Centered in the City

The holidays don't overwhelm everyone in the same way.

For some of us, stress shows up as trying to control everything. For others, it looks like pushing through exhaustion, spinning in our heads, overgiving, avoiding, or checking out altogether.

In this solo episode, I break down the six common overwhelm styles I see again and again — not to label or fix you, but to help you understand yourself with more kindness.

You'll learn how overwhelm shows up for you during the holidays, why it makes sense, and a few gentle ways to move through this season with more ease and less self-judgment.

Your overwhelm style isn't something to fix — it's a clue.
When you understand how you respond to stress, you can stop fighting yourself and start offering what you actually need.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Why the holidays feel like "too much" for so many people

• How overwhelm shows up differently depending on your wiring

• The six overwhelm styles: Take the quiz to determine yours: WadeBrill.com/Quiz

  • The Controller

  • The Spinner

  • The Pusher

  • The Avoider

  • The Overgiver

  • The Drifter

• What actually helps each style during the holidays

• A short reflection to help you move through the season more gently

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Share your takeaways with me on Instagram @OneWade or send me a note here. 

Learn more about the Winter Mindfulness Retreat: Retreat.CenteredintheCity.org

Want more support meeting your own needs? Order my interactive self-care journal: 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize. Order: WadeBrill.com/100MindfulMoments 

In today's episode, I sit down with Rachael Grochowski, founder of RHG Architecture + Design, for a conversation about the deeper purpose of the spaces we inhabit. Rachael invites us to rethink design not as decoration or function alone, but as a pathway to connection, meaning, and self-discovery.

Together, we explore how the environments we create can nurture our well-being, support who we're becoming, and help us feel more grounded in our daily lives. Rachael shares:

• Three key areas of the home where intentional design can have the greatest impact

• How thoughtful details and unique objects can spark belonging and bring us closer—both to ourselves and one another

• Why design, at its core, is an invitation to slow down, notice, and feel more at home in the world

If you're curious about how your space influences your energy, attention, and sense of self, this conversation will inspire you to look at your home with new eyes. Share your takeaways with Rachael and I on Instagram @OneWade and @RHGDesign 

Winter Mindfulness Retreat (January 16th-18th on Whidbey Island, WA) Check out details and apply here: https://retreat.centeredinthecity.org/

Order my interactive self-care journal: 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize 

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Rachael H. Grochowski is a visionary wellness architect, designer, and thought leader with over thirty years of experience and recognized for her philosophy that Design is Spiritual™. Rachael's work focuses on creating environments that foster wellbeing, balance and community, transcending aesthetics to cultivate calm, interconnectedness, and a profound sense of belonging.  As the founder of RHG Architecture + Design, Rachael leads a team dedicated to creating respectful, inclusive spaces through thoughtful craftsmanship and sustainable practices, all rooted in her experience with various wisdom traditions. Her diverse portfolio spans residential, commercial, hospitality, wellness and spiritual projects, all of which reflect her commitment to
intentional design and an approach informed by her experiences as a world traveler, yoga practitioner, and student of history and nature.

As the days grow darker and the world speeds up, many of us feel overstimulated, tired, or disconnected from ourselves. In this episode, I invite you to "winter with intention"—to soften the pressure of productivity and shift into a more grounded, replenishing rhythm that supports your nervous system and well-being. How to embrace this season to enhance our holistic life. 

Through gentle reflection, mindful practices, and the Mindful Hand of Self-Care framework, you'll discover how to care for your mind, body, and energy during the winter months and why this season can actually be one of deep clarity and renewal.

Resources shared:

• 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize interactive journal. (https://wadebrill.com/100mindfulmoments)
  
  
• Centered Walks (https://wadebrill.com/centeredwalks)
  
  
• Winter Mindfulness Retreat: APPLY NOW (https://retreat.centeredinthecity.org/)
  
  
• Explore Recipe & Movement inspo on Centered in the City

Happy Thanksgiving! However you are choosing to celebrate this holiday, may we use this holiday as a time to focus on cultivating more gratitude in our life. Research demonstrates how being grateful improves our well-being. 

Take yourself and or your family on a 4 minute or longer gratitude walk. Take a picture of yourself on your walk and share it with me on Instagram @OneWade

Want more guided walking meditations? Download Centered Walks here. Holiday 50% off until Dec 1. You will received 29 different walking meditations to meet you where you are and support you getting out of your head and into your body. 

If you find yourself stress-eating, overeating at family gatherings, holiday parties or losing your healthy routines in the swirl of the holiday hustle (ie. travel, sugar, and social pressure) this episode will help you reconnect with your body, your breath, and your intention.

Using research-backed mindfulness tools, behavioral psychology, and a grounded, compassionate approach, I share how to stay present with your body without the shame or restriction. This episode gives you simple, doable practices to stay centered and nourished during the busiest time of the year.

