Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Happy Sunday, y'all. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And this semester is coming to a close, my friend.
[00:00:19] Speaker C: Can you believe it? I say this. I've said this before, but January felt like it was 900 days long, and then every other month has just kind of stuck their head in and said, what's up? And then left.
[00:00:30] Speaker B: It's weird. And it's interesting watching that dynamic with the students, too. And I think a lot of it probably depends on if they're on the brink of graduation or if they're just trying to get their first full academic year under their belt. But I'm actually kind of curious. How has advising been going? I know we haven't. We may or may not have talked about the exact number of student appointments that you've needed to complete for advising, but have you been knocking them out, sister?
[00:00:58] Speaker C: I haven't tried. So I have about 200 students that I have to see, and I think what the general public doesn't understand about academic advising is a lot of times it's not just one and done. You know, I have some repeats that come back and go, you know what? I think I've changed my mind. I think I do want to pursue XYZ, or I think I want to take this summer off, or I think I do want to take classes this summer. So a lot of the students I will see two and three times, which I'm happy to help, but it does.
It becomes a lot, Anna. So there's only so many working hours in the day.
[00:01:30] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:01:31] Speaker C: Answering emails into the night.
[00:01:33] Speaker B: Well, do you have any seniors that are about to leave that you're kind of sad because of?
[00:01:37] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: You've watched them grow.
[00:01:40] Speaker C: You know, I just feel like those mama birds, that they have to push them out of the nest and they have to fly away, but you're like, come back and see me. You know? I do. I'm very excited for them, but I'm also very sad because, you know, we've been working towards this goal, and now it's here and it's like, okay, bye. Yeah, it's kind of sad.
[00:02:00] Speaker B: Well, I. You know, I don't know if you would ever be the one to put this out on air, but I'm going to. You know, I feel like for you specifically, as a faculty member, you are so well loved. You have been loved by a lot of our division I athletes.
[00:02:15] Speaker C: So sweet to say that.
[00:02:17] Speaker B: I just. I don't want to say, how do you do it? Because I know how you do it.
[00:02:22] Speaker C: Oh.
[00:02:22] Speaker B: Because I think that you really have this gift for making steel feel seen and making topics interesting because they read your passions about things. And so I just feel like I'm shamelessly just doing a, you're so sweet, girl.
[00:02:36] Speaker C: I will send you a flower. I will send you some flowers and a Starbucks for all this kind love that you were heaping on to me. Thank you. I'm not sure I can say all.
[00:02:45] Speaker D: The students love me. I wish I could.
[00:02:48] Speaker C: I'm a straight shooter and I can vividly remember, even though it was eons ago, being a student and feeling like, am I being heard? Am I being seen? Do they care? And I've just always promised myself that if I was ever in a position to be the person on the other side of the table, that I would keep that at the forefront of my mind and try to serve everybody the same way I wanted to be served.
[00:03:12] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:03:12] Speaker C: And some days that's hard. Yes. You know, and some days it's easier.
But I hope I'm always, I hope everybody that comes in contact with me walks away feeling a little bit more loved on.
[00:03:22] Speaker B: Absolutely. And I know, and I won't go into too much detail about this. I know we've ran into the grocery store and we were lamenting about just the beauty of AI and chat GPT and how these students have liked to utilize those services for writing courses.
[00:03:38] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:03:39] Speaker C: You know, that's where I think they don't love me, is when I have to get kind of tough love. But literally, it is really, truly their best interest because AI chatGpt, you know, we're not completely there yet, and it will make up things. If it can't find an answer, it will just make it up. And that can get you in trouble in the long run. We've already kind of seen that happen in some court cases where a lawyer will state something that chat GPT found for them and it was completely fabricated, but they didn't know it, but the judge called them out. Right. So I just try to say, hey, listen, I know you're just trying to get this paper written and move on with your life, but if you become, if you don't have a discerning eye and know when something's lying to you or not, then that could get you in trouble in the working world.
[00:04:23] Speaker B: Totally.
And again, you know, it has its time in place.
[00:04:28] Speaker C: It does.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: And all the things, you know, it certainly helped our team with some, you know, brainstorming ideas.
[00:04:33] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, brainstorming and jump off ideas are great.
[00:04:36] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:04:37] Speaker C: But for you to say, okay, give me all the facts, chat GPT. Sometimes it doesn't get it right, and I ain't hating on it, you know? But I am saying that that's why we are taught how to do our own research.
[00:04:48] Speaker B: Yeah. So that's our little FYI moment for this first segment.
[00:04:51] Speaker C: But even if you're not a student, yes, that's helpful for you as well.
[00:04:55] Speaker B: But that is not what we're talking about today. You know, as we mentioned, it is kind of. You know, we're gearing towards landing the plane for this semester, and we're gonna be heading into the summer. And so, thankfully for our listeners today we're gonna be talking about what does the summer look like for us? What does it look like in terms of wellness goals that we've either already established or we want to establish? So with that little tidbit, we're going to take a quick break and we will be right back. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 to Capstone.
[00:05:30] Speaker A: WvuaFm Tuscaloosa.
[00:05:40] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You're listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And today we have a wonderful guest, Doctor Abby Grammer Horton with the Capstone College of Nursing. And I'm gonna let my friend Sheena, who knows Miss Abby a little bit more, heap the love on her like you heaped the love on me earlier.
[00:06:00] Speaker B: So I. So first, let me say, Abby, thank you for being on the show. And I think I was telling you offline when we were setting everything up that I didn't realize that it's been since 20, 2021 that we had you on. And you were so kind to remind me that back then, we had done the recording via Zoom because we were in that kind of initial post COVID era with just how we were setting up logistics for the show and just interacting in person. And, y'all, I can't believe it's been that long. Just, I think just the way that we functioned during that time frame. But, Abby, thank you for coming. And I just want to say, talk about your amazingness. We need to know all the details, educational background, all the things.
[00:06:43] Speaker D: You're so sweet, Sheena. And I can't believe that this fall, it will have been 20 years since we met each other as undergraduate students.
That is such a long time ago, but it seems just like yesterday. Well, I have had the privilege of working at UA in some capacity since fall of 2011, I started working in the honors college, teaching part time and just progressed from there, teaching part time in the nursing school and then as a full time instructor. And then most recently, I finished my doctorate in nursing education in 2021 and joined my home alumni.
[00:07:21] Speaker C: You know, Mama calls.
[00:07:23] Speaker D: Yes, exactly.
Nursing home for sure, of CCN and have been teaching in a tenure track position since of 2021. So it's great to be here and it's great to be a part of my alma mater and all of the great work that we're doing at CCN.
[00:07:39] Speaker B: Very nice.
[00:07:40] Speaker C: So what do you teach? Like, what classes do you teach?
[00:07:43] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:07:43] Speaker D: I have taught in every semester of the undergraduate program except for fourth semester. That's a group of specialty classes that I have not taught in, but I teach in first and second and third and fifth, but teaching right now in our nursing conceptual home foundations course. So it's nur eight. It's a first semester course for our first semester of nursing students, and it teaches them all about the profession of nursing. It welcomes them to the profession, and we lovingly call it concepts. But it's a class that really just helps them really understand our profession and all the work that we do as nurses.
[00:08:20] Speaker C: So is this for the students who have been accepted into the program?
[00:08:23] Speaker D: It is for the upper division students. Right now we have a five semester program, and so it's great to get to see them when they're first in the beginning stages of their nursing career, and then at the very end, a lot of times, I'll teach in the community health course in this semester. So it's nice to kind of be the bookends. You get to relax, you get to say hello, but then you also get to see them get to the end and get to the finish line and graduate. So that's really neat.
[00:08:49] Speaker C: And I'm sure you get sad as well to see them go.
[00:08:51] Speaker D: Yeah, it is so sad. We have a pending ceremony that accompanies graduation, and they usually will do a slideshow set to music. And it is the saddest, most bidders, we think, to see all of the memories. A lot of times they'll have pictures of, like, clinical days and all of us in our scrubs and the work that we do or, you know, them studying or things like that. And so you had those memories with them. So it is very bittersweet.
[00:09:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:17] Speaker D: You just realize time flies.
[00:09:18] Speaker B: Well, Abby, I know that in addition to the work that you do in the college of nursing, I'm curious about some of the things that you've really brought to wellness and work life and our employee wellness and talk about how long you've been involved with doing that kind of programming.
[00:09:34] Speaker D: Yeah, I love, well, Bama and all of the wellness work Life initiatives here on campus. I think it's one of the best parts of what we have to offer here on campus. And I've been doing the wellness class education since 2019, and so it's been fun to teach. I've taught as many as 30 classes in an academic year, which is a lot, but it's so much fun. Everything from cardiovascular health to habit change to, you know, stress management, mental health. And so we have a wide variety of topics that we offer, and it's open for faculty and staff, and it's such a great opportunity to give free resources and to have these, you know, 1 hour talks that you can join via your lunch break and just, you know, relax, turn out, look off for a minute, have your. Have your desk lunch, and just listen in. And then, you know, it's a part of the larger programming. So if you complete that in a program in a health screen, you can get up to $100 in visa gift cards. So that's a really, really neat feature, and I love being a part of it. It's a highlight of my week.
[00:10:40] Speaker B: I think that the way that we approach wellness, and this is one of the things that I will often articulate when I talk to classes about why we have technically separate offices for how we do health and wellness for our employees versus our students, because they're just in different seasons of life and we have to meet our target populations with where they are. So, like you were talking about with some of those virtual lunch and learn wellness classes, you know, just trying to get as rid of as many barriers and obstacles as possible for people to be able to participate in those types of things, you know?
[00:11:15] Speaker C: And one thing that really stands out to me is I love the fact that you are a nurse and not necessarily like a preventive health educator. I mean, yes, you do know all of it, but, you know, sometimes we see nurses who can diagnose and treat, but on the preventive side, they're like, well, that was not really my jam. I love that. That's your jam.
[00:11:37] Speaker B: I love that you can do the whole full spectrum.
[00:11:40] Speaker D: I love it, too, because honestly, the more that you can prevent and the more that you can kind of stave off, you know, some things aren't preventable, but the more that you can do that initial work, I think the better you're gonna have health outcomes. We want to keep people out of community where they're living and working, and we know that's going to be better for them and their health outcomes. And I didn't always feel the most prepared to be able to do some of that preventative work. So I went back and did a health and life coach certification a few years ago, and it was so helpful to me. You know, you can know the medical model and understand nursing, but then. Or, you know, whatever discipline you're in, but then to go and really look at health and wellness from that preventative model and really employ a coaching model of how do you think about habit change? How do you think about discipline? How do you show up? It's a totally different ballgame. And so interesting.
[00:12:27] Speaker C: I love that you've married the both and that you can do both. I love that you're like a unicorn.
[00:12:33] Speaker D: I'd love that. That's a great compliment.
[00:12:36] Speaker B: And when you talk about, you know, just the amount of wellness classes that you've. You've done for wellness and work life, are there particular topics that you could categorize as your quote unquote favorites?
[00:12:47] Speaker D: Sure. It's like, kids, it's hard to pick a favorite, but I would say cardiovascular, which, if you had asked nursing school Abby if she would have picked that, she would have said no. I had a mother who worked as a nurse and who did a lot of cardiovascular health and was her favorite subject, and it was never mine as a student. But it's one of my favorite classes to teach because it goes over so many myths around cholesterol and high blood pressure and hypertension. And so it really helps the people who attend the classes before because they're like, I didn't realize that connection. And sometimes I think the things that we struggle to understand when we're a quote unquote student of it are the very things that we're better aligned to teach because we realize how confusing it might be or how difficult it might be. That's been my experience. And so that's one of my very, very favorites. We usually teach it every February for heart health month. And then, of course, I love the habit stacking class that I teach. I think it's just foundational to anything that you want to do in life, health or wellness or not, you know, just being a productive human. And then, of course, mental health is my background clinically. And so anything to do with that, we have one on, you know, don't stress about stress. And we have one on resilience and different mental health topics, and those are always going to be favorites for me.
[00:14:03] Speaker B: Yeah. What got you interested in mental health specifically for your clinical area? Sure.
[00:14:09] Speaker D: It was one of those things where, you know, it's just an opportunity that happened, and they said, hey, you're a kind human and you're available. Will you go into mental health clinicals for another college? Back when I was working on my master's degree, and I'm always a person that says yes and then figures it out later, because sometimes opportunities just happen that way. Most of the time, they do for me. And so I said, absolutely. I'll be happy to. And so I did clinical for many, many years at the Tuscaloosa, VA, and absolutely loved it and loved, you know, just helping people connect their mental health to their. Their overall wellness, because it's just such a huge part of what we do. You know, if you have a mental health issue, you're going to have physical health symptoms and challenges and vice versa. And so really looking at people holistically is what is important and something that I'm very passionate about. And so because there's such a stigma around mental health, I really want to see us in that stigma and embrace all aspects of who we are as people. And I think that's when we'll really achieve health.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: I love this. Yeah, I think. Okay, so I'm just gonna applaud you because that is a great segue into us taking a quick break. And, you know, if you haven't already figured it out, listeners, we clearly have an expert joining us today as we talk about all of the things, but grab something to drink, hydrate yourself, run to the restroom. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:15:39] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:15:49] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You're listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. And we are joined by a great expert in the field, Doctor Abby Horton with the Capstone College of Nursing right here at UA. And she has got some great tips for us about this summer.
[00:16:07] Speaker B: Yes. You know, I thought, as we were kind of planning this show and having Abbey on with us and knowing that we're nearing the end of the semester, I thought this would be a great opportunity for us to just kind of have this roundtable discussion about health goals during those summer months. You know, I think that for our listeners, a lot of you are students. A lot of you are faculty, staff, or if you're someone that's not part of the UA community. You're a human that's going into the summer months. And so I think we can all acknowledge the summer just looks different for everybody in terms of that pace. It can just shift in terms of the things that we're responsible for, like less structured. More structured, structured schedule.
[00:16:51] Speaker D: Yes, for sure.
[00:16:52] Speaker C: So Abby, you said something interesting over the break about one of the first things that you recommend about the summer. Would you share that with our listeners?
[00:17:01] Speaker D: Yeah, I think when we think about summer, we think about fun and freedom and we think about just not having a plan, just kind of playing it by ear. And I think that every summer needs a plan. So when we want to get something done, if it doesn't get scheduled, it usually doesn't happen, at least in my world and in my experience. So I think thinking through both personal and professional, what do we want to get done, what do we want to accomplish, but also what fun do we want to have, where do we want to travel if we can think about all of those things and get them on paper? I'm a paper person, so if you can get it out on paper and decide, okay, these are the things that have to happen, plug those in first and then start looking at the things that you want to have happen so that by the end of summer, you know, maybe twelve weeks or so of summer, where are we going to be at the end of that when we're kind of coming back in August. And that to me, helps me stay focused on what really matters and what's really important.
[00:17:59] Speaker C: You are right. It kind of becomes this free for all in the summer. And that can be fun, but it can also be depressing when you look back and you're like, oh, no, I thought I had more time. I didn't get anything done that I.
[00:18:12] Speaker D: Thought I was going to get done.
[00:18:14] Speaker B: So I love that.
[00:18:15] Speaker C: Have a plan for summer?
[00:18:16] Speaker B: Yes. And I think, too, you know, for those students who may be listening and they're going into a really busy internship or they're using this summer to, you know, go back home and maybe they're going to an institution close to where they're going to be and they're like, okay, I'm going, going to, to knock out as many classes as I can. I think that as, you know, as we get focused on that, sometimes we don't think about the other parts of our life that we do want to accomplishing, accomplish things with because we're so focused on, I just need to get through these courses and then it's what about that self care piece? Because we do want this summer to be a time where there is some restoration that happens. I feel like it's important to plug in something to look forward to during that season of accomplishing so much.
[00:19:04] Speaker C: I agree. It's a time to have a reprieve from burnout if you feel yourself getting close to it. So, yeah, I do see that a lot with advising students are like, I want to take a full load and I'm like, that's great, but, you know, I need you to come back in the fall feeling a little rejuvenated. So when can we work in some time for that? What tips for would you have for students in that capacity, addy?
[00:19:27] Speaker D: Yeah, I think that we should just all treat ourselves like professional athletes in building rest and recovery. We know that we know about champions around here, and I think we all need to really take that on because, you know, a professional athlete is like, going to just hit it hard at 100% all of the time. They've got to build in rest and recovery, and I think we need to do the same thing whether we're faculty, staff, students, or just humans. If we build that in, then we have more capacity later and we don't have to rely just on those. What I think of as self care band aids where, you know, we rush really hard through the week and then whatever treat that we have, you know, on our calendar for Friday night gets us kind of through the aftermath of.
[00:20:13] Speaker C: Over scheduling and being busy.
[00:20:15] Speaker D: You know, a bath bomb in chocolate is only going to take you so far.
[00:20:18] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:20:19] Speaker B: Yeah. It's like lovely, but yes, and it's really.
[00:20:23] Speaker D: I think those things are really more of a treat than self care. I think self care looks more like saying yes and no. Really? Well, I think it's more about having good boundaries. I think it's about scheduling in downtime where you're off your phone and off social media. I don't think that we have to be available 24/7 although I really like to be.
If you know me, you know that I respond pretty quickly. And so, you know, those are still things that I'm working on. But I think we have to have self care look more like really taking care of self, not being something that we have to buy or do that's kind of outside of us. And so I hope we change also the narrative around self care a little bit.
[00:21:03] Speaker C: So would you say self care is not selfish, right?
[00:21:05] Speaker D: Absolutely not. I think it's necessary and it's easy to do it should be free. The things that are fast and free are probably the best for you. Saying no is hard, but it's free, and you can say it really fast, and it builds in time. You know, you have to remind students, especially, or people in, like, different periods of their life when they're transitioning that, you know, you don't always have the capacity to say yes. And every time you say yes or no, you're saying yes or no to other things. And so letting them really weigh that out and what is the best yes for you right now in this season? That's something that I really had to learn early on as I transitioned throughout life, and different things popped up for me. So, yeah, so a walk outside, I think that's one of the best things you can do. 20 to 22 minutes of sunshine with someone that you feel really connected to. So a friend, a loved one, outdoors in green space, under tree canopies, research has shown, has been one of the most effective things for overall wellness because it's hitting on a lot of different things. You're getting vitamin D, you're getting sunshine, you're getting fresh air, you're getting community and connection with the person you're walking with, and then you're also getting the physical benefits of actually walking. So that's one of the best things that you can do. And if you don't have a friend that can go, an animal, you know, you can take a dog, you can borrow a dog.
