Why do anxiety and depression feel heavier during the long winter season, even when nothing is technically “wrong”?

Kristian Leavell, licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and dad, returns to talk about the emotional weight winter can bring, especially for fathers carrying responsibility at work and at home. The focus here is awareness, regulation, and small, realistic ways to stay steady when energy is low and motivation fades.

Kristian shares how to:

• Notice early signs of anxiety and depression by watching patterns, not isolated moments

• Treat emotions as useful signals rather than problems to eliminate

• Separate thoughts from facts and step out of spirals

• Use small, practical actions to interrupt anxiety before it builds

• Apply opposite action when motivation disappears

• Practice mindfulness in real life, not perfect conditions

• Talk with kids about emotions in ways that create trust and safety

• Redefine strength as presence, not endurance

• Check in on other dads without feeling the need to fix them

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ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

Cognitive Fusion

DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

The Jetsons

How to turn crayons into candles

Crash the Gates by Yellowcard

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What does it mean to succeed at work without missing the moments you never get back?

Eddie Torba has spent decades in retail execution and operations, helping major brands adapt, rebuild, and evolve through massive industry change. Along the way, he made intentional career decisions to stay present for his family, from working nights and weekends early on, to shifting into remote corporate roles, to building a small consulting practice on the side.

Eddie shares how to:

• Design a career around family instead of fitting family into leftover time

• Choose flexibility and stability without treating them as opposites

• Build trust at work by delivering results, not logging hours

• Protect family dinners, school events, and everyday moments that matter

• Set boundaries that prevent burnout and protect mental energy

• Create morning and weekly routines that support focus and balance

• Explore a side path without overwhelming yourself or your family

• Be honest about capacity before taking on extra work

• Help kids understand the human effort behind convenience and consumption

• Teach responsibility, work ethic, and perspective by example

• Measure success by presence, not titles or constant availability

Eddie’s story is a reminder that careers evolve, seasons change, and showing up consistently for your family is a choice you make again and again. His approach is practical, thoughtful, and deeply rooted in the belief that work should support life, not replace it.

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Ad Populum

EWS Consulting

Party City

Duck Tales

Duck Tales theme song

Knee Deep by Zach Brown Band

Jimmy Buffett

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What does it actually take to feel grounded, confident, and present as a dad when anxiety is rising, expectations are shifting, and the world feels louder than ever?

AJ Rich is a licensed marriage and family therapist, practice owner, and doctoral candidate who works almost exclusively with men. After nearly 20 years in corporate leadership, AJ transitioned into clinical work and now helps dads navigate identity, emotional intelligence, anxiety, and growth without losing themselves or their families in the process.

In this conversation, AJ shares how men can move beyond coping and toward real psychological wellbeing, even while juggling work pressure, parenting, and constant change.

You will hear AJ break down how to:

• Understand anxiety as a signal, not a failure

• Build emotional intelligence without losing strength or credibility

• Develop the language to describe what you are actually feeling

• Shift from survival mode into sustainable growth

• Redefine success beyond titles, income, or external validation

• Identify what is holding you back when you feel stuck

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Feelings wheel

Brené Brown

Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart on HBO Max

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown (book)

PERMA Theory of Well-Being

Doc McStuffins

Sofia the First

Subway Sandwich Artist

Food Avenue in Target

This is How We Do It by Montell Jordan

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