Want to go deeper?

Join for a FREE Mindful Eating for the Holidays Workshop oon 11/21/25 (https://luma.com/xl81jcg3)

Apply for the Winter Mindfulness Retreat before 12/10 (https://retreat.centeredinthecity.org/)

Purchase 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize self-care journal (https://wadebrill.com/100mindfulmoments)

In this episode, we dive into how mindfulness can transform sex, intimacy and connection. As modern humans, we live a lot of life on autopilot, stressed and hustling. We crave more presence, self-care, intimacy and authenticity. Drawing on the research of psychologist & sex-researcher Dr. Lori Brotto, author of Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire, we explore what's really going on when stressed, multitasking and distraction undermine our intimacy. I share with you many concrete mindfulness practices you can bring into your body, your relationship, your everyday life. If you want to deepen your connection (with yourself or your partner), stop doing sex like it's a task, and rediscover the gift of intimacy. 

Resources shared:

Winter Mindfulness Retreat Details & Sign Up: retreat.centeredinthecity.org

Lori Brotto, PHD Better Sex Throough Mindfulness: How Women can Cultivate Desire 

Learn more about the Mindful Hand of Self-care Framework in 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize

Get in your body with Centered Walks --guided walking meditations: WadeBrill.com/centeredwalks

Before the glittering whirlwind of the holidays arrives, we have a sacred opportunity to slow down and support our wellbeing. In this episode, I invite you into a proactive, mindful approach to the season using science-backed strategies that help your nervous system stay steady and nourished. You will learn how rituals, boundaries, and intentional planning reduce stress so you enter the new year energized instead of depleted. You deserve a holiday season that honors your wellbeing. Small adjustments today protect your peace tomorrow. Pick one thing from this episode and block it into your calendar right now.

What We Explore:
• Why holiday stress spikes for most adults
• The nervous system's response to anticipatory overwhelm
• How cozy nights at home create physiological recovery
• A simple process for setting emotional and financial boundaries
• Why meaningful rituals support mental health (and which ones to release)
• How to gift your future self energy, clarity, and grounded presence

Resources:

Winter Mindfulness Retreat details 

Gift yourself or loved ones Centered Walks

Want inspo for renwal night this winter? Check out my interative self-care journal. 

Today on the podcast, I talk to Schuyler Copple, a Social Worker in the field of hospice. We discuss the importance of facing our own emotions and relationship with death. How to best approach the conversations of death and planning for death with aging loved ones as well as getting educated about the various ways we can take control of the last chapter of our lives. Take a listen to this episode and share it with someone you care about.

Learn more about the Winter Mindfulness Retreat (Jan 16-18th, 2026). 20 % off early bird discount ends October 31st. Website: Retreat.CenteredintheCity.org

Check out all of the end of life resources here : www.wadebrill.com/blog/before-goodbye-a-mindful-approach-to-preparing-for-a-parents-death

Today on the podcast, I interviewed award-winning researcher, speaker and author, Jessica Grossmeier. We talk about the three main pillars of well-being: Purpose, Social Connection and Transcendance. Jessica shares research backed practices that can enhance our well-being. She reminds us our purpose can change over time and work isn't the only place we can have a sense of purpose. Jessica also shares ways we can find more balance in our life by paying attention to "Harmonious Passion" and "Obsessive Passion." Jessica also invites us to think about how we are fostering meaningful relationships in and outside of work. And why spirituality is an essential piece to enhancing our well-being. 

Take a listen to this episode and share your takeaways with us on LinkedIn at Jessica and Wade.

Resurces: 

Discover your unique Overwhelm Archetype by taking this free quiz and learn how to cultivate a path to balance: http://wadebrill.com/quiz

Download your Centered Walks Here: http://wadebrill.com/centeredwalks

Want support with your individual self-care practices? Check out my interactive self-care journal: 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize : http://wadebrill.com/100MindfulMoments

Order Well At Work here: https://www.jessicagrossmeier.com/wellatwork/

Jessica Grossmeier is an award-winning researcher, speaker, and author of two books: Reimagining Workplace Well-being and Well At Work. As a leading authority in workforce well-being, she collaborates with employers and well-being service providers to create evidence-based strategies to support individual and organizational thriving. Recognized as one of the most influential women leaders in health promotion by the American Journal of Health Promotion, Jessica serves as a Senior Fellow for the Health Enhancement Research Organization, Strategic Advisor, ROI of Care for Compassion 2.0, Chairs the Workplace Wellbeing Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute, and serves on several advisory boards. Jessica holds doctoral and master's degrees in public health, specializing in community health education. For more information, visit www.jessicagrossmeier.com