Baggage Check: Mental Health Talk and Advice

It's Thanksgiving in the United States, which means a time of reflection and gratitude (and yes, we know, a time to find some comfier pants.) It's also a time of transition for Dr. Andrea and for Baggage Check.... take a listen. And thank you! Here's more on Dr. Andrea Bonior and her book Detox Your Thoughts. Credits: Beautiful cover art by Danielle Merity, exquisitely lounge-y original music by J...

As we take a production breather (in the cold, dark world of the "fall back" clock shift) we wanted to revisit an episode from a year ago about tackling the Winter blues. Contrary to popular belief, it's not really about temperature, as even folks fortunate enough to be able to wear a tank top at Thanksgiving can still suffer from seasonal blues-- which is mainly due to diminished sunlight. So, do...

Have you ever heard of the Sunday Scaries? They seem to be growing more and more common: the dread and unease that hits before the workweek begins. In today's show, we talk about what cultural shifts might be making these more prevalent-- and how to help prevent and manage them. Whether you have a traditional workweek, a bizarro-world workweek, or anything in between-- and whether you love or hate...

With horrifying images circulating amid devastating world news, we wanted to talk today about something that comes up constantly in times of despair: how to find the light, and how to talk to our kids about things that are scary and seemingly unspeakable. What about when we feel like we have no answers ourselves? How can we keep moving forward, setting the boundaries we need to set while also not...

Today we're talking about OCD-- and most specifically, how misunderstood it is. You may recall Episode 24, where we talked with author and journalist David Adam about his personal struggles with OCD (and if you haven't, give it a listen!) but today we tackle all the misconceptions we see most often out in the world about what it is-- and what it isn't. Follow Baggage Check on Instagram @baggageche...

We all do it. Okay, maybe we shouldn't say we all do it-- because that's what we're up against today. We're talking about all-or-none thinking. We've mentioned this type of thinking before on Baggage Check, and how it is a common cognitive distortion that can easily make you more anxious, more depressed, and more irritable. But today we're tackling how to spot it-- and you may be surprised at some...

A lot of us struggle with resentment and bitterness. What happens when it hardens into something that feels almost impossible to shift? There's good news: it CAN be changed. Today we talk about nine mental habits that can lead very easily to bitterness, whether fleeting or more serious. Do you recognize yourself in any of these? We've got ways to combat them. Join us! Follow Baggage Check on Insta...

Continuing with our theme of feeeeeeelings, we are devoting today to anxiety, and specifically the way that your body's physiology has been preparing for it for tens of thousands of years. Today we dive deep into the fear response, and why fight/flight/freeze doesn't have to be the enemy. We go through each of the most classic ways that your body physically processes threat-- how they benefit us a...

Feeeeeeelings! We've talked about them quite a bit on Baggage Check. But what we haven't talked about yet is something crucial but often overlooked: the way that we feel our emotions, physically . It's virtually impossible to improve how you deal with negative emotions if you don't have a good foundation of understanding how they manifest in your body. And though it's specific to every person, we...

We talk a lot on Baggage Check about warning signs, problems, risky behaviors, and conflicts within relationships-- along with things that just make you feel a little bit off. But what about the pillars of a good relationship? Today we're celebrating, acknowledging, and learning about all the positive factors that can help build a healthy partnership. Whether you never really had a model of it gro...

People often say they're "bad with change," or, seemingly less often, that they're good with it. But change isn't a monolith. Different changes can involve vastly different things: are you good at adding things in, but not letting go of things? Are you okay with making room for the idea of new things but not actually doing it? Is commitment itself what's hardest for you? Today we get real about th...

With mental health symptomology at record highs in certain demographics, it's clear that not enough people are getting the help they need. And though many people know the potential benefits of therapy, they might still feel hesitant to actually seek it out. Or others may be on the cusp of making the call, but something keeps holding them back. Today we talk about five very common barriers to seeki...

