Ofosu and Leah talk with certified coach and clinician María-Victoria Albina about the signs and symptoms of workaholism and what we can do to break the cycle of burnout. They also discuss how to incorporate more intention throughout your workday to help alleviate stress. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SDnV4WmPZQU 📚 More about María-Victoria: María-Victoria is a trained Nurse Practitioner and Master Certified Life Coach. Her mission is for her clients to stop feeling anxious, exhausted, and overwhelmed, so they can have better relationships with their partners, parents, and themselves. You can learn more about her work here: https://victoriaalbina.com/ 🎤 Listen to María-Victoria’s podcast, Feminist Wellness, here: https://victoriaalbina.com/podcast/ 📱 Follow María-Victoria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaalbinawellness/ 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) Leah's experience as a workaholic (01:28) Meeting María-Victoria Albina (02:04) Ofosu's experience of workaholism as a child of immigrants (02:53) How to identify when you're working too much (04:23) Why it's not you (it's your nervous system) (06:55) The symptoms of overworking (08:18) How to incorporate mindfulness and choicefulness throughout your workday (09:56) Being a working parent (11:22) Accepting the circumstances of your life (12:52) Ask yourself: "What you need?" (15:34) Tips to transforming your habits (20:16) What's giving María-Victoria life right now 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1

Ofosu and Leah talk with Ofosu's mentor and teacher Ayesha Ali about her deliberate choice to pursue joy in the midst of growing older and going through difficult times. She shares her wisdom about how to embrace aging and feel more empowered from within, including the role meditation has played in shaping her perspective. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/XK9V--oTQiw 📚 More about Ayesha: Ayesha Ali is a teacher, poet, writer, and performer. She is the co-founder of Heart Refuge, a volunteer-run mindfulness community dedicated to cultivating love, courage, and healing for people of color and all orientations in Washington, D.C. She also teaches BIPOC, Queer, and Heartwidth groups at Insight Meditation Community of Washington.You can learn more about Heart Refuge here: https://www.heartrefugemindfulnesscommunity.org/ 📱 Follow Ayesha Ali on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crone.throne/ 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:00) Meet Ayesha Ali (02:45) Choosing to cultivate joy (05:28) Moving to your "baby self" (06:49) How Ayesha has embraced aging (09:28) The role meditation plays in Ayesha's life (14:02) More about Heart Refuge (15:32) What's giving Ayesha Ali life right now 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1

