Hey, last week, I lapped the sun one more time. I turned 49 on Tuesday August 31, and Tuesdays are studio days, so I decided to write myself a birthday song! I decided that this time around I was going to write whatever felt good to me. I gave up any concern as to whether it sounds like anything I’ve written before, or as to whether it sounds like anyone else. The working title was “another lap” but as I reflected on that title, it didn’t match the exuberance of the track. It also didn’t match my own way of thinking when I’m in my best state. Truthfully, I struggle with depression, but the clouds parted and I enjoyed my birthday from start to finish. I am an eternal optimist out of necessity, because it’s too easy for me to spiral into dark places. So, I take as good care of myself as I can so I can access moments of peace, wonder, fun, and connection. “Another Lap” sounds tiring to me, which is how life can feel sometimes. However, a new beginning sounds like it holds the promise of possibility. THAT’s the kind of mindset I WANT to have, so I’m CHOOSING to look at this year as just that. A new beginning. That’s the beauty of this game. No matter my past, I can still create a new future that includes all the good… and even more!
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This week’s episode is an interview with a fellow music therapist-turned-entrepreneur named Brian Harris. He is the CEO and Co-founder of an innovative company called MedRhythms. They create digital therapeutic devices to help people walk again after a stroke, brain injury, or neurologic disease. Brian is one of only 350 people in the world to hold the title of neurologic music therapy fellow, and has been serving patients in neuro rehab at Spalding Neurologic Institute since 2015.
Now, Brian’s work may not be specifically related to stress reduction; he just helps people walk again LOL. However, our conversation underscores the power of music on the brain and body. It also highlights how digital devices can deliver music to us in ever increasingly curated and targeted ways.
Learn about Brian at www.medrhythms.com
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This past week was the first week back in school for both of my kids. I know in our culture we use the phrase “Back to school”, and in some ways it’s accurate, but in some ways, it’s not… ESPECIALLY this year. For my sophomore, there was not a single day in her freshman year where all the students were on campus at the same time due to COVID, so her first days “back” this year look NOTHING like last year… and since she didn’t have a freshman orientation last year since NO ONE was on campus at the start… this year’s freshmen know more about the campus than she does.
It got me thinking that this past Wednesday was really a first day FORWARD for her, more so than a first day back. Then it got me thinking some more… what if everyday as an adult holds the possibility of being a first day forward? That was interesting, but a little intimidating, but I realized that if I ever want to land on different shores and experience new things, not just a rinse and repeat of yesterday, I’m going to have to chart new courses and move in new directions… which immediately brings up the idea of THE UNKNOWN…. Now what I’ve learned is some people are innately more comfortable with the unknown than others, but I’ve also learned that that comfort can be developed. It’s not fixed. So in this track, there’s a mixture of the unknown and the known… tension and resolution… uncertainty and certainty. There is also an overwhelming sense of peace throughout the track, because for me, this life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and if there’s ONE THING I want to KNOW I can find throughout the journey, it’s peace.
For more information about the Self Care for Healthcare Workshop, visit www.timringgold.com/selfcareworkshop
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Making your nervous system your ally makes it sound like your nervous system can be your enemy? Sometimes. Learning about Polyvagal Theory was a game changer for me in helping me understand my nervous system works. Today’s interview is with my dear friend Mike Govoni who is an expert on trauma and healing. Right now, we are being sent so many mixed messages of threat and stress from our environment. Mike’s message is super timely because stress triggers cravings, and if you’re interested in overcoming any habit, you need to understand the role stress plays on your nervous system, and the role your nervous system plays in recovering.
I covered 4 books you can read related to healing trauma in this BLOG POST, and Mike gives a great synopsis of one of those very books in his short presentation. Making your nervous system your ally is VITAL in managing your past, present, AND future!
Learn more about Mike at www.mikegovoni.com
Go to www.sonicrecovery.com for the relaxation vacation
Today, August 9, is day one of my Reduce Your Stress Summit for healthcare professionals! Over the next 5 Days, 23 experts will be sharing TED style talks on actionable ways to heal trauma, end burnout, and balance work and life. You don’t have to just keep burning the candle at both ends. We all did it to get through school, but in many work environments the expectation is keep doing it. But you may have noticed it’s not sustainable. We wear out, get sick, burn out, develop our own diseases and conditions. Then we become the patient our colleagues now have to treat. Don’t let the rat race consume you, too. The numbers are NOT GOOD with respect to burnout, depression, and even suicide in the medical profession.
If you or someone you care about works in healthcare, PLEASE tune in or share this FREE RESOURCE. It’s to help you or them become stress resilient so you or they can reignite that flame that had them enter the field in the first place. You or they can STILL register at www.reduceyourstresssummit.com.
Okay, onto the music. The reason you didn’t hear music in the background during the intro is because on THIS episode, THAT music is moving to the foreground! This past weekend, I spent time with a dear friend in his studio where I shared this podcast through his amazing speakers. He simply purred when he heard the background track I use for the intro and outro. It dawned on me that while “Going Home” appears underneath the announcements, I’ve never released it publicly before.
I wrote Going Home for an old friend named Ray. Ray had suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident many years ago. As I think back, it was probably 2004 or 5. Ray’s doctor’s didn’t give him a chance of surviving the accident. However they didn’t know what a fighter Ray was and is. I sent him and his parents a card saying the day would come when Ray came home from the hospital. On that day, we’d all share a toast. Well, it took quite a while, but that day came. Though I was in CA and they were in CT, we toasted over the phone, and they played “Going Home.” The vibe of going home represents the peace and good vibes of Ray’s parent’s home in CT combined with the happiness of family being reunited.
So while you listen to the full track today, I invite you to think of the love and connection that turns a house into a home. Picture that setting in your life, whether it’s reminiscing over your home of origin, or it’s the one you have now.
