Latest / The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook / Recognizing & Managing Seasonal Depression: Tools for Emotional Wellness with Marissa Chabai & Jessica Garrison

Transcript

Recognizing & Managing Seasonal Depression: Tools for Emotional Wellness with Marissa Chabai & Jessica Garrison · The FEEL Podcast: Women’s Empowerment, Emotional Wellness and Self-Leadership with Melissa Crook

• 0:10
  Hello feel podcast audience. Welcome back.
• 0:13
  We are wrapping up season 3. This late fall, almost winter of
• 0:19
  2022 with an episode that really was birthed last early spring on
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  our team, our blog writer Jessica Garrison, wrote a piece
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  about her experience with seasonal depression or you may
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  have heard it referred to as sad, seasonal, affective
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  disorder. It's a very personal experience
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  for her and she felt like she wanted to.
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  We had already recorded the episodes for this season so
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  there wasn't room in the season for that but I'm like yeah no I
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  want you to write it as we were just coming out of winter into
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  the spring, it was a good time for her to reflect on it and I'm
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  like write this blog and we're going to put a pin in this and
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  we're going to record an episode about it next fall as before we
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  head into winter because this is really one of those topics we
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  need to talk about more. It's a topic that affects women.
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  It can affect men, but it seems to show up in women more than
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  men which I think is very interesting and how we're all
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  just made up and how we process things and it tends to show up
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  between ages 18 and 30. You may have been experiencing
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  it before then and just didn't have the language for it.
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  And that's what Jessica's experience was she really
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  started? Feeling it going into college.
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  So we're going to hear from her today on.
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  Her experience with it, but we are also really lucky to have a
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  great connection through blend Health.
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  My middle daughter works for blend health and she when I was
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  talking about this episode, with her said, you need to talk to
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  Marissa, Mike, can't my counterpart, you know, one of my
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  main therapist and and employee friends at blend.
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  She is the person that can really speak to this with some
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  great knowledge. Helpful tips and how to spot it
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  and she's gonna, she's gonna be able to really give us a
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  clinical perspective on it today as, and we're going to learn a
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  little bit about her to. So, Marissa.
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  Thank you so much for joining me today.
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  Jess is going to be jumping on later, but we're going to start
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  with you today. She's joining us from the
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  beautiful mountains of Colorado, and we're super too happy to
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  have her with us. Thank you so much, Marissa.
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  Thanks for having me, Melissa. I'm very excited to be here.
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  It's a topic we do need to talk about whether we're dealing with
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  the formal diagnosis of major depressive disorder with
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  seasonal pattern, or we're just talking about how are affected
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  by seasonal changes. Yeah, I think that's a really
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  good point because there are different variations of this, I
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  think. But they're all need to be paid
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  attention to because they all affect how we feel, you know, so
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  it's important that whatever level you're coming in at
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  whether you're need some more advanced clinical help and
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  medications or whether you just need some tips, it to not feel.
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  So gloomy I think you're going to find this super helpful today
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  Marissa for her character, traits, gave me this
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  information, I'm going to read from it because I think it's
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  really great context and I Heard of it before, defined by her
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  values from the acceptance and commitment, therapy model, who
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  we are, who we want to be, how we show up for ourselves and
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  others, and how we show up in the world.
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  She uses loyalty connection, and empathy Adventure, honesty,
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  fairness, and humor. And I'd love those that I love
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  that context. You gave behind that because I
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  think sometimes even as we're trying to think about what our
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  characters, Traits are this kind of gives us a model to work
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  with. So I'm so glad you shared that
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  because I'd never heard that before, Marissa is the director
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  of Integrative Health and Lead therapist at Bland, it's a
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  holistic mental health and wellness company.
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  Marissa has been a registered nurse of over 13 years and a
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  mental health, counselor counselor for almost 3 years.
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  So, we're getting some really good solid advice from someone
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  that's got some training and background in this today, the
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  foundation to her work is an integrative model in which She
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  conceptualizes client needs from a holistic lens, including
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  psychological and emotional Wellness, physical health,
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  self-care trauma and nervous system somatic work.
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  The definition for seasonal affective disorder is known as
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  major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern in the DSM-5
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  which I'm going to have you as a little bit more about in a
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  minute because I don't know what that is and I'm guessing most of
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  our audience doesn't Onset of depressive symptoms is directly
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  correlated with a particular time of year and full remission
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  occurs at a certain separate time of year.
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  No non-seasonal major depressive symptoms occur outside of that
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  time that's so fascinating to me.
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  And before we go into these symptoms explain to me the DSM-5
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  what that so the DSM-5 is kind of the gold standard diagnostic
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  manual for mental health professionals.
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  So psychiatrists Colleges, okay, even our pcps and then as a
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  licensed professional counselor or licensed social workers.
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  We also are educated in license to diagnose from this manual.
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  So I have one that sits on my desk and outlines the criteria
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  for mental health disorders and so this description these kind
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  of fancy names that we might hear all come from that manual.
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  That's kind of what? All Our providers.
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  He is got it. Okay, great.
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  Thanks for that context and I figured it was something like
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  that. My poor going to have her
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  explain that just to make sure we're on that.
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  We understand what it is. We're here in here.
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  All right. So some tips symptoms that you
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  might be having feeling sad or having a depressed mood, lots of
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  Interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed changes
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  in appetite. Usually eating more I definitely
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  more in the wintertime craving carbohydrates and change in
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  sleep. Usually sleepy too much having a
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  hard time, getting out of bed, lots of energy, or increased
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  fatigue, despite increased sleep hours, you just feel tired all
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  the time, or just lack energy. And I've heard that a lot from
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  people that deal that I know that deal with this.
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  Increase in purposeless at physical activity, inability to
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  sit still pace, In hand-wringing or slowed, movements or speech,
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  these actions must be severe enough to be observable to
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  others, feeling worthless, or guilty, difficulty thinking
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  concentrating or making decisions and thoughts of death
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  or suicide. So, there's a lot of different
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  symptoms here and I think you can have maybe your variation of
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  where you come in on this spectrum.
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  Probably depends on how many of these symptoms you have.
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  Solutely. So for a clinical diagnosis of
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  seasonal, affective disorder, you must have five or more of
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  the symptoms you just listed for a diagnosis.
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  And so again, this is okay, the more severe version, right?
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  We might be hearing soon on their symptoms, you're reading
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  out and say, oh, I felt that, and I feel that, and this lasts
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  for me throughout the winter, you do, Not have have to have
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  all of these to benefit from the tips and science backed
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  interventions. Will talk about that can help us
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  feel better during certain Seasons.
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  Okay? That we experience these shifts
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  food. Okay, I love this.
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  And it looks and we're talking about this before the holidays
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  to because the holidays especially Christmas and New
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  Year's and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and all these different Today's
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  do, we experience this time of year that could bring on a whole
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  other set. So let's let's at least give him
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  some people out there that deal with the seasonal, depression
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  things. Let's give you some tools for
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  that. So you at least got something to
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  go in before you go home to the In-laws or parents or
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  grandparents, or cranky uncle, or whatever it is, you're facing
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  in the next couple of weeks. So we can be affected by
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  seasonal changes and shifts. We can all be effective lately.
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  However, if you feel Might have sad like you're feeling more.
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  I've these things I mentioned five or more of these things
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  contact, a mental health care professional such as a social
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  worker, a counselor psychiatric NP psychologists or
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  psychiatrists to be evaluated. It's really important not to
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  underestimate. I think it's one of those things
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  that people don't pay enough attention to and they don't know
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  they're in trouble until they're really in trouble.
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  And so we want to encourage you. And in our sources today, we are
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  going to have sources that you can actually reach out.
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  To blend is a company that they can meet with you virtually from
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  any awareness. So if you're interested in
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  learning more about blend about Marissa about their other great
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  therapist, that's an option that's available to you, right?
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  From your, from your own home. You know, if you're not liking
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  what you see in your area, don't feel like you're connecting with
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  anyone or just can't get So you know, you just are not able to
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  get out of your house or have transportation.
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  There's still help for you. Absolutely.
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  That's going to, we're going to have those resources of it.
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  Yeah. And some people create certain
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  if that's going to be available to you to be from their home,
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  you know what, their dog on their lap or you might see my
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  cats pass by here at any point and snuggle with me a little
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  bit. It can enhance our sense of
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  safety, sometimes, when we're able to do therapy.
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  Sure Mom. And I would, I would take it a
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  step further. Up further to, if, you know,
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  you're listening to this today and, you know, this starts to
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  happen for you in upcoming months start to talk to
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  somebody. Now even when you're feeling
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  good, let's prepare you for this season in which you have these
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  unpleasant symptoms. So that maybe they're not as
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  frequent or as severe or last as long because truly what we see
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  from the scientific perspective from Those diagnosed with
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  seasonal affective disorder is there as a decrease in their
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  serotonin levels and they're almost always an, especially
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  women are almost always vitamin D deficient, so that correlates
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  to sunlight for women. That's also correlates the
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  amount of calcium to retain in our bones.
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  And so the things, the self care and treatment of sad.
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  And or mood related, seasonal changes will address those those
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  dips and serotonin and the vitamin D deficiencies, that's
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  really good information. And those are things that we can
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  fix pretty easily like a just pretty easily.
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  I mean, in terms of vitamin D. I mean, that's a very tangible
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  things that we can do something about and I left the getting
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  ahead of it, you know, getting ahead of it and being ready for
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  it. And then I think that even that
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  can change your mindset going into it.
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  When you feel equipped and you have you feel you, like you have
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  tools that can help you. Some other self-care.
