The Daring Well Podcast - Holistic Health & Wellness, Mindset, and Personal Growth

Rita Mercer, Wellness, Mindset & Mental Health Expert
  • 5.0 (9)
  • ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. Your one stop for mindfulness, meditations, holistic wellness, mental health, evidence based strategies, healthy habits,  and deep and meaningful conversations to help you transform your mind and relationships.  Are you ready to feel empowered and motivated to crush your wellness goals? Well, I’m your host, Rita Mercer. I’m a holistic wellness and mindset coach, licensed counselor, and your new virtual friend on this wild and crazy journey called life.  On the Daring Well podcast, we will explore holistic wellness practices to strengthen your mind, body, and spirit.  Each episode we will learn new coping skills and explore holistic wellness tools and tips to shift your mindset and discover your true self.   With nearly a decade of experience as a licensed mental health counselor, specializing in trauma, grief, loss, and integrative mental health, I’m excited to share some nuggets of wisdom, clinical experience and research that I’ve learned along the way.  I invite you to lean in as I share stress management tools, resources, and guest interviews to help you DARE TO BE free, calm, have more joy, create meaningful relationships, & be your true & authentic self.   Want more wellness and mindset support, let’s connect at DaringWell.com or on YouTube at Daring Well Coach.  If you’re ready to Dare to be Well, let’s lean in!

  1. 3D AGO

    Fearful–Avoidant Attachment, When Closeness Feels Unsafe: Healing Attachment Wounds (Part 1)

    Healing Attachment Wounds – From Survival to Secure Connection (Part 1) In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast, we begin a powerful four-part series on attachment styles and how early experiences shape the way we connect in relationships, leadership, and life. Part one focuses on the Fearful–Avoidant (Disorganized) Attachment Style—a pattern marked by a deep desire for intimacy paired with an equally strong fear of closeness. If you’ve ever felt torn between wanting connection and feeling overwhelmed or unsafe when it arrives, this episode is for you. With compassion, psychoeducation, and nervous-system–informed insight, this episode invites you to move away from self-blame and toward self-understanding. You’ll learn how attachment wounds form, how they live in the body, and how to begin restoring safety in your mind, body, and spirit. There is no shame in recognizing yourself here. Awareness is the first step toward healing—and you don’t have to rush the process. ✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode What fearful–avoidant attachment is and how it developsWhy closeness can feel both desired and dangerousHow early emotional or physical neglect shapes attachment patternsThe core beliefs that drive push–pull relationship dynamicsHow the nervous system responds to perceived relational threatWhy oversharing, withdrawal, and shame cycles show up in adulthoodGentle, practical steps to begin creating emotional safetyA guided grounding practice to invite safety back into your body-------------------------------- 🤍 Work With Me At Daring Well, I support individuals and organizations through nervous system regulation, mindset coaching, and holistic wellness education. Whether you’re looking for: 1:1 holistic wellness coachingA guest speaker for your group or eventMindset and stress management support for your organizationI’ve got you. Website - www.daringwell.com Email - info@daringwell.com Send us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    22 min
  2. Are You Stuck in Survival Mode? Find Freedom to Heal & Restore with EFT Tapping with Sophia Torrini

    JAN 28

    Are You Stuck in Survival Mode? Find Freedom to Heal & Restore with EFT Tapping with Sophia Torrini

