Ann's Diary

In this episode, we celebrate Take Back Your Lunch Break Day by exploring the benefits of taking a midday break and how it can boost productivity and well-being. We discuss the importance of disconnecting from work and how it can help us recharge and refocus. Join us as we celebrate Take Back Your Lunch Break Day and learn how a midday break can boost productivity and well-being. Let's make self-care and work-life balance a priority and create a more fulfilling and rewarding work experience.

In this episode, we celebrate Say Something Nice Day by exploring the power of compliments and how they can strengthen our relationships and boost our happiness. We discuss the importance of expressing kindness towards others and how it can positively impact our mental and physical well-being. We begin by sharing the history of Say Something Nice Day and why it's important to celebrate this day, especially in today's world where negativity and criticism seem to be prevalent. We also discuss the science behind compliments and how they release feel-good hormones in our brains, leading to increased happiness and well-being. Join us as we celebrate Say Something Nice Day and learn how compliments can strengthen our relationships and boost our happiness. Let's make kindness a habit and create a more positive and compassionate world.

Transcript: Writing therapy is a form of therapy that uses writing as a means of healing. It can be used to help people come to terms with trauma, express their feelings, and process difficult experiences. In writing therapy, you'll be asked to write in a journal or other format. Your therapist will work with you to create goals for your writing—for example, helping you understand yourself better. The therapist will also help you figure out what kind of writing would be most beneficial for you: whether it's freewriting or structured writing exercises or something else entirely. Writing therapy has been shown to be effective in treating depression and anxiety, but there are many other uses for this type of therapy as well; it can be used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, chronic pain... The list goes on! Writing therapy is a great way to get your thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper. It can be especially helpful if you're feeling overwhelmed or depressed. But sometimes, it can be hard to find the time and energy to write. Here are some tips for how to do writing therapy alone: -Find a quiet spot where you can sit comfortably and not be interrupted by anyone (or anything). -Get a notebook and pen ready before you start writing so that when inspiration strikes, you don't have to waste time looking for them. -Set aside some time each day that works best for you—it could be when you wake up in the morning, or when you get home from work at night—and dedicate that time just for writing. Or maybe it's better if you do it after work during your commute? Whatever works best for your schedule! -If there's something specific in mind that's bothering you, write about it! Otherwise, just let your thoughts flow freely onto the page!

Hello! We're glad you're here. On this episode of Revelation, we're talking about mental health. Specifically, the way that our society tends to think about mental health in a negative way. We've all heard the phrase "crazy" thrown around when someone does something unexpected or strange. The word is used so often that it's become almost meaningless. But what if we saw it differently? What if we saw that person as a person who needs help and support? What if there was more compassion in the world for people who are struggling with their mental health? We can be more compassionate for people who are struggling with their mental health by remembering that they aren't the only ones who struggle. Compassion is one of the most important human qualities. It's what makes us human, helps us connect with each other, and allows us to feel like we're all in this together. But sometimes it can be hard to show compassion to people who are struggling with their mental health. Maybe you don't know what it's like to struggle with depression or anxiety, or maybe you just don't know how to help someone who is struggling with something that seems so different from your own experience. Whatever the reason, it's important to remember that everyone struggles with something at some point in their lives—and when someone is struggling with their mental health, they need all the compassion they can get! We live in a society that is increasingly aware of mental health issues, but despite this awareness and the strides we've taken to fight stigma, there's still so much work to be done. The more we talk about mental health, the more we realize how many people are struggling with it—even those who seem perfectly healthy on the outside. We know you want to help, but sometimes it can be hard to know how best to do that. Here are some tips that have worked well for us: • Listen without judgment. When someone shares their experience with you, listen without judging them or explaining why their experience is different from yours. • Let them tell their story in their own way. If they don't want to talk about it, don't push them—just let them know you're there if they need support later on down the road. • Don't assume anything about anyone's mental health status based on how they look or act; everyone experiences mental health issues differently! • Take care of yourself first—your own mental health is just as important as anyone else's! When we think of mental health, we often imagine someone who's crying or screaming or visibly upset. But these are just signs of a person's struggle, not the struggle itself. The real struggle is the invisible and ongoing battle that happens inside our minds every day—the battle between confidence and doubt, hope and fear, peace and anxiety. It's important to remember that this battle is happening in all of us, whether we're struggling with mental health issues or not. It might be happening in different ways—maybe you're anxious about your finances; maybe you feel like you're always falling short at work; maybe you're just having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning—but we all have moments where our minds feel like they're going to explode with negative thoughts that threaten to steal our joy away from us. When we remember this commonality between ourselves and others who appear to be struggling with their mental health, it becomes easier to empathize with them instead of feeling frustrated by their behavior or blaming them for being "crazy." We hope this episode helps you think about how your language affects others, and how you can be more compassionate towards those who are struggling.