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  Some of this we mentioned already put some self care and
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  treatment of sad and mood related to seasonal changes can
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  be circadian. Rhythm transition, your
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  sleep-wake Cycles to light-dark Cycles, get at least 10 minutes
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  of sunlight or bright light, if an available within two hours of
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  waking up, have a nighttime routine therapy might be really
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  helpful to you during this time and especially before to get you
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  ready for it, physical activity. I Use we lived in Chicago, one
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  winter know for three Winters but one of those three Winters
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  was oh my God. It was it was like 25 below zero
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  for three straight weeks. Like, you just really couldn't,
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  even the sun was out, did not matter.
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  I mean like we had we gotten a bunch of snow and then it just
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  dropped off the planet temperature wise.
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  And I mean, you can relate to that live in the mountains of
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  Colorado. Blend is based out of Ann Arbor
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  Michigan. So definitely seen these, you
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  know, I'm from the north. So we've seen these things But
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  like shook that was the most extreme I'd ever seen.
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  I walked to my stairs every day I had an old home and it was
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  built in the late 1800's and we had a lot of stairs from the
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  basement to the main floor to the top floor.
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  I walked the stairs for 30 minutes every day to get that
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  physical movement in. So look at what you have do,
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  laps around your house. There's ways we can move and
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  then I also had all the blinds open so I could see the
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  sunshine. Even though it's frigid, it was
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  deceiving. I had I had the blinds open, I
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  could see this. The natural light was come
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  pouring into my home and I was walking.
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  So that's just a symptom that I found that that literally got me
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  through that winter. It kept me moving, I wasn't just
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  sedentary all the time wrapped in my blankets, it helped me
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  build up this. I put it on if layers and, you
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  know, built up a sweat. And that I mean that's just an
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  example of something. You can do, just in your own
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  home. Especially in those extreme
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  situations, we talked about this a little earlier vitamin.
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  Mineral deficiency hormone and cortisol levels PCP, functional,
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  Integrative Medicine, provider, holistic, psychiatrists, those
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  are things. I've worked on where I've been
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  really able to integrate some supplements that are really
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  helpful. As I've gone through menopause
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  and things have gone up and down.
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  I found when we were in Chicago, I started the menopause cycle
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  and all these things kind of hit it one time and that was really
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  helpful for me. I really was it really was?
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  It was, it was body chaos. I honestly was Yeah, I talked to
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  those people that aren't just going to throw a prescription at
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  you, but really want to talk to you about what's going on in
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  your body and how to respond to it appropriately.
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  What do you love about other Seasons?
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  What about that? Can you incorporate into your
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  routine life environment? I know that, you know, we I have
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  family members that have lights that they can, you can get those
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  mood lights and those seasonal, warm lights that are
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  specifically, then you can sit in front of those.
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  Oh, and it can feel like a warm day on the beach and you can
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  kind of, you know, meditate and put yourself there.
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  Kind of mindfully with your eyes closed.
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  I mean, I think those are really important and what about, you
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  know, it's also social engagement support system
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  because especially, you know, when it's cold injury outside,
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  it's kind of hard to get excited to go outside, but we tend to
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  want to shut ourselves in but that's exactly the opposite of
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  what we need. Is that correct?
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  Yes, you know, I'm a big believer.
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  Leave her and kind of my foundational theories that in
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  for my practice, as a therapist, that isolation exacerbates are
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  underlying issues and many people with various types of
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  depression, self isolate, because they lack that
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  motivation to connect with their social supports, they lack,
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  especially with the seasonal pattern type of depression were
• 15:45
  talking about today. Like you said, it's not
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  particularly inviting. If it's Cloudy for 7 days and
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  its frigid cold or maybe this is more unusual, but your seasonal
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  affective disorder happens to come through in the summertime
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  for you. Perhaps that comes from a
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  trauma, you experienced in the summer or just a dislike for
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  that type of climate in general. And so there are variety of
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  contributing factors to why this shows up in certain seasons of
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  life, but it's incredibly Important to stay connected to
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  the people who support us. I can't emphasize that enough.
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  I'm glad you mentioned this summer piece because Jessica
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  talked about that in her blog a little bit but that can happen
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  to and it's not as common, it's not the one we hear about but
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  that's also something. So so if you're feeling these
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  symptoms going into summer know that that's possibility as well
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  and and incorporate some of these same things, you know, you
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  just made love the Warm cozy winter that maybe something for
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  you that was felt very safe growing up or inviting I know
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  for me the holidays were a safe emotional time in my home, the
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  rest of the year wasn't so safe. So I loved that time of year.
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  So think about if you've got those kinds of things going on
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  too and know that the summer heat might do the same thing to
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  you as the winter cold, might do to somebody that experiences
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  this during the winter time so don't ignore.
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  These things, if you're feeling this in a season other than
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  going into the winter, I'm glad you brought that up.
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  All right, so we're going to bring in our talking points here
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  and how they can apply to helping us deal with with this
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  seasonal depression issue. However it shows up and whatever
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  level it shows up and you. So we're going to start out with
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  how to prioritize self-care in your life and what that looks
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  like. So talk to me about a good self
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  care, practice a quote, I heard quite some time ago that really
• 17:52
  resonated with me about self-care was a self care.
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  Practice is creating a life. You don't need to escape from.
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  Wow, that's so powerful. Oh my God.
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  It resonated with me in the same way.
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  I think it kind of hit you Melissa where you know we always
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  talk about what's going on vacation, let's get away, Let's
• 18:13
  Escape, and there's nothing wrong with that.
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  We all need to do that. But some people don't always
• 18:18
  have the privilege of that. For whatever reason, right?
• 18:23
  We just went through my hand. Demick vacations weren't really
• 18:27
  adoption during the panda. There was no escaping it.
• 18:33
  No, no, no, escaping physically. And so, what we need to do with
• 18:38
  our self care is incorporate moments and things throughout
• 18:45
  the day that offer that same sense of escape and or
• 18:50
  Roundedness for you, that looks absolutely different for
• 18:54
  everyone. And so it's getting in touch
• 18:57
  with ourselves. And what we need on a day-to-day
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  basis, how can I cultivate time? Because I work with a lot of
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  women and guess what? Women are busy were juggling, a
• 19:09
  lot of different roles and oh yeah, so many times we put
• 19:14
  ourselves last and we must cultivate space to prioritize
• 19:19
  our self. As much as the things were
• 19:23
  committed to as much as our loved ones because we will burn
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  out and especially at this time of year where we see the
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  seasonal affective disorder come into play.
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  Even more women are planning holidays.
• 19:39
  Women are cooking, women are opening up their home.
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  And so how can we Implement something that is just for us
• 19:49
  every day? So, we are not craving or
• 19:53
  seeking Escape in a way that doesn't serve us.
• 19:56
  Well, right, and I think that's where those not getting out of
• 20:00
  bed. Craving, the carbs, you know,
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  not wanting to engage socially or leave comes into play and
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  this is how you can combat those things.
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  And I think for me, I noticed this showing up in January, I'm
• 20:14
  on fire through January 1st, but January is really.
• 20:20
  Hard coming off the holidays and then if you factor in someone
• 20:25
  who's dealing with a seasonal on top of that, you know?
• 20:29
  So these things are important, anyway, they're even more
• 20:31
  important. If you know you're dealing with
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  this and you just, you cannot put yourself on the back burner
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  on this. You've just, it's it and it's
• 20:39
  not. And if you're having trouble, if
• 20:41
  you struggle with that whole, this is selfish thing, which we
• 20:44
  talked about a lot on this podcast and I'm really trying to
• 20:46
  dispel that myth, but it's actually, it's not selfish.
• 20:50
  It's not Only good for you, it's good for the people around you,
• 20:52
  because think about it, how much better it's going to be for
• 20:55
  everyone. You engage with, if you're
• 20:57
  functioning at a healthier level taking care of yourself versus
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  not and being depressed, sad, not wanting to engage, not
• 21:08
  wanting to get out of bed, all those types of things.
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  It just improves that for everybody.
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  Everybody's experience is better with it does.
• 21:15
  And with yourself and this is very clichéd term.
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  Yeah, you know, we can't pour from it.
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  An empty cup, but it's incredibly true.
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  You know, I'm not my best self if I'm not taking the time to
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  give myself when I need routinely.
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  That affects the people we care about in our lives.
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  Absolutely. There we want to acknowledge
• 21:39
  that or not. Yeah, absolutely true.
• 21:41
  So true. And I think if we can think
• 21:43
  about it that way, it helps us to frame.
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  It better for us to especially those that struggle with the
• 21:48
  whole selfish piece like, well wait a minute actually when you
• 21:51
  look at it from this standpoint they're not getting the best of
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  me if I don't do this and I'm not giving the best of myself
• 21:58
  which then you know so it's all works together that way.
• 22:01
  All right so this one's an interesting one confidently
• 22:04
  setting. Boundaries within this.
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  So, talk to me about the boundaries peace and especially
• 22:08
  how it plays into managing dealing with this this disorder,
• 22:12
  or this problem that you might be dealing with, with the
• 22:15
  Seasonal effective managers are something.
• 22:17
  My clients probably get tired of me talking about, I am a huge,
• 22:24
  proponent, proponent of boundaries, I operate from a
• 22:28
  relational perspective. So bounders, first of all, or
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  what What allow ourselves the space to love us?
• 22:40
  As a human being and be able to love others.
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  And so in order to confidently set boundaries, I believe we
• 22:50
  must learn to tolerate the emotional distress that may
• 22:55
  occur. Sometimes from the individuals,
• 22:58
  we're attempting to set boundaries with people are going
• 23:02
  to be disappointed. Yeah, they're not going to like
• 23:05
  it. They might push back.
• 23:08
  That other person's reaction. Yeah.
• 23:11
  Is not our responsibility, right?
• 23:14
  We bang. We can be considerate and kind
• 23:16
  and I found Ruiz but we cannot control how that person is going
• 23:21
  to respond to us. And guess what, if we're afraid
• 23:26
  of that person's reaction That's an indicator.
• 23:30
  We need to set boundaries with that individual even more or
• 23:34
  individuals. Absolutely.