    In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer is joined by Sophia Torrini, certified clinical EFT practitioner and nervous system regulation expert. Together, they explore how chronic stress, trauma, and burnout keep so many people stuck in survival mode—and how Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT tapping) can help restore safety, wholeness, and healing in the body. Sophia shares her own life-altering healing journey after surviving a near-fatal medical experience and living for years with chronic illness. Through neuroscience-based emotional work, EFT tapping, and body-centered awareness, she explains how emotions get stored in the body, how dysregulated nervous systems block healing, and how we can gently rewire our brain and body for restoration and growth. This episode blends science and soul, offering practical tools, embodied practices, and deep reassurance for anyone feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or disconnected from themselves. ------------ Episode Chapters  1. Survival Mode vs. Creation Mode Rita and Sophia introduce the concept of living in survival versus living in creation. Sophia explains how chronic stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, narrowing perception and limiting our ability to see solutions, while regulation opens the door to possibility and choice. 2. What EFT Tapping Is and How It Heals Sophia breaks down clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice that combines cognitive therapy with somatic tapping. She explains how emotions are energy in motion, how unprocessed emotions become stored in the body, and why tapping helps calm the nervous system and release stuck emotional patterns. 3. The Parallel Process: Healing Past, Present, and Future Selves This segment explores Sophia’s parallel process approach, which integrates healing the past self, regulating the present self, and connecting to the future self. Healing is reframed as wholeness—bringing fragmented parts back into alignment. 4. Regulating the Nervous System Through Breath and Touch Sophia shares practical tools to recognize dysregulation, including breath awareness and body cues. She walks listeners through abdominal breathing and self-havening touch as powerful ways to signal safety and calm the nervous system. 5. Preventing Panic and Building Body Awareness The episode closes with insight into panic attacks, mindfulness, and early body awareness. Sophia explains how panic often begins long before symptoms appear and how staying connected to the body can prevent escalation and support emotional regulation. Key Takeaways Chronic stress keeps the nervous system locked in survival modeHealing begins with regulation, not forced positive thinkingEFT tapping helps release stored emotional energy from the bodyBreath and gentle touch are powerful tools for calming anxietyWholeness comes from integrating all parts of ourselves🔗 Connect with Sophia Torrini Website: https://www.tapintoyourbestself.com/ Offers complimentary sessions and neuroscience-based masterclasses on healing and nervous system regulationSend us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    24 min
  3. Are you in control of your technology—or is it quietly controlling you?

    JAN 21

    Are you in control of your technology—or is it quietly controlling you?

    In today’s fast-paced, always-connected world, burnout is becoming the norm rather than the exception. In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast, I sat down with Colin Corby, a technologist turned Digital Detox Coach, to explore how our relationship with technology impacts our mental health, stress management, connection in relationships, productivity on our jobs, and overall well-being. Colin shares his powerful personal journey—from experiencing stress-related health scares in the corporate tech world to becoming an Ironman athlete and Detox Coach. Together, we unpack what burnout really looks like, why willpower alone isn’t enough to create change, and how adopting the mindset of a business athlete can help us perform better at work and in our personal lives, while protecting our physical and emotional health. This conversation offers practical, compassionate strategies for high achievers, professionals, caregivers, and leaders who want to reclaim balance, energy, and presence—without abandoning technology altogether. ------------------------ Episode Chapter Breakdown 1. Burnout, Stress & the Body’s Warning Signs 2. The Athlete Mindset: A New Way to Approach Work & Life 3. What Digital Detox Really Means (And What It Doesn’t) 4. Why Willpower Fails & How to Build Better Habits 5. Rest, Recovery & Reclaiming Human Connection ----------------------- Key Takeaways from This Episode Burnout is a biological and psychological experience—not a personal failureSustainable success requires rest, recovery, and intentional boundariesDigital detox is about balance, not disconnectionChanging your environment is more effective than relying on willpowerReal connection and presence are essential to mental wellness🔗 Connect With Colin Corby Website: https://thedigitaldetoxcoach.c...Platforms: LinkedIn, SubstackTEDx Talk: Are We Losing Our Identity to Technology?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEMf-y7KqTcSend us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    32 min

  4. JAN 14

    Boundary Reframes: What Roles Are You Resigning From? (Part 2)

    What roles are you resigning from? In this heartfelt continuation of last week’s conversation, Rita invites you to pause, breathe, and reflect on the unassigned roles you may have stepped into—roles that are no longer serving who you are or what you need in this season of life. Many of us find ourselves exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained—not because we are doing too much, but because we are doing what was never ours to carry. From being the rescuer, fixer, peacekeeper, or strong one, these roles often come from a place of love, fear, or survival—but over time, they can cost us our peace, clarity, and sense of self. In this episode, Rita walks you through powerful boundary reframes for ten common unassigned relationship archetypes, offering compassion, truth, and practical practices to help you release what no longer fits. You’ll be reminded that you are more than a role, more than what you do for others, and worthy simply because you exist. This episode is an invitation to let go, create space, and choose healthier relationships—with others and with yourself. -------------------------------------------------- 💛 Key Takeaways You can care deeply without over-functioning or taking overHealthy relationships require reciprocity, not self-sacrificeSpeaking truth creates deeper peace than silenceAsking for help is a sign of humanity, not weaknessBoundaries create space for love without depletion-------------------------------------------------- 🎁 Bonus Resource For those who sign up for the Mindfully You Wellness Workshop, Rita is offering a bonus downloadable affirmation card deck designed to help reframe core beliefs connected to boundaries and self-worth. 👉 Sign up at www.DaringWell.com/workshop Send us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    25 min