Ofosu and Leah talk with Olivia Johnson, Senior Employee Success Manager at Elevate Labs, the company that created the Balance app. She's the expert planner behind the company meetup that's brought everyone together—even Ofosu and Leah—in Los Cabos, Mexico. They discuss how to plan big events with introverts and extroverts in mind, and they share expert tips for providing comfort to both personality types in work settings and personal relationships. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/h9lWD3_r0Sc 📚 More about Olivia: Olivia Johnson is the Senior Employee Success Manager at Elevate Labs and an expert at making all personality types feel comfortable at company-wide events. Case in point: After the last meetup, 100% of survey respondents felt more bonded with their co-workers. 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:00) Meet Olivia Johnson (01:53) Leah's experience as an introvert working in tech (03:18) Olivia's experience planning big events (04:51) Introverts vs. extroverts (07:05) The power of perspective (08:33) Why setting expectations early is important (09:37) "It's a social marathon, not a sprint" (10:22) Ofosu's experience as an extrovert (13:11) Introversion and extroversion in romantic relationships (15:18) The social pressure to be extroverted (16:27) The pain of small talk (16:58) Tips for providing comfort to introverts during social gatherings (18:05) Making space for all personality types 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Ofosu's had a lot on his mind since the release of the video footage of Tyre Nichols being brutally beaten. So he and psychologist Dr. Maryam Jernigan-Noesi check in with each other and discuss the impact that race-related stress and trauma has on our mental and physical well-being. They also share practical tips for taking care of yourself after experiencing (or witnessing) a traumatic event. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/oFnO8w3hrO0 📚 More about Dr. Maryam Jernigan-Noesi: Dr. Jernigan-Noesi is a licensed professional psychologist with decades of experience as a scholar, clinical researcher, and mental health professional. She is a professor at St. Agnes College, where she heads the Intersections Research Lab, which investigates the effects of experiences of discrimination on health outcomes. She is also the co-author of the paper #racialtraumaisreal. You can find that, along with the Racial Trauma Toolkit, here: https://www.mmjerniganassociates.com/racial-trauma/racialtraumaisreal/ 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:00) Ofosu's reaction to the body cam footage being released (01:30) Meet Dr. Jernigan-Noesi (02:17) Why Ofosu isn't watching the footage (03:20) The impact of race-related stress and trauma (05:20) Checking in on Dr. Jernigan-Noesi's and Ofosu's emotions (07:12) The effects of our exposure to race-related violence (10:43) How to care for ourselves after experiencing a trauma response (14:30) The importance of seeking support (15:05) Resistance as a form of healing (18:29) What's bringing Dr. Jernigan-Noesi life right now 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Ofosu and Leah are together in Los Cabos, Mexico, and take advantage of this face-to-face time to check in with their emotions. They discuss what it means to be able to express exactly how we’re feeling and why we don’t give ourselves permission to do it all the time. They also share their tips for embracing more joy, and why leaning into sadness can actually make us happier. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/dTldF6_BATQ 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:00) Why Ofosu and Leah are together in Los Cabos, Mexico (01:40) Letting yourself feel sadness (03:35) Would you ever cry in public? (04:35) The fear of being vulnerable (08:20) Meeting sadness with compassion (09:28) Being okay with showing your darkness (10:12) Letting yourself fully experience joy (12:43) "Not enough" versus "too much" (13:30) Subconsciously sabotaging our joy (15:07) Owning your accomplishments (17:27) How a gratitude practice helps Leah experience more joy (18:42) Why Ofosu embraces discomfort 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Can you be disciplined and nice to yourself? Ofosu and Leah believe it’s possible. Actually, they say self-compassion is essential to reaching your goals. They also discuss their experiences of putting intense pressure on themselves to improve (and why this didn’t work in the long term) and share practical tips for incorporating more compassion into the ways you stay motivated. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ec5jRYmU-zM 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:00) Building discipline and having self-compassion (02:42) What does discipline mean to you? (03:38) David Goggins’ “Embrace the suck” (06:10) What’s motivating for different personality types (07:48) Why self-compassion creates long-term change (08:42) Dr. Kristen Neff de-bunks: Does self-acceptance lead to complacency? (11:04) Cultivating a lifelong relationship with your body (13:47) Comparison is the thief of joy (15:57) The importance of rest (16:55) Finding your “why” (18:15) Consistency is key (18:37) Reframing discipline as an expression of love 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy is proof that our words have power. So to honor MLK today, Ofosu and Leah look back on their conversation from MLK Day 2022 and discuss what his impact means to them in 2023. They listen to some of Dr. King’s moving words, reflect on what we can learn from them, and share ways to use our own words for good. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/EOaAoGcMv44 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:00) A message from Ofosu and Leah for MLK Day 2023 (01:54) Words from MLK's speech, "The Other America" (02:25) How to apply MLK's words to our own lives (03:37) Leah's favorite MLK quote (06:05) Ofosu's favorite MLK quote (08:42) How to remember the good in ourselves (09:44) Using your words to support others (11:56) What words come to mind when you think of Dr. Martin Luther King? (12:20) Creating visions in your mind of a more just world (13:55) Reflections on the power of Dr. King’s message in 2023 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Ofosu talks with photographer Thosh Collins about what we can learn about wellness from an Indigenous perspective. They also discuss the toxicity of mainstream wellness culture, the interconnectedness of your body, mind, and spirit, and how to take inspiration from others without appropriating their culture. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/F4DoK-71fHo 📚 More about Thosh: Thosh Collins was raised in Salt River, Arizona. He works as a photographer and serves as a board member for the Native Wellness Institute. You can order his and Chelsey Luger’s book, "The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well," which offers wisdom for achieving spiritual, physical, and emotional wellbeing rooted in Indigenous knowledge here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-seven-circles-chelsey-lugerthosh-collins?variant=40244015333410 📱 Follow Thosh Collins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thosh.collins 📱 Follow Chelsey Luger on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelsey.moves 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:29) Meet Thosh Collins (01:24) Inspiration for “The Seven Circles” (03:30) Aspects of Indigenous culture that affect your physical and emotional wellbeing (03:49) The toxicity of mainstream wellness culture and how to avoid cultural appropriation (06:50) Why inspiration isn’t the same as cultural appropriation (07:18) Thosh’s #1 tip to support your wellbeing (08:02) “Nature versus not” (09:17) Finding nature wherever you are (10:19) How Thosh uses visualization to cultivate his wellbeing: “Think, feel, act.” (14:13) Earth Gym: A new way to approach physical fitness and working out (17:11) What’s giving Thosh Collins life right now 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

So you found your word of the year in last week's episode, instead of making New Year's resolutions. Now what? Ofosu and Leah share practical tips for incorporating your word into everyday life, and they reveal theirs for 2023. Plus, hear Well Balanced listeners' words of the year, in case you need some last-minute inspiration. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/w_M7JQCl9UM 💭 And if you still need help finding your word for 2023, you can watch last week's episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/zh5bKKQv3bo 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:00) What Leah thinks about new year's resolutions (00:57) Why Ofosu avoids new year's resolutions (01:35) What to do if you're still finding your word for 2023 (02:35) Hear Well Balanced listeners' words of the year (05:20) Leah and Ofosu reveal their words of the year (07:55) Ensuring your choices align with your word of the year (10:05) Why your word of the year is different from a resolution (11:16) When Leah's word of the year didn't work (and why) (12:10) Having fun while growing along with your word (14:26) Having an accountability partner (15:30) Get 75% off a lifetime of personalized meditation (15:57) The power of positive self-talk 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, author Susannah Conway chooses a word to represent the intention she wants to bring into the new year. She talks with Ofosu and Leah about how to find your word for 2023, shares the questions to ask yourself as you reflect on 2022, and helps them choose contenders for their words of the year. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/zh5bKKQv3bo 📚 More about Susannah: Susannah Conway is an author, photographer, and teacher who’s been sharing her heart online for over a decade. You can download her free workbooks, “Unravel Your Year” and “Find Your Word” here: susannahconway.com/word 🎧 What’s in this episode: (00:24) Meet Susannah Conway (01:18) Susannah’s inspiration to create her workbooks (03:52) Why Susannah doesn’t set new year’s resolutions (04:13) Choosing a word of the year (05:05) Susannah reveals her three words for 2023 (06:31) Leah and Ofosu share their words for 2023 (07:50) The questions to ask yourself to find your word of the year (10:36) How to incorporate your word while meditating (14:30) Susannah’s tips for choosing your word (17:23) Get 75% off a lifetime of personalized meditation 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 4 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji