Send us Fan Mail

Why can it feel so uncomfortable to relax—even when you're completely exhausted?

If you've experienced burnout, chronic stress, anxiety, or the feeling that you're constantly “on,” your body may have become accustomed to operating in a state of high alert.

In this episode of Wildly Unplug, Lauren Connolly talks with Jelena Tesanovich, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, mindfulness and meditation teacher, and nervous system health specialist, about what chronic stress can do to the body—and how we can begin working with our nervous systems instead of constantly pushing ourselves harder.

Jelena shares her own journey from the health and wellness world into nervous system work and explains how she eventually realized that eating well, exercising, meditating, and seemingly “doing everything right” weren't addressing the whole picture.

Lauren and Jelena explore the experience of being high-functioning while chronically stressed—answering emails at all hours, thriving on urgency, juggling endless responsibilities, and becoming so accustomed to adrenaline and constant stimulation that you may not realize how exhausted you are until you finally stop.

So what happens when you do stop?

They discuss why slowing down can initially feel uncomfortable, how to recognize signs that you're stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze, and why nervous system regulation isn't about building enough resilience to tolerate an unhealthy lifestyle all over again.

The conversation also explores Somatic Experiencing, setting boundaries at work, technology and overstimulation, meditation, restorative rest versus numbing, perimenopause, caregiving, and why spending quiet time outside can be one of the simplest ways to reduce stimulation and reconnect with yourself.

Jelena also offers an important reminder for anyone who hasn't truly relaxed in years: start small.

You don't need an hour-long meditation or yoga class. It might begin with 30 seconds of noticing the room around you, five minutes of stretching, washing the dishes without another source of stimulation, or stepping outside and simply listening to the birds.

In this episode:
• Burnout and chronic stress
• Nervous system regulation
• Why relaxing can feel uncomfortable
• Fight, flight, freeze, and functional freeze
• Somatic Experiencing
• High-functioning burnout
• Technology, smartphones, and overstimulation
• Setting healthier boundaries
• Meditation for people who struggle to meditate
• Rest vs. numbing
• Nature and nervous system regulation
• Perimenopause and listening to your body
• Starting small when learning to slow down

Whether you're recovering from burnout, struggling to slow down, constantly checking your phone, or wondering why rest doesn't seem to make you feel rested, this conversation offers a different way to think about stress:

Maybe you don't need to become better at pushing through.

Maybe you need to learn how to feel safe slowing down.

Wildly Unplug explores what happens when we step away from the noise, reconnect with nature, and make room for creativity, curiosity, and a more intentional life.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What if imagination isn't just for artists—but one of the most powerful tools we have for navigating life?

In this episode of Wildly Unplug, Lauren Connolly talks with mixed-media artist and writer Sarah Bush about creativity, imagination, nature, technology, and what happens when we begin trusting our own ability to create again.

From her studio in New Mexico, Sarah grows plants for natural dyes, works with indigo, rust, pressed flowers, and other materials, and explores the connection between the creative process and the natural world.

But this conversation goes much deeper than making art.

Sarah believes creativity and imagination are human abilities—not artistic talents reserved for a select few. Every time we solve a problem, change plans, comfort someone, envision a possibility, or figure out what to make for dinner with three missing ingredients, we're already using our imagination.

So why do so many adults insist they're “not creative”?

Lauren and Sarah explore what happens to imagination as we grow older, why perfection and social media can make people afraid to create, and why learning something new requires being willing to make something imperfect.

They also dive into the growing influence of artificial intelligence on human creativity. Can AI expand our imagination—or could it slowly discourage us from drawing, writing, experimenting, and making things ourselves?

The conversation explores how technology can either disconnect us or become a tool for genuine human connection, why boredom may actually be good for creativity, and why embracing imperfect human-made things may become even more important in an increasingly AI-generated world.

Sarah also shares her experiences creating with nature: growing Japanese indigo, making natural dyes and inks, gardening in New Mexico, noticing seasonal changes, and treating plants and the landscape as creative partners.

Whether you consider yourself an artist or insist you “aren't creative,” this conversation is an invitation to notice something you may have forgotten:

You already have an imagination. The question is whether you're willing to use it.

In this episode, we explore creativity and imagination, reconnecting with nature, natural dyes and Japanese indigo, overcoming perfectionism, learning through experimentation, social media and creativity, boredom and imagination, AI and art, technology and human connection, creativity as a spiritual practice, and why imperfect human creativity still matters.

Sarah Bush writes about creativity as a spiritual practice and how imagination can help change the world through her Substack newsletter, The Pink Teacup. You can also explore her mixed-media artwork through Sarah Bush Artworks.

Wildly Unplug explores what happens when we step away from the noise, reconnect with nature, and make room for creativity, curiosity, and adventure.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

**CONTENT WARNING**

The following episode of *All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl* is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences. It contains graphic descriptions, disturbing imagery, unsettling themes, and moments of psychological horror. Listener discretion is advised.

Welcome to Eden Falls, a sleepy mountain town in the Pacific Northwest where the locals are friendly, the mist never seems to lift, and something very strange is happening at the hospital.
Join paranormal investigator Ruby Reed as an anonymous message leads her down a rabbit hole involving miraculous recoveries, mysterious rituals, a rather inconvenient ghost, and something extraordinary hiding in the Northern Lights.
This fictional audio adventure was created through All Night Breakfast at the Midnight Owl, a solo RPG journaling game.
With nothing more than a journal, a deck of cards, and a little imagination, I followed the prompts and let Ruby's story develop one unexpected discovery at a time.
It's a little different from my usual Wildly Unplug content, but it's also a perfect example of why I love stepping away from screens and making room for creativity.
Grab a cup of coffee, settle into your favorite booth, and enjoy your stay at the Midnight Owl.

Where to buy: https://tabletopbookshelf.com/products/all-night-breakfast-at-the-midnight-owl?srsltid=AU7gw4V-q2-cHLYDDNelfmkUQf8xGx2uAk_qxCXlqJs1x_53qMnVCw-A

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What can the Miami Dolphins’ legendary perfect season teach us about resilience, teamwork, competition—and even life outdoors?

In this episode of Wildly Unplug, Lauren Connolly welcomes author Bob Gonzalez back to the podcast to talk about his new book, Pro Football’s Constitution, a humorous and creative celebration of the 1972 Miami Dolphins and the only perfect season in NFL history.

Bob shares the football history behind the undefeated Dolphins, including the quarterback change that helped carry the team to Super Bowl VII, the famous “No-Name Defense,” and why more than 50 years later no NFL team has managed to repeat their perfect season.

But this conversation goes far beyond football.

Lauren and Bob explore the surprising connections between football, fishing, nature, competition, and storytelling. What can a day on the water teach us about losing a game? What does nature reveal about competition and cooperation? And how do you keep moving forward when all your preparation still doesn’t produce the outcome you wanted?

Bob puts it simply: persistence, resilience, and the willingness to keep going matter—in sports, fishing, writing, and life.

They also talk about Bob’s love of wordplay, his first book A Flicker in the Water, writing stories that connect with readers, memorable NFL players and moments, the Cincinnati Bengals, fishing with football legends, and the role nature continues to play in his work.

Later, the conversation takes a more personal turn as Bob discusses stepping away from fishing to help care for his mother, the realities of caregiving and caregiver burnout, and why asking for help can be so important.

Whether you’re a Miami Dolphins fan, NFL history buff, fisherman, writer, nature lover, caregiver, or simply someone trying to keep going when life doesn’t go according to plan, this episode is a reminder that wins and losses are both part of the season.

In this episode:
• The Miami Dolphins’ 1972 undefeated season
• Super Bowl VII and NFL history
• Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and the No-Name Defense
• Pro Football’s Constitution by Bob Gonzalez
• What football and fishing have in common
• Competition and teamwork in nature
• Persistence, resilience, and dealing with failure
• Storytelling and writing advice
• Bob’s A Flicker in the Water
• Caregiving, caregiver burnout, and asking for help
• Reconnecting with nature and unplugging

Find Bob Gonzalez and his books A Flicker in the Water and Pro Football’s Constitution at Flicker in the Water and wherever his books are sold.