  5. JAN 7

    What Roles Are You Resigning From This Year ? (Part 1)

    In this powerful and reflective episode of The Daring Well Podcast, host Rita Mercer invites you into a compassionate conversation about the roles many of us unconsciously take on—and why it may be time to lovingly resign from them. These roles often begin as survival strategies rooted in love, responsibility, or the desire for connection. But over time, they can lead to burnout, resentment, emotional exhaustion, and disconnection from our true selves and from the people we want to connect with.  This episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and begin choosing healthier ways of showing up in your relationships, work, faith spaces, and everyday life. You’ll be encouraged to release shame, practice grace, and remember that you are allowed to start again—right now. Awareness always comes before change, and this episode offers gentle insight to help you recognize patterns that may no longer be serving you. ---------------------------- Mindfully You Wellness Workshop A virtual wellness experience focused on resetting habits, releasing negativity, reflecting intentionally, and goal setting. Learn more and register at: www.DaringWell.com/workshop ---------------------------- 💛 Final Encouragement “At some point, these roles helped us survive. But survival roles don’t always belong in healthy, mutual relationships.” If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with someone you love—and remember, you are allowed to show up differently. ---------------------------- Send us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    28 min

  6. 12/31/2025

    Sacred Rest: Increase Productivity and Balance Rest (Replay)

    In today’s episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer invites you to slow down, pause, and reconnect with the healing power of sacred rest. In a world that glorifies hustle, productivity, and constant movement, this conversation is a gentle yet powerful reminder that rest is not a reward—it’s a necessity. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, mentally exhausted, or stuck in a cycle of pushing through fatigue, this episode offers a compassionate permission slip to do less and be more. Rita explores how intentional rest supports the nervous system, boosts creativity, and helps prevent burnout. She also challenges cultural labels and productivity myths that make us feel like we need permission to pause. Through mindful reflections, relatable examples, and grounded encouragement, you’ll learn how sacred rest helps you reconnect with the present moment, cultivate gratitude, and restore balance in your mind, body, and spirit. This episode is for anyone longing for peace, clarity, and sustainable energy—without guilt. ✨ You are worthy of rest. Right now. ------------------------------------ Episode Segment Chapters 1. What Is Sacred Rest & Why It Matters Rita reframes rest as the foundation of productivity, strength, and creativity—not something to earn after exhaustion. 2. Hustle Culture, Labels, & Permission to Be A powerful conversation about hustle culture, the “soft girl era,” and why we don’t need labels to give ourselves permission to rest or be authentic. 3. Mindfulness, Gratitude, & The Power of the Present How mindfulness and daily gratitude help us slow down, stay grounded, and reclaim the only moment we truly have—now. 4. Burnout, the Nervous System, & Ignored Body Signals Rita explains how burnout happens when we ignore early signs of fatigue and why micro-breaks are essential for mental clarity and nervous system regulation. 5. Letting Go of Guilt & Honoring Your Worth A closing encouragement to release guilt, challenge the hustle mindset, and embrace rest as a form of self-respect and self-care. Send us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    22 min
  7. Why We Can’t Sleep: Insomnia, Anxiety, & the Call to Rest Well with Dr. Benjamin Long

    12/24/2025

    Why We Can’t Sleep: Insomnia, Anxiety, & the Call to Rest Well with Dr. Benjamin Long

