The Fed+Fit Podcast | Nurturing a Healthy Mindset for a Healthy Lifestyle
We’re back with our 37th episode of the Fed+Fit Podcast! Remember to check back every Monday for a new episode and be sure to subscribe on iTunes!
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[powerpress]
Episode 37 Topics:
- Determining your end game
- College life “uppers”
- College life “downers”
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Ep. 37: Mindset Roundtable (FFCS Part 5)
This is the Fed and Fit podcast starting your week off with motivational thoughts on real food and fun fitness activities with Cassy Joy Garcia and co-host, Charissa Talbot. Remember our disclaimer; the information and opinions shared in this podcast are solely those of any given individual, and not a substitute for medical advice. Here are the ladies.
This week we’re going to talk about uppers, downers, and how to emotionally navigate your college experience.
TOPICS:
1. introducing Cassy’s guests [5:42]
2. Fed and Fit college student part 5 [10:41]
3. Downers [15:54]
4. Uppers [27:26]
Cassy Joy: And we’re back, with another episode of the Fed and Fit college student mini-series! Thank you guys for joining us again. This is episode number 37 unless my records are totally off! {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: They’re looking at me like, who doesn’t know what number you’re on! {laughs} So this is Cassy Joy with Fed and Fit, and I am joined today as a very special episode; I say that on a lot of episodes, but I actually mean it this one, with my two sisters; both Kim and Sam, who you’ve heard if you’re a long time listener of Fed and Fit podcast, you’ve heard both Kimberly and Sam. And I’m also joined by my college friend, Julie!
Julie: Yeah, hi!
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Everybody: {laughing}
Kimberly Dunn: Holla!
Cassy Joy: I hope you guys can hear us ok. We’re recording over other means; to be really transparent, if anybody is listening that wants to start a podcast, right now we’re recording over Voice Memos on my iPhone! So do what it takes, you can make it happen.
So I apologize for the funky audio quality, but I thought it was more important to have really cool perspectives on this bonus part of the miniseries. So this is the very last; I hinted at it in the last episode, but this is the last episode of this miniseries, and then we’re going to jump into a new topic. But we’ve gotten some really great feedback, thank you guys so much for tuning in via social media to give us some insight; I’m glad to know that this is resonating with folks. Whether you’re in the college scene or not, I think there are some good information nuggets. And I’m grateful that my sister, Samantha, has joined me for this series. She’s done an awesome job of donating her knowledge.
Sam and I have been wanting to talk about the things that we’re going to address in this episode since the beginning.
Samantha Garcia: Mm-hmm.
Cassy Joy: But it really didn’t, until now, really merit a full episode. Because it’s really all about mindset, and it’s a really ambiguous thing. You can’t really put your finger on attitude, right? You can put your finger on sleeping enough at night, drinking enough during the day. You know your amount and your water volume. {laughs}
Julie: Drinking enough booze?
Everybody: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: That was Julie. There’s things that you can actually do that are action items, I guess, that are so much easier to talk about and tangible, exactly. And when it comes to mindset, and thinking about things that are going to put you in the right state of mind, it’s really the context from where everything happens, but it’s the hardest thing to coach. Because unless you are doing all the right things in your life, your mindset is either there or it isn’t. {laughs} I did a really good job describing that.
Kimberly Dunn: You’ve got to want it.
Cassy Joy: You do.
Kimberly Dunn: You’ve got to want it. Or otherwise it’s not going to happen.
Cassy Joy: Absolutely. You’ve got to want it. And I think that knowing the landscape of things that are going to make you feel good, and the landscape of things that are going to make you feel crappy will; by the way, girls. {laughs} this is a PG podcast. {laughs}
Julie: Did I say something?
Everybody: {laughing}
Kimberly Dunn: Have I said something?
Julie: Because that would be very like me.
Cassy Joy: {laughs} No. But by my word choice of make you feel crappy…
Julie: Oh!
Cassy Joy: I decided it was probably a good time to tell you this is PG rated.
Julie: I appreciate the heads up.
Everybody: {laughs}
Julie: I won’t talk.
Cassy Joy: {laughs} Julie is our silent partner. Ok, anyway, that’s the point of this show today is to talk about kind of the things that are going to make you feel awesome, the things that won’t make you feel awesome, and kind of how to meet in the middle. And I really wanted to bring these 3 girls; so there’s four of us right now hanging out together, to talk about our own experiences and weigh in on, I don’t know, just all the arrows you’ve got in your quiver. {laughs}
Julie: And some life lessons.
Cassy Joy: And some…
Julie: Some life lessons that all of us in retrospect wish we had known in college.
Cassy Joy: Absolutely.
Julie: Because you learn them after college the hard way, and you look back and say; well, I really could have not gained that 20 pounds or not felt crappy my whole 4 years, or 5 years if you’re victory lapping.
Cassy Joy: 5.5.
Julie: Which is commendable.
Everybody: {laughs}.
Julie: So, you know, don’t take the hard way, take it from us.
1. introducing Cassy’s guests [5:42]
Cassy Joy: Absolutely. Totally. Ok, well now that you’ve heard a little bit about the show and who’s here, I want to do a better introduction really quickly.
Julie: {Julie speak} Really?
Cassy Joy: {Julie speak} Really quickly. {laughs} I promise, once upon a time, in the future.
Julie: {laughs} What.
Cassy Joy: Is once upon a time future appropriate?
Julie: It is not.
Cassy Joy: Introduction?
Julie: It is not but I want to what you were going to say.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: Once upon a future.
Cassy Joy: Once upon a future time.
Julie: Uh-huh.
Cassy Joy: There was an SNL skit that was modeled after Julie’s things.
Julie: {Julie speak} Sayings.
Cassy Joy: Sayings? I said things.
Julie: {Julie speak} And the way that I say them.
Samantha Garcia: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: The way that you say things.
Julie: The way I say it.
Everybody: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: Kimberly, who is also here today; now introducing Miss Kimberly Dunn who has been quoting Julie for the last month and a half.
Everybody: {laughs}
Julie: I’m flattered.
Kimberly Dunn: I can’t get enough, okay?
Julie: {Julie speak} Is it amazing?
Kimberly Dunn: {Julie speak} It’s amazing, and like I find myself standing like this ….
Everybody: {laughs}
Kimberly Dunn: {Julie speak} All the time, every time I finish phrases, my chin goes like this…
Everybody: {laughing}
Kimberly Dunn: {Julie speak} I call it the ice cream skip.
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: {Julie speak} That’s perfect.
Kimberly Dunn: {Julie speak} It’s pretty perfect.
Cassy Joy: I’m going to do my best to not talk that way the whole time. But that’s Kimberly; you guys heard her on, what did we record together about? Paleo on the road!
Kimberly Dunn: Paleo on the road.
Cassy Joy: That’s right.
Julie: Great topic.
Cassy Joy: It’s a great topic!
Julie: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: Something Julie is also very passionate about, but Kimberly, if you guys missed her, my sister is a country music singer/superstar.
Kimberly Dunn: Uh yeah!
Cassy Joy: And you can look her up everywhere! She’s a huge personality. She’s always on the road, and always doing her best to stay fit, active, and have a really positive outlook on life in general. She has an amazing job, and she’s constantly inspiring people on social media. I strung a couple of words together there.
Kimberly Dunn: That’s ok.
Cassy Joy: I’m going to brush past it. So she’s @KimmDunnMusic, look her up there. Next up, working counterclockwise of who I’m sitting next to is {Julie speak} Julie.
Julie: {Julie speak} Julie.
Cassy Joy: Julie is my college friend. She and I have been friends for …
Julie: Almost 10?
Cassy Joy: We’ve known each other for about 10 years.
Julie: Yeah, sure.
Cassy Joy: Safe to say, I don’t think we’re going to rid each other of each other at this point. She is a mover and a shaker. She does amazing things. She is an accomplished career woman and a solid sister, daughter, friend, all of those things. She’s a solid figure, and I would not have brought her on the show if she was not someone definitely I wanted you to hear from.
And then last but not least, I have my other sister, Sam. {Julie speak} Samantha.
Everybody: {Julie speak} Samantha! {laughs}
Julie: Is there an echo in here?
Cassy Joy: And if you’ve listened to the series so far, you know all about Sam because I’ve given her the same introduction for 4 now 5 episodes in a row. But she got her Master’s in student affairs development, and she has since moved back and started working. It’s just her calling and her passion, for now.
Samantha Garcia: I think I mentioned it before. I don’t care. {laughs}
Cassy Joy: She has. She works at Saint Mary’s. {laughs}
Kimberly Dunn: Good cover.
Everybody: {laughs}
Julie: That’s so….007.
Kimberly Dunn: That is.
Julie: Those are some big years, though. There are a lot of different life transitions that are big, but high school to college is huge.
Cassy Joy: I think it’s the biggest.
Julie: It’s the biggest.
Cassy Joy: And it’s the most difficult one to tackle, because.
Julie: You’re learning yourself.
Cassy Joy: You are! You’re going from mom and dad.
Julie: Yep. Rules!
Cassy Joy: Rules. To no rules.
Julie: And being fed your own meals, you know? And I think the biggest thing for me was being in organized sports. Unless you’re playing professionally; not professionally, but you’re playing in college, you’re not in an organized sport anymore. So you were in an organized sport, and your parents were grocery shopping, and now it’s all you.
Cassy Joy: Mm-hmm.
Julie: All you!
Cassy Joy: Totally.
Julie: Huge deal.
Cassy Joy: It is. It’s a huge deal. And then you’re dealing with relationships that you’re leaving behind you.
Julie: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: You’re dealing with new roommates. Anyways, I think Samantha has an awesome perspective; again, why I brought her on the show to begin with, and she really helped me to build this entire outline. She’s eating a banana right now, so she’s not commenting. But it’s why I brought her on the show so she could offer some of her wealth of knowledge. I think she does a really amazing job of really summarizing some easy access points into a balanced life.
Julie: Yeah.
2. Fed and Fit college student part 5 [10:41]
Cassy Joy: In that transition. So, that’s everybody on the show today! So let’s jump into it!
Everybody: Yeah!
Cassy Joy: Ok, so, mini-series bonus. Part 5. We’re going to kind of keep it short and sweet. And we’re going to talk about 2 things. Which is {Julie speak} unique. {laughs} Because I usually talk about a lot more than that.
So, when you’re going to college; and again, like we’ve said; Sam’s probably annoyed of me saying this by now. But on this whole series, though we’re talking to college students, anybody going through a transition in life, whether you are transitioning to a new job, to a new relationship, to a new city, you’re going to go through ups and downs. There are trials and errors. It’s going to be really uncomfortable. And when life is really uncomfortable, you tend to sacrifice on food and fitness.
Julie: First.
Cassy Joy: First!
Julie: Immediately.
Kimberly Dunn: {Julie speak} Immediately.
Julie: {Julie speak} Immediately.
Everybody: {laughs}
Julie: I tried to refrain from saying that first. What I really wanted to say was {Julie speak} immediately.
{laughing}
Julie: It does, it goes first.
Cassy Joy: Absolutely.
Julie: For whatever reason; it’s maybe self preservation in some other area of your life, but food and fitness go first because you put your time elsewhere.
Cassy Joy: Absolutely.
Kimberly Dunn: You’re constantly focused on fitting in, on a new environment.
Julie: it’s a sacrifice that you make on your physical body for some emotional need that is new.
Everybody: Uh-huh.
Kimberly Dunn: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: Absolutely. And so what we want to touch on; and just kind of daylight, because it’s not something that I think I did.
Julie: No. I didn’t have this guidance.
Cassy Joy: No! But I didn’t think about the fact that if I were ahead of the game on the mindset, and the food, and the fitness thing, I could have made life so much easier for myself in that transition. Like; why don’t you teach your students, Sam, during your classes; but if you’re able to really tackle some of these more basic issues, life will be easier.
Samantha Garcia: Yeah.
Julie: I think getting ahead of it is the best part.
Cassy Joy: Yeah.
Julie: If I go into something with a mindset, it changes everything. If you get halfway through it and you’re like; well.
Samantha Garcia: And like Julie said, you have to want it. Students; freshmen especially, are going to hear a million things. Especially during orientation; everybody is telling you, you need to get involved, you need to go to this center if you need help with this, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah; and it’s usually in one ear and out the other.
Cassy Joy: Mm-hmm.
Samantha Garcia: But it’s really a matter of, what are you trying to preserve yourself; you in school for what? To be educated. You’re probably spending a ton of money, especially if you’re at a private, and you don’t have scholarships or anything like that, and you’re spending a ton of money, you’re spending a lot of time so there are a lot of stressors that are involved there. But what’s really going to make you a well-rounded and good student is to focus in on what you’re putting into your body, how you’re spending your time, and listening to what it is your body; what you need. What it is you truly need, and figuring out that that’s what you need to want.
Cassy Joy: That’s a great point.
Julie: it is.
Cassy Joy: it is. Focusing on your needs and letting those dictate your actions.
Julie: And in terms it gives you better relationships, and you feel more rested, and you feel like you can balance all of the things that you need to be a part of.
Cassy Joy: Totally. That’s exactly it. So it’s kind of like; I feel like quiver is such a weird word. {laughs}
Julie: It is. It’s a bit sexual.
Cassy Joy: {laughs} PG, Julie!
Julie: Sorry.
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: You said it! {Laughs}
Cassy Joy: But I want you to have as many arrows in your quiver {laughs}.
Julie: What?
Cassy Joy: As possible. A quiver.
Samantha Garcia: It’s the thing that you wear on your back when you’re a, marksman? An arrowsman?
Kimberly Dunn: When you’re Legolas.
Cassy Joy: When you are Legolas. {laughs}
Julie: When you are Legolas from Lord of the Rings, it’s what you wore on your back.
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: That is not relevant.
Cassy Joy: And this is why we’ve been friends for 10 years.
Julie: That is unacceptable. As an analogy.
Cassy Joy: Really?
Julie: Let’s talk about books in your bag.
{laughing}
Julie: Tools in your shed.
{laughing}
Julie: Crayons in your box.
{laughing}
Julie: Quiver is unnecessary.
Cassy Joy: I’m sweating. I just wanted you to know.
Julie: It smells.
{laughing}
Cassy Joy: I’m sweating in my lace romper. B T Dubs. I didn’t even say this, but the reason we’re all in the same spot is because they threw me a bridal shower today!
Yeah!
Julie: It was great.
Cassy Joy: It was so sweet. Julie and my other friend Morgan threw me a shower, and the theme of it was eat, drink, and be bloody Mary’d.
Julie: As it should have been.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Julie: And we were bloody Mary’d today.
Cassy Joy: We were. We were. And dinner was amazing.
Julie: So what are we going to talk about?
Cassy Joy: Sorry. I’m so distracted.
Julie: The content. The meat. The meat. Because we all love meat.
3. Downers [15:54]
Cassy Joy: We do. I hope you guys are enjoying this. Ok, I’m going to get down to it. So we’re going to talk about today, the two things. Back to it; coming back. We’re going to talk about downers and uppers. Really simply. We’re going to run through a list; we think we’ve identified the things that are going to possibly bring you down, and the things that can bring you back up. And just like we said before, knowing what you’re getting into a head of time is probably going to do more for you than the actual experience.
So if you know that an all night, going out, hanging out with your friends is probably going to make you feel bad and it’s going to be a total downer, right? Downers are things that keep you from being yourself.
Julie: Knock you off your feet for a couple of days.
Cassy Joy: Exactly. Knock you off your feet. Keep you from being there for your friends. Keep you from being there for your parents.
Samantha Garcia: Or for you.
Cassy Joy: Or for you! Exactly. Things that keep you from getting great grades.
Julie: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: So those are the downers we’re going to talk about. We’re going to identify them, and we’re going to talk about them really quickly. And then we’re going to move onto the things that are uppers, so you can focus on those instead.
So, downers. One downer could be getting a bad grade.
Julie: Terrible.
Kimberly Dunn: Horrible.
Julie: The worst.
Cassy Joy: Been there.
Julie: Worst when you thought you did good!
Cassy Joy: Ugh, that’s the worst.
Kimberly Dunn: Or when you feel like you studied, and you know nothing on the test.
Everybody: Ugh!
Kimberly Dunn: And you are like bawling, and the last one in the room taking the test.
Cassy Joy: That doesn’t sound personal at all.
Everybody: {laughing}
Kimberly Dunn: You’re done! And they take it away from me, and you’re like I’m not! I’ve got 80 more pages to go!
Julie: I know!
Cassy Joy: Oh that’s the worst.
Julie: I don’t know if anyone has told anyone on the podcast this, but answer the ones you know first. Because then you at least get like a 50. Move through the test, and skip the ones you don’t. Just answer what you know.
Cassy Joy: That’s good advice.
Julie: And then go back and cry.
Everybody: {laughs}
Julie: At least by the time you’re crying, you’ve answered the ones you know. At least by the time you’re crying, you’ve got a 40.
Kimberly Dunn: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: Oh my gosh, that’s great. In case anyone is wondering, we’re all Aggies.
Julie: We are all Aggies. Not an easy school.
Cassy Joy: It’s not.
Everybody: No.
Cassy Joy: We all went to Texas A&M in College Station; and graduated.
Julie: {Julie speak} Graduated!
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: Not with honors.
Everybody: {laughing}
Cassy Joy: Hashtag: not with honors.
Julie: Hashtag: Diploma for the win.
Cassy Joy: {laughs} Ok, another downer. Getting broken up with.
Kimberly Dunn: Hurts.
Cassy Joy: Sucks. It’s going to happen.
Everybody: Yeah.
Julie: College is the worst.
Kimberly Dunn: It makes me go to McAlister’s and get a bacon spud. The worst.
Cassy Joy: Yes!
Kimberly Dunn: Like every time.
Cassy Joy: And drown it in ranch?
Kimberly Dunn: Yeah! That and sweet tea, it’s like those comfort foods.
Julie: So good; yeah!
Kimberly Dunn: Immediate; what {Julie speak} immediate.
Julie: {Julie speak} Immediate.
Cassy Joy: {Julie speak} Immediate.
Kimberly Dunn: What would you immediately go to? That’s what I wonder.
Julie: Yeah. That does hurt, and I feel like college is where they start to hurt more. First loves hurt, you know, whenever that happens. But in college, it’s like, you start to grow up and you start to see your life moving forward with the person, and the breakup is like gah.
Cassy Joy: Mm-hmm. All of a sudden then it becomes your life’s plan that’s off.
Kimberly Dunn: Affected.
Julie: Maybe that’s just Texas.
Cassy Joy: Is it just Texas? Earth to world?
Samantha Garcia: Earth to world. I saw a lot of in Washington.
Cassy Joy: That’s right! Sam went to college in Washington.
Julie: Oh good.
Cassy Joy: She had her Master’s there.
Julie: You know, and when it happens, I feel like it’s ok. If ice cream is your thing; you have that ice cream. But then you get back up.
Cassy Joy: Totally. I’m with you. And that’s a part of anticipating downers. It’s like, if you anticipate; like, you know what, this relationship is ending, it’s going to suck. And me being Cassy and wanting; you as a listener if you’re going through a tough time what I want you to do is I want to hug you; I want to say cry your freaking eyes out, feel all of the things.
Julie: Self-loathing.
Cassy Joy: Don’t bottle up anything. Eat that whatever it is that makes you feel better. Have a whole pint of ice cream; I’ve done that with so many girlfriends. Go have a giant spud at McAlister’s; eat the whole darn thing.
Julie: Big bottle of champagne.
Everybody: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: Says my friend {Julie speak} Julie. {laughs}
Julie: You don’t have Nebuchadnezzar’s on the daily?
Everybody: {laughing}
Cassy Joy: What, dare I ask, is a Nebuchadnezzar?
Julie: For any of you who don’t know, when P. Diddy goes to the club…
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: A Nebuchadnezzar I think is equal to 50 bottles of champagne.
Cassy Joy: No it’s not!
Julie: I swear! I swear.
Cassy Joy: Eww.
Kimberly Dunn: Nebuchadnezzar!
Julie: It’s ginorm, and they rap about it in songs, so you’re welcome for that drop of knowledge.
Everybody: {laughing}
Cassy Joy: Julie just mic dropped and walked away.
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: Always.
Cassy Joy: But I want you to anticipate the fact that it’s going to hurt, and that you can get over it. Ok? So that’s one of those things. It’s a total downer. Or even if you’re doing the breaking up with!
Julie: Still sucks.
Cassy Joy: It sucks!
Kimberly Dunn: Still sucks.
Samantha Garcia: Still sucks.
Cassy Joy: Anticipate it sucking, and move on.
Everybody: Yep.
Cassy Joy: Because you can. Another, which is kind of in the same regard, but parting ways with a long time friend. It’s going to happen. It’s going to happen. It’s weird. It’s really weird, because if it’s not a romantic relationship, you’re like, what is there to complicate this? We’re friends. We hang out, we have a great time, we identify with each other. We’re like the soul mates without the romance. There’s a whole lot of awesome stuff that goes on, but you eventually, as you’re growing, especially with that time period in life, there’s a lot of changes.
Julie: Huge growing pains.
Cassy Joy: It is. So anticipate that the same way you would with the romantic relationship. Another downer; going out all night. You know, it sounds like a lot of fun, but the next day, I guarantee that going out all night long is going to be a downer over your day.
Samantha Garcia: Yeah, it’s not the best.
Cassy Joy: It’s not the best! Not that it’s not worth it sometimes.
Julie: There are occasions where you can choose; this is worth it, tomorrow I have nothing. There are sometimes when it’s appropriate. But when it’s Thursday nights at the tap, you know? And that was our thing.
Cassy Joy: Yes.
Julie: When it’s like Thursday nights, and you go out all night and you know you have a test and whatever is going on and you might ruin your weekend; it’s just not worth it.
Cassy Joy: It’s not.
Kimberly Dunn: And even the overconsumption of alcohol. I’ve, even after when I graduated, I got into a group of people that were in the music industry, and they would drink all the time. And it was like, nonstop, and I would wake up the next morning, and I’d be like; man, I spent all this money and I feel bad! What is this concept? I’ve been doing this for many years, and just didn’t realize. And then I finally, through a lot of learning of it all, just stopped doing it. It was like, I don’t want to spend that money to feel that bad.
Cassy Joy: Yep.
Julie: Yeah. In my first 8 years of my career, my job was to travel and take clients out. And drinking all night, even a little bit different from you, Kim, was that my company was paying for it. So it was like, no consequences, except that there were consequences. I felt terrible, and I wasn’t’ my best self, and I wasn’t working up to my expectations. I think it’s really important to ask yourself what your end game is. At the end of the night, what are your goals? Will that next drink really elevate your good time? Or can you just grab a water and make sure that tomorrow is not so bad? We’re not saying don’t drink. We all enjoy the beverages.
Everybody: {laughs}
Julie: We lourve the beverages.
Cassy Joy: That’s spelled L-O-U-R-V-E. {laughs}
Julie: Lourve! And we lourve having a good time, and dancing. There are drinks that get you up to that point where you’re having a great time, and then there are drinks that tip you over the edge where tomorrow will suck.
Cassy Joy: Yep.
Julie: So figure out where that point is.
Cassy Joy: Anticipate it.
Julie: Anticipate it, and grab a water, and cut it off. Or do the two drinks to one water rule.
Kimberly Dunn: Yeah.
Julie: We can still have fun.
Kimberly Dunn: I think the big thing for me was that everybody was still drinking, I felt left out. I was like, oh they’re going to know that I’m drinking a water, and they’re going to think that I’m not…
Julie: It’s huge.
Samantha Garcia: That you’re not partying.
Kimberly Dunn: Exactly, not partying, and I’m going to be a downer for the group. What I’ve been doing is just order something that’s bubbly. Like tonic water.
Everybody: Club soda!
Kimberly Dunn: Club soda with a lime.
Julie: Lime or lemon.
Kimberly Dunn: And it looks like you’re drinking a vodka something.
Julie: And tell them that you are!
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Kimberly Dunn: Yeah, and tell them that you are!
Julie: Lie right to their faces!
Everybody: {laughs}
Kimberly Dunn: Exactly! Lie! Just do it! Because it’s going to be better for you in the long run!
Cassy Joy: I want that to be a social media shareable for this show. “Lie right to their faces!”
Julie: Lie right to their faces!
Everybody: {laughs}
Kimberly Dunn: Yes, I am so drunk right now.
Julie: This vodka water…
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: Is so {Julie speak} crazy right now. They made it {Julie speak} so strong. I’m going to be {Julie speak} so wasted.
Cassy Joy: And it’s totally just club soda.
Julie: It’s just {Julie speak} water.
Cassy Joy: I think that’s great advice. Ok, moving on. Another giant downer could be, by the way.
Julie: Your mama!
Cassy Joy: We were just joined by my mama!
Cassy’s mom: Hello.
Cassy Joy: {laughs} You probably couldn’t hear her, she was pretty far away. Ok, so another downer could be spending energy; we’re pretty close to the end. But could be spending energy on things that don’t serve you. So that could be a crush that’s really draining.
Julie: And boys are the worst in college.
Samantha Garcia: The worst! Don’t put your self worth on some dumb boy. I’m sorry.
Kimberly Dunn: Or girl!
Cassy Joy: Or girl! For the dumb boys and girls listening…
Julie: I’m just; men are the worst until they’re 30.
Cassy Joy: Yeah! I mean there are some good ones out there, but for the most part realize that you’re worth more than that.
Julie: Yes.
Cassy Joy: Don’t put your energy on draining friendships. Don’t put your energy on grade obsession; because that is a downer. As much as you think that might propel you, as much as a night out of drinking might seem like a lot of fun; grade obsession is actually going to hurt you in the long run.
Julie: Yeah, and unless you’re trying to get into grad school, which is one thing, most employers just want to see that you got a degree and you didn’t completely suck. But that you got a degree, but also that you’re well rounded.
Cassy Joy: For sure.
Julie: Involvement. So grade obsession doesn’t always get you where you think you want to be.
Cassy Joy: For sure. And then lastly, another giant downer is body obsession, and this could probably deserve its own episode so we’ll just lightly touch on it right now. But being overly concerned about what you look like or what other people think you look like is not going to serve you.
Julie: It’s not healthy.
Cassy Joy: It’s not healthy! At the end of the day, what I want for you is for you to be comfortable in your own skin and happy with who you are, and just feeling like you’re ready to take on the world. Oh my gosh, this is a total crap shoot. Because that’s the best way I can put it. The schnauzer just walking himself in.
4. Uppers [27:26]
Cassy Joy: Ok, let’s talk about the uppers! Hey Eli!
Kimberly Dunn: Joining us now!
Samantha Garcia: Eli!
Kimberly Dunn: Eli the schnauzer.
Samantha Garcia: This is my dog, I’m so sorry! {laughs}
Cassy Joy: Don’t apologize. Can you hear him sniffing?
Samantha Garcia: He loves everybody. Oh he’s stepping on the computer.
Cassy Joy: He’s going to type. He’s got some input.
Samantha Garcia: I can puter; I can do that.
Cassy Joy: I can puter. I can do it.
Samantha Garcia: Another great thing that we’re about to get into is the uppers, and what you can do to bring yourself up when you’re having a really hard time. And one of them just joined us in the room.
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Samantha Garcia: is having a little furry friend.
Everybody: Mm-hmm.
Samantha Garcia: Having, yeah, a little puppy. {laughs} A cat or something. So if you don’t have a cat or a dog, and you live on campus, something like that, there is most likely an animal shelter near you. I know my sisters and I always used to go to the animal shelter when we were in college. Kimberly actually adopted while she was in college, an amazing giant black dog, Jackson. So it’s really important to find those things that will bring you up, and help those downers go the opposite direction.
Cassy Joy: Totally. I think other things we could quickly talk about as far as uppers go include going to the park and going for a walk is an upper! It might seem kind of like a time waster, and maybe you’re like, oh my gosh, I cannot afford to take this time away from studying or away from all of my activities. But going for a quick walk and being by yourself is huge. Working out; like we talked about on the last episode, if you want to know more about working out, go to episode 4 from the mini-series, but we’ll talk all about that. Getting involved in your school; huge.
Julie: Big one.
Cassy Joy: Julie brought that one up before we jumped on the call. But really involving yourself in university helps you feel like you’re a part of something larger than yourself.
Julie: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: And that is a major upper.
Kimberly Dunn: Isn’t that how you guys met, too?
Julie: Yeah, that’s how Cassy and I met. We were involved in the same organization.
Cassy Joy: It is.
Julie: It’s so fun!
Cassy Joy: Shout out to Fish Camp and Maggie’s. If anyone listening is a member of those; whoop!
Julie: And I will tell everyone on this podcast that my first job I actually got because of my involvement at my school, and they were impressed with what I was involved in. Not only was I just involved as a member, but I moved through in the leadership role, and that over any internship actually got me my first job out of college, so it’s big.
Cassy Joy: I totally believe it. It’s huge. I really, really encourage you, if you are a college student listening to this to go and look up student organizations, find something that speaks to you, get involved, and get into a leadership position in that organization. Don’t just become a member. I want you to become the treasurer; the vice president; whatever it is.
Samantha Garcia: Director.
Cassy Joy: The director!
Julie: Yep.
Cassy Joy: Find a way to get involved, and make a difference. Because that will actually; I really believe that was my biggest takeaway for my college career.
Julie: Huge. I grew so much through that.
Cassy Joy: Those leadership organizations.
Kimberly Dunn: I think so; I had a similar thing, but I wasn’t the treasurer and I wasn’t the president, or any leadership role, and I found other ways of being connected and joining other groups that weren’t affiliated with the university. So there’s all sorts of other things you can do. And I kind of; you know, growing up with Cassy was always really inspiring, because you were always in those types of organizations and you were always in a leadership portion type of role. It seemed, for me, sometimes a little bit unattainable because I didn’t think; I didn’t give myself enough credit to think that I would deserve something like that.
So there are multiple organizations out there for all sorts of kinds of people. Even if you don’t feel like you want to be in a leadership role. I was in plenty of roles that I felt a part of something that was bigger than myself. And I think that’s what it takes; just being a part of something that you can claim to a greater goal and a greater good.
Cassy Joy: That’s great insight.
Kimberly Dunn: Yeah; I think that’s a big thing.
