OKAY-ISH

As 2022 comes to a close, everyone is talking about their goals and resolutions; but we’re not going to talk about that here. Instead, Maryellen wants to talk about how freaking hard change is. She discusses:  How we avoid change   How she thinks change is difficult because it’s uncomfortable, and we don’t like feeling uncomfortable   Some big personal news/personal change: she sold her therapy practice   Needing time to sit with that change and recover   How she’s dealing with change, including reminding herself that uncomfortable does not equal bad, and that taking a step back can be a good thing to propel you forward   Lastly, Maryellen explains that she needs to also take a step back from the podcast in order to properly rest and reconfigure. She truly believes this isn’t goodbye, but see you later. It’s all going to be okay—no ish. If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For many of us, the holidays are full of joy and love. However, holidays where grief and sadness dominate are also a reality for many, yet far less discussed. As the holiday season approaches, Maryellen wants to talk about grief. She hopes this episode sheds light on all the different faces of grief, and how, even during the most wonderful time of year, it’s okay not to be okay. This episode highlights:   Holidays without a loved one  How people grieve more than death   Grieving differences in family dynamics, and the reality of our expectations    How holidays are ripe with traditions and pressure to be in the holiday spirit, which can trigger people   What to do with our grief   That grief needs time   How, if we ignore our feelings, they don’t go away, but instead come out in different ways    That grief looks different for everyone    How, often people grieving want to be alone, but the number one thing we need when grieving is other people    Common symptoms of grief    That it’s okay to distract yourself from grief, too  How grief is so much more complicated than just the 5 stages commonly identified  If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’ve heard it a million times: your physical health is important for your mental health, and vice versa. But do you know why, or what exactly they do to one another? Today, Maryellen wants to talk about that link, and discuss a few more details that you may not think of, including:   The importance of sleep  Eating patterns  Heightened autonomic nervous system = our brain releasing cortisol into our blood stream  Parasympathetic nervous system being repressed   Frustrations with the random gimmicks that promise to “cure all”   Forgetting when we need to do the simple things for ourselves   The value of therapy    Tired as F*ck: Burnout at the Hands of Diet, Self-Help, and Hustle Culture by Caroline Dooner    Knowing when your body needs rest    How our bodies communicate to us, but it’s up to us to listen    Taking the time to check in with yourself    How, if we can start to be aware, we can take better care of ourselves    If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trauma is serious, scary, and there are not enough services in place to support those suffering. Today, Maryellen wants to normalize it a bit more, show a different perspective, and explain why some people will suffer in situations that maybe you wouldn’t. In discussing trauma Maryellen covers:  The subjective nature of trauma and how it lacks a clear definition   DMing an influencer to correct them on a trauma comment   Big T’s and little T’s   How, for each person, different things can be traumatic and that’s okay   EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): a trauma therapy based off of Structural Dissociation Theory  Excerpts from My Dark Vanessa by Elizabeth Russel (TW: sexual assault)   The importance of recognizing the little T’s  How little T’s affect us and change our behavior  If you’re struggling, please reach out to a therapist. Visit psychologytoday.com or therapyden.com for a good place to start. If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maryellen has had to make some big decisions lately, and a friend asked her how she was making them. That made her stop and question just how exactly she was making these decisions, and if she was listening to herself as much as she was to everyone around her. When people suggest you listen to your gut, it can be difficult; especially if you struggle with anxiety. What was helping Maryellen the most was actually journaling, something she’s gotten back in to recently, and speaks about today. She discusses:   How we make decisions   The ways we can journal in non-productive ways   Her history with journaling   Journaling as a tool to understand yourself and organize your thoughts   Different types of journals   Tips to avoid spiraling when journaling   How we operate on autopilot   Understanding what is a gut instinct vs. what is anxiety     Processing events and making decisions  If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.