Episode 6 - ​Mental Health & Motherhood: How to Support Your Child Without Losing Yourself with Jenn Robb

By Jessica Garrison

Our guest this week is someone with strength, purpose, and faith, but it doesn’t stop there. Jenn Robb is the type of person who helps others find those traits in themselves as well. Her story is full of vulnerability, strength, and overcoming adversity. 

Jenn is very open as she shares how her daughter was struggling with her mental health, something that isn’t always visible on the outside, but it eats away at you internally. When children express a decline in their mental health, they’re typically ignored or shrugged off as nothing serious. However, Jenn supported her daughter through all of it without a second thought. She shares how she let herself go after discovering her daughter’s struggles, devoting all of her time and energy towards helping her. Of course her priority was her daughter, but Jenn realized that it didn’t have to be all or nothing. She recalls not even recognizing herself in the mirror, losing sight of who she was as her own person. Self care for Jenn became about being intentional. By doing something that is specific to her and refreshes her soul, Jenn is able to be at her best to take care of her daughter as well as to feel more present in each moment.  

While discussing taking care of her mental health as much as her physical health, Jenn brings up the excellent point of hormones, specifically how they can affect women in particular. Our bodies are constantly changing, and they are not the same at 16 as 36 or 66. This means we have to adjust our health plans and our self care needs to what is best for us at the given moment.

Jenn reminds us that we have the power to choose, and we need this reminder when talking about boundaries. She says that parents set boundaries all the time for their children, so why not set them for themselves? We’ve talked before about how “No,” is a full sentence, something that Jenn reiterates. Saying yes to everything zaps your energy, and a lot of times we say yes just because we don’t want to seem rude. However, you can still be a nice person and set boundaries—the two don’t have to cancel each other out. Jenn says that sometimes you have to love people from a distance, and that’s okay. It’s all about doing what is best for yourself so you can show up as your healthiest, most authentic self. 

These experiences were turned into a book, Warrior Mom Rising, as a way to help other moms who may be struggling with similar things as Jenn. She offers tools and resources for women to encourage them to advocate for themselves and their loved ones. Being a supportive person for others is one of the most powerful things you can be, but be sure you’re being just as supportive of yourself, too.   

Ways to Engage: Find space for yourself even in the smallest of moments. Whether you’re listening to your favorite music in the car, taking an extra five minutes in the shower, or doing some breathing exercises before bed, find ways to take care of and prioritize yourself.  

✨ Ready for deeper support? Visit our website to schedule a complimentary 30 minute session or learn more about The Essentials one-on-one empowerment program

Episode 5 - ​Prioritizing Self Care: Daily Habits for Mental Health, Stress Relief & Work-Life Balance with Melissa Crook

By Jessica Garrison

This week’s empowerment episode brought to you by Melissa Crook covers the first talking point in The FEEL Podcast: Prioritizing Self Care (Self Leadership, Self Preservation, and/or Self Sustaining) & what that looks like for you. Everyone’s self care practices look different, but the foundation it creates for our health is universal. 

Do you prioritize your wellness? Do you put yourself into your calendar and make time for your own needs? If not, why? Sit with these questions and the answers you give, exploring the deeper reason why you may not make time for yourself. A lot of the time we hear from women that they think self care is selfish, but it’s the complete opposite. In order for you to pour into others, you have to fill up your own cup first. 

Something I want everyone to take away from this episode is that the little things do add up. You don’t have to spend hours out of your day for self care time, because that really isn’t realistic. We live in a fast-paced society, our schedules full of responsibilities while still trying to enjoy our free time. Even taking five minutes out of your day to sit in silence or do a breathing exercise can do wonders for settling your nervous system. Even on the car ride home from work you can fit in some time to meditate, listen to some of your favorite music, or to just sit in the silence.

Try writing your emotions out at the beginning of the day, adjusting your self care needs to reflect that specific day. Meet yourself where you are because forcing yourself to do something isn’t really self care—it just becomes another item to check off the list. If you struggle with finding time for yourself, contact Melissa through our website or purchase The Calendar Cleanse to commit to your self care journey. You get to choose in life, and let this be a choice you make to take care of yourself. You deserve it.

💬 Ways To Engage/Ready to go deeper? Book a complimentary 30-minute session or explore The Calendar Cleanse (https://www.patreon.com/posts/calendar-cleanse-141122644?source=storefront) to fully commit to your self-care transformation.