[00:22:25] Speaker C: Yes, you can.
[00:22:26] Speaker D: There's lots of ways to do that.
[00:22:27] Speaker B: I love the way you articulate all of that, because I think, you know, in listening to you, what I hear in all of this is intentionality, you know, and really, again, kind of like you were saying at the beginning of this segment, you know, really planning that summer. And so instead of thinking like, oh, I'll just make sure I do this when. When the time pops up. Like you said, as a professional athlete, we've gotta plan that rest and recovery. So, I don't know. I'm kind of geeking out.
[00:22:54] Speaker C: I know, me, too. I'm loving all this. And I like how you kind of led students and humans, faculty, staff, anyone that has not quite mastered the art of saying no, it's, you know, maybe a gentle way is saying, not now.
[00:23:08] Speaker D: Right? Yeah, absolutely.
[00:23:10] Speaker C: Come back to me in another season of life, and I may be up for it.
[00:23:13] Speaker D: Absolutely. It's easy when you say no. I think people feel better when you can say, come back to me, like you said, or, hey, can I recommend this friend, this colleague. And so maybe it's that you do both. Like, this is not a great fit for me right now, but I know someone who would be great. Can I give you their contact information? And then say, you know, but I'll have more capacity next semester if you want to come back to me and ask again? I'd love that.
[00:23:37] Speaker C: It helps relieve some of that guilt if you have guilt saying no.
[00:23:40] Speaker D: Yeah. And the fear of missing out. You know, a lot of people have fomo, and they feel like, oh, well, if I say no, they won't ever ask me again. But I think if you can offer those two things as a kind of an alternate, then I have found that it works really well.
[00:23:53] Speaker B: Love it. Because they're like, okay, I can go back to Abby because she's solid and, you know, trying to help me make sure that I'm still successful with whatever I was asking her for. Now, I don't know if we have acknowledged this yet, but all of us at the table, we're mamas. You know, we've got kids. You know, summer comes up. You know, Abby in particular for you, what is this summer gonna look like? And have you thought about what you do want your own wellness or self care or just that quality time with your family to look like?
[00:24:26] Speaker D: Yeah, Sarah, I actually started mapping that out this weekend, and I don't have a fully formed plan or anything like that, but I will talk to you, my husband, and my kids at some point before may gets here and think about, okay, what are the things that are important to you? We'll come up with a family bucket list, and then from there, I'll plug those things in, and I'll actually put them on a calendar for the time and the date because it won't happen otherwise. And I'll plan for that. I'll budget for it. I'll make plans for it. Like, what do we need to make that happen? Get really, really practical in that way? Because sometimes if you just put it on the calendar, but you don't have an actual logistical plan for it, the day comes and you're like, oh, I'm not prepared. So we're gonna have to just do something different. And that's when it's really easy to just stay home or not do the fun thing.
And then for me, it's all about getting to do the things I normally don't schedule time for during the year. So travel days off the phone where I don't feel like I'm on call 24/7 so putting my phone away more visiting with friends, having more lunch dates, coffee dates, because there are not as many meetings and things like that. So kind of plugging in just more time for Abby, not Doctor Horton and not mom, but just somewhere when I'm in a space like this where I'm just Abbey and I'm just getting to be me, I think that's really important. Someone who's like, outside of their everyday roles versus feeling like, okay, when I'm in this environment or doing this thing, I'm this part of my personality. And I think that's so important for mamas because we're always switching hats and trying to switch gears and say, okay, like, what am I doing now? What need am I meeting? What role am I playing? And we just need time for us.
[00:26:09] Speaker B: Okay, we obviously, we have to take a break. But just the fact that you acknowledge, you know, it's not just, oh, you know, me as doctor Horton, faculty member, or me as mama. But Abby is a person. So Mika as a person, Sheena as a person. Because I think that whenever we interact with friends or colleagues, wherever, you know, they're always asking, how are you as XYZ versus as who you are? But I'm gonna stop rambling because we have to take a break. You have been listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Mika on 90.7 Capstone.
[00:26:47] Speaker A: Wvuafm, Tuscaloosa.
