"I'm okay with people having their opinions … but I'm not okay with them saying it's the only way." – Barb

In this week's episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, the mother-daughter duo get personal about mental health, asking for help, and how to make practices feel like your own.

Michelle gets vulnerable, sharing her experience with the loudest voices in the self-help world. They once convinced her she could meditate, journal, or affirm her way out of depression, and she opens up about how long she suffered before she let herself ask for support. Barb reflects on what 42 years in recovery have taught her, and why no teacher, treatment, or trend is ever the final answer.

Together, Barb and Michelle push back on the stigma around mental health medication and the pressure to follow one person's set of rules, word for word. Their advice? "Be the scientist in the laboratory of your own life." Try things on for size, and listen to and trust what your body and intuition are telling you.

Barb and Michelle also discuss:

• How to spot someone selling you “the one way” in a self-help journey
• Finding your practice, your teachers, and your community, and building an emotional well-being toolkit that works for you
• Ways to use social media for mental health education while still seeing a licensed professional for a real diagnosis
• Practicing self-compassion: forgiving yourself for what you didn't know before you learned it

Whether you're new to personal growth or decades into your practice, this episode is a reminder that there’s never any shame in needing support.

🎙️Life Happens with Barb and Michelle is a weekly mental health podcast, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.

Make sure you subscribe & join us next week for another episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle!

Hosted by:

💕Barb Schmidt https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/

💕Michelle Maros https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community! ⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere → https://michellemaros.com/podcast/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"People are walking around asking, 'Is it okay if I'm just me?'" – Cory Allen

In this week's episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle are joined by Cory Allen, author of The Quiet Age: Creating a Calm Life in a Chaotic World, for an honest, relatable conversation about mindfulness and emotional well-being.

The mother-daughter duo and Cory explore what persistent digital noise is doing to our minds, bodies, and nervous systems. They take a deeper look into why the real problem isn't burnout, but rather losing connection with ourselves.

Cory shares practical mindfulness tools for overcoming overwhelm: from writing down a racing thought and shelving it for a week, to a "wine tasting" approach for getting curious about hard feelings instead of running from them. Barb ties it back to the idea behind Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life®, and how real change happens quietly, from the inside out. Make sure you stay until the end, where the conversation closes with a short mindfulness practice for you to try the second the episode stops.

In this episode, Barb, Michelle, and Cory also discuss:

• Why thoughts are suggestions, not instructions, and how to read a racing heart as a signal instead of an alarm
• How to get curious about hard feelings and why facing them is less scary than staying numb
• What a quiet life really looks like, and why it doesn't mean slowing down or giving up your drive
• Why so many of us outsource our power, and the permission we're all waiting for to live authentically

If you've ever wondered whether it's okay to just be yourself, this episode’s for you.

More from our guest, Cory Allen:

Find Cory at @heycoryallen, and pick up The Quiet Age https://link.amazon/B06rAD2a.

🎙️Life Happens with Barb and Michelle is a weekly mental health podcast, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.

Make sure you subscribe & join us next week for another episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle!

Hosted by:

💕Barb Schmidt https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/

💕Michelle Maros https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community! ⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle are joined by writer, speaker, and advocate Libby Ward, author of Honest Motherhood: On Losing My Mind and Finding Myself. In a deeply moving and vulnerable conversation, we talk about the realities of modern motherhood, including the mental load, overwhelm, the pressure to do it all, and what it takes to let go of perfection.

Together, Libby, Barb, and Michelle explore the hidden roots of rage, overstimulation, and people-pleasing, unpacking how childhood trauma and hypervigilance make setting simple boundaries feel like a matter of life or death.

Libby shares her candid "Granola Bar" story, a pivotal moment of maternal rage that forces her to confront her limits and explains why genuine repair and self-compassion are the true keys to breaking generational cycles. From validating our children's experiences to unlearning the myth of the "perfect mother," this episode offers an honest, hopeful blueprint for reconnecting with your authentic self.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

The pressures of motherhood and learning how to prioritize yourself

Letting go of the pressure to be perceived as a “good mom"

Setting boundaries, choosing to say no, and how to live with the feelings of letting people down

Giving yourself permission to be imperfect and choosing radical honesty over a conflict-free relationship

Learning to apologize to your children and sharing the importance of feelings

This is a powerful, fun, and deeply honest conversation about parenting, identity, boundaries, and creating a healthier version of motherhood for ourselves and the next generation.

More From the Guest:

Get your copy of Honest Motherhood: On Losing My Mind and Finding Myself

Learn more about Libby Ward here and follow her @libbyward.

Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle!

💕🎙️Hosted by:

https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/Join our community

⬇️YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday✨

Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever found yourself thinking—I’m stuck in old thought patterns, so how do I actually change my mind and heal from past trauma?

On today’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle continue the conversation in Part 2 of their Rewiring the Brain series, diving deeper into brain health, trauma, and the science of rewiring your mind. Opening up about personal experiences, including Barb navigating the traumatic emotional aftermath of a 33 year marriage and divorce, the mother daughter duo explores how unaddressed life trauma physically impacts the brain and how we can preemptively build resilience

Barb and Michelle break down how self-talk, Claude Steele's self-affirmation theory, and positive repetition physically create new neural pathways in the brain. They unpack why the nervous system prefers familiarity even when it's painful and why positive change can sometimes feel like a threat. From moving out of survival mode into creative growth to practical daily habits that keep the brain sharp, this episode serves as an empowering guide to taking control of your internal narrative, building confidence, and rewiring your brain through repeated practice.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

✨ How unaddressed trauma impacts the brain and how to build resilience through life's biggest changes.

✨ The power of self-talk and self-affirmation theory to physically rewire neural pathways.

✨ Why the brain prioritizes protection in survival mode and how to move into thriving.

✨ How taking action and building confidence creates new evidence for your mind.

✨ Simple daily practices and repetition tools to keep your brain sharp and healthy as you age.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Hosted by:

https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/

https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever found yourself thinking, I’m getting older, but what can I actually do right now to protect my memory and keep my brain healthy?

On today’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle dive into a deeply personal conversation about women's brain health, cognitive aging, and the fear of losing your mind. Inspired by turning 70 and navigating a major life transition, Barb shares her recent obsession with brain research, highlighting why it’s critical for women to start taking care of their brains long before older age. Together, the mother-daughter duo explores the vital connection between emotional wellbeing, trauma, and physical brain health.

Barb and Michelle look at some surprising statistics, including why nearly two thirds of Alzheimer’s diagnoses are in women, and explore how hormonal changes during perimenopause, postpartum, and aging can affect brain health. They explore neuroplasticity and the idea that the brain is always changing, looking at how resilience, mindfulness, and other healthy practices can help strengthen positive neural pathways, support brain health, and shape the way we respond to stress and trauma. Ultimately, they offer practical, empowering strategies to help you pause, settle your mind during life's adversity, and choose how you respond so you can keep your brain sharp and thriving at any age.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

✨ Why women are uniquely affected by brain health issues and cognitive decline.

✨ The impact of unaddressed trauma and major life transitions on the brain.

✨ What neuroplasticity is and how resilience actually rewires your brain.

✨ Practical tools to settle the mind, practice mindfulness as choice, and build brain health early.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕 🎙️

Hosted by: https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/ https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/ Join our community

⬇️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/ 🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You've done the work. Everything should be easy now, right?

On today’s episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle, Barb and Michelle explore what happens when stress and overwhelm show up, even when you’ve been doing the work, and challenge the common misconception that mindfulness “fixes everything.” In a real time moment during the recording, Barb becomes overwhelmed and asks to pause, creating an honest example of what it looks like to stop, acknowledge what you’re feeling, and give yourself space rather than pushing through.

Barb speaks on how external circumstances cannot be controlled, only we as individuals can control their internal responses and rebuild their mind's narrative. Michelle walks through helpful frameworks like taking the mind to the gym and creating new neural pathways, they emphasize that managing stress is an ongoing practice of self-worth and resilience. Ultimately, they encourage listeners to offer themselves grace and practice tools like pausing, positive affirmations, journaling, self-compassion, and setting boundaries.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

✨ What to do in the moment when you feel stress and overwhelm.

✨Reframing the mind and building new emotional habits and skills.

✨The pitfalls of becoming more aware.

✨The power of the pause.

📅 Subscribe & Join Us Next Tuesday for another heartfelt episode of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle! 💕

🎙️ Host by:

• https://www.instagram.com/peaceful_barb/
• https://www.instagram.com/michellemaros/

Join our community⬇️

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LifeHappensThePodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifehappensthepodcast/

Substack: https://lifehappensthepodcast.substack.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifehappensthepodcast

Listen to our podcast anywhere→ https://michellemaros.com/podcast/

🎙️ New episodes of Life Happens with Barb and Michelle are released every Tuesday

✨ Available Now✨ Order Dear Friend to receive daily doses of clarity, hope, and heartfelt encouragement.💌 https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.