From our earliest days of learning the ins-and-outs of the alphabet, we have been programmed to treat reading as an essential life skill. And for good reason - in today's digitized world, where everything from catching up on news to communicating with friends and family is done through text on our phones, reading has become omnipresent in our lives. But how about the lost art of reading books? In the tenth episode of Wellspring, Adithi and Matt explore how reading books can serve as an important part of your wellness journey. Highlights include Adithi's medieval history addiction, Matt's past sagas with It by Stephen King and Crime and Punishment, and ways to spark a renewal of reading ~for fun~ as an adult!  Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of the episode as always! Episode 10 Special: Wellspring Reading Recs      - On Writing by Stephen King      - Educated by Tara Westover      - 11/22/63 by Stephen King      - Elevated: The Global Rise of the NBA by Harvey Araton      - In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park      - Flourish by Martin Seligman      - Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury      - Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford Referenced in the Episode: Benefits of Reading: How it Can Positively Affect your Life (Healthline) Motivations of Adult Reading Adithi's Favorite at-home Café! Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

It's time to add our four-legged friends to the wellness picture! Pets can play such a pivotal role on our personal journeys toward wellness through the positive impact they can have on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In our ninth episode of Wellspring, Adithi and Matt invite their first guest onto the podcast: Anna, a friend of the podcast and pet enthusiast. Pulling from our personal pet experiences, we center our discussion around the Pet Effect - what it is, how it has manifested itself in our lives, and how pets can best fit into our wellness pictures moving forward. Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of the episode as always! Also, follow Anna and Koda’s adventures at @keepingupwiththekodachien on Instagram! Referenced in this Episode: About Pets & People - U.S. Center for Disease Control The Power of Support from Companion Animals - BMC Psychiatry Ontological Security and Connectivity Provided by Pets - BMC Psychiatry Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) vs. Service Dogs - What's the Difference? Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

Social media is frequently painted by society as a purely negative force on our mental health and wellness. However, current research says that this isn't quite the complete picture. In our eighth episode of Wellspring, we dive into social media, and the different ways in which connecting with others digitally over Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. can have either a positive or negative impact on our lives. We also share our personal social media journeys, with all of their ups and downs, and explain the role that social media platforms currently play in our daily lives. Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of the episode as always! Referenced in this Episode: How Social Media can be Positive for Wellness - Harvard School of Public Health Does Taking a Social Media Break Positively Affect Well-Being? - Oxford University How to Have a Healthy Relationship with Social Media - National Alliance on Mental Illness Tasty Ricotta Cheese and Tomato Dip Recipe! Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

On this episode of Wellspring, we take a deep dive into the world of memory- particularly positive, warm, fuzzy memory- and how to use nostalgia as an asset in your wellness journey. We're talking about what nostalgia really is, what it can do for your mental health, and how disentangling the complicated emotions around remembering the past can help you continue your own personal narrative. We also discuss Matt's love for Disney World and Star Wars and Adithi's passion for old Hindi songs!  Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of the episode as always! Referenced in this Episode:  Why Nostalgia is Good for You- Scientific American (amazing read!)  Why we Reach for Nostalgia in Times of Crisis- New York Times (a wonderful, topical article) A Brief History of the Study of Nostalgia- from the New York Times Nostalgia as a Tool against Depression- a Psychology Today report of a Cambridge study A USC Study on Nostalgia- via Neuroscience News How to Remember Childhood Memories- from Healthline Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

It's time for our wellness journeys to get a bit more physically active with one of our favorite activities: hiking! Whether it is a casual walk through the park with friends, a strenuous climb to the summit of a mountain, or anything in between, hiking can provide us with some serious physical, mental, and relational benefits. In our sixth episode of Wellspring, we discuss all of these benefits in detail as well as chat about our own personal hiking experiences and the best ways for you to get started on your own adventures exploring the great outdoors. Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of the episode as always! Referenced in the episode: Benefits of Hiking - National Park Service How Hiking Boosts Mental Health - Stanford University How Hiking Improves Blood Flow - ScienceDaily Cross Crawl (Combining Hiking and Meditation) - Your Therapy Source Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

When many people think of wellness, the first activity that comes to mind is meditation, and for good reason. In the last several years, meditation has become more and more popular in Western culture, making it more important than ever that we take the time to learn about this practice and how it can become an invaluable tool in our wellness toolkit. In our fifth episode, we do just that, discussing all things meditation. Drawing from our own experiences and research, we comment on what we have gained from meditation, the history of meditation, the recognized health benefits of the practice, and some tips for how you can get started. Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of the episode as always! Referenced in the episode: Om Meditation Clip Benefits of Om Meditation - Mayo Clinic Practicing Pranayama during Yoga Benefits of Meditation - Healthline How to Meditate - NY Times Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

Whether it's switching topics in the middle of a podcast discussion or entering post-college life, transitions can be difficult to navigate. In our fourth episode of Wellspring, we dive into this concept of Transitions, discussing the current transitions in our lives, the underlying fear of change that causes transitions to be so difficult, and how to better cope with transitions. So yes, a lot on transitions!   Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of this episode as always! Referenced in this Episode:   Why We Fear Change - from Psychology Today  8 Tips for Navigating Life’s Transitions - HuffPost  Law of Attraction Planner - a great tool for journaling!  CBT "What If" Exercises - from Psychology Tools  Text "ABC13" to 41444 for donations to Houston Food Bank!  Graphics: Adithi Iyer  Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

So what really makes a house a home? Join us as we share with you our experience of the Apartment Dilemma of 2020 and how we resolved it through the immense power of houseplants, and some tips to take with you into your next big move or redesign project!  Follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and discussion of this episode as always! Referenced in this Episode:  The Psychology of Home from The Atlantic (an awesome read!) How to Make a Happier Home from Psychology Today A Primer on Biophilic Design- Study from Ryerson University Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi

In this episode of Wellspring, we talk about flow, the psychology concept behind "getting in the zone" that's shared among high performers of all kinds. From your favorite pro athletes to maestro musicians, this is a concept we can get behind. Find out how you can use a literal graph to discover your next super-passion and how to make your everyday just a little more enjoyable with our new fave, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi! As always, follow us on @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for more content and post-show discussion! Referenced in this Episode:  What is flow? from Positive Psychology The Eight Characteristics from Csikszentmihalyi  Harvard Health Article on Flow Health Benefits of Flow, a study from U of Malaysia Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Song: Cali by Wataboi

In our first ever episode of Wellspring, we introduce ourselves and the topic of wellness: what is it, and how do we define it in our own lives? Join us on our wellness journey and dive in!  Follow us @wellspringpod on Instagram and @wellspringpodcast on TikTok for listener polls, more content from Adithi and Matt, and to have further discussions about the episodes! Referenced in the episode:  What is Wellness? per Merriam-Webster Graphics: Adithi Iyer Intro Music: Cali by Wataboi