[00:26:57] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You're listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capstone. And if you caught us in the last segment, our guest doctor Horton is just being Abby today. You know, I'm just Ken, she's just Abbey today and she's getting to be herself. And if you don't know what that means, then I highly encourage you to go back to the beginning and listen. Cause she has been full of such amazing tips and just, you know, a wealth of knowledge today that I really do believe you will gain some nuggets of wisdom from this show. But she is about to explain something to us that I'm very excited to hear about, and that is habit stacking. Can you explain to me what habit stacking is?
[00:27:42] Speaker D: I love this so much because I learned this because I needed it. So habit stacking is where you look at a habit that you already have. We all have habits, good, bad or otherwise. But some are healthier than others. Some are a little more beneficial to us as humans. And so pick a habit that you're already doing and then pair it with a habit that you want to create and that is habit stacking. And then you keep doing that throughout your day so that you, by the end of it, have kind of created this routine of habits. So an example that I always give is that most people are going to brush their teeth before they leave home in the morning, even if they're running late. So I want you to think about something that you would do in the morning before you would leave the house or before you would leave your apartment that you would do even if you were running late. And most of the time people are going to say, you know, I'm going to brush my hair. I'm going to brush my teeth. And so then if you want to start taking vitamins, maybe you think that that's important or drink more water, then you would actually put your vitamins with your toothbrush in the morning. So that when you see your toothbrush and you brush your teeth, it's a trigger, it's a cue for you to actually look and say, oh, my vitamins are there. I should just go ahead and take them. So you're pairing those two things together for the most benefit, and you just keep doing that for as long as you want to, for as many habits as you want.
[00:29:02] Speaker B: I like that.
[00:29:03] Speaker C: I like that psychological trick.
[00:29:05] Speaker B: I'm already thinking. I'm like, what do I want to stack onto my toothbrushing habit? Now, when you've covered this topic, maybe with, like, the student population, what are some other examples that you kind of have used for them just to, you know, give them an example outside of just toothbrushing, which, you know, is so universal.
[00:29:26] Speaker D: Yeah, well, I feel like students a lot of times, especially if they've got a big deadline or, you know, there's something coming on in their lives, they're talking about all the coffee that they're drinking, all the Starbucks. And so I'll say, every time you have a new coffee, go fill up your water bottle. Go fill up your Stanley. So every time they're drinking coffee, they're going and filling up their water bottle so that they have them together. And then you're like, okay, finish your coffee, and then you need to start working on your water. I think that's a really good one for students. Like other ones would be, you know, when you turn the shower on in the morning and you're waiting for the water to get warm, like do ten squats, you know, just simple movement. Really simple things that kind of add up over time make a huge difference in our wellness. And I think we want to be so perfect. I want to be so perfect. My hand is right, literally, that we sometimes don't do the things we need to do do because you're like, I don't have time for that, or I can't do it perfectly. And so there's a saying. She's a kind of a famous Instagram influencer, Courtney, and a life well loved. But she says, ten minutes matter. And so it's like, okay, these ten minutes can matter. So I can do these ten squats, I can take these supplements, I can refill this water bottle.
Another thing is, if you want to read more, you know, put your book on your pillow so that you have to move it, like make it hard not to do, so that you know, you're ready for the day. If you want to exercise, lay out your exercise, you know, clothes or equipment the night before and put it in a spot where you're going to see it. So you have to mentally say, oh.
[00:30:52] Speaker C: I'm not going to do that.
[00:30:53] Speaker D: Because it's kind of a mental and visual trigger for you that you want to do that thing. So.
[00:30:59] Speaker C: Okay, yeah.
[00:31:01] Speaker B: Now, when you've. Because I know you've mentioned you've taught this specifically with some of our wellness and work life wellness classes. What kind of feedback have you gotten from faculty or have you where, you know, they're emailing you and they're like, oh, my goodness, I started doing this and it was amazing.
[00:31:17] Speaker D: Yes, it's one of the favorite classes. I think we get the most positive feedback about it just because it applies to everything, literally, you know, from health and wellness, like I mentioned earlier, to just being productive in your everyday life. And so I think it's just one of those universal things that it's simple, we know this, but it's good to have reminders and then practical strategies. And I love James Clear's book, Atomic Habits. It's a big book. It's a little intimidating, but the lessons are so good. And his website is free. He has a free newsletter that he usually sends out some great tips in it, and he even now has a new app.
[00:31:56] Speaker C: And.
[00:31:56] Speaker D: And so that's one of the first places I tell people, go explore his free resources. Check his book out at the library. It's just a good way to kind of reinforce and get new ideas and just to remember that we're all on this journey and showing up consistently is really like three days a week. It's not every day, because when we say we do something every day, we usually only do it. We're only talking about doing it during a work day. Work week. So that's five days. So then more days than not would be three. And so if you can just show up consistently three days a week, that's going to be better than showing up or trying to show up perfectly and kind of restarting all of the time. And I think that's the frustrating thing for most people.
