Here's What I've Been Up To... MINI LIFE UPDATE

Welcome to This Week’s Episode! Hello everyone, and welcome to today's episode of Wheel with It! I'm your host, Devon, and today is a special solo episode. While I usually thrive on conversation, I felt it was important to touch base and give a little life update, despite solo podcasts not being my forte. Let’s get started!

Rolling With the Updates First and foremost, I just wrapped up an internship at a shipyard. It was a fantastic experience, filled with amazing people who I will truly miss. But the good news is, I’ve gained valuable skills that I can market in the future. It’s always great to have these experiences under your belt.

Tackling Anxiety and Therapy Part of the reason we took a brief hiatus from the podcast is because my anxiety kicked in again. I’ve been attending therapy to work through this, and it's been essential. Sometimes, it feels like I might need therapy for the rest of my life because I get so anxious if I skip it for even a couple of months. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s certainly how it feels. Working through my issues in therapy is an ongoing process, and I hope that once we move past these current hurdles, I won’t need it as frequently. But even if I do, it won’t be the end of the world. A mental health break was absolutely necessary for me, and that’s why we took a little time off.

Considering Grad School Another significant update is that I’m considering going to grad school to pursue a clinical social work license, with the goal of becoming a therapist. Therapy has had such a profound impact on my life that I’d love to help others in the same way. However, I'm also at a crossroads. Should I take a stable job that covers my expenses, or should I continue pushing toward my dreams, even if it means a bit of financial uncertainty? It’s a classic conundrum, but I’m determined to figure it out. If I do decide on grad school, I’d likely start either in January or August of next year.

Discovering Dr. Curt Thompson On a brighter note, I recently discovered Dr. Curt Thompson, a renowned psychiatrist specializing in interpersonal neurobiology. He's absolutely brilliant, and I am excited to announce that we hope to have him on the podcast soon. Dr. Thompson’s work focuses on what happens to our brains when we’re in the company of others versus when we're alone. His insights are incredibly valuable, and I’ll be linking his website in the show notes for anyone interested. Dr. Thompson is a Christian, but his information is beneficial to everyone, regardless of religious affiliation. Plus, he’s quite humorous, making his podcasts both informative and enjoyable.

Wrapping Up That’s about it for today’s update. I don’t have any listener questions for this episode, but I wanted to encourage everyone to take care of their mental health. Spend time outside, and prioritize your well-being. We’ll be back with more interviews soon; although it’s tricky during vacation season, we’ve been sending out lots of requests. Thank you for tuning in. Remember to follow the show and our guests on social media, and be sure to subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast app. Hit the notification bell for updates on new episodes if you watch on YouTube! Have a fantastic day, and I’ll catch you in the next episode. Bye for now!

Podcast Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Episode Kickoff

00:30 Life Update: Internship Experience

0:50 Mental Health and Therapy Journey

02:06 Future Plans: Grad School Consideration

03:14 Curt Thompson

04:14 Encouragement and Closing Remarks