Wildly Unplug explores what happens when we step away from the noise, reconnect with the natural world, and make room for creativity, curiosity, and a little adventure.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when you deliberately try to get rejected 1,000 times?

Six months ago, I started the 1,000 Rejection Challenge to stop letting fear of rejection make decisions for me. I committed to making 10 asks every week—submitting my art and writing, pitching ideas, entering competitions, applying for opportunities, and deliberately risking hearing “no.”

Now I've made 212 asks and officially received my 100th rejection.

But instead of pushing harder, I'm doing something I didn't expect: taking a break.

In this Wildly Rejected: Becoming the Bison update, I'm looking at what six months of intentionally facing rejection has taught me about resilience, creative burnout, knowing when to pause, and recognizing the opportunities that are actually pointing you toward your next direction.

And some of the biggest lessons came from two very unexpected places: Sharkapalooza and two monarch butterflies named Nemo and Cora.

After caring for Nemo and Cora when they emerged with damaged wings, I wrote an essay called Broken Wings & Broken Heart. The magazine rejected it—but instead of simply saying no, its readers gave me extensive feedback and invited me to revise and resubmit.

That rejection forced me to dig deeper into the story and ultimately into myself.

The essay became Broken Wings, Begin Again.

That experience reminded me why I started this challenge in the first place. A rejection isn't always a dead end. Sometimes it's information. Sometimes it's redirection. Sometimes it means “not yet.” And sometimes the thing you're creating—or the person creating it—just isn't finished developing yet.

After six months:

212 asks
100 rejections
56 acceptances
33 in review
17 waiting
5 other

That's 100 of the 1,000 rejections I'm chasing—and a pretty poetic place to let this experiment rest for October.

I'll be back to Becoming the Bison in November.

Until next time, unplug, get outside, and see what develops.

ABOUT WILDLY UNPLUG
Hosted by naturalist, artist, photographer, and storyteller Lauren Connolly, Wildly Unplug explores what happens when we step away from the noise, reconnect with nature and creativity, and give ourselves room to see what develops.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What if some of our greatest teachers aren’t human?

In this episode of Wildly Unplug, Lauren Connolly sits down with acclaimed naturalist and bestselling author Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus, How to Be a Good Creature, On Time and Turtles, and dozens of other books exploring the inner lives of animals.

After a lifetime spent studying animals around the world, Sy has been chased by a silverback gorilla, searched for pink river dolphins in the Amazon, befriended octopuses, cared for turtles, lived with a 750-pound pig—and discovered that the animals around us have far more to teach us than we may realize.

Sy shares why she believes animals are teachers and what can happen when we slow down long enough to recognize them. She and Lauren explore animal intelligence and emotion, why humans tend to underestimate other species, the problem with seeing ourselves as separate from nature, and how simply paying attention to the wildlife around us can completely change the way we experience the world.

Sy also takes us inside her extraordinary relationship with the octopuses that inspired The Soul of an Octopus, including the moment she first met Athena and realized this animal was just as curious about her as she was about the octopus.

The conversation goes from gorillas and snapping turtles to dogs, conservation, climate change, creativity, burnout, and rejection. Sy shares what decades as a freelance writer have taught her about hearing “no,” why a rejection doesn’t mean the work isn’t good, and the importance of simply sending it back out and continuing forward.

And when life gets difficult? Sy explains why she can keep going even when she loses faith in herself: she can still have faith in her animal teachers.

You don’t need to travel to the Amazon or search for snow leopards to experience the wild. Your teachers might be squirrels outside your window, spiders in your house, birds in your backyard, or an animal you’ve passed a hundred times without really seeing. As Sy reminds us, there are entire lives unfolding around us—we just have to pay attention.

