OKAY-ISH Maryellen Dance
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- Health & Fitness
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Sometimes, we're not thriving and girl-bossing our way through life... we are just trying to make it through the day as best as we can. OKAY-ISH is all about getting honest when it comes to mental health, therapy, and the shit show we call life. Host and mental health counselor Maryellen Dance is on a mission, not to help you be perfect, but to get you feeling okay-ish. You're in for honest, raw, and emotional insights from a licensed specialist, as she covers topics ranging from co-dependancy and narcissism, to anxiety, sex, media, and more. Plus, she gets real about being a therapist, dating as a therapist, and "turning the therapist off" when it's time to unwind. Join us every Monday! You're not going to want to miss it... those cancellation fees are no joke.
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Time for some change: and it's going to be okay—no ish
As 2022 comes to a close, everyone is talking about their goals and resolutions; but we’re not going to talk about that here. Instead, Maryellen wants to talk about how freaking hard change is. She discusses:
How we avoid change
How she thinks change is difficult because it’s uncomfortable, and we don’t like feeling uncomfortable
Some big personal news/personal change: she sold her therapy practice
Needing time to sit with that change and recover
How she’s dealing with change, including reminding herself that uncomfortable does not equal bad, and that taking a step back can be a good thing to propel you forward
Lastly, Maryellen explains that she needs to also take a step back from the podcast in order to properly rest and reconfigure. She truly believes this isn’t goodbye, but see you later. It’s all going to be okay—no ish.
If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. -
It’s not all sunshine and sleigh bells: grieving during the holidays
For many of us, the holidays are full of joy and love. However, holidays where grief and sadness dominate are also a reality for many, yet far less discussed. As the holiday season approaches, Maryellen wants to talk about grief. She hopes this episode sheds light on all the different faces of grief, and how, even during the most wonderful time of year, it’s okay not to be okay. This episode highlights:
Holidays without a loved one
How people grieve more than death
Grieving differences in family dynamics, and the reality of our expectations
How holidays are ripe with traditions and pressure to be in the holiday spirit, which can trigger people
What to do with our grief
That grief needs time
How, if we ignore our feelings, they don’t go away, but instead come out in different ways
That grief looks different for everyone
How, often people grieving want to be alone, but the number one thing we need when grieving is other people
Common symptoms of grief
That it’s okay to distract yourself from grief, too
How grief is so much more complicated than just the 5 stages commonly identified
If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. -
You should eat some green stuff every now and then
You’ve heard it a million times: your physical health is important for your mental health, and vice versa. But do you know why, or what exactly they do to one another? Today, Maryellen wants to talk about that link, and discuss a few more details that you may not think of, including:
The importance of sleep
Eating patterns
Heightened autonomic nervous system = our brain releasing cortisol into our blood stream
Parasympathetic nervous system being repressed
Frustrations with the random gimmicks that promise to “cure all”
Forgetting when we need to do the simple things for ourselves
The value of therapy
Tired as F*ck: Burnout at the Hands of Diet, Self-Help, and Hustle Culture by Caroline Dooner
Knowing when your body needs rest
How our bodies communicate to us, but it’s up to us to listen
Taking the time to check in with yourself
How, if we can start to be aware, we can take better care of ourselves
If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. -
My trauma isn’t up to you
Trauma is serious, scary, and there are not enough services in place to support those suffering. Today, Maryellen wants to normalize it a bit more, show a different perspective, and explain why some people will suffer in situations that maybe you wouldn’t. In discussing trauma Maryellen covers:
The subjective nature of trauma and how it lacks a clear definition
DMing an influencer to correct them on a trauma comment
Big T’s and little T’s
How, for each person, different things can be traumatic and that’s okay
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): a trauma therapy based off of Structural Dissociation Theory
Excerpts from My Dark Vanessa by Elizabeth Russel (TW: sexual assault)
The importance of recognizing the little T’s
How little T’s affect us and change our behavior
If you’re struggling, please reach out to a therapist. Visit psychologytoday.com or therapyden.com for a good place to start.
If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. -
Dear dumb diary...is this my gut or my anxiety?
Maryellen has had to make some big decisions lately, and a friend asked her how she was making them. That made her stop and question just how exactly she was making these decisions, and if she was listening to herself as much as she was to everyone around her. When people suggest you listen to your gut, it can be difficult; especially if you struggle with anxiety. What was helping Maryellen the most was actually journaling, something she’s gotten back in to recently, and speaks about today. She discusses:
How we make decisions
The ways we can journal in non-productive ways
Her history with journaling
Journaling as a tool to understand yourself and organize your thoughts
Different types of journals
Tips to avoid spiraling when journaling
How we operate on autopilot
Understanding what is a gut instinct vs. what is anxiety
Processing events and making decisions
If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources. -
My swiss cheese memory: Adulting With ADHD with Sarah Snyder-Castañeda
Today the creative mind behind the brand Adulting With ADHD, Sarah Snyder-Castañeda, joins Maryellen to discuss what ADHD really looks like. When you hear ADHD, many people instinctively and stereotypically think of a young child who can’t sit still, but it’s far more nuanced and affects people of all ages. The two discuss:
How Sarah came up with the brand
What ADHD truly is
The lack of diagnoses and treatment with adults
The difficulty and grief that can come with being diagnosed at an older age
Medication and the polarizing opinions surrounding it
The importance of talking about your struggles
Common ADHD symptoms in adults
The relationship between ADHD and hormones
Advice for adults being diagnosed for the first time, or for parents whose child is being diagnosed
The importance of being careful with the information you consume…TikTok is not a reliable source
Their Okay-ish moments of the week!
To learn more visit adultingwithadhd.com and check out The Adulting With ADHD podcast.
If you haven’t already, please follow, rate, and review the podcast, and follow your host on Instagram @maryellendance. To submit questions or stories, send her a DM! Plus, be sure to check out maryellendance.com for more resources.
Customer Reviews
I absolutely love my 20 minutes with Mary Ellen
I have recently found Mary Ellen’s podcast and I am never disappointed. My favorite episode was about love and lust. I love the way Mary Ellen explained companion vs. passionate love and I know have started incorporating that language into my every day! Totally recommend this podcast to everyone! 💚💜💙😻
Beyond 5 Stars!!
THIS podcast has been such a wonderful tool in my self love journey. It’s always great to hear Maryellen’s perspective on issues that feed the stigma of mental health. Each episode is a great dose of “HEY! Breathe, you got this”! She has helped me realize that I don’t need to be perfect. In fact she helps me celebrate that I’m “Okay-Ish”!!
Great
I love this podcast!