Episode 4 - ​Mind-Body Connection: How Posture, Movement & Awareness Transform Your Mental & Emotional Health with Lindsay Newitter

By Jessica Garrison

If you watch our Together We FEEL panel shows on YouTube, then you might recognize our next guest from The Power of Mental, Emotional, & Physical Health Alignment episode. Lindsay Newitter is with us today, showcasing just how grounded, centered, curious, introverted, and funny she is. 

There’s no denying that there is a culture around women being in the “helper” position, but Lindsay felt the opposite growing up. She didn’t feel helpful at all, but a lot of this came from an internal struggle. She says that she didn’t know where her center was, and this was affecting the way she could connect with her emotions. Her journey involved figuring out what her perception of herself was and how to sense her body. A lot of people tend to only sense one small part of their bodies, which causes a barrier when trying to stay connected to all parts of yourself. Now that Lindsay has become more connected to herself, she has been able to help others in addition to taking care of herself. 

Since starting this journey, Lindsay has become a posture and movement specialist, certified in the Alexander Technique, an educational method used to help improve posture and long-standing habits. She says that she was interested in learning the Alexander Technique, and this helped her learn that she had to show herself to be able to show up for others. Your posture affects your breathing, which in turn influences the rest of your body. I personally have horrible posture from years of leaning over my phone, my computer, or a book, but I am working on fixing it every single day because I know how important it is for the rest of my health. It isn’t easy to change things you’ve been used to doing for years and years, but sometimes you have to put the effort in so you can better yourself.  

Lindsay has become more aware of how her body feels, especially in connection to her mind, and this has transformed her life. She has become more mindful and realized that health isn’t always about being distant, but it’s about having space. Having space to breathe, to feel, to act authentically, to exercise, whatever it may be. We tend to shrink ourselves and hide away from the world, but we are deserving of space. Women especially tend to linger in the background, but we are moving to the forefront and taking control of our own lives. Thanks to women like Linsday, we have the tools and resources to create any life we want. It’s just about getting started.

Ways to Engage:  Try connecting with all parts of your body. Notice what connects easiest for you and what you might struggle with. Find ways to help you move forward, whether it be physical or mental,  and connect with those more difficult parts of yourself.

✨ Ready for deeper support? Visit our website to schedule a complimentary 30 minute session or learn more about The Essentials one-on-one empowerment program

Episode 3 - ​Three Powerful Self-Discovery Questions to Reconnect With Yourself: Find Clarity, Purpose & Inner Peace with Melissa Crook

By Jessica Garrison

Our empowerment episode this week features Melissa Crook discussing the three questions that can help you reconnect to yourself: Who Am I, How Do I Want To FEEL, and What Nourishes Me? There’s no right or wrong answers to the questions, however they will be different depending on the season you are in and what is best for you at that given time. 

Melissa suggests taking time each day to connect with yourself, such as journaling or meditating. Focus on your feelings and/or your layers, paying attention to what comes up for you in those moments. Give yourself grace and patience throughout this process. It’s easy to look back and judge our past selves for their decisions, but no one is perfect and some mistakes have to be made to get you to where you need to be. 

Another way to get to know who you are better is to introduce yourself to people by your character traits, or adjectives that best describe you. Rather than sharing what you do for a living or what your personal dynamic looks like, share things you like to do in your free time. You are more than just the many hats you wear, and our roles can shift overtime, so it’s important to check in with yourself when you feel these things changing. Prioritize yourself and your needs so you’re able to take the best possible care of yourself, as well as others around you. Sometimes we need to be flexible with this, adjusting to what your needs are for that particular day. It’s between you and yourself, so make sure you’re fulfilling your own needs rather than pushing yourself to the backburner. 

Ask yourself these three questions: Who am I? How do I want to FEEL? What nourishes me? If you’re having difficulty answering them, you can visit our website to schedule one on one personalized time with Melissa to help you figure it out. If you know what nourishes you but are having a hard time fitting it into your schedule, gift yourself with  The Calendar Cleanse as a tool to free up your calendar so you can fill it with your own needs. Do not allow others to define you—define yourself.

Ways to Engage: WHO am I (how do I describe myself, NOT what do I do via titles, roles, etc.) ? How do I want to FEEL? What nourishes me? Spend some time with yourself this week on these 3 questions.