In this episode:
• What animals can teach us about being human
• Animal intelligence, emotion, personality, and consciousness
• The incredible octopuses behind The Soul of an Octopus
• Sy’s encounters with gorillas, pink dolphins, turtles, pigs, and dogs
• Why animals should be seen as individuals
• How our screens can disconnect us from the living world
• Simple ways to reconnect with nature close to home
• Conservation actions individuals can take
• How Sy Montgomery handles rejection and keeps writing
• Finding curiosity, meaning, and resilience through the natural world

If you love animals, nature, conservation, wildlife stories, creativity, or simply want to feel more connected to the living world around you, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, look closer, and see what your own animal teachers might have to show you.

Get outside and see what develops.

ABOUT WILDLY UNPLUG

Wildly Unplug is a podcast about nature, conservation, creativity, adventure, and finding our way back to ourselves by reconnecting with the world outside.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when a nightmare follows you for five years—and starts stealing the color from your world?

Author Mark Benson returns to Wildly Unplug to talk about his new young adult horror novel, The Scattering, a story inspired by a real nightmare he couldn't forget. The novel follows James, a gifted young painter plagued by the same terrifying dream every night: his family is murdered while he watches helplessly from beneath the floorboards. Even stranger, the nightmare has caused his world to fade into black, white, and shades of gray.

Mark shares how that single nightmare became a novel nearly a decade in the making, why he rewrote the entire book six times, and how he researched painting and color perception to create an artist whose identity is completely intertwined with color. We also explore the deeper themes behind James's story—fear, creativity, losing the thing that gives life meaning, and finding the courage to pick it back up again.

We also talk about:

• How James may have to paint his way out of his nightmare
• Mark's unique launch event turning a bookstore into an art gallery featuring work by local high school artists
• Why fear can keep us from making important decisions
• The influence of Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, and Mary Shelley
• Why Mark no longer believes in ghosts—but remains fascinated by the true histories behind ghost stories
• His idea for turning abandoned church steeples into community observatories
• Why access to art matters
• His next, even darker—and somehow much funnier—novel
• The simple, repeatable way he recommends reconnecting with nature

If you love YA horror, psychological horror, books about artists, creativity, nightmares, ghost stories, Stephen King, or conversations about fear and the creative process, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen to Wildly Unplug and discover what happens when art becomes more than a passion—it becomes the only way out.

Guest: Mark Benson
Book: The Scattering
Website: Author Mark Benson
Instagram: @WaysideWriter

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when a challenge about rejection turns into a lesson about monarch butterflies, conservation, burnout, and knowing when to say no?

In this week’s Wildly Rejected: Becoming the Bison, I’m continuing my journey toward 1,000 rejections—but I’m realizing that making 1,000 asks doesn’t mean chasing every opportunity that crosses my path.

After another week of balancing podcast interviews, editing, painting, running Wild Developments Studio, and trying to hit my 10 weekly asks, I’m asking a bigger question: Just because you can pursue an opportunity, does that mean you should?

But first, we need to talk about the monarchs.

After Nemo emerged with a crumpled wing, several more monarch butterflies experienced deformities, failed emergence, or death. That sent me down a rabbit hole researching OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), monarch butterfly disease, tropical milkweed, native Florida milkweed, and how the plants we put in our gardens can affect monarch health.

It’s heartbreaking—but it may also be the beginning of something bigger.

Then I bring that lesson back to the rejection challenge and share the questions I’m starting to ask before making an application, pitch, submission, or big ask: Do I actually have the time, money, and energy if they say yes? Does this opportunity move something I care about forward—or am I pursuing it simply because it exists?

Plus, I share my Week 22 rejection challenge stats, two bigger podcast pitches I finally made, and why becoming comfortable with rejection is turning out to be about much more than hearing “no.”

In this episode:
• Monarch butterflies and crumpled wing deformities
• OE parasite and monarch health
• Tropical milkweed vs. native milkweed in Florida
• Butterfly conservation and responsible monarch care
• Creative burnout and protecting your time
• How to decide whether an opportunity is worth pursuing
• Overcoming fear of rejection
• My 1,000 Rejections / Becoming the Bison challenge
• Week 22 rejection statistics
• Learning when to make the ask—and when to let something go

Wildly Unplug is a podcast about nature, conservation, creativity, adventure, and finding ways to step away from the noise and reconnect with what matters.

Until next time—unplug, get outside, and see what develops.

Support the show