“Surviving the Return to Work: The Fifth Trimester Playbook”

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📕 Transcript and audio of this episode is available here for free
Title: The Fifth Trimester
Author: Lauren Smith Brody
Category: Parenting & Family Life

What happens when maternity leave ends and you have to put on real pants and walk back into the office? Sam and Sophie dig into Lauren Smith Brody's guide for working moms, talking about the 'mom-coma,' the one-year rule, and why single-tasking beats multitasking. It's real talk about the chaos of going back to work after a baby.

Brody calls this period the fifth trimester, and her big point is that most women spend months planning the birth and the nursery but almost zero time planning the return to work. The episode walks through her practical advice: using maternity leave strategically, having honest conversations with your partner about the division of labor, and creating rituals to manage the emotional fog. Sam and Sophie also get into the 'return to work meeting' with your manager, the myth of multitasking, and why you should give yourself a year before making any permanent career decisions.

If you're a working mom (or about to be one), this episode is for you. It's a permission slip to lower your standards, ask for help, and redefine what success looks like. The takeaway: you can be a devoted mom and a driven professional, but you have to do what matters most, one imperfect step at a time.

The Fifth Trimester by Lauren Smith Brody. If you want the full written summary, the whole library is on 7minutebooks.com/app — over 6,000+ fiction and nonfiction titles you can read or listen to in any language, from $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 lifetime.

• 00:00 The Fifth Trimester Defined
• 00:56 Planning During Maternity Leave
• 01:36 Managing the Mom-Coma
• 02:04 Returning to Work Strategically
• 03:20 The One-Year Rule and Redefining Success

#TheFifthTrimester #LaurenSmithBrody #WorkingMoms #ReturnToWork #Parenting #MomLife #WorkLifeBalance #CareerAndFamily #7MinuteBooks #BookSummaries #NonfictionPodcast

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“Rewire Your Mind for Health and Happiness”

👉 For more insights, check out the full book and audio summary here 📖
📕 Transcript and audio of this episode is available here for free
Title: Think This, Not That
Author: Josh Axe
Category: Motivation & Self-Improvement, Career Growth, Personal Growth, Love, Dating & Relationships

What if the thoughts you think every day are quietly shaping your physical health? Sam and Sophie sit with that question, unpacking Dr. Josh Axe's argument that our minds are biological forces, not just fleeting ideas.

They walk through the core swaps in 'Think This, Not That': from fear to faith, victim to creator, urgency to patience, comparison to gratitude, resentment to forgiveness, anxiety to presence, and busyness to being. Each swap is explained with practical examples, like replacing 'I'm afraid I'll get sick' with 'My body is strong,' or asking 'What can I learn?' instead of 'Why me?' The episode also covers the thermometer vs. thermostat analogy and the power of community and purpose.

If you've ever felt stuck in negative thought loops or overwhelmed by stress, this episode offers a clear path to rewiring your mind for better health and happiness. The takeaway: your thoughts are the most powerful medicine—or poison—you'll ever encounter.

Think This, Not That by Josh Axe. For the full written summary and thousands more, check out the 7 Minute Books app at 7minutebooks.com/app—over 6,000+ titles, with summaries you can read or listen to in any language, starting at $2.99/month, $9.99/year, or $19.99 lifetime.

• 00:00 Thoughts as Biological Forces
• 00:40 From Fear to Faith
• 01:46 From Victim to Creator
• 02:34 From Urgency to Patience
• 03:06 From Comparison to Gratitude
• 03:35 From Resentment to Forgiveness
• 04:13 From Anxiety to Presence
• 04:36 From Busyness to Being
• 06:15 Purpose and Contribution

#ThinkThisNotThat #JoshAxe #Mindset #Health #Happiness #Thoughts #SelfImprovement #PersonalGrowth #7MinuteBooks #BookSummaries #NonfictionPodcast

Want every summary in full? Read or listen to 6,000+ fiction and nonfiction titles in any language on 7minutebooks.com/app — unlimited access from $2.99/month, $9.99/year, or $19.99 lifetime.

“Running Away From Anxiety, or Running Towards Yourself?”

👉 For more insights, check out the full book and audio summary here 📖
📕 Transcript and audio of this episode is available here for free
Title: Jog On
Author: Bella Mackie
Category: Memoirs & Life Stories, Culture & Society

What do you do when your mind feels like a prison and your body is the only escape? Bella Mackie's 'Jog On' isn't a workout guide—it's a raw, funny, and hopeful memoir about using running to quiet a panicked mind. Sam and Sophie talk about why moving your body might be the bravest thing you do today.

They walk through Mackie's journey from a crushing panic attack to lacing up her trainers in desperation, and how that first awkward shuffle became a lifeline. The episode digs into the science of endorphins and endocannabinoids, the importance of facing small everyday terrors, and why courage for someone with anxiety might simply be putting on your shoes. They also explore Mackie's critique of the fitness industry and her call for a more democratic vision of running.

If you've ever felt trapped by anxiety or overwhelmed by the pressure to be perfect, this episode offers a gentle, realistic path forward. The takeaway: you don't have to be a certain type of person to be a runner—you just have to be willing to try.

Jog On by Bella Mackie. If you want the full written summary, the whole library is on 7minutebooks.com/app—over 6,000+ fiction and nonfiction titles you can read or listen to in any language, with infographics on many titles. Unlimited access from $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 lifetime.

• 00:00 Opening With a Panic Attack
• 01:21 The Desperate First Run
• 02:16 The Science of Running and Anxiety
• 03:24 Reframing Courage and Facing Fears
• 04:36 Voices of Other Runners
• 05:46 Running Towards Yourself

#JogOn #BellaMackie #Anxiety #Running #MentalHealth #Memoir #SelfCare #ExerciseAndAnxiety #7MinuteBooks #BookSummaries #NonfictionPodcast

Want every summary in full? Read or listen to 6,000+ fiction and nonfiction titles in any language on 7minutebooks.com/app — unlimited access from $2.99/month, $9.99/year, or $19.99 lifetime.