Transcript: I know it's hard to believe, but we've overemphasized being happy and neglected being serious and productive. I'm not saying that happiness isn't important—it is! A healthy amount of happiness is essential for a balanced life. But we've taken it too far. We've lost site of the fact that there are certain things in life that require us to be serious and productive. For example, if you want to get a promotion at work, you have to be serious and productive. If you want to save money for retirement, you have to be serious and productive. And if you want to learn how to code, then you better get yourself into the zone because it's going to require some serious focus! The word "serious" comes from the Latin word "sacer," which means "sacred." And that's how we should treat certain things in our lives. When it comes to your career, your family, and even your health, there are certain things that require you to be serious and productive. There's no time for the distractions of social media or mindless television watching. This is your life and you need to take care of it! what do you think?

Last week, we talked about the Beatles, which led me to listening to a bunch of albums I loved as a child. Listening to songs from my childhood made me feel really nostalgic, and that's exactly what we're going to talk about today: nostalgia! We're both thrilled to explore this topic because it's one that Ann has been wanting to talk about for a long time. Back in September, she mentioned the word 'nostalgia' at an impromptu workshop—and ever since then, she hasn't been able stop thinking about it! And rediscovering childhood music it got me thinking about how important nostalgia is not only for our personal lives but also for our creative lives. So what does nostalgia mean? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, nostalgia is "a longing or wistful affection for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition." Basically, when we want something back that has passed or changed. And while nostalgia can feel very negative—like longing for something that will never be again—it can also feel really positive: like remembering how much fun you had at summer camp when you were 13 years old (and wishing you could go back). Whatever your personal definition of nostalgia is, you know that our brains are wired for it—so much so that there's a name for it: the "default mode network." The default mode network is responsible for helping us recall past events and emotions, as well as allowing us to fantasize about the future. And while that might sound like something that would be counterproductive to our mental health, research suggests otherwise. In fact, there's actually a lot of evidence that nostalgia can have a positive effect on your mental health. There are some pretty serious benefits to nostalgia. Like, if you think back on those times when everything felt good, it can help with depression and anxiety by showing us how far we've come since then. That's right. So maybe, instead of trying to move forward and forget about the past, maybe we should take some time to reflect on where we've been and appreciate all that's brought us here.Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed our episode. If you did, please subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and give us some love! We're also on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out!

Transcript: Hey, it's Charlotte. Welcome to Revelation! Today we're talking about making friends from a different generation. This can be a great way to learn new things, and you'll get to hear the wisdom of people who have seen the world in different ways than you have. I'm going to start by sharing a story about my friend Katie, who's nearly 15 years younger than me. We met at work, where she was my assistant for about a year before we even started hanging out outside of work hours. I was surprised at how much fun we had together—and how much we had in common! She has taught me so much about social media and pop culture, and she's been an invaluable resource when it comes to keeping up with trends like Pokémon Go and TikTok filters (which she uses ALL THE TIME). Let's say you want to make friends with someone who's older than you. If they're old enough to be your parent, that might be easier. But if they're younger than your parents (or even just not as old as your parents), it can still be done! First off, think about what interests you have in common. Maybe you both like going hiking or skiing. Maybe you both like music that came out when they were young—like The Beatles! Or maybe you both love reading books about India because it's where one of your grandparents grew up and has passed away now. What are some things that would make for a good conversation starter? If there are things that don't interest either party—like sports or politics—it might be best not to bring those up immediately unless it seems natural for some reason during conversation. But if there are things that do interest both parties—like music or art or even food—then those are great topics for conversation! We all know that we should be friends with people who have more experience than us, but how do you actually do it? Well, first off: be kind! When making friends with someone older than you, don't be afraid of asking questions or admitting what you don't know—it's a great way to learn something new. And if they offer advice, take it! They've probably been through more than you have and might have some really valuable insights into how they made it through life. Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed our episode. If you did, please subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and give us a rating/review. We're also on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out!

