Bite-Sized Balance Podcast with Wendy McCallum: Recent Episodes
Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Balance Coach
Bite-Sized Balance is a podcast where everyday extraordinary women share their stories, expertise and wisdom with other women - all in the name of lifting each other up and creating a better life balance.
Whether it’s wellness, career, relationships, alcohol, food, mindfulness, hormones or parenting - we talk about all things women’s balance.
If your life looks great "on paper" but it still feels like something is missing, you're in the right place.
Wendy McCallum, the host of Bite-Sized Balance, is a Certified Burnout & Balance Coach and Wellness Expert who has spent over ten years helping busy high achievers create more joyful, balanced lives.
As an experienced coach (and ex-lawyer!) she speaks with honesty and empathy. No stranger to burnout, she’s been where many of her clients find themselves.
Wendy has a background in nutrition and wellness (RHN, NNCP), life coach training through CTI, and a sub-specialty in alcohol-free life coaching (as a Certified Naked Mind Coach).
She helps busy people reduce stress, prevent burnout, and replace unhealthy coping mechanisms like food, alcohol and social media) with healthier habits.
Find Wendy at www.wendymccallum.com
In this bittersweet season finale, Sarah Baillie and I come together to share some big news: the early wrap-up of Season 4. It's been a tough decision, but one that opens up exciting opportunities on the horizon for both of us. We peel back the curtain on the "why" behind this choice, exploring the joyous spaces it's creating for personal pursuits.
For me, Wendy McCallum, it means dedicating more time to my passion for writing fiction and diving into my Business Building Bootcamp community for coaches and my podcast, The Coaching Edge. Meanwhile, Sarah is excited about immersing herself in patient care, family time, and generating innovative ideas for her coaching practice. We take a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about where we began in Season 1 (the "fake podcast") and marveling at the incredible journey of personal and professional growth since our estrogen-fueled conversations about nurturing and women’s midlife.
Join us for a heartfelt review of what we've cherished about Bite-Sized Balance, the joy it's brought us, the key things we’ve learned, and the bonds it's forged. As we bid adieu to Season 4, we embark on a hiatus, ready to focus on fresh endeavors and recharge our creative spirits. This isn't goodbye; it's a "see you soon" as we gear up for new beginnings. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey—and stay tuned, we’ll likely be back in some form or fashion again. We’ve got too much to say!
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
Psst...Coaches! Follow Wendy at The Coaching Edge Podcast
In this second to last episode of Season 4 of Bite-Sized Balance, I'm joined by Sarah Baillie to explore what’s been a game-changing concept for both of us: "No One Is Coming." We dive deep into the profound reality that if our lives aren't what we want them to be, the power to change that rests solely in our hands. This awakening often hits women hard in midlife, around menopause, as the awareness of time becomes more acute.
Drawing inspiration from unexpected places like the Trolls movie, Sarah shares her insights into personal responsibility and the freedom it brings. We discuss the big-picture and smaller-picture ways we can apply the idea of "No One Is Coming" to craft days and years that align with our desires.
Letting go of what doesn't serve us, whether it's social media, alcohol, or unfulfilling relationships, creates uncomfortable but fertile space for creativity and the exploration of what brings us joy.
Join us as we discuss the difference between reacting and responding, and how saying no more often opens up the space to live a life that feels genuinely better. I also share some exciting changes in my own journey to joy, focusing on fiction writing and my business coaching program for coaches. Get ready for an episode that encourages you to take charge, make proactive and intentional choices, and embrace the freedom that comes with realizing that you are the captain of your own ship!
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
Hey there, lovely listeners! First, I've got some big news to share with you on this short episode of Bite-Sized Balance. But mostly, I want to dive deep into a mindset shift that has truly transformed my life (and that I recently applied in relation the big decision that prompted today’s announcement): the powerful perspective shift from "What if it goes wrong?" to the game-changing question, "What if it goes right?"
Fear and anxiety have a sneaky way of holding us back, keeping us stuck in situations and habits that don't serve us. They're like quicksand, trapping us in a cycle of hesitation and self-doubt. But what if, instead of succumbing to fear, we embraced anticipation, excitement, and hope? These emotions act as catalysts, propelling us into action and nudging us towards the outcomes we desire.
In this episode, we unpack the magic that happens when we shift our perspective, exploring how a simple change in mindset can transform our actions, decisions, and ultimately, our lives. So, grab your favorite beverage, tune in, and let's embark on a journey of empowerment, courage, and embracing the endless possibilities that come with asking, "What if it goes right?" To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
In this down-to-earth episode, Wendy sits down with Natasha Carrillo, a Financial Educator and Coach, to chat all things women and money. No stiff suits or complicated jargon here – just a real conversation about why women need to take the reins when it comes to their finances, and how avoiding the topic isn’t serving us!
Natasha breaks down the impact our upbringing has on our money mindset and shares some practical advice on how to shift those beliefs to feel more empowered about our cash. They tackle everything from why budgeting isn't a bad word to the secret to curbing emotional spending.
So, if you're ready to kiss financial stress goodbye and step into your planning power, grab your coffee and tune in. Natasha's practical tips will make you realize managing your money isn't just for the suits; it's for every woman out there looking to make her wallet work for her midlife and retirement dreams. To connect with Natasha and learn more about her work, check out her website at www.moneywithconfidence.com.
In this short episode of Bite-Sized Balance, I'm serving up practical, empowering strategies to keep your holiday balance in check, with a goal of you wrapping up the year feeling rested, restored, and not even a tiny bit over-stuffed and annoyed! I'm dishing out practical tips on how to prioritize what truly matters by deciphering between energy drains and gains, and using the 4 Ds (delete, delegate, defer, and do) to get those lists serving you better. No more overcommitting, no more overwhelm. Join me as I set the stage for a transformative personal experiment this year. Learn how to craft feeling-based goals, allowing you to navigate December with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Together, we'll redefine your holiday experience, leaving you restored, recharged, and completely resentment-free come January. So, buckle up for a journey of conscious choices, self-care, and holiday harmony. Let's make this season truly magical and leave you feeling lighter and more fulfilled than ever before.
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
In this heartwarming episode of Bite-Sized Balance, Wendy McCallum sits down with a remarkable guest, her client Chantal. Chantal recounts her transformative journey from decades of addiction to true freedom from alcohol. Chantal candidly shares her experience with the medication Antabuse and the pivotal role it played in her recovery.
The conversation takes a beautiful turn as Chantal unveils her unique practice of specific gratitude, demonstrating how it has reignited joy in her life. By focusing on the little things, she has discovered the immense power of gratitude in her journey toward lasting freedom from drinking. This episode is an inspiring testament to the profound impact of finding joy in the simplicity of everyday moments.
We talk about:
- Naltrexone v. Antabuse as aids in sobriety
- Gratitude as part of your sobriety toolkit
- Finding the joy when your life looks “good on paper” but something is missing
- The unexpected gifts of sobriety
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
In this brief yet powerful episode of Bite-Sized Balance, my regular guest and BFF Sarah Baillie and I explain the transformative idea behind "Holding it Lightly", a tool we both use regularly in our coaching practices. I open up about a challenging period in my life and how intentionally loosening my grip on the problem (with the help of a fantastic coach!) led to a remarkable shift in my feelings, behaviors, and overall well-being.
We explore the tendency among women to hold tightly to situations and desired outcomes, and how often this is driven by a need for control. But we can’t control other people, we can only choose how we respond and react to them. Have a listen and then experiment with holding life a little more lightly yourself – we can’t wait for you to discover the magic that unfolds when you let go of the need to tightly grasp every aspect of your journey!
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
In this fascinating episode, I’m joined by Adele Spraggon, a Behavioral Change Expert and author, to explore the complicated world of decision-making in your brain. Adele sheds light on why your brain is always making choices on your behalf (spoiler alert: it's not your fault!) and unveils the step-by-step path to reprogramming it with a fresh set of operating instructions.
Together, we dig into neuroscience to uncover how understanding your brain can empower you to make positive changes in your life (in all areas, even your drinking!). If you've ever wondered why you do what you do, and how to regain control, this episode is your key to unlocking your brain's full potential.
In this conversation, Adele and I delve into practical strategies and insights that can help you take charge of your decision-making process.
We talk about:
- Why you can’t (and shouldn’t) believe everything you think
- Why you also shouldn’t always believe what your BFF thinks
- Why you need to stop asking “why” you’re doing something and ask “what” you’re thinking, feeling, and doing- instead
- And why breaking free from habits that aren’t serving you isn’t nearly as much work as you think!
Learn more about Adele at www.adelespraggon.com
Get her book here: 4 Steps to Personal Empowerment
In this short and insightful Bite-Sized Balance episode, my regular guest and BFF, Sarah Baillie, and I explore the notion of "Filling the Space" that often arises as we begin to say "no" to things that no longer serve us, set boundaries, and experience a shift in caregiving duties as our children grow older. Sarah beautifully articulates the common discomfort we feel with unoccupied time, driven by societal expectations of busyness.
This tendency to fill the void immediately can lead to hasty decisions that don’t actually serve us and the adoption of unhealthy coping mechanisms. Sarah's heartfelt story about "Hershey," the almost-adopted dog, highlights the profound lessons she gained about her own relationship with free time. Tune in to uncover how embracing the space in midlife can pave the way for authentic self-discovery and transformation.
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
No matter what kind of healing or balance you're seeking in this season of life, you've probably realized that quick fixes and shortcuts rarely bring about lasting results. But taking that initial step towards educating yourself is the first stride toward creating real change.
In this episode, I sit down with Ayurveda Health Coach, Carina Greweling, who helps women achieve lasting hormone balance by restoring healthy sleep, gut health, and energy. She's a certified Ayurveda Hormone Coach, Chinese medicine practitioner, and naturopath.
In this crash course in Ayurvedic wisdom, Carina explains the three constitution types known as doshas, which are rooted in the five fundamental elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. According to Ayurvedic medicine, the doshas play a significant role in shaping an individual's physical, emotional, and mental characteristics. This was all new to me, but I found it fascinating. It’s a really interesting complementary approach (that’s been around for thousands of years!) to conventional approaches to supporting midlife wellness.
We talk about:
- Understanding Ayurveda as a holistic system of healing, that includes the physical, spiritual, and emotional aspects, within the context of the universe and nature
- The three constitution types and why you might resonate with more than just one
- The influence of the earth’s seasons on Vata, Pitta, and Kapha
- How drinking alcohol might impact your constitution type
- The significance of aligning lifestyle habits—such as sleep, nutrition, and movement—with your constitution type
You can learn more about Carina and connect with her on her website at https://carinagreweling.com/, and listen to her podcast THRIVE.
Work with Carina:
20-Week Hormone Thrive Program
3-Week Ayurveda Hormone Detox
Today we're diving deep into a transformative practice that can supercharge your daily joy and make you feel like you can tackle the big challenges in your life. Gratitude is not just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. It has empowered me to stay so much more present as a parent, wife, and daughter, especially in the last year of my dad’s life.
In this episode, I’ll share why your gratitude practice may have been ineffective in the past and what steps you have to take to make it a meaningful habit so that you can enjoy the benefits on a daily basis. The gift of gratitude is that it grounds you in the present moment. When you're actively searching for things to be grateful for, you can't help but be fully present.
Links Mentioned:
Episode 23: Gratitude: How To Get More Joy in Your Life (In Just 5 Minutes a Day!)
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
Did you know that 1 in 10 women relies on sleep aids regularly? It's a staggering statistic, but it's hardly surprising. In today's fast-paced world, where we juggle demanding careers, relationships, never-ending to-do lists, hormonal shifts, and mental health challenges, even a mere six hours of sleep can seem like an unattainable dream. What might surprise you, however, is the potential danger hidden within those seemingly harmless sleeping pills.
Today, I have the privilege of being joined by a remarkable guest on the podcast—a TEDex Speaker, the accomplished author of Stash: My Life in Hiding, and a fellow podcaster, Laura Cathcart Robbins. Laura's memoir takes us on a riveting journey through addiction and recovery. She opens up about her struggles, how she navigated a high-profile Hollywood marriage and divorce, all while facing the challenges of parenting in a world marked by privilege and racism.
Laura generously shares her perspective on the multiple rock-bottom moments that defined her journey and her experience as the only person of color in most of her recovery circles.
I was also eager to delve into what drove Laura to write this memoir, which reveals both the painful and hopeful moments along her path to reclaiming her life. She sheds light on the raw details of her writing journey, including facing rejection letters from sixteen publishers and completing her first draft in a mere six months. (Whaaaat?)
We talk about:
- Why Laura felt compelled to turn to Ambien as a coping mechanism for life's pressures
- The pivotal moment when Laura realized her kids had taken a back seat to her struggle
- The disparities in Laura and her divorce attorney's definitions of "success"
- The importance of creating more inclusive spaces for people of color in recovery circles
- How Laura meticulously curated her memoir, deciding what to include and what to leave out
To learn more about Laura Cathcart Robbins and her work, be sure to visit her website at https://lauracathcartrobbins.com/, where you can grab her memoir: Stash: My Life in Hiding and check out her podcast The Only One in the Room. You can also follow her on Instagram @lauracathcartrobbins.
If you’ve been curious about what life might look like without alcohol, Sober October is the perfect time to do an experiment. I’m sharing this episode with you now so you have some time to prepare for a successful break from alcohol because it absolutely requires having a solid plan.
First, you’ll want to start examining your assumptions about alcohol, even before you stop drinking. Practically speaking, you’ll also need to decide what you’ll drink instead and how you’ll respond when people ask why you’re taking a break. I’ll also share why it’s critical that we track all the positives of not drinking and learn the science around how alcohol impacts our brain and body.
Lastly, I’ll talk about how doing this experiment with support can make this time of reflection so much more valuable. You can grab your Self-Guided 6-Week REWIND course (a Coach-Led Mindful Break from Alcohol) for $100USD off before October 15th using the code OCTOBERREWIND.
In this episode, you’ll learn
- Why the term “sober” might not resonate with you
- Why you shouldn’t believe everything you think
- What critical decisions you need to make before your break from alcohol begins
- What resources you can use to fill your mind instead of your glass
- Why support is helpful in making this mindful break successful
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
Vacations are over and the kids are back at school. It’s that time of year when we often feel the need to get “back on track” and into the structure and routines that help us thrive. But something that we rarely consider is that as life changes, so does our personal “recipe for success.” Be it in relationships, careers, added responsibilities, shifting hormones, or the ages of your kids, life has a way of changing and throwing curve balls when it comes to maintaining a healthy routine.
So if you’re looking to establish some new habits around sleep, food, movement, mental health, unhealthy coping mechanisms (or any other area of positive change), this episode is the perfect place to start. With the tips you gather here, you’ll be able to evaluate all the variables in your life at this moment so you can create habits and routines that are both achievable and supportive of your body’s needs.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why we have to consider our season of life as we build new habits
- How one area of change can easily fuel change in other areas of your health
- Why letting habits go can be just as powerful as adding habits in
- How to break down your habits into achievable tasks
- The impact of journaling about the change you want to see in yourself
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
There’s a very pervasive social narrative that moms need alcohol in order to survive motherhood. This is what is known as “mommy wine culture” and chances are, you’re all too familiar with this messaging because the marketing behind it is really unavoidable.
