The Lisa Show

As parents, sometimes it feels like the only way to take care of ourselves is to take unnecessary time away from our kids. But if we give our kids everything that they need, we're not doing enough to take care of ourselves. So how can we find this impossible balance? In the conclusion of The Lisa Show's series on Self-Care, Lisa talks with therapist Jaime Ballard, the Council of Moms (Jeanette Bennett and Angie King), and a host of venerated experts (small children), to find out what's at the heart of this parenting paradox, and what we can do to build a sustainable and fulfilling life for us and for our kids.

Lisa talks with the Council of Moms--Ganel-Lyn Condie, Rebecca Bingham, and Ashley Reeve--about how they approach talking to their kids about their mental health, even when their own mental health is struggling.

When a child, a spouse, or a friend is struggling with their mental health, it can be difficult to focus on anything else, least of all yourself. Whether due to depression, anxiety, or any other disorder, it hurts to see someone you love suffer, and it can also present new challenges in your relationships. Lisa reflects on a time her efforts backfired while trying to support a child in crisis. Rebecca Bingham shares her experience as a mom of children with severe behavioral and mental health needs. Dr. Jaime Ballard breaks down appropriate roles as a parent, a friend, or a significant other, and how to have conversations which preserve emotional well-being and safety.

Lisa talks with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and longtime friend of The Lisa Show Dr. John Sovec about when we should be selfish about protecting our mental health, and how that selfishness can help us take care of people around us in the long run.

Do you ever feel like your mental health is struggling, but taking time to find a therapist or pay for medication will only make you more stressed? This cycle of not getting the help we need can be isolating, overwhelming, and can take us to some very intense emotional places. Lisa talks with her producer McKay and with the Council of Moms (Ganel-Lyn Condie, Rebecca Bingham, and Ashley Reeves) about their experiences, and gets some suggestions from LMFT Dr. John Sovec about how we can build daily self-care routines that bolster our mental health, as well as tips for when to seek out professional help. Mental illness is a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition, and you deserve to have all the help that you need. If you would like to find a mental health professional or support group in your area, visit https://www.mentalhealth.org or if you find yourself in a moment of crisis, dial 9-8-8 for the National Crisis Hotline and someone will help talk you through it.

Ken and Katie Craig join Lisa for an upbeat conversation reminiscing over times when self-care went wrong, and some of their best pivots and lessons learned along the way.

After a long day cleaning up after kids and dealing with teenagers, going on social media for a break can backfire, forcing you to see that your 4-year-old niece just mastered calculus and your unbelievably photogenic acquaintance from high school is on yet another Disney cruise. Social media is just one place where comparison can often turn toxic and hurtful, replacing confidence and satisfaction with the gnawing feeling that others are better off and better than. If “comparison is the thief of joy”, how can we manage this subconscious habit so that it increases our self-esteem and our supports self-care? Lisa talks with the Council of Moms (Hailey Smith and Tanya Quinn) to find out, shares her own experiences, and breaks down the connections that we're looking for when we compare ourselves to others.

In this extended conversation with financial advisor Kyle Bigler, Lisa and Kyle talk about how you can approach spending your money in a way that will bring more stability and fulfillment to your life.

Self-care and spending your money are not the same (despite all those targeted ads saying otherwise!) but your approach to finances could say more than you think about your attitude toward self-care. Lisa gathers friends (Heather Bigley & Lindsay Clark) and a financial guru (Kyle Bigler) to explore the complicated relationship between our inner selves and our money (or lack thereof), how to relate to resources sustainably and in a healthy way, and how to honor the parts of our lives with the highest value—and maybe splurge on velvet pants along the way.

In this edition of Self-Care Over Lunch, Lisa talks with her friend, film producer, actor, and Studio C showrunner Jake Van Wagoner about what it's like being an introvert when most people thing you're an extrovert.

What's your perfect Friday night? A fulfilling social life can look dramatically different from one person to the next, even in the same family. Whether you dream of crowded dinner parties or blissful solitude with a book, knowing your defaults can help you manage social stamina, and deepen relationships that matter. Lisa assembles a wide collection of friends and family, introverts and extroverts, to explore the ins and outs of social self-care.

