Season 2, entitled: Secrets of Well-being, will focus on mental well-being as being valuable in its own right and not just as an asset to advance one’s education or career. Drawing inspiration from the Six Dimensions of Wellness instated by the National Wellness Institute (NWI), the podcast will explore Occupational, Emotional, Physical, Social, Intellectual, and Spiritual Health. 

Episode 1: Occupational Well-being

How do you know you’re doing what you’re meant to do? What do you do when you wake up and realize that you want to do something else? How do you maintain a healthy relationship between work and personal life? Individuals of color from all walks of life, from studying to interning to working, may ask themselves these questions. In this episode, co-hosts Jay, Kaelyn, and Dannie are joined by Francesca Miller and Carol Jacob to reflect on the matter of choice and feeling effective at work while maintaining one’s mental health.

Episode 2: Emotional Well-being 

Many of us may suppress, hide, or misunderstand our own emotions because they’re inconvenient or unpleasant, or because we don’t know how to deal with them. Maybe we’re afraid that if we start unpacking, we’ll never stop. Emotions are valid signals from our bodies. They’re part of being human and how we empathize and connect with others. In this episode, Dannie, Jay, and Kaelyn are joined by co-host Gisela Ortega to discuss how emotions play a role in our lives and how BIPOC youth can use their emotions to create positive change in their lives.

Episode 3: Physical Well-being

From governmental health recommendations to corporate ad campaigns, from magazines to television, we are flooded with information on how to be physically well. However, it can seem at times as if the clues are pointing in different directions. How do we know which path to follow? How do we find a fitness plan, a nutritional lifestyle, and a sleep schedule that works for us? Join Dannie, Jay, and Kaelyn as they discuss these questions and more with co-hosts Fatema Saifuddin and Dr. Michelle Maidenberg, author of Free Your Child From Overeating: 53 Mind-Body Strategies For Lifelong Health.

Episode 4: Social Well-being

Having a tree of supportive family and friends is key to mental well-being. This is especially true when we go through major life changes such as transitioning into higher education or the workforce. From investing in relationships to setting healthy boundaries Dannie, Jay, and Kaelyn are joined by co-host Ashish Thaur to discuss how to cultivate this kind of network. 

Episode 5: Intellectual Well-being 

IQ tests, the SAT, graduate school entrance exams. The way our intelligence and capacity for learning are measured against our peers can leave us feeling stressed or unmotivated. Students are driven to memorize lists of facts instead of asking questions and thinking outside the box. What kinds of things spark our innate curiosity, and how can we nurture our own intellectual health? How does our intellectual health relate to our mental health? In this episode, Dannie, Jay, and Kaelyn are joined by Dr. Chris Rose to reflect on these questions. 

Episode 6: Spiritual Well-Being.

Forming better habits, deepening self-knowledge, and tapping into a higher purpose are all insights that have been touched upon by various faith traditions. What does it mean to surrender? How can we find peace and relinquish the need to control that which we cannot? How can we help others from the perspective that we are all connected? in this episode Dannie, Jay, Kaelyn are joined by co-hosts Jada Thompson and Chevaughn Wellington to tackle these big questions, as well as answer the question: How is spiritual well-being connected to mental health and well-being?