Siblings: the majority of Americans have at least one. And yet we often talk about them only in the context of childhood. As adults, the highs and lows of sibling relationships can often make or break our lives. Today we get real about what the research says about how siblings matter across the lifespan, and the surprising ways they affect parenting and various aspects of your well-being. We welco...

Today we're celebrating the Summer Solstice (a little late, and yes, Happy Winter to our friends in the Southern Hemisphere!) with some thoughts about the magic of summer. What makes this season different-- but why do our hopes for it often end with regret? From exploring what's wrong with the concept of a bucket list to figuring out how we balance adventure and relaxation, today we're trying to m...

We've talked about overtly and controlling relationships before-- but what about when it's much more subtle? Today we tackle five common relationship behaviors that can truly spell trouble over time, and that typically mean you deserve better. Do you recognize these in anyone you know? Join us! Follow Baggage Check on Instagram @baggagecheckpodcast and get sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, give yo...

Whether you're flying eight hours to go to a dream destination or loading up the car for the same swath of beach you've hit dozens of times before, your state of mind during your vacation is key to making it worth your while. Today we talk about six ways to help make it less likely that you'll come back from your time off feeling worse for the wear. If you've ever wanted to make sure you get the m...

It was a classic research case, laid out to millions of psychology students worldwide: the spectacle of Genain quadruplets, four genetically identical siblings who all suffered from various aspects of psychosis. Now, decades after they first became a sensation, a new book peels back the public-facing layers to reveal a dark and disturbing story that makes us question everything we thought we knew...

Trust is one of the most important parts of close relationships, and yet it is also one of the easiest things to lose, or... in many cases... detonate. Today we're talking about six ideas for ways to build trust, whether you are building from scratch, rebuilding, or just trying to strengthen it. Though it will always take time (and thank goodness for that, or it wouldn't be meaningful) there are m...

Today we're talking about good ol'-fashioned self-deception. So many of us engage in it-- and it doesn't always have to wreck our mental health. But certain patterns very commonly mess with us and cause significant self-sabotage. Do you think you'll recognize yourself in any of these patterns of lies? Join us and find out! Follow Baggage Check on Instagram @baggagecheckpodcast and get sneak peeks...

It's rare the smartphone user who doesn't feel they could benefit from cutting down on usage just a little. After all-- in an example of behavioral science being used NOT for good-- smartphones are designed to be as addictive as possible. We're never about grandiose pronouncements or unrealistic behavior change here, so with that in mind, we wanted to gather a dozen small things that might make a...

Today's show covers too much to be summed up in these measly episode notes. We sit down in conversation with Joanne Greene, radio and television pioneer whose new memoir "By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go" covers a staggering period of her life that saw multiple traumas-- but allowed her to emerge anew, in part by learning, finally, to stay still. From the demands placed on women at home and in...

The myth of arrival, the arrival fallacy.... whatever we call it, it can zap your ability to engage with the current moment. It's the idea that only once you get to a certain place in your life: meeting a specific goal, achieving a certain accomplishment, or just getting to a certain point in time, that only then will your real life begin. Today we explore this fallacy in detail-- and discuss how...

You've been hearing our discussions on loneliness and friendship, and now we are hearing from you! Today we're discussing a listener's thoughts about how hard it is when they feel like they are the only ones putting forth effort in friendships. From societal trends to individual personality differences-- and some surprising additional barriers-- we tackle what to do when you want more from your fr...

Today we're talking about the "shoulda"s, the "woulda"s, and the "coulda"s; the "What If?"s and the "If Only"s. But we're digging into the science and figuring out how to not be driven bananas by all of it. Counterfactual thinking-- the idea of visualizing an alternative outcome, comes in different forms and can have positives in negatives. From surprising research about Olympic medalists to speci...

In the aftermath of some tragic and very public events, I have heard from more and more people uncertain about how to respond to a person experiencing a problem with mental health-- especially when it seems to be escalating fast. Today, we discuss how you can become part of the solution rather than part of the problem-- and potentially save a life. Follow Baggage Check on Instagram @baggagecheckpo...