Mind Matters With Mia
By Mia Yen
Stay tuned for a new series where Mia will talk to teens and young adults in the community about their personal mental health stories!
Mind Matters With Mia May 15, 2022
28. Big Changes and Big Emotions w/ Jacquie Pershing
Hi everyone and welcome back! I know it's been a while, but I'm so excited to bring you this episode with the wonderful Jacquie Pershing-- Valencia's amazing social worker and wellness coordinator-- for Mental Health Awareness Month in May! Straight from the school's wellness room, Jacquie and I chat about the complicated emotions that often come with big changes in our lives. Whether that be excitement, fear, grief, or a messy mix of them all, we're covering it all!
Note: With high school graduation and college quickly approaching, I am taking an indefinite break from the podcast, but this isn't the end of Mind Matters with Mia! I'm hoping to continue this in some form during college, but I will be forever grateful for these past few years creating this podcast
27. The Ups and Downs of Applying to College w/ Xagros Faraji
Hello everyone and welcome back! Today I'm talking to one of my close friends Xagros Faraji about... college apps! As high schoolers in the fall semester of our senior year, we are right in the middle of a very stressful season. Tune in to hear us talk about our essay-writing processes, our thoughts on prestigious colleges, and how comparison is the thief of not only joy, but also sanity.
(Quick note: Some of the audio was deleted during recording so about halfway through, there's a slightly awkward transition. Thanks for understanding!)
Hope you enjoy!
26. Eating Disorder Recovery and Therapy w/ Laura Boifort
Hi and welcome back to Mind Matters with Mia! Today, Mia is sitting down with Laura, a fellow senior in high school, to talk about her mental health experiences. Laura gives a great tip for eating disorder recovery and reflects on the forms of therapy that have worked for her.
25. Fighting Stigma as a Queer and Disabled Youth w/ Sam Sterba
In this episode Mia talks to Sam Sterba, a recent high school graduate, about his identity as a transgender man and his journey transitioning. We go into how gender dysphoria affected his mental health and how the stigma around his disabilities makes him feel.
24. Our Love/Hate Relationship with Social Media w/ Payton Josing
Welcome back to Mind Matters with Mia! In this episode, Payton and I break down how social media affects our mental health in several ways- from comparison, to validation, to addiction, we get into it all! Bottom line: it's not all as real as it seems. Hope you enjoy!
23. The Truth about Productivity w/ Zoe Monterola
Hi everyone! In today's episode I will be talking to Zoe Monterola, a rising freshman at UCLA. We had a great chat about what "productivity" really means to us and how the construct has both helped and hurt us. Hope you enjoy, and remember, you are your biggest investment!
1 YEAR OF MIND MATTERS WITH MIA!!
One whole year!! What?! I'm so thankful for every single one of you for listening and supporting throughout this awesome journey. There have been over 4000 individual listens over this past year, and we have reached 63 countries and 37 states! That is beyond my wildest dreams and I am so grateful for everyone's support. Stay tuned for some exciting things in the next few months and if you enjoyed this episode or any other one, I'd love if you could leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. If you want to be notified every time I post an episode feel free to subscribe too!
Check out my new website (preferred on desktop): mindmatterswithmia.wixsite.com/podcast.
Follow me on Instagram @mindmatterswithmia
Email me at mindmatterswithmia@gmail.com with any episode ideas, collaborations, or questions.
22. Yoga for Mental Health w/ Dani Ibarra
Welcome back! Today I am taking a quick pause from the student series to bring you this episode with Dani Ibarra, a trained yoga teacher who specializes in therapeutic yoga. We have a great conversation about the history of yoga, its benefits on students, and how it physically affects our mental health. We finish off with a short but impactful breathwork session, so stay tuned for that!
You can find more of Dani at www.daniibarra.com!
21. Navigating Mental Health in College Pt. 2 w/ Adia Fadaei
Hi! This is part 2 of our mini college series where I talk to college students about how their experiences have affected their mental health! Today my guest is Adia Fadaei, a freshman in college, and we'll be talking about how to handle the feelings of not being in control in a time of uncertainty. We also go into her awesome job at a teen crisis hotline and what lessons she’s learned from going to therapy.
20. Navigating Mental Health in College Pt. 1 w/ Kelsey McIvor
Hi everyone! Today's episode is the first in a 2 part miniseries on navigating mental health in college. Today I’ll be talking to Kelsey McIvor, a freshman at UC Berkeley! We talk about the little things that have gotten her through her first semester of Zoom school and how to enjoy life better while struggling with anxiety. Hope you enjoy!