• 23:37
  Yeah. Which isn't the irony of that is
• 23:38
  so interesting. Well, and again, women I think
• 23:42
  this is a societal and and culture cultural thing that's
• 23:47
  been going on for decorative decades.
• 23:49
  If not centuries, is that were the caretakers we take care of
• 23:54
  everybody else including their emotions, including that issues.
• 23:59
  And that takes us back to what we were just talking about when
• 24:03
  we do that. There's once again, no more
• 24:05
  space for our needs wants and desires, or what's best for us.
• 24:10
  So it's not choosing myself over someone else.
• 24:14
  It's choosing me so I can have a better relationship with that
• 24:18
  person even if they don't change, right?
• 24:21
  Yeah, absolutely. And I think, too.
• 24:24
  It's okay to tell people during this season, I deal with these.
• 24:29
  These emotions. These stressors I deal with us a
• 24:32
  seasonal depressive disorder. I can't show up for you in this
• 24:36
  season, the same way I can other times of the year so I need and
• 24:42
  it communicating those expectations because some of the
• 24:45
  stressors may be well you just did that for me three months
• 24:48
  ago, it wasn't a big deal, not the same thing, I'm not in my
• 24:53
  season that is hard for me at that time so I have to you know
• 24:57
  adjust the Of myself and what's best for me and to season.
• 25:02
  So just knowing this isn't my boundaries are going to look
• 25:05
  different and they have to you know and I think communicating
• 25:09
  that as well that in so people understand that you know there's
• 25:14
  and that should be that can be true of any season with anything
• 25:17
  you deal with but especially I think for this communicating
• 25:20
  that I'm going to show up differently in these three
• 25:23
  months and I'm going to have to set some different parameters
• 25:26
  for myself and in so people and that as well being clear in your
• 25:31
  communication is kind. Clear, is kind even if it, even
• 25:34
  if it doesn't feel like it on the other end and it's just
• 25:38
  going to be so much better for you, all right?
• 25:41
  How we can support ourselves and others and living and
• 25:45
  apologetically in doing this in like showing up this way, I
• 25:49
  think it starts with just the conversation, we're having today
• 25:52
  not being afraid to talk about it and normalizing the
• 25:55
  conversation but talk to me about about that piece of it.
• 25:59
  So I believe that women living unapologetically is a very
• 26:05
  delicate balance of our fierceness.
• 26:09
  Hmm. And our compassion, right?
• 26:12
  Yeah, I think, you know, those are two very bright polarizing
• 26:16
  things but really when we integrate what we're passionate
• 26:21
  about and we integrate that with compassion and empathy then we
• 26:28
  can Set these boundaries in a way that are rooted in our
• 26:34
  values that are rooted in who are versus temporary emotions
• 26:41
  that might come up that are uncomfortable or negative
• 26:44
  thought patterns that come that Jedi to lead the way.
• 26:48
  So if we can get rooted in the why I think and be steadfast in
• 26:56
  it and keep it at the Forefront. I think that's how we are able
• 27:00
  to live unapologetically and when it comes to seasonal
• 27:05
  changes that we experience once again, that's the commitment to
• 27:11
  ourselves to take care of ourselves so we can show up in
• 27:16
  ways for others. Yeah, that is not overextending
• 27:20
  us well, and I think sometimes we feel like as women, we have
• 27:24
  to apologize when we're dealing with when we're sick.
• 27:27
  I mean, when we have something In on that it keeps us from
• 27:30
  being what we consider our normal selves or our best
• 27:33
  feeling selves our first. I'm so sorry, I'm
• 27:36
  inconveniencing you my queen. We don't need to apologize for
• 27:40
  that. This is this is a real disorder.
• 27:42
  This is a real thing that we deal with and we just again
• 27:46
  talking about these things adjusting our expectations for
• 27:49
  this season. Adjusting our boundaries, you
• 27:52
  this goes nicely into you talked about our, why in our values,
• 27:55
  which is what we're going to talk about next.
• 27:57
  I think, Ending that your values.
• 27:59
  During the season might be different than they are the rest
• 28:02
  of the year and also communicating that you have your
• 28:05
  core values are always going to be there, but you may have some
• 28:08
  shifts in your values for this season that have to be addressed
• 28:12
  and adjusted and communicated as well.
• 28:14
  Well certainly, I think, you know, we're talking about core
• 28:18
  value set of five to seven values that we use in this
• 28:23
  acceptance and commitment, therapy model.
• 28:25
  What we're really looking at, is certain ones.
• 28:28
  Coming to the Forefront more. And yes, there are other values.
• 28:33
  People can value other things outside of our core values.
• 28:37
  But in this circumstance, I might be bringing that different
• 28:40
  value in to solve a problem or address an issue, which it what
• 28:46
  we're talking about would be our mood shifts during this season
• 28:49
  and so I might need to prioritize that there are little
• 28:53
  bit more of my life and I and I encourage women to we don't have
• 28:58
  to Justify our boundaries or these changes were making, we
• 29:03
  don't even have to explain them. You know, if I'm sitting with
• 29:07
  someone, I have a really close healthy relationship with and
• 29:11
  and I confide in them and express some vulnerability
• 29:15
  around why I'm setting that boundary that's perfectly
• 29:19
  appropriate because I have a sense of safety with them but if
• 29:24
  I'm communicating a boundary for to someone who's going to be
• 29:28
  Potentially have a disproportionate reaction.
• 29:32
  An explanation or justification is just information for them to
• 29:37
  use to attempt to pick apart the boundary.
• 29:40
  I love that because I'm the over-explaining champion of the
• 29:43
  world. Yep, I know you sensed
• 29:51
  absolutely correctly. I am totally that person and
• 29:55
  it's something I've really had to focus on and my therapist is
• 29:59
  like you have to quit feeling like you owe these explanations
• 30:03
  to everybody, about every single thing you do, and it comes from
• 30:06
  a like an upbringing of not being heard or or not being
• 30:11
  believed or having my voice undermined or having to just
• 30:17
  yell to be her. Heard and constantly kind of
• 30:20
  getting invalidated in that if it didn't line up with what they
• 30:22
  wanted from me and so and I don't think I'm an I think
• 30:25
  there's a lot of people that experienced that but I'm so glad
• 30:28
  you brought that up because I think again it goes back to that
• 30:31
  thing of like man this season this time I have these things
• 30:35
  I'm dealing with and you feel like you have to over explain or
• 30:39
  Justify why you're making changes and you don't.
• 30:42
  And you in identifying those people that are safe that aren't
• 30:46
  going to manipulate or take advantage.
• 30:48
  Use those things against you because they're just unwilling
• 30:52
  to understand it there. When willing to do their own
• 30:54
  work themselves, whatever it is. So I'm thank you for addressing
• 30:57
  that. And yes, that in calling that
• 30:59
  out in me because when you're 53 years old and you don't I meet
• 31:09
  people been telling me this my whole life and especially my
• 31:12
  daughters as they became adults. But my husband for you know over
• 31:16
  30 years now and it finally in my Early 50s.
• 31:19
  I'm like yeah that is a thing. That's a hey, it's a big pattern
• 31:22
  and I don't think I'm, I don't think I'm alone in that.
• 31:25
  I think, you know. So addressing that and accepting
• 31:27
  that accepting that living out of our own expectations versus
• 31:34
  others, I think that's important.
• 31:36
  Anyway and then in this season even more important and again
• 31:40
  just goes back to adjusting expectations to what you can do
• 31:45
  versus what others might expect of you.
• 31:47
  There is Another quote, I use a lot and it is unspoken
• 31:53
  expectations, are in this may be consciously or subconsciously
• 31:58
  but premeditated resentments. And so it's important to
• 32:06
  consider where our own expectations of ourselves come
• 32:12
  from first and foremost, because many times or be internal Lies
• 32:18
  narratives from childhood, from our culture from our society
• 32:24
  that aren't really ours to begin with.
• 32:28
  And I think that is kind of a journey throughout life that
• 32:31
  starts happening and pre-adolescents adolescents as
• 32:35
  our brains fully develop in our mid-20s and then through our
• 32:39
  lived life experiences as we approach middle adulthood, and
• 32:44
  so on. So this is an ongoing Journey.
• 32:47
  First of all, there's not In to be one day, where you're like,
• 32:50
  all these expectations are not mine to hold, sure.
• 32:53
  And so it's a growth process. But asking yourself are my
• 32:58
  expectations reasonable compassionate, achievable, based
• 33:04
  on my values. Once again, do I know my values.
• 33:07
  Do I know who I am? I operating from a place of my
• 33:13
  value set. When it comes to expectations of
• 33:15
  myself versus other, Hours and not a feeling of frustration, or
• 33:22
  a feeling of I have to succeed, or I have to be there for
• 33:27
  everyone else. And this is where I think, guilt
• 33:29
  comes up for many women. When we think about learning
• 33:33
  from our own expectations versus others that we might let people
• 33:37
  down. I think inherently as humans.
• 33:41
  We want to be liked, we want to connect, we want to please
• 33:47
  people. To a certain extent.
• 33:49
  But once again we need to be rooted in our expectations.
• 33:54
  Not in the reactions of others to our expectations.
• 33:59
  Yeah, yeah and that one's can be a hard one because I will tell
• 34:03
  you from my own experience that different people in your life
• 34:07
  have different levels of acceptance or understanding of
• 34:10
  anything to do with mental health and and they will have a
• 34:14
  real and you got to know who those people are and who you're
• 34:16
  dealing with and Just understand that narrative.
• 34:20
  That is their narrative. That is there's that is not
• 34:23
  yours to manipulate or control or even try to change.
• 34:28
  And so understanding that as well, that no matter what you
• 34:32
  say, do, whatever it is only your responsibility to
• 34:35
  communicate what to yourself and to others, what your
• 34:39
  expectations of yourself, your boundaries, your values.
