The Year We Got Better

The Year We Got Better
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  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

52 weeks, 8 dimensions of wellness, 2 people who want to be better. Follow along as Quinn and Drew intentionally invest in their holistic well-being, unpacking health, wellness, and hustle culture as they go. New episodes out weekly anywhere you get your podcasts.

  1. 6D AGO

    UNsocial Media

    Social media: Is it actually social anymore? For week fourteen, we are focusing on the social dimension, diving deeper into the landscape of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more. We talk about our own experiences as social media users, the impact of AI, and the addiction factor. As always, the Rapid Fire segment brings back the levity before we move into our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to learn more about our social media hot takes.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:13 - The stats on social media 2:08 - What is happening with social media these days?  6:20 - Connection and disconnection on social media 12:21 - Does social media make our lives better?  17:30 - Fundamental shifts in social media and the impact of AI 24:01 - Balancing analog and digital lives 27:05 - Rapid fire!!! 29:07 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  34:13 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  “Can’t Look Away” documentary - https://www.jolt.film/watch/cantlookaway  The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book  Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250391230/carelesspeople/  “AI-altered photos and videos of Minneapolis shootings blur reality” (NBC News) - https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-altered-photos-videos-minneapolis-shootings-blur-reality-rcna256552  L.L. Bean Sherpa Jacket - https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/128413  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/donna-tartt/the-goldfinch/9780316055437/?lens=little-brown  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/  Small Thing Like These by Claire Keegan - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/small-things-like-these-claire-keegan/1139228770  Roasted White Bean and Tomato Pasta - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024062-roasted-white-bean-and-tomato-pasta Dessert Person cookbook by Claire Saffitz - https://www.dessertperson.com/dessert-person-cookbook

    35 min

  2. FEB 2

    We VALUE Your Time

    You asked for it, we brought it! For week thirteen, we are focusing on values. We talk about how to live a value-driven life, why understanding your values builds empowerment, and how they change over time. Plus, we share some of our core values and discuss what happens when values collide. As always, the Rapid Fire segment takes a chaotic turn before we move into our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to learn more about our key values and how we embrace them in everyday life.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 0:45 - What does the term “values” mean? 1:34 - Why is it important to determine your values? 2:30 - Our values stories 7:53 - How do values influence decision-making? 11:32 - False binaries and the black and white thinking fallacy 18:37 - The values sort exercise 25:04 - Living into our values in real life 33:41 - Rapid fire!!! 36:58 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  43:57 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  Printable values sort template - https://psychwire.com/free-resources/clinical-tools/resource-1homhnz/personal-values-card-sort  The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - https://rebeccamakkai.com/work/the-great-believers/  The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755600/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/  Get a Letter From Quinn - https://forms.gle/vk1wmSFo71HSVtoHA  Quinn’s Substack - https://thisismyyear.substack.com/

    45 min

  3. JAN 26

    Fail Fast, Fail Often

    How does failure fit into the overall equation of mental health? On week twelve of the podcast, we are diving into societal expectations, the false dichotomy of failure and success, and making your own rules. As always, we get rowdy on the Rapid Fire segment before moving onto our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to learn more about our latest failures and how we constantly renegotiate the concept of success! The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - What does failure mean to us?  8:10 - What can we learn from failure?   16:27 - Failure and self-worth 18:30 - Fear of failure 21:19 - Rapid fire!!! 24:45 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  35:35 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755600/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/  Theo of Golden by Allen Levi - https://www.allenlevi.com/the-book  The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf - https://heathergudenkauf.com/the-overnight-guest/  Vegetarian bean and cheese burritos - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022532-bean-and-cheese-burritos  Pea stew - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026665-spiced-pea-stew-with-yogurt  Red lentil soup - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup  TBR Writing and Publishing Conference - https://www.tbr.boston/  Quinn’s Substack - https://thisismyyear.substack.com/

    36 min

  4. JAN 19

    Environmental Wellness: From Ecology to Exploration

    Welcome back to week eleven of the podcast! We dive into the environmental dimension of wellness, exploring topics like sustainability, travel, and the Marie Kondo method. Of course, we love our Rapid Fire segment and our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to find out if we manage to get a handle on what environmental wellness means! The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:01 - What does environmental wellness mean? 4:48 - The importance of nature and spending time outdoors 6:30 - Sustainability X environmental wellness 10:30 - Travel and shaking up your environment 13:29 - Tips and tricks for environmental wellness 15:04 - Rapid fire!!! 17:00 - How did we invest in each dimension this week?  26:03 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  “Eight Dimensions of Wellness” (UC Davis) - https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/health-and-wellness/eight-dimensions-wellness  “Famous Last Words: Dr. Jane Goodall” documentary  - https://www.netflix.com/title/82053197  Costiera Baltimore - https://costierabaltimore.com/  The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755600/the-correspondent-by-virginia-evans/  Theo of Golden by Allen Levi - https://www.allenlevi.com/the-book  Before I Forget by Tori Henwood Hoen - https://toryhenwoodhoen.com/before-i-forget  Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel - https://isabelleengel.com/books/most-eligible  Creamy Tortellini Soup - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026148-creamy-tortellini-soup  TBR Writing and Publishing Conference - https://www.tbr.boston/