    Sleep is essential to our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being—yet for so many people, bedtime is filled with restlessness, anxiety, and frustration. In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer is joined by Dr. Benjamin Long, sleep medicine physician, seminary student, and creator of the Sleep Habits Journal, for a powerful conversation on why insomnia happens and how we can respond with compassion instead of self-blame. Dr. Long explains the science behind insomnia, including how stress, burnout, and unhelpful sleep habits keep the nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight mode. Together, Rita and Dr. Long explore why forcing sleep often backfires, how anxiety becomes conditioned to the bedroom, and what it means to “cease” before bed in a culture that glorifies productivity. This episode also weaves in faith-based practices, including prayer, reflection, and the Prayer of Examen, showing how spiritual rhythms can calm the nervous system and restore a sense of safety at night. Listeners will walk away with practical tools, deeper understanding, and renewed permission to rest well—without guilt or striving. ---------------------------------------------- 1. Why We Can’t Sleep: Understanding Insomnia Without Shame Dr. Long breaks down what insomnia really is, including predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors. This segment helps listeners reframe sleep struggles with compassion and clarity instead of frustration. 2. Anxiety, Burnout, & the Nervous System at Night This section explores how stress and overthinking activate the nervous system and interfere with sleep. Rita and Dr. Long discuss why high achievers and caregivers are especially vulnerable to restless nights. 3. Sleepless Night Rules: What Helps (And What Hurts) Dr. Long shares practical sleep strategies inspired by CBT-I, explaining why forcing sleep, clock-watching, and long naps can worsen insomnia. Listeners learn how to gently retrain their brains for rest. 4. Breaking the Cycle: Worry Time, Doomscrolling, & Boundaries This segment addresses common sleep disruptors like racing thoughts and nighttime scrolling. Dr. Long offers simple tools such as worry time, journaling, and technology boundaries to support calmer nights. 5. The Call to Rest Well: Faith, Trust, & Sacred Sleep The episode closes with a reflective conversation on faith, prayer, and rest as acts of trust. Dr. Long shares how spiritual practices can transform sleepless nights into moments of connection and peace. ---------------------------------------------- Connect  Sleep Habits Journal & Sleep Resources by Dr. Benjamin Long https://thewholeheartedmd.com/sleep-habits-journal/ ---------------------------------------------- Send us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    41 min
  8. Peak Performance, Purpose, & the Path to Health, Wealth, & Love with Alan Lazaros

    12/17/2025

    Peak Performance, Purpose, & the Path to Health, Wealth, & Love with Alan Lazaros

    What if peak performance wasn’t about doing more—but about living more intentionally? In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with Alan Lazaros to explore peak performance through purpose, and why true success requires alignment across health, wealth, and love.  Alan shares his deeply personal journey through early loss, relentless achievement, and a near-fatal car accident that forced him to redefine what success really means. This conversation invites listeners to rethink hustle culture, design meaningful goals, and build sustainable habits that support fulfillment—not burnout. -------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Alan Lazaros CEO & Co-Host of Next Level University Podcast Learn more about Alan’s work, coaching programs, and free personal growth resources at: www.nextleveluniverse.com Send us a text Support the show Follow us on YouTube & TikTok: @DaringWell For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills. https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

    37 min
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5
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About

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. Your one stop for mindfulness, meditations, holistic wellness, mental health, evidence based strategies, healthy habits,  and deep and meaningful conversations to help you transform your mind and relationships.  Are you ready to feel empowered and motivated to crush your wellness goals? Well, I’m your host, Rita Mercer. I’m a holistic wellness and mindset coach, licensed counselor, and your new virtual friend on this wild and crazy journey called life.  On the Daring Well podcast, we will explore holistic wellness practices to strengthen your mind, body, and spirit.  Each episode we will learn new coping skills and explore holistic wellness tools and tips to shift your mindset and discover your true self.   With nearly a decade of experience as a licensed mental health counselor, specializing in trauma, grief, loss, and integrative mental health, I’m excited to share some nuggets of wisdom, clinical experience and research that I’ve learned along the way.  I invite you to lean in as I share stress management tools, resources, and guest interviews to help you DARE TO BE free, calm, have more joy, create meaningful relationships, & be your true & authentic self.   Want more wellness and mindset support, let’s connect at DaringWell.com or on YouTube at Daring Well Coach.  If you’re ready to Dare to be Well, let’s lean in!

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