In this full-length conversation, Lisa talks with psychologist, sexual educator, and professional counselor Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife about which issues in a relationship are truly "red flags," and which ones are signs that a relationship has more room to grow and mature.

In a perfect world, the people we share our lives with would automatically know and provide exactly what we need. But for most of us, even identifying our own needs can be a challenge. This episode explores the dynamics of self-care within our most important relationships, including finding a balanced give-and-take, enrolling a partner in healthy boundaries, and communicating authentically. Lisa calls on the Council of Moms (Amy Hackworth and Amelia Kuhlmann) and Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife to explore self-love and true love.

In this extended conversation, Lisa talks with Lyfe Sculpt founder Treigh Christensen about what it really takes to create a life that is balanced and fulfilling, without disregarding the realities of what life requires from us.

Life has a way of getting busier, but taking care of yourself is important as ever, and even more so when juggling a hectic schedule. The Council of Moms (Vanessa Quigley and Carrie Ann Rhodes) looks at a spectrum of experiences, from roadside french fries to high rise corporate deals. Ken and Katie Craig revisit a memory of an impromptu lifestyle offer that sounded a little too good to be true, and Lisa shares how one drastic decision in pursuit of a better work-life balance changed the course of her family's life.

In this week's episode of "The Lisa Show: Over Lunch" Lisa has an in-depth conversation with award-winning health coach Katie Bressack about how we can change good nutrition from something that we dread dealing with into a fulfilling piece of a well-lived life.

There are so many things that we feel pressured to do by the people around us. We need to eat better, to exercise more, to get our hair done, to dress well, the list goes on and on. And while these things aren't inherently negative, if we only do them because of the societal guilt we feel, they aren't doing us the good that we could be. In this episode, Lisa dives into how we can take back the things we feel like we have to do, the "shoulds," and turn them into real tools to take care of ourselves.

Lisa is joined by friends Carrie Ann Rhodes and Vanessa Quigley to talk about how the way they take care of themselves has changed throughout their lives.

Do your parents cringe at the idea of taking a "mental health day?" Do your kids gag at the idea of working 60-hour weeks in a cubicle wearing business formal? Our modern concept of "self-care" looks completely alien to the older generations. But they must have been taking steps to take care of themselves, right? Lisa explores how the generations are different and how they are similar when it comes to protecting our emotional and physical health. (Spoiler: they're probably more similar than you think!)

In this bonus conversation, Lisa talks with her friends Emily Taylor, Brandalee Bluth Streeter, and Wendy Mar about why the idea of "self-care" can be so frustrated, and what they can do to take it back.

Does hearing the phrase "self-care" bring to mind feelings of guilt, frustration, or "it must be nice?" Are you picturing snooty upper-class women leaving the kids with the nanny while they spend the day at the spa gossiping and planning their next day on the lake? In this first episode of our series on Self-Care, Lisa voices her frustration with the idea of self-care, and digs into how we can push past the superficial stigma and start figuring out how to take care of ourselves the way we all deserve.

As a parent, it can be easy to lose yourself in midst of devoting so much of your time and energy to taking care of kids. It can be hard to remember what activities we are doing because we enjoy them, and which are we doing because we feel like we need to. In this special conversation, Lisa is joined by her sister Gina to discuss how they determine what they like to do and how they mold their lives around those things.

When a child leaves home, we as parents are often left wondering what's left back at home. How do we define our identity as our lives shift and change beneath us? Lisa is joined by author, speaker, and friend of the show Ganel-Lyn Condie to talk about what it's like figuring out who you are during times of drastic transition.

Lisa talks with friend and longtime friend of the show Carrie Ann Rhodes about their personality tests results--where they fall short and where they get it right.

Lisa is joined by longtime friend Kacy Faulconer to talk about their most embarrassing parenting moments--from the laugh-out-loud to the cringe-worthy.

Spending any amount of time on social media can make you feel like you're the only one have a hard time with parenting. Lisa talks with friends Natalie Madsen and Whitney Call about the harsh realities of motherhood and what they're doing to make the most of every day.

