5 Stress Relief Superstars
The Chill Factory
There are millions of ways to reduce your stress, but some pack a bigger stress-busting punch than others. This special episode of The Chill Factory features five of these stress relief superstars to focus on during the new year, month, week, or day. They include very wise recommendations by past Factory guests about smarter planning and goal attainment, dealing with failure and missteps, a vital and valuable mindset, and doing the right thing. Featured Episodes About Host Jordan Friedman Jordan is known as The Stress Coach, a career path that likely started when one of the...
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Beyond Monogamy
The Chill Factory
Losing sexual interest in a partner over time is very common and often stressful. However, considering sex with others to satisfy needs can be scary, confusing, and overwhelming. It's also true that non-monogamy or polyamory is a stress-reducing option for sexual frustration for a growing number of couples. Relationship and sex therapist Eric FitzMedrud talks with host Jordan Friedman about how to navigate the many questions and concerns for those considering it, including how to bring it up with a partner. Eric shares his own experiences with polyamory, discussing the pluses and minuses for...
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Get Out!
The Chill Factory
Where is your nature sanctuary? Hopefully, you have a few answers to this question because the outdoors, whether it's a local park, the Rocky Mountains, or a photo on a wall, provide a rushing river of stress relief and better health. This episode of The Chill Factory, with guest Brian Luke Seaward, gives you ideas and motivation for how to make nature more a part of your routine and even takes you outdoors for a couple of soothing nature escapes. About Guest Brian Luke Seaward Brian Luke Seaward is one of the foremost experts in the field of stress management and a pioneer in the...
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Meds for More Chill and Cheer?
The Chill Factory
About one in five Americans takes prescription medication to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges, but many don't or won't use these drugs because they lack information, are scared of them, or feel that needing them is a sign of weakness. These products help a lot of people feel calmer and happier. That's why guest Tristan Gorrindo clearly talks about what they are, how they're used, who can benefit from them the most, what happens when they don't work, and alternatives for those who prefer non-pharmaceutical options. After the conversation, host Jordan...
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Let's Meditate! It's Not Weird Anymore
The Chill Factory
Meditation is one of the most powerful stress and anxiety reducers, with decades of research supporting its health and behavioral benefits. Yet, many people never experience the advantages it offers because they perceive meditation as complicated, religious, or "woo-woo." Are you one of them? Guest Katie Grieco went from being a high-profile and stressed New York City restaurateur to becoming a happier meditation teacher. She provides us with a straightforward explanation of this 2,000-year-old practice and how it has helped her and millions of others. After the conversation, host Jordan...
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Is Your Mental Health Messing With Your Kids?
The Chill Factory
For more than ten years, there's been an alarming rise in anxiety, depression, and suicide among kids, but there's a contributing factor that few have been discussing... until now. Jordan Friedman talks with Harvard lecturer and researcher Rick Weissbourd about his new study that uncovered important and surprising connections between the mental health of teens and the mental health of their parents and caregivers. Equally as important, this episode has recommendations for what parents can do to ease their kids' mental health challenges and, in turn, their own. After the interview, we hang 'on...
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How and Why You Should Friend AI—Now!
The Chill Factory
Here's just part of the answer to this episode's title: get to know artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to get smarter, eliminate time-consuming and soul-sucking tasks, future-proof your job and career goals, improve the quality of life for your parents, teams, teachers, and people with disabilities, do away with diseases, and reduce your AI anxiety. And how can you friend AI? Start by listening to Jordan's clear-eyed and compelling conversation with tech veteran Matt Strain, who works with companies and individuals to make AI more accessible and actionable for non-technical audiences....
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Change We Need
The Chill Factory
Felix concluded that things weren't going well, so he made a change that most of us would never consider. Changes small and large are often stressful and scary because the results they produce are usually hard to predict and they sometimes get coupled with feelings of failure. It's also true that staying put in unsatisfying and stressful situations can wear us down and make us really unhappy. This latter truth is why host Jordan Friedman talks with Felix Benardo to remind and inspire us to seriously consider change in the name of stress reduction and mental health. About Guest Felix...
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The Most Important Number In The World
The Chill Factory
It's on the sides of buses, in The New York Times, and on Jeopardy, but if you don't know what this number is, listen to this episode. Then, help share it with everyone, especially the kids in your life. The number is 988, which is the long-awaited rebranding of the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline... which isn't just for people in crisis. That's the easy part; the hard part is getting up the courage, energy, or trust to call or text, which is why host Jordan Friedman talks with 988's Deputy Director John Palmieri about what the number really is, who it's for, and how to let everyone...
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When Things Don't Go As Planned
The Chill Factory
It happnes to all of us, but how you handle things not working out, or "failure," can impact your mental health and forward motion for a long time. Host Jordan Friedman talks with coach Carolyn Sandano about how to get past the stress, saddness and embarrassment of missteps, unrealized goals and things not going well, so you can more easily get what you want. After the conversation, Jordan rolls out the revised version of his most popular stress reducer. About Guest Carolyn Sandano Carolyn Sandano is a highly experienced, hands on business development and marketing professional and...
info_outlineFelix concluded that things weren't going well, so he made a change that most of us would never consider. Changes small and large are often stressful and scary because the results they produce are usually hard to predict and they sometimes get coupled with feelings of failure. It's also true that staying put in unsatisfying and stressful situations can wear us down and make us really unhappy. This latter truth is why host Jordan Friedman talks with Felix Benardo to remind and inspire us to seriously consider change in the name of stress reduction and mental health.
About Guest Felix Benardo
Felix Benardo is a college student majoring in Sociology. He grew up in New York City and has volunteered for a state senate campaigned and does work with arts and media. This spring, Felix has been an apprentice at Zumwalt Acres in Sheldon, Illinois.
Learn more about Zumwalt Acres
The Chill Factory App
Chill between episodes with The Chill Factory app, your calming companion to The Chill Factory podcast. It’s like a ‘spa in your pocket’ with hundreds of relaxing audio tracks, sleep enhancers, mindfulness guides, wellness reminders and much more updated daily. Download The Chill Factory app from the App Store or Google Play and use the password change for free access to all the app's features through 6/1/24 (offer good for the first 25 takers).
About Host Jordan Friedman
Jordan is known as The Stress Coach, a career path that likely started when one of the world’s largest brain tumors was discovered in his head at age 10. The resulting, nonstop stress continued through college until he reluctantly enrolled in a stress management class that led to much less stress, a degree in public health, a job as Columbia University’s health education director and now a career as a global stress management speaker, trainer and author. For 25 years, Jordan's been privileged to help and learn from 9/11 survivors, teachers, CEOs, police officers, incarcerated adults, students and lots of other stressed people who want to be more successful, get better grades, sleep easier and be healthier.
In 2004, Jordan founded The Stress Coach to provide innovative workshops, multimedia webinars, chill apps, online courses and more stress-relief opportunities. The Chill Factory podcast is Jordan's latest effort to bring stress relief and better health to the world.