[00:32:39] Speaker B: Absolutely. Nika, have you thought of things that you're like, ooh, I have some habits.
[00:32:43] Speaker C: Yeah. My brain is just churning. Things that I do that they're kind of stacked. If I'm going to do one, you have to do another at the same time. Yeah, I have a couple of those. I do. Like the one that we used to, you know, as a. In my former life, when I was a personal trainer, we would tell people, when you are standing up to answer the phone in your office, stand up and do some squats or do some toe calf raises, every time that you have to use the bathroom, pair it with going up to the other floor. If you can, like, take the stairs and go to the bathroom on the. The second or third floor. Those are kind of some habits. Stacking. I just didn't know that that's what it was called. We were just like, hey, sneak it in some. Sneaking in.
[00:33:22] Speaker D: Yeah. So I like that.
[00:33:24] Speaker B: Well, Nika is very privy to this, and because I've talked about it so much, and, Abby, I feel like you would probably have a heart for this, too. So I have been trying to make it a mission to be better at decluttering. I will not call myself a master. I can't even call myself a novice, y'all. Like, I'm really, like, I'm a struggling declutterer right now, and I feel like some of these things will help me with my decluttering journey, because I. You know, sometimes I feel convinced, like, oh, it has to be on a weekend where, like, the kids aren't at the house. Well, that's never gonna happen, so is there, you know, like, ten minutes a day that where it's stacked with something else? And I feel like this is a passion area for you, too, isn't it?
[00:34:10] Speaker C: It is.
[00:34:10] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:34:11] Speaker B: I was like, wait a second. I was like, I feel like you're. You're a declutterer, and I think you are, too.
[00:34:16] Speaker C: I try. I like the habit stacking. I'm gonna be using this all the time. I like the method where if you bring something in, something has to go out.
[00:34:25] Speaker D: That's a good one.
[00:34:26] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a good one.
[00:34:27] Speaker C: That's kind of hard, though. And I will say this for all you other mamas out there, it is hard to get rid of. Of the sentimental things that were, you know, you're like, but that's when they learned how to walk, or this is the. What they wore on their first, you know, XYZ. And it's hard to part with some of that stuff. So it is hard to be. I think it was easier for me to be a declutterer before I became a mom, because now there's just all this sentimental value.
[00:34:50] Speaker D: This is true.
[00:34:51] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:34:52] Speaker B: I'm gonna have to pick both of y'all's brains as I continue in this journey, for sure. But, you know, I think as we've talked about individuals going into the summer and thinking about their wellness, you know, we've started talking about habit stacking. And, you know, when we think about setting goals, I think all of us can agree at this table, we want them to be smart goals.
[00:35:13] Speaker C: And so for those out there who maybe have, it's been a minute since they've done their smart goal homework, tell us what smart stands for.
[00:35:23] Speaker B: Absolutely. Absolutely. So when you're setting this goal, you want it. Smart is going to be an acronym. And so we want this to be specific, measurable. We want it to be attainable. We want it to be realistic and time bound, you know, so instead of somebody saying, I'm going to start working out during the week, well, let's actually put some specificity to it so we know what we're talking about. How many days a week, you know, is it going going to. To be a timeframe that's actually attainable? Because if you're not a morning person and you're saying, oh, it'll be at 05:00 a.m. Every single day, you know.
[00:36:00] Speaker C: I'm going to lose 30 pounds this week.
[00:36:02] Speaker B: Is that realistic? Exactly.
[00:36:04] Speaker C: And then no putting some frequency to it.
[00:36:07] Speaker B: And so I think just because when we can actually track the progress and create some accountability for it, we can be more successful with it. Would you all agree?
[00:36:17] Speaker C: Oh, yes. Yes.
[00:36:19] Speaker D: And make it visual. I think the more visual it is and the easier it is to do, then you just have to make it hard to not do. Honestly and kind of back to the organization part. We have a couple of classes called organize your life. We have a work edition and a home edition. And it was just triggering that thought that we actually, those were the two of the most well attended classes. We've had upwards of 200 people each month. Organization on campus is a huge topic among faculty and staff and anyone that wants to go back to previous webinars. We can go to wellness ua.edu and go to the archive talks, and they're all there as YouTube videos. So that's my shout out right there. That might be a good place to start on your declutter journey.
[00:37:02] Speaker B: Okay, so with that said, we got to take a break, but now I feel smart.