On this episode, I’m joined by life coach and author of It’s Not About the Wine, Celeste Yvonne to help us uncover the real reasons moms want to escape and why alcohol as a coping mechanism is just adding to the mayhem. We will talk about the challenges for mothers returning to the workforce, the insane lack of postpartum support, and the pressure to regularly achieve impossible parenting standards. But we’re not just exposing the problem. Celeste gives us some practical advice for how to start redistributing the mental load with your partner or support system and why being active in a sober community can transform your perspective on motherhood.
In this episode, you’ll learn
- Why it’s important to get curious about your defensiveness about drinking
- The moment that Celeste learned she didn’t have to gaslight herself any longer
- Why the pressure to enjoy every moment of motherhood is unsustainable
- The first step to take towards redistributing the division of labor in your home
- Why you don’t have to identify as an “alcoholic” (or hit rock bottom) before you get curious about your relationship with alcohol
To learn more about Celeste and her work, connect with her on her website at https://www.celesteyvonne.com, or follow her on Instagram @theultimatemomchallenge. Be sure to grab her book, It’s Not About the Wine- which is available now!
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
Aaaand we’re back for Season 4! My lovely co-host Sarah joins me as we share some summer updates and ease back into routines and rhythms that keep us sane!
I finally moved into the house we’ve been renovating for months, but then we had to deal with the flooding of my husband’s business and the cottage. Sarah spent a good portion of the summer in her favorite corner of the couch with a book but became a professional camp shuttle and laundry service for her busy kids too. Both of us loved enjoying the pockets of time we did have when our kids were home, and also found ways to let go of the pressure to coordinate schedules and meals for everyone as we have in the past.
Sarah and I will also check in about our goals for the fall which include working smarter, not harder, and focusing more on the work we love most! Last but not least, you’ll catch a sneak preview of all I have in store for you this brand-new season of the podcast! In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What we planned vs. what really happened this summer
- Why we were aren’t meal-prepping much these days
- Why it’s so hard to maintain boundaries when everyone is home again
- How Sarah plans to add in more joyful movement in the fall
- Why Wendy is prioritizing time-blocking
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
Wendy and Sarah are back again to wrap up season 3 of BSB and talk about the one impactful mindset shift they have made in the last couple of years that has led to them living with more compassion and way less judgment.
Drawing on a Brené Brown anecdote, Wendy and Sarah explain how everything changes when we start assuming that everyone, even the people who frustrate and disappoint us most, are “doing their best.” We can then decide how to respond from a place of empathy instead of criticism.
Everybody’s best looks different, and our “best” can change from day to day, but using the “what if they’re doing their best” lens helps you treat people with kindness and compassion and can also lead to you also being able to show yourself more of the same.
Topics include:
- How to get started with a practice of empathy
- Stepping into empathy while also setting boundaries
- Wendy & Sarah’s goals for this summer
- BONUS: Summer reading recommendations
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
Wendy talks about how the empty nesting went last year with Sarah, and how she is feeling now that both of her kids are home for the summer.
Just one year ago on the podcast, Wendy shared the reality of Empty Nest Syndrome, including her apprehension and grief around her children leaving for university and the sale of their childhood home. But their time away brought many unexpected gifts, and she found herself enjoying the agency and freedom that came with the un-parenting. She traveled loads by herself, and she and her husband downsized to a fun downtown neighborhood.
There was an adjustment period around how to both parent and “un-parent” from afar, and now with her kids back at home for the summer, there’s another re-adjustment happening for all of them as Full Nest Syndrome sets in.
Topics include:
- understanding your own needs and communicating them
- handling friction with your newly “independent” adult children
- what you need to let go of and care less about to fully enjoy this time
To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: www.wendymccallum.com
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
This week Wendy is joined by Maureen Benkovich. Maureen shares her moving personal story as she and Wendy have an honest discussion about infertility, pregnancy loss, grief, depression, and women’s drinking.
Maureen is someone who has experienced the pain of infertility and knows firsthand how easy it is to get stuck in a cycle of shame and blame when it comes to grief, depression, and drinking. For years, she used alcohol as a way to cope with these challenges, and it only made things worse.
But with help, compassionate support, and the latest neuroscience-based techniques, Maureen was able to break free from her patterns and transform her life. Now, as a life coach, she is committed to helping others do the same.
Topics include:
- Maureen’s journey through multiple miscarriages and fertility treatments
- The painful decision to stop treatment
- Her failed adoption and the grief that followed
- Using alcohol to deflect the pain of that grief and friends’ pregnancies
- Her struggles with depression and anxiety,
- How Maureen found herself and peace on the other side of alcohol.
To connect with Maureen, find her at https://www.soberfitchick.com or at
@soberfitchickllc
To find out more about Wendy, visit www.wendymccallum.com
This week, Wendy is joined again by her friend and colleague Sarah Baillie, N.D. to talk about the practical steps women can take to avoid hitting an emotional rock bottom in midlife. Research suggests that most people are at their unhappiest in their forties, but that this continues to improve as they age. Sarah and Wendy believe there are ways to speed that process up!
As more of their clients come to them looking for support in pro-actively making their midlife easier and happier, Wendy and Sarah have identified five key areas women can address to help create space for themselves during the time in their life when their energy and happiness are statistically at their lowest.
Whether you’re preparing to head into the bottom of the u-curve of happiness, or if you’re already there, these suggestions can help you and the people around you create more peace and joy in your life.
Topics include how to cut back on your to-do list, how to care less, how to create space and time for yourself (it’s not as impossible as it seems!), and how to open up and communicate what you are experiencing with your family to make it easier to take what you really need.
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
Wendy talks with Jay Fields, an educator, coach, and author who has taught the principles of embodied social and emotional intelligence to individuals and organizations for twenty years.
If you’ve ever wondered how to get better at sitting with your emotions, instead of drinking, eating, or scrolling to escape them, Jay’s got the practical three-step solution.
Wendy and Jay discuss the importance of feeling your emotions instead of “fixing” them, and how learning to do this using Jay’s approach allows us to respond instead of react, which in turn leads to deeper, more meaningful connections and personal relationships.
Topics include how people-pleasing arises from a common childhood blueprint (“never make anyone else feel uncomfortable”); how trying to “fix” an emotion instead feeling and accepting it can lead to overwhelm and burnout; the power of the words “of course” when it comes to regulating your nervous system and connecting with yourself; how felt sense increases empathy, compassion and intuition, and how “solving” emotions causes us to abandon ourselves.
More about Jay at: https://jay-fields.com/yours-truly
Today’s conversation around the value of meaningful female friendships in midlife is especially poignant for host Wendy and her co-host Sarah, colleagues who have also become very good friends over the course of the last few years.
They discuss how picture-perfect social media feeds can often lead to comparison and feelings of inadequacy, and how that can keep women from reaching out when they need more connection.
But with midlife there’s a sense of coming home to oneself, and with that, a level of honesty that can make women finally feel they can admit when things are imperfect. Being able to build these deeper, more vulnerable friendships nurtures our energy. Midlife is also a time when many women feel they now also have time for themselves, and these high-value friendships that could have been put on the back burner while they were prioritizing their family’s growth.
If you have a story about your friendships or have any ideas of topics you’d like to hear Wendy cover in Season 4, please reach out and let her know via email or the contact section of her website: https://www.wendymccallum.com/
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching, email her at: sarahbailliecoaching@gmail.com
What does your inner critic sound like?
In this episode, Wendy introduces coach Lorna Wilson and they dive deep into how to silence your inner critic, identify the opinions or feedback you should be paying attention to, and how not to be reliant on receiving praise from others. Wendy shares how Lorna has helped her reframe criticism and tap into her own inner mentor. The discussion stems from the book Playing Big by Tara Mohr, which Lorna and Wendy both highly recommend to all women!
Lorna Wilson's journey as a life coach began with a story of courage and resilience. As a young widow, she learned early on that navigating life is certainly not always easy, but it's our life experiences that can make us stronger and more determined to create a better future.
Drawing on this strength, Lorna became a certified professional Life Coach, using her personal journey to help countless women on their own paths to personal growth and fulfillment. She then became a certified alcohol-free coach, where she helps women achieve a healthier, happier lifestyle by ending the conflict between their conscious desire to drink less and their unconscious belief that alcohol is beneficial.
Lorna’s career experience in managing non-profit organizations and leadership roles in local government has given her a unique perspective on the challenges facing leaders and individuals in public service. She understands how those challenges can take you in a direction where you're no longer in alignment with your true calling, and that's why she's committed to helping her clients navigate the twists and turns of life, rediscover their true purpose, and unlock their full potential.
If you’ve ever felt addicted to praise, or like one critic could topple your self-worth, you don’t want to miss this episode.
To connect with Lorna and learn more about her coaching services you can find her at: https://lornawilsoncoaching.com/
This is Part 2 of the “How to Do Less and Get More in Midlife” Episode. In Part 1, Sarah & Wendy discussed why so many women reach overwhelm and burnout in the care sandwich that is midlife. They shared their favourite coaching strategies and tools to help busy women scale back on their to-do list and clear some space to bring in more of the things that serve them. In this second instalment, they provide some concrete strategies for standing in personal responsibility and figuring out what you need more of in your life to create the next fulfilling joyful chapter, because no one is coming to do it for you. What matters to you about how you live the next 20 years of your life? What do you need more of? If you don’t know, how do you find out?
To contact Sarah Baillie about coaching services, email her at: sarahbailliecoach@gmail.com
Friends and colleagues Sarah and Wendy talk about why so many of us reach overwhelm and burnout in the care sandwich that is midlife and share their favourite coaching strategies and tools to help busy women scale back on their to-do list and clear some space to bring in more of the things that serve them (listen to Part 2 of this episode, coming soon, for those strategies!). Topics include being v. doing, how to say no more often, how to care less, how to figure out what’s no longer serving you (energy drains v. gains), people pleasing and why it’s a dishonest way to show up, and how it’s not serving you or the people you are pleasing. They also discuss the answer to the most common question they hear from the women they support: Is this IT? (Spoiler: Nope. There’s SO MUCH MORE great stuff to come.)
For more on coaching with Sarah Baillie, email her at: sarahbailliecoach@gmail.com
Susan Hodgson is an Irish expat coach helping women navigate new territory with their drinking amidst the challenges of living abroad and trying to find that elusive feeling of “home”. She lives near Paris with her French husband and three kids who enjoy correcting her grammar and complaining about holidays back to the Donegal rain.
Susan shares her story of becoming alcohol-free, and Wendy and Susan discuss the common misconceptions of expat life, why it can make drinking less more challenging for women, the difference between what you do and who you are, mommy wine culture abroad, learning to feel emotions instead of numbing them, the concept of “home” and how to find it anywhere and discovering yourself in midlife.
This is a lovely conversation with an even lovelier human. Enjoy!
More about Susan:
www.sharpsensecoaching.com
@sharp.sense.coaching on Instagram
Melissa Chureau is a purpose and mindset coach, lawyer, and podcaster. She helps women move beyond imposterism and perfectionism to create space in the mind, and uncover our true, integrated selves. As a lawyer for 20 years, she has witnessed many people who work and live out of alignment with their values and purpose—often because they don’t know their worth, regardless of their successes. Many feel like imposters waiting to get exposed, and afraid that who they really are isn’t enough. As a person with over 22 years in recovery from alcohol use disorder and a life-long ADHD-er, Melissa is all too familiar with what the experience of imposterism can do. After years of living behind the mask of imposterism, she now lives authentically and regularly shares her story to destigmatize both alcohol use disorder and ADHD. She leads meditation and mindfulness practices, leads workshops on overcoming imposterism and destigmatizing addiction and neurodivergence, offering hope and resilience tools to everyone who might want them.
In this episode, Melissa shares her story of alcohol-use disorder, ADHD, and imposterism. Wendy and Melissa discuss imposter syndrome, which groups are at a higher risk, why we need to stop pathologizing it (hint: it’s not our fault!), how it shows up in humans, the connection to perfectionism, how societal systems exacerbate it, ways organizations can better support persons and mitigate against imposterism, what steps individuals feeling like imposters can take, and how are self-acceptance and self-love are the antidotes to imposterism.
More about Melissa and her podcast: www.thefullymindful.com
Michael Amster, M.D., is the co-author (with Jake Eagle, LPC) of the new book The Power of Awe. Dr. Amster is a pain management specialist and awe researcher who teaches at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. He’s also a long-time meditator and yoga instructor. He joins host Wendy McCallum to share what he and Jake discovered a few years ago about the amazing power of “microdosing awe” and how the simple practice they teach can impact almost every area of your physical, mental and emotional health.
In this episode, Dr. Amster defines “awe” and distinguishes it from other emotions like gratitude, discusses the three types of awe and how we know we’re experiencing them, and shares the quick 5 to 15 second A.W.E. Method that he developed with Jake Eagle at the start of the global pandemic.
He goes on to explain the incredible results their formal awe research studies have generated and the science around why awe is such a special, powerful emotion when it comes to human wellbeing. Wendy shares her experiences practicing awe in the 24 hours after she read the book, including an interesting experience with a bathtub. They discuss the power of awe when it comes to preventing and recovering from burnout and the exciting future of research around the emotion. Wendy geeks out on science and Dr. Amster shares his hope that the future of awe includes a global social awakening.
This is an incredibly interesting conversation for any busy person who’s interested in improving their wellness, increasing joy, and preventing burnout. Tune in to find out how to get the benefits of a time-consuming meditation practice in just seconds a day!
Find the book anywhere books are sold and get more information and free resources here:
www.thepowerofawe.com
Julia Anderson shares her incredible story of leaving the “cult-like” experience of her evangelistic Christian upbringing (including its purity culture) at the age of 19 to raise her newborn daughter and create the independent, successful life she craved. Julia is now the CEO for the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) and has over 15 years of senior and executive level experience in international development, not-for-profits, civil society, human rights and gender equality. As CanWaCH CEO, she continues to champion bold, innovative - and even disruptive - approaches to advancing the health and rights of women and girls around the world.
Bite-Sized Balance Host Wendy and Julia met over a year ago in an online writing group. Julia discusses her experience as a female CEO in the non-profit sector, the stresses associated with that, and how she works to prioritize and maintain her own balance and that of her staff (to prevent burnout). She also shares her decision to become alcohol-free during the pandemic, as well as her personal love of writing as a creative outlet and component of self-care.
https://www.canwach.ca
As a best-selling author and speaker, Meg Geisewhite is changing the narrative on the mommy wine culture, hustle culture, and our pro-drinking culture. In Meg’s debut book, Intoxicating Lies: One Woman's Journey to Freedom from Gray Area Drinking, Meg flips the script on the five most intoxicating lies we tell ourselves about alcohol.
In this episode, Meg shares her story of being an ordinary, working mom who found herself trapped in the mommy wine culture, and how her love of science led her to discover the real truth about alcohol and its seductive lies as she embarked on a journey to becoming alcohol-free. Wendy and Meg discuss the common lies women tell themselves including that “we deserve a drink” and that we “don’t have a problem” as gray-area drinkers. They review the common signs of gray-area drinking and Meg shares her “just one sip” story. They also discuss the shame cycle, the detox to retox myth, the critical role of community for women in sobriety, the importance of self-compassion, and the non-linear path to becoming free from alcohol that is normal for most people.
Instagram: @intoxicatingliesbook Website: www.intoxicatinglies.com
Emily Lynn Paulson is the author of the new book Hey, Hun: Sales, Sisterhood, Supremacy, and the Other Lies Behind Multilevel Marketing and Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life.
