It's Okay if You're not Okay

Unlike Keith (who reflected on his time working remotely from home in the last episode) John is reporting to the office each day. In this episode, he reflects on how he has been processing COVID-19 as one still coming to work and the stages he has seen in his own acceptance. Turning to gratitude is one way he's found to help cope.

Keith reflects a bit on his time working from home with all 27 of his kids, his two dogs and his wife who is also trying to work throughout the COVID-19 crisis. This peculiar time forces us to hold together feelings that would otherwise seem to conflict with one another. It's important to remember that we're not alone and we can get through this together. Help is available. 

Keith, Kate and Renee welcome new co-host, John, to the show to add an additional clinical perspective. In this episode, the four co-hosts unpack what the idea of "It's Okay if You're not Okay" really means. The bottom line: the more we talk about our struggles, the better off we are individually and as a community. It's a great episode, but it gets off to a bit of a rough start.

In their first-ever "Part 2," Keith, Kate and Renee pick up where they left off in their last episode on grief. This time, instead of talking about grief connected to the loss of a loved one, the It's Okay Crew talks about grieving other types of losses. They don't get a chance to grieve the worm that fell from the ceiling though. A transcript will be available at jocogov.org/podcasts.

The "stages of grief" framework has helped a lot of people understand and discuss what they're experiencing after the death of a friend or family member. It's also caused confusion for those who have felt emotions that don't seem to match with these stages. Keith, Kate and Renee unpack the stages of grief and provide room for all the emotions one might experience after the loss of someone held dear. In the midst, Renee had to create some less-than-flattering hashtags for the podcast. A full transcript will be available at jocogov.org/podcasts. 

It's surprising just how much a good workplace can affect your mental well-being. What happens when a workplace isn't so good? In this episode, Keith and Renee are joined by special guest, Shana Burgess to discuss workplace conflict and mental health. Before they could start talking about such a heavy subject, they had to do some articulation warm-ups. A full transcript will be available at jocogov.org/podcast.

Happy New Year! Keith, Kate and Renee tackle New Year's Resolutions through the lens of goals and treatment plans. What they find is that by celebrating small accomplishments, our overall quality of life improves. Renee also has weird dreams about buying things in bulk. A full transcript will be available at jocogov.org/podcasts.

The last episode of 2019 is out a bit early! Keith, Kate and Renee push pause on New Year's Resolutions in order to give due diligence to looking to the past. Using mindfulness skills, the hosts reflect on how they've learned, changed and grown in 2019 and look forward to what that means for the future. 

Keith, Kate and Renee are inspired by a teen who encouraged the community to unlearn loneliness when it comes to phone use. They tackle the world of social media with a well-balanced discussion that starts with the importance of knowing yourself. Also, Renee goes completely blank mid-sentence. A transcript will be available on jocogov.org/podcast.

Director Tim DeWeese joins the crew as a special guest and promptly proclaims "I'm Renee, and it's okay!" Keith, Kate and Renee invite Tim to talk with them about how community partnerships improve overall mental health for both an individual and a community. Read the full transcript at jocogov.org/podcast.