"Beyond Thank You: Four Truths About Gratitude from an Unexpected Vista," Episode #166, November 21, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is the Weekly Wellness Column we send by email each Friday, based on the same topic as the podcast episode for that week. You can sign up for the Weekly Wellness Column . Beyond Thank You: Four Truths About Gratitude from an Unexpected Vista The two of us went on a hike the other day. It was a beautiful late Wisconsin fall day. We had chosen a large state protected area we'd never explored before, and as we switchbacked up a ridge, we had no idea we were about to experience gratitude in its truest form. Turned around at the top, we were overwhelmed with the unexpected view...
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"Awe, Mystery, and the Northern Lights: Nature's Gift to Our Well-Being" Episode #165, November 14, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is the Weekly Wellness Column we send by email each Friday, based on the same topic as the podcast episode for that week. You can sign up for the Weekly Wellness Column Awe, Mystery, and the Northern Lights: Nature's Gift to Our Well-Being This week, something extraordinary happened. People across the Northern Hemisphere stopped in their tracks, looked up at the night sky, and collectively whispered, "Whoa." The Northern Lights danced across skies where they rarely appear, and for a few precious moments, we remembered what it means to be truly awestruck. The aurora...
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"Taking Time to Reset," Episode #164, November 6, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is the Weekly Wellness Column we send by email each Friday, based on the same topic as the podcast episode for that week. You can sign up for the Weekly Wellness Column Taking Time to Reset Having just reset our clocks this week, we know that this simple adjustment—moving backward by a single hour—can change our entire rhythm. For some, the change was not a big deal; for others, it is still affecting their sleep schedules (or those of their kids or pets). But here's the good news: within a few days, most of us recalibrate and adapt. This semi-annual ritual reminds us...
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"What the Day of the Dead Teaches Us About Emotional and Family Wellness," Episode #163, Oct. 31, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
This episode finds Holly and Scott exploring lessons from Day of the Dead celebrations and how they can support our inidividual and family well-being. What follows here is the column they send out by email each week that is always on the same theme as the weekly podcast. You can signt up for the weekly email column . What the Day of the Dead Teaches Us About Emotional and Family Wellness While Americans are having fun celebrating Halloween this week, other countries around the world, especially in Mexico and Latin America, will be celebrating El Día de los Muertos (Day of the...
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"Making the Problem the Problem, Not the Person," Episode #162, October 24, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
(Click on the player at the top to listen to this ten-minute episode) What follows is the weekly column we email every Friday that is a companion to this weekly podcast. This podcast episode expands on the content of the column. You can subscribe to the weekly column . Making the Problem the Problem, Not the Person We've all been there: a conflict starts small—maybe it's about whose turn it is to handle the dishes or a disagreement about something important you're planning together—and suddenly you're no longer discussing the actual issue. Instead, you're blaming each other for...
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"Our Need for Different Kinds of Rest," Episode #161, October 17, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
(Click on the player at the top to listen to this ten-minute episode) What follows is the weekly column we email every Friday that is a companion to this weekly podcast. This podcast episode expands on the content of the column. You can subscribe to the weekly column . Our Need for Different Kinds of Rest Our Wellness Compass Initiative is a holistic approach to wellness. With that in mind, we offer four "Compass Points" that speak to multiple dimensions of rest, as well as help us become aware of our inner attitudes about the role of rest in our lives. Let’s all be...
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Transcending the Limits of Either-Or Thinking," Episode #160, October 10, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is the Weekly Wellness Column that we email out each Friday morning. Our weekly podcast is an expansion for the column. You can sign up for the Weekly Wellness Column . Transcending the Limits of Either-Or Thinking In our counseling practices, we often hear clients express their struggles in absolute terms. “I’m either a complete success or a total failure.” “My relationship is either perfect or it’s over.” “I’m either productive or I’m lazy.” This pattern, known as either-or thinking, can significantly impact our emotional, relational, and...
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"Four Quotes to Inspire Us From Dr. Jane Goodall," Episode #159, October 3, 2025
The Wellness Compass Podcast
What follows is the Weekly Wellness Compass Column which is emailed each Friday morning-the content of our column and podcast are always related. You can find our columns at: https://www.wellnesscompass.org/column A Few Things We Can Learn From Dr. Jane Goodall Each of our four Wellness Compass Points this week is a quote from scientist Dr. Jane Goodall, who passed away this week at the age of ninety-one. She will be remembered for many things, but probably most often for the way her scientific curiosity and her work with chimpanzees in the forests of Gombe remind us of the interconnectedness...
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"Wellness Wisdom for Everyone from the Twelve Steps: Celebrating Recovery Month," Episode #157"
The Wellness Compass Podcast
In recognition of September being National Recovery Month, we are pleased to share four Wellness Compass Points that offer wellness wisdom for everyone, drawing on the traditions of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-Step recovery groups. Wellness Wisdom for Everyone from the Twelve Steps: Celebrating Recovery Month Four Wellness Compass Points & Three Questions 1. Whether dealing with addiction, excessive worrying, perfectionism, or any self-limiting set of behaviors, the wisdom of the Twelve Steps teaches us that some challenges cannot be solved alone....
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Emotional Flooding: Four Wellness Compass Points & Three Questions
The Wellness Compass Podcast
Emotional Flooding: Four Wellness Compass Points and Three Questions Psychologist and author John Gottman describes emotional flooding as “a sensation of feeling psychologically and physically overwhelmed during conflict, making it virtually impossible to have a productive, problem-solving discussion.” Here are Four Compass Points to help guide us when this happens. 1. Everyone gets emotionally flooded from time to time, so it's essential to recognize the warning signs when this is happening to us. Pay attention to physical cues like rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, muscle...
info_outlineWhat follows is our weekly Wellness Compass column. This column is sent out by email each Friday, and our podcast each week addresses the same topic as the column.
Making Time for Joy
We both started music lessons a few weeks ago for instruments that are new for each of us. Holly is taking ukulesle lessons, and Scott is taking bluegrass fiddle lessons. We had been saying we were going to do this for a long time, and now that we are enjoying it so much, we wonder why we waited so long. Making time for the lessons and practicing has reminded us how much fun making music is and how much joy it is bringing us.
The semi-annual practice of having just changed our clocks has once again offered all of us an excellent opportunity to reflect on how we use our time. As we shifted our clocks forward, it reminded us to also consider other shifts we might want to make regarding our time.
Much like evaluating our finances—deciding how to spend, save, or share our money—considering how we spend our time can also be a meaningful practice. Taking a moment to assess how we are using our time need not be a negative experience; instead, it's a chance to recognize what's working well and where we might want to shift. That's what we did when we realized we wanted to spend less time doing passive activities and instead prioritize time learning to play new instruments. We shifted our attention and how we spend part of our time each day and week.
Sometimes, life can feel unacceptably busy, leaving little room for relaxation and peace. Other times, we may feel like we have an abundance of time on our hands but struggle to use it meaningfully. In either case, pausing to reflect on how we choose to spend our time can be valuable.
Instead of judging ourselves, we find that one simple question can be particularly helpful: "What is one thing that you could shift by spending more or less time doing this week, something that would bring you joy?"
Take a moment to ask yourself this question with kindness and curiosity. If an answer comes to mind, embrace it and take a step toward realigning your time with what truly matters to you. For us, that means making more time for the fun of music in our lives. What might it be for you?