She is also a speaker, recovery coach, and the founder of Sober Mom Squad, and has given two powerful TEDx talks, both challenging the status quo of parenting, alcohol use, and feminism as we know it. Emily has also been featured in major publications such as the Today Show, New York Times, Washington Post, The Seattle Times, Chicago Tribune, Next Question with Katie Couric, and the Tamron Hall Show.
Emily made well over a million dollars during her residency as a #bossbabe at one of the top MLMs. What's wrong with a little girl power? Turns out, a lot. She earned every bonus, gift, and international trip. But she also pushed away friends and family, burned bridges, and wasted precious time being distracted with ‘her business’ instead of spending time with her children. She recruited hundreds of women into a dream that wasn’t achievable or sustainable.
"As a stay-at-home parent, I was understandably attracted to a culture that offered a salve to my loneliness. But I learned that MLMs are actually a way for women to exploit other women. I saw the links between the pseudoscience, white supremacy, and, yes, racism that infiltrated MLM life. I’m speaking out to spark change."
-Emily Lynn Paulson
Emily and I discuss:
- how Emily ended up in an MLM,
- why MLMs are often pyramid schemes,
- how the consultants are actually the customers,
- why terms like “bossbabe” and “ladyboss” are misleading,
- why MLMs are often described as “cultlike”,
- Emily’s quick rise to the top of her organization and how her white privilege and pre-existing financial security made that possible,
- exclusion, religion and racism in MLMs,
- the role of “love bombing” and toxic positivity in MLMs,
- how MLM life encouraged her drinking and brought her to a rock bottom moment,
- how she exploited her cancer diagnosis for her business,
- the truth behind the “all-expense paid” trips and cars,
- the darker side of MLMs and why she decided to write this book
- how it turned out differently than she’d expected. Pre-order Emily’s book now: https://bit.ly/3ZehRWy
Amy and Matt Edwards are the hosts of the Alcohol-Free Marriage Podcast. Amy is also a certified coach who helps high-achieving women get out of the shame and blame cycle when it comes to their relationship with alcohol. They join host Wendy McCallum today to share their story of quitting drinking as former craft beer enthusiasts and starting the podcast – the ups, the downs, and some of the joyful surprises of leaving alcohol behind together.
Tune in to find out how they got to the decision to take a mindful break from alcohol, who stopped first, who was the “ringleader” when it came to their drinking, what was hardest about quitting for each of them, whether moderation worked for either of them, and what advice this Matt and Amy would give an alcohol-free person whose spouse is still drinking.
This is a fun and upbeat conversation with a fun and upbeat duo!
Alcohol-Free Marriage Podcast info: www.Joyontheotherside.com
Tabbin Almond is a certified coach living in Devon, England, who is passionate about removing the stigma and creating meaningful employee support around alcohol use disorder. She is committed to changing the corporate wellness conversation to include alcohol as an important factor in employees’ physical and mental health.
Tabbin has a book in the works called The Wellness Conversation We’re Not Having, where she explores the corporate world’s failure to address the role that over-drinking is playing in many cases of employee burnout, depression, and anxiety. Employees are often hesitant to ask for help with their drinking because of the stigma and fear of career reprisals. If they do ask for help, the help is often woefully inadequate and misguided.
Tabbin shares her personal alcohol story, including how she found her “drinking boots” during her years as a successful advertising exec, how hypnotherapy led her to a 7-year period of sobriety, how a subsequent cancer diagnosis led to her decision to drink again, and how she finally found freedom from alcohol by addressing the thoughts and beliefs that were keeping her stuck in drinking.
Wendy and Tabbin discuss why this issue is so challenging for employers and Tabbin provides some creative ideas for how we can start shifting the conversation around drinking as an important aspect of overall wellness.
If you have a story to share with Tabbin as part of her research on this project, please contact her at help@winetowatercoaching.com
Find out more about Tabbin’s coaching and Reset Retreats at: www.winetowatercoaching.com
Host Wendy and her friend and colleague Sarah Baillie discuss a 2011 article from The Atlantic (by author Sandra Tsing Loh) that is still a very relevant and hilarious read for women in midlife, no matter where they are when it comes to the hormonal transition of perimenopause and menopause.
They discuss what it would mean if fertility was actually the “Big Change” and menopause was just a “return to normal” and why this theory actually makes far more sense in our modern world. Sarah talks about the value of living an “entitled life” and why this isn’t selfish, but instead well-earned for her as a woman in her 50s. Wendy and Sarah discuss the power of midlife women as a demographic and why we can consider menopause a major cultural event. Sarah shares her Costco story and what she’s learned about her “inside voice”. They discuss the role of declining estrogen in midlife women’s diminishing drive to take care of everyone, why this is even more challenging for Gen X women in the sandwich generation, the difference between “overcare” and care, and some of this article’s best nuggets of advice for midlife women. Oh, and of course, the author’s Brian Hong story. Tune in to find out what made it doubly funny for Sarah this time around!
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Scott Pinyard is the owner and coach at Modern Coparent, a company dedicated to helping people find peace while coparenting. He has years of coaching experience both in private practice and as the Head Coach of This Naked Mind. Scott’s focus is in helping people through challenging growth with compassion, patience and humor.
Scott shares his personal story of modern coparenting and how he came to be a coach in this area. He explains how our lives are built on story and how these stories inform how we parent and coparent. Wendy and Scott discuss some of the most common coparenting stories, why we often get stuck in patterns that don’t serve our kids, and how we can step into personal responsibility once we get clear on our stories and replace them with new beliefs that serve us better as individuals and parents. Scott provides some accessible, practical tips for parents who are currently in conflict and seeking more peace around how they are coparenting.
If you are coparenting, step-parenting, or love someone else who is, this episode is a must-listen.
Find out more about Scott or contact him at www.modern-coparent.com
Amanda Lee is a domestic abuse survivor and the author of the new book One of The Lucky Ones. 1 in 3 women have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner. This extraordinarily common form of abuse silences victims and paralyzes them with terror, a pattern Amanda is all too familiar with. In this episode, Amanda shares her dramatic story. Like so many women, over time her fairy-tale romance became increasingly turbulent and violent. And like so many, she felt at times that her future looked bleak, but through courage she eventually found freedom. Amanda is a sixth-grade teacher and lives with her two children in Fairfax County, Virginia, where she pursues her passion for writing and advocating for fellow victims of domestic abuse.
Wendy and Amanda discuss non-physical forms of domestic abuse like gaslighting, belittling and emotional abuse; why it can feel impossible to leave an abusive partner; how to support a loved one who is in an abusive relationship; how to know when it’s time to leave; and how the legal system is failing women when it comes to protecting them from abusive situations. This is such an important topic – please listen!
Amanda’s book: https://www.amazon.com/One-Lucky-Ones-Lee/dp/B0BLQYK4MF
Amanda’s website: www.authoraelee.com
If you recently saw the revised drinking guidelines in Canada and gasped, you’re not alone. Most Canadians are drinking more than two drinks a week, the new low-risk maximum.
Ann Dowsett Johnston is an award-winning journalist and the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, a book named one of the top 10 of the year by the Washington Post. Ann is also now a psychotherapist, and Wendy’s friend, mentor and writing coach. Ann joins Wendy for a discussion about the new alcohol consumption guidelines in Canada released by the Centre on Substance Use and Addiction which replace the 2011 Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines. The new guidelines present a continuum of health risks associated with different levels of alcohol consumption, including the risks of breast and colon cancer, heart disease and stroke. Ann and Wendy discuss what now constitutes low-risk, moderate and high-risk drinking, and whether our thinking needs to change in terms of what constitutes “problematic” drinking and the way we approach this issue and support each other as women.
They discuss why, almost 10 years later, as Ann so aptly stated in Drink, alcohol is still “the modern woman’s steroid”, and how the overwhelm and stress of the pandemic has spiked drinking levels and continued to normalize women’s drinking as a necessary tool of working motherhood.
They also discuss the role of alcohol marketing (specifically at women), pricing, and availability have contributed to the normalization of drinking at risky levels and why much of this is a feminist issue. They talk about what needs to happen next, including alcohol labelling and warnings on bottles, and why Big Alcohol is so resistant to these steps.
Grab a cup of tea and join Wendy and Ann for a engaging, and thought-provoking conversation!
Info on Ann’s Writing Your Discovery Courses and psychotherapy services: https://www.anndowsettjohnston.com/
Ann’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtZjpI1oVQ
Are you stuck in a job, habit or relationship that’s not serving you? Maybe you’re struggling with whether you should stick it out a little longer in case it gets better? In this episode, Wendy shares the approach she uses with coaching clients who are feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled to help them gain clarity, get unstuck and start taking action to create the life, habits and relationships they dream of. She explains how to articulate the fear behind your resistance to change, how to make as many uncertainties in your situation “certain” to reduce that fear and anxiety, and a simple tracking system she uses with her clients that will help you know when it’s time to leave. Wendy’s unique approach is flexible and helpful no matter where you are feeling stuck, whether it’s your career, your marriage, a friendship, or an unhealthy habit like alcohol.
Need help getting started? Download your free Blueprint for Change Coaching Workbook here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
Jenn Salib-Huber is a Registered Dietitian, Naturopathic Doctor, and intuitive eating advocate. Jenn provides health and hormone education to women in midlife without a side of diet culture, so they can make peace with food, aging, and hot flashes and find the confidence they deserve in midlife.
Jenn and Wendy discuss the concept of “undieting your life”, body neutrality v. body positivity, the second peak of body dissatisfaction that occurs in perimenopause, the real factors that contribute to our weight regulation (they’re not what you think!), and why weight loss will never protect us from a negative body image.
They also discuss how we, as mothers, can help break the generational cycle and give our kids freedom from body image issues. Wendy reflects on her experience with weight and intuitive eating principles after ditching the scale five years ago and moving through the hormonal shifts and body changes of menopause. Dr Jenn provides some strategies for starting to create resiliency and neutrality around your own body image.
Info on Dr. Jenn and her Midlife Feast Community: www.menopausenutritionist.ca
Fellow This Naked Mind coach and friend Christy Osborne joins Wendy to celebrate her five-year anniversary of quitting drinking. Wendy shares her alcohol story, including her “last straw(s)” and talks about everything that has changed for her (big and small!) since she had her last drink. Christy and Wendy discuss some of the surprise gifts of going alcohol-free, how they parent and role model around the topic of drinking, and both share a drinking story that used to bring them shame but now just makes them proud to be non-drinkers. Wendy reflects on empty nesting and how different the last few months would likely have looked if she hadn’t stopped drinking. Christy and Wendy discuss the evolution of the sober curious movement and the normalization of the conversation around sobriety as nothing more than a positive wellness choice.
Questioning your drinking? Start here (for free): www.wendymccallum.com/myths
More about Christy at https://www.lovelifesober.co.uk/
Follow Christy on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/lovelifesoberwithchristy/
Wendy and her best friend Megan, who have five young adult children between them, reflect on their transition to an empty nest together this fall. They share the story their unique lifelong friendship, and their shared experience entering motherhood, midlife, and now empty nesting together. They recount some of their favourite parts of living without kids again and some of the unforeseen challenges (or are they perks?) like chocolate covered peanuts for lunch and key lime pie for dinner, playlist control (Piano Chill, anyone?), finding a “new normal” with your partner, and the lack of any requirement to follow a routine.
The two friends discuss the toughest parts of not having your children close by and share what they did to find their own sense of purpose before their nests emptied and how that has helped to make this a surprisingly joyful time of life. They explore the idea of anticipatory grief and provide some very helpful insight into how to prepare yourself for this next chapter of parenthood.
If you’ve got children (or nieces, nephews or step-kids or godchildren), don’t skip this one –the emotions involved in this natural transition period in midlife are universal. Please feel free to share this episode with any moms (or dads!) you know who are in the thick of this or anticipating the transition, this is a fun and positive conversation!
Does your life look great on paper, but it still feels like something’s missing? Grab your free Blueprint for Change Workbook here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
In today’s episode, regular co-host and bestie Dr. Sarah Baillie, N.D., joins host Wendy to talk all things teenager. They share their top insights and tips as experienced parents of teens, including strategies to diffuse tension, improve communication, and re-frame the teenage years to increase the joy and decrease the common frustration around parenting young adults. It’s an honest, raw, and funny conversation (as always!) between two moms who get it. Don’t miss this one!
Topics include how to take it all less personally, how to de-escalate a disagreement, how to manage a moody teen, and how to worry less and love them more.
How many years have you made New Year promises only to find yourself making them all over again 12 months later? Wendy shares her Top 10 Tips for making lasting habit change in 2023 and every year thereafter in this bite-sized solo episode. With these strategies you’ll make permanent, meaningful change this year instead of giving up when “life gets lifey”, as it always does.
Learn about trying different, not harder, stacking small change, the power of positive emotion, and the pitfalls of a deprivation and willpower-based plan. Discover how to plan for real life this time, anticipate roadblocks and create contingency plans that will keep you on track. You’ll leave this episode with a brand-new framework for goal setting in 2023!
Ready to set yourself up for a truly successful alcohol experiment in 2023? Join Wendy in her incredibly popular 6-week small group program for women, REWIND. Starts Jan 6, 2023. Until Jan 2nd, save $100 with code “JANREWIND”.
Details and registration here: www.wendymccallum.com/rewind
Wait! Before you say, “But I don’t have a problem with alcohol”, know this – Wendy’s tips in this bite-sized solo episode are critical to making permanent, meaningful change in ANY area of your life. Whether your coping mechanism of choice is red wine, salt and vinegar chips, cupcakes, or Nordstrom Rack, there’s something in this episode for everyone.
Learn the 3 C’s of making change with an experiment mindset, how this approach changed EVERYTHING for Wendy in January 2018 and led to her being almost 5 years alcohol-free, and why it’s the underpinning of every session she coaches and program she creates.
Ready to set yourself up for a truly successful alcohol experiment in 2023? Join Wendy in her incredibly popular 6-week small group program for women, REWIND. Starts Jan 6, 2023. Until Jan 2nd, save $100 with code “JANREWIND”.
Details and registration here: www.wendymccallum.com/rewind
In this episode, Wendy talks to Mary Byers, author, speaker, and coach, who helps organizations and individuals set priorities and develop winning focus, about Mary’s experience with her “One Word Year” experiment. Mary explains how she has let one word guide her each year for the last decade, and how that’s helped her to concentrate on what’s most important, simplify her focus, and improve her life. Wendy and Mary discuss the power of this practice and Mary provides guidance on how to pick a word, how to let it guide you, and when to abandon it. Wendy explains the impact of feelings-based goals v. behaviour-based goals and the importance of flexibility when it comes to permanently changing habits and thinking. Wendy also shares her “one word” for the new year and how it came to her after she became an empty nester earlier this fall.
The “One Word Year” is a wonderful alternative to making a laundry list of New Year’s resolutions you’ll never be able to keep. If you’re looking to make some lasting, meaningful change in 2023, you’ll absolutely want to listen to this episode!
More about Mary Byers: https://www.marybyers.com
It’s the 100th episode of Bite-Sized Balance! In today’s episode of ‘the little podcast that could’, regular co-host and bestie Dr. Sarah Baillie, N.D., joins host Wendy to celebrate 100 episodes of Bite-Sized Balance, the “fake” podcast that Wendy started over two years ago. They each choose a handful of episodes that stand out for them from past seasons and discuss why you should give them a listen if you haven’t had the chance or are a new listener to the show.
