May is mental health awareness month, and that will be the theme for our next two episodes of Get Personal. I've talked a lot on previous episodes about my background in counseling and the mind-body connection, so this has always been one of my favorite topics. Too often, the mind gets left out of the equation, but you absolutely cannot have a holistic view of health without it. In my practice, I spend a lot of time talking to my patients about their mental health—managing stress and anxiety, and the pressures of their lives at home and at work.

So I am very excited today to have someone whose life work is all about mental health, managing stress, and guiding people — especially women — through life’s challenges and transitions. Keira Kielmeyer is a licensed counselor who knows first hand the profound impact that stress has on health and wellbeing. On this episode, we dive into the way that chronic health affects the body, including in surprising ways like impairing memory. We also talk at length about practical coping mechanisms that Keira uses in her practice, and that you can use in your life! It’s all about being keying into the difference between “natural” and “healthy” stress, and unnatural chronic stress. We’ll explain how you can do that yourself, and move from survival mode into empowered mode.

You can find Keira on Instagram at @keiragrace, or learn more from her website at keiragraceco.com.