Calm it Down
Episodes
Healing Our Relationship With Food
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's something about sitting down to a plate of food that can make us feel immediately guilty. We think about all the things we could have done dif...
Laughing at Life's Unpredictability
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every morning is a chance for a fresh start. A chance to heal, grow, laugh, and embrace all of life's unpredictability. Today may be tough, but it's a...
Hurry Sickness - The Burnout of Balance
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like you're constantly in a hurry? Like you never have enough time for everything? Overwhelmed and stressed out? If so, then you may ...
Party of One - The Loneliest Number
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Loneliness. That nagging feeling that something is missing, and no matter how much we try to fill the hole, it always seems to come back. Loneliness h...
Oceans of Change - Beginning Something New
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The other day someone wrote to ask my advice on adapting to new seasons. They are entering their first year of college away from home and wanted to kn...
As Real As It Gets - Dealing with Depersonalization
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dealing with depersonalization can be a challenge. Sometimes, it feels like you are living in a dream and everything is not real. It's hard to focus o...
You Are Not a Burden
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Unicorns and suicide have something in common: they're both based on fiction. We like to think of suicide as something that doesn't happen to real peo...
Aim for Failure
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Failure is something that we often try to avoid. We are taught from a young age that it's not okay to make mistakes, and that we should always do our ...
Using the Breath Switch - Easing Anxiety with Your Breath
06 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine if we had a switch that could instantly ease our nerves. We could flip it whenever we felt anxious or stressed, and breathe a sigh of relief a...
Lifelong Lessons
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In order to get the most out of anything, you must first bring an understanding of what it is you want from it. And that means even with this podcast ...
The Iceberg of Nostalgia
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Aw, nostalgia. Traversing merrily down memory lane is such a delight, until it isn't. Sure it's fun to see old pictures of what you wore 30 years ago ...
The Kind You Live / You Are Not Alone Pt 3 / Mental Health Month
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode takes inspiration from the touchingly beautiful book, "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse", by Charlie Mackesy. While it's somewhat...
The Fog of Shame / You Are Not Alone Pt 2 / Mental Health Month
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How often have you ever thought "I'm probably the only one that thinks, acts, lives this way." As much as I want to talk about it with someone, anyone...
One Moment at a Time / You Are Not Alone Pt 1 / Mental Health Month
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first episode in a month-long series on mental health awareness. In May, which is mental health awareness month, we are talking about self...
Blessings in Disguise
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You know those times when you're worrying about something and then it turns out not to be a big deal after all? It's almost like the universe is tryin...
Which Way to Go? (The Compass of Intuition)
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some nights you just lay there asking yourself "did I do the right thing today? Did I turn right when perhaps I should have turned left? The mind spin...
When They Don't Love You Back (Unrequited Love)
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wuv, Twue, Wuv. No, today’s episode isn’t about one of the greatest films ever made (The Princess Bride) but something I’m certain we’ve all e...
Finding Serenity
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
in 1932, theologian Reinhold Niebuhr inked one of the most recognizable aspirations of serenity ever written. So much so, it became ingrained in many...
Dirty Dishes of Happiness (learning to Focus)
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dishes. The pile up, we ignore them. Or, we rush through them to just ....well....rush through them. Who would have ever thought a Vietnamese Monk wou...
Just One More Time
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the first animal that comes to mind when I say “break through”? What animal literally kicks its way free in order to move into the next c...
Scars of Hope
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Scars. Scars are hard. They’re a reminder of something we went through that we would rather forget. They can be a source of shame, or a source of st...
Confrontation Station
08 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sticks and stones may break my bones but.....can you do it in-love? Today, we talk about a different kind of love. No, not tiger-mom, helicopter-paren...
Where Does Your Happiness Come From?
01 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A question we rarely stop to think about. We wake up, brush our teeth, maybe have breakfast and before we know it we're on the treadmill of the day un...
The Struggle is Real
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you can't explain it to a child, then how can you explain it even to yourself? Today, we embrace the reality of 'struggle' through the eyes and wis...
The Show Goes On
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Singer/songwriter Taylor Swift had a hit a few years ago called Shake it Off. In full transparency all I can remember of the song is the tag-line "sha...
In Times of Struggle
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I can't help but to hear McCartney's voice with the opening lyrics of Let it Be but hearing anything from the Beatles is never a bad thing. But life, ...
Calm the Mind - Meditation 101
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a world of noise, of ups and downs, of shiny things in one direction and something flashy in another. How in the world are you supposed to ‘c...
Comfortably Numb - The Wall We Build
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who would've thought we would learn so much from Pink Floyd's 1979 album, The Wall. As life happens, we get the various bumps, setbacks and punches ...
Embracing Where You Are
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I had SUCH an overwhelming response to the first episode of 2022 "Resolve to Love Yourself". Thank you. So, we pick up from our 'ditching New Years ...
Annoyed (A Lesson in Empathy)
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode comes from a listeners request and I LOVE the honesty in their asking. "What do you do when you HAVE to be around someone you just don't ...
Resolve to Love Yourself
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re tired. We’re all exhausted. With everything we’ve been handed the last 2 years and the ‘who knows what’s around the corner’, person...
Understanding Someone Else - Currency Part 2
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We pick up from last week's episode Understanding You - Currency, Part 1 as we turn our focus now to someone else; Understanding Someone Else - Curren...
Understanding You - Currency Part 1
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I'm reminded, oddly, of the scene in The Notebook where Noah keeps asking "what do you want!?" to Allie as she keeps replying "it's not that simple!" ...
Your Own Unique Self
14 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I can say with a pretty good amount of certainty that the person you are today has a lot to do with the people around you. From toddler to teenager we...
The Puzzle of Grief
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Grief. Even the word bears a heaviness like no other. We've all had a loss in some way or form. But perhaps there's a different way of looking at the ...
Your Favorite Picture
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is your favorite picture? The one at your desk or hanging on a wall that always seems turn any day of rain into sun. While that picture is your e...
Take a Break, Part 2 - Take a Nap
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine one day you’re going through your grandmother’s attic. Shifting through the boxes passed down for generations, you come upon a hand writte...
Take a Break, Part 1 - Take a Walk
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Wanna be creative? Want to be the smartest person in the room? Want to know how so many people have the best ideas? Well, I'm going to share one of th...
Life Lessons (Tips for De-Stressing
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone should know the warning signs when our bodies are telling us we're under too much stress but what to do about it is rarely taught. Which mean...
Color Me Sad
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Great. Everything is….great, supposedly. The pressure to look great, to feel great, to post something great but what if I just don't feel great. Wha...
Summer, Shades & Emotional Sunscreen
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Aaahhhh, Summer. The sun, the surf, the sandcastles. It’s finally here. Blanket? Check. Shades? Check. Sunscreen? Don’t forget the sunscreen! Can’...
We've Been Through a Lot (Last Episode of Season One)
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is bitter sweet. Bitter in the sense that it's the final episode of Season One but sweet in looking back to see all that we've come th...
Easing Back into Life (Post-Covid)
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What next? Restrictions lifted almost daily as guidances continue to lend a hand towards the world reopening. It’s the hour we’ve all been waiting...
Mental Health Pt. 2 - Anxiety
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we break down the two types of anxiety and how to work through them. Join me as we bring...
Mental Health Pt. 1 - Depression
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"Sssshhhh!!! Don't talk about it. Nobody wants to hear it.", they say. "But, who's they? And why can't I talk about it?", you ask. May is Mental He...
Camp Forgiveness
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I can probably sum up one of your worst experiences in 2 words; summer camp. There's no skirting the teenage years without at least one encounter of s...
You Are Not a Fish - The Importance of Self Worth
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"I'm worthless.", said the fish. "I can't even climb a tree. The squirrel can. Look at him." We're each uniquely, and beautifully, different. And wh...
ARGH! Anger Management 101
13 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A reckless driver cuts you off without a ‘sorry wave’, you’re finally next in line and they just sold out, my kids won’t let me even finish a ...
Digging Out the Root of Stress
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Stress. Big stress, little stress, it's all the same. Anxiety, fret, worry, we can wrap it in numerous boxes but in the end, stress is .....well, stre...
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How often have you looked in a mirror and said “is that really me?” Not often, I would imagine. Usually we recognize ourselves, at least I hope. ...
Dark Side of the Moon
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why are you here? What’s left in life? What’s your purpose? My word so much pressure in finding our p-u-r-p-o-s-e. So much so there’s even such ...
Outracing a Cheetah
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Change. We change. Our activities, our elements, even our shoes change. I mean, if you’re still wearing your shoes from 5th grade, I hand it to you....
Missing it While Waiting
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Drivers license, check. Graduation, check. College (if that’s your thing) check, career, pets, family, kids, grandkids you have an endless array of ...
Drivers License
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest hit song of 2021, Drivers License, is the coming-of-age heart cry that’s been recorded like so many others long before the microphone wa...
Spilt Coffee
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the worst that could happen? And why is it that’s generally the first thing we think about; the worst possible scenario! Listen in as we le...
Words of Life
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every now and then we need just a little push. Be it a first step or crossing the finish line, sometimes we just run out of steam. Today, in celebrati...
Add a Little Flare - Depression Pt 3
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Depression has many currents and undertows throughout this ocean of life. And while it often feels like you’re surrounded by sharks and drowning, y...
Cherry Blossoms - Depression Part 2
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we hop over to Japan to learn of the beauty and significance of the Cherry Blossom within the Japanese culture. Sakuras, as they’re known...
You Can't Always Get What You Want - Depression, Pt 1
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sure, sure, you’ve heard the Rolling Stones’ “You Can't Always Get What You Want”?, since you were knee-high but do you KNOW the story behind ...
What's Your Problem?
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What’s Your Problem!? No, seriously. What is your problem? And let's be honest. Is it really a problem? After years of my asking countless couples...
Make Your Moments Matter
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Think about a day last week. Any day. What was your favorite day from last week? During the noise and the chaos of those seven days was there a moment...
Breaking Bad - Cracking the Code of Habits
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Habits. Patterns. Behaviors we’ve put in place purposefully or not. At the start of the new year we kid ourselves with our bravado of new ambitions....
Auld Lang Syne - a Cup o’ Kindness Yet
29 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Ah, the song that everyone sings until the third sentence as we fumble our way through...
Bah humbug - Ebenezer Scrooge, the Greatest Role Model of All.
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Heartless, egocentric, selfish; these are not the qualities we generally bestow upon role models. A role model is a leader, someone who avows empathy ...
Wish - The Four Letter Word
15 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wish. Has there ever been a word so empowering yet so debilitating? It’s the bedrock of fairy tells just as much as the downfall of dreams. “I wis...
Oh the Lives You'll Change - You Matter
08 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You. You've been 'there' since day one. You know your best days, your not-so-best days, your struggles, your success. And while some days you feel not...
Regrets Are So 15 Minutes Ago
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Calm it Down Podcast, we reframe the stumbling block of Regret. Believe it or not, Regret can be a Reward when we look at it the ri...
Planes, Trains & Automobiles - The Walk in Someone Else's Shoes
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I just heard the first holiday song on the radio. It’s official. The holiday season is here. But, this year, everything is different. Listen to th...
Dear Insomnia, Go to Bed!
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Insomnia. It's the ‘not so sleeping giant in the room’. Exhausted, we climb into bed knowing we'll crash as our head hits the pillow until we don...
Do Absolutely Nothing, No Really
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"We can't even climb out of bed in the morning without grabbing our phone. What'd we miss? Emails, news, FB reminding me it's someone's birthday? Wait...
Won't You Be My Neighbor? The Company You Keep is the Character You Become.
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode we take a little inspiration from Mr. Rogers and a lot from Brad Montague's fantastic book "Becoming Better Grownups". When we st...
The Rating Game - Vincent Van Gogh Would Have Hated Instagram
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
2 words; social media. Our lives are consumed by it. We've successfully entered a world where reality is wrapped in horseback rides at sunset, helicop...
Wax On, Wax Off - The Mundane Mastery of Mr. Miyagi / Dealing with Anxiety in 3 Easy Steps
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Life’s every query imaginable is just a touchscreen away. Umbrella or sunscreen? Google it! Dinner reservations via phone? Open Table! Birthday pres...
It's Okay to Cry
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It would be redundant to say this year has been one besieged with perplexities and uncertainties. Covid, civil unrest, emotional distress, a people di...
The Gratitude of a Chipmunk
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's redundant to say 2020 has been a doozy. The ups & downs have been like two kids playing seesaw on an emotional playground. In reality, though, w...
Calm007 - Keeping a Calm Mind in Midst of a Storm
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan & Daniel Craig. These 007 icons are the epitome of cool no matter the danger. But who needs ...
Crap Happens - Letting Go of Control - Part 2
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We plan, we schedule, we assume we're in control of our destiny but what do we do when those plans turn to poop? Life certainly has its share of disap...
A Coin Tossed Life - Letting Go of Control - Part 1
15 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In Super Bowl 54 the Kansas City Chiefs met the San Francisco 49ers in Miami, Florida before a ruckus crowd of more than 60,000 fans. Spoiler alert, S...
You're Not Alone - Suicide - Special Episode
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Over 1 million Americans attempt suicide every year. Every 40 seconds around the world someo...
What Do You Say to a 10 Year Old?
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I go searching for inspiration in the most random of places, birthday cards. All in hopes of finding what really to tell a 10-year-old.
Life Lessons from a Snow Globe
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We take a few lessons from the star of the Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy, as he shows us a most creative way of processing our thoughts.
Official Trailer - Calm it Down
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the Disney classic film, Finding Nemo, we learn from the character, Dory, a superpower technique in calming the mind. And while we all know 'Just K...