• 34:41
  All those things they're going to do with it, what they're
• 34:43
  going to do with it. You can't make them believe that
• 34:47
  this thing is real. If they just refuse to, if
• 34:50
  they're just looking for a way out of it.
• 34:52
  So knowing that to and accepting that as well which can be hard,
• 34:55
  but if you can kind of identify who those people aren't, just be
• 34:58
  like what you do or don't do it. This it's not my problem, right?
• 35:03
  But this is where I'm at and this is where I have to be for
• 35:06
  my own health regardless of your you know you decided your
• 35:10
  acceptance or not of the whole thing.
• 35:12
  And I think that's important to remember to this I think what
• 35:16
  can be a tricky one for us especially especially when we're
• 35:19
  dealing with things that are uncomfortable or that, we feel
• 35:23
  they're hard to go through and it's accepting that.
• 35:25
  Let those layered is aspects of ourselves.
• 35:27
  I mean, I think there's a lot of is that deal with any kind of
• 35:30
  thing that's hard but you know, we think of like, oh my gosh,
• 35:34
  this seasonal, you know disorder, I wish I could just go
• 35:38
  away. I don't I don't like the way I
• 35:40
  show up in this season. I don't like the way I feel in
• 35:43
  this season, but that's part of who we are.
• 35:46
  And in order to really Embrace unloved, Solves its accepting
• 35:50
  those layers and may be searching.
• 35:52
  What what comes out for me this season that can be a good thing.
• 35:56
  You know, what is it? Giving me a chance to rest more
• 35:59
  is it giving me a chance to focus on myself?
• 36:01
  Do I had different creativity or in this season?
• 36:06
  I bet I think that can be really hard.
• 36:07
  So talk to me about the layers, peace.
• 36:09
  So again, this is another one that's a lifelong journey.
• 36:14
  I think something that's important for us to remember.
• 36:18
  About acceptance is it doesn't mean we have to tolerate certain
• 36:24
  things so as your kind of mentioning there with the
• 36:27
  seasonal mood shifts, you know, you know, I don't want to deal
• 36:31
  with this. I can't believe this is
• 36:33
  happening. Kind of that inner critic that
• 36:35
  comes up that. That's a key component.
• 36:39
  That we also see in a lot of depressive disorders is that
• 36:43
  cycle of self? Critique that comes into play
• 36:47
  that keeps us. In that depressed state and
• 36:50
  keeps us feeling hopeless. So we can accept and acknowledge
• 36:58
  that if we're dealing with seasonal affective disorder or
• 37:01
  disruptive mood shifts, that this is an experience we're
• 37:05
  having in life acceptance. Also means mmm, doing the work
• 37:11
  required to heal and grow from it and balancing that With
• 37:18
  allowing ourselves to rest because of we're, you know, I'm
• 37:22
  going to go to therapy every week.
• 37:23
  I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do that and this is
• 37:25
  going to look so different for me, you know?
• 37:27
  We we tend to go in that direction or the I can't handle
• 37:33
  this, right? I'm just it's that it's
• 37:35
  completely out of my control and it's balancing that idea of
• 37:41
  growth and work and involving and allowing ourselves to rest.
• 37:47
  You know, there's There's a strong and it's not a bad thing
• 37:51
  movement in our culture. It's important to talk about it
• 37:54
  as we're doing today that emphasizes healing.
• 37:58
  However, if we may, perhaps focus on, I have to heal, I have
• 38:03
  to heal, I have to heal. I'm on this healing Journey.
• 38:07
  You know, I'm reached I'm going to reach this existential Place
• 38:10
  someday with her that looks like and it's all going to be better.
• 38:14
  We're not living in the present. We're constantly focused on are
• 38:19
  perceived as being those moment and being better.
• 38:23
  It's okay to be who we are as imperfect people.
• 38:26
  It's okay to make mistakes. X.
• 38:29
  It's okay to not feel happy every single day of this season.
• 38:33
  It's okay to not enjoy the upcoming holidays all the time
• 38:38
  because of certain Dynamics in your family or commitments, you
• 38:42
  made them. Like I wish I had done this
• 38:44
  instead, it's okay, you know, that steps into that toxic
• 38:50
  positivity, you know, where I am.
• 38:53
  Everything's going so much different this year.
• 38:56
  Well, it my, but there might be times It doesn't and acceptance
• 39:00
  saying, that's okay that I'm feeling down today.
• 39:05
  Yeah. And I think to listening to your
• 39:07
  body because I think I know that I've done this when you get
• 39:10
  tools for something you're all of a sudden like all right, all
• 39:13
  the tools here we go. And instead of intuitively
• 39:17
  listening to what your body needs, the tools can become a
• 39:19
  checklist, and then you get at the end of the checklist, you're
• 39:22
  like, why don't I feel any better?
• 39:24
  And it's I think it's so much about maybe that's a whole
• 39:28
  checklist. This was probably too much, you
• 39:29
  probably don't need all of those things and to, what do you need
• 39:32
  today, and it might not be the same thing you need tomorrow,
• 39:36
  you know, a brisk. Walk up and down your stairs
• 39:39
  might be just what your body is telling you to need to that you
• 39:42
  need today. But maybe some light yoga,
• 39:43
  stretching, in the sunlight of your living room.
• 39:45
  With the blinds open is what you need tomorrow.
• 39:47
  I mean, whatever it is, but not feeling like those tips.
• 39:50
  I got these tips. Now, I have conquered this
• 39:54
  disorder. This is not going to be a thing
• 39:56
  for me anymore. I'm not going to feel this way.
• 39:58
  That's not, that's not realistic human and we're human.
• 40:02
  I know something for exactly. If I have a day where I'm
• 40:06
  feeling agitated, right? Me going and doing yoga, it is
• 40:12
  is not the best choice for moving my body.
• 40:14
  At that point, I need to go run. I need to lift weights, I need
• 40:19
  to expel that energy, but then there are days when my body is
• 40:23
  like, right? I really need to do yoga today
• 40:27
  and so it's being being aware of what your mind and body needs.
• 40:33
  It's acknowledging that and if you can't do an hour of yoga,
• 40:37
  that's okay. Can you step outside and absorb
• 40:40
  that sunlight and go on a short walk, how can you do something
• 40:46
  differently? That is more in touch with your
• 40:49
  need rather than I have to do this because I committed to do
• 40:54
  this for the month of December. Yeah.
• 40:57
  Absolutely. No.
• 40:58
  Absolutely. Slightly and keeping yourself.
• 41:00
  Grace annoying. Just some days are just hard and
• 41:03
  you're in some days you're going to sit in your blanket and
• 41:05
  that's okay too. And I think, you know, but also
• 41:09
  I think from the relationship standpoint, you know, keeping
• 41:12
  that open communication, maybe you have a scheduled phone call
• 41:16
  or a scheduled copy date or something that's on your
• 41:19
  calendar. That it might be take a lot and
• 41:22
  that person may be shows up to your house to get you so that
• 41:26
  you're not, you know, thing. Give those things that are going
• 41:29
  to kiss, it's one of those things.
• 41:30
  I think that I don't whenever you get out and do it, you
• 41:34
  always feel better after the fact, like you might be kind of
• 41:36
  going through the drudgery of getting ready by, then you come
• 41:39
  back and you're like, at least in my experience.
• 41:41
  Oh my I'm so glad I did. I'm so I feel so much better.
• 41:44
  That was such a good thing and I know it was hard, but wow.
• 41:47
  And so, if, you know that that's hard for you, putting those
• 41:49
  things in place, you know, where that person is calling you, or
• 41:53
  that person is showing up on your doorstep and pulling you
• 41:56
  out of the door, whether it's in your, you know, your Cute outfit
• 41:59
  and your hair done or your sweats and your beanie know
• 42:02
  whatever it looks like. So you know that intentionality
• 42:06
  around that to knowing knowing yourself and knowing what it is
• 42:11
  that's going to kind of help keep you balanced and feeling
• 42:15
  like you're doing the best you can in a tough season and if
• 42:19
  we're more in touch, is what we actually need.
• 42:24
  And how we want to show up in the more world we can make Make
• 42:28
  better decisions for ourselves. So maybe it's like, I'm noticing
• 42:32
  a feeling of on motivation. Right.
• 42:36
  That's a temporary feeling that's coming up.
• 42:40
  I know that me getting outside that mean gauging and physical
• 42:44
  activity. That following through on that,
• 42:46
  coffee date. With my friend, is what I
• 42:50
  inherently need versus my temporary feeling of discomfort.
• 42:56
  Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.
• 42:59
  Yeah. That is that listening to your
• 43:00
  body? Your body is going to tell you
• 43:03
  and but I think that we especially as women were so busy
• 43:06
  on-the-go, so busy taking care of everybody else and doing all
• 43:08
  the things that we don't, you know, give ourselves the time
• 43:12
  just just be present in like, what do I need today?
• 43:16
  You know, what do I need right now today?
• 43:18
  And it doesn't have to be the whole checklist or maybe you
• 43:21
  discover something new that's helpful to, you know, being open
• 43:24
  to those things as well. In living out feel finding
• 43:30
  empowerment, embracing layers. Especially I think in a season
• 43:33
  like this, that empowerment piece, we can feel so
• 43:37
  unempowered sometimes, if we feel like we're helpless and
• 43:40
  don't have tools to deal with something, or we feel like the
• 43:44
  tools feel hard, I mean there's going to be days like that.
• 43:47
  So in, In Living out feel how does that affect how you feel
• 43:53
  about yourself, and then in turn how you can show up in
• 43:56
  relationships. So, I think authenticity is one
• 44:02
  of the most critical aspects to having a healthy relationship.
• 44:05
  We cannot have a healthy relationship unless we're able
• 44:09
  to be our genuine selves and that includes during a season
• 44:15
  that affects our mood and then unhelpful way.