    27 min

  5. JAN 12

    This Episode Could Have Been an Email: All About Occupational Wellness

    Welcome back to week ten of the podcast! We dive into the occupational dimension of wellness, exploring topics like hustle culture, work-life balance, and our dream jobs. Of course, we would never skip over our Rapid Fire segment and our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness. Tune in to find out if we discover deeper meaning in our careers!  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:58 - What does occupational wellness mean? 5:21 - Live to work vs. work to live 8:25 - Hustle culture 11:25 - Professional growth and development 16:27 - Tips and tricks 22:18 - Rapid fire!!! 25:39 - How did we invest in each dimension this week? Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  Into Thin Air by John Krakauer - https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785  Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb - https://www.amazon.com/Maybe-You-Should-Talk-Someone/dp/1328662055  Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory - https://www.jasmineguillory.com/party-of-two  The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez - https://www.amazon.com/Friend-Zone-Abby-Jimenez/dp/1538715600  Half Baked Harvest Super Simple by Tieghan Gerard - https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cookbook/half-baked-harvest-super-simple/  Six Seasons of Pasta by Joshua McFadden - https://www.joshuamcfadden.com/projects/six-seasons-of-pasta  Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz - https://www.dessertperson.com/dessert-person-cookbook  Quinn’s Substack - https://thisismyyear.substack.com/

    36 min

  6. JAN 5

    New Year, Who Dis?

    Welcome back to week nine of the podcast! We are interrupting our usual programming to bring you a special New Year’s episode. We dive into the hype around New Year’s resolutions, exploring topics like goal-setting, self-improvement, and some toxic trends. Of course, we would never skip over our Rapid Fire segment and our weekly rundown of the eight dimensions of wellness.   The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - New Year’s resolutions fun facts  3:52 - Why are New Year’s resolutions so popular?  8:37 - Do we make New Year’s resolutions? 13:40 - Resolutions versus goals 17:42 - Tips and tricks for sticking to our goals  20:38 - Our 2026 New Year’s resolutions 25:17 - Rapid fire!!! 28:43 - How did we invest in each dimension this week? 37:40 - How ya feelin’?   Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory - https://www.jasmineguillory.com/flirting-lessons  Into Thin Air by John Krakauer - https://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785  Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz - https://www.dessertperson.com/dessert-person-cookbook  THE Bread Pudding Recipe - https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/vermont-maple-bread-pudding-with-walnut-praline-230662  Tiramisu Recipe - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018684-classic-tiramisu  Holiday Cheese Log - https://carolefood.com/recipe/cranberry-cheese-log#google_vignette  TBR Conference - https://www.tbr.boston/

    38 min

  7. 12/22/2025

    Financial Frenzy

    Welcome back to week eight of the podcast! We are taking a closer look at the financial dimension, discussing topics like financial decision paralysis, the taboo around talking about money, and each of our financial journeys. Tune in to hear us get real about the challenges of navigating financial education and imposter syndrome as young adults.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 1:06 - Why is it so hard to talk about finances?  3:37 - Education around financial topics 10:24 - Drew’s personal finance journey 20:28 - Quinn’s personal finance journey 33:55 - Budgeting and finances as a couple 39:13 - Rapid fire!!! 44:19 - How did we invest in each dimension this week? 53:10 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-psychology-of-money-morgan-housel/1136394564  Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap - https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-book  Holiday Baking Substack - https://thisismyyear.substack.com/p/week-8-holy-christmas-cookies  Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015819-chocolate-chip-cookies  Lemon Turmeric Crinkle Cookies - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026302-lemon-turmeric-crinkle-cookies  Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024782-mexican-hot-chocolate-cookies  Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023659-rice-krispies-treats  Vietnamese Coffee Swirl Brownies -  https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1027498-vietnamese-coffee-swirl-brownies  Three-Ingredient Dog Treats: https://tastythriftytimely.com/3-ingredient-dog-treats-home-made-with-love/ The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad - https://www.suleikajaouad.com/the-book-of-alchemy  Into Thin Air by John Krakauer - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/95441/into-thin-air-by-jon-krakauer-new-afterword-by-the-author/  WriteHQ - https://www.write-hq.com/

    54 min

  8. 12/15/2025

    Flexing Our Creative Muscles

    Welcome back to week seven of the podcast! We are taking a closer look at the creative dimension, exploring topics like the relationship between creativity and boredom, myths about not being creative enough, and the possibility of scheduling creativity. Obviously, there is a chaotic rapid fire segment and plenty of tangents.  The Rundown 0:00 - Intro 00:38 - Creativity as a dimension of wellness 4:35 - Nature or nurture, creativity edition 6:55 - Myths about creativity 12:51 - How is boredom related to creativity?  17:00 - Can creativity be scheduled?  19:30 - How we practice creativity  23:40 - Rapid fire!!! 29:20 - How did we invest in each dimension this week? 41:15 - How ya feelin’?  Links to cool stuff we talk about during the podcast:  The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-psychology-of-money-morgan-housel/1136394564  Untamed by Glennon Doyle - https://untamedbook.com/

    42 min
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About

52 weeks, 8 dimensions of wellness, 2 people who want to be better. Follow along as Quinn and Drew intentionally invest in their holistic well-being, unpacking health, wellness, and hustle culture as they go. New episodes out weekly anywhere you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    The Year We Got Better
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Year We Got Better
  • Show Website
    The Year We Got Better