When positive affirmations feel inauthentic, what do we do? For our season finale, host Anna Borges talks to Dr. Christine Gibson, author of the forthcoming book, The Modern Trauma Toolkit and @tiktoktraumadoc on Tik Tok, about the subject of one of her viral Tik Toks: if-firmations. When we’re in need of some possibility in our hearts and minds, they might just be the answer Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and...

Climate change is an everyday reality…as much as some may try to avoid it. So how do we conquer our climate anxiety?  Host Anna Borges talks to Sarah J. Ray, author of A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety, about how to navigate the crushing waves of hopelessness and despair that come up when we think about the climate crisis — and how to find something resembling hope.  Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and Pizza Shark!

Host Anna Borges speaks with Internal Family Systems therapist Susannah Jackson. They discuss how a shift in the way we think and talk about our feelings can help us understand what we’re feeling and why. Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and Pizza Shark! 

There are a lot of reasons to take care of something — like a plant, or a car or a house. It can be a source of purpose or passion or peace or simple satisfaction. Today we’re exploring how taking care of something can be a form of self-care.  Host Anna Borges talks with Jené Etheridge — music producer, DJ, community organizer, and an avid cyclist — about how caring for her bike Butter feeds her mental health.  Hey Mood Ring listeners, we want to hear what you think about Mood Ring! You can...

Host Anna Borges speaks with poet Nichole Perkins about doing things without the expectation for excellence. They speak about Nichole’s new painting hobby and how her confidence in writing poetry is fueled by her creative license to be a hobbyist painter.  Hey Mood Ring listeners, we want to hear what you think about Mood Ring! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey: moodringshow.org/survey Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a...

Host Anna Borges talks with therapist Latisha Taylor Ellis about the benefits of group therapy during times of loss. Ellis is the creator of Thank U Next, a virtual therapy group for the brokenhearted. When we feel we have no one else to turn to, does opening up to a room full of strangers help us move through grief? Hey Mood Ring listeners, we want to hear what you think about Mood Ring! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey: moodringshow.org/survey Follow Mood...

Host Anna Borges speaks with Mood Ring producer Georgina Hahn about her concept of Lamby. They explore the unique way of being tender, supported by a conversation on inner child work with writer and mystic Bernice Angoh. Hey Mood Ring listeners, we want to hear what you think about Mood Ring! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey: moodringshow.org/survey Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and...

Host Anna Borges talks about her past with an affinity for personality tests. Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, Buzzfeed quizzes, you name it. Our guest Saeid Fard is the CEO and founder of Anna’s latest obsession: the personality test app, Dimensional. Can personality tests help us improve our lives and mental health? Hey Mood Ring listeners, we want to hear what you think about Mood Ring! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey: moodringshow.org/survey Follow Mood...

Host Anna Borges shares her secret past of being a Tumblr fitspo influencer and unpacks women-targeted diet tips with Good Enough cookbook author Leanne Brown. Anna and Leanne chat about owning our food choices to stop judging ourselves and reframe nourishment. You can find information on Leanne Brown and all her cookbooks on her website. Hey Mood Ring listeners, we want to hear what you think about Mood Ring! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey:...

 Host Anna Borges explores our processes of faith and belief with astrologer Jessica Lanyadoo, and how “woo” can be used as a non-judgmental tool for guidance and self-determination.  Follow Jessica’s work on her website and through her podcast Ghost of a Podcast. Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and Pizza Shark! Full Transcript Anna: Guess what? It is time for an astrology episode. Because let’s be honest, I...

Host Anna Borges (The More Or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care) hears from listeners about their relationship to money, whether it’s colored by guilt or generational shadows. Then, Anna has a chat with Mood Ring producer Jordan Kauwling about her recent reflections on how money has shaped her life—and her relationship to work. We want to hear what you think about Mood Ring! You can help us out by filling out a short audience survey: moodringshow.org/survey Follow Mood Ring...

Host Anna Borges (The More Or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care), who was famously dragged on Twitter after making a few jokes in reference to mental health, revisits mental health meme culture and how it can be a useful tool to find community during dark times. She’s joined by Memes To Discuss In Therapy admin Priscilla Eva for a discussion on “shitposting,” finding the humor in our collective struggles and how social media can actually breed compassion for ourselves and for others.  We...

