No guest this week — just you and me.

In this episode of Between the Sessions, I answer real questions people have asked in the treatment room and in chat about stress, recovery, and why your body feels like it’s carrying more than you realize.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, tired in a way sleep doesn’t fix, or like you’re “holding it together” for everyone else -this episode is for you.

MilFirst supports recovery for military members and first responders through massage therapy.

Support the mission: https://www.givesendgo.com/MilFirst

Book a session at Woodhouse Gainesville and experience it for yourself.

In a longdistance race in Spain, an elite runner from Kenya was leading- until near the finish.

Right behind him was a runner from Spain with the strength and opportunity to take the win.

Instead of passing, he slowed down.

He placed his hands on the other runner’s back and pushed him forward.

When asked why, his answer was simple:

“He deserved it. He had run the better race.”

This episode unpacks why that moment matters -not just in sport, but in life, leadership, and recovery.

Burnout doesn’t always look like quitting.

Sometimes it looks like finishing the race alone.

In Between the Sessions, we explore what that quiet push teaches us about service, nervous system overload, and why recovery isn’t weakness -it’s readiness. From first responders and military service to massage therapy and everyday leadership, this conversation is about recognizing when someone needs support… and being willing to slow down long enough to give it.

And if you’re the one running on empty, this is your permission to accept the push.

Between the Sessions is a MilFirst podcast focused on recovery, service, and the unseen weight people carry.

Learn more about MilFirst’s recovery mission for those who serve at milfirst.com

or support therapy access at givesendgo.com/MilFirst

In this episode of Between the Sessions, we close out Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett with a deep dive into Chapters 10–11: Emotions at Work, and the book’s final call to action: Creating an Emotion Revolution.

We explore why emotions are the most powerful—yet most ignored—force shaping workplaces, leadership, and burnout. From emotional contagion and disengagement to compassionate leadership and organizational culture, this episode breaks down what the research shows and why pretending emotions don’t belong at work is costing people their health, creativity, and sense of purpose.

This conversation isn’t about being “nice” or avoiding hard conversations. It’s about emotional intelligence as infrastructure—the unseen system that determines whether teams thrive, fracture, or quietly burn out.

We also zoom out beyond the workplace to ask a bigger question:

What would change if emotion skills were treated as essential as technical skills—in leadership, education, healthcare, and service-based professions?

If you’ve ever felt drained by a work environment, struggled under emotionally unaware leadership, or wondered why “toughing it out” keeps failing people who serve others—this episode is for you.

This midweek offering is a brief detour from our usual book review.

Instead of analysis or instruction, this episode offers a simple mental load reset - built from everyday habits people already use when weeks get heavy.

It’s not a lesson, method, or medical advice. Just a quiet pause to help you set something down for a moment, narrow your attention, and move through the rest of the day with a little more space.

Between the Sessions is a podcast offering short moments of reflection and reset- not the whole conversation, just a place to pause.

We’ll return to the book review next time.

This episode of Between the Sessions is a quiet walk through Chapter 9 of Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett.

Chapter 9 focuses on what happens when emotions are ignored, dismissed, or left unnamed—and how that disconnect slowly shows up in our bodies, our relationships, and our work.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why avoiding emotions doesn’t make them disappear

• How unprocessed feelings often surface as tension, burnout, or numbness

• The cost of “pushing through” without checking in

• What it looks like to pause, notice, and name what you’re carrying

This isn’t about fixing yourself.

It’s about making space—between the noise, between the expectations, between the sessions.

If you work in service, caregiving, uniformed roles, or are simply carrying more than you let on, this episode is for you.

🎧 New episodes drop Wednesdays and Fridays.

🤍 Learn more about recovery-based care through MilFirst at https://www.givesendgo.com/MilFirst

Before moving into the next season of Between the Sessions, this episode serves as a pause.

A moment to acknowledge where the podcast is now, reflect on what has taken shape so far, and set direction for what’s ahead ,without rushing or recapping.

Thank you to everyone who has listened along the way. Your time and attention matter.

This podcast exists alongside MilFirst, a nonprofit supporting recovery for military members, first responders, and their families.

• Instagram: @milfirst.npo (DMs always welcome)

• Support the work: https://www.givesendgo.com/MilFirst

If you choose to support MilFirst, it helps fund real recovery sessions for those who serve.

And even if you never visit Instagram or we never see a donation — your presence as a listener is still worthwhile.

New season episodes continue soon.

We didn’t start this podcast in January. We started it when it needed to start.

In this year-in-review episode, I reflect on why Between the Sessions began in October, what these first few months have taught me about burnout, permission, recovery, and why quiet conversations matter.

No highlight reel.

No big promises.

Just an honest look at the beginning-and what I’m carrying forward.

This space exists as a pause between the demands.

A place to notice what we’re holding before it hardens into something heavier.

In this MW episode of Between the Sessions, we continue our walk through Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett, focusing on Chapter 8: Emotion Regulation.

Emotion regulation isn’t about shutting feelings down or “handling it better.” It’s about understanding what emotions are asking of us — and responding with intention instead of reaction.

In this episode, we explore:

• What emotion regulation actually means (and what it doesn’t)

• Why regulation is a skill, not a personality trait

• How stress, service, and constant responsibility affect our ability to regulate

• Practical reflections for first responders, veterans, and anyone carrying a heavy load

These MW episodes are meant to be short resets — moments to pause, reflect, and build emotional awareness that lasts beyond the week.

🎧 Between the Sessions is a podcast about recovery, readiness, and real conversations — because recovery is not weakness, it’s preparation.

🔗 Support recovery for those who serve: https://www.givesendgo.com/MilFirst