Sheila and Sammy talk about the benefits of decluttering, after reading an article by Iris Benaroia called, “A valuable lesson in organization” (National Post) [editorial note: John suggests ignoring pot shots at John and David. We interview Jason Schreurs in the area of Mental Wellness.⁠ He’s a music and mental health writer, and host of internationally Scream Therapy Podcast. He lives with bipolar. For Jason, punk rock has always been a form of therapy – a way to feel that he belonged. He learned when researching his book that therapy can be punk rock, in the spirit of resistance, rebellion, and going against the grain. He talked to counsellors, psychiatrists and therapists who do not take a top-down approach. Instead, they say things like, “Look there’s no hierarchy here. We’re supporting each other. I’m a trained professional, yes, but my role in this is to help you thrive and live your best life.” Starving Artist - Cameron met up with Grant Gimpel (Shy Harry and Pilot Project). They took I a jazz show where a bass player used an octaver pedal to great effect. He was on fire. Move That Body – Hilary Toth enjoys playing Volleyball. Running Popup – The song Dreams by the Cranberries came up when John was on a long run. The line about her life changing every day, in every possible way, hit him in a really great way. He reflected on changes in his life for the better. It felt good. Flipside – John has a tendency to obsess, including to prep for a marathon. They were both surprised when he didn’t do that before the last one. It allowed them to enjoy the vacation in the week before.

We start with a chat about an environmental social media post – 5 tips for a healthier you or planet. It’s more expensive and time consuming to eat healthy and choose organic, but it’s worth it. We interview Isabelle Sinclair about stressors she faces as a university student: grades, chasing co-op placements, comparing herself to others. Social media and the grinding mentality of students that can be toxic at times. Isabelle’s developed approaches and perspectives that help her navigate the stressors. They include staying humble and down to earth, while remembering that university is a time to find oneself, with more time down the road to figure things out. She believes that challenges are making her more resilient. Getting through them transfers into life skills and positive outcomes. Starving Artist - Cameron gives a preview of jazz music he wrote for an indie film a long time ago, but couldn’t share until now. It’s exciting to see the music getting out into the world. Move That Body – Jason Schreurs enjoys punk rock and mosh pits. It’s a fun way to be active and physical. Running Popup – John had another breakthrough about the wellness theory he’s working on. The facet activities, which foster wellness in different areas, are like building blocks that help us regain and keep balance. Flipside of the Coin – Sheila enjoyed the interview of Rev. Jessica Purple Rodela on Episode 51. She has questions and thoughts about it.

Your frame of mind affects the way you approach experiences. We talk about changing the “what if’s” from anticipating something negative, to imagining something positive. We interview Jill Melanson in the area of Economic Wellness.⁠ Budgeting is a fundamental and common sense approach to financial wellness. It is extremely important for a household. It got John and Sheila through their early days as students with two children and a modest income. Starving Artist segment – Cameron gives us highlights from his trip to Quebec City with his school friend and fellow musician, Jacy James Anderson. The city was amazing and they had a fun experience at a jazz club. Move That Body – an article about enhancing chances of making “smart” New Year’s resolutions to exercise more – ones that we can stick to. Running Popup segment – Over the past year, John experienced visceral reminders that his mental health suffers when he does not keep aerobic exercise a part of his everyday life. Flipside of the Coin – reminiscing about an awkward twist at their wedding, with a lesson that it's best to keep the couple in the loop about wedding planning.

On our 52nd episode dropping Tues Jan 24, we interview Dr. Jaime Downey in the areas of Physical and Economic Wellness – they can affect each other. Our financial debt and responsibilities can cause physical stress, which can contribute to back pain, neck pain, headaches, interrupted sleep and other physical ailments. When we are not physically healthy, it can put a damper on our financial health. Dr. Jaime speaks of four pillars of health: nutrition, movement, sleep and relaxation. Eating healthy foods keeps us energized throughout the day. Movement promotes the production of endorphins in our body, which can act as natural pain killers and mood elevators. It also helps reduce our cortisol levels and stress levels throughout the day. A good sleep can help reduce stress levels and improve your concentration and productivity. A lot of the recovery that we need is happening when we’re sleeping.

Sammy and Sheila get much out of choreography. It’s a facet activity that enhances different areas of wellness. We interview Rev. Jessica Purple Rodela, an atheist and Minister in the Unitarian Congregation. She had an experience in her youth that was similar to a story from the 19th century about Josea Ballou, who has been called a father of American Universalism. A conservative colleague was insulted by the Universalist belief that there is no hell or damnation. The conservative said, “If I was a Universalist and I didn’t fear fire and hell, then I could just hit you over the head and I could steal your horse and saddle and ride away and I would still go to heaven.” Josea Ballou retorted, “Well, if you were a Universalist that idea would never occur to you”. In Rev. Jessica’s view, the idea is that we can be good for goodness sake, as we like to say at Christmas. We’re ingrained with a moral compass. Cameron doesn’t love the “business” side of the music business, but it’s something every professional musician must address. On Move That Body, Al Tordjman talks about limiting sugar intake. What we put into our bodies is a very important consideration to physical health. On Running Popup, John was struck by a very good feeling while walking to work. He stopped to savour the moment. Of Flipside, we chat about a practice that’s helping John sleep better: leaving his phone in another room, not beside his bed.

We start with a chat about a Mental Health Commission of Canada post about four self-care tips: feel the feelings; gratitude journal; five senses; and sleep schedule. We interview David Edey about the process of naming an Executor when making a Will. The Executor works with beneficiaries and settles the estate. David is a Certified Executor Advisor and author of the book Executor Help: How to Settle an Estate Pick an Executor and Avoid Family Fights. He has personal experience with problems an Executor can face. He learned valuable lessons, including that it helps to communicate with family members and the Executor when you are making your Will (before your pass away). We learn about some of his experiences and ask about some tips for people in this context. On Adventures of the Starving Artist, Cameron reflects back on a short film project he started working on in 2019, which is getting closer to completion. His work centered on jazz music. Rania Atif is a busy university student. Much of her work involves sitting at a desk. She enjoys walking not only for the exercise and as a break from study, but for the freedom of mind. She lets her thoughts flow. Rania also enjoys rock climbing. On Running Popup, a news story snuck into John’s mind – thoughts of revenge are distracting and make it very hard to live in the present moment. It’s important for many wellness exercises for us to live in the moment and make the most of each minute. On Flipside, Sheila and John talk about an interesting article: “A for attractive: Good-looking female college students saw their grades DROP during Covid pandemic 'when professors couldn't see their faces', study claims”, by Mansur Shaheen.

Sammy and John return to a topic they talked about in Episode 33 – Things I’m Still Learning. They share experiences about “asking for help when needed” and “showing myself compassion”. We interview Frederick Fuller in the area of Mental Wellness.⁠ He volunteers at Hospice Waterloo Region with the Paint Through Grief workshop. It’s a two-hour painting session for people who have experienced the death of a person close to them, as a way to express thoughts or emotions that may be difficult to express in words. Like grief, art is unique and takes many forms. The workshop sometimes triggers thoughts or emotions that may not have been come out through spoken language. Cameron gets to try his new custom-molded ear monitors. They’re awesome game changers for performances. Ayesha Munir hits the gym most weekday mornings. She enjoys jump rope and weights workouts. John often asks himself, “What would the butler do?” Find out why. On Flipside of the Coin, we talk about relationships: enjoying both give and take works better than one person going the take take take route.

Julie co-hosts, chatting with John about a post by Mental Health Commission of Canada on quick tips to reduce anxiety: 5 activities you can do immediately to try and release the pressure a bit, and 5 that you can do when you have more time. We interview Linda Kenny, the CEO of KidsAbility – a leading provider of children’s rehabilitation services. It provides a great opportunity for families to see what kids can achieve when they just need a little help. The people at KidsAbility see the ability and look for the potential in every child. It’s an amazing organization that helps thousands of children and youth to reach their communication, social, physical and behavioural goals, and to achieve great things. Cameron has a hit and a miss while putting himself out there. The hit the City of Ottawa adding Cameron’s new song, It’s All the Same, to its City Sounds Playlist for 2022. Sydney Stortini talks about the rush of wakeboarding and the peacefulness of paddleboarding. On Running Popup, John describes another breakthrough in advancing his theory that came from chatting with a podcast guest. This time it’s the discussion of Stephen Covey’s four quadrants from episode 43. It helps to explain a difference between the whack-a-mole approach to wellness John was stuck on for most of his life, compared to the more thoughtful approach he’s working on now. On Flipside, Sheila and John discuss an interesting article about the need to quit sometimes. It goes against the grain to quit, but sometimes refusing to stop is worse than stopping.

We start with facet activities – the building blocks for categories of wellness, i.e, activities that foster wellness. Today we chat about “seeing opportunities for growth in the challenges life brings you” as an activity that fosters spiritual wellness. We interview Rose Johnson about Powers of Attorney. Who makes decisions about our medical treatment and finances if we become incapacitated? Powers of Attorney let us control who makes those decisions. Without them, important decisions about our medical care and finances may be made by someone we’d prefer not make those decisions. We urge listeners to get Powers of Attorney and work with a lawyer to do that. It’s the sequel to New Gear Day on the Starving Artist segment. Cameron’s custom fit in-ear monitors arrived and they’re amazing. You need to have exercise and healthy eating to get the maximum benefit. We talk about an article about that on Move That Body. Doing one without the other doesn’t do the job. On Running Popup, John sees a catch-22. We need to spend time on wellness, but we don’t have time to do that. On Flipside Sheila and John chat about enjoying Collingwood when they can, but it’s sometimes hard to be in the moment.

Sammy and John return to the concept of positive affirmations. They read 10 more, then discuss experiences with some of them. The interviewer becomes the interviewee. Podcast co-host John Webster was interviewed by Mike Farwell on a Kitchener radio show. He talks about how his wellness journey began, which led to his epiphany about categories of wellness, facet activities and a wellness check-in. His breakthrough led to his book Accidentally Well and this podcast. He talks about successes, failures and an adventure along the way. It’s holiday concert time for Cameron and for some of his students. The concerts went well, but he had to put up with the horrible drive on the 401 through Toronto. Isabelle Sinclair loves to run in the morning. It gets her off to a great start to the day and has plenty of benefits. It helps with her mental health, gives her a break from school and allows her to step away from other things for a while. John loves the theory of balance he’s exploring. It gives him hope. He’s working towards balance in a moment, then next week, then later. It’s okay to not have perfect balance at any point. Then again, he’s experienced a runner’s high on a couple occasions. Maybe there’s a chance that something similar will happen with life balance on day, even if the feeling is fleeting? Sheila came across a great idea on the Frederick Street Art Walk in Kitchener this year. A local artisan knit an animal called a “huggable”. It’s a little bear that fits in the hand. Her daughter whispers things to the bear before she falls asleep: things that are bothering her, secrets, whatever. Then she gives the bear a hug, forgets about the things she told her bear, then goes to sleep.

Sammy saw an interesting social media post about how much time we spend with family, friends, coworkers and others at different times in our lives. It’s worth thinking about how to focus that time. Hollee “Red Sky Woman” George provides a perspective on Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer identity. They walk in two worlds at once: the physical world and the spiritual world. Their traditional roles and responsibilities are many: often healers, mediators, social workers, justice people and medicine people in the community. Two-spirit people are naturally fluid people who have been held in high regard and respect and have been in community for time immemorial. When indigenous people came out of systems like Indian residential and day schools, they were deeply indoctrinated with Christianity and the gender binary and all the various phobias. That came back to their treaty territories and to their families and communities. Anyone who was a two-spirit person was no longer welcome. Change is happening, though it’s slow and painful. Two-spirit people are starting to live openly. People are starting to unlearn and re-learn. It’s difficult still in 2022 to be a two-spirit person in indigenous families and community, in indigenous places and spaces of all kinds. One of Cameron’s favourite hats to wear is to write for other musicians. He tells us about it on the Adventures of the Starving Artist. Sheila found an article about different types of benefits from different types of exercise. John’s running thoughts focused on his dad, who passed away peacefully this week. A long run gave John a chance to reflect, before it was then time to say goodbye to his dad. On their trip to London, Sheila and John were spontaneous. They went with the flow, which turned into seeing and loving the production Dear Evan Hanson. It was a great experience.

Elise Seifert returns as guest host. She talks about an archaeological dig in Jordan and an interesting way someone saves memories. It’s a reality of life that we will each see people we love pass away. We will go through a grieving process. We interview Theresa Horan, a volunteer with Hospice Waterloo Region’s Bereavement Walking Group program. People who lost someone walk together in a scenic setting. There’s an ease in sharing when you walk beside someone, instead of having to sit and look them in the eye. Participants chat with someone who really understands what they’re going through. Conversations flow easily, with challenges and frustrations shared. On Adventures of the Starving Artist, who doesn’t love New Gear Day? Cameron picked up amazing new equipment, but had to get goopy ears in the process. On Move That Body, we talk about an article about a breathing method to help relax you, which in turn helps you to fall asleep. It’s called the 4-7-8 method. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, John reviews scientific proof (perfect proof) that his theory about wellness must be correct. It’s best to savour the moment, especially when we get lucky breaks. Sheila and John still glow about a lucky break hey had at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City in 1989.

Sheila and Sammy talk about a fun activities to exercise the mind for intellectual wellness: games. They love card games and board games. Many also foster social wellness. Al Tordjman discusses Steven Covey’s approach to time management. Think about combinations of activities and where they intersect on important, not important, urgent and not urgent. Al’s experience, he benefits a lot by making time to deal with important but not urgent matters: things like preparation and planning, setting priorities, relationship building, true recreation. Cameron received unexpected feedback that put a pep in his step, just at the right time, when he was feeling he was putting a lot more in than he was getting out. Sheila and John enjoyed finding healthy fast-food options when they were visiting London, U.K. There’s a silly incident that John can’t get past. You won’t be successful getting back to the moment all the time, even if you’re trying to approach things in the right way. Sheila is suspicious about John’s placement of the disclaimer right after Flipside – right after when she speaks the most.

⁠As part of the Sammy travel series, she and John reminisce about experiences in Montréal – a city they both love and treasure. Rose Johnson talks about why you should make a will and, ideally, get help from a lawyer when you do that. We don’t like thinking about it, but we should get past that. We talk about what happens if a person dies without a Will, and what the process looks like when you work with a lawyer. What are some of the potential pitfalls lurking in the background? Cameron and his band, Shy Harry, ran into curveballs, a close call, then has a big save while performing at a wedding. We’ve heard the word pickleball. Today we learn more about it with Al Tordjman. John heard an interview on the Mike Farwell radio show with Dr. Jess Haines. It was concerning, because he heard that children these days are not getting much physical activity in every-day life. Sheila and John reminisce about something that happened on their 25th anniversary in 2012. They received an unexpected gift when visiting the place where they first met.

Sammy and John discuss a social media post that looks at what some people think support sounds like, compared to what support actually sounds like. Our interview is in the area of spiritual wellness. Clarence Cachagee gained a better and new understanding of who he was as a whole spiritual being after reconnecting with his Indigenous culture. He received teachings about four quadrants within us all: the mind, the body the spirit and our emotions, and how they have us in the middle. Cameron enjoyed taking in a concert where some of his Shy Harry bandmates performed with their other group, Pilot Project. Nicholas Cumby enjoys the gym, focusing on weight training with a coach. John realized mid-run that he’s been using the wrong heart rate for a long time, when doing aerobic runs. He should have been dropping the target heart rate each year. He overlooked that. Sheila and John were blown away by the London transit system. It opened up the city to them. They wish we could make strides towards better public transit closer to home.

Julie and John discuss Mental Health First Aid training through the Mental Health Commission of Canada. We interview Ardyth Correa, a certified Health and Life Coach and CIJ Clarity Catalyst coach, which means she’s trained in coaching people on emotional intelligence and mindfulness strategies. She’s currently helping mothers who want more calm in their lives and have children with ADHD, a learning disability, or other neurodiverse conditions. She's a big advocate for mothers by demonstrating how important it is to take time to focus on what is important for them, and not just everyone else, as that can easily take over their lives. Cameron’s week featured a bizarre and wide range of music. He’s been on a wild ride staying sharp in many musical genres. Thinking about and cooking spring rolls went from thinking unhealthy, to a healthy vibe, back to an unhealthy one, then ending up at healthy after all. John tips his cap to people he know who brighten up the room and make the world a better place. They make the people around them feel better. They’re amazing. On Flipside, we reminisce about John’s Run Kitchener Project, when he spent a few years running every street in Kitchener.