Host Anna Borges (The More Or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care) is joined by Dr. Renee Lemus and Dr. Christina Rose–hosts of Las Doctoras podcast–about rewriting the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and rewiring the messaging that comes from the world about who we’re allowed to be.  Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow  Follow Anna @annabroges Follow Las Doctoras podcast online at lasdoctoras.net.  Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and Pizza Shark! Full...

Host Anna Borges (The More Or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care) chats with Southern Solidarity co-founder Jasmine Araujo about mutual aid, creating community, and leaning on others during difficult times. Plus, Anna has a conversation with Mood Ring producer Jordan Kauwling about what a recent experience with expanding her community means to her. Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna @annabroges To support Southern Solidarity and learn how you can get involved visit...

Anna Borges interviews notOK app creator Hannah Lucas about how to get help during intense mental health moments. The conversation covers how the app works, how communication can deepen trust, and how it can be challenging to voice our needs. Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and Pizza Shark. Full Transcript   Anna Borges: There’s a word people associate with me a lot: vulnerable. Like, my work is vulnerable and...

 Host Anna Borges interviews guest Zachary Zane about platonic intimacy. Follow Mood Ring @moodringshow Follow Anna ​​@annabroges Mood Ring is a production of American Public Media and Pizza Shark. Full Transcript   Anna Borges: The first time I realized I was touch starved during the pandemic is when the world started opening up and one of the first things I did was go and get a wax for the first time. And as my wax tech was like painfully ripping the hair off my body, I thought, "Huh,...

Anna and the Mood Ring team are all still reeling from the horrific shootings over the past two weeks, and if you’ve been following along with us so far, you know that we believe strongly in not forcing the show to go on, and giving ourselves space to be human and feel our emotions in experiencing things as they are happening to us, rather than numbing out attempt to pretend like everything is normal. So, in lieu of our Mood Ring episode this week, we wanted to share a conversation from...

Episode four of Mood Ring is a collection of self-care tools explored by Anna Borges. Anna shares clips submitted by listeners describing how they deal with the onset of a negative mental health moment. Full Transcript Title: Build Your Self Care Kit Description: Episode four of Mood Ring is a collection of self care tools explored by Anna Borges. The host shares clips submitted by listeners describing how they deal with the onset of a negative mental health moment. – Anna Borges: I want...

Episode three of Mood Ring, hosted by Anna Borges, explores the One Minute Rule. Coined by Gretchen Rubin, the concept dictates that if it takes less than one minute to complete a task — think washing a dish — then you should just get it done right away. Anna interviews behavioral psychologist Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, exploring why following this rule can prove so challenging for some, and ways to reconsider your real priorities. Full Transcript Anna Borges: Every Friday, I count on the...

Mood Ring host Anna Borges talks about coping mechanisms like binge-watching television and late-night gaming. Are those behaviors unhealthy and reasons to feel guilty, or are they fine to help you deal with what’s going on in your life? Anna is joined by licensed mental health counselor Jor-El Caraballo to unpack how we can tell if our coping mechanisms are helpful or harmful, and how to enjoy them without all that shame. Full Transcript   Anna Borges: Alright, I’m gonna…I’m gonna tell...

In the first episode of Mood Ring, host and mental health writer Anna Borges digs into one of the most fundamental parts of tending to our emotional well-being: naming your feelings. Anna talks with therapist Elisa Beagle about a practical tool to start identifying feelings, and why naming feelings can be the first step to addressing and ultimately soothing them on the journey of self-care. Full Transcript   Anna Borges: I’m feeling… nervous. I recognize it pretty well, at this point....

Mood Ring is a practical guide to feelings. Every episode, host and mental health writer Anna Borges explores one new way we can cope with our feelings, our baggage, or the world around us—especially in a society where access to mental health care and the ability to practice self-care are both huge privileges. Through Anna's self-aware humor and vibrant guest interviews, the podcast shares creative self-care ideas you may not have heard before, as well as realistic takes on classic mental...