College Is Fine, Everything's Fine

The S word. No, not the one that adds a dollar to Sarah’s swear jar, the other one: sex. A topic drilled into our heads in health class with catchy phrases like “no means no.” But beyond one unit in a single semester course, sex probably hasn’t been mentioned by any adults in any great detail ever again (except maybe your parents, eww…). Don’t worry, in this episode we are not going to bore you wi...

When was the last time you logged onto Tik Tok, Instagram or Snapchat? We bet many of you reading this were engaged in one of these platforms within the past few minutes. A recent study found that the average college student spends 17 hours/week on social media, with most spending 2-3 hours per day on these platforms. Studies show that staying so highly connected online and being exposed to enormo...

In this week’s episode, we tackle the incredibly important topic of race on campus. We were so lucky to have author and psychologist Dr. Matthew Kane guide us through this conversation with such a level of depth, warmth and intelligence. Yes, Sarah and Dr. Kane discuss his book Walk with Me, which highlights stories of black men navigating the COVID pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. Ju...

Sadie Sutton, intrepid mental health advocate and host of the She Persisted podcast, also happens to be a college student at UPenn. But it took guts, hard work in therapy, and a lot of support to get to where she is today. Now she freely shares the skills she learned from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), both how to use DBT skills when you’re struggling, as well as bite-sized tips for how to ha...

We’re back for our “second semester” of this podcast! Lots of transition on our end. Sarah moved to a new town and Liz is mourning the loss of her fun-girl summer. And we know that getting back into the habit of “college” is a transition, too. Even if you were counting down the days to get back on campus, switching from home to school can be stressful. We wanted to share our top 3 tips (and a bonu...

The expectations of college students have never been greater.  It’s a perfect storm of pressures that can set college students on a fixed path towards dissatisfaction and burnout.  College students are often shaped into deprioritizing their own needs by overworking and focusing on achieving successful outcomes.  In this week’s episode we speak with Emi Nietfeld, mental health advocate, journalist...

Now that you know the worry myths to look out for, the next step is to figure out whether your worry is actual or hypothetical. This is easier said than done. But knowing the difference is key. Why? Because knowing the difference leads you to the most effective way to manage it. We promise this will make sense once you listen. You will leave this episode with a worry decision tree to help you cate...

We’ve never heard someone say they enjoy worrying. And yet, there are a lot of secret beliefs about why worrying is helpful. If you’re holding onto these beliefs, chances are it’s going to be harder for people to help you worry less. So let’s get ahead of that and tell you five things people often believe about worry: It’s the same as problem solving. It motivates me. It shows I care. It helps me...

ADHD might have more myths surrounding it than any other diagnosis. What words do you think of when you hear those four letters? The answer probably depends on the messages you got from your friends, family and community. And it might depend on whether you know you have it or simply think you might. Either way, college has a way of having us rethink what we learned at home. And hopefully we can he...

It would be hard to find a college student on campus right now who isn’t stressed for some reason.  A recent survey found that half of all college students report severe psychological consequences to stress. This survey also reported high rates of unhealthy coping behaviors in response to stress. April is Stress Awareness Month and we wanted to take some time to ask students two questions: 1. Why...

One of our student ambassadors asked us what the difference is between typical stress and more problematic anxiety. We're going to go even further and give you a few microdose episodes to talk about this difference *plus* what to do with some of your stickier worries.  In this episode we talk about what the differences are and whether it matters. If this feels like it's up your alley then subscrib...

We’ve all heard of the Type A personality. We can picture that assertive go-getter pretty easily. Type B? Imagine that laid-back friend who can let things go. But did you know there is also a Type C? Well, there is, and our guests Dr. Kore Nissenson and Anna White are here to shine a light on it.  It is a wonderful thing to be a good friend, to help someone in need, and to consider others’ feeling...

From choosing what campus you land on, to your major, and what relationships you make, college is full of difficult choices. And if you are anything like Liz, where deciding what to watch on Netflix can be too overwhelming, deciding what to do with the rest of your life seems like an impossible decision.  A recent study found that almost half of all recent college graduates regret their majors.  R...

Last week we gave you a bird’s eye view of a first therapy session. Now the fun part. What does a cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) therapy session look like when you start to do the work? What kinds of questions get asked? Do you need to share your deepest darkest secrets? What if you don’t *know* why you feel the way you do? Liz and Sarah break down the key ingredients of CBT, such as: *Looking a...

Admit it, if you’ve never been in therapy before then you’re a little curious about what goes on inside the therapist’s office. And if you’re thinking about therapy, walking into that office for the first time can be intimidating if you don’t have a clue what it’s like. Media often portrays therapy as lying on the couch confessing your deepest darkest secrets. Friends don’t always share what their...

The past few years have led to some pretty drastic global changes, and as a result college students are experiencing higher levels of stress compared to decades prior. As the expectations of college students escalate, and a competitive, uncertain job market post graduation looms, students are seeking ways to stay afloat under increasing academic pressure.  A recent study showed that at least 20 pe...

Our last episode taught you a lot about the “why” of getting good sleep. This episode is all about the “how.” We sit down with sleep expert and clinical psychology professor, Dr. Ellie McGlinchey to help create a realistic and simple guide on how to sleep better in college. Don’t worry, she reassures us that you can still have fun in college and get the rest you need. Spoiler alert! Dr. McGlinchey...

A recent study showed that over 70% of college students are getting consistently less than 7 hours of sleep a night. That’s not a great number, especially when you consider that healthy sleep habits are linked to higher college GPAs. So if sleep is so important to doing well in college, why is it often at the bottom of the priority list? Sleeping is underrated in college and is usually saved for t...

Raise your hand if you’ve had a shaken up soda bottle explode on you. No fun, right? When under stress our mind is like that bottle of soda, building pressure until we’re on the verge of exploding. With the emotional challenges and academic pressures college can bring, many students choose to ignore or distract from heavy feelings. (Hey, been there, done that.) Pressure builds then bam, you explod...

Flat stomachs. Chiseled abs. Eating clean. Messages about what our bodies should look like come at us a mile a minute. And college is a time when your relationship to your body can be extra challenging. How many of you feared the “Freshman 15” even before you stepped foot onto campus? Well, how about we “chisel” away some of the negative assumptions we have about how our bodies should look. (See w...

Most college students are aware that they 1) have a bank account, and 2) you have to deposit money into this account if you’re going to make a lot of withdrawals. Too many withdrawals? Yup, here comes that “low balance” alert.  But how often are we paying attention to our “emotional bank balance”? In this week’s episode, we discuss the importance of depositing and accumulating positive emotions to...

Fact: Seasonal changes impact our mood. And unless you happen to enjoy the colder and shorter days, your mood is going to take a hit in the winter.  The good news? We can take action so we don’t slip into a dark place. In this week’s episode we talk to a renowned Cognitive Behavioral Therapy expert, Dr. Simon Rego. Dr. Rego is the Chief of Psychology at Montefiore Medical Center and the author The...

We’ve all savored a meal. You can picture in your mind. Anticipating that good bite, getting the dopamine hit when it hits your stomach. But savoring life can be just as delicious. But what is savoring exactly? To put it simply, it’s the practice of fully feeling, enjoying and extending the positive moments and memories in our lives.  You can savor the past (reminiscing), the future (anticipating)...

Follow Your Wise Mind into the New Year: Learn the Three States of Mind and Use Them to Clarify Your 2023 Goals  We made it! This week is our final episode for 2022. As absolute beginners in this podcast game, the past six months have been filled with dialectics, frustrating and rewarding, absolutely draining and incredibly exciting. As we reflect on this past year, we realize that our venture is...

College can often present a fork in the road. Do I play college sports or do I join the world of “NARPs” (Non-Athletic Regular Person)?  For some the choice is easy. There is no scholarship on offer, or they’d rather attend a favorite university over a scholarship at a school that isn’t right for them.   For others, the choice is made for them, like when injuries force medical retirement. And then...