Listen as new host Jackie Carroll, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, leads you through a short meditation for reflecting on your values. Each month, Jackie will guide you through a new meditation aimed at deepening the resilience practice offered by co-host Amy Rodquist-Kodet. You can find the episode transcript here .
Listen as new host Amy Rodquist-Kodet, a health coach with UK HR Health and Wellness, leads you through a process for identifying, narrowing and integrating your values. You can download the worksheet and follow along with the transcript in the episode show notes . Each month, Amy will explain a new practice you can try to build your resilience and thrive more.
Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., an academic advisor with UK Gatton College of Business and Economics, joined the “Becoming Wildly Resilient” podcast in July 2023 to talk about putting values into action. Listen as Willie shares his story and what he’s learned about resilience along the way. He talks about his experiences as a gay Appalachian, the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year and connecting with folks near and far as an advocate. Willie also shares tips for being a better ally and reads a p...
Dr. Connie Jennings, medical director of UKHC Integrative Medicine and Health, joined the “Becoming Wildly Resilient” podcast in April 2023 for a nurturing conversation about nature. Listen as Dr. Jennings shares an abundance of joy and passion for, and knowledge of, our world outside. Throughout the episode, you’ll learn how nature can dramatically improve our physical and mental health. Dr. Jennings explains why we should seek moments of awe in nature. You’ll also hear ways nature can teach us...
Dr. Dan Stone, a Professor of Accountancy in the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics, joined “Becoming Wildly Resilient” in April 2023 to talk about mindfulness, money and the intersection of the two. Listen as Dan shares his “wealth” of knowledge from his personal life and professional work as a professor, researcher and mindfulness teacher. You’ll hear Dan explain what mindfulness is and how it gets us back in touch with what it meant to be human 250,000 years ago. He provides ways you...
Dr. Alex Elswick, an Assistant Extension Professor with the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, joined “Becoming Wildly Resilient” in March 2023 to talk about addiction, recovery and our shared humanity. Alex is also a co-founder of Voices of Hope, a Lexington-based non-profit supporting people who use or have used drugs or alcohol and are seeking better health. Listen as Alex shares a wealth of knowledge from his lived experience and professional work. Some of what you’ll learn inc...
Rhonda Henry and Eric Wilkinson, mental health therapists with University of Kentucky Human Resources, returned to “Becoming Wildly Resilient” in February to chat about creativity. Listen as they explain: the four types of creativity; how creativity benefits our personal and professional lives; why we sometimes lose sight of our creative capacity; and how we can cultivate more creativity throughout our days. You’ll also hear them discuss creative writing and receive two starter prompts for explo...
Jason Brooks, Executive Director for Institutional Engagement with the UK Office of Institutional Diversity, and Dr. DeShana Collett, PA-C, a professor with UK College of Health Sciences and University Senate Chair, joined “Becoming Wildly Resilient” this month. Listen as they discuss the vital topic of diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly how they drive belonging and connect to well-being in the workplace. Some of what you’ll learn includes: what diversity, equity, and inclusion are, a...
The holidays and new year bring joy and celebration but can also be a little hectic, stressful or bittersweet. During this time, it’s common to forget to take care of ourselves. So, this month’s episode is a little different. Listen as some of the work-life and well-being experts with University of Kentucky HR Health and Wellness share how they have been practicing self-care lately. You’ll also be guided through a short 5-minute self-compassion meditation by health coach Jackie Carroll at the en...
Lindsey Mullis and Morgan Turner, program director and program education assistant for the Kentucky Inclusive Health Collaborative at the UK Human Development Institute, joined host Jakob Hester this month to talk about the intersection of well-being and disability. In addition to the knowledge they bring from their professional roles, Lindsey is a parent of a child experiencing disability, and Morgan experiences both cognitive and physical disabilities. You’ll hear their stories and learn: what...
Alissa C. Briggs, PhD, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and licensed psychologist with UK HealthCare Adolescent Medicine, joined host Jakob Hester this month to talk about resilience and mental health in children and teens. You'll learn about: what it means for children to be resilient; the protective factors and skills that enhance children’s resilience; current mental health trends in school-age children; and how to support resilience and mental health as a parent or caregiver. Alissa also...
Kim Releford, LCSW, a mental health therapist with HR Health and Wellness, joins host Jakob Hester to discuss two of the most common mental health conditions: anxiety and depression. In this episode, you'll learn about: the relationship between anxiety and depression; the signs and symptoms of each and how we can recognize them in ourselves; how the stigma is lessening but still persists; and when to seek professional help and what you can expect when you do. Kim also shares tips for managing an...
Vanessa Oliver, a registered dietitian nutritionist with UK HR Health and Wellness, returns to the podcast to talk about diet culture. As a certified Intuitive Eating counselor, Vanessa shares this framework contributes to our resilience. Listen as she and host Jakob Hester discuss: what diet culture is and why it is problematic for our overall well-being; how diet culture has disguised itself as wellness culture; what it means to have an anti-diet mindset; and ways we can overcome and dismantle...
Dr. John Nash, an associate professor of Educational Leadership Studies in the UK College of Education and director of the Laboratory on Design Thinking (dLab), joins host Jakob Hester to talk about taking a human-centered approach to fostering belonging and de-risking innovation in the workplace. You'll learn about: our need to experience belongingness; what human-centered design is and how it can help bolster belonging; and how we can ask better questions to discover and meet others' unmet nee...
In this episode, host Jakob Hester is joined by Dr. Erin Hester, an assistant professor in the College of Communication and Information who also happens to be his wife. They close out the second year of the podcast with a conversation on empathy and compassion. Listen as they discuss: the definitions and differences between the two; benefits of each, both in and out of the workplace; and ways we can get better at experiencing empathy and expressing compassion. You can view the show notes here ....