19. Dealing with Pressure from Parents w/ Trinity Quattlebaum
Hi everyone! In today's episode I talk with Trinity Quattlebaum about the pressure she gets from her parents about schoolwork, grades, and more. We talk about how this has affected her mental health, how she copes with it, and the advice she has for anyone going through the same thing. Hope you enjoy!
18. The Fears and Freedoms of Coming Out w/ Shanzay Hassan
Hi and welcome back to the podcast! Today I’m talking to Shanzay Hassan, a junior in high school. Her story about coming out as lesbian is a very raw and vulnerable one, so I hope you join us! She goes into the cultural stigma around her sexuality, the liberation she felt after coming out, the community that helped her during her darkest times, and more.
TW: sexual assault
17. Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts w/ Jordan Hill
Hi everyone! Today, Jordan Hill joins me for another episode in my new student series. She talks about the overwhelming thoughts she has on a daily basis and how she manages them. I was surprised to hear her experiences and realize that I actually go through the exact same thing. Listen for some super interesting insight into how our brains work!
16. Therapy in the Age of Toxic Masculinity w/ Wyatt Stephens
In today's episode, fellow junior in high school Wyatt Stephens talks to me about his experience with depression and how therapy changed his life. We go into the dangers of toxic masculinity and how he was raised with the opposite mindset. I am so grateful to be able to talk to him about this current, pressing issue and I'm so excited for you to take a listen!
15. Self Growth w/ Usman Khan
Welcome back to the podcast! In today's episode, the very first in my new "student series," I talk to Usman Khan about his own mental health journey. Usman is the 19 year old founder of Together, an online platform striving to increase positivity. We have a great discussion on self growth and awareness, anxiety, and techniques to get through the stress of high school. You can find Usman and Together at @tgthrorg on Instagram.
14. Empathy in Our Everyday Lives w/ Elise Ogle
Today, Mia talks with Elise Ogle, program manager at Limbix, a digital therapeutics company whose mission is to increase access to mental health treatment using technology. She gives great insight on what empathy really means based on first-hand experiences from the Virtual Human Interaction Lab at Stanford, and how it affects others' mental health. Mia and Elise also dive into the importance of empathy in all aspects of life, including business and design.
13. Bringing Youth Mental Health to Light w/ Rachel Miller
Rachel Miller, founder of Closegap, talks to me today about one of the most pressing issues right now- youth mental health. Normalizing talking to youth about their mental health is extremely important for lowering rates of depression and suicide in the teen and adult years. Closegap is an emotional wellness platform made for students to check in daily about how they're feeling and anything that might be going on at home. You can find out more at https://www.closegap.org/!
12. Overthinking (as explained by two overthinkers) w/ Meredith Arthur
How ironic that this title was the result of 3 hours of overthinking! Did you know that overthinking is actually a form of anxiety? Many people just attribute it to part of their personality and don't realize how much it actually affects our metal health! Today on the podcast, Meredith Arthur, the content lead at Pinterest, founder of the Beautiful Voyager website, author of the new book "Get Out of My Head," and fellow overthinker, joins me to talk about personal stories focused on our perfectionistic habits and what we can do to help them.
11. All About Anxiety w/ Ana Ayala
Did you know that over 40 million people in the US struggle with anxiety? That's almost 18% of the population. Today on the podcast, licensed social worker Ana Ayala comes on to talk about everything you need to know about anxiety. We go over the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, what's going on inside the brain of someone with anxiety, why anxiety is common in teens, and more.
10. Battling Loneliness w/ Nod, an App that Fosters Social Connection
Welcome to Episode 10! Today, Mia talks to Caroline Fitzgerald and Andrew Baker about how teens can battle loneliness and foster connection, especially during this uncertain time. They discuss how mental health and technology came together to form the app Nod, created by organizations Hopelab and Grit Digital Health to help teens across the country with loneliness. You can visit the website and download the app at https://heynod.com/! Take a listen for the very special 10th episode of Mind Matters With Mia! Thanks for supporting :) (TW: Suicide)
9. Self Compassion After Breakups w/ Ryann Summers
Breakups can be tough. Ryann Summers, one of the founders of All Mental Health and @meafterwe, comes on today to talk about how to care for yourself and have self compassion after a breakup. Don't forget to go follow @meafterwe on Instagram!
8. Eating Disorders w/ Angela Gulner
Today on the podcast, Mia talks to Angela Gulner, a writer and actress, about her complicated journey with bulimia and the science behind eating disorders. They go into physical detriments, treatment options, things someone could do to help a loved one suffering from an eating disorder, and much more. Angela created the mini-series BINGE on Youtube, a raw, honest portrayal of the realities of living with an eating disorder. Go watch the BINGE pilot on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN9syJfWp8U (trigger Warning for those recovering from an eating disorder).
