their coffee. I personally find it works best for me at nighttime, right before I fall asleep and just kind of again tweaking it.
Speaker 2:So we've got lots of resources on the blog, lots of resources over on our youtube channel, and we would not be time for brunch if we didn't start talking about one of our most favorite ways of taking care of ourselves and to have a whole lot of fun, which is with our food. So we are including in that newsletter. We had included in that newsletter some really awesome recipes I love. I know we kind of we did a little bit of a team swap and it's probably because we're so competitive right now with our current challenge going on, but we did a little bit of a team swap and I this is definitely something that I have quite often. I kind of discovered this type of a recipe when I traveled first to Texas and they're really big in tamigas which is more of like an egg dish with black beans and avocado and it's kind of just like an egg dish bowl. So I love it. But what I love specifically about it is all of the wonderful mood boosting components that it has from a nutrient standpoint.
Speaker 1:Oh, throw on some salsa and it's kind of like huevos or cheros a little bit there.
Speaker 2:That's exactly, I mean, you can make your own, like that's exactly.
Speaker 1:As soon as you're saying it, I'm like where's the salsa? I'm like I want a little spice with my mental health.
Speaker 2:I mean, don't we all? Don't we all for sure? That's why we're here at Time for brunch. A little bit of spice.
Speaker 1:Well, and I'm going again with the sweet because I love some dark chocolate. It's kind of like why I like my coffee black. It's like that little bitterness, but dark chocolate boosts and that feel good hormone endorphins. Endorphins make you happy to quote Elwoods. So when I can't go out for a run, maybe a little bit, a little nibble of dark chocolate gives that little extra endorphins. And I actually do, truthfully, incorporate a little bit of dark chocolate day to day. I often will do it when I'm transitioning between activities. So it kind of just gives me that little bit of break, gives that little dark chocolate, that little craving, and gives me that endorphins. So I'm going with some dark chocolate cake because I want to have my cake and eat it too.
Speaker 2:Okay, I mean you can. It's your world, we're just living in it. My friend so well. That said, friends, it is actually your world and we are just living in it. So it's such a good reminder that take away from this episode what works for you. If it's intriguing you but you feel it's overwhelming, that's where we would suggest that you should reach out to us so we can help steer you in the right direction at infoat-timeforbrunchcom. If it's something that you have no desire to do, it's okay. Just keep it in your back pocket because who knows, maybe five years, ten years, fifteen years from now, it might be something you want to play into your every single day.
Speaker 1:I bet you that a lot of people are going to take that dark chocolate recipe that one's going to be an easy one to sell, my friend, and who knows, maybe it's something that you don't need right now, but there is honestly a really, really high chance that you know somebody who might need exactly this right now, breaking it down, having that open conversation, with that little bit of light, hardness, that it might make a really big impact in their day. And we don't always know if somebody needs it or not. So even if you have an inkling, maybe just share us with us and share this episode and give them that little bit of brightness and, who knows, maybe we'll have a new friend join our community.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. And again, our episode nurses is going to be chock full of lots of resources, including signing up for coach Shelby's specialty, working with all of you to be mamas, or mamas that are already have your kiddo and kind of want to learn how to get back into the swing of things, and I am including my link for all of the things peremonopause, hot flashes and a whole lot of roller coaster of fun.
Speaker 1:Absolutely definitely, definitely check it out, reach out with any questions and keep in touch, because we have a lot of stuff coming down the pipeline here at brunch so we're going to give you guys all a huge high five.
Speaker 2:Make sure that you rehydrate and refuel with either that chocolate cake, those eggs and black beans are all over the above while you're recovering or resetting or you're thinking all these resources through. We'd appreciate if you'd share this episode with somebody that you know that maybe needs a little bit of a boost. Or head on over and subscribe and rate time for Brentland Spotify, apple or wherever you listen to your podcast. Of course, if you take an incredible smiling selfie and join us on social media by using hashtag TF brunch, we'll likely share it. We'll make you Instagram famous. So don't forget to check out our quick bites episode 20 or 30 minutes in length on Wednesday as we explore our new series, and we can't wait to see you again next week when it's time for brunch. We're going to keep serving up more miles with a side of smiles.
