Your Mental Wellness Podcast for Your Voice and Sanity
Your Mental Wellness Podcast for Your Voice and Sanity
Mental Wellness' Survival Guide for the Holidays- part 1
I love pursuing clarity especially during crazy times like the holidays.
I am equally grateful for my collaborator and sherpa Sarah Hohmann who shares about her survival strategies, including what she is learning the secrets of geniuses :). Enjoy!
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Like, where's the button? Oh, oh, wait, how I go, How is everything? Everything's going really, really well, about you.
Unknown:It is good. I was like, Oh my goodness, a weeks already like running. But even if we just, this is like a big week with a holiday and everything and you know all the adaptations here that we get a sail through in California or probably even nationwide, right. But at the same time I was thinking it's good to chat. So yes, so tell me a little bit since our last dialogue, well, what have you been up to?
Sarah Hohmann:Oh, you know, just lots of planning for the big Thanksgiving this week. A lot of organizing time management going on. And I feel like, while I'm planning all of it, I'm using a lot of my phone. And for the majority of the time, I keep looking down, and I schedule things in and I use the little bullet reminders, which are great tools. But I feel like I'm like, Okay, I'm done. And then I scroll through. And then I get lost in the social media and everything on the phone. And so I've been trying to one of my skills that I've been working on is trying to disengage myself from sort of doing that, like, I guess I can use the phone, this is my tool. But afterwards, I have other things to do. I don't have to scroll through aimlessly for hours and hours, go so fast. Right? It just, it just goes fast, get lost in it all. So what I've been doing is, while I have free time, if I'm waiting to pick someone up, you know, maybe my nephew from school or family members coming from, you know, maybe a few hours away, I can pick them up, we can do thanksgiving for the week, I'm bringing a book with me so that when I'm sitting in waiting, I can put down the phone and just pick up the book and just say, Okay, this is what I this is what I'm reading right now, you know, I don't need to engage with the phone unless somebody texts me. And as you can see have many books to catch up on so. So I feel like this is a great decision on my part.
Unknown:For you. Yeah, it is. Well, and I think even you know, since we started this conversation, I'm, it's in a way it's helping us shift the focus between the small things where we're really going through our day and saying really do I really need to get away from the phone or I with my silly COVID gases, as I call them? Yes, serious COVID gases, I noticed how much more I was on the screen. When I told myself I want to wear these glasses. I thought I just needed from the computer. But then I noticed how many times I would be checking the phone looking at it again looking something up. And I was like, I gotta wear these glasses all the time. Because, you know, again, even just to have this small difference on my mental wellness on my mental resilience, having less brain fog by doing this kind of like a self camp. He's wearing these COVID glasses or like those glasses. But I think what we would what has been I have a little bit more settled on is that I always think when we have these conversations, like I tend to have more than one thing that my mind wants to go to. And I asked myself recently, I'm like, why is it you know, why can I just say to Sarah, it's just one thing I want to look at or something. And so what I noticed this, it's that shifting from the perspective that's on the very small level, it's me helping myself managing myself applying mental resilience to my own way of living, breathing, you know, putting the phone down, put my glasses on, but then in order to really then be making a bigger impact. Not just navigating my life but really saying what can we pursue, you know, what's our, our mission while I think why we are here on this planet, and even to shift to like a more bigger picture question. We need the I need the small minute, maybe even just mundane things of being well and healthy and focusing on that in order to then pursue, you know, to have the capacity for the bigger picture stuff. So I think that's what I reflected On and specifically with the holiday where, you know, there's always gratitude is such a huge wellness boost. It's such a, you know, it's a spiritual principle, you know, it's been around for a long, long time, you know, as that being really, really good for us to focus on gratitude, expressing gratitude. And still, then with that, using that as a bigger picture, you know, to get into the bigger picture of my life and my sphere of influence to say, if I'm practicing gratitude, all these small things, what will that allow me then to pursue on the bigger picture of things or in the bigger scope of life? So anyways, but I think, you know, I commend you for putting that tone down. Because it is one of those, you know, it's a fine line, we use it for information, but we don't want to use it against ourselves and our brain. Oh, creativity, you know, describe it. So. That's really good.
Sarah Hohmann:I like that, you know, leaving space for creativity, putting down you know, something, putting down the phone, so then you can clear your mind up for other things that may be equally important, as well. I like that. And I also like that you said that we have to remain present in the moment, like gratitude of what we have, at this time. And that's really, that's a lot of what, this holiday season, the Thanksgiving, of course, thanks, giving, is about just taking time to step back and say, Okay, well, you know, a lot of I'm stressed about a lot of things. But this moment, right here is what matters. And just taking that time to see all that clarity. And, and, and as you're right, like looking into the future, what other things we can go and do, like a bigger life mission. You know.
Unknown:And I think that was the whole reason for, for working on this whole idea of self coaching. I mean, it's part of self leadership, giving, you know, the tools to ourselves to keep going keep the balls in the air. Keep running, although you have all these, you know, obstacles or hindrances, they want to take out time to go. Maybe ignore hope, a little bit. And they want to take the focus away from those things that are using like an overused word, like what I essentially right I mean, that's even a bit overused. But, but so I think that's even even like looking at why would it be worth pursuing? What you're really standing for, with everything that we have going on? But I think that that's the quest, right? I mean, that's the, the, you know, the question to ask or to answer Paul's house, even like, what, what is it? And I think, when we're looking at those mundane, or even, you know, bigger things like gratitude, we don't I say to myself, that can't be yet. Right? There must be more, which is part of, you know, our culture always pulling us to, like, you know, I don't know, more people who are on platforms, and you're wondering, what would it do if I'm just practicing my gratitude, and nobody sees me, right. But at the same time, I do think that we all have this specific purpose here, you know, uniquely, with with what we have in our lives, and I think, all my desire would be that everybody gets to embark on their unique purpose, and with that makes this place on this world a better place, you know?
