This May Be Oversharing...

I know this is not what I usually podcast about, but I can't not post about my fave race!! Here's some tips and tricks I've gleaned from running this race four times.

(TW: mentions of suicidal ideation) I'm back, and I'm all byyyyy myself! It's been quite some time since I did a solo episode, so I'm back with just some life updates and answering listener questions. Plus, I get really honest about my previously problematic drinking habits.

I'm so happy there's more of a discussion around postpartum mood changes, but I don't think there's enough conversation around how hormones around our menstrual cycles affect our moods. I talk with Carly Snyder, MD, a reproductive psychiatrist who works with women struggling with emotional symptoms throughout their reproductive years. We chat about *why,* as women, we feel less emotionally stable around our periods, and discuss Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), which is an extreme PMS that I've dealt with for several years now. And birth control—is it all evil as far as moods are concerned? Listen to find out!

Rachel Reichblum is the creator of the popular Instagram account @thatgoodgrief, where she curates the best grief and mental health 'grams for her devoted community. Rachel started this account after losing both of her parents within two years to the SAME kind of cancer. (WTF, world?) We talk grief, mental health, moving across the country after losing a loved one, and more! Trigger Warning: We also mention suicidal ideation.

Jess Cording is an RD who lives real life. She posts lots of healthy meals—but they don't take forever—and she also posts plenty of yummy cocktails, showing there's room in a healthy diet for some alcohol. We talk about how to be healthy despite shit going on in your life (Jess lost her father last year), drama-free healthy living and her upcoming book: The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits for Managing Stress and Anxiety. I love her approach to healthy living, and I think you will too!

I've long wished for some kind of group or community tying mental health struggles with running—and I found it about a month ago in an article! Sasha Wolff is the founder of Still I Run, a community that that runs for their health, raises awareness of mental health issues and works to stop the stigma. We talk about using running as a coping tool for depression, Sasha's own hospitalization and just kind of geek out on running. You'll want to get running after you listen!

Today’s guest is a dear friend of mine, Leanne Shear. I have such admiration for Leanne—she kinda seems to be awesome at whatever she does. She’s written two books, run a 3:29 marathon and, oh yeah, runs a badass fitness studio, Uplift Studios. We talk about the realities of building a business and staying strong through adversity, female empowerment, running, writing and more.

(Trigger warning: this episode discusses suicidal ideation/attempts.) Well, I guess that trigger warning is also kind of a spoiler, huh? I'm back from six weeks in residential treatment, and I want to explain a little bit more about what that's like for anyone who might be considering it for themselves or a loved one. I talk about why I went, what the process was like, and what I learned. (Spoiler: a whole lot!)

I have spent a lot of time offline in the past six weeks, and honestly it’s been kind of amazing, and I’m beginning to gain a clarity I’ve needed for a long time. But I've realized that I have just jumped into a lot of things in life, including this, without thinking and acting intentionally. I'm taking a little more time to think about what that means here, and I'm excited to come back with a much more thoughtful approach.

I'm so excited about today's guest, Melody Spencer. She is a marketing consultant/Facebook ad expert/podcaster/entrepreneur. She runs her own digital marketing business called Swiftly Social and hosts a podcast called Biz Babes with Soul, where she interviews amazing female entrepreneurs. Melody also struggles with depression, and we get really real about what that's like when you're trying to live and work authentically.

Grief can be a heavy, weighty thing; it can also be something so utterly absurd that all that's left to do is laugh about it. I interview Rebecca Soffer, co-founder/author of the site and book Modern Loss, an irreverent take on the grieving process. Rebecca is a Peabody Award winner, Columbia Journalism School graduate and former Colbert Report producer. Oh, and she's really freaking funny.

Ten years ago, I decided to change my life. Paleo, marathons, I've tried it all. But here's the 10 lessons that helped me keep with all of it.

If you work, you've *probably* dealt with some level of anxiety in your work/at work. Here's how to deal with mental health issues at work—and everything you ever wanted to know about therapy! I talked with NYC-based therapist Katherine Schafler to get the low-down on everything mental health. I really enjoyed our conversation, and I hope you will too!

Travel can be so, so good for your mental health—but it can also be really tough on it, too. I was lucky enough to just take a big trip to Spain, Morocco and Sweden, but my depression snuck into my suitcase with me. Here's what happened and how I dealt.

I have such admiration for my friend Kat O'Leary, which is why I scheduled her as my first guest! Kat works a 9-5 but has more side hustles than I can count—and more than she can remember! On this episode, Kat and I talk about everything from spirituality (including our lapsed Catholicism) to writing to running. Enjoy!

Welcome to This May Be Oversharing. I firmly believe that the things we're afraid to talk about are the things we SHOULD be talking about, so I'm going to tackle all of that here. Mental health, grief, career, running—let's get into all of it! I'm your host, Theodora Blanchfield, and I'm a writer with bylines in Women's Health, Prevention, Bustle, Mic and Daily Burn, among others. I'm also a certified yoga teacher, personal trainer and running coach, so I have some credentials to back up some of my fitness talk. I also blog at Preppy Runner, where I've been writing since 2009 (RIP Losing Weight in the City!)