They also talk about feeling “couchy”, the pitfalls of Daylight Savings Time, and Sarah’s newfound passion for coaching.
Here are their favourite episodes with the links to watch on Wendy’s website (you can also listen to all of these on your favourite podcast platform):
Episode 1: The Meno Whisperer (Dr. Sarah Baillie, N.D.)
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/the-bite-sized-balance-podcast-with-guest-dr-sarah-baillie-nd-aka-the-meno-whisperer
Episode 9: Alcohol and Women’s Burnout (Annie Grace)
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/annie-grace-alcohol-and-womens-burnout
Episode 35: Life in the Sandwich (Wendy and Meg’s Story)
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/wendy-meg-s-story-life-in-the-sandwich
Episode 37: Pregnancy Loss & Grief (Wendy’s story)
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/infertility-loss-grief-wendy-s-story
Episode 93: Emptying the Nest – The Grief and Joy of Letting Go
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/emptying-the-nest-the-grief-joy-of-letting-go
Episode 48: No More Fu*#s To Give – The Midlife Woman’s Anthem
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/no-more-fu-s-to-give-the-midilife-woman-s-anthem-with-dr-sarah-baillie
Episode 63: Women’s Desire in Midlife (Dr. Lori Brotto) https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/women-s-desire-in-midlife-with-dr-lori-brotto
Episode 64: Desire Debrief – The Burnout Connection
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/midlife-desire-debrief-the-burnout-connection
Episode 66: The Midlife Therapy Every Woman Should Know About (Erika Burger)
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/the-midlife-therapy-every-woman-should-know-about-with-erika-burger
Episode 91: The Key to Midlife Happiness
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/the-key-to-midlife-happiness-with-dr-sarah-baillie-n-d
Episode 10: Women’s Burnout and Adrenal Fatigue
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/sarah-baillie-n-d-women-s-burnout-adrenal-fatigue
Episode 13: Burnout Prevention and Recovery
https://www.wendymccallum.com/blog/dr-sarah-baillie-n-d-burnout-prevention-and-recovery
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Sara McElroy is a former hustle culture devotee, ex-chief marketing officer, the Wall Street Journal’s poster girl for pandemic career burnout, and a two-time member of the Great Resignation: class of 2021 and 2022. Following a stress-induced shingles diagnosis in early 2021, Sara decided to hit the reset button on her life; she quit her hard-won CMO job and trekked to Peru's Sacred Valley to reset her frayed nervous system. When she returned, she relocated from the buzzy metropolis of Atlanta to the beach in South Florida for a new job and a fresh start. But she once again encountered deeply ingrained cultural issues in her new role, and ultimately, she walked away again. Finding herself in the company of millions of other women who also set unfulfilling jobs ablaze during the Great Resignation, she returned to her journalism roots and began to explore the stories, breaking points, and defining moments that led women to seek greater opportunity mid-pandemic. These conversations became the genesis of Raze to Rise – an organization created to amplify women’s voices from the Great Resignation and inspire others to blaze new trails in their own careers.
According to a recent report, more than 50% of women plan to quit their jobs within the next two years (Deloitte, Apr 2022.) Wendy and Sara talk about how burnout is like a death by a thousand papercuts, and why healing often takes more than a career change or a vacation. They also discuss misogynistic and toxic workplaces, the myth of “having it all” and why the Great Resignation is representative of a much bigger shift in how women are approaching their careers. Sara shares her recent journey in becoming alcohol-free and they discuss the post-alcohol transformation that Wendy sees happen so often in her coaching practice. Finally, they make some predictions around the future of work for women and spitball some of the possible consequences of the Great Resignation for corporate North America.
Links:
https://www.razetorise.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sarajmcelroy/
www.linkedin.com/in/sarajmcelroy
Worried you’re burning out? Take my free burnout quiz, here: https://www.wendymccallum.com/pl/198095
Kelley Kitley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and therapist with over 20 years of experience in the field, a sought after international mental health media expert, a mom of four, and a bestselling author of her autobiography of survival “My self.” She has appeared in hundreds of publications, podcasts, live news, and radio shows including The Today Show, The Chicago Tribune, Self magazine, Shape, Dr Oz, The Drew Barrymore Show, the Wall Street Journal and the Oprah Magazine, and owns Serendipitous Psychotherapy, in Chicago.
Kelley shares her story of trauma, alcohol dependence and recovery as well as some of her best strategies as a therapist for helping women reduce overwhelm and get more present in their lives. Wendy and Kelley discuss why anxiety is on the rise, and the growing epidemic of “busyness” for women. They provide practical, accessible ideas for creating moments of mindfulness in your day including a simple coffee and shower ritual. They also explore the power of consciously choosing to care less and how this can transform overwhelmed and exhausted women’s lives.
Links:
www.kelleykitley.com
Kelley’s autobiography "MY self" https://amzn.to/3VAUe8W
Racquel Reid is a certified This Naked Mind coach with a unique story of recovery. In this episode, Racquel shares her drinking story and explains why her life got smaller 11 years ago when she first stopped drinking, and how after years of feeling “abnormal” and hiding away from the world, she rediscovered her power and magic and has built a life beyond what she could have imagined. Both in the “zigs and zags” of menopause, Racquel and Wendy discuss how happy they are to be alcohol-free at this stage of their hormonal lives and how they have both discovered a confidence and clarity in menopause. Racquel shares her next big leap: taking her coaching business on the road as she explores South America and Eastern Asia on her own.
As a coach, Racquel works primarily with women who have already stopped drinking but are feeling disempowered and less than magical about their own lives.
More about Racquel: http://www.racquelreid.com/
If you need a good laugh and a little levity, tune into this episode, where Wendy and Sarah share the list of “Pet Peeves” that they’ve been accumulating together over the last year, including petty yet universal annoyances like the perpetual “goaty” smell of dishtowels and empty ice cube trays left in the freezer, but also inexplicable, less rational irritants like mimes (in general, in person or on screen), books about the Great Depression or riding trains and anything “curated, artisanal or bespoke.”
There’s something in this episode for everyone (if nothing else, you’ll feel better about your own cortisol jacking pet peeves, promise!) Join Wendy and Sarah for a fun conversation about the small things that drive them crazy in midlife.
We don’t think you’ll regret it.
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Dr. Brooke Scheller is a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and expert in nutrition for alcohol use by impacting gut and brain health. She is a leader in the wellness space, pioneering the understanding of how alcohol impacts the gut, our nutritional pathways, and the brain through nutrient deficiencies.
In this episode, Dr. Brooke shares what led her to challenge her relationship with alcohol and stop drinking during the pandemic. Wendy and Brooke discuss how drinking affects our hormones in midlife, including our reproductive and thyroid hormones, and our blood sugar management. Dr. Brooke explains how drinking less can help us feel better and how our food choices can help us to cut back without feeling deprived. She provides some simple actionable steps you can take now to give your body more of what it needs to create and manage your hormones. It’s a fascinating discussion you won’t want to miss!
More about Dr. Scheller: https://brookescheller.com/
https://www.instagram.com/drbrookescheller/
Rachael Layton is a certified This Naked Mind coach from Brisbane, Australia, who is now happily alcohol-free, after years of working as corporate communications specialist while raising a family and feeling in control of all other areas of her life, except for the way she drank. In this episode, Rachael shares her drinking story and explains why perimenopause made her rethink her drinking. Wendy and Rachael discuss why hitting rock bottom and/or identifying as an “alcoholic” are not prerequisites to leaving alcohol behind, and what Rachael learned after her first attempt to stop drinking that allowed her to achieve full freedom from alcohol the second time around.
Rachael now works with women in midlife who are successful, driven and seemingly have their lives together, but are concerned about the amount they are drinking.
More about Rachael: www.inspiredtochange.com.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowinenoworries/
In this short podcast episode, Wendy provides listeners with an update on her abrupt transition to empty nester this fall, including the blindsiding grief she felt this spring and how she worked through it to find the joy on the other side. Since her children are only seven months apart, and in the same grade, they both left their childhood home for university residences the same week. Wendy shares a piece she wrote called “Emptying the Nest” that will resonate with mothers everywhere, where she explores how it feels as your young adult children begin their slow leaving process and then disappear from your home. If you’ve got children (or nieces, nephews or step-kids or godchildren), don’t skip this one – it’s short and bittersweet but also universal in the emotions involved in this natural transition period in midlife.
Please feel free to share this episode with any moms (or dads!) you know who are in the thick of this or anticipating the grief to come when it happens! There’s something magical that comes from knowing you’re not alone in your sadness.
Does your life look great on paper, but it still feels like something’s missing? Grab your free Blueprint for Change Workbook here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
A self-declared ex “Boozy Tragic”, Amy Armstrong is on a mission to normalize alcohol-free drinking experiences in Australia. She’s dedicated her second career to removing the stigma around not drinking and creating the best possible experiences for people by curating the best-quality non-alcoholic wines, beers, pre-mixed drinks, and alcohol alternatives through her online reviews and tasting parties. Alcohol-free for over two years, Amy shares her drinking story and the personal growth she has experienced since breaking free of it. No need to be alcohol-free to enjoy this podcast and Amy’s recommendations -- most of her followers are sober-curious, not sober!
More about Amy: https://www.drybutwet.com.au/
Follow Amy on Instagram @dry_but_wet
Better Rhodes (Canada): https://betterrhodes.ca/
Questioning your drinking? Start here (free): www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Wendy and Sarah discuss a couple of recent news articles about the death of ambition since the emergence of COVID. People are working less or are less invested in their work, with more opting for early retirement than ever. There’s a rebellion happening against “pointless presenteeism” and Wendy and Sarah are 100% here for it. They explore and deconstruct the social definitions of success for women and consider how doing less might actually contribute to being more, and lead to an easier, more abundant existence. Is the conventional definition of success and ambition even achievable? What happens when we let go of our false idea of control and shift our ambition into “being”? Might this be the key to life satisfaction and happiness? Sarah and Wendy believe so. Don’t worry, it’s not as esoteric as it sounds. As always, they keep their conversation grounded in real life and a few good laughs.
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
April Stroink is a Money Coach and Advisor for individuals and entrepreneurs seeking clarity, ease and abundance with their finances. In this episode, April and Wendy discuss key behavioural finance truths including the common limiting money beliefs that many women in midlife have, and why it’s worth the work to shift them. April draws a fascinating parallel between overspending and other addictive behaviours including drinking, and she and Wendy discuss how stepping into your power around money mirrors taking back control over alcohol. They also talk about shopping as an unhealthy coping mechanism, the emotional aspect of money, the patriarchal construct of “retail therapy” and how it is disempowering women, the role of social media in mindless consumerism and the price our daughters are paying as a result, the importance of a healthy money mindset in preventing burnout, and the connection between your personal values and your financial picture.
Might your financial wellness be the one pillar of health you haven’t been taking care of?
You won’t want to miss this episode!
Find April at www.aprilstroink.ca or https://www.instagram.com/aprilstroink/
Ruby Williams, Senior Certified TNM Coach, shares her story of growing up in Sonoma, California in a family of winemakers, followed by her 19-year career in the wine industry, where her food addiction grew and her drinking progressed, eventually leading to alcohol abuse after bariatric surgery. She and Wendy explore her path to eventual freedom from both alcohol and food and discuss the role of mindset work, meditation, and gratitude in her recovery.
Ruby now works with women who began to abuse alcohol after bariatric surgery and struggle with alcohol related weight gain. She is a single mother of an adult son and lives an hour north of San Francisco with her dog, chickens and practices meditation and yoga.
More about Ruby: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Ruby’s free Superpower Guide: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/the-superpowerguide-pipeline
Questioning your drinking? Start here (free): www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Karla Adkins, Senior Certified TNM Coach, shares her amazing death-defying story (for real!) of crippling anxiety, drinking to cope, the acute and terrifying health challenges that ensued, and her subsequent journey to mental and physical wellness and freedom from alcohol. Wendy and Karla discuss the link between anxiety and alcohol for women, the problem with asking “am I an alcoholic?”, the consequences of “giving alcohol a job”, and the reality of living with alcohol-related liver disease. Karla shares her experiences as a patient with alcohol-related liver disease, the impact of shame and judgment by medical professionals on her psyche and mindset, and the difference a clear message of hope and support can make.
Drawing from her own experience as well as her training as a Certified Senior Coach through This Naked Mind, Karla helps put people back in control of their lives by empowering them with the tools and knowledge they need to remove their desire to drink. Karla is on a mission to normalize not drinking and to help people make the shift from feeling shame to being courageous. In her free time, Karla spends time with her family including her husband, daughter, and dog on the East Coast of South Carolina.
Karla’s new book, And She Came Tumbling Down, is available as of September 7, 2022 on Amazon and her website karlaadkins.com
Questioning your drinking? Start here (free): www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Wendy and Sarah catch up in the Season 3 opener of Bite-Sized Balance and share what they did this summer and some of the life lessons they’ve both learned this year. Sarah opens up about a recent loss and her insight into her instinct to try to control everything and how it serves her better to hold life’s outcomes more loosely. Wendy shares an update regarding her emptying nest and the emotions that have accompanied selling her kids’ childhood home and readying them both to leave for first year university. Sarah and Wendy discuss the importance of learning how to trust your gut in midlife and Wendy shares how she’s feeling about another birthday and how the best word to describe how she’s feeling about her 50s is that she has “agency” again. As always, this conversation will resonate and uplift you, and provide a few nuggets to take away and consider in your own journey through midlife!
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
In the Season 2 closer, Wendy and Sarah revisit their favourite guests and episodes from the last year, and what they’ve learned from hosting Bite-Sized Balance and from each other. Wendy provides her favourite definition of the “meaning of life”, and they consider how it jives with their own approach to midlife. Sarah shares two recent moments of self-discovery and her decision to explore coach training, and Wendy provides an update on her impending empty nest situation. They consider the patriarchal social norms around self-care for women, and how those aren’t serving us, and the problem with women’s overuse of the words “I’m fine.”
Join Wendy and Sarah for a spirited, fun conversation with an important undercurrent: it’s totally OK to start focussing on you again as you move into your midlife.
In this short podcast episode, Wendy provides listeners with an update on her commitment to “creating a life she doesn’t feel the need to escape from” before her transition to empty nester this fall, including her re-discovery of her love of writing. She shares a piece called “Taking Care of Me” that will resonate with busy, worn-out woman everywhere, where she explores what it really means to take care of yourself and the magic that’s available to you when you finally accept that you’re in the driver’s seat of your own life. Don’t skip this one – it’s short and sweet but it also might be just thing you need to hear to take back some control over your one wild and precious life!
Does your life look great on paper, but it still feels like something’s missing? Grab your free Blueprint for Change Workbook here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
Christy is a Certified “This Naked Mind” Coach helping moms in their 30s and 40s examine their relationship with alcohol. Christy grew up in Los Angeles but relocated to London in 2008 after completing law school and passing the California Bar Exam. Upon relocating to the United Kingdom, Christy started a hugely popular website to help other ex-pat women navigate the transition across the pond.
Always a social drinker, Christy found the stress of being a working mom caused her drinking to increase. In 2018 she lost her mother and her drinking increased again. Although everything looked fine on the surface, Christy knew she had to regain control of her life, for herself and for her family.
In today’s episode, Wendy and Christy discuss Christy’s path to freedom from alcohol, why “rock bottoms” aren’t necessary and how waiting for them can keep women stuck, how to deal with social expectations alcohol-free, how friendships can change after ditching alcohol, the ripple effect of being a non-drinker in a drinking world, and how when it comes to making alcohol small and irrelevant, when you know, you know!
Follow Christy on Instagram at: @lovelifesoberwithchristy
More about Christy at: https://lovelifesober.co.uk
Wendy’s Free 3-video “Why You Can’t Stop Drinking” series: https://www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Ellie Crowe is a Certified This Naked Mind Coach, Gray Area Drinking Coach and co-host of the Present & Sober podcast. Ellie helps overwhelmed and sleep-deprived moms parent peacefully and happily, without needing alcohol to escape at the end of the day. Ellie lives with her husband, three young kids and three hounds in a very old pub in Cambridge, England. She’s a passionate yogi, Wim Hof-fer and gymnast (back in training!).
In today’s episode, Wendy and Ellie discuss Ellie’s path to freedom from alcohol, PMDD, early ovarian failure, perimenopause and the role of hormones in Ellie’s alcohol story, how somatic work like cold therapy can help increase your stress tolerance, tools for regulating your nervous system, the trouble with moderation, and the peace that comes with freedom from alcohol. This is a light and engaging conversation you won’t want to miss!
Ellie’s Website: https://www.pumpupthepresent.com/
Follow Ellie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pumpupthepresent/
Follow Ellie on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pumpupthepresent
Wendy’s Free 3-video “Why You Can’t Stop Drinking” series: https://www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Casey Davidson is a Professional Life Coach and the host of the extremely popular “Hello Someday” podcast. She’s a wife and mom who spent 20 years climbing the corporate ladder while holding on tightly to her love of red wine. Like Wendy, Casey specializes in working with women with full calendars and overflowing to-do lists, who are doing all the things and drinking to forget all the things.
Casey shares her own story of finding freedom from alcohol and all that was possible for her after she left wine behind. She explains how so many of the reasons she thought she needed to drink were just problems caused by the drinking itself. Wendy and Casey discuss their personal post-alcohol transformations and discuss why so many of their clients seem to embark on similar transformative journeys after alcohol -- including a newfound ability to live a life in accordance with their personal values and an incredible injection of energy and self-confidence. This is a fun and hopeful conversation about what keeps women stuck and what’s possible for them when they break free from alcohol!
Learn more about Casey at www.hellosomedaycoaching.com
Casey’s Free 30-Day Guide To Quitting Drinking - 30 Tips For Your First Month Alcohol Free https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/30-day-sober-guide/
The Hello Someday Podcast: https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/podcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloSomeday
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseymdavidson/
Jillian joins Wendy to share her story of breast cancer and the medically induced menopause that resulted from her treatment. She highlights the most difficult parts of her diagnosis and treatment, and shares what she’s learned during the past year in the hopes that it will help other women undergoing breast cancer treatment or supporting someone who is.
Jill and Wendy discuss the many different types of breast cancer and the treatments, including hormone blockers, and drugs for the side effects. They also talk about hormone replacement therapy for breast cancer patients (and how it’s often not an option), the life-changing magic of pelvic floor therapy, the importance of mammograms and colonoscopies, and what not to say to a cancer patient. This is an informative and hopeful conversation about a very important topic that you won’t want to miss.
Jillian joins Wendy to share her story of breast cancer and the medically induced menopause that resulted from her treatment. She highlights the most difficult parts of her diagnosis and treatment, and shares what she’s learned during the past year in the hopes that it will help other women undergoing breast cancer treatment or supporting someone who is.
Jill and Wendy discuss the many different types of breast cancer and the treatments, including hormone blockers, and drugs for the side effects. They also talk about hormone replacement therapy for breast cancer patients (and how it’s often not an option), the life-changing magic of pelvic floor therapy, the importance of mammograms and colonoscopies, and what not to say to a cancer patient. This is an informative and hopeful conversation about a very important topic that you won’t want to miss.
Victoria Yates, RN & Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, is passionate about helping women ditch diets and stop hating their bodies. On this episode, Wendy and Victoria discuss why quick fixes don’t work when it comes to our weight, why intuitive eating is the answer to freedom from food, and how we can start listening for the language we use around our body image and change it if it’s not serving us. Victoria explains how to harness the brain’s incredible ability to create a new set of thoughts that are rooted in self-love, and the freedom women gain from making that shift. Wendy shares the surprising things she learned when she diched her scale over 4 years ago, and how she came to love her (slightly softer!) body after the bumpy ride of menopause (and decades of self-criticism.)
Learn more about Victoria at www.victoria-yates.com or @nondiet_rn on instagram
Dr. L. Carol Scott, PhD. (Psychology) is a TEDx speaker, author and coach with a unique model to help women succeed in their business and personal lives through self-aware emotional and social intelligence. Carol mixes hundreds of years of child development theory with 21st Century brain imaging research, decades of her own experience with hundreds of developing humans of all ages, and her own lived experience of recovery from childhood trauma and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Carol and Wendy have a fascinating conversation about how the first seven years of our lives impact all aspects of our adulthood, including our business competence, parenting, and personal relationships. Carol explains the seven assets that we are meant to develop as kids (trust, independence, faith, negotiation, vision, compromise, and acceptance) and how easy it is for us to be missing some of these as adults because of childhood circumstances outside of our control. She also explains the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in compromising our personal development.
Carol and Wendy discuss two examples of how a deficit in certain childhood competencies can contribute to burnout in women. This conversation is so enlightening for businesswomen, mothers, and leaders alike, don’t skip it!
Email carol@carolscott.com for your free Success Strategies Guide
More on Carol: www.lcarolscott.com
Wendy and Emily’s REWIND - 6-week mindful break from alcohol group program for women – details and registration at: www.wendymccallum.com/rewind
Wendy’s fellow Certified TNM Alcohol Coach, Susan Larkin joins her to share her story and message for busy women who are drinking more than they’d like to manage stress. Susan’s career in medical education at an Ivy League medical school started late in her 30’s. It was then that she started drinking to cope with the stress of balancing a career, family life and getting her MBA. As her career progressed, she found herself hustling for her worthiness which led to burnout and more drinking. That nightly glass of wine turned into 2-3 or more, and she became a "gray area drinker" living an increasingly gray life. Now an alcohol-free empty nester, Susan is passionate about helping women get their drinking under control, take back their power of choice, and create an amazing vibrant life!
Grab Susan’s free AF Socializing Guide at: www.susanlarkincoaching.com/about
Are you questioning your own drinking? Wendy’s 6-Week REWIND online coaching program is a fantastic place to start. Disrupt your thinking and patterns around alcohol and get back to the YOU that you were before alcohol. Info and registration here: www.wendymccallum.com/rewind
Wendy’s friend, author, fellow Certified TNM Alcohol Coach, and partner in their popular women’s program, REWIND, Emily Lynn Paulson, joins her to answer a few common FAQs from women who are actively trying to drink less or stop altogether.
Wendy and Emily answer questions about what to do if you’re trying to drink less or quit and your partner still drinks, how to deal with social situations if you’re newly alcohol-free and not sure if it’s forever, and how to know if you’re ready for change when it comes to your drinking. No matter where you are in your alcohol-free journey, we share lots of tools and strategies for making alcohol small and irrelevant. There’s something for everyone in this episode!
Are you questioning your own drinking? Wendy and Emily’s next FREE 5-Day Challenge is a fantastic place to start. Find out the keys to drinking less without willpower. Disrupt your thinking and patterns around alcohol and get back to the YOU that you were before alcohol. Info and registration here: www.wendymccallum.com/challenge
Sarah shares the story of her friend’s recent frustrating experience with her care provider when she asked for support with her post-pandemic exhaustion. Sarah and Wendy discuss what was so disappointing about her doctor’s response, and what we really need right now, as we emerge from a period of intense stress and caregiving, more burnt out and exhausted than ever. We need a safe place to land, a chance to rest and connect in a meaningful way after years of distancing and self-isolation. As always, this is a fun and relaxed conversation between two friends sure to confirm that you’re not alone in it all and get you thinking. Join us!
FREE 5-Day Rewind Alcohol Challenge: www.wendymccallum.com/challenge
Karen Furneaux is a 3-time Olympian, 2-time World Champion and the winner of 9 medals at the World Championships over her 20-year professional sprint kayaking career. Karen is now a published author, broadcast analyst with CBC and professional speaker. Wendy talks to Karen about the lessons she learned through her lifelong dedication to her sport, and how she’s using that learning to motivate others as a speaker and stay resilient after retiring from competitive kayaking. They discuss how to set meaningful and achievable goals, the connection between wellness, mindset and performance, the role of alcohol in wellness (including a funny anecdote about the Beijing Olympics), and how to build resilience and avoid burnout.
FREE REWIND 5-Day Drink Less Challenge: www.wendymccallum.com/challenge
More about Karen: www.ipromiseperformance.com
An experienced Burnout & Alcohol Coach, Wendy shares some of her best advice around how to worry less and manage your anxiety better. Her strategies range from small daily practices that build resilience and calm to simple yet effective tools you can use in a moment of overwhelm to ground and centre yourself. You can apply everything in this episode to any area of your life where you might find yourself worrying: career, parenting or relationships!
FREE 5-Day Drink Less REWIND Challenge: www.wendymccallum.com/challenge
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Wendy and Sarah provide an update as to what’s changed for them in the last six months or so in their transition post-menopause. The discussion includes how the hormonal and other treatments have worked out for them, how their menopausal symptoms have shifted and improved, and what they’ve learned about themselves and what they need (and want!) more of as they begin the second half of their lives. As always, this is a candid, relaxed conversation between friends with a few belly laughs inserted for good measure. Join us!
Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free perimenopause/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
FREE 5 Day Alcohol Challenge: www.wendymccallum.com/challenge
Wendy’s friend, author, fellow Certified TNM Alcohol Coach, and partner in their popular women’s program, REWIND, Emily Lynn Paulson, joins her to answer a few common FAQs from women who are actively trying to drink less or stop altogether.
One question comes from someone who’s still drinking but would like to take a break, another from a woman who has been alcohol-free for a short time but is struggling with cravings and a third from a person who has been sober for a long time but is still feeling like the “odd mom out”. No matter where you are in your alcohol-free journey, we share lots of tools and strategies for making alcohol small and irrelevant. There’s something for everyone in this episode!
Are you questioning your own drinking? Wendy and Emily’s next FREE 5-Day Challenge is a fantastic place to start. Find out the keys to drinking less without willpower. Disrupt your thinking and patterns around alcohol and get back to the YOU that you were before alcohol. Info and registration here: www.wendymccallum.com/challenge
In this episode, Host Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Balance Coach and guest Angela Fitzgerald, Neonatal ICU Nurse, discuss how the pandemic has impacted the nurses in Angela’s unit and more generally, the challenges that come with shift work and being in a caregiving profession during COVID-19.
Angela approached Wendy a couple of months ago because she saw a need for this conversation around wellness and burnout prevention (and recovery) in her profession. She went through her own burnout a year ago and learned a lot about how to create a better balance as a busy nurse with a family at home. Together, she and Wendy provide some strategies for reducing overwhelm and stress and improving sleep, nutrition, and self-care while working shifts and dealing with all of the additional pressures of nursing during the pandemic. Whether you are in a caregiving profession or not, you’ll learn a lot from this conversation about meaningful self-care and balance.
For information on Wendy’s coaching and programming, please visit: www.wendymccallum.com
Feeling a little lonely lately? It’s been a tough couple of years when it comes to connection. Wendy and Sarah reflect on the role female friendships have played in their lives and how the nature of some of their friendships has changed over the years. They discuss the isolation and loneliness that can come with motherhood and midlife, and how a meaningful connection with a like-minded person can change that. They also examine their own friendship and share the story of how they met and became such fast friends, and the surprising joys unexpected friendships in midlife have brought them. Grab a cup of tea or lace up your walking shoes and join Wendy and Sarah for a light, engaging and uplifting conversation!
Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free perimenopause/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
Following up on Episode 49: “This Is 50”, Wendy provides listeners with an update on her commitment to “trying all the things” and to “filling up her joy bucket” to help smooth the transition to empty nester that is coming soon. She shares the story of how she re-discovered her love of writing and reads a piece that will resonate with many of the busy women who listen to this podcast, about what we miss out on when we rush through life with the goal of always achieving, and don’t slow down enough to get present for the ordinary, in-between days (where all the joy lives.)
Does your life look great on paper, but it still feels like something’s missing? Grab your free Blueprint for Change Workbook here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
Following up on Episode 49: “This Is 50”, Wendy provides listeners with an update on her commitment to “trying all the things” and to “filling up her joy bucket” to help smooth the transition to empty nester that is coming soon. She shares the story of how she re-discovered her love of writing and reads a piece that will resonate with many of the busy women who listen to this podcast, about what we miss out on when we rush through life with the goal of always achieving, and don’t slow down enough to get present for the ordinary, in-between days (where all the joy lives.)
Does your life look great on paper, but it still feels like something’s missing? Grab your free Blueprint for Change Workbook here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
Following up on Episode 49: “This Is 50”, Wendy provides listeners with an update on her commitment to “trying all the things” and to “filling up her joy bucket” to help smooth the transition to empty nester that is coming soon. She shares the story of how she re-discovered her love of writing and reads a piece that will resonate with many of the busy women who listen to this podcast, about what we miss out on when we rush through life with the goal of always achieving, and don’t slow down enough to get present for the ordinary, in-between days (where all the joy lives.)
Does your life look great on paper, but it still feels like something’s missing? Grab your free Blueprint for Change Workbook here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
Ann Dowsett Johnston is an award-winning journalist and the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, a book named one of the top 10 of the year by the Washington Post. Ann is also now a psychotherapist, and Wendy’s mentor and writing coach. Ann joins Wendy for a discussion about the new face of women’s recovery, and the powerful role that writing can play for women recovering from addictions and over-drinking, eating disorders, illness, and trauma. They also discuss the new ending Ann has planned for the 10th-anniversary edition of Drink and what Ann is exploring in her second book, which she’s hard at work on now.
They discuss why, almost 10 years later, as Ann so aptly stated in Drink, alcohol is still “the modern woman’s steroid”, and how the overwhelm and stress of the pandemic has spiked drinking levels and continued to normalize women’s drinking as a necessary tool of working motherhood. Grab a cup of tea and join Wendy and Ann for a down-to-earth, engaging, and thought-provoking conversation!
Info on Ann’s Writing Your Discovery Courses and psychotherapy services: https://www.anndowsettjohnston.com/
Ann’s Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtZjpI1oVQ
Join host Wendy McCallum as she interviews Kathryn Elliott, a heavy binge drinker for over 20 years and recent breast cancer survivor. Kathryn shares her story of binge drinking including her frequent blackouts and resulting guilt and shame. She explains why binge drinking often goes unchecked for too long. She also shares the breast cancer diagnosis that came on the heels of her decision to go alcohol-free, and the tremendous gifts that have come from that challenging time in her life.
