WEEKEND WONDER

How to Create a 5-Minute Mental Health Reset When Life Gets Overwhelming

I'm sitting here at 2 PM on a Tuesday, and I just spent the last hour spiraling about everything I need to get done this week. You know that feeling? When your brain feels like it's running on fifteen different tabs, three of them are frozen, and one is playing that annoying song you can't get out of your head.

This is exactly when I need to stop what I'm doing and reset. Not in some Instagram-perfect way with fancy props and perfect lighting, but in a real, messy, "I'm about to lose my shit" kind of way.

Here's what I've learned: you don't need an hour-long yoga class or a meditation retreat to calm your nervous system. Sometimes five minutes of intentional movement and breathing is exactly what stands between you and a complete meltdown.

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AND NOW

 

Your Gut Is Controlling Your Anxiety: The Simple 5-Minute Daily Trick That Changes Everything

Okay, let's be real here. I've spent way too many mornings waking up with that familiar knot in my stomach: you know the one. That tight, churning feeling that shows up before your brain even has time to remember what you're anxious about today. For the longest time, I thought it was just "morning anxiety" or maybe too much coffee. Turns out, my gut was literally talking to my brain, and it had some pretty strong opinions about my mental state. READ MORE

THE ROUTINE FROM RUIN

 One of the biggest problems I have had in my life was lack of focus and structure. I never thought anything through. Must be that ADHD shit. On top of that, I prided myself on being the kind of guy who flew by the seat of his pants. Truth be told, I am still that guy but mindfulness comes into play and the game changes. (read more)

EPISODE CXXII: THE HAUNTING OF A LIFETIME

 Sure scary movies, bumps in the night, and axe murderers could be scary.  However, there is nothing more frightening that keeping a costume on for the sake of not being your true authentic self.  We talk about the reasons we don't show ourselves to others and the fear of letting those go who don't accept us.  All with a little but of Halloween flair.  Why not?

MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE

EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN (SQUIRLEY REMIX) - Ministry
THE MASK - Fugees
TRUE COLORS - Method of Destruction M.O.D.
SICK OF YOU - GWAR
GOT TO BE REAL
Cheryl Lynn
EYES OF A STRANGER - Queensryche
ANTI-HERO
Taylor Swift
BEAST- KMFDM
BLACK NO. 1 (LITTLE MISS SCARE ALL) - Type O Negative

MEETUP AT THE BNB MEETUP GROUP

 

Join the official Breathe N Bounce Meetup Group

We are going to do some fun stuff here, plus this is where you can purchase tickets to all BNB events and there are some coming in 2026 that you will not want to miss.

Lots of things happening, don't miss out,

It's all here!

AND NOW

Struggling For Emotional Relief? 50+ Music Therapy Playlist Ideas That Actually Work

Look, I'm not gonna bullshit you here. This last month has been really tough for me, and I know I'm not alone in this. We're all walking around carrying this invisible weight, aren't we? Some days it feels like drowning in our own heads, and honestly, sometimes the usual "self-care" advice feels like total garbage when you're in the thick of it.

But here's what I've discovered through my own messy journey with anxiety and those lovely 3 AM existential crisis moments: music isn't just background noise. It's actually medicine. And I'm not talking about throwing on some generic "chill vibes" playlist and hoping for the best. I'm talking about intentional, science-backed music therapy that actually works.

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WHAT THE F@#K HAPPENED?

 As I have been playing with different ways to grow businesses and awareness to BNB, I found something. It was a blog that I wrote back in 2014. I was so positive, and complimentary to myself. Life was just perfect. I was so full of toxic positivity and beaming. So what the fuck went wrong? 

EPISODE CXXI: THE NEW DAY

 We all have bad days, but we don't live in that day forever.  How do we move past the bad stuff that happens?  How can we stay mindful and use the intellect to tell us how to move forward?  Can we move forward knowing the new day, aka tomorrow is coming?  I look at those questions and more here.

SONGS FROM THIS EPISODE

EXACTLY WHERE I AM - Ween
WHY? - Enigma
WORST DAY - Illenium f/ Max
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS - King Diamond
WE LIVE ANOTHER DAY - Gothminister
SO WHACHA WANT - Beastie Boys
SECOND CHANCE - Shinedown
TOMORROW - Kerri Chandler

WEEKEND WONDER

Toxic Positivity Is Dead: The Raw Truth About What Actually Helps Depression

I'm so fucking tired of being told to "look on the bright side."

You know what I'm talking about, right? That friend who responds to your honest admission of struggling with depression by saying "just think positive thoughts!" Or the family member who hits you with "everything happens for a reason" when you're literally in the darkest place you've ever been. It's everywhere: this relentless pressure to slap a smile on your face and pretend everything's fine when it's absolutely not.

This toxic positivity bullshit has had its moment, and I'm here to tell you that moment is over. We're done pretending that forcing ourselves to be happy all the time actually helps anyone. Because spoiler alert: it doesn't. In fact, it makes everything worse. (read more)

WHERE IT STARTED

 This weekend I went to Chicago to see Kamala Harris talk about her book 107 Days which refers to her time on the campaign trail. It was interesting, but something hit me more than the former vice president's. Something more energizing, spiritual if you will. I didn't expect it to hit me like it did, but it was a healthy reminder. (read more)

AND NOW

Why Everyone Is Talking About "Micro-Wins" for Mental Health (And How to Start Today)

Okay, let's be real here. This last month has been really tough for me. Like, wake-up-and-immediately-feel-the-weight-of-everything tough. You know those mornings where your brain starts listing all the shit you haven't done before your feet even hit the floor? Yeah, that's been me lately.

But here's the thing that's been keeping me somewhat sane, this whole micro-wins approach that everyone seems to be talking about. And honestly? At first, I thought it was just another wellness buzzword that would eventually fade away like "manifesting" or