We explore the concept of positive affirmations to tell yourself. Will they work for us? Will they work for you? We interview stand-up comedian Doug Koning about balance, in the context of pursuing a calling that requires giving other things up for an extended period of time. His first experience doing stand-up felt like being struck with lightning in the best way possible way. He’s committed to the idea that you can’t fail if you follow a dream. Cameron experiences ups and downs in the process of creating music, while trying a new approach. Sheila and John realize that people who live in big cities probably do a lot of walking every day. John ponders perspective on Running Popup. He lost perspective when being disappointed with the results of his first marathon. He came to cherish that day, which reflected such a change from a day he couldn’t imagine running 200 meters. List in to a behind the scenes experience of creating a Flipside segment.

We start with a facet activities series, talking about activities that foster environmental wellness. Today’s chat focuses on a couple things: reducing the use of water in everyday life and keeping the house clean. Dr. Shirish Nathwani returns in the area of Spiritual Wellness.⁠ He tells us about the Hindu festival of lights called Diwali. Light signifies knowledge and brightness in one’s life. They do colourful designs at front entrances, using coloured powders. It’s called rangoli. Cameron was having one of those days. He got a short message from a friend in the middle of it, that turned it around for the better. Somehow we’ve learned to suppress ourselves. Why aren’t we chomping at the bit to get outside to walk or run or do other physical activities? John conveys a work lesson he learned that applies in many contexts: forget the windup and make the pitch. Sheila and John talk about seeing many people walking while glued, head down looking at their phones. They miss the world they’re passing by.

New episode available today. ⁠As part of our Sammy travel series, John asks about her experiences with elephants in Thailand. She made a connection that will last a lifetime. She did volunteer work to help elephants that came to harm. We welcome back personal trainer and fitness coach Hillary Fitzgerald. She talks about different ways people can get into fitness. Hillary tells us why she loves early morning workouts. She loves the feeling of accomplishing something before the day begins. While she enjoys early workouts, her message is to do whatever works for you. She says “just move your body” at whatever time of day works best for you. It’s a time of year where Cameron has an instinct to slow down, even though many of us are ramping up after summer. Meanwhile he’s amassing a number of pieces of original artwork. Khiam Nong returns to Move That Body, this time to tell us about a combination of bone broth and pineapple and rind tea that’s making her feel much better with her gut health. John was uplifted when he was tired during a long training run. Some kids came flying onto the path, laughing while running free and enjoying the moment. On Flipside of the Coin, Sheila and John wonder why some people resent people who have it together, or get lucky, or have stuff that they don’t have?

We start with the first instalment of our Elise travel series. Guest host Elise Seifert talks about experiences in South Korea. It was her first travel after uni days. She taught English as a second language. It turns to a discussion of kids in Canada and the importance of play as a learning experience. Imran Kamal talks about how he found a way to move forward after recognizing a need to treat his addiction. Recovery is a lifelong process. He practices recovery as a member of a 12-step fellowship, but his recovery efforts are much broader than that. Imran tells his story with the goal of lessening the stigma around addiction and mental health overall. Cameron caught some acts and performed at an open mic. He was asked to accompany a performer who reads poetry set to music. He was inspired to add prosody to the performance. What’s that? On Move That Body, we talk about good and healthy food that we came across by accident: frozen bananas, croutons and crackers. John ran the TCS London Marathon (U.K.) on October 2, 2022. It was an amazing experience and one that he’ll remember fondly. On Flipside of the Coin, we talk about a book Sheila read called Highway of Tears by Jessica McDiarmid. It’s about a stretch of highway in British Columbia where many women were kidnapped and killed. We wonder why we didn’t learn about it earlier.