• 44:19
  So I think your feel acronym, truly, embodies that concept of
• 44:24
  authenticity and this could affect our relationship in many
• 44:27
  ways. The quality of genuine.
• 44:30
  Genuine relationships will flourish while perhaps revealing
• 44:35
  which relationships need to shift and change if we can't be
• 44:41
  our authentic selves. Like for example, I have a
• 44:46
  amazing friend and we talk on a daily basis and because of our
• 44:52
  busy schedules, we don't get to me as often as we would like to.
• 44:55
  But when we set something up, there's always an understanding.
• 45:00
  If something is happening throughout the week, where one
• 45:04
  of us is like, I need to actually not do this today.
• 45:09
  Like, okay, no, big deal. I don't get disappointed, she
• 45:14
  doesn't get disappointed, we're not offended her and I can
• 45:18
  authentically say no to each other.
• 45:23
  Mmm, I love that authenticity piece.
• 45:27
  I think that's such a good point of what how This Acronym, wraps
• 45:31
  up in any season or any way you apply it.
• 45:34
  So I'm so glad you shared that hadn't thought of it that way
• 45:35
  before. And so, that's such good
• 45:38
  information. But yeah, it's because it's the
• 45:39
  end of the day. If we We don't feel safe showing
• 45:43
  up authentically, no matter what's going on, we're not going
• 45:46
  to feel safe or like our best selves.
• 45:49
  And so, identifying those people to that, you can be authentic
• 45:53
  with. And maybe there's people in this
• 45:55
  season, but you don't have as much contact with, because you
• 45:58
  cannot be your authentic self with them and so giving yourself
• 46:02
  a break there, too. I think is important.
• 46:05
  All right, we are down to the rectifier name, five activities,
• 46:11
  I Five activities, that nourish you.
• 46:14
  Yes. So I'm a water baby.
• 46:18
  I grew up originally at the beach on the east coast and then
• 46:21
  I swim competitively my whole life, including in college and
• 46:26
  so water is my element. So I love swimming, I love
• 46:31
  diving, that's one of my partner.
• 46:34
  Mais favorite activities to participate in and then more on
• 46:40
  an accessible self-care. Basis.
• 46:43
  Bubble baths are my thing. They help me decompress.
• 46:49
  It is soothing to my nervous system and so I love water as
• 46:54
  you mentioned. I live out in Colorado.
• 46:56
  So hiking having a morning routine is incredibly important
• 47:01
  to nourishing me. I don't like to feel rushed, so
• 47:03
  I wake up early. So I have plenty of time and
• 47:07
  it's not like my morning routine is anything spectacular, but I
• 47:10
  have time to brush my teeth. Make my French press coffee,
• 47:14
  feed my cats, get settled in my office and that nourishes me and
• 47:19
  helps me be in a calm State before I start my day and then
• 47:25
  snowboarding and rest nurse is so I think you can see like
• 47:31
  mine's kind of very balanced between activity and also
• 47:36
  arrest. Yeah and I think you have to
• 47:39
  have that for the kind of work you do.
• 47:40
  I mean you've just given some great information but Helping
• 47:43
  people with all these things, all the time and for you to be
• 47:46
  your best self and shown up. These things are so important
• 47:49
  and it's something that got my attention.
• 47:51
  For those of you that are swimmers and and love swimming
• 47:56
  and being active and in the wintertime mate.
• 47:59
  You know, my middle daughter is a lake swimmer.
• 48:02
  She loves swimming in the lake that kid.
• 48:04
  Oh my gosh, this instance she just loves like swimming and she
• 48:07
  can swim forever. Like it's crazy.
• 48:09
  She is, it's just kind of heard natural thing.
• 48:13
  And so we've talked about and the wintertime, you know, and I
• 48:17
  think it's for anybody find that that gym or that indoor pool
• 48:20
  somewhere where it's warm and you can still go in and swim and
• 48:25
  maybe you're visualizing that. You're at that Lake but that
• 48:28
  might be something. You can still incorporate that's
• 48:29
  a summer activity that you can somehow incorporate in your
• 48:32
  winter. That maybe that's helpful and I
• 48:35
  think the morning routine Pisa just that routine is so
• 48:38
  important to get yourself going. I'm a slow morning person.
• 48:43
  If I don't get my slow morning rise, like I knew this morning
• 48:46
  we were recording at 10 my time I told Brady, I go I don't care
• 48:50
  what to because we were watching some late movies last night.
• 48:53
  My husband. I'm like, I got to be up by 8.
• 48:55
  I've got to be a so that I can Journal so I can have my coffee
• 48:59
  so I can get my head ready, you know, for this time and for the
• 49:03
  day so I think and that's those kinds of routines can be really
• 49:06
  important, especially if you're dealing with a seasonal thing,
• 49:10
  is that something that Rings true for you?
• 49:13
  That you see. Absolutely.
• 49:14
  And, you know, we just experienced a time change also.
• 49:18
  And so, I recommend to almost every individual I work with is
• 49:24
  to shift our morning and night time routine to accommodate
• 49:29
  that. Our circadian rhythms were
• 49:31
  seeing more and more evidence to that impacting, vitamin and
• 49:36
  mineral deficiencies, and all kinds of hormones that affect
• 49:40
  our mental health and our mood state, So I'm going to bed a
• 49:45
  little earlier in the winter, waking up a little earlier.
• 49:48
  So we're maximizing our daylight hours and we want to make sure
• 49:52
  we do that. I recommend like 15 minute
• 49:55
  increments and so that prevents us feelings that.
• 49:58
  Okay. Right.
• 49:59
  You know some people will for example all I'm up at 6:00 for
• 50:03
  work this day but I sleep in till 11:00 on the weekends while
• 50:08
  we're messing with our circadian rhythm and so our morning
• 50:12
  routine, Dean is an important part of that.
• 50:15
  My body clock is is so much adjusted now that I don't really
• 50:21
  need an alarm in the morning, my body wakes me up and say, hey,
• 50:25
  it's time to get going and I listen to them.
• 50:29
  Yeah, but it's important to think about it from that
• 50:32
  perspective. And not just again, not that we
• 50:35
  have to have 20 minutes of meditation and 30 minutes of
• 50:39
  journaling and to nature walk in the morning.
• 50:43
  Be very simple. As I mentioned, that feeling of
• 50:45
  not being rushed, but how can I set up my day so that I'm
• 50:51
  starting it from a place of? He's, I think it's really
• 50:56
  important. Yeah, no, that's a really good
• 50:58
  point. I love that talk about five
• 51:01
  words on how you want to feel the next six months.
• 51:05
  So those five words from are contentment connection
• 51:10
  gratefulness. Peace, Enjoy.
• 51:15
  Yeah and I think those words all work together they all play off
• 51:18
  of each other so well and again important for you to be able to
• 51:22
  do the kind of work you do and feel healthy yourself.
• 51:26
  Those are really important Marissa.
• 51:27
  This has been so great, you have given us so much today.
• 51:31
  I'm so thankful for your time. I'm excited to hear from Jessica
• 51:35
  to comment on all these things that she has gotten a chance to
• 51:38
  hear from you today. Don't you worry.
• 51:40
  People all of this information is Going to be on our resources
• 51:44
  page, you'll be able to find it on our website, embracing
• 51:46
  layers.com, we will be promoting it on our social media
• 51:51
  throughout the two-week period that we are featuring this
• 51:54
  episode. This episode will drop on
• 51:56
  Tuesday, December 20th. It will be the main episode
• 52:00
  feature as we wrap up season 3 and available to you forever on
• 52:05
  our website. But you can find information on
• 52:09
  our socials Instagram, Facebook LinkedIn.
• 52:14
  Gosh Tick-Tock. Where are we?
• 52:16
  Where everywhere Twitter for now?
• 52:18
  Who knows what that's a moving Target right now.
• 52:21
  And then, we're also going to be a TBD and also, you can email us
• 52:27
  if you've got more questions about this or resources, but
• 52:30
  again add embracing layers at gmail.com.
• 52:34
  But again, all of Marissa's information.
• 52:36
  I think that you're going to find this really helpful.
• 52:38
  It's going to be all this stuff's going to be listed on
• 52:40
  our resources page, you can learn more about her in the show
• 52:42
  notes. It's feel free to reach out to
• 52:44
  blend or anybody that you think that you can trust.
• 52:47
  If you feel like you're really needing some more help with this
• 52:50
  or NT, anything just therapy period.
• 52:53
  There's just such a great resource and and and make
• 52:56
  yourself a priority in it. Put yourself at the Forefront
• 53:00
  know that you're deserving of having that.
• 53:03
  But again, Marissa, thanks so much for joining us.
• 53:05
  I feel podcast audience, we look forward to hearing from you,
• 53:09
  send us some DM's if you've got more questions or just thoughts
• 53:12
  or I want to share your own experiences.
• 53:15
  Hello, feel podcast audience. So I'm back with Jessica.
• 53:18
  Now, we've gotten a chance to hear from Marissa from blend
• 53:21
  health and all of her. Incredible Insight tips
• 53:25
  expertise as a therapist working with people who deal with with
• 53:32
  seasonal affective disorder, sad seasonal depression.
• 53:35
  It's referred to in a lot of different ways.
• 53:37
  What I'm about, I talked to Jessica, she's experienced it,
• 53:41
  she's walked through it, she's learned It takes to walk through
• 53:44
  it, things that work through her for her.
• 53:46
  So we're going to get a talk to somebody who has hands-on
• 53:48
  experience. You have the courage last spring
• 53:51
  to come forward and say I want to have a discussion about this.
• 53:55
  I think it's important. I think it's one of those topics
• 53:57
  that we need to hear about more and I couldn't agree more.
• 54:01
  So just thanks for joining us today.
• 54:03
  Yeah thank you for having me. Absolutely.
