Sturdy Glass Sponges

I’m done with mental models that no longer keep me healthy. It sounds like I’m on the right track as ⁠Dr. Diane McIntosh⁠ – renowned and esteemed Canadian psychiatrist, educator, and author – joins me on this concluding episode of Sturdy Glass Sponges. According to Dr. McIntosh, the world has never been more open to finding ways to expanding the horizons on mental health, and she shares her insightful take on how it is that we can overcome life’s hardships, draw on internal strengths that are never too late to form, and tap into the value of saying no to ways of being that need to be left behind.  A very special thanks to Dr. McIntosh for rounding out the conversation we’ve had since the first episode – here’s to a healthy 2024 for all. Follow Dr. McIntosh’s riveting work by visiting her site: ⁠https://drdianemcintosh.com

It’s alarming to know that at any point in time, 1 in 3 Canadians are struggling with their mental health and those who do feel they need mental health care, can’t access it. It’s unbelievable to think that in this day and age, a time where we’re constantly hearing about the importance of getting help, access to care still isn’t equitable. Psychological services are proven to be an effective way to improve people’s mental health and allow them to participate fully in their life, work, and community. Many resources are free and in this episode, I’m joined by special guest Autumn Tuffin McDonald who shares her personal experiences with the Canadian Mental Health Association. With this episode, I aim to inspire us to think critically about what it is we might need in terms of care, and sharpen our own criteria of things to look for in mental health resource options. I know it’s easy for me to send out a list of mental health resources, websites or phone numbers, but instead I wanted to round out my podcast, Sturdy Glass Sponges, with a discussion that prompts us to think differently about sourcing out mental health care options. For a roundup of mental health care support ideas, please visit elenaiacono.com. I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with Sturdy Glass Sponges is that we're inspired to look at our own lives, and the challenges that may come our way, in a renewed way.

What is a friendship? And why does it sometimes feel hard to define the word the older we get? This episode explores this topic and more as specifically asked for by my podcast listeners. I’m joined by Dr. Miriam Kirmayer, a nationally respected and esteemed relationship psychologist who gives it to us in a straight and clear way.  Social well-being is vital to our total health and while research continues to show just how important friendship is, we’re living in a time where social avoidance is becoming the norm. Someone recently tried to tell me it’s because we’ve become lazy and self-centred. I think it’s because the various amounts of hurt in our lives have stacked up so highly, we’re scared to trust, be open, and allow ourselves to feel and be seen. Friends are the sacred sacrosanct spaces of our lives where we can be our whole selves, true, most simple selves. And when relationships are overly complicated, painfully negative, condescending, or distant, we need to stand firm on acting on what’s best for us. As we learn in this episode, people change and with them, friendships change. And while sometimes we want to hang on to the people we have in our closest circles, for whatever reasons we believe to be the truth, we have to let go for the good of our health. And when relationships do change and end, pain follows. It’s only natural because the end of things bring their own level of grief and mourning that only we can understand and deal with in our own way. We all need good friends and Dr. Kirmayer shares how we can keep them close.  I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with Sturdy Glass Sponges is that we're inspired to look at our own lives, and the challenges that may come our way, in a renewed way. Connect with Dr. Kirmayer - visit her site at miriamkirmayer.com

When glass sponges, deep-sea animals, are threatened or injured, they physically shut themselves off so they can recalibrate their next move. This innate ability to take care of themselves isn’t lost on me – we’ll never escape life’s curveballs and downfalls but it doesn’t mean in any way whatsoever that we’re incapable of taking care of ourselves so that we can move forward. And that we can create something of value, purpose, hope, and truth, for ourselves. Just like we deserve. Anxiety stems from so many contributing factors – some psychosocial, some biological, some environmental, and some genetic. Despite this, my guest Cristina Iacono (yes, she’s related to me), makes the important point that even though we might sometimes be afflicted by a mental health episode, a path forward does exist for ourselves and we will feel again. We'll be able to connect back in with our selves again.  Cristina gives us a glimpse at her non-negotiable self-care tips, which in her own words, she’s constantly working at them and rightly so because our health is never static and we need to keep an eye on tomorrow’s version of us. Oh and if you love good food, check out Cristina’s exciting new social pursuit where she shares healthy recipes, Italian dish traditions, and gives her reviews on the Montreal restaurant scene. Having worked through her health challenges, Cristina has found a new creative outlet that keeps her feeling truly alive. Talk about purpose after pause.  Follow along on Instagram at @tinas.food.obsession I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with Sturdy Glass Sponges is that we're inspired to look at our own lives in a renewed way.

