Welcome to Season Two!
By Jessica Garrison
Welcome back to season two of the F.E.E.L. Podcast! This upcoming season is full of even more incredible guests who have so much to share about their journey through life, including their progression with self care and understanding necessary boundaries. A few episodes of the newest season have already aired, and they’re well worth the wait.
The first three episodes of season two feature young women in their 20s, navigating their lives post college and trying to find their place in this world. There’s so much conversation to be had at this time in someone’s life, especially when it comes to finding a job, discovering new passions, and trying so hard to live up to your own expectations rather than the ones forced upon you. These ladies have amazing insight when it comes to these difficult topics, and it’s easy to find yourself relating to their experiences, no matter how different. The fourth episode then shifts to a guest in her 30s, who is balancing self care with the rest of her life. While trying to be the best parent, the best partner, the best friend she can be, she still has to work on becoming her best self. It seems impossible to take care of yourself when there’s so many other aspects of your life relying on you, but this guest generously shares the ups and downs she’s faced while trying to find this balance. The various backgrounds and experiences provided by F.E.E.L’s guests this season reminds us that we’re all on our own path, and there’s no right way to travel it.
Season two kicks off with the new social media specialist for the podcast, Charlotte Feehan. I love how open and vulnerable Charlotte is about her feelings, even the ones that aren’t culturally accepted as ideal. Listening to this episode is a great reminder to embrace any emotions you’re feeling, and it’s more than acceptable to immerse yourself in them. Charlotte looks back at times in her life where she bottled her feelings up, and it made her feel worse than just letting herself be angry or cry when she needed to. She says, “Allowing yourself to express emotions in a very real and natural way is not a bad thing.” Trying to force ourselves into a specific emotional state, even if well-intentioned, can create a negative effect, rather than a positive one. Her encouraging mindset on expressing emotions is one we should all aim to share.
Episode two features Meghan VanderMaas Ollis, an active military member who continues to navigate both her work life and personal life. Meghan shares a key part of what helps her feel nourished at the end of the day: engaging in meaningful activity. Doing what you think you should be doing and doing what will actually heal you are two different things, and that comes with finding what self care regimens work for you. Find what actually makes you feel whole at the end of the day and spend your time doing that, rather than activities that won’t make you feel fulfilled. It can take time to find what activity does this for you, but it’s more than worth it in the end.
One of my favorite episodes of the entire podcast thus far comes from the third episode of season two with Megan Manierski. Megan opens up about being vulnerable and accepting every emotion that comes her way. She says that “emotions are a guidance,” and it’s important to realize what you’re feeling to be able to set the boundaries you need. During her years as a student athlete, Megan learned that listening to your body is the best thing you can do for yourself. She describes waking up one day feeling sore and assumed it was from working out or playing sports, so she kept going through her day as usual. As it turned out, she was sick and running a fever. Hearing her say this reminded me of a few times I’ve needed to rest my body but didn’t listen when I should have. It’s nice to know that I’m not alone, but it’s a shame how often we do this to ourselves. Hopefully listening to her story will help everyone understand how important it is to take care of our physical health, as well as our mental health.
The podcast’s fourth episode features D’Ann Wells, who speaks on her experiences with self care and how it’s evolved over the years. Her discussion about supporting those around her in a way that doesn’t drain herself is a great lesson for anyone to learn. To hear her specific stories on these experiences, you’ll have to tune into episode four on March 15th. There’s still plenty of lively content to come, and the way these past few episodes have turned out, you won’t want to miss the rest of season two!