Podcast 'Gratitudeology' promotes mindfulness, tips to reduce anxiety, by Joan Lunden's daughter
NEW YORK (WABC) -- May is Mental Health Awareness Month, when we focus on the importance of mental health and its impact on our wellbeing.
A recent post by "Sesame Street's" Elmo asking simply, "How is everybody doing?" garnered 218 million views with people of all backgrounds sharing their personal struggles of depression anxiety and other emotional challenges.
We really should be talking about it all year. But as you mentioned, this is the month where the emphasis is on mental health awareness. 7 On Your Side's Nina Pineda spoke with mindset expert, Jamie Hess.
She is part of the family at ABC because her mother launched her career right at Channel 7. Joan Lunden really came up here and Hess said she grew up there, too.
It was not uncommon for Hess to be seen, being cuddled by Sammy Davis, Jr. or hanging out with Jim Henson from the Muppets. Most people would think you know, you grew up with a famous Mom, your life should be perfect. But what Hess talks about is really when your life isn't perfect, it can be filled with anxiety.
She fell in some dark times. Her coping mechanisms and her mindfulness can help everyone.
Hess toured studio 77 where Lunden would've been alongside Bill Beutel.
"I was astounded at the figure that you talked about that 50% of millennials and 75% of Gen Z-ers have left a job due to an anxiety incident, some sort of a mental health issue pertaining to anxiety," Pineda said.
"For me, I have a very personal story with all of this, I went through my own dark time with drugs and alcohol in my teens and 20s, and it almost killed me. And to be honest, I really feel that those who have seen the darkness, the light that much brighter, and that's really what fueled me to start this. And the first episode of the podcast is me, and my mom telling my story because she finally came and saved me and help get out of my own way," Hess said.
She shared some simple tips.
"Here's the thing. This is not rocket science. But the easiest things to do, are also the easiest to skip, to making this simple gratitude list in the morning. We've all heard it right. But how many people actually do it? And so making a simple list of say three things has been proven to lower your diastolic blood pressure, reduce cortisol and put your body in a parasympathetic state. So this is not woo woo. This is actually science," Hess said.
You have to be willing to put the work in though, she explained.
"And I feel like we all understand when we go to the gym, if you want nice arms, you got to work your biceps, right, you got to work that muscle, if you want a brain that works to be more intuitively grateful, you have to do exercises to make it that way. So you have to exercise your brain, I know you started in fitness, but the brain is a muscle as well," Hess said.
It's something everyone can do, and it's simple.
"Everybody wants a pill, or a potion or something these days to fix the anxiety problem, when really the reality is, we don't want to do the work. But doing a small gratitude exercise every day, can literally retrain your brain to be more calm, to be more grateful to intuitively not have that sense of dread. And so I would suggest before you go take a pill or see a doctor, just try it. Just try it three things that you're grateful for every day and see what it does," she said.
Hess said she hopes her story and her tips can help others.
"That why I'm telling these stories through this podcast. That is why this is my mission and my message," Hess said.
The podcast is called "Gratitudeology." New episodes drop each Monday wherever you get your podcasts.
People can also text the word "gratitude" to 33777 for the links to listen and get them texted directly to their phone.
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