In this short and insightful Bite-Sized Balance episode, my regular guest and BFF, Sarah Baillie and I explore the notion of "Filling the Space" that often arises as we begin to say "no" to things that no longer serve us, set boundaries, and experience a shift in caregiving duties as our children grow older. Sarah beautifully articulates the common discomfort we feel with unoccupied time, driven by societal expectations of busyness. 

This tendency to fill the void immediately can lead to hasty decisions that don’t actually serve us and the adoption of unhealthy coping mechanisms. Sarah's heartfelt story about "Hershey," the almost-adopted dog, highlights the profound lessons she learned about her own relationship with free time.

Tune in to uncover how embracing the space in midlife can pave the way for authentic self-discovery and transformation.

To connect with me about my coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/

To...

No matter what kind of healing or balance you're seeking in this season of life, you've probably realized that quick fixes and shortcuts rarely bring about lasting results. But taking that initial step towards educating yourself is the first stride toward creating real change.

 In this episode, I sit down with Ayurveda Health Coach, Carina Greweling, who helps women achieve lasting balance by restoring healthy sleep, gut health, and energy. She's a certified Ayurveda Hormone Coach, Chinese medicine practitioner, and naturopath.

In this crash course in Ayurvedic wisdom, Carina explains the three constitution types known as doshas, which are rooted in the five fundamental elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether. According to Ayurvedic medicine, the doshas play a significant role in shaping an individual's physical, emotional, and mental characteristics.  This was all new to me, but I found it fascinating. It’s a really interesting complementary approach...

Today we're diving deep into a transformative practice that can supercharge your daily joy and make you feel like you can tackle the big challenges in your life. Gratitude is not just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. It has empowered me to stay so much more present as a parent, wife, and daughter, especially in the last year of my dad’s life. 

In this episode, I’ll share why your gratitude practice may have been ineffective in the past and what steps you have to take to make it a meaningful habit so that you can enjoy the benefits on a daily basis. The gift of gratitude is that it grounds you in the present moment. When you're actively searching for things to be grateful for, you can't help but be fully present.

Links Mentioned: 

Episode 23; Gratitude: How To Get More Joy in Your Life (In Just 5 Minutes a Day!)

To connect with Wendy about her coaching and programming, visit: https://www.wendymccallum.com/

Did you know that 1 in 10 women relies on sleep aids regularly? It's a staggering statistic, but it's hardly surprising. In today's fast-paced world, where we juggle demanding careers, relationships, never-ending to-do lists, hormonal shifts, and mental health challenges, even a mere six hours of sleep can seem like an unattainable dream. What might surprise you, however, is the potential danger hidden within those seemingly harmless sleeping pills.

Today, I have the privilege of being joined by a remarkable guest on the podcast—a TEDex Speaker, the accomplished author of Stash: My Life in Hiding, and a fellow podcaster, Laura Cathcart Robbins. Laura's memoir takes us on a riveting journey through addiction and recovery. She opens up about her struggles, how she navigated a high-profile Hollywood marriage and divorce, all while facing the challenges of parenting in a world marked by privilege and racism.

Laura generously shares her perspective on the multiple rock-bottom...

If you’ve been curious about what life might look like without alcohol, Sober October is the perfect time to do an experiment. I’m sharing this episode with you now so you have some time to prepare for a successful break from alcohol because it absolutely requires having a solid plan.

First, you’ll want to start examining your assumptions about alcohol, even before you stop drinking. Practically speaking, you’ll also need to decide what you’ll drink instead and how you’ll respond when people ask why you’re taking a break. I’ll also share why it’s critical that we track all the positives of not drinking and learn the science around how alcohol impacts our brains and body.

Lastly, I’ll talk about how doing this experiment with support can make this time of reflection so much more valuable. You can grab your Self-Guided 6-Week REWIND course (a Coach-Led Mindful Break from Alcohol) for $100USD off before October 15, 2023 using...

Vacation's over and the kids are back at school. It’s that time of year when we often feel the need to get “back on track” and reboot the structure and routines that help us thrive. But something that we rarely consider is that as life changes, so does our personal “recipe for success.” Be it in relationships, careers, added responsibilities, shifting hormones, or the ages of your kids, life has a way of changing and throwing curve balls when it comes to maintaining a healthy routine. 

So if you’re looking to establish some new habits around sleep, food, movement, mental health, unhealthy coping mechanisms  (or any other area of positive change), this episode is the perfect place to start. With the tips you gather here, you’ll be able to evaluate all the variables in your life at this moment so you can create habits and routines that are both achievable and supportive of your body’s needs. 

In this episode,...

Between the countless memes, t-shirts, and dish towels, mommy wine culture is impossible to ignore. And before we get into it, let’s be clear: Mommy wine culture is not about a mother enjoying a glass of alcohol socially. What we’re talking about is promoting drinking as a culturally acceptable means to cope with the demands of motherhood. But have we ever stopped to really dig into why mom “needs” a glass of wine? 

In this episode, Coach Celeste Yvonne joins me to dive into the real reasons we are struggling to cope, all of which she thoughtfully identifies in her new book, “It’s Not About the Wine”. When we take a deeper look at the unrealistic demands placed on working moms, the lack of postpartum support, and the uneven distribution of labor, it’s pretty obvious that these layers of pressure are a huge piece of the problem and why so many moms are looking for a way to “numb out” or “escape” these...

Welcome back to Season 4 of Bite-Sized Balance! My lovely co-host Sarah joins me again to catch up on the summer, chat about the joys and challenges of being moms to independent kids, and what we are excited about most as we ease into new fall routines!

While you will still be hearing from me and my guests each week, the format of the show for Season 4 has changed slightly. Twice a month, I’m inviting expert guests for longer interviews to cover specific topics to support your health and balance in this season. Then the other two episodes will be just me tackling more bite-sized topics which will be much shorter episodes. So many of you shared how much you enjoyed those episodes that were practical and actionable. I love them too, so there’s lots to look forward to there. 

Sarah let us know that she was almost completely successful in her commitment to doing nothing this summer. Her kids were at camp this summer, so there were plenty of days that gave her a...

 Watch the podcast above, or listen below. 

Sarah and I are back again to wrap up season 3 of BSB and talk about the one impactful mindset shift we have made in the last couple of years that has led us to live with more compassion and way less judgment.

Drawing on a Brené Brown anecdote, we explain how everything changes when we start assuming that everyone (even the people who frustrate and disappoint us most) is “doing their best.” We can then decide how to respond from a place of empathy instead of criticism.

Everybody’s best looks different, and our “best” can change from day to day, but using the “what if they’re doing their best” lens helps you treat people with kindness and compassion and can also lead to you also being able to show yourself more of the same. 

Topics include: 

• How to get started with a practice of empathy
• Stepping into empathy while also setting boundaries
• Our goals for...

 Watch the podcast, above, or listen below. 

Today I talk with Sarah about how the empty nesting went last year and how I'm feeling now that both of my kids are home for the summer. 

Just one year ago on the podcast, I shared the reality of empty nest syndrome, including my apprehension and grief around my children leaving for university and the sale of their childhood home.

But their time away brought many unexpected gifts, and I found myself enjoying the agency and freedom that came with the un-parenting. I traveled loads by myself, and my husband and I downsized to a fun downtown neighborhood.

There was an adjustment period around how to both parent and “un-parent” from afar, and now with my kids back at home for the summer, there’s another re-adjustment happening for all of us as full nest syndrome sets in.

Topics include: 

• understanding your own needs and...