Amy Rodquist-Kodet returns to chat about flow for the final conversation in a three-part series on (re)discovering our spark and seeking more true fun. In this episode, she and host Jakob Hester discuss the benefits and subjective nature of flow, what inhibits flow, and some tools and tips for finding your flow at work, at home or with others. They also wrap up the conversation on true fun with ideas for how you can start feeling more alive again. You can find the episode show notes here ....
Drs. Anthony Limperos and Scott Soltis join host Jakob Hester to chat about connection for the second conversation in a three-part series on (re)discovering our spark by seeking more true fun. In this episode, you’ll learn: what it means to feel and be connected; why connections matter; how modes of connection have changed in recent years; and how we can cultivate more connections in and out of the workplace. They also share some personal examples of true fun and connection, plus discover multip...
Ann Bassoni, a mental health therapist with HR Work-Life, returns to kick off the first of a three-part series on (re)discovering our spark by seeking more true fun. In this episode, Ann and host Jakob Hester chat about playfulness, one of the three core elements of true fun. You’ll learn: what true fun is and is not; why focusing on true fun is a way forward for us; how playfulness and laughter are good for our minds, bodies and relationships; and how humor helps make the workplace feel more hu...
On this episode, Audrey Bachman, a Training Specialist Senior with HR Training and Development, chats with host Jakob Hester about emotional intelligence (EQ). You’ll learn about the fundamental skills and benefits of EQ, how EQ shows up in our personal and professional lives, and how we can develop our EQs individually and collectively. Audrey and Jakob also share personal examples of lessons they’ve learned through their EQ journeys. You can view the show notes for this episode here ....
Dr. Natalie Jones, an Extension Specialist for Family Health, joins host Jakob Hester on this episode to share what she has learned about physical, mental and emotional resilience through her experiences as an endurance athlete. Among her long list of athletic accomplishments are the completion of three Ironman races and a recent coast-to-coast cycling trip. Listen as Natalie shares how she got started, what keeps her going, and how she’s adapted to the challenges she has faced over the years. Y...
Dr. Kate Leger, Assistant Professor of Psychology from UK College of Arts and Sciences, joins host Jakob Hester to close out 2021. In this episode, you’ll hear them discuss how we experience and respond to daily stress, why we’re hardwired to cling to negative events, and ways we can cope with both by using principles of positive psychology. They also dive into the specific benefits of practicing gratitude and how you can cultivate more of it. You can find the episode show notes here ....
Health coach Jackie Carroll recently joined host Jakob Hester on the show to talk about slowing down—what it is and how we can get better at it. To complement their interview, Jackie recorded this meditation to help you slow down. Be sure to go back and listen to the full episode, titled " Episode 16: Slowing Down ," to learn more about the importance of slowing down, plus hear other ways you can incorporate it into your everyday life....
In this episode, health coach Jackie Carroll returns to the podcast to talk about slowing down. Listen as she and host Jakob Hester discuss what it really means to “slow down” and why it is an essential practice for your well-being. You’ll also hear why it is challenging to practice slowing down, as well as some examples of ways to slow down or support others who may need to slow down themselves. You can find episode show notes and more here ....
In this episode, Dean Jay Miller, PhD, from the College of Social Work joins host Jakob Hester to chat about self-care and cultivating workplace cultures of support. Listen as they discuss some common struggles of self-care and the importance of intentionality and personalization in self-care planning. You’ll also hear Dean Miller offer advice for approaching self-care at the administrative and employee levels, including examples from the College of Social Work’s self-care initiative. Episode sh...
This month, Tommy Leach, a training specialist senior with HR Training and Development joins host Jakob Hester to chat about growth mindset. Listen as they discuss what growth mindset is and how it can make us more resilient. You’ll also hear Tommy explain how we can foster a growth mindset within ourselves and among others. You can find the episode show notes here .
In this episode, host Jakob Hester is joined by Dr. Lauren Whitehurst, an assistant professor of psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences. Listen as they discuss how you can discover and achieve better sleep. You’ll also hear Dr. Whitehurst explain how sleep is tied to our emotions and can help us be more resilient during our waking hours. You can find the show notes for this episode here ....
This month, host Jakob Hester looks back at the first year of conversations by recapping all 12 episodes so far. Whether you’re new to the show or have been listening for the past year, this special episode offers an opportunity to catch up or reflect on what you’ve learned so far. You can find the episode show notes and survey link here .
Ryan Mason, an exercise specialist with HR Health and Wellness, joins host Jakob Hester this month to chat about recent physical activity research. Listen as they discuss how the data show we’ve been moving and what we can do with that information to improve or maintain our physical activity and exercise. You’ll also hear them break down SMART goals and how you can apply this process to plan a clear roadmap to where you want to be. Episode show notes can be found here ....
In this episode, host Jakob Hester chats with HR Work-Life mental health therapists Ann Bassoni and Rhonda Henry. Listen as they reflect on what we’ve learned over the past year and what we need more of moving forward, both individually and collectively. You’ll also hear how mindfulness can help keep us grounded when thinking about the past or the future, plus simple strategies for discovering self-care routines that work for you. Episode show notes can be found here ....
Listen as host Jakob Hester previews the 2021 employee well-being week "Moving Forward with Our Well-Being," presented by UK HR Health and Wellness and Work-Life. Jackie Carroll, a certified health and wellness coach with HR Health and Wellness, will also guide you through a mindfulness exercise to help you discover what is possible for you and your well-being. To learn more about "Moving Forward with Our Well-Being" and register for any events, visit the link here ....
