Ep. 56 Mental Wellness: The Science of Compassion as a Coping Skill for Improving Relationships & Decreasing Stress & Anxiety

Join MJ as she talks with her husband  Dr. Dominic Vachon. No, they aren't talking about wash,(which he excels at) or raising kids but COMPASSION! As  Director of  Notre Dame's, Ruth Hildebrand Center for Compassion in Medicine, Dr. Dom has a lot to say but it's how he says it that makes this episode a MUST. In these challenging times of war, political division and day to day hardship, Dr. Dom gives us words and a process that  moves  compassion from an elusive idea practiced by monks to one that allows each of us to step into this foundational part of being human.  In sharing his four steps of compassion we become more aware of our compassionate responses allowing us to build on them. Of equal importance, he  encourages us to  understand and use self-compassion when our responses to   events overwhelm us and we turn toward avoidance, anger or blame.  Nepotism aside, this is a GREAT episode! Listen and enjoy this antidote for a troubled world. 

Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.

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About the Host:
MJ Murray Vachon LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of experience teaching her Mental Wellness curriculum, Inner Challenge. Four years ago she overcame her fear of technology to create a podcast that integrated her vast clinical experience and practical wisdom of cultivating mental wellness using the latest information from neuroscience. MJ was Social Worker of the Year in 2011 for Region 2/IN.

Creating Midlife Calm is a podcast designed to guide you through the challenges of midlife, tackling issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling unworthy, procrastination, and isolation, while offering strategies for improving relationships, family support, emotional wellbeing, mental wellness, and parenting, with a focus on mindfulness, stress management, coping skills, and personal growth to stop rumination, overthinking, and increase confidence through self-care, emotional healing, and mental health support.