Now an alcohol-free certified coach through This Naked Mind, Kathryn helps others break the binge drinking cycle and find their own freedom. She provides some helpful strategies for anyone struggling to control their binge drinking. Find out more about Kathryn at: www.thealcoholmindsetcoach.com
Are you questioning your own drinking? Start here (it’s free!): www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Join host Wendy McCallum as she interviews Kathryn Elliot, a heavy binge drinker for over 20 years and recent breast cancer survivor. Kathryn shares her story of binge drinking including her frequent blackouts and resulting guilt and shame. She explains why binge drinking often goes unchecked for too long. She also shares the breast cancer diagnosis that came on the heels of her decision to go alcohol-free, and the tremendous gifts that have come from that challenging time in her life.
Now an alcohol-free certified coach through This Naked Mind, Kathryn helps others break the binge drinking cycle and find their own freedom. She provides some helpful strategies for anyone struggling to control their binge drinking. Find out more about Kathryn at: www.thealcoholmindsetcoach.com
Are you questioning your own drinking? Start here (it’s free!): www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Wendy and Sarah interview Erika Burger, a pelvic floor physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience. They discuss the role of pelvic floor health for women (men, and children), why we’re not talking about it enough, and the surprisingly long list of common midlife women’s wellness conditions that this specialized yet rarely discussed branch of physiotherapy can support, including vaginal pain, sciatica and back pain, bladder issues, and frequent urination. Wendy and Sarah share their personal stories of pelvic floor physio treatment and the incredible results they had. This was an eye-opening conversation for both BSB hosts, so we know you will find it invaluable!
Erika Burger: https://www.thepelvichealthclinic.ca/
Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free peri/menopause checklist, here: https://www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
Wendy chats with Mitch Cobb, the Co-Founder and CEO of Upstreet Brewing and Libra Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer about the alcohol-free drink market, the sober curious movement, and their shared mission to normalize socializing without alcohol. Mitch shares how he came to start a craft brewery on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and soon after began exploring his own relationship with alcohol, as well some fascinating behind-the-scenes details on how alcohol-free beer is made and marketed. This is a fun and light conversation around what it means to find your balance and how having a great alcohol-free alternative on hand can make that easier.
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Libra Alcohol-Free Craft Beer: www.drinklibra.ca
Wendy chats with Mitch Cobb, the Co-Founder and CEO of Upstreet Brewing and Libra Non-Alcoholic Craft Beer about the alcohol-free drink market, the sober curious movement, and their shared mission to normalize socializing without alcohol. Mitch shares how he came to start a craft brewery on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and soon after began exploring his own relationship with alcohol, as well some fascinating behind-the-scenes details on how alcohol-free beer is made and marketed. This is a fun and light conversation around what it means to find your balance and how having a great alcohol-free alternative on hand can make that easier.
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Libra Alcohol-Free Craft Beer: www.drinklibra.ca
Wendy and Sarah reflect on their recent interview with Dr. Lori Brotto, psychologist, professor, and renowned sexual health researcher about women’s desire in midlife. They discuss the difference between spontaneous and responsive desire and the connection between desire and stress. They dig into the challenge that burnt-out, overwhelmed women have when it comes to responsive desire and provide their thoughts on how women can lay the groundwork for increased desire with self-care and boundary-setting.
Free Burnout Checklist: www.wendymccallum.com/checklist
Wendy and Sarah interview Dr. Lori Brotto, psychologist, professor and renowned sexual health researcher about women’s desire in midlife. This is a discussion you won’t want to miss! Topics include the difference between spontaneous and responsive desire, the impact of midlife hormonal changes on desire, the connection between stress and lowered desire, how to identify your personal “gas pedals v brakes” when it comes to desire, the importance of scheduling intimacy and sex, and the impact of mindfulness on desire. This is a jam-packed episode will give you a brand-new perspective on desire!
Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free perimenopause/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
Follow Dr. Brotto on social media at @ubcshr
What is your “one big thing”? That one area of desired mental or behavioural change that you have been struggling with for years? How would achieving the permanent change you desire in that area make everything else in your life that much easier? In this episode, women’s Burnout & Alcohol Coach Wendy McCallum discusses why we struggle with making lasting change and the three keys to approaching your “one big thing” differently in 2022 so that you finally achieve the outcome you desire. Tired of making resolutions that only last a few weeks? Lasting change is possible – try different this year, not harder!
Start changing the beliefs that are keeping you stuck in drinking now: www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Dr. Salib-Huber and Wendy discuss why most resolutions fail and how women can make change in a way that supports both their mental and physical health without starting another diet. They also discuss the destructive willpower-based diet cycle and how to get out of it for good. Dr. Jenn explains how we can empower ourselves when it comes to making lasting, resonant change around our relationship with food, including letting go of all or nothing thinking. Wendy talks about her decision to ditch the scale four years ago and all the freedom that has come with that.
Wendy’s free 5-Day Rewind Alcohol Challenge: www.wendymccallum.com/challenge
More about Dr. Jenn Salib-Huber’s Challenge: www.intuitivenutrition.ca
Dr. Sarah Baillie, N.D. co-hosts with Wendy as they interview Dr. Ghazvinian, a functional medicine practitioner and change strategist for menopause in the workplace. They review recent survey results from midlife employees, discuss how hormonal issues can negatively impact corporate women in midlife, and the lack of support in most workplaces around perimenopause and menopause. They discuss how this lack of awareness and wellness policy is costing corporate North America. Finally, they brainstorm some practical strategies women can use to raise this issue and start the missing conversation in their own workplace. Let’s band together and be the change!
Wondering if you’re in perimenopause or menopause? Grab our free checklist at www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
More about Dr. Ghazvinian: https://www.reivas.com/
Wendy and Sarah celebrate European company Vodaphone’s global commitment to supporting its employees through menopause. The company has issued a ground-breaking report and rolled out a training and awareness program to all its employees in relation to hormonal and life stages. Sarah and Wendy review the report’s findings and suggestions and provide their two cents on how we can help this inclusionary movement gain traction in North America. You’re not going to want to miss this one – the report and its recommendations will blow your mind.
Grab our perimenopause checklist, here: https://www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Wendy shares some of her best advice around how to make positive change (in any area of your life or wellness) when it feels too hard. Our tendency is to just try harder, but that almost always leads to failure, because we are trying the wrong way. Wendy provides 5 specific strategies for how to “try different, not harder”, including how to identify and replace the beliefs that are keeping you stuck, how to remind your brain and body it can do hard things, and how the easy days can provide the lessons you need to get through the tough ones better. You can apply everything in this episode to any area of personal growth you’re working on, from your parenting style to social media habits to your relationship with alcohol!
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Wendy and Sarah share their favourite strategies and tips for taking back the holidays – after all, you deserve a break and some fun too! The suggestions include setting an intention around what really matters to you about the holidays this year and then taking the steps required to make that happen, including saying no to plans and events that don’t serve you, outsourcing and delegation, creating new traditions that serve you better, taking shortcuts that make things easier, and setting and enforcing boundaries to protect your own wellness and joy. It’s the perfect pre-Holiday conversation, join us!
For free tools and resources for making change around alcohol, burnout, or midlife, visit: www.wendymccallum.com/learn-with-wendy
Wendy and Sarah discuss the key things women need to know to advocate effectively for themselves and navigate our complex health care system in midlife, particularly with respect to their perimenopause and menopausal symptoms. Sarah explains why women often require a team of caregivers instead of one doctor, your rights as a patient, the difference between conventional pharmaceutical BHRT and compounded hormones, and what to do if you’re questioning the advice you’ve been given. Wendy shares her experience building her own team and navigating the health care system since dropping into full menopause very suddenly in 2020. There are so many great tips in this episode – don’t skip this one!
Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free peri/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
Karolina Rzadkowolska is a certified alcohol-free life coach whose book Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You will be out on bookshelves on January 4th. She’s the host of Euphoric the Podcast, founder of Euphoric Alcohol-Free, and her work has been featured in the Huffington Post, Authority Magazine, Greatist, and Elite Daily.
Karolina shares her personal alcohol story, and why and how she went alcohol-free. Wendy and Karolina discuss their shared views on how it’s all about what you get when you leave alcohol behind, not what you give up, the detox to retox cycle so many women find themselves in, the role of the patriarchy in women’s drinking, and how alcohol impacts our health.
Pre-order your copy of Euphoric now: https://www.euphoricbook.com/
After marketing top brands like Coca-Cola, Ford and Unilever, Sheri started her 1st business as a new mom on maternity leave. She later bootstrapped her 2nd business into 6-figures while freelancing and raising two young kiddos. She regularly teaches Marketing & Sales for the City of Toronto and has helped 400+ entrepreneurs brand, launch and grow their startup.
Wendy and Sheri discuss the amazing midlife entrepreneur boom, their own experiences as female business-owners in midlife, the estrogen connection, what holds women back from starting a business, how entrepreneurship can actually be easier than “working for the man”, and the 5 things you need to nail for entrepreneurial success. If you’ve been dreaming of being your own boss, start here!
Find Sheri at ZipLaunchMe.com
Wendy chats with Cyndi Sweeney and BriAnna Simons, who are both parents of transgender children and advocates for inclusion awareness. Cyndi is a writer, educator, journalist and consultant for beyond binary thinking, and BriAnna is a clinical social worker who specializes in child and play-based therapies.
Cyndi and BriAnna share the challenges and joys that have come with parenting their children as well as some helpful insight for parents of cis kids around how to raise sensitive allies for transgender children. They discuss their new children’s book, The Pink Balloon, and share resources for families with a member who is questioning their gender identity.
Resources and book links: simplygoodform.ca
BriAnna: briannasimonstherapeutic.com
Wendy interviews her friend and colleague Pam, who suffered a severe uterine prolapse in October 2018 while at a spin class. Pam shares her story of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery in the hope it might help other women who are struggling with prolapse and feeling alone and unsupported. Wendy and Pam discuss the piecemeal nature of women’s health care, the importance of candid conversations around women’s reproductive health and the role a good pelvic floor therapist can play when it comes to thriving in midlife. If you don’t know what a uterine prolapse, pessary, or vaginal vault suspension are, listen to this episode. To improve women’s pelvic floor wellness, we need to start talking about it more!
Prolapse Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184143085606
Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support: https://www.pelvicorganprolapsesupport.org/
Wendy’s soul sister, Megan, joins her as she shares her son’s open adoption story. Duncan is now almost 18, so it felt like the right time to publicly share (with permission of Duncan and his birth family) the story of how Wendy and her husband, Rob, came to the decision to adopt and how that process unfolded. Open adoption includes a continuing relationship with the child’s birth family, which is Wendy’s family’s case is very special. There were many moments of serendipity, shared joy, and intimate grief in this journey to starting a family – get ready to hear an amazing story that will reaffirm your belief that some things are just “meant to be”.
Grab Wendy’s free Blueprint for Change, here: www.wendymccallum.com/blueprint
Join host Wendy McCallum as she interviews Shelley, a mom of three and recovering drinker living with Stage 4 liver disease. Women’s drinking has been rising during the pandemic, and with it, liver disease. Alcohol-related liver disease typically takes years to develop, but as Shelley’s terrifying story evidences, it’s not nearly as many years as you think. You’ll be absolutely amazed by Shelley’s story, which she tells with great honesty and humour. Wendy and Shelley discuss mommy wine culture, kids’ team sports and the parent drinking culture that’s often present there, and how easy it is for women’s “normal” drinking to escalate into a dangerous and destructive pattern.
Are you questioning your own drinking? Start here (it’s free!): www.wendymccallum.com/myths
On her 50th birthday, Wendy reflects on her life to date, her fears around hitting 50, and the surprising (and refreshing!) reality that came with the actual day. She shares her goals for this decade including her commitment to “fun for fun’s sake” and to “filling up her joy bucket” to help her in the transition to empty nester that is coming soon. “This is 50” will be a regular instalment of the podcast going forward – sometimes featuring a 50-something guest with a story to share around her 50s to date, sometimes an update on Wendy’s 50th year, and sometimes a conversation with the always-popular Bite-Sized Balance co-host, Dr. Sarah Baillie.
Free resources here: www.wendymccallum.com/learnwithwendy
Inspired by a song called “I’ve Got No More Fuc#$ to Give” that Wendy stumbled across on YouTube, Wendy and Sarah share how their feeling of having “no more fuc#$ to give” has shown up in their personal and work lives, and how common a headspace this seems to be for all women in midlife.
They discuss why this is happening, from a social, emotional, and hormonal perspective, and what to do about it if you’re feeling guilty about caring less. They also consider whether this midlife phenomenon isn’t really more a “shifting of fuc#$” as opposed to “having less fuc#$”, and how that shifting might benefit you as well as the other people in your life, including your children. Are you the adult you want your kids to become?
Join Wendy and Sarah for a spirited, fun conversation with an important undercurrent: it’s totally OK to start focussing on you again as you move into your midlife.
Details and wait list for next WTF (Women Talking Frankly) small group coaching program with Wendy and Sarah here: www.wtfmidlife.com
Wendy’s friend, author, and fellow Certified TNM Alcohol Coach, Emily Lynn Paulson, joins her for an honest discussion around why women’s drinking has been rising dramatically during the last couple of years.
They discuss the connection between stress and alcohol, the additional anxiety and overwhelm of the pandemic and how that has spiked drinking levels and alcohol-related disease, the normalization of women’s drinking as a necessary tool of motherhood through the media, and the science behind the addictive nature of alcohol.
How do you know if it’s time to make a change? Emily and Wendy both believe that labels aren’t helpful and that objective tests for “problem drinking” just keep women stuck in patterns that aren’t serving them. The only question that matters is “how is alcohol making me feel?” and if the answer is “not great”, then you owe yourself the opportunity to explore it further. And the good news is, there’s a way to do it that without white-knuckling it, and Wendy and Emily have the answer.
Are you questioning your own drinking? Wendy’s 6-Week REWIND online coaching program is a fantastic place to start. Disrupt your thinking and patterns around alcohol and get back to the YOU that you were before alcohol. Info and registration here: www.wendymccallum.com/rewind
Women’s drinking has been rising dramatically during the last couple of years. It’s become our go-to for numbing and escaping the challenges of modern, busy life in a pandemic. The good news is more and more women are questioning their relationship with alcohol. If you’re starting to wonder if alcohol is still serving you, celebrate that awareness! Drinking less (or not at all) is a positive wellness choice, and host Wendy McCallum is on a mission to normalize that decision.
Join Wendy as she shares the 5 keys to making alcohol small and irrelevant in your life. Based on the practical, science-based approach of This Naked Mind, Wendy’s path to achieving freedom from alcohol has worked for her and thousands of others. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tried, and it’s truly the way take alcohol out of the driver’s seat. If you’re ready to take back control over alcohol, and drink less - start with this episode.
Are you questioning your own drinking? Wendy’s 6-Week REWIND online coaching program is a fantastic place to start. Disrupt your thinking and patterns around alcohol and get back to the YOU that you were before alcohol. Info and registration here: www.wendymccallum.com/rewind
Wendy and Sarah reflect on the first Women Talking Frankly coaching program that they ran in the early summer, including a discussion of their favourite parts and the lessons they learned from the incredible group of women in this first iteration of the missing conversation around women’s burnout, hormones, and midlife. They talk about new bits of the missing conversation that bear exploring in future episodes, including the complicated nature of women’s libido in midlife, the gifts of pelvic floor therapy, the importance of boundaries when it comes to creating a life you don’t want to escape from, and weight management during perimenopause and menopause.