✨ Ready for deeper support? Visit our website to schedule a complimentary 30 minute session or learn more about The Essentials one-on-one empowerment program

Episode 2 - ​Creating Safe Spaces, Self-Care & Women’s Empowerment: Healing, Community & Alignment with Fanny Tristan

By Jessica Garrison

Our friends at Podmatch have helped us make another amazing connection, this time with our guest Fanny Tristan. She is an empathetic, nurturing, dedicated, and sensitive woman, whose work is creating safe spaces for women. 

Like many of us, Fanny was not raised to be in tune with her body, so this was a journey she had to go on herself. She adjusted her lifestyle in a way that makes her feel good in her body, emphasizing the importance of sleep. Sticking to her sleep schedule is nonnegotiable for Fanny, and I’m hoping people realize that sleep is more important than they may think. Without proper sleep, you can’t think clearly or make the most informed decisions for yourself. We were just talking during our book club session for Gasping for Air that sleep can be used as a weapon against a person in an abusive relationship, and it definitely gives a new perspective on the subject. 

Fanny is a very driven woman, and her values show in her work as a therapist. She says that she is here to hold space for people and help them work through their needs. This work aligns with her values, which has benefited her in more ways than one. Doing work that aligns with your why can be a gamechanger for your happiness, causing you to feel more fulfilled from day to day. It simultaneously fills up your own cup while allowing you to pour into others you may be working or interacting with. 

Through these processes, Fanny says that she gradually got to know herself better. She credits her success to cultivating the right community, saying, “community was key.” This is a reason why The Embracing Layers Network is always offering resources and opportunities to hear from women—we want to provide a community for women to feel safe, empowered, and free. When you find the right community for you where you can be your most authentic self, the sky is the limit. With support, trust, and sisterhood, there isn’t anything we can’t accomplish. 

Fanny is that woman, not settling for less than what she deserves and encouraging other women to not settle either. Not only in their relationships, but within themselves. You deserve more than just the bare minimum from anyone. From prioritizing your self care to cultivating healthy relationships through FEEL, our framework and resources, such as Fanny Tristan, are available to help you to create the healthiest life possible for yourself.

Ways to Engage: How do you want to show up in your spaces? Whether it be work, at home, or with friends, what are some words that describe how you want to show up? Focus on your self care and how prioritizing it can help you be the healthiest version of yourself. Remember to keep your cup full so you can pour into others.

✨ Ready for deeper support? Visit our website to schedule a complimentary 30 minute session or learn more about The Essentials one-on-one empowerment program

Episode 1 - ​Accepting the Layered Aspects of Yourself: Self-Worth, Healing & Personal Growth with Melissa Crook

By Jessica Garrison

Welcome to Season 10 of The FEEL Podcast! I cannot believe we’ve reached the double digits for our seasons, yet here we are, back with another empowerment episode with Melissa Crook. This week she is discussing our talking point, Accepting The Layered Aspects of Yourself. Although this talking point comes towards the end of each episode, it’s always one of the best to get started with. When you meet with Melissa one on one or purchase the online course, this is where you’ll begin. We make time for what we value, so it’s crucial that we include ourselves in this list.

We are our own biggest critics, but we don’t tend to hold other people to the standards that we hold ourselves. Melissa reminds us to utilize curiosity over judgment and to be gentle with yourself. You did the best you could with the information and resources you had at that time. Slow down, take a step back, and think of how hard you’re truly being on yourself. Would you be this critical of a friend? Would you respond to a loved one the way you respond to yourself? Accepting the layered aspects of yourself can awaken what else you need or what you could be keeping from yourself. 

Melissa suggests some ways you can get started on your journey if you’re feeling a bit stuck. Ask questions about yourself, like what traits you like about yourself and those you need more help embracing. What have you learned about yourself from certain experiences or character traits? Write the responses down on paper if you’re able, so you can have that cognitive connection between the words you wrote down and how you think about them in relation to your layers. 

There’s no time frame necessarily of when you begin accepting the layered aspects of yourself and when you’re finished. We are always uncovering layers, building on them again, and sometimes we fall off the wagon with our self-worth. Let this be a sign for you to start accepting your layers and treating yourself with the respect you deserve.

✨ Free Download: Embracing a F.E.E.L Fueled Life Sample Freebie
✨ Ready for deeper support? Visit our website to schedule a complimentary 30 minute session or learn more about The Essentials one-on-one empowerment program