Episode 164: Self-Care For When Stuff Hits the Fan

When life unravels, emotions run wild, and the universe feels like it has you in a chokehold, self-care isn’t a luxury — it’s survival. In this episode, Autumn opens up about a deeply personal and emotional chapter involving her beloved dog, Lily, and how wellness becomes both lifeline and lighthouse when things get heavy fast.

This conversation is raw, human, unscripted, and rooted in what it really looks like to fall apart and still support yourself through it. Autumn shares what she’s learning in real time — how spiritual care, emotional grounding, rest, and slowing down allow us to cope with big uncertainty instead of being swallowed by it.

You’ll hear how the eight dimensions of wellness play into resilience, what it means to have a self-care “bank account,” and how we can rebuild when we’ve poured ourselves into everyone else for too long. Most of all, you’re invited to pause, breathe, and check in with your own needs — not someday, but today.

If you want support through seasons like this or want to work with Autumn one-on-one, visit wellnessineveryseason.com or explore free resources and programs anytime. You don’t have to walk hard things alone — and you are worthy of care, softness, and wellness even when life is messy.

For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."

Money isn’t just about math—it’s about your mind, your history, and your nervous system. In this episode, Autumn sits down with mental-health-focused finance coach and author Shang Saavedra to unpack why wealth is truly a mindset and why budgets keep “failing” for really human reasons, not because you’re bad with numbers.

Shang shares how childhood bullying, generational trauma, and growing up as an immigrant shaped her early “revenge success” story—and how she had to heal emotionally to build a healthier relationship with money. She walks through her three root causes of “bad” money behavior (feast and famine, adverse events, and scarce immigrant), the trigger → action → reward loop that quietly drives your spending, and why mental health needs to come before budgeting for lasting change.

Autumn and Shang also dig into:

• Why shame-based money advice backfires
• How divorce, medical debt, and caregiving can derail even high earners
• Teaching kids about money through modeling, chores, and allowance
• Why your career is not your identity—and how that truth can actually fast-track freedom

You’ll also hear Shang’s story of becoming work-optional in her 30s, the mindset shifts that made it possible, and what it really looks like to build wealth while honoring your mental health and values.

Connect with Shang on Instagram at @savemycents and learn more about her work and coaching at savemycents.com.

For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."

Ever wish the people you love could hear you more deeply — and wonder how you could give that same gift back to them?

Today’s episode explores one of the most important skills for connection, conflict resolution, and emotional closeness: true, intentional listening.

In this conversation, I open up about my own growth as a recovering fixer, a coach, a parent, and a partner — and how learning to listen instead of solve has changed every relationship in my life. We talk about the difference between venting and advice, how to reflect back what you hear so others feel understood, and why “What else?” may be the most powerful question you’ll ever use. You’ll also hear practical tools for listening when you’re overwhelmed, distracted, neurodivergent, or flooded with your own emotions.

We dig into body language, shared energy, reading between the lines, and even how to gently guide conversations deeper without forcing them. By the end, you’ll walk away with simple but transformative practices you can use immediately — with your partner, children, coworkers, and especially with yourself.

If you want to strengthen your communication and build more secure, emotionally safe relationships, this episode is worth every minute. I hope you feel seen here.

Connect with me:

Instagram + Threads: @wellnessineveryseason

Podcast website: wellnessineveryseason.com

For more wellness tips and exclusive content, join my newsletter! Sign up now at https://wellness-in-every-season.kit.com/5-days-to-mastering-mornings-and-evenings receive a free 5-day guide called "Awaken and Unwind: 5 Days to Mastering Life's Mornings and Evenings."