Regulate & Rewire: An Anxiety & Depression Podcast

A quick intermission from our 8 part "Essential 8" series because my brain needed a break after juggling a lot the past few weeks. At the heart of this episode is a conversation about this quote, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” In the context of your healing the quote can be rewritten as “when you’re struggling with anxiety or dep...

Essential 8 Series (Part 5) At the heart of understanding and healing anxiety or depression through a nervous system lens is stress management and understanding the basics of stress physiology. In this conversation I share with you (what I hope is) a refreshing perspective on navigating overwhelming stressors. I'll reintroduce the "stress bucket analogy" and unpack it in a bit of a...

Essential 8 Series (Part 4) This isn't the first conversation we've had about the vagus nerve, and it won't be the last, but it's definitely worth a listen! In this episode I'll share again the basics of what the vagus nerve is, why it matters when healing anxiety & depression, and you'll get a few more sneak peak reads of my new book! What I want you to leave thi...

Essential 8 Series (Part 3) Breath can be used as a powerful proactive and reactive regulation tool. Your respiratory system (aka breath) is one of the most powerful physiological levers you can pull to shift the state of your nervous system. Did you know that every time you inhale your heart rate speeds up, and every time you exhale it slows down? Let's say you extend your exhale out longer...

Essential 8 Series (Part 2) I’m going to just come out with a pretty blunt to start today: there’s a set of minimal physical activity guidelines for a reason, if you’re not meeting them then you’re going to have problems (one of which is mental health). Second only to sleep, I think movement is one of the most fundamental and non-negotiable habits for brain health. Research shows that even just a...

Essential 8 Series (Part 1) Sleep plays a vital role in our overall health and wellbeing, yet 1 in 3 adults aren’t getting the recommended amount. If you're not getting the recommended amount of sleep, your mental and physical health will suffer. In this episode we’re going to talk about – what happens when we sleep, why sleep matters for our mental and physical health, common struggles with...

Your habits matter, your lifestyle matters. Your overall health is the greatest contributor to your mental health. There’s no about of talk therapy or meds that can combat the natural stress load that gets put on your system by chronic sleep deprivation, sedentariness, dysfunctional breathing, too many inflammatory foods and too little nourishing ones. AND YET... behavior change is hard, especiall...

When your nervous system has grown accustomed to chaos, things like stillness , rest, and slowing down feel unsafe. Because of this we often choose "healing" modalities that feed into the familiarity of chaos and intensity. So are the cold plunges and HIIT workouts hurting your healing? I don't know. But join me for a conversation to talk through how they might be, to talk about how...

Let's have another conversation around stress. Chronic stress can come as a symptom of our choices or the reality reality of our life circumstances, but it's usually a mix of both. I spent a decade create a life of chronic stress based on beliefs I acquired in my childhood and teenage years. Here's the thing, stress isn't the problem, chronic stress is. There's also some c...

If you've been in the healing space for more than 4 seconds you've heard things like, "you need to feel your feeling" or "healing comes through feeling." There's truth in it  AND what does that even mean? What if feeling even a little bit opens the floodgates? What if feelings show up 5 minutes before a meeting? Join me for a realistic conversation around emotion...

Do you ever feel overstimulated by sounds? Maybe especially when you're stressed? This has been a part of my anxiety journey and something that's come up a lot amongst my conversations with other lately. In this episode we'll talk about what Auditory Overstimulation is, why it happens, and some things you might be able to do today to support yourself (or a loved one). Here are links...

This conversation is a shameless celebration with you all that I wrote a book and a sneak peak as to what's held within its pages. Healing Through the Vagus Nerve is a guide to understanding and healing anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma through nervous system regulation. It still feels quite surreal to say I wrote a book but I’m so stinking proud of it and I wholeheartedly believe it&ap...

Join me for a conversation on all the things from how I started this podcast because I was annoyed with Instagram, to a story about my son spilling THOUSANDS of corn kernels and me NOT losing my -ish about it,  to a list of random episode topics coming soon, and ending with a reassuring message about how healing is possible. Hit play, listen to the end, and take what you need. And in the words of...

With this episode I want to give you permission to DO less and BE more this week. I also talk about why that’s hard, why it’s something I was virtually incapable of doing for over a decade and still have to make a conscious effort for sometimes. Join me as I share about the time I walked away from playing duck duck goose with orphans to do dishes because productivity felt so much safer than play a...

Last week I had an Instagram post that immediately lost me followers, while also being my most liked and shared post in over a year. Let's talk about it. Let's talk about how this same post could feel so validating and empowering for some people, while angering others. In this conversation I share various individuals perspectives and experiences around being prescribed psych meds and the...

Ever feel shut down and unsure how to pull yourself out of it? Or maybe you tried to, only to have you system back lash and become even more stuck, numb or disconnected? In today's conversation I talk about why this happens and offer 7 gentle ways to meet your system where it is in that shut down state of depression, immobilization, and disconnection. It's in meeting yourself where you a...

Today I share with you 10 ways to stop a panic attack & the nerdy science behind why they work. I start by answering the questions: What is a panic attack? Why do they happen? And what can I do about it? Here's a list of the 10 tools: Color spotting Near far jumps Sour candy Strong smell Hold an ice cube What can I hear that's the closest? What sound is farthest away? Coping statemen...

Do you feel like you've been chasing healing for so long and falling short? It might be that one of these pieces is missing. Let's talk about some pitfalls in mainstream mental health support and the role that bloodwork, breath, and belonging might have in your healing. I'll also peel pack the curtain on a new program we're currently developing that'll help bring a true, p...

This year I'm choosing regulation over resolutions. I'm choosing tiny habits over lofty goals. Join me for a conversation that unpacks why only 9% of people who set resolutions actually get there (and why I'm not interested in being part of that 9% this year). I'll also share with you 12 habits for a more regulated year. Happy new years friends and just a reminder that the new...

I had a really curated “regulated reflection” planned for this episode but that was until I almost had a panic attack in a pizza place while on a family vacation last week and decided, let’s talk about that instead. Join me for a conversation on grief, hope, and why I’d really love to have you join me on Thursday for my annual NYE Circle event. This is my largest community event of the year, over...

Do you struggle staying regulated this time of year? Maybe you have more anxiety around holiday events? Feel high expectations from others and have a hard time setting boundaries? Juggling real life and the “magic” of the season can feel exhausting. The financial pressures and pressure to make new goals as the new year approaches is a lot. I address all of this and more in today’s episode. This is...

The holidays can be a lot — a lot of joy and a lot of hard. I asked you all what you struggle with most in the winter or around the holidays so I could offer some more personalized support for my listeners. This and next week I’ll work through more candidly answering 10 of the submissions. I’ll list all 10 here, but not before I invite you to join me at the end of this month for my biggest communi...

Join me for a conversation about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), more commonly referred to as Seasonal Depression. What makes SAD unique is its timing, it has a distinct seasonal onset, typically in winter, and a spontaneous remission of symptoms sometime in spring. In short, it’s just normal depression with a seasonal pattern.  In this conversation I'll unpack more on what it is, what mig...

One thing I hear a lot from people who come to work with us are, “I’m tired of just talking about how I feel, I want to actually DO something about it.” Talking is a really important and special part of healing and it’s not enough if your underlying physiology is depleted, hypersensitive, or packed with unprocessed trauma. Getting into the DOING alongside the talking, processing, and space holding...

Feeling overwhelmed by the endless to-do and a life that feels mostly stressful most of the time? It's time to take control and edit your stress bucket. Think of it as a gentle dance of self-awareness and adjustments, not a one-time fix. Now, the fun part (IMO): the "Delete, Delegate, Different" method. Delete stressors that drain you and are unnecessary. Delegate tasks that others...