Read Josh’s full Community Connections interview here

Watch Kelly’s full Community Connections interview here.

A long time ago, I was told that you can only have five priorities on your plate at a time. And, at the time, I had 11 things: I was working 3 jobs, studying to be a yoga teacher, dancing professionally with a dance company, a boyfriend, friends, family, a dog, and a few other priorities all piled up on top of each other.

Read Emily’s full Community Connections interview here

Read Michael’s full Community Connections interview here

Read Tricia’s full Community Connections interview here

My mother died when I was 29. She wasn't sick, and while it was sudden it also wasn't a huge surprise that she died. She just never woke up one day.

Read Kelly’s full Community Connections interview here.

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience.  She raised a glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, “half empty or half full?” ….She fooled them all… ”How heavy is this glass of water?”, she inquired with a smile. 

I’m a runner.

I run for fun. I run to get a break from my normal day to day. I run to get my blood pumping and keep my heart healthy. But, I also train. I have run three marathons, six half marathons, and countless other races. I’ll basically run anything for a medal and a t-shirt that is, always, too small.

I know I can run a 5K and 10K with little training, but those longer distances? Those require training. Months and months of training– think part-time job amount of training.

S.T.R.E.S.S.— Seriously though, relax, exercise, smile, and sleep. Yes, I did just make that up. Remember to also unclench your jaw, unwrinkle your forehead and take a deep breath. B.R.E.A.T.H.E. In and out. In and out. Repeat. And no, I don’t have an acronym for breathe— just breathe.

At some point during your professional career, you may be impacted by a phenomenon known as “Imposter Syndrome.” It can affect anyone, including elected officials and celebrities. While it’s normal to have sporadic feelings of inadequacy as you progress through your career track, people who experience symptoms of Imposter Syndrome tend to feel a higher level of insecurity and fear about the work that they produce. Doubting their skills, talents, and achievements regardless of how much they have accomplished or how successful they are.  

I’m 23 years old and have been living in my college town for some time now. I’m pursuing my Masters, working part time, and just figuring out this whole adulting thing. One of the most daunting parts of being an adult, and living in an entirely different state, is finding new doctors. My parents did a great job picking out doctors for me back home that I just don’t want to leave them – ever.

I was broken. It’s the only word I have to describe how I felt at this pivotal period in my life. I felt like I had been shattered into a million pieces and I was trudging along, trying to appear whole on the outside. 

Do you have a friend or family member that is going through a rough time? Would you like to reach out to them but you are not sure how to approach them or when is the best time to do so?

You know how satisfying it is to cross something off your “to-do list”? That’s exactly how making and keeping promises to yourself feels. It’s like you were just holding your breath for a long time and finally got to exhale into contentment. 

A friend and I were talking last week about how she was so tired from her busy weekend. She told me what she did and I was exhausted just listening to her! Both weekend days were jam packed with work or play. I told her my weekend was full of R&R and brunch, both days. I told her I felt like I had reset over the weekend and was ready to work my 40 hours in 4 days.

As someone who has been on and off antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication for 10 years, I wanted to take a more self-healing approach. In doing so, my doctor gave me some homework: answer the following questions every day, at the end of the day, for two weeks straight:

Last week I was babysitting two young boys in my neighborhood while their parents ran errands. It started off as most of my babysitting gigs do – we put together a puzzle, played tickle monster, and competed over a game of Zingo (for those of you who don’t know, this is basically bingo for younger humans. Needless to say, it’s a very good time). During the game, the five-year-old boy told me that he had completed his bravery mission for the month and was excited to see what his Mom was going to get him as a reward. I looked at him quizzically. What was this bravery mission he spoke of? His explanation resonated deeply with me, someone twenty-two years his senior.

New Year resolutions don’t work... for me.  I have tried, really, I’ve tried. For years, I used to have a little notebook that I would always write ten, yes always ten, resolutions in. I would also look at my resolutions from the previous year and I can tell you... I do not recommend it. Most of my resolutions were to lose weight, meet a good guy, find a hobby, and the super generic “be happier” They were superficial and honestly really depressing. It was like a plan (that I never followed through on) on how to be someone else.  So, around the age of 30 I stopped making resolutions; no more “New Year, New me”.  Flashforward to 2021