Do you prefer rolling or stacking your clothes? Join Lisa as she explore different ways of organizing a home and the benefits of each one of those ways. And find the answer to the question of the century: do bins actually help your house look more organized?

Would you consider yourself a "helicopter parent?" Or do you prefer "free-range" parenting? Would you say you're a "lawnmower parent," or even a "snowplow parent?" It feels impossible to even keep the different styles of parenting straight, let alone understand which ones are most effective in raising our kids. Lisa talks with friends and experts to find out what approaches to parenting work the best.

Has your self-care taken a nosedive since becoming a parent? Has parenting made you feel isolated and alone? Sit down with the Council of Moms as Lisa and her friends Kristin, Brooke, and Janae discuss the harsh realities of parenthood and try to make it a more forgiving and empathetic part of life.

Lisa chats with Sam Payne about the show he hosts, BYU Radio's The Apple Seed, before we hear their recent episode, "The Shiny". Welcome to The Apple Seed! Some time filled with stories for you and your family. Since 2013 we’ve been bringing you tall tales, personal tales, fairy tales, historical tales and more. All kinds of tales, from all kinds of tellers. Some of our favorite stories are about people just like us. Ordinary individuals thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Sometimes, however, our heroes are very different than us; perhaps they are extremely silly, or greedy. Sometimes, they’re not even human at all. In today’s stories, we’ll get to hear about all kinds of animals; foolish ones and clever ones, brave ones and cowardly ones, cruel ones, and kind ones. On today’s episode, enjoy the following: “Piggy Wiggy” by Willy Claflin from Sleeping Beastly and Other Tales Radio Family Journal: "Mercedes Benz" by Sam Payne The Daily Mix: "10 Ways to Hear Snow" “The Shiny”: an original radio drama produced at BYU Radio “The Gypsy Wagon” by Dan Keding from The Gypsy Wagon and Other Neighborhood Tales

As a parent, it can feel like no matter how much we prepare, we're never ready for what's coming next. There is always some new wrinkle to figure out to keep things running smoothly. Lisa is joined by her longtime improv partner Hailey Smith to talk about how their years performing long-form improvised comedy have prepared them for parenthood.

Are your kids spending their summer days laying in bed, scrolling through Tik Tok? Or are their days filled with summer camps, sports practices and busy social lives? Whatever their routines look like, it is difficult as parents to know if we should step in and micromanage their time or let them roam free until school starts up again. Lisa talks with friends and experts to discuss how parents are finding the right balance for them.

It's been said that by the time we are 25 years old, our number of friends will only decline for the rest of our lives. This means that for most of our adult lives, we are losing more friends than we are making. So why is it so much harder to build friendships in adulthood than it was when we were kids? And what can we do to change that? Lisa talks with friends and experts to find out.

Your family may be known as the "fun family." Or maybe they're the "musical family," or the "religious family." But whether it's kindness, hard work, athleticism, faith, or financial responsibility, how do you decide what values will define your family? And at what point is it too late to change them? Lisa talks with friends, family and experts to find out.

Lisa is joined by Taylor Riggs, Angie King, and Jeanette Bennett in a special council of moms. They answer the listeners' questions about motherhood, family life and life's challenges.

Lisa is joined by her friend and music aficionado Kacy Faulconer to discuss the way that music has shaped their lives, and to identify which albums have made the biggest difference to them.

Do you have people in your life that you wish you were closer to, but you don't know what you can do to bring your connection to a new level? Lisa is joined by her lifelong friend Carrie Ann Rhodes to try our some new conversation tactics in order to deepen their friendship and get to know each other better.

Do you ever get back from a big family vacation, one you planned and saved for for months, and feel like you need a few days just to decompress? A vacation from your vacation? Managing an itinerary, sticking to a budget, keeping tired kids happy, and doing it all while trying to find some relaxation for yourself can seem like an impossible list of to-dos. So is it even worth it? What can we do to make vacations meaningful for the whole family, parents included? Lisa talks to listeners, the Council of Moms, and travel writer Lori Zaino to find out.