This is part 2 of Episode 6 - split into two separate conversations where I’m joined by the ever so inspiring, and Canada’s leading psychological health and safety in the workplace leader, Mary Ann Baynton, and a behavioural scientist and organizational coach and thought-leader in the San Diego area, Victoria Tucker. Listen on to hear my chat with Mary Ann Baynton who gives us a look at her rich thinking on pragmatic, yet deeply methodical ideas to empower good mental health in the workplace, while helping people stay healthy and psychologically safe so they can live and work meaningfully and with great purpose and belief in themselves and their future. Mary Ann also shares a concept that removes stigma and shame around trauma, that being post-traumatic growth. Episode 6 recap:  My discussions with Mary Ann and Victoria give us insights into how we can consider to help create moments of positive mental health in the workplace – and like both Mary Ann and Victoria maintain, our organizational cultures are shaped not just because we have strategic frameworks in place, but because of the commitments we make as individuals to mindful and considerate business practices and communications. I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with Sturdy Glass Sponges is that we're inspired to look at our own lives, and with episode 6 our workplaces, in a renewed way. Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges

In this episode, split out into two parts, I’m shifting the well-being discussion to the workplace. Knowing that we all carry our personal experiences with us, we might at times have a ton on our minds and the interactions we have with each other can impact not only how we feel, but our vision for the future. I’m joined by the ever so inspiring, and Canada’s leading psychological health and safety in the workplace leader, Mary Ann Baynton, and a behavioural scientist and organizational coach and thought-leader in the San Diego area, Victoria Tucker. My discussions with Mary Ann and Victoria give us insights into how we can consider to help create moments of positive mental health in the workplace – and like both Mary Ann and Victoria maintain, our organizational cultures are shaped not just because we have strategic frameworks in place, but because of the commitments we make as individuals to mindful and considerate business practices and communications. Part 1: I sit down with Victoria Tucker who shares her perspectives on the long-lasting well-being impacts of the everyday, considerate actions we take with each other in the workplace. Victoria also connects workplace well-being to glass sponges in such a fascinating way and why it is that nature offers us innovative ways to think about human challenges. Part 2: I chat with Mary Ann Baynton who gives us a look at her rich thinking on pragmatic, yet deeply methodical ideas to empower good mental health in the workplace, while helping people stay healthy and psychologically safe so they can live and work meaningfully and with great purpose and belief in themselves and their future. I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with Sturdy Glass Sponges is that we're inspired to look at our own lives, and with episode 6 our workplaces, in a renewed way. Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges

Be worth: comes from the Latin word “Valere” – in English? Value. Which is defined as the worth, usefulness, or importance of someone or something. Not knowing who we’re supposed to be can be triggering – stress and anxiety can creep into our lives when we’re on the hunt to create meaning for ourselves. My conversation with this episode’s guest made me realize three things: that purpose comes from self-knowledge, needs to be created and not found, and that it grows from our personal experiences and challenges. Perhaps, then, the work we do to figure out our true purpose doesn’t have to be so complex after all. If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself at times overthinking things – if we don’t get who we are right, that we’ll somehow be forgotten. Forgotten by whom, though? Ourselves? No – I think our values give us the opportunity to never stray too far from our truths. In this episode, we meet Daniel Yeung – someone who’s transformed his personal well-being by keeping close to his true calling, which reflects his personal values through and through. Life gives us a rich menu to choose from to fulfill ourselves – from our jobs, to our families, to our community endeavours, to the fun things we like to enjoy. Somehow the constant that runs parallel to us is our responsibility to discover our heart’s true passions. It’s only then that we will be truly whole, completely successful, and totally at peace.  I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with Sturdy Glass Sponges is that we're inspired to look at our own lives in a renewed way.  Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges  For a roundup of free mental health resources, please visit: elenaiacono.com

Every day, we have the opportunity to reframe our attitudes, no matter what we’ve previously experienced. In this episode, we meet Jodi Baxter – a community giving professional and mother of two who lives knowing that at any moment, her eldest son could be unwell. Family health scares are emotional and hard to deal with and yet, like Jodi shows us, they give way to stronger moments of consideration, empathy, and understanding. Jodi inspires us to remember to take stock of what really matters and by doing so total well-being for ourselves, and those around us, is possible. Dr. Giacomo Falcucci (Harvard University) and Hamish Tweed (technical deep-sea diver) offer their scientific perspectives on glass sponges once again. I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with this podcast is that we're left inspired to look at our own lives in a new way. No one is immune to the negative stuff life presents from time to time; that doesn't mean we can't be prepared, or lose steam, either. I hope you're enjoying the podcast series so far. Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges  For a roundup of free mental health resources, please visit: elenaiacono.com