[00:37:06] Speaker C: Go, girl.
[00:37:06] Speaker B: Yeah, I do. I feel good. Okay, y'all, we've got to take a quick break. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nica on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:37:18] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
[00:37:28] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You're listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the capsule. And we are wrapping up our today segment with doctor Abby Horton with the Capstone College of Nursing. And I have to tell you, listeners, if you've not listened to today's episode, you've got to go back and listen because I promise you, you're going to find some really applicable, just nuggets of wisdom to apply to your life. You really are.
[00:37:56] Speaker B: I mean, whether you're doing it in the summer or not, that things we talked about today, you can start immediately. And that's what I really love. And, Abby, I think we were telling you offline that this is the portion of the show where we kind of just ask our guests something random. I think I'm going to ask you two questions. First thing is going to be related to what we've talked about, and then the second thing will be a little bit rogue. But you mentioned earlier, you know, talking about self care and what that looks like. And so I'm kind of curious, what works best for you in terms of self care. You mentioned, you know, the ability to say no as being something really good, but I didn't know if that's kind of your go to or if there are other things that you feel have been what's best for you in this season.
[00:38:42] Speaker D: Yeah, I think I'm an automatic yes person, so I'm working on saying no. I think most people know that about me. But in terms of, like, practical stuff, I love to get outside. I love to walk. I love to be in the sunshine. It just makes me immediately happy. That's one thing that I love a lot. And I use a red light at home. So I have a red light therapy little device that I use when it's too cold or too wet or too windy or too something to go outside that really helps with that I have a walking pad at home. So I love that we're calling treadmills walking pads now.
[00:39:16] Speaker B: Oh, okay.
[00:39:17] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:39:17] Speaker D: I love that. And so, you know, just the simple things, just movement nourishing my body, taking brain breaks, listening to good music, you know, all the simple things that we shouldn't have to schedule, but we have to now because life's so busy.
[00:39:29] Speaker B: Absolutely. Okay.
[00:39:31] Speaker C: I love that.
[00:39:31] Speaker B: Very good answer. Now, this question we've asked some other guests, and we're curious for you. Who is your celebrity crush?
[00:39:39] Speaker D: Oh, no.
[00:39:40] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:39:41] Speaker D: It's my celebrity crush. No, I'm not.
[00:39:43] Speaker B: It could even be your childhood celebrity.
[00:39:46] Speaker D: Childhood celebrity crush. Oh, my goodness.
[00:39:49] Speaker C: While you're thinking, I know I always say Paul Rudd, but in my childhood celebrity crush was Jordan Knight from the kids on the. Okay, props to that.
[00:39:56] Speaker B: I could feel that.
[00:39:57] Speaker C: Yes, Jordan Knight was my childhood. Yes, yes. How about.
[00:40:01] Speaker B: What about your childhood? So I would say if I'm going boy band route for Backstreet boys, Kevin Richardson, the tall one with the dark hair, because, you know, everybody else wanted, like, Nick Carter or Brian, but I always picked, like, the rant. And then for nsync, it was lance bass. And so I just. I don't know if I just was doing it because I really did like them or because I was trying to pick someone who wasn't, like, the poster child of the group. I'm not gonna pick Justin Timberlake because everybody picks him.
[00:40:35] Speaker C: So I don't know. Ok, Abby, have you thought, did we buy some time?
[00:40:39] Speaker D: You did. Thank you so much for that. I needed it. I'm gonna go. Jonathan Taylor Thomas, JTT.
[00:40:46] Speaker B: Oh, yes.
[00:40:48] Speaker D: The only person I ever had a poster of on my door. So he would have to be the one from childhood.
[00:40:54] Speaker C: Listen, I would have to say yes.
[00:40:55] Speaker D: To that as well.
[00:40:57] Speaker B: Where did he go?
[00:40:58] Speaker D: I don't know.
[00:40:59] Speaker B: Okay. I don't know. But I feel like our homework. Yes. I feel like I've seen his picture. Plus a lot of other crushes from that era, like tiger beat, whatever that they're like. If this was your childhood crush, it's time to schedule your mammogram.
But, Abby, thank you so much for being on the show with us today.
[00:41:19] Speaker C: So I will have to say this because you have a problem saying no. When we ask you back on the show, will you wholeheartedly say yes?
[00:41:28] Speaker D: Oh, wholeheartedly say yes.
[00:41:29] Speaker C: Okay. Okay, good.
[00:41:31] Speaker D: Thank you all for having me. Always a joy.
[00:41:33] Speaker B: Yay. Absolutely. Well, we hope you all have the best Sunday y'all have been listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nica on 90.7 a cap spinning.
[00:41:46] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
