Building Resilience

We all face stressors in our lives, and they come in many shapes and sizes—both external and internal. When we let these stressors get to us over and over, it can culminate into something none of us want: burnout. In this episode, I'll be talking all about burnout—what it is, what it isn’t , some common solutions to dealing with external stressors (in order to avoid burnout), and some ways to, as...

You can’t click anywhere on the internet without running into advice about improving mental and physical health. The problem is, what really works? And even more importantly, how do you know what would achieve the greatest results? On today’s episode of Building Resilience, I’ll give you my five “pillars” of physical and mental health—the things that you can start doing NOW that will give you the...

When bad things happen, it can be easy to feel like the world is out to get us. It can feel like we have no control over what is happening. We may not be able to control what’s happening, but fortunately we have control over how we feel about it (yes, really!). While it's important to process the emotions that come with being a victim of a circumstance, focusing on it in the long term may not serv...

Are you a caregiver or helping professional struggling with stress? Are you feeling overwhelmed with the stories you hear? On Building Resilience, we have recently been exploring the concept of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress and how it can affect caregivers and helping professionals. On this episode, we're going to dive deeper as well as a Venn Diagram with 8 categorie...

The word “trauma” is thrown around a lot these days—and with the internet and social media, it can be really easy to get confused about what trauma actually means . In fact, you may not even know there are multiple types of trauma! On this episode, I’m going to provide an overview of the different types of trauma, talk about compassion fatigue and how it relates to helping professionals discuss th...

Do you feel like life’s stressors are too much to handle and you’re stuck in a cycle of dysregulation? You aren't alone. In today's episode, we discuss the Zone of Resilience, a framework that can help you manage stress more effectively and find a better balance in life. We review the two voices in our head and how they affect our stress response, then introduce the Window of Tolerance model and h...

Compassion fatigue is a little known affliction which can affect so many helping professionals. It’s a combination of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and running out of empathy, and it can be so hard to manage. I've talked about compassion fatigue before, but today I will go more in depth on the concept of compassion fatigue and the various helping professionals who may experience it.  O...

I love analogies. They can help us understand concepts and learn things using the knowledge we already have—and I've got a good one for you today. Today, I'll take you on a musical journey and introduce you to the Resilience Symphony. Just like a symphony, building our personal resilience requires many important pieces that all come together in important ways to make the whole. Take a deep dive in...

There are many care focused careers in today's world, and they aren't going away soon. One thing that I don't see mentioned often is compassion fatigue. Today I'll share my story of learning to manage my stress and burnout, and discovering the joy and passion of life coaching—but we'll also talk about the grueling process that some carers go through, taking on some of the hardship of the people th...

It's a new year and a great time to reflect on the last year, and also a great time for looking ahead. Creating a vision for the journey ahead is an important step in setting goals. But it's not just about reaching the goal - it's about enjoying the process, too! This week, we are exploring the power of optimism. Can having an optimistic outlook help you reach your goals? We’ll be discussing the s...

The holidays can be a time of joy and celebration, but they can also be a time of stress and anxiety. As we approach the end of the year, it's important to remember to take care of ourselves and have our own back.  In this episode of the Building Resilience,we explore the importance of having your own back during the holiday season. We look at the need to know what you stand for and to invest...

You truly are the average of the people you spend the most time with—so we'd better make sure those people are great! Today, we're going to talk about the importance of surrounding yourself with greatness in order to elevate your life. I'll give you tips of things you can surround yourself with: for example, good habits, making your environment more conducive to the habits you want to form by maki...

It should be obvious that doing things we love makes us happier, and leads us to live more fulfilled lives—the question is, why don't we do it more often? On today's episode, I'll discuss how to cultivate your passions and purpose and create abundance in your life. We'll talk about reframing the thought, "I don't know what I even like anymore," and cultivating a feeling of curiosity. I'll share ti...

You might say I'm a proponent of mind control. To be clear, the mind is your own—but trust me, it really works. Your mindset it a powerful thing, and if you learn to control it, it can literally shape your life. Today I'll be talking about one facet of your mindset—coming from a place of abundance vs. coming from a place of scarcity. We'll talk about what they are, but also how they can be a lens...

As the holidays approach, we can start to feel a bit stressed. You might be seeing family, doing a lot of cooking, and/or attending various events. In order to manage your stress, you can take some time to plan and prepare— make lists of everything that you "need" (choose!) to do and try to be realistic about what you can accomplish. Remember, holidays can be special! They can remind us of what is...

Wow, 100 episodes! It's been an honor and privilege to be sharing with you every week on the Building Resilience podcast for 100 straight episodes. I'm so excited to be at episode 100 and I look forward to continuing to work on the podcast. It's one of my favorite things to do! To celebrate that, I'm going to fill your back pocket with 20 thoughts to pull out whenever you need them—your mental Swi...

"I wake up to another day filled with anxiety. I've been dealing with morning anxiety for a while now, and it's really starting to take a toll on me. I know I need to do something to change it, but I'm not sure where to start." Does this sound like you? You're in the right place! In this episode you will learn how to manage morning anxiety and start your day off right. Stick around to discover why...

As parents, we have a lot of jobs. Keep our kids safe, make sure they're fed, make sure they're educated, and so, so many other things. However, we're not actually raising kids—we're raising adults. And few things are more important than raising a resilient adult. Today, we'll talk about how our kids don't  actually  have it easier, why we need to let our kids feel ALL of their emotions,...

Jocelyn Patten has lived for many years with serious mental illness. Touching on depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, Jocelyn gives a deeper look into life with mental illness—both for those dealing with it themselves, but also for loved ones dealing with mental illness second hand. On top of that, she is my cousin! And I have often enjoyed writing she has done in the past. On today's episode,...

Even though we all know lying isn't good, many of us are guilty of the odd lie. However, it may not be your loved ones or your boss you're lying to—it might just be yourself! Lying to ourselves can be a coping mechanism that keeps us from achieving our full potential, but truly facing what some of those lies can be and getting ahead of them can be a real game changer. Today we'll be talking about...

Last week, I shared an episode called "The Gap and the Gain", which follows the premise of an excellent book with the same title by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. I recommend listening to that episode first if you haven't heard it yet, but if you haven't heard it yet, the gist is this: you can have a "gap" mindset of what you lack, or a "gain" mindset of your potential.  In this episode, we...

I'm a big reader, and every once in a while I come across an idea or a book that I just HAVE to share with everybody. When it has to do with my clients or listeners, even more so! Today's one of those days. The book "The Gap and the Gain" by Dan Sullivan really hit me hard—and as soon as I read about the concept I just knew you all would love it. In a nutshell, there are two sort of mindsets we ca...

One thing I talk about all the time (because I truly believe in it and do it myself!) is the power of journalling! While it might be just writing things on paper, science shows it actually does more than you might think—and the benefits can be profound. On this episode of Building Resilience, we talk about the proven benefits of writing in a diary. I'll give you some tips and techniques of how to...

Discovering who you are and who you want to be is potentially one of the most important things we do in this life—and Tyson Bradley knows how to do it. Tyson Bradley is the future #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the book Discover Your Inherent Identity: A Simple And Effective Way To Create Change And Make It Last. He is happily married and the proud father of 2 redheaded girls. He has stud...

Something new or scary happens in your life—new job, financial trouble, you name it. Your brain's natural reaction might be to worry about it. But what if I told you that worry is actually really desctructive and frankly, not even necessary? On this episode of Building Resilience, we're going to talk about worry. What is it (vs. what we THINK it is), why do human brains do it, and what can we do t...