I’ve always been fascinated by the theoretical learnings psychology has to offer and to give my entire podcast series, Sturdy Glass Sponges, some legs, Professor Emeritus (Trent University) and clinical psychologist Dr. Paul Wong joins me on my next episode. We look at his evolving well-being framework, that he’s currently using with his clients, to take into consideration how it is that life’s challenges and drawbacks end up making us whole. No one deserves to deal with the dark sides of life, but it’s important that we avoid dismissing the experiences we least enjoy because as Dr. Wong points out, it’s in these moments that we prepare for our future and best selves. Dr. Wong and I talk about purpose and meaning along with how it is that we can inspire ourselves to create depth in our lives – staying in the shallow end of things isn’t just unhealthy, but limiting. A riveting conversation that bridges us to further episodes where my upcoming guests have put into practice some of the concepts Dr. Wong explains to create sustainable well-being for themselves and others around them. I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with this podcast is that we're left inspired to look at our own lives in a new way. No one is immune to the negative stuff life presents from time to time; that doesn't mean we can't be prepared, or lose steam, either. I hope you're enjoying the podcast series so far.  Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges  For a roundup of free mental health resources, please visit: elenaiacono.com

Made up of glass properties, Glass Sponges are ancient underwater animals that are durable, yet delicate. Unshatterable. And the more I learn about them, the more I realize a sense of sustainable well-being that metaphorically applies to our lives too. In this episode, we meet Melissa Day, who shares her initial reactions to her cancer diagnosis and lets us in on how she acknowledged and later accepted her new path forward. Melissa reminds us that acceptance is not apathy. It’s about coming to terms with what is real. Irrefutably, irrevocably true. Acceptance is saying I care deeply, and while this is not preferred, I acknowledge this is my responsibility and how I bear it. We also hear from Dr. Giacomo Falcucci, Associate Professor of Fluid Machinery and Energy and Environmental Systems, University of Rome, Associate to the Department of Physics, Harvard University, and Visiting Professor of Heat Transfer, New York University. Dr. Falcucci and his team study the ancient creatures, Glass Sponges, as they’re interested in blending engineering, physics, and biology to optimize the way bridges are built, planes fly, and skyscrapers stand tall. I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with this podcast is that we're left inspired to look at our own lives in a new way. No one is immune to the negative stuff life presents from time to time; that doesn't mean we can't be prepared, or lose steam, either. It’s an inspiring podcast and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you. Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges  For a roundup of free mental health resources, please visit: elenaiacono.com

In this episode of Sturdy Glass Sponges, we meet Jon MacDonald who by the age of 18, had lost his dad, his mom, and his oldest brother. It’s impossible to comprehend what life was like for him. The light in his world wasn’t just dimmed, it was completely shut off. We’re going to learn how he picked up the pieces and once again, was able to carry himself forward by reigniting his light. It involves a faithful encounter with Lieutenant-General and celebrated humanitarian Roméo Dallaire, some really hard inner work, and a no holds bar attitude at living life like he deserves. Joining me as well is Hamish Tweed, a Technical dive instructor in British Columbia who studies Glass Sponges and who since 1996, has dedicated nearly his entire adult life to teaching, exploring marine life, and learning more about the proterozic era animal. I’m Elena Iacono and my aim with my new podcast series is that we're left inspired to look at our own lives in a new way. No one is immune to the negative stuff life presents from time to time; that doesn't mean we can't be prepared, or lose steam, either. It’s an inspiring podcast and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you. Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges

Life is so short and we want it to be light - why, then, do moments of pain and suffering stop us in our tracks? What's the point of it all? We might not know the answers to the questions we ask about why bad things occur, but I think instead, we can change the questions we're asking. I'm Elena Iacono and my new podcast Sturdy Glass Sponges, takes a deep dive in the world of personal suffering, pain, and trauma, to arrive at a place of renewed well-being.  In each of my episodes, we'll hear the personal accounts of various guests who talk openly about their challenges and struggles, and how they set a new path forward for themselves. Joining me as well are some incredibly powerful voices in the world of psychology, organizational well-being, physics from Harvard University, and deep-sea diving. And in the last episode, I’ll be joined by a special friend who brings her evidence-based research perspective on what trauma and personal suffering does to our brains and how we can rewire the neurological wirings that help us be who we are. Oh – and the name? Sturdy Glass Sponges? I often turn to nature as I reflect on human health and well-being and deep down on the ocean floor, a 520 million year old animal, the glass sponge, continues to thrive despite the pressures that come with being under water. They lean on each other, they regenerate, and they’re able to rewire how they grow to keep going. My aim with this podcast is that we're left inspired to look at our own lives in a new way. No one is immune to the negative stuff life presents from time to time; that doesn't mean we can't be prepared either.  It’s an inspiring podcast and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you. Let me know what you think of this episode - drop me a note on Instagram at @Sturdy_Glass_Sponges