Samantha Garcia: One piece, if you’re a freshman or sophomore; even junior or senior, if you’re having a really hard time connecting with your school, you’re saying that you hate it, you’re calling home all the time, telling mom and dad you want to leave, you want to go to a different school. Maybe you moved far away and you’re in a different state altogether; what’s really going to help you is finding people that you can connect with. So again, get involved in an organization, because that is what is going to keep you around and make your college experience worthwhile. The people are what keep you; not all the time is it the studies. It’s the people that keep you.
Julie: I would say it’s less the studies than the people.
Samantha Garcia: Yes.
Julie: And finding your place.
Cassy Joy: It is. You’re organizations become your home away from home, and I’m glad Kimberly brought that up, because I don’t want you to think that just because; oh my gosh, I still remember campaigning for student body vice president when I was in high school, and losing, and thinking the world was coming to an end. I don’t want you to feel that way. Like Kim said; get involved in something that speaks to you, be a part of a community. I just want you to feel ownership in it.
Everybody: Yeah.
Cassy Joy: Whether you’re a member or you feel like you have an active leadership role, own it. And that will give you that community and that family relationship. Ok; so the last things that will make you feel like an upper. I’m going to quickly roll through these. Like Sam said; go to a freaking dog shelter.
Everybody: Yeah!
Cassy Joy: You never know, you might see; the first Great Pyrenees I ever fell in love with was at a dog shelter, and I didn’t know it was a Great Pyrenees at the time. I was like; he was this giant white dog with a fluffy tail, and he loved me!
Everybody: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: He was so sweet! And that’s what Gus is if you don’t know. Take you time, even if you’re an extrovert. I think we already talked about that. Go home to see your family, or Skype your family if they’re too far away. You cannot put a price on family time, so make time to do that. At least once a week, call your family. Enjoy a home cooked meal, whether you’re cooking it or you found a friend with an apartment and they are cooking it with you, it’s important I believe to have community meal time.
Julie: Food brings people together.
Cassy Joy: Food brings people together. Eat well, take care of yourself. A total upper. Taking care of yourself and eating well is just like; I mean, it is just energy in the energizer bunnery.
Julie: Bunnery.
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: The energizer bunnery! That’s where they make bunnies! That’s where bunnies come from.
Kimberly Dunn: That’s where those energizer bunnies come from, the bunnery.
Everybody: {laughing}
Cassy Joy: The bunnery.
Kimberly Dunn: And all things tasty, like donuts and cupcakes.
Julie: I would also like to go back to cooking. I think it’s super fun. My mom had recipes that just felt like home, and I would have her send me the recipes, and I would go out with my friends, and we would get all the things and we would make that dish. And then we would alternate, and next time my friend got to make her mom’s dish. And we had roommate dinner night, or friend dinner night, and it was so fun. It just feels like home.
Samantha Garcia: That is fun.
Julie: It’s nice.
Cassy Joy: I so encourage that. For the longest time, my mom wrote me a recipe card for my favorite recipe growing up, and I made it with all of my student organization groups, and it’s called the crab dip. But when my mom transcribed this on an index card, she accidentally transposed a “P” for a “B”.
Everybody: {laughs}
Cassy Joy: So for 5.5 years, everyone called it crap dip.
Everybody: {laughing}
Julie: Crap dip!
Cassy Joy: And they loved it.
Julie: Lourved!
Cassy Joy: Lourved! They lourved it! And I have since been working on a paleo adaptation, it’s going to happen. Maybe not in this next secret publication, but in the next one.
Julie: And it felt like home!
Cassy Joy: it did.
Julie: It’s so fun.
Cassy Joy: It makes a huge difference. Ok, and then lastly; like you learned about on episodes 2 and 1; drink lots of water and get enough sleep. Those are total uppers, they’re going to be your foundation for feeling awesome.
So that’s it!
Everybody: Yay!
Cassy Joy: We did it! I’m going to go let my sisters and my friend {Julie speak} Julie.
Kimberly Dunn: {Julie speak} Julie.
Julie: {Julie speak} Julie.
Cassy Joy: Go eat dinner at this point, but that you guys so much for joining us again! This has been a really fun mini-series. I’m going to put together some really good material for the next one, but this one was especially special, and I’m grateful to have these gals with me, so thanks girls!
Everybody: Yeah!
Julie: {Julie speak} Amazing!
Kimberly Dunn: {Julie speak} Amazing.
Julie: It is amazing.
Cassy Joy: Ok, thanks guys. We’ll be back again next week.
Julie: Bye!
Cassy Joy: {laughs}
Julie: K’ bye!
Cassy Joy: K’ bye.
