Wilde Wellness Coaching

12/28/2024

There's a lot happening right now that might be dragging down your mental health. If your mental health was already fragile, winter and the state of the world might have you hanging on by a thread.

Our nervous systems are not meant to live in a state of constant threat and chronic stress can make mental health challenges even heavier. The good news is, there are things we can do to care for ourselves even when times seem dark.

I am a board-certified health coach with a focus on mental health. In this online video workshop, we will explore ways that we can tend to our heart and mind and support our nervous systems. We will meet in community, I will give you options, and you will walk away with a personalized plan to care for yourself in new ways.

Space is limited, so sign up soon if you're interested. Feel free to send me a message with any questions. Please note that health coaching is an evidenced-based support for emotional health but it is not a substitute for therapy.

You can register at www.wildewell.com

11/23/2024

This is my friend, Jamie, who is also a health coach focused on mental health and she’s got an offering I wanted to share with you all.

Hello, friends.

If you desire a space to simply be, I’m offering a new opportunity to connect: the "Be With Community" group, meeting Monday evenings.

This is a space to share what’s on your mind, laugh, cry, celebrate, or sit quietly with others who understand the beauty of mutual support. You don’t have to have it all figured out—just bring your authentic self.

Here’s what you can expect:
🌿 A casual, drop-in support space—no pressure, no expectations. Come as you are, when you need.
🌿 A safe environment to feel heard, whether you’re celebrating a win or moving through a hard moment.
🌿 Occasional guest appearances to help you expand your network of care and resources.
🌿 A focus on being together, without the structure of coaching—just heartfelt connection.

Each week is about meeting yourself and others with compassion and presence.

Ready to join us? Visit www.wholeuhealth.com/contact/ to register and receive the Zoom link.

You belong here. 🌱

11/07/2024

Our nervous systems are really freaked out right now, which makes sense because our survival centers are being triggered. There are existential threats looming, and many of them facing people who have already been marginalized. 

One of the best things that we can do for ourselves right now is to have tools and strategies to calm our nervous systems down. Because being in a constant state of fight, flight or freeze leads to depression, anxiety and shut down and also it just feels sh*tty.

I’ll have more content and offerings on this soon, but for now I’m dropping a meditation in comments. Big invitation to find a comfortable place where you feel safe, close your eyes and give it a listen. If you try it, I’d love to hear what you notice in comments.

Meow meow meow I love you all. 

11/06/2024

My business page has been inactive for a while as I have focused on beginning the recovery from a life changing loss. I’ve also been engaged in a full-time health coaching job with an amazing company that aligns with my values of making the world a better place.

Given the current circumstances, I’m feeling called to reengage more in my private practice in order to support people with chaos and fear. So I thought I’d start by introducing myself again.

I am a board-certified health coach with a master’s degree in Health Coaching from the University of Minnesota.

My focus is on emotional health and holding space for people in their struggles and helping them find a path forward by building habits, strategies, and skills to support their mental health. This is both my career and my soul’s work.

This picture is me with the two people (my babies) who have taught me the most about making your way in the world as a sensitive human in a world that seems to be on fire.

And after last night, the world really does feel on fire. The worst thing for mental health is isolation and the most healing thing for our mental health is community. I’m working on an idea that I’ll put out there in the next few days, but for now, hello again!

01/31/2023

Friendly reminder that your body goes into fight or flight mode when you don’t eat and your blood sugar drops. This leads to feelings of anxiety and panic and who needs that?

And also, counter to what diet culture tells us, your brain needs carbs to function.

Making sure you eat every 3-4 hours is one important way to tend to your mental health!

01/07/2023

What's the role of a Health Coach in mental health?

My coaching practice is increasingingly focused on mental health. Because first of all, there's no real line between our mental, emotional and physical health... it's all just health. I've also noticed that we tend to notice mental health symptoms as a sign that something isn't working, and it can be easier to tune into our mental health as a way to make changes. We also tend to notice the results of changes we make through the lens of our mental health much faster.

And because it's all just "health", the actions we can take to feel better (mentally, physically, and emotionally) are often the same; managing stress, getting rest and sleep, moving and feeding our bodies, setting boundaries and connecting with others, with nature and a sense of purpose.

If a client needs help beyond what a coach can provide, a health coach is also trained and skilled and helping people find the resources they need and advocating for themselves within the system.

Clients that I've worked with have seen a big decrease in their anxiety and depression symptoms and have mastered skills and tools to navigate their lives. Sometimes through coaching, clients realize that they could also use help from a therapist when maybe they didn't feel ready for that at first. Sometimes clients come to me when they feel like they're done with therapy and are looking to find a new approach. Some clients work with both a coach and a therapist and find a lot of traction with this approach.