7. "I'm Depressed"- What Depression Is, and What It's Not w/ Karen Beck
Mia and Karen Beck, a Marriage and Family Therapist, break down the basics of depression and how it differs from normal sadness.
6. Managing Time Effectively w/ Kimberly Notch
Hi everyone! In this episode Mia and Kimberly Notch, a counselor intern at Valencia High School, dive into all the time management tips you need to know, from dealing with procrastination and prioritizing sleep to managing social media and technology. These skills are crucial to prepare high schoolers for the real world.
5. Breaking the Firefighter Stereotype w/ Jake Windell
In this episode, Mia talks with Jake Windell, a firefighter paramedic, about his intriguing work in the critical incident stress management team at his fire station. They discuss the reasons for trauma in this field, the the downfalls of the stereotypical "tough guy" firefighter mentality, and much more. Listen until the end to hear a little bit about Jake's adorable therapy dog, Owl, who helps with detecting anxiety in firefighters at the station!
4. Maintaining Mental Wellness During COVID-19 w/ Ellen Windell
In this very special episode of Mind Matters With Mia, Mia talks with Ellen Windell, an LCSW who works at the amazing Valencia Relationship Institute (you can check it out here: www.ValenciaRelationshipInstitute.com)! They discuss how teens can protect their mental health and wellness during these uncertain and scary times. They go into different self-care activities that have helped and how to cope with grief over the sudden change and loss of certain events.
Resources and Links!
Managing Fears and Anxiety around Coronavirus: shorturl.at/efjt1
Exercising at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic: shorturl.at/jlrSV
Staying Connected to Others During the Pandemic: shorturl.at/wzCHY
Breathing Techniques via The Inner Rainbow Project (@innerrainbowproject):
CALMING Counting Breath - Inhale through your nose and count to four. Hold your breath in for a count of four. Exhale through your mouth and count to eight.
GROUNDING Heart Connection Breath - Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart. Bow your head towards your heart. Take a long, deep breath in through your nose, feeling your hand rise as your belly fills with air. Exhale through your mouth and let out a big sigh.
BALANCING Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) - Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale slowly and deeply through the left nostril. Close your left nostril with your ring finger and with both nostrils held closed, hold your inhale for a brief pause. Then, open your right nostril and exhale slowly through your right side, pausing briefly at the end of the exhale. Keep your left nostril closed and inhale through the right side slowly, holding both nostrils closed for a brief pause at the end of your inhale. Open your left nostril and exhales slowly through your left side, pausing briefly at the end. Repeat for 3-8 cycles.
EMPOWERING Lion's Breath - Take a deep inhale through the nose. Then, open your mouth and eyes wide and stick your tongue out. Exhale the breath slowly out through your mouth, allowing it to pass over the back of your throat, as you make a ‘ha!’ sound.
FOCUSING Ocean Breath (Ujayyi) - Constrict the back of your throat slightly so your breath makes an ocean sound. Inhale and exhale long, deep breaths through your nose. Allow the sound of your breath to drown out your thoughts.
ENERGIZING Bellows Breath (Bhakstrika) - Take an inhale and exhale forcefully through your nose. Continue to inhale and exhale forcefully, breathing from your diaphragm. Keep your head, neck, shoulders and chest still as your belly moves in and out. Start with a round of 8 breaths and work up to 30 cycles.
Hope these are helpful!
3. Psychosis and Schizophrenia w/ Paul Blount
In this episode, Mia talks with Paul Blount, LCSW, about his fascinating job at a prison and the interesting situations he works in. We later delve into the basics of psychosis and what causes its related mental illness, schizophrenia, one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses.
2. Mental Health on Campus w/ Tamara Desso
In this episode of Mind Matters With Mia, Mia Yen sits down with the fabulous Ms. Desso, a teacher at Valencia High School, to talk about her mental health journey and the mental health of students at Valencia.
1. Mental Health 101 w/ Amanda Hills
In the first ever episode of Mind Matters with Mia, Mia talks to the wonderful Amanda Hills, LCSW, about mental health in general. She breaks down the fundamentals of mental health and goes into some tips for handling stress at school. From self-compassion to mindfulness, join Mia in her first episode of this podcast, marking the beginning of an exciting new journey.
Trailer: Welcome to Mind Matters With Mia
Welcome! In this short trailer, Mia explains her goals for this podcast and why she started it! Mind Matters With Mia launches April 14th! Stay tuned.