As the years pass and we get older, the relationships we have with our families grow and change. Sometimes this can bring us closer together, sometimes this can drive us apart. So what can we do to navigate the nuance and complexity of staying close to our siblings in spite of what life throws at us? Lisa talks with her longtime friend and celebrated actor and performer Kirby Heyborne about his lived experiences.

Our family members are often the people who know and care about us the most. They've seen us at our best and at our worst and are with us through most of life's challenges. Unfortunately, this means that it can be difficult to establish where the line is between "loving concern" and "too involved in my business." So how can we recognize when a family relationships needs a new set of boundaries? And how can we approach creating them without hurting the other person's feelings? Lisa talks with friends and experts with a wide range of familial experience to find answers.

Mother's Day can be wonderful holiday where we show appreciation to the moms that have made our lives so much better. But it can also be a difficult day, filled with grief, frustration, and unmet expectations. Since hardly anyone has the picture-perfect family situation, how can we make sure Mother's Day is something to be excited about rather than dread? Lisa convenes the Council of Moms, talks with Dr. Julie Hanks, and chats with her own mother to find out.

The internet is changing every single day, and the way we interact with the world and the people around us is changing with it. It seems impossible to keep up with every new advancement in technology while our kids are so much better at it than we are. So how can we be thoughtful, intentional parents when we can't keep pace with the world our kids are living in? Lisa talks through her own parenting experiences, brings in the Council of Moms, and chats with expert Amy Morin to find possible solutions.

Life is busy and sometimes it feels like it won’t get any easier. In the midst of so many things it’s easy to get overwhelmed. When that happens the last thing we can find time for is for relaxation. So how can we find time to relax when we are so busy with everything going on in our lives? And what does relaxation looks like in those circumstances? Lisa convenes with the Council of Moms and talks to Thomas McConkie, host of the Mindfulness+ podcast, to find out.

Do you ever miss the creative hobbies you used to have before careers, parenting, or just life got in the way? It can feel like there's never enough time, but being creative can be a cathartic--almost therapeutic--experience. So how can we express our creativity while still keeping up with the wave of daily responsibilities? Lisa talks with parents and professionals, as well as tries a new outlet herself, to find out.

Lisa is joined by friends Carrie Ann Rhodes, Emily Engemann, and Amy Hopkin to discuss questions that were submitted by listeners of The Lisa Show. If you want to submit your question to the Council of Moms, send us a message to [email protected] or DM us on any of our social media accounts.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the difficulties that life throws at us. And while we may try to find the silver lining, sometimes the advice to "look on the bright side" can feel invalidating and ignorant of the real, unavoidable struggles that we're going through. So how can we practice gratitude when nothing is going right? Or is it even worth it? Lisa convenes the Council of Moms, talks with Hank Smith, and tries out gratitude journaling herself to find the answer.

No one likes to think too much about the worst things that could happen. The loss of a loved one, financial crisis, natural disasters, any of these can happen without warning and can completely change the trajectory of our lives. So what things can we do now to make those tough pills a little easier to swallow? Lisa talks with friends, experts, and dives into her own "worst case scenario" to find out.

Between jobs, school, errands, and running kids from one activity to the next, there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. Let alone spare time for a social life and hobbies! So what does it take to actually make sure that everything is allotted the time that it needs? And can we do it without going crazy? Lisa talks with her friends and experts about what we can do.

Everyone wants to be a fun parent, but "fun" can seem antithetical to household rules and structures. But there seems to be a disconnect between what parents see as "fun" and what their kids think. While some parents think their kids want free reign of the house and no curfew, what they actually want may be more meaningful. In this episode, Lisa talks with friends and experts about what it really means to be a "fun parent" while still saying, "no."

Everyone knows someone who they just can’t stand to be in a room with. Whether it’s a disagreement about politics, about religion, lifestyle, or maybe they just aren’t very nice, there are people in our lives who are just harder to empathize with than others. Not to mention that the world events of the last few years seem to have pulled particularly strong opinions out of just about everyone. So is it worth learning to understand these people? And if so, how can we do it? Lisa talks with experts and friends to find out.