Sarah Hohmann:Yeah, absolutely. And you know, what, that, that bigger meeting and the life's purpose that you were just talking about, reminded me and I have this down in whatever notes I was writing, I write a lot of notes about the meaningfulness of work and what are we finding when when we go to work every day? And are we is what I'm doing. Contribute contributing to the bigger picture of what I want to do with my life. And so example um, there was a podcast interview. It's for Craig Wright's book, the hidden habits of genius. I thought that was interesting. Yeah. Yeah. So these he writes about all these habits that he's done research on people who claim that you know, geniuses, you know, like Mozart, and You know prodigies back in the day, all of that. And what really caught me was the interviewer asked, work is credited with a large margin of success, people who are geniuses, it's not even that they understand it as work. It's like you can't differentiate the act of genius with the act of personhood the person that they are, well, that's fine. And Craig, the author said, it's the secret to life, it's the secret to staying alive. What's cool, what is going to allow you to live at least a decade longer? Finding that passion, it's got to be a passion that keeps you alive. And that drives you throughout your entire life. But you can't simply accomplish it, possibly, you can't simply possibly accomplish any of it. Because once you do, you are no longer driven. And I thought that was an interesting point that once you lose that drive, it's that. Okay, now what, you know, like, you have to find, you know, once you officially maybe you didn't think you would accomplish it, but you did. And you have to find something else to, to keep striving. That's why we always say keep striving for your goals, you know?
Unknown:That's right. That's right. Yeah. And I think that that's interesting, I think sometimes, if you will, or at least I can only say that about me, like, by being able to finish some task, but something that I have gone after, immediately that put something else on the plate. I mean, it's amazing, like, I haven't even stopped, you know, I'm not even done archiving and the things that that went with the project, and the minute, it's like, boom, I have my next, my next thing that, that it frees me up to focus on and to go after so. So I think if, you know, like, the person you quoted is maybe a little bit more conservative in their, in the estimate of the striving, you know, we don't want to run out of it. But realistically, I think that's what I noticed in those last year, specifically, where I looked at things and I was like, I really want that the pieces that so many people have helped me, you know, I have contributed in my life or that, you know, workwise have have, you know, invested have poured effort in that they all come to full fruition. And so the minute as we put ourselves to, to accomplish and to finish, I felt it was like, you know, a switch in my energy to say, Oh, yeah, and what about this over here? You know, yes, naturally occurring? What a fueling.
Sarah Hohmann:That's great.
Unknown:So even maybe, as we get into, like, a more of a contemplate of state this week, that could be one thing to notice, like, what would open up if, you know, we, you know, we'd give ourselves that space? Oh, we have practicing the gratitude, even if it's just focusing maybe on one aspect of our lives where we've seen, you know, amazing things, or we're just grateful for continuation in relationships. And as we see that, what could that help us? You know, then pursue in the bigger picture of things.
Sarah Hohmann:Yeah. It's like graduating like the student, undergraduate students, once they get their degree, they're very excited that Oh, wow, I get to go into the real world. And I can go and pursue further goals, like, you know, keep keep going. Yeah. For that new promotion, that Oh, wow. Now I can expand on other things, you know, it opens like new avenues.
Unknown:And still, I think it still comes down to if if I feel blocked, by my circumstances, that I may not even then push towards that. So even I think the focus on those small self coaching tools will then help us too. And again, it could be as simple as the breathing or the putting down the phone or the disengagement from maybe ruminating or from, from, you know, the Curiosity as to what other people are doing, right? How are other people doing it?
Sarah Hohmann:And that's why we say start small, so then we can work our way to start bigger.
Unknown:Yes, absolutely. So good. Okay, so I will challenge myself to stay on the I think the gratitude and then putting the phone down. Yeah. So it's a good two good ones out. Pick the one that you took.
Sarah Hohmann:Yeah. I'm gonna take the one you take the being present? I think definitely, that has a lot of insight there too.
Unknown:Absolutely. Good. So maybe we can touch base again, after the holidays, see how that all went? And even to, you know, pursue then continuously pulled up in preparation for the second holiday what our true mission has been.
Sarah Hohmann:Absolutely, yeah. So it's preparation worked for what's going to what's to come
Unknown:back. Okay, well, that is awesome. And, yeah, let's just keep chatting. And I am always it's helping me to stay accountable to. So that's a huge plus, I rather have all conversations as they keep me in a good space and make it more likely for me to really stay on with the good stuff.
Sarah Hohmann:Yes, I absolutely appreciate your insight that definitely holds me accountable as well, you know, checking back and saying, Okay, I gotta write down things to report back.
Unknown:Absolutely. Okay. Well, then you have a wonderful holiday and then we talked again soon. Okay,
Sarah Hohmann:thanks. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Talk to you soon. Bye.