Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Setting up a routine can help keep your mood in a good place, as opposed to waking up and just starting to react to whatever presents itself, which leaves you feeling pulled in a million different directions, frazzled, and probably low mood. In this episode I share the different ways to think about what to put in that daily routine so that you know you’re taking good care of yourself and your responsibilities–and that helps your mood stay steady. Related episode: Morning Ritual to Clear Your HeadThis episode sponsored by: NextEVO – Use promo code BETTER to save 20% off your order of $40 or moreRitual’s Essential for Women – Save 10% off your first three months Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having your mood in a better place helps you be a better person–but there are so many things that can yank it around. In today’s episode I share 5 quick and remarkably effective ways to boost your mood. (And I share the movies and music I turn to again and again to lift my mood.)This episode sponsored by: NextEVO – Use promo code BETTER to save 20% off your order of $40 or moreRitual’s Essential for Women – Save 10% off your first three months Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So far this week we’ve talked about letting go of the things that belong to the person you used to be and how to make space for the person you actually are now. Today’s episode is a bit of a stickier wicket--and that is what to do about things that you don’t use, don’t need, but you feel like you can’t get rid of them because you received them as a gift or they have a very high sentimental value. This episode sponsored by: Better Help – Give online therapy a try and get on your way to being your best selfNextEVO – Use promo code BETTER to save 20% off your order of $40 or more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

De-cluttering and creating a more functional, more serene space isn’t a one and done deal. I cleaned out our refrigerator and freezer last week and while I’ve been loving the pristine-ness of those shelves and drawers, one trip to the grocery store and it’s looking kind of jumbled and there are some leftovers that are already starting to get pushed to the way back. No, decluttering is an ongoing thing–but one that you can make a quick and simple routine. That’s what this episode is all about. Today I’m replaying an interview from April, 2021 with Katie McCan–an award-winning professional organizer from Westchester County, New York, who’s sharing quick and simple routines that will help us keep our homes streamlined, serene, and ready to support us in whatever we want to do in our daily life. Visit Katie at her Haven NY WebsiteFollow Katie on InstagramThis episode sponsored by: Better Help – Give online therapy a try and get on your way to being your best selfNextEVO – Use promo code BETTER to save 20% off your order of $40 or more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m talking about decluttering–not for the sake of getting that minimalist look, although please, I drool over Instagram posts of clean, spare interiors. With a family of four homebodies who love having a project going, I don’t see our house ever looking that way, nor do I really want it to look that way. But believe me, I get the appeal. No–this week, I’m talking about decluttering as a way of making space for new energy and giving your space and your psyche a little refresh. Ahhhhh. This episode sponsored by: Better Help – Give online therapy a try and get on your way to being your best selfNextEVO – Use promo code BETTER to save 20% off your order of $40 or more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have an idea that resting means doing nothing. And it’s true that sometimes rest is passive. Examples of passive rest include:  Sleeping Napping Getting a massage or other type of treatment, like acupuncture or reiki Watching a show or movie Lazing around and staring at the wall All amazing forms of rest. I recommend them all highly. But it’s a pretty short list that leaves out a whole other vital category of rest–and this is something that most people don’t even consider: active rest. Listening to Dr. Dalton-Smith’s interview from Wednesday this week where she shared the seven different types of rest and what to do to counteract any rest deficits you may have, it only reinforces this truth: Sometimes rest means doing something. Because more than just meaning being physically still, rest is anything that brings you back into balance. This episode sponsored by: Better Help – Give online therapy a try and get on your way to being your best self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm talking with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a Board-Certified internal medicine physician and work-life integration researcher. She's also the author of the book Sacred Rest. I'm fangirling a little bit because when Dr. Dalton-Smith was interviewed on a local NPR program, a friend of mine sent a link to our group chat and was so excited to tell us that being well-rested isn't just about getting sleep! We all got very excited to hear Dr. Dalton-Smith's message, because most of us, including me, struggle to get enough sleep a lot of the time. And I'm excited to share it with you!!Dr. Dalton-Smith’s websiteTake the rest quiz to identify your biggest rest deficit This episode sponsored by: Better Help – Give online therapy a try and get on your way to being your best self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m talking about rest. Not sleep, per se, but giving yourself what you need so that you can feel restored.And today I’m answering a question from a listener named Libby, who writes:“I’m having a hard time relaxing lately. It’s not necessarily that I’m stressed, it’s just that I find that I’m rarely doing nothing. I’m trying to be efficient with my time because there’s always so much to do, but it almost feels like a compulsion–to try to cross one more thing off my list. How can I teach myself to be OK with not being productive every minute of the day?”I share my answer, but would love to hear how you’ve weaned yourself off the desire (or the need) to be doing something productive every minute of the day. Shoot me a message on Instagram or email me at kate@katehanley.com. This episode sponsored by: Better Help – Give online therapy a try and get on your way to being your best self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you’re in the midlife realm, t’s really easy to focus on the changes that your hair, face, skin, body are experiencing and label them as negative and feel bummed out. Some days it’s like, how do I present myself in this new reality? So today I am sharing my go-to, number-one strategy for feeling fabulous–even when I don’t really feel fabulous. This strategy requires very little time, can be very inexpensive especially when you’re in to thrifting or your local buy nothing group although you can of course spend some money on it too. PLUS–I share a really silly story about my modeling debut at the Springhill Mall in Mobile, Alabama. This episode sponsored by: NextEVO – Use promo code BETTER to save 20% off your order of $40 or more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week is all about feeling good about how you look, especially when you’re in that midlife spin cycle where you feel like your appearance is changing before your very eyes. Today we're homing in on skincare at midlife--because your skin is literally the face you present to the world as well as an important component of health. And like every other part of you, it deserves your love and attention and support--not your blame or neglect.I'm interviewing Alayne White, a well-known and beloved aesthetician here in Rhode Island about her non-nonsense yet ultra loving approach to skincare, and what it means--and what it takes--to feel beautiful. This episode sponsored by: NextEVO – Use promo code BETTER to save 20% off your order of $40 or more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices