Welcome to Part 1 of our 2 part series on the stress responses. These responses are sometimes referred to as trauma responses. They are the body's natural biochemical reactions to stress, real or perceived, internal or external.

The fight-flight response developed as a primitive response to danger - it's purpose is to help us survive. In modern life, many of us experience a fight-flight response in reaction to relatively minor stressors like traffic, meetings, challenging conversations, which tend not to be life-threatening. Yet our body's autonomic nervous system doesn't know the difference between being chased by a predator, and stressing over a meeting with an asshole boss. Many of us become "stuck" in fight-flight mode, living from one stress response to the next, full of adrenaline, cortisol, tense muscles in the neck and shoulders, rational mind on auto-pilot, as we prepare to either defend ourselves physically or flee. Over time, living in such a heightened state can wreak havoc on all kinds of internal systems, causing lots of health problems, not to mention poor mental health.

In our usual way, the Instigator and the Yogi talk about our own experiences with fight-flight, and share some of the tips and tools that we've found helpful in managing stress. Karen shares some yoga-inspired practices that serve her well, and Tim talks about Kevin Tracey's book The Great Nerve, the vagus nerve, which plays a critical role in the autonomic nervous system. Next week we tackle the other 2 manifestations of the stress response - freeze/fawn.

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This week the Instigator and the Yogi sit down with a therapist from Ellie Mental Health in Latham, NY, Aletheia! Aletheia specializes in treating people who have experienced trauma as well as individuals living with autism and ADHD. Aletheia's approach to helping people recover from trauma includes many embodied, sensory practices.

In this episode, we discuss Aletheia's experience as a person on the AuDHD spectrum. AuDHD combines the neurodevelopmental diagnoses of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, traditionally abbreviated ADHD. People living with AuDHD tend to experience symptoms that can impact their ability to tolerate sensory stimuli (light, sound, tactile), as well as challenges related to social communication, and a preference for routine/predictability.

We are so grateful to Aletheia for her vulnerability during this conversation, sharing so openly about her own challenges, the steps she takes each and every day to maintain her own wellness, and how all of this enhances the support she's able to provide to her patients.

To schedule an appointment with an Ellie counselor, visit: elliementalhealth.com. They have locations all over, including 2 offices in NY's Capital Region: Latham and Clifton Park.

Is there something you're struggling with? Or something you'd like to hear us discuss?
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at neverunderestimatetpp@gmail.com.
Please check out our other episodes and tell a friend!
Remember - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
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Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You by clicking the link below:

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This week, the Instigator and the Yogi are unpacking joy. As usual, we're taking a slightly different approach, Tim calls it a perspective slap. We're digging deep and distinguishing manufactured or performative happiness from true, authentic joy. In our increasingly online, social media world, we're all constantly being sold products, experiences, interactions that we're told will make us happy/bring us joy. We challenge this by saying that joy, as a key element of mental health, is an inside job. It's up to each of us to create the joy that resonates for us. But how?

Joy isn't black or white. Especially for those of us for whom joy hasn't always felt accessible, we have to intentionally create and feed our own personal joy. Karen says, "In order to truly feel joy, I need to first feel safe," which we're sure is true for many others. Living your authentic life will lead you to more long-term sustainable joy. Start by thinking back to activities you liked as a child, and carving out time in your adult life for some whimsy, playfulness. Whether it's listening to music, blowing bubbles, swinging on a swingset, reading a book, being near water, or riding a bike (some of the many personal joys we shared), find what resonates for you and do that thing, feed YOUR joy.

Joy wears many different faces, and it's important not to hide behind a mask of performing happiness. It's worth it to dig into what makes you feel joyful as part of your healing. Alan Watts said, "Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun." Do something fun today, prioritize joy in your life, and reap the rewards. Here are a few links to things we referenced in the episode that we encourage you to explore surrounding joy:

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama XIV, Douglas Carlton Abrams

Mission: Joy - Finding Happiness in Troubled Times

Feeding Joy (one of our early episodes!)

Is there something you're struggling with? Or something you'd like to hear us discuss?
Reach out on IG @piecestowellness or shoot us an email at neverunderestimatetpp@gmail.com.
Please check out our other episodes and tell a friend!
Remember - The road to a better you is paved with pieces to wellness…
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Get a copy of Tim's book, Never Underestimate the Power of You by clicking the link below:

Send us a text

https://a.co/d/h7AQf91