Grab Wendy and Sarah’s free perimenopause/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
Bite-Sized Balance is back! In the Season 2 opener, Wendy and Sarah reminisce about how they spent their summer, including their shared “dirty little secret” and their deepening friendship. They update listeners on their personal hormonal journeys and experiences with hormone replacement therapy and Sarah explains the unexpected possible impact of the COVID-19 vaccine on her cycle. They discuss the piecemeal nature of care for women in midlife in Canada and the role the patriarchy’s approach to women’s health plays in that.
Grab Wendy and Sarah’s perimenopause/menopause checklist, here: www.wendymccallum.com/perichecklist
Host Wendy McCallum interviews fellow This Naked Mind Coach, Martha Wright, about her decision to become alcohol-free, as well as her midlife career transition from wine importer and vineyard owner to alcohol-free beverage expert & advocate.
Martha and Wendy discuss women’s gray-area drinking, and the revolutionary approach to changing your relationship with alcohol that is the This Naked Mind philosophy. Martha provides a few of her best tips for living life fully (including visiting wine country!) while staying alcohol-free, along with her best picks for alcohol-free wines, spirits and botanicals.
Find Martha’s picks list at www.clearpowercoaching.com/resources
Host Wendy McCallum interviews Robyn Berman, who pursued a second career in the challenging primary care field of midwifery at the age of 40, while navigating parenthood and midlife (and all that comes with that.)
Wendy shares her own birth story and Robyn provides some insight from the perspective of a midwife and doula. Robyn talks about her recent burnout and decision to leave clinical practice, and what she learned from that. Wendy and Robyn discuss the role of perimenopause and estrogen in their own “midlife rebirths” and reflect back on what they’ve learned in the first half of their lives around balance and stress management as busy working moms.
Chase Chewning is a health coach and host of the popular wellness podcast Ever Forward Radio, and he’s also no stranger to burnout. Chase joins host Wendy McCallum to share his personal story of burnout & recovery and what he’s learned along the way. Wendy and Chase talk about the differences between men and women’s burnout, the warning signs, self-care for men, and how to support someone you care about who is nearing or in burnout. This is a timely topic given the increase in burnout rates during the recent pandemic, so don’t skip this one!
Find out more about Chase here: https://chasechewning.com/
Guest Ally Garber, successful career woman, mom of two, and lover of running, shares her personal story of mental health challenges, alcohol dependence, and recovery -- with honesty, insight, and a great sense of humour. Wendy & Ally discover they have a lot in common in terms of their shared stories, including the decision to stop drinking during the last year of a parent’s terminal illness. This easy conversation includes a new take on “mommy wine culture”, a discussion of the pitfalls of moderation, advice for sober-curious “gray-area drinkers”, and the unexpected joys of becoming alcohol-free.
Want to start exploring your relationship with alcohol? Maybe drink a little less? No need to commit to anything, start with my FREE 3 video series, here: www.wendymccallum.com/myths
The Meno Whisperer is back! On today’s episode, Sarah and Wendy explore the connections between creativity and perimenopause/menopause. Many women notice that as their hormones shift during midlife, so does their creativity energy. Instead of flowing outward, towards careers, kids, or others, it starts to turn inward, stirring a need for something more.
Could this the answer to the “I have everything I ever wanted but I still feel like something is missing” sentiment that Wendy hears so often in her midlife burnout practice? Tune in to find out! The discussion meanders from estrogen and “Meno Pots”, to the incredible restorative value of “losing time”, to felted lobsters and back, with a ton of insight and humour woven throughout. This is a critical piece of the missing conversation around hormones, burnout and midlife, and the first time Sarah and Wendy have dug into it with humour & gusto on this podcast.
Curious about Wendy and Sarah’s new “WTF (Women Talking Frankly): The Missing Conversation About Hormones, Burnout, and Midlife” Group Coaching Program? Get all the info here: www.wtfmidlife.com
Wendy and Sarah share a very exciting announcement and answer a couple of great questions from Bite-Sized Balance listeners around how to close the stress cycle when you get home from work (and it feels like you’re just starting your second job!) and practical steps women can take NOW to improve their sleep during midlife. This episode is jam-packed with useful information on topics we simply don’t talk about enough as women! WTF Program Info: https://www.wendymccallum.com/wtf
1 in 4 pregnancies ends in loss, and it’s high time we started talking about it. In this episode, Host Wendy McCallum, with the help of her BFF Megan, tells her personal story of recurrent miscarriage and grief. Of her five pregnancies, only one resulted in a live birth. Her friend Megan was there for the grief and joy along the way, and shares what she learned about how to best support someone who’s going through infertility and/or loss. Wendy recollects some of the toughest moments, but also the lovely ways she was supported by so many. The goal of this episode is to help anyone who’s been through this feel less alone, and to change the conversation by increasing awareness and sensitivity around this really common struggle for women.
A simple practice of mindfulness can go a LONG way to preventing the signs and symptoms of burnout. Executive Burnout Coach & Podcast Host Wendy McCallum explains five proven ways a simple meditation, gratitude &/or mindful breathing practice can help to simplify your life, free up time for self-care and reduce your stress in the process. Tune in to this short episode for some powerful motivation to start slowing down and incorporating some more mindful moments in your day! For more tips and strategies, follow Wendy on Instagram or Facebook @wendymccallumcoach or go to www.wendymccallum.com
Host Wendy McCallum and her sister Meg share their recent experiences in the “sandwich”- raising a herd of teens while caring for a dying parent. The last few years of their Dad’s degenerative condition included a medi-vac flight home from Florida, a prolonged hospital stay, a year of in-home care, and their Dad's eventual passing two years ago. They share their most important lessons learned around navigating the care system, supporting each other and their mom, protecting their own wellness, and fulfilling their many other responsibilities as parents and business owners in the process. Hopefully, this episode will help all the other busy women out there living life in the sandwich. This too shall pass.
Dr. Sarah Baillie’s back to answer some fantastic questions from Bite-Sized Balance listeners around how to manage hormonal shifts and some of the common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause better, including increased joint pain, breakthrough bleeding between periods, vaginal dryness and discomfort (“GSM”), and low mood and mood swings. This episode is jam-packed with useful information on topics we simply don’t talk about enough as women! FOR MORE INFO AND WAITLIST for the New Group Program WTF: Women Talking Frankly, go to www.wendymccallum.com/list
Are you a gray-area drinker? Join the club! 84% of North Americans drink and about 70% of them wish they drank less. How do you know when it’s time to make a change? Burnout & Alcohol Coach Wendy McCallum explores this question in today’s episode, highlighting some of the signs that it may be time to start exploring your relationship with alcohol. Are you feeling “sober curious”? Dig into your own beliefs around alcohol with Wendy’s 3 FREE alcohol myth-busting videos at www.wendymccallum.com/myths
Bonita Grobbelaar is a coach and CEO of Global Healthy Relationships, where she helps busy women find balance and success in their own lives and relationships. In this episode, Bonita and Wendy dig into one of the main reasons why we find ourselves in burnout: we don’t ask for enough help. They discuss the perfectionism standard and how it keeps women stuck, why women resist asking for help, why vulnerability is a superpower (not a weakness!), and the critical role vulnerability plays in preventing burnout and creating meaningful connections at work, home, and in romantic relationships. Info on Bonita’s next Unlock Lasting Love Workshop can be found here: https://www.gcfhr.com/a/2147486644/CzcHKU3A
Dr. Sarah Baillie’s back to celebrate her “Menoversary” with Wendy and they’re dishing – no holds barred - about their own personal experiences in perimenopause and now “official” menopause. It’s an honest and fun conversation, but there’s also a lot of learning to be had in this episode. Sarah and Wendy discuss many of the tough parts of menopause that we don’t talk about enough – but also the really special gifts & wisdom that come with this midlife hormonal transition. Basically, they share all the stuff that’s happened that they wish someone had prepared them for. Also, Wendy sings. You won’t want to miss this one.
Jessica Landon was a successful Hollywood actress living a charmed & glamorous life, but it all fell apart when she spiraled into full-blown alcoholism at age 26 and ended up in jail, then living on the streets, weighing just 78 pounds. Jess shares her powerful story with raw honesty, including the role that laughter, gratitude, and connection played in her own recovery. Wendy & Jess discuss gray-area drinking, mommy wine culture, and the critical importance of community and connection for women when it comes to healing and recovery.
Follow Jessica on instagram at @jessicalandon12 and find out more about Sober Mom Squad meetings through the link in her bio.
The #1 key to preventing and recovering from burnout is to slow the f$#% down, but it's also the hardest thing for busy, stressed-out working women to make happen! Executive Burnout Coach &
Podcast Host Wendy McCallum has three easy, practical ways to get started that can start changing your mindset and add an element of instant calm to an otherwise nutty day (and bring your cortisol down in the process!).
Tune in to this short episode for some simple but powerful habit shifts!
For burnout and alcohol coaching info, go to www.wendymccallum.com
Host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout & Balance Coach and Jenn Salib-Huber, Intuitive Eating Coach, R.D. & N.D., discuss what’s going on with our bodies and hormones during perimenopause and menopause and what we can do to support our hormones and wellness through a “food-first” approach.
Specific topics include: “Meno Rage” (that out-of-body experience of wild anger that our hormones can trigger!), the “mid-life pleasure deficit” and how that can affect cravings, emotional eating and the importance of an experiment mindset & self-compassion, why soy does not cause breast cancer, the role of estrogen in weight gain and why we should celebrate it, and mindful and intuitive eating as the key to food freedom.
This is a conversation all women should hear!
Jenn Salib Huber is a Canadian Registered Dietitian and Naturopathic Doctor, and she's on a mission to help women thrive in midlife.
She helps women navigate the physical and emotional changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause, including their search for food freedom and body confidence. Working from a health at every size approach, she teaches women to become intuitive eaters and build body confidence at any stage of midlife. Well-versed in the integrative treatment options available to women in perimenopause and menopause, she helps women come up with a treatment strategy that helps them go from hot, sweaty and tired, to calm, cool, and confident.
Her 6-week group program - Beyond The Scale - helps women "undiet" their lives after 40 so they can nourish a relationship with food that supports health and well-being. She also offers an online self-study program, "The Thinking Woman's Guide to Peri/Menopause", which is open to women in any stage of perimenopause and menopause who are looking to better understand the new "hormonal soup" of midlife.
Follow Jenn on instagram at @menopause.nutritionist
Host Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Alcohol Coach, tackles the big myths women hold around meditation including “I need to turn my thoughts off to meditate, “My brain’s WAY too busy for that” and “Meditation takes too much time”. She explains how establishing a simple meditation practice can help you train your brain to be in the present more often, which is one key to increasing your daily joy and a very helpful tool in managing anxiety. Wendy also discusses some of the many benefits of meditation and the science behind them, and provides the basics that you need to start incorporating a basic mindfulness & meditation practice in your life, no matter how busy you are. All you need is five minutes, a “quiet-ish” spot, your headphones and a free app!
Lyndsay Doyle is a gifted photographer (she’s responsible for all the photos on my website and the cover art for this podcast!) with a passion for advancing women’s equality. A few years ago, Lyndsay became aware that only 5% of sports covered by the mainstream media involve female athletes, and that adolescent girls were dropping out of sport at an alarming rate. Those two facts got her curious (and pretty annoyed), so she set out to learn more. In the process, she began photographing and interviewing women in sport - coaches, athletes and volunteers. That work culminated in a powerful book of photoessays, called Strong and Free.
Join Wendy and Lyndsay as they discuss the reasons behind the ridiculous inequity in coverage of women’s sport, the reasons why so many girls drop out of sports as they age, and what we can do as balanced, healthy women and powerful role models to start changing the landscape for young women.
Follow Lyndsay at @ldoylephoto on Instagram, @lyndsaydoylephotography on FB, or on her website at www.lyndsaydoyle.ca. You can order Strong and Free through Lyndsay’s website or via Amazon if you live outside of Atlantic Canada.
Amy Risley founded & built a flourishing skincare line now sold exclusively in Sephora stores across North America, but that success came at a price. With great honesty, Amy shares her biggest regrets and lessons learned as an incredibly busy female entrepreneur and mom of two teens and provides some sage advice to other working moms. Wendy and Amy discuss Amy’s personal burnout story, the impact of the pandemic on Amy’s balance, and the surprising gifts working from home for the last year has afforded her, including a shift in her relationship with alcohol and unbroken quality time with her children after years of constant traveling for work.
At the young age of 12, when she realized she needed a size bigger pair of pants than her friend, Christina started down a lifelong path of dieting, weight loss, weight gain, and body shame. Exhausted and physically unwell, she reached out to Wendy one year ago, at the end of her rope and ready to try different, not just harder. Wendy’s holistic approach to healthy change was something she’d never tried before, but by embracing curiosity and self-compassion, Christina was able to achieve her goal of true freedom from food. She felt so great, she then tackled her unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Constant thoughts of food and alcohol no longer consume her, and she’s loving how present and joyful she feels in all aspects of her life. In this episode, Christina shares her personal story and provides inspiration for anyone feeling stuck in the diet cycle that there’s a better way.
It’s been a long, hard year. As we roll up to the first anniversary of lockdowns, so many of us are asking: “How can I turn my days around? The glass feels half empty every day. Is this all there is?” Host Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Alcohol Coach, explains how one simple practice can take you from “glass half empty” to “glass half full” in just 5 minutes a day. If you’re struggling with staying positive right now, gratitude might just be the key. Wendy addresses the common objections she hears as a coach to exploring gratitude (including: it’s so corny!) and explains the science behind this simple, incredibly powerful, practice. Even if you enter this episode a skeptic, we think you’ll leave a believer!
Jardine Libaire is a novelist, screenwriter and the co-author of one of Wendy’s favourite books of this year, The Sober Lush: A Hedonist's Guide to Living a Decadent, Adventurous, Soulful Life - Alcohol Free. She’s also an all-round lovely guest.
Life without alcohol is the opposite of boring! It can be rich and so much more rewarding if you’re open to it. Jardine and Wendy share their secrets to living a more joyful, connected and resonant life without (or with!) alcohol. It’s all about slowing down, getting more present, creating new rituals and celebrating the little things. This is a delightful and inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss!
Joyful movement is an essential piece of both physical and mental wellness, as well as an incredibly effective way to close the stress cycle and help prevent burnout.
Shaina Falcone is a fitness professional, pilates instructor and “joyful movement” expert. She shares what women need when it comes to exercise, and how exercise can help us to support our bodies through the various stages of our lives including childbirth, post-partum, peri menopause, menopause, and beyond. A mom to two busy boys, who experienced difficult births herself, Shaina is also a pre and post-natal specialist, who helps moms rebuild their strength and energy. We talk pelvic floor health and explore the causes of diastasis recti, a common abdominal issue in postpartum women. Shaina also explains the benefits of pilates and how it can help to provide mindful movement for women of all ages.
Shaina offers online workouts and support on her website shainafalconefitness.com
and on Instagram @shainafalconefitness.com
In this re-share of Episode 335 of the This Naked Mind Podcast, I join This Naked Mind Head Coach Scott Pinyard to share some of my drinking story and talk about burnout – how we define it and what its most common symptoms are. We answer two listener questions: one from someone using alcohol to cope with stress, knowing it’s hurting but also feeling like it’s helping, who’s wondering how to handle stress without alcohol; and one from someone who started drinking again and is struggling to stop.
