Rise With Reb
Jo & JJ Go Mental
Jo and J.J. welcome the inspirational Reb, Transformational Life Coach who is the driving force behind the Rise With Reb programs and community. Reb shares how she went from a wheelchair to walking, despite what the doctors said. She, Jo, and J.J. discuss why it’s so hard to let go of old habits, the responsibility we have of sharing our story on social media, the importance of advocating for yourself and doing your own research, and how not to live in a pity fest.
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Carrying Ourselves and Others Through Grief
Jo & JJ Go Mental
Today Jo and J.J. focus on grief, both from the perspective of the griever and from the person trying to comfort others through their grief. They explore the right approach to carrying ourselves and others through grief. Jo also shares an experience about willfulness and effectiveness in DBT and why people really need to learn to let go of the need to be right and just accept what is. They talk about defining values, setting boundaries, and, on a lighter note, why #begrannymolly is Jo’s new life goal.
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Emotional Intelligence: When Is It Real, and When is It Self Serving?
Jo & JJ Go Mental
They’re baaack! Jo and J.J. kick off Season 2 the only way they know how - by spelling out that sometimes we can get this emotional intelligence piece wrong. Many well intentioned leaders approach emotional intelligence as a tick box exercise, merely going through the motions, rather than really understanding the objective. That faux emotional intelligence in corporate societies will likely try to cover up a more self serving agenda.
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Season 1 Recap and Looking Ahead To Season 2
Jo & JJ Go Mental
What a season! As Jo and J.J. wrap up Season 1, they identify a few of the themes that came up with the fantastic array of guests. Between fear, shame, embracing your weirdness and much more, Season 1 was chock full of learning from each other and calling in new perspectives. This week, they highlight a few stand-out moments and give us a sneak peek of what we can look forward to in Season 2.
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We Can Be Different Together: Faith Clarke
Jo & JJ Go Mental
This week, Jo and J.J. welcome Faith Clarke, Organizational Health and Inclusion Specialist who works with value-driven and diverse teams so they can deliver on business and social impact promises at the highest level. Faith is extremely passionate about inclusion for BIPOC and neuro-distinct individuals and advocating for those who “don’t belong”. She discusses the importance of mental health and how her children taught her to focus more on wisdom than having control.
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One foot on the gas, one foot on the brake with Reverend Erika Allison
Jo & JJ Go Mental
Jo and J.J. welcome Reverend Erika Allison, Queer interfaith minister, speaker, author, and spiritual counselor. Rev. Erika talks about her own experience with conversion therapy, and how harmful it can be, causing long-term effects and even high cases of suicide.
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Tax consultants don’t wear pink with Marie Louise Ashworth
Jo & JJ Go Mental
This week, Jo and J.J. are joined by Marie Louise Ashworth, President of The Network, a network of female entrepreneurs and professionals in Luxembourg. The Network is devoted to developing a supportive community of women and helping them build resilience, avoid burnout, and thrive as they meet their personal and professional goals.
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Changing Perceptions of Burnout Through The Generations
Jo & JJ Go Mental
Jo is on her own this week and shares her reflections on how the attitude around burnout has shifted throughout the generations, especially since the pandemic. Jo discusses three perceptions of burnout that she has seen a shift: that if you burnout that means you are broken or weak; that burnout and exhaustion is just a side effect of being busy which is a good thing, and that life is just tough and you should just get on with it and not complain.
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Honoring The Anger
Jo & JJ Go Mental
They discuss why doing the deep work of anger is like wading through that infamous tunnel scene in The Shawshank Redemption, how anger signals that our boundaries are being crossed, and how letting go of anger needs to be a conscious choice. They also talk about how to process anger if you can’t really act on it right then and there, and why women have such a tougher time showing anger in public.
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Letting Go and Learning To Smile With All Four Cheeks - Interview With June Burgess
Jo & JJ Go Mental
This week, Jo and J.J. are joined by June Burgess, Equine Coach, Business Director, and Entrepreneur. She talks about how she began her Equine Assistance Workshops and why working with horses can be so powerful for our mental health. Jo shares her own experience in learning to relax around the horses and how that mirrored so much about business and the need for perfectionism.
info_outlineWhat a season! As Jo and J.J. wrap up Season 1, they identify a few of the themes that came up with the fantastic array of guests. Between fear, shame, embracing your weirdness and much more, Season 1 was chock full of learning from each other and calling in new perspectives. This week, they highlight a few stand-out moments and give us a sneak peek of what we can look forward to in Season 2.
Takeaway:
[4:43] As Jo was reading the Sunday papers over breakfast, she came across an article she found interesting. Titled, “I Didn’t Have Burnout. It was a Lie,” designer Rebecca Minkoff explained why she dreaded going back to work after maternity leave, and why it may not have been her own burnout but external factors. This brings up the conversation of the pros and cons of more people speaking openly about burnout and putting a label on it. It may help people speak up and have language and feel less alone, but we can also over-identify with labels and not take accountability.
[9:44] Jo has gotten direct feedback from her presentations on burnout that talking about it helps bring it into the light and helps people feel less like they are losing their minds. When we know that it’s exhaustion rather than a character flaw or defect, we have structure and can get an actionable plan more into place.
[12:59] Jo and J.J. recap the amazing guests they have had this first season, and although the guests have all been quite different, each one of them offers their intelligence, perspective, and wisdom to the episode. A few of the themes that came from conversations include letting go of control, embracing your authentic nature and even the weirdness that may come along with it, and intentionality. A big one that came up, as it did here in the episode with author and coach Kristine Goad, is that the biggest adventure in life is to be yourself.
[17:05] Another theme was shame and guilt. We often have no idea the guilt or shame we carry around, as evidenced in the recent episode with Reverend Erika Allison who talked openly about her healing after conversion therapy. Jo used to feel guilty for not working during holidays. Most people suffer from the worry that they are not good enough, so they self-medicate with shame. Before we even try to problem solve and put our minds on the case, we must validate our emotions and sit in them for a moment.
[22:06] We are encouraged by society to burn ourselves out and be anxious. Products are sold by tapping into people’s fear and desire to constantly be better, skinnier and appear more wealthy. When you finally start to feel as though you are good enough, you can partake in these things from a place of joy instead of lack.
[25:42] These conversations are complex because if you are balancing self-care and acting according to your values, then productivity will go up. However, the more people can feel you setting boundaries, the more they sometimes want to push them.
[30:28] There are subtle and not-so-subtle ways that work environments try to trample people’s boundaries. Middle management is sometimes caught between the higher-up boss and the employee: this is when good communication and the ability to regulate emotions is critical.
[34:02] Great leaders can also help millennials and the younger workers have the right tools in place to both be great at their job but also have boundaries in place. Jo has been on both sides, and feels that a manager and employee can aim for constructive conversations around it.
[35:32] There are so many levels to power dynamics but there are easy ways to change.
[37:58] Women working for women can be challenging, and internalized sexism is definitely a thing. People may act like they have power over you, but it’s up to you to confirm it.
[41:14] What’s coming up for the next season? Great guests, listener questions, a deeper dive into topics, and a lot of laughs and learning along the way.
Connect With Us:
Joanna Denton | Dr. J.J. Kelly