• 54:06
  Absolutely. So before we jump into the
• 54:08
  talking points, you talked about in the blog and we're going to
• 54:11
  share your blog again. The week prior to dropping this
• 54:14
  episode so people can revisit it.
• 54:15
  You talk about the fact that this was something that you
• 54:18
  started bumping into in college. Do you think it was happening
• 54:23
  before then a you just didn't notice it.
• 54:25
  Or do you think you really fall into that 18 to 30 year old
• 54:29
  group of a lot of times? Women more so than men that just
• 54:33
  kind of comes up. Then definitely experienced it
• 54:36
  before but I didn't have a word for it.
• 54:40
  Sir, that was when it kind of clicked for me.
• 54:42
  I was like, oh my gosh, this just makes so much more sense.
• 54:45
  Now, because I'm always in the later months, I was like, I hate
• 54:48
  the winter and I've been, I just couldn't quite Place.
• 54:51
  Why? Or say why?
• 54:53
  And yeah, it was like, and then my, like therapist in college
• 54:56
  was like, oh, did you think you have seasonal depression?
• 54:59
  And I was like, what is that? And yeah, I just changed my
• 55:02
  life. I was like, oh my gosh, that
• 55:04
  just makes sense now and just gave me waist like cope with it
• 55:09
  because I was like, that's it, I'm depressed, that's what
• 55:12
  happens. Like, I couldn't quite figure it
• 55:13
  out. So, definitely in college was
• 55:15
  when I had an answer for it, but I mean, I could see it before,
• 55:20
  okay? Okay.
• 55:20
  That's I just, I was one to get some insight on that because I
• 55:23
  thought that was interesting, and I think it again.
• 55:26
  I think the 18 to 30 is interesting too, because it's a
• 55:29
  lot of times for a lot of people.
• 55:31
  The first time they've gone away, either to college, to the
• 55:34
  military to tech school to just moving out on their own and
• 55:38
  getting a job. And so they haven't, it's their
• 55:41
  thinking and observing these Has on their own.
• 55:43
  I'm like, you're not under your roof, or your parents are kind
• 55:46
  of like, Giving you reasons or giving you definitions or maybe
• 55:50
  you don't know how to talk to them about it, you know, maybe
• 55:53
  this isn't a mental health discussion in your home isn't
• 55:57
  commonplace or comfortable. So I think it's really
• 55:59
  interesting how it comes up at 18.
• 56:03
  But yeah, I think that this has to be showing up in people
• 56:05
  before then. I don't, I don't have the full
• 56:08
  on diagnosed disorder but I definitely have some things from
• 56:12
  that from growing up in the Pacific Northwest where it is
• 56:15
  gray 6. Eight months out of the year
• 56:19
  with very few things in between and how that war on me and I had
• 56:24
  to like muster up more energy. And you know we walked through
• 56:29
  as you all heard audience earlier with Marissa the
• 56:31
  different signs of it and I didn't identify what, you know,
• 56:35
  that 5 or more is like okay you probably have the actual sad
• 56:41
  going on but I there was two they're like absolutely those
• 56:44
  two, every winter for My whole life to the point.
• 56:49
  Yes. Oh, so I think that's, you know,
• 56:52
  important to remember to. We reminded, we told the
• 56:54
  audience earlier, remind you. Again, you don't have to have
• 56:56
  all of them, just some of them for, for this to affects you.
• 57:01
  So for you, as you've navigated this learned about this, talk to
• 57:05
  me, starting with how to prioritize self-care in your
• 57:08
  life. How does it look different for
• 57:10
  you in this season? Or is it just More enhanced, or
• 57:15
  how do you approach your especially as you're getting
• 57:18
  ready to go into that like, it's fall.
• 57:21
  You're like, all right, it's coming.
• 57:23
  How do you, how do you make adjustments in there or do you
• 57:26
  just talk to me about that? It's definitely a lot of like
• 57:30
  we've talked about a lot before on the podcast of like listening
• 57:33
  to my body sometimes. I need to have the rest night
• 57:38
  and it's, you know, like the sun going down at 4:00 just makes me
• 57:41
  want to go to bed at 4:00 and lay down.
• 57:43
  I want to talk to anybody. Yeah.
• 57:45
  You know, and sometimes I do need that.
• 57:47
  And that's okay. I'm like not so pushing it away.
• 57:51
  Any more of like, no, you need to be doing something all the
• 57:54
  time. It's like some nights.
• 57:55
  I'm okay. With just, I need to stay in.
• 57:57
  It's called, and I'm sad and that's all right.
• 57:59
  And then other times, I'm like, I need to do something, I need
• 58:03
  to get up. Make plans, go do something.
• 58:06
  And definitely getting out more during the day is important for
• 58:12
  that because it's like if I'm in the house all day, doing
• 58:15
  nothing, it that doesn't make me want to get up and do something
• 58:17
  later on when it's dark out, and sure keeps me a homebody.
• 58:21
  But if I get out and maybe run errands during the day, I'm more
• 58:25
  energized, I guess. And I feel a lot better.
• 58:28
  So, definitely, just following what I feel like I need for
• 58:32
  sure. Has has helped a lot.
• 58:34
  Okay, that makes a lot of sense. All right.
• 58:36
  How about setting boundaries are there?
• 58:38
  Do you have to set different kinds of boundaries in this
• 58:40
  season? Just what you can tolerate or
• 58:44
  what's best for you health-wise? We touched on that with Marissa
• 58:47
  earlier. I'm curious how that's played
• 58:49
  out for you for setting, boundaries is hard to begin
• 58:52
  with, but it is in any season, no matter what and season, it's
• 58:55
  so difficult, communication. Mmm, important that in listening
• 59:01
  to my body and then, like, communicating what?
• 59:03
  I need even from others, like, Even from my roommate, if I come
• 59:07
  home. Like, and I'm having like a sad
• 59:09
  day where I need to be alone or I need to accept that.
• 59:12
  I'm upset and just wallow in it. Yeah, hope I'm going to my room
• 59:17
  like nothing. I we you didn't do anything
• 59:19
  wrong, but I'm just not, I'm depressed today.
• 59:21
  I'm not feeling it today. Like leave me alone.
• 59:23
  Yeah, like hey, I really am feeling depressed and I need to
• 59:26
  get out like, let's plan to do something fun, like with other
• 59:29
  friends or something like that. So definitely Open communication
• 59:34
  with that and telling like, hey, I have seasonal depression.
• 59:36
  So, like, if I'm my moods are up and down like, it's yeah, that
• 59:40
  happens every year, like, you know, no one did anything wrong.
• 59:44
  It's just the season. And, you know, and then I think
• 59:47
  that opens more dialogue like with people.
• 59:49
  And they're like, well, I get that way too.
• 59:50
  And you're like, well, perfect. So we have an understanding now
• 59:53
  and it's yeah. We're then to, like, link up and
• 59:57
  like, decide, what's best for the group or both people or
• 1:00:00
  whoever it is. Yeah, absolutely.
• 1:00:02
  And I think, too, Mention you know if you bring it up you
• 1:00:04
  being willing to talk to, it gives freedom for other people
• 1:00:06
  that maybe having that experience to, to talk about it
• 1:00:09
  or even dawn on them, maybe hasn't clicked with them before
• 1:00:12
  and then all of a sudden they hear you talking about it and
• 1:00:15
  also choose for your own safety being in those environments
• 1:00:17
  where you can communicate freely, where you don't feel
• 1:00:20
  like you have to keep it to yourself.
• 1:00:22
  I would think apps to be really important.
• 1:00:25
  So we all know this one and this probably comes at a even higher
• 1:00:31
  level during this season. For you, taking care of your
• 1:00:33
  emotional health as much as your physical health.
• 1:00:37
  Yeah, that's so difficult. It seems in the winter to just
• 1:00:40
  stay active like in your body because I mean I do not want to
• 1:00:43
  go for a walk when it's like 20 degrees out in bed.
• 1:00:48
  So yeah I think even little things can help like you know
• 1:00:53
  every couple days to take my dog for a walk.
• 1:00:55
  And that's you know, she makes me she's like, it's walk time.
• 1:00:59
  I already know. So yeah.
• 1:01:00
  Keeps me motivated. So I know that that's a plan and
• 1:01:03
  then just like little things of maybe I'm going to park the car
• 1:01:07
  farther away in the parking lot. So that's my exercise to get to
• 1:01:10
  this. You know, and things like that
• 1:01:12
  is just like the little things that will keep up with my body
• 1:01:16
  and keep it moving. So I'm not like laying around
• 1:01:18
  all the time because then sure that's my mental health greatly
• 1:01:21
  is, I feel like I haven't done anything.
• 1:01:24
  I've been laying around all day. When I get down on myself and
• 1:01:27
  you beat yourself up of, I'm not productive and this and that so
• 1:01:32
  I just little small things to keep your body going and active.
• 1:01:35
  So you're not like just in a gal day of blankets even though like
• 1:01:39
  mentally it would love to do that by now.
• 1:01:41
  Well yeah and not allowing yourself to go down to that of
• 1:01:44
  rub a hole where you're not giving yourself in but the and
• 1:01:46
  Grace knowing that it's a season urine and you mentioned
• 1:01:49
  something earlier. And I think anybody that grew up
• 1:01:52
  in the north fully fully relates to this.
• 1:01:54
  But if you've grown up in the The South she was not
• 1:01:58
  exaggerating when she says it gets dark at 4:00.
• 1:02:02
  That means it's the truth. It really does.
• 1:02:05
  And, and that's just, you know, if you're in the northern states
• 1:02:09
  in the lower 48, if you're in Alaska, you know, forget about
• 1:02:12
  it. It's a whole other ball game up
• 1:02:13
  there but you so yeah. So if you, if you grew up in
• 1:02:17
  Florida and you're like 4:00 or like it's a thing, yeah, thanks
• 1:02:22
  this time. It is.