Using alcohol or other unhealthy mechanisms like food or social media to cope with stress is so common. Scott and I discuss how to change your thinking patterns and cope differently, the importance of building a toolkit of healthy coping mechanisms, how stress is compounded by alcohol, how meditation can relieve stress, what practicing self-care looks like, how gratitude can help you drink less, and the fact that everyone’s path to a healthy relationship with alcohol looks different.
Register for my Live Q&A “5 Secrets to Drinking Less and Living More” on Feb 9, 2021 at 1pm AST/12pm EST/9 am PST at www.wendymccallum.com/webinar
To learn more about This Naked Mind go to: www.thisnakedmind.com
In this special episode, guest host Julie Lesperance takes the reins to interview podcast host Wendy McCallum about her personal alcohol story on her 3-year anniversary of living alcohol-free. Wendy explains how her relationship with wine changed over the course of her life, why she started to question it, and how she found freedom and then became a Certified Naked Mind Coach.
If you think you’re the only one questioning your relationship with alcohol, you’re not. If you’re thinking things aren’t “bad enough” to make a change, you’re wrong.
You get to not drink in a world where 84% do - not only is it an option, it might just be the biggest gift you ever give yourself!
Tune in for a no-judgment, no labels discussion of women and alcohol and how to find freedom.
If you’re starting to question your relationship with alcohol, you’ll want to access my free Live Coaching Class and Q&A on “5 Secrets to Drinking Less and Living More” at www.wendymccallum.com/webinar
Women need connection — even more so during these challenging times. Connection is not only critical to our happiness and life satisfaction, it is also key to mental wellness, longevity, brain health, stress management, freedom from alcohol, and burnout prevention. In this episode, Wendy and guest April MacKinnon share their personal stories and experience with connection and building community, discuss why it can be hard to make new connections as we age, and explore creative ways to nurture our own sense of community.
April MacKinnon is the owner of Anointment Natural Skin Care, a skin care company dedicated to supporting women in life transitions: pregnancy, postpartum and menopause. April has always been interested in the link between wellness and nature. Trained as a civil engineer, her professional career involved providing clean drinking water in many small Atlantic Canada communities.
A life-changing experience with the birth and subsequent illness of her daughter led to April leaving her career and forging a path focused on natural living.
Confronted with a lack of community as a new mother, April builds community through business opportunities, most recently as the host of Ripple Effect, a podcast dedicated to sharing stories of pivotal change in women's lives and information relating to health and wellness.
Based in Sackville, NB, April is a runner, yogi, member of the Wallace McCain Institute's Entrepreneurship Leadership Program and shares her life with her husband, three children, and many pets.
Host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout & Balance Coach and Jenn Salib-Huber, Intuitive Eating Coach, R.D. & N.D., discuss the soul-crushing toll the commercial diet cycle is taking on women, why resolutions don’t last and how women can break free of the noise and achieve freedom when it comes to food. If you’ve been on “every diet out there” and/or made resolutions around food in 2021 that you’ve already “broken”, this podcast is for you. Follow Jenn on instagram at @menopause.nutritionist
Rachel Sumner is an Executive Coach, Mentor & Education Specialist and the owner of www.futureofworkready.com which supports young people and their families as they make important decisions about life after High School. As a Mum of three, she is acutely aware of the need for better education about the Future of Work so that our children not only survive but thrive in the decades ahead. If you’re a working woman, and/or you’ve got children, you won’t want to miss this fascinating discussion!
Many of the “soft” skills that women typically possess more than men, such as empathy, caring, creativity and collaboration, cannot be replicated by robots. These skills will therefore be in higher demand as automated workplaces become the norm. Wendy and Rachel also discuss the connection between burnout and these skills, which women will be increasingly called upon to use on the job as well as at home in the future. They also discuss how we need to prepare our kids for the future of work. Things are very different than they were when we graduated high school, and we need to do a better job of preparing our teens for that. Tune in to find out how!
Host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout and Balance Coach & Wellness Expert, answers this question from Carrie, a Bite-Sized Balance listener:
“I’m terrible at over-committing. How can I say 'no' more often?”
In this short podcast episode, Wendy provides her best tips for saying no more often so you can carve out the time you need to take care of YOU in 2021. She shares her #1 most popular time management strategy – “the script”. You’ll want to have this trick up your sleeve next time you get put on the spot!
Got a burning question you'd love Wendy to answer in an upcoming episode? Send it to Wendy at wendy@wendymcccallum.com! For more tips & strategies for a balanced, healthy life, follow Wendy on Instagram and Facebook: @wendymccallumcoach
Why do so many resolutions fail? Host Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Balance Coach, answers this question and provides several options for “rethinking your resolutions” this year and setting yourself up for lasting success. What might happen if you set goals around how you wanted to feel, instead of what you wanted to do? Or stacked one small habit on top of another, instead of reaching for that extreme “quick fix” solution? If you’ve made resolutions year after year, with little to no permanent results, this podcast episode is for you! Try different this year, not harder.
In this episode, Host Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Balance Coach and guest Sarah Baillie, N.D., continue their conversation from Episode 10 about women’s burnout, shifting the focus to what we can do to prevent and recover from it. They discuss the fight or flight response, the stress hormone cortisol, the relaxation response and loads of practical strategies you can start using right now to manage your “cortisol jackers” and close the stress cycle, decreasing your cortisol in the process. Don’t skip this one, it might just change your life!
Jessie Harrold is a coach, women's mentor and doula who has been supporting women through radical life transformations and other rites of passage for over a decade.
In this episode, Wendy and Jessie discuss some of the transformative life experiences women go through (like motherhood, leadership, empty nesting, menopause and sobriety). They also talk about the importance of slowing down, listening to your body and heart and using what you learn to develop rituals of meaningful self-care. Jessie shares her definition of “ritual” and explains how we can use ritual to “put a pin in our life map” and mark important experiences.
Jessie’s work has been featured in Spirituality & Health, Green Parent, Expectful and Explore Magazine. She is also the host of The Becoming Podcast. Jessie lives on the east coast of Canada where she mothers her two children, writes, and tends to her land. Learn more about Jessie at https://www.jessieharrold.com/
Host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout and Balance Coach & Wellness Expert, answers this question from Sara, a Bite-Sized Balance listener:
“How can I maintain my balance and actually enjoy the holidays this year?”
In this short podcast episode, Wendy provides loads of simple strategies and tips for living more intentionally this holiday season so that you can start 2021 feeling relaxed, recharged and restored (instead of over-stuffed and exhausted!) Topics include how to say “no” more often, simplify traditions, eat and drink more mindfully, prep meals in advance with a “Cook Once, Eat Twice” plan, and schedule and prioritize much-needed downtime.
Got a burning question you'd love Wendy to answer in an upcoming episode? Send it to Wendy at wendy@wendymcccallum.com! For more tips & strategies for a balanced, healthy life, follow Wendy on Instagram and Facebook: @wendymccallumcoach
Host Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Balance Coach and Sarah Baillie, N.D. (aka “The Meno Whisperer) discuss why women’s burnout is on the rise (including the role of the pandemic and the “third shift” many women are now working), how women get to burnout and the common (and not so common) symptoms. They also discuss the connection between hormonal shifts in peri-menopause and menopause and higher burnout rates during that life stage (as reflected in Sarah’s patients and Wendy’s coaching practice). Sarah describes the “GAS” mechanism created by chronic stress and how that eventually leads to exhaustion. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this conversation where Wendy and Sarah provides lots of practical tips for managing cortisol and preventing burnout. (The online test for adrenal fatigue Sarah refers to during the episode can be found here: https://adrenalfatigue.org/take-the-adrenal-fatigue-questionnaire/ )
Host Wendy McCallum interviews her “dream guest” and mentor Annie Grace, the author of This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life and The Alcohol Experiment: A 30-day, Alcohol-Free Challenge to Interrupt Your Habits and Help You Take Control.
At age 35, in a global C-level marketing role, Annie was responsible for marketing in 28 countries; and was drinking almost two bottles of wine a night. Knowing she needed a change but unwilling to submit to a life of deprivation and stigma, Annie Grace embarked on a journey to painlessly gain control of alcohol -- for her that process resulted in no longer wanting to drink. Never happier, she left her executive role to write and share This Naked Mind with the world. 120,000+ people across the globe have now gone through Annie’s Alcohol Experiment.
Annie’s approach provides a brand new, compassion and curiosity-driven approach to looking at the role of alcohol in our lives. It provides a safe space for “grey-area drinkers” who don’t identify as “alcoholics” but suspect alcohol is now taking more than it’s giving. Annie Grace preaches compassion over shame and blame and offers a proven alternative to the largely ineffective recipe for so-called “success”—the one that says anything less than 100% abstinence is failure. Annie doesn’t teach people how to be sober; she helps them quash their desire to drink in the first place.
Annie and Wendy discuss the downside of the “alcoholic” label, women’s burnout and the alcohol connection, the troubling increase in “mom drinking” during the pandemic, and the revolutionary approach to changing your relationship with alcohol that is the This Naked Mind philosophy. Annie provides a few of her best tips for maintaining balance as a busy, working mom and incredibly successful entrepreneur, and advice for anyone who’s starting to question their relationship with alcohol.
Learn more about Annie, This Naked Mind and the FREE Alcohol Experiment at www.thisnakedmind.com and www.alcoholexperiment.com
In the second installment of “Ask The Coach”, host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout and Balance Coach & Wellness Expert, answers this question from, a Bite-Sized Balance listener:
“I know that I need to change, but I can’t seem to get any momentum. I can do it for about a week, but then I always fall off the wagon. How can I make lasting change?”
Wendy has over 10 years of coaching experience supporting busy women who are struggling to maintain balance and relying too much on unhealthy coping mechanisms. In this short podcast episode, she explains why it can seem so hard to make habit changes stick and provides several proven strategies, including “trying different, not harder”, re-framing your goals from an abundance mindset, and tweaking your system until it produces the results you want, for achieving sustainable, lasting change.
Got a burning question you'd love Wendy to answer in an upcoming episode? Send it to Wendy at wendy@wendymcccallum.com! For more tips & strategies for a balanced, healthy life, follow Wendy on Instagram and Facebook: @wendymccallumcoach
Victoria English Martin is an integrative nutrition coach, fitness professional, breast cancer survivor, and advocate. She’s also a Certified Naked Mind coach and the host of the podcast, After The Crisis.
In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Victoria joins host Wendy McCallum to share her personal survivor story and educate women about early detection, managing risks, and the importance of advocating for yourself as a patient --in the hope that she can prevent other women from going through what she did.
For more information on Victoria and her podcast, visit https://www.victoriaenglishmartin.com/
In the first installment of “Ask The Coach”, host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout and Balance Coach & Wellness Expert, answers this question from Shannon, a Bite-Sized Balance listener:
“Every morning I promise myself I won’t eat sugar that day, but every night the craving hits and I give in again. What can I do differently?”
Wendy has over 10 years of coaching experience supporting busy women who are struggling to maintain balance and relying too much on unhealthy coping mechanisms. In this short podcast episode, she explains how cravings work and provides three practical, bite-sized strategies to diffuse a craving when it hits, no matter what it is you’re craving.
Got a burning question you'd love Wendy to answer in an upcoming episode? Send it to Wendy at wendy@wendymcccallum.com!
For more tips & strategies for a balanced, healthy life, follow Wendy on Instagram and Facebook at @wendymccallumcoach
October is World Menopause Awareness Month and the "Meno Whisperer", Dr. Sarah Baillie, is BACK! In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, host Wendy McCallum and Sarah really dig into why awareness around perimenopause and menopause is so low for most women, and what the incredible (but rarely-discussed!) gifts in this life transition can be if we just open ourselves up to them. They also discuss the common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, the range of options available to women for better hormonal and symptom management, and the most important first step in taking back some power -- slowing down and getting aware of what they are experiencing (physically, mentally and emotionally) and what they are doing (or not doing) to take meaningful care of themselves as they go through it. If you missed Part 1, it's in Episode 4!
October is World Menopause Awareness Month and the "Meno Whisperer", Dr. Sarah Baillie, ND, is BACK!
Host Wendy McCallum and Sarah really dig into why awareness around perimenopause and menopause is so low for most women, and what the incredible (but rarely-discussed!) gifts in this life transition can be if we just open ourselves up to them.
They also discuss the common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, the range of options available to women for better hormonal and symptom management, and the most important first step in taking back some power -- slowing down and getting aware of what they are experiencing (physically, mentally and emotionally) and what they are doing (or not doing) to take meaningful care of themselves as they go through it.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this conversation in the next podcast episode!
Host Wendy McCallum, Burnout & Balance Coach and Certified Naked Mind Coach interviews Emily Lynn Paulson, writer, speaker, fellow Certified Naked Mind Coach, She Recovers Designated Coach, and a member of the long term recovery community.
The conversation gets spicy & deep on a few hot topics, including social media and women’s mental health, “grey area drinking”, “mommy wine culture”, the importance of mindfulness when it comes to alcohol and what “true freedom” from alcohol really looks like.
Sober since January 2, 2017, Emily has appeared on media outlets including The Doctors, Parade, Today Parents, and USA Today, discussing how to end the shame and stigma of mental health and substance abuse.
Emily is the author of Highlight Real: Finding Honesty & Recovery Beyond the Filtered Life, and a contributor in Addiction Diaries: Stories of Darkness, Hope, And All That Falls In Between. She lives in Seattle with her husband and their five children.
Follow Emily on insta at @highlightrealrecovery, and find information on Emily’s new Sober Mom Squad & School here: https://www.sobermomsquad.com/sms
If you'd like to learn more about Host Wendy McCallum's personal story with alcohol, you can watch or listen to her podcast interview with Annie Grace of This Naked Mind, here.
Host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout & Balance Coach, interviews Jenn Salib-Huber, Registered Dietitian, and Naturopathic Doctor. In Wendy's opinion, the commercial weight loss system is brilliantly designed to create a lifelong customer, but the cycle it perpetuates is destroying women's psyches. Did you know the failure rate for diets is a whopping 95%?
There's a better & kinder way to get healthy, and intuitive eating principles are key. As Jenn says, "nutrition needs to come from a place of self-care, not self-control". The conversation gets a bit spicy as Wendy & Jenn share their collective 26+ years of experience working with women -- exploring their relationship with food and the lies we've been "fed" by the conventional weight loss industry.
In practice for more than 16 years, Jenn helps women navigate the physical and emotional changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause, including their search for food freedom and body confidence. Working from a health-at-every-size approach, she teaches women to become intuitive eaters and build body confidence in their 30's 40's and 50's. Well-versed in the integrative treatment options available to women in mid-life, she helps women come up with a treatment strategy that meets their unique needs for a better menopause.
She strongly believes that women need to come together to normalize this experience and offers small online group programs to help women feel their best. Learn more at jennsalibhuber.ca
Host Wendy McCallum, Certified Burnout & Balance Coach, interviews Dr. Sarah Baillie, Naturopath (aka "The Meno Whisperer") about all things hormonal. They discuss common emotions and symptoms women experience during peri-menopause & menopause and the underlying hormonal reasons why. It's a fascinating conversation - you haven't heard women's hormones explained until you've heard Dr. Baillie explain them! Topics include: What to eat more and less of in peri-menopause and menopause; the stress connection; what's behind women's lowered libido and weight gain during our 40s and 50s; the truth about phytoestrogens, and how our erratic hormones contribute to increased anxiety and irritability - and so much more!