If you're feeling stuck and looking to make some changes to support your mental health and emotional wellbeing, you can book a no-cost consultation with me to learn more. If you've got any questions, shoot me a message or post them in comments.

Learn the difference between a mental health coach and psychiatrists, psychologists, and other therapists. And get tips on whether a coach is right for you.

01/04/2023

What does my coaching work look like?

Lately, I've been working a lot supporting people with anxiety and panic by teaching them to tune in and befriend their nervous system. This looks like noticing stress cues and finding your own personal recipe to calm things down and it can feel like putting yourself back in the driver's seat.

I've been working with one client for a few months now, and she's really been doing the work and seeing the results. In our last session, she was reflecting on all of the differences that she's seen in her life because of this work; less anxiety, panic and emotional reactivity and more observing and noticing instead of "getting pulled down in the mud" (her words).

And then she said something that really lit me up, "There's more room for love now". As she's been able to care for and tend to herself in new ways, she's able to show up for others differently as well. And this is how we change the world, one person at a time.

Here's to making more room for love.

12/24/2022

Gio is so helpful!

12/19/2022

I've been noticing a frenzied energy when I'm out running errands during the holiday season and then having a little "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me" situation going on.

Does this sound familiar? Even when my errands aren't holiday related it's hard to ignore that there's so much more going on out there right now which can lead to feeling like ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ON A MISSION TO BE IN MY WAY and OMG LOOK AT THESE LINES.

I notice the tight feeling in my chest and my neck muscles and that feeling of irritation over every thing that doesn't go my way and then I remember... whoops... those are my stress cues and I know what to do about that!

Elevated stress levels are pretty common right now, but the good news is that there are things we can do. In fact, being trapped behind people who are moving slowly or in a long line is the perfect opportunity to practice some deep breathing to calm down the nervous system.

My favorite in times like this is Box Breathing and it goes like this... breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts and hold for for counts. What I like about this technique is that it gives the mind something to focus on, because when we're really stressed it can be hard to focus on breathing. The mind can focus on counting and even imagine tracing the 4 sides of the box. Pro-tip... be sure your inhales are coming from your belly to get the full effect.

Next time you're feeling the stress level rise, give it a whirl and let me know what you think!

12/17/2022

I’m a “sunny and 95” kind of girl but today I’m grateful for snowshoes that got me out in this wonderland ❄️

12/13/2022

My coaching focus is increasingly on mental health. I work with a lot of people who are experiencing high levels of anxiety and even panic. One of the first things I coach them to do is ask themselves, “did I eat?”

Because first of all, our brains do not work without proper fuel. And even more importantly, low blood sugar activates the body’s “Stress Response“.

This article focuses on “hanger”, but low blood sugar can be felt in a number of ways. Low blood sugar causes the body to dump adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. This is part of the body’s evolved response to keep us safe from danger. The effect is a rapid increase in anxiety that can even rise to the level of panic in some people.

To complicate things further, stress and anxiety can have the effect of suppressing appetite in some people. So it’s possible that we don’t even feel those natural hunger cues that tell us it’s time to eat. Instead our blood sugar drops and now we’re in a full-blown spinout. And then add in the fact that diet culture glorifies not eating (don’t get me started)… it’s a recipe for disaster!

It’s not uncommon in my work with people with anxiety and panic for them to discover that they frequently have high levels of anxiety and panic at a certain time of the day, and that they haven’t eaten for five hours or more.

Here are some things that I work on in coaching people with this issue…

- be intentional about eating every three hours or so

- do this even if anxiety and stress have shut down your appetite

- plan ahead so that you are able to eat every three hours or so

- if your appetite has been suppressed due to stress and anxiety, support yourself by having things on hand that usually sound appealing

- when you feel anxiety, panic and emotional reactivity coming in, ask yourself if you’ve eaten and if you haven’t grab some thing as quickly as you can 

There are other interventions to bring down anxiety and panic, like deep breathing and other centering practices. But these can be challenging to implement when your blood sugar is low.

I hope this has been helpful, and if after reading this you realize that this is a big issue for you and you’d like some ongoing support, I’m here for you! You can book a no cost curiosity session with me to explore how coaching might support you and your mental health.

And now a quick check in… Are you hungry? If so, go get some food!

Hangry neurons may be remnants of a time when humans needed extra motivation to forage for food.

11/25/2022

Today (and every day) I’m grateful for Mama Nature. Just 10 minutes in nature leads to a significant reduction in stress levels. I personally like to lay on the ground and look up at the trees.

What’s one of your favorite things about nature? Feel free to post pics!