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Ann. She lived in a small town with her mom and dad. One day she went out to buy some bread at the bakery. When she got there, she saw someone coming towards her. The person looked like they were in a bad mood and they shouted at her: "Move! Get out of the way!" The girl was very scared and started running away from the angry stranger. But when she looked back, she realized that the woman who yelled at her was actually very old and had trouble walking because of her age and bad health. The girl felt very sorry for her, so she went back and helped the old lady cross the street safely. That's a nice story, right? Well, here's another. I used to be really good at keeping my cool when I was faced with rude strangers. But then I got into an argument with someone who called me a "dumb toad," and it just kind of ruined it for me. I think most people have had this experience: you're minding your own business, and some stranger comes up and starts being rude to you for no reason. Because if there's one thing that strangers know how to do, it's being rude for no reason! I'm sure everyone has had that moment—you're just walking along and the next thing you know, some stranger is yelling at you or spitting on your shoes or whatever. But the worst part about these encounters is that they make us feel powerless. We start feeling like we have no control over what happens to us and how people treat us, which makes us feel like we should just give up on life altogether and become a passive aggressive ghost who haunts people's dreams. The thing is, while most of these encounters are annoying as hell, they don't actually matter all that much in the grand scheme of things! People who are rude to others aren't usually going out of their way to ruin lives—they're just have a lot of self-growth to work on themselves. I'm not talking about the way you talk to your friends, or the way you treat your family members, or even the way you treat people who are important to you. I mean the kind of treatment we give to strangers—people we don't know, people we don't care about, people who are just there. So why should we allow them to lower ourselves, and affect our mental health? Sometimes, when you're out and about, you'll encounter people who are just… rude. And it's hard to know what to do when you're faced with rudeness. Should you just ignore them? Should you say something? Should you walk away? The answer is: it depends. Sometimes, the best course of action is to let the rude person go on being rude without saying anything at all. That may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes people are just having a bad day, or they've had a bad week, or they're just in a bad mood and not thinking clearly. In these cases, it's best to just let them be themselves, because they aren't really doing anything wrong—they're just being themselves. Other times, though—and this happens more than we'd like to admit—the person who is being rude isn't actually just being themselves; they're purposefully being mean and hurtful towards us for no good reason, and that's when it's time for us to step up and defend ourselves! It's been a little bit of a rollercoaster ride this episode. I'm so glad you're here with me, because I think it's important to talk about the fact that we all contradict ourselves sometimes. It's natural and normal, and it can help us grow if we don't let it get the best of us. So what do you think? Do you ever find yourself contradicting yourself? And how do you handle it?

Welcome to revelation, a podcast brought to you by the folks at hey revel dot com. Revel is a wellness company focused on writing therapy. In this episode, we're talking about how to find your voice and use it for good. Whether you're just starting out or you've been writing for years, there are always new ways to share your story and make it count! I know that a lot of us are struggling with this, especially as we're navigating through a world where we feel like we're constantly being told what to do, think, or feel. Personally, I'm trying to figure out how to be myself in the midst of all this noise. Before we get started, let me just say that this is an incredibly hard topic to talk about. It's something that's really personal, but it's also something that can be really scary and overwhelming. So please know that if you're feeling a little overwhelmed right now—if you're like "I just don't know where to start," or "What if I don't have what it takes?"—that's totally normal! You've got this! We all have our own unique way of finding our voices and using them for good, so the first step is figuring out what that looks like for you. You can do this by asking yourself some questions: What are your interests? What are your passions? What do you love doing? What do people come to you for advice on? These are all clues about what it looks like for you when you're using your voice for good. Once you've identified what makes up YOUR voice, then comes the hard part: getting out there and sharing it with the world! But don't worry—there are lots of ways to share without being super vulnerable or putting yourself out there too much. First, think about how you want to share your voice. Do you want to create a blog? Write a book? Podcast? Each of these mediums have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, so make sure that whatever path you choose is a good fit for both YOUR voice and YOUR audience. If you're not sure where to start, try doing something simple like sharing on social media or writing in a journal every day. These activities will help you build up your confidence in your own ability and help you get used to sharing YOUR voice with others. I hope this has inspired you to find your voice. I know it's not easy, and it's not always fun. But if you can learn how to speak up for what you believe in, you'll be able to make a difference for yourself and others—and that's definitely worth the effort. Thanks so much for listening!

Welcome to the Revelation podcast, brought to you by the folks at hey revel dot com. Revel is a wellness company focused on writing therapy. Our mission is to help people create a better life by writing their way through their problems and past them. We're excited to have you here and hope you'll join us as we explore what it means to live your best life. Does this sound familiar? You're sitting at a party, talking to people you don't know very well. You try to be funny, but it falls flat. You quickly realize that they were just being polite when they laughed—and now they're looking around nervously, trying to figure out how to get away from you. It happens to the best of us! But if you want to be a good conversationalist, you need to learn how to laugh at yourself. You probably already know the benefits of laughing: it's good for your health, it makes you feel happy and relaxed, and it helps you relieve stress. But did you know that laughing at your own jokes benefits your professional life as well? When you laugh at yourself, it shows that you're confident in who you are and what you've done. It also makes other people feel comfortable around you because they can see that you're not afraid to be vulnerable. And when people feel comfortable around us, they tend to like us more—and that means more opportunities for us! So think about it: if everyone else is laughing at a joke except for you… do they like YOU? If they don't, they probably won't want to work with YOU either! So go ahead and laugh away—you deserve it! The thing is: if you think about it for long enough, it doesn't really matter because either way, it's YOUR Joke that isn't working. So why not just laugh at yourself and move on? If a joke isn't working for me then I just think "Well that was bad" and move on to the next one (or better yet: try to make something better). Even if it wasn't funny in the moment, maybe it will be funny later when you look back on it. In fact, most things aren't funny when we first hear them--but over time we find ourselves laughing at them anyway. This can happen whether or not someone else thinks something is funny too!

Hey there. We've got a super-easy tip that can help you feel more energized at work. It's called the Pomodoro technique, and it's like this: work for 25 minutes straight, then take a five minute break. Repeat until you're done with your task. If you're feeling sluggish at work, it could be because of the way we're designed to work. In our modern environment, we're bombarded with distractions like social media and email, which make us less productive. If you've ever tried to get something done in front of the television or with your phone on, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But if you use the Pomodoro technique, it'll help keep you focused because it regulates how much time you spend working and gives your brain a chance to recharge between bursts of productivity. The Pomodoro technique is a simple productivity method that can help you focus on the task at hand, no matter where you are. The idea behind Pomodoro is simple: during short bursts of time, you focus all your energy on one task. Then, after a short break, you move onto another task for another short burst. This helps to regulate how much time you spend working and gives your brain a chance to recharge between bursts of productivity. Its creator, Francesco Cirillo, was a university student who found himself struggling to focus on his work between bursts of productivity. He started using a tomato-shaped kitchen timer as a way to keep track of his time and stay focused on his tasks, and eventually discovered that this system worked better than any other method he'd tried before. Since then, it's become one of the most popular productivity hacks out there because it's so easy to implement and works great for almost everyone. The name "Pomodoro" comes from the Italian word for "tomato", which is what Cirillo used as his timer when he first got started with this method—you can use anything that ticks loudly enough to remind you when your time is up (like an egg timer or even just your phone). The best part? You can do it anywhere! All you need is a timer and the willpower to stick to the schedule!

Transcript: Hello, hello! Today's episode is all about procrastinating. You know what I'm talking about—you've been putting off a task for a long time, and now that it's staring at you, it feels like the biggest mountain ever. But guess what? It's not. You can do this! You just need to get started. And that's what today's episode is all about: getting started by doing one thing. We all know how hard it can be to sit down and get work done. But the thing is, we all have a lot of things we want to do in life. And if we don't take care of the stuff we need to do now, we might not have time for the things we WANT to do later. So today's episode is going to help you stop procrastinating and actually get things done—so that when it comes time to take on new projects or adventures in your life, you'll have the free time and energy to do them justice. The first thing I want to say is: no judgment! We've all been there, and we all have our different ways of dealing with it. But I think the most important thing is to start somewhere—anything—and get in the habit of taking action instead of letting yourself get paralyzed by fear or perfectionism. If you find yourself procrastinating on something big, ask yourself what would happen if this project didn't get done? What would happen if you never got started? And then ask yourself how much time it would take to finish it up before that deadline hits. Then, instead of thinking about how overwhelming it might be to tackle that project right now (because let's be real—it probably will be), just pick one thing from your list that seems like it could be done quickly and easily. Don't try to tackle everything at once; just pick one. We know you're trying to get a lot of stuff done this week, and we totally get it. But it's also important to take some time for yourself—and that doesn't mean binge watching Netflix all day. We're talking about taking some time to do the one thing you've been putting off. Maybe it's cleaning out your closet or organizing your email inbox or updating your resume. Whatever it is, take that time today and know that you deserve it! This podcast is brought to you by Revel!

Transcript: We're back with another episode of Revelation and today, we're talking about how to give mindful compliments—or as I like to call them, "the kind of compliments you never get tired of hearing." First off: Why do you need mindful compliments? Well, let's take a look at what happens when someone gives you an unmindful compliment. You might be in a conversation with a friend or coworker who says something like: "You look so good today! You must have lost weight." Or maybe they say: "Wow, your hair looks amazing! Have you gotten extensions?" These kinds of compliments tend to come from the heart but also from a place of insecurity and self-doubt. And while they might make us feel better about ourselves in that moment, we don't really want to be validated by other people's insecurity—especially when it's about our appearance. So what's the alternative? It's called giving mindful compliments. When someone offers up one of these gems, it feels like they're actually thinking about how they want to help and support you—because they know how hard it is to feel attractive and confident every single day! I think we're all pretty familiar with the idea that giving compliments is a good thing—but let's talk about some ways you can make them even better. Give compliments freely and widely. In other words, make sure everyone feels like they're getting enough love—you don't want anyone feeling left out or overlooked. If there are people in your life who don't seem to get as many compliments as others, make a point of telling them how awesome they are at least once a week (or more!). Second of all, try complimenting people on things that aren't easy for them to hear. For example: if someone has trouble with public speaking or being assertive, tell them how much you admire their ability to speak up! It'll mean so much more coming from you than anyone else because they know it took courage for you to say those words. It'll also help them build up their confidence over time because they know how much their friends and family believe in them! When you're giving a compliment, you want to make sure that you're being mindful of the person you're talking to. So how do you do that? Here are three tips: 1. Think about what makes them special. What do they like? What are their interests? What makes them different from other people? 2. Make sure your compliment is about something real and genuine about their personality or their actions—not just about how they look, or whether or not they're wearing something new today. 3. Make sure your compliment is sincere—don't just throw compliments around without really meaning them! If someone asks for a compliment, give them one! But if someone doesn't ask for one… don't give one anyway! Thanks for listening to this episode! We’re so glad you could join us. If you liked it, please rate and review us on iTunes, subscribe to the show, and tell your friends. We hope you’ll tune in next week for another great episode!

Hey beautiful! I'm so glad you're here. Today we're talking about anger. Specifically, how to handle it constructively. We've all been there—angry at something or someone. Whether it's a coworker who keeps taking credit for your work, or a sibling who borrowed your favorite sweater without asking and hasn't returned it yet… we've all been there! Sometimes it feels like the world is out to get you. Maybe someone cut you off in traffic and now you're late for work, or maybe your favorite team just lost the big game and now you have no reason to get up tomorrow. The world can be a hostile place, and sometimes it feels like there are no answers. But I have good news: there are answers! And they're inside of us! But what happens when you get angry? How do you deal with that anger? In this episode of Revelation we'll be talking about how to control your anger, how to recognize when you're feeling it, and how to make sure it doesn't control YOU. So let's begin with controlling your anger. So what does it mean to control your anger? Well, first of all, when we say "control," we're not talking about curbing or suppressing your feelings. That doesn't work for most people—and it definitely doesn't work for me! Instead, when we talk about controlling your anger, we mean learning how to manage what happens when you get angry so that you don't lose control and hurt yourself or others by acting out on your anger inappropriately in ways that cause harm or damage. Now that we've got that out of the way—how do you manage your anger? Well first off: try not getting angry in the first place! It sounds obvious but, well, we know it's hard. Anger is a natural part of life, but it can also be very overwhelming. Maybe you're dealing with a stressful situation at work, or maybe your boss is driving you crazy and making you feel totally out of control. Or maybe your partner just said something that made your blood boil; whatever the case may be, here are some tips for controlling your anger: -Take deep breaths. When we're angry, our bodies tend to react by speeding up our heart rate and making us breathe faster and more shallowly. Taking deep breaths will help slow down these reactions so that they don't make us feel even more out of control than we already do. -Take time to calm down before reacting. If someone has provoked you into feeling angry, try counting backwards from 10 before responding—it'll give you a moment to calm down and think about how best to respond. -Practice mindfulness exercises like meditation, yoga, or walking outside in nature (or even just taking a few minutes each day to close your eyes and focus on your breath). These activities will help train your brain so that it doesn't default immediately. So it can be easy to miss your anger, especially if you're not used to feeling it. We're going to take a look at some of the ways that anger shows up in our bodies, minds, and feelings. So first, let's talk about what anger feels like in the body. It can feel like heat or pressure in your chest or throat—like a burning sensation. Anger can make your heart race and your breath quicken. It can also make you feel tense in your muscles, like you're tensing up for a fight or flight response. And sometimes people say they feel their face get red when they're angry, which is actually pretty common! Next up: How anger shows up in the mind. Anger can make us feel defensive—like we need to protect ourselves from whatever is making us mad. If someone says something that hurts our feelings or threatens our sense of self-worth, we might react with aggression because our brain wants to protect us from being hurt again. And finally: How anger shows up as feelings inside of us. Some people describe feeling angry as "feeling raw," like their emotions are unbridled. Recognize that anger isn't always about the situation—it may also be about something else going on in your life that's unrelated! If so, find a way to deal with that other st

When it comes to dinner parties and birthday parties, I think it's important to bring a little something. It doesn't have to be anything big—a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers will do the trick. But bringing something shows that you're thinking about the host and that you appreciate their efforts in putting together an event for you. I think it's important because it shows that you care about the host and their wants and needs. Hostess gifts are a great way to show your gratitude for a kind deed or hospitality. They're also an easy way to make yourself memorable—and who doesn't love being remembered as the person who gave the best gift? Now, I know that sometimes when we're invited to parties, we feel like we don't want to bring anything because we don't want to impose or feel like we're taking up space in someone else's home. But really, if you're invited somewhere, it means that the people who invited you want you there! They want your company and what better way to show that than by bringing something thoughtful as a token of appreciation for their hospitality? You might be thinking, "okay, but what if I don't know what to bring?" Well… let me help you out with that. Here are some ideas: 1) Flowers! You can get them anywhere these days—you don't need to buy them at a florist shop or anything like that (though those will probably last longer). Just make sure they're fresh-looking and smell good when they arrive at the door! 2) Baked goods! You can find recipes online for literally anything—and most of them are pretty easy too! If you're feeling ambitious and want to take this one step further, why not bake something in honor of the occasion? So I hope this episode has been helpful for those of you who are struggling with what kind of gift or gesture would be appropriate when attending someone's gathering. As always, please leave us a comment below. We'd love to hear from you! So, you've made it to the end of the show. YAY!!! We know that it can be hard to get through a podcast, especially when you're running late and have to get back to work. But we want you to know how much we appreciate your time and attention. We hope you found this episode as enlightening as we did. It's really important to us that we give you the best information and advice possible, so we're always looking for ways to improve the show. If you have any suggestions, please let us know by sending an email to people at hey revel dot com. We read every single one, and we'll respond within a week.