• 1:02:24
  And it changes how, you know, Get your day and I think, even
• 1:02:29
  if you don't struggle with this, we all kind of go through it.
• 1:02:33
  I know, for Brady and I, we go through an adjustment period of
• 1:02:37
  feeling tired sooner because it's 6:00, but it feels like
• 1:02:41
  10:00 because it's pitch black outside and it's such a contrast
• 1:02:48
  from what you experienced in the summertime, but even other
• 1:02:52
  season. So, yeah, I wanted to just touch
• 1:02:54
  on that people. Like, if that know, that's A
• 1:02:55
  thing and that affects to, I mean, I think that gives
• 1:02:59
  understanding to maybe people who haven't had to walk through
• 1:03:02
  this, especially if they didn't grow up in States it because all
• 1:03:05
  of us have some degree of it. But I know even Living in
• 1:03:08
  Lubbock, Texas, which is much farther south than anywhere
• 1:03:11
  else. I've lived before.
• 1:03:12
  There's a full hour to hour and 15 minute difference between
• 1:03:16
  even in the darkest times when we, at dark versus my family in
• 1:03:20
  the state of Washington when they get dark.
• 1:03:22
  And it, it makes a difference in terms of when In Pennsylvania,
• 1:03:27
  my whole life. Like so I've always wondered at
• 1:03:29
  this but like I couldn't actually people who move States
• 1:03:32
  and I took what a, what a jolt of the change, what jock?
• 1:03:36
  Yeah, like deal with that. They probably think like the
• 1:03:39
  world is ending, like why is it dark so late or something?
• 1:03:43
  I like well, and I remember to like I would go to when I lived
• 1:03:48
  in the northwest or northern states period, I go to work in
• 1:03:50
  the morning in the dark and I would come home in the dark.
• 1:03:54
  And that was always tricky to And so I, you know, I'm glad you
• 1:03:58
  mentioned like Park a little farther away, walk your dog.
• 1:04:01
  I mean, those things that can make you go outside.
• 1:04:03
  I mentioned earlier in the episode, I had stairs in my
• 1:04:06
  house in Chicago, where I would walk my stairs just to make my
• 1:04:10
  body move. I mean, so yeah.
• 1:04:12
  Getting you have to have to get a little creative with all of
• 1:04:14
  that, alright? And this I think is really
• 1:04:18
  important too because I think we can be really hard on ourselves
• 1:04:23
  when we deal with something like this especially as Man how can
• 1:04:26
  we support ourselves and other women in living and
• 1:04:28
  apologetically? When you'd walk in through this,
• 1:04:32
  when I said earlier about communication, I think that is
• 1:04:35
  so important, especially because yeah, if other women or people
• 1:04:38
  don't have the term for it, like I didn't like just openly
• 1:04:42
  talking about it and offering support and even if they like,
• 1:04:46
  I'm still working it out. I didn't even know this was a
• 1:04:48
  thing and I'm figuring it out like, well, I've experienced it,
• 1:04:50
  so you can come talk to me or if you don't, then that's okay.
• 1:04:53
  But, you know, just knowing someone's there.
• 1:04:55
  It is really nice. And then also me sharing with
• 1:04:59
  them like giving my them a piece of myself and being vulnerable
• 1:05:03
  and open. So then it's just creating the
• 1:05:08
  dialogue and being able to share and just know that someone's
• 1:05:11
  there. Even if you don't need it
• 1:05:12
  necessarily sure. It's, it's still there.
• 1:05:16
  Yeah. You just knowing you may never
• 1:05:17
  talk about it, but just knowing give some comfort that you're
• 1:05:20
  not alone and I think, you know, you being willing to write this
• 1:05:22
  blog and talk about this openly is going to You know, it's going
• 1:05:26
  to open the door for other women in other people.
• 1:05:29
  Period, that experience this. So again, I appreciate your
• 1:05:33
  authenticity and willingness to be a voice.
• 1:05:35
  For this thing that I think we just don't talk about enough.
• 1:05:38
  And that's, I can't thank you again.
• 1:05:41
  I know I thank you for that all the time, but I think it's
• 1:05:43
  really important and it did we give ourselves the love for that
• 1:05:46
  when we have the courage to step forward and be a voice The
• 1:05:50
  importance of setting and coming back to your why?
• 1:05:52
  And your values and everything you do and Valerie mentioned
• 1:05:55
  something earlier. I think that was really key.
• 1:05:57
  She's like, you have your core values, but maybe a of those
• 1:06:02
  core values. One specific one comes to the
• 1:06:05
  Forefront in that season. It's not that your values
• 1:06:07
  change. There's just an emphasis on a
• 1:06:10
  value that's going to come to the Forefront more in terms of
• 1:06:13
  helping you feel grounded in deciding how you're going to
• 1:06:18
  walk through this season eat Each year at talk, to me about
• 1:06:21
  how your thoughts on that. I think that's an excellent
• 1:06:25
  point that she makes because like, my why?
• 1:06:28
  And everything is always that I am.
• 1:06:34
  Like, putting out good energy, like, just trying to be a good
• 1:06:38
  person, like being able to go to sleep at night knowing that, you
• 1:06:41
  know, I've done what I can do for the day and I'm open person
• 1:06:45
  a safe person. People can talk to things like
• 1:06:47
  that you're and, you know, being very moody in the winter
• 1:06:53
  seasons, you know, just being open and stating that listen,
• 1:06:57
  like I really struggle during this time, so I apologize.
• 1:07:00
  If I can't be here for you right now.
• 1:07:02
  Like, I could be in the A store want to be, ya know, you know.
• 1:07:06
  I think that definitely comes forward and like helps me set
• 1:07:10
  better boundaries because I want to stay in as that person and
• 1:07:14
  say, is that why? So, it's like just making sure
• 1:07:18
  the people around me that I love and care about that they're
• 1:07:20
  safe, but also like taking care of myself because I don't want
• 1:07:22
  to bottle it up and like explode.
• 1:07:24
  All right, and then it's like you didn't deserve that.
• 1:07:26
  I'm so sorry. And then you have to laugh the
• 1:07:28
  talk afterwards and that's always a hard time.
• 1:07:31
  So I think she's definitely right.
• 1:07:34
  That view just you prioritize for sure.
• 1:07:37
  Right. And I think to just helping
• 1:07:39
  people to understand how I show up for you in September, may not
• 1:07:44
  be how I can show it for you in January.
• 1:07:47
  Exactly. And and, but but don't worry,
• 1:07:50
  come late, March, early, April, I'm back.
• 1:07:52
  Yeah, because I think that's something to important, you
• 1:07:56
  know, to remember to but just even, you know, talking about
• 1:07:59
  that fact that you may have to show it differently in this
• 1:08:02
  season. But In can, again, I think it
• 1:08:05
  just please keep saying it, but the communication piece is just
• 1:08:09
  so important in all of this, especially for you for your
• 1:08:13
  relationships, obviously, but just for you, in terms of it
• 1:08:16
  just gives less places for us to beat up on ourselves, honestly,
• 1:08:21
  because it's such a natural. Unfortunately, inclination so
• 1:08:24
  many times when we're going through something hard, Living
• 1:08:28
  out of your own expectations versus others, I think,
• 1:08:33
  especially in a season, and I touched on a little bit earlier,
• 1:08:35
  the fact that you may have to show up differently.
• 1:08:38
  So how do you, how do you adjust expectations during this time?
• 1:08:43
  And how do you deal with other people's expectations during
• 1:08:46
  this time? It's hard.
• 1:08:48
  You know, being like a people pleaser and, you know, I always
• 1:08:52
  want people to be proud of me like my family and things like
• 1:08:54
  that, but then you don't want them to see you struggle, but
• 1:08:58
  Like I like I want to be perfect and I want to have no Faults and
• 1:09:01
  everything be great and I want you to be so proud of me but
• 1:09:04
  it's like this is something that I have to deal with and I
• 1:09:07
  struggle with. And you know, I gotta be open
• 1:09:10
  about that. And you know, I'm not perfect
• 1:09:13
  and you know, everyone has faults and struggles and sure
• 1:09:17
  things like that and so I can't hold myself to like an
• 1:09:19
  impossible standard because I it's like that just leads you
• 1:09:22
  beating yourself up and like being even more depressing like
• 1:09:26
  falling into that without ever. Were trying to help yourself so
• 1:09:31
  yeah, you know, just being like this setting standards that I
• 1:09:34
  could actually meet and like well this is what I can do and
• 1:09:37
  this is what I can handle and if that's not what you expect of me
• 1:09:40
  and I am a different person in December than I am in June like
• 1:09:45
  sorry about it but yeah that's how I am and that's who it is.
• 1:09:48
  So yeah. Sorry not sorry.
• 1:09:51
  Sorry like I can't help it. Yeah and you can take it or
• 1:09:55
  leave it basically. Yeah.
• 1:09:56
  And I think you have to take that approach and Valerie talked
• 1:09:58
  about earlier, not over explaining like giving the
• 1:10:01
  information and then you're going to do what you're going to
• 1:10:04
  do with. But this is what I need to do
• 1:10:05
  for me right now. And I wanted to communicate that
• 1:10:07
  to you. So you understand where I'm
• 1:10:09
  coming from and then that's and that's where it's at which leads
• 1:10:13
  into accepting, the layered aspects of ourselves.
• 1:10:16
  Because we've talked a lot about in different conversations we've
• 1:10:20
  had on the Pod together on other episodes.
• 1:10:23
  You've been on, this can be hard anyway and then knowing that you
• 1:10:27
  have this particular Ocular layer within you accepting that
• 1:10:31
  maybe even embracing that talk to me about how that Journey for
• 1:10:35
  you with this. Yeah, well, I didn't even know
• 1:10:38
  that this was like a true layer until I was like 20 years old.
• 1:10:41
  So it took how many years that I lived with it before I even
• 1:10:45
  discovered it? And then had a couple of years
• 1:10:48
  to understand it and learn how to deal with it.
• 1:10:52
  Yeah. So I just think having the term
• 1:10:56
  to put with it and like being able to look it up.
• 1:10:58
  Like well this can help me or yes, I definitely have those
• 1:11:00
  symptoms and other people do too that we can have a conversation
• 1:11:04
  about it. Yeah, so you know it takes time
• 1:11:09
  and like it's ok that it takes time.
• 1:11:10
  I mean I'm sure going to have to deal with this for years and I'm
• 1:11:12
  sure as each year goes on. I develop a new coping scale or
• 1:11:17
  something like that. So there's always room to learn
• 1:11:19
  and grow from it. Mmm.
• 1:11:21
  But just I think accepting it or I guess finding it is.
• 1:11:24
  Step number one, and then accept her is part two of that.
• 1:11:28
  Yeah. And now is there anything else
• 1:11:30
  you've learned about yourself as you've pulled back this layer
• 1:11:33
  and discovered this layer has it has exposed or brought out any
• 1:11:37
  other layers. Yeah, it definitely helped me
• 1:11:43
  determine like because I have like the seasonal depression and
• 1:11:46
  then anxiety and depression like on top of that.
• 1:11:49
  So like this. Yeah, that's our Seasons.
• 1:11:50
  Just rough in general. But it sure is able to decipher
• 1:11:54
  this is how it is in the winter time versus like in the
• 1:11:57
  summertime. This It's just how it is all the
• 1:11:59
  time, okay? Being, you know, able to
• 1:12:03
  decipher those two things and deal with them separately.
• 1:12:06
  Sure. And like okay well I'm anxious
• 1:12:08
  about this every day of the year rather than just like, I'll just
• 1:12:12
  the winter months at something. I can deal with when it comes
• 1:12:16
  versus something. I have to deal with all the
• 1:12:17
  time. Well, that's where I can seek
• 1:12:19
  help with, you know, get medication, whatever it might
• 1:12:21
  be, right? So that definitely like, helps
• 1:12:26
  that like mental health over. All yeah absolutely.
• 1:12:29
  And probably in just understanding what you need to
• 1:12:32
  adjust in your self-care routine throughout.
• 1:12:36
  Okay, I need this 12 months out of the year for these things but
• 1:12:41
  this one not so much, you know, and this season but here yeah I
• 1:12:44
  mean so I think that also gives language and and parameters to
• 1:12:47
  that as well, I would think yeah.
• 1:12:49
  Absolutely in living out feel finding empowerment embracing
• 1:12:54
  layers. Talk to me about how doing that.
• 1:12:58
  With this knowledge has affected you as well as your
• 1:13:01
  relationships. Well, bringing up communication
• 1:13:05
  again. Yeah, I think for me, that's
• 1:13:08
  like number one, that's number one about feel and developing
• 1:13:13
  relationships. Keeping boundaries like pursuing
• 1:13:16
  relationships, anything it might be is just staying open and
• 1:13:20
  vulnerable with people and you know you can keep some things to
• 1:13:22
  yourself, you don't have sure, share everything with everyone
• 1:13:25
  you meet but yeah, the people you're closest with And sharing
• 1:13:29
  those layers of yourself and sharing who you are being
• 1:13:33
  vulnerable with them. I think is so important and it's
• 1:13:36
  been hard, like, especially over the years, like, still finding
• 1:13:40
  myself and finding who I am and how I cope and things like that.
• 1:13:44
  But yeah, just being able to say we need to talk and like
• 1:13:48
  nothing's wrong, but I just want to share that.
• 1:13:49
  This is how I'm feeling, or this is what I need from you.
• 1:13:52
  Yeah, like doing that, definitely like is number one.
• 1:13:57
  Yeah. And Which I would guess.
• 1:14:00
  And you can confirm this or deny it.
• 1:14:02
  But getting that diagnosis and language probably added to your
• 1:14:06
  empowerment within it. Yeah, for sure.
• 1:14:09
  And then it's like and accepting like that is okay, you know.
• 1:14:13
  Yeah, you're like oh my gosh, are you kidding?
• 1:14:15
  But that's okay. Because lots of people have it
• 1:14:19
  in lots of people deal with it. So it's not like I'm some
• 1:14:22
  science experiment. Like this is right.
• 1:14:24
  You want on the street and I'm sure that they've dealt with it,
• 1:14:26
  too. So yeah.
• 1:14:27
  Yeah. For sure, and I think knowledge
• 1:14:29
  in communication and vulnerability and authenticity
• 1:14:33
  leads to empowerment to and then you could collectively, as
• 1:14:37
  you're sharing your stories, Embrace those layers within
• 1:14:40
  yourself and within each other. So I think it's for sure.
• 1:14:43
  The work starts with you and then you can then you're able to
• 1:14:45
  give that out to other people. All right?
• 1:14:50
  So we are down to the Rapid Fire Within this realm of dealing
• 1:14:56
  with this. What are five activities?
• 1:14:58
  It is during this time that really nourish you.
• 1:15:03
  Reading is number one, I love how to read, but especially in
• 1:15:06
  the winter. When maybe can go outside at
• 1:15:08
  something, to stimulate your brain and keep you keep your
• 1:15:11
  brain active. So reassuring for me going out,
• 1:15:14
  spending time with friends and family is another one.
• 1:15:17
  Just keep staying social, I guess.
• 1:15:19
  Yeah, yeah. Writing, I love to write so that
• 1:15:25
  taste. She's our writer now I'm the
• 1:15:26
  writer. Definitely, I love that any time
• 1:15:29
  of the year, but that's another thing with reading.
• 1:15:31
  Sure, no. Keeps me active in the brain
• 1:15:34
  even like staying in on those nights and watching a comfort
• 1:15:37
  movie TV. Show, Christmas movie, or
• 1:15:40
  Thanksgiving episodes of, like, shows that I love.
• 1:15:42
  So that's better. Keep makes me happy, like forgot
• 1:15:45
  my spirits up for sure. And same thing with, like,
• 1:15:48
  listening to music would be my other one.
• 1:15:50
  Like, okay, kind of pop or Rock? Whatever.
• 1:15:54
  Sure, just to keep my mood up, that's okay.
• 1:15:57
  This time of year. Okay, I'm going to adjust this
• 1:15:59
  last one. I normally say five words on how
• 1:16:02
  you want to feel. For the next six months, I'm
• 1:16:04
  going to say five words on how you want to feel the next 3
• 1:16:06
  months because this is dropping on December 20th and we were
• 1:16:09
  walking into it. We are so talk to me about that.
• 1:16:14
  I definitely want to feel happy and inspired.
• 1:16:21
  I want to feel fulfilled in my life and my work and everything
• 1:16:26
  and want to feel successful and I want to feel loved by friends
• 1:16:31
  family everybody, okay. All right Jessica, thank you so
• 1:16:35
  much again for your just courage and coming forward this and
• 1:16:39
  sharing this and being willing to talk about this and being the
• 1:16:41
  one on our staff that said this is a Converses.
• 1:16:44
  This It fits into our realm of conversations of things that
• 1:16:46
  aren't talked about enough. And in this is something that
• 1:16:49
  women especially struggle with. And so thank you again, for your
• 1:16:53
  willingness to share and your experience write about your
• 1:16:56
  experience audience. You can there's so many great
• 1:16:59
  resources from today's episode. Don't worry.
• 1:17:02
  You don't have to take mad notes, they're going to all be
• 1:17:04
  listed on our sources. Doc, which is going to be
• 1:17:07
  available on our website, the week, that the episode drops,
• 1:17:11
  you can go to our website and bracing layers.
• 1:17:14
  Dot-com, go to sources, click down to this episode in.
• 1:17:18
  You're going to find all these sources that Marissa has
• 1:17:20
  offered. The Jess has offered, we are
• 1:17:23
  going to drop the blog. She wrote last spring the week
• 1:17:27
  prior to this episode dropping. There's sources in there that
• 1:17:30
  you can use as well. You will find us promote on all
• 1:17:34
  of our socials. Instagram are linked in our
• 1:17:38
  Facebook. Our Tick-Tock our Twitter for
• 1:17:41
  now and Twitter Is a moving Target right now.
• 1:17:46
  It will say, yeah, YouTube, you know, all those things, the
• 1:17:50
  episodes will be available with links on all those places as
• 1:17:54
  well as every place you listen to your podcast, those platforms
• 1:17:58
  Spotify, Google, Apple all those spots.
• 1:18:02
  And and we want to hear from you about your experience, what you
• 1:18:06
  did this help you was this an Awakening for you.
• 1:18:08
  Do you have practices that you use that are helpful, DMS a
• 1:18:13
  Timber. Thin layers on Instagram or
• 1:18:15
  shoot us an email. Embracing layers at gmail.com.
• 1:18:19
  Drop us. Go ahead and rate our episode
• 1:18:23
  where ever. You listen to it.
• 1:18:24
  We'd love to hear back from you there as well, but thank you
• 1:18:27
  again to Jessica and Marissa for having this conversation with
• 1:18:30
  us. This is our final episode of
• 1:18:32
  season 3. So we're going to be taking a
• 1:18:34
  little time off for us to get cozy and warm and and do some
• 1:18:38
  things to take care of ourselves around the holidays, and into
• 1:18:41
  the new year, but we will be back in February.
• 1:18:43
  But you Can listen to all of our episodes on our website but we
• 1:18:47
  hope you find this helpful and encouraging and we hope this
• 1:18:49
  encourages you to feel safe, having these conversations with
• 1:18:54
  other people as well. We just want this to be a great
• 1:18:56
  resource for you but we thank you so much for being with us.
• 1:18:59
  We wish you the best holidays in New Year and we will see you in
• 1:19:04
  February of 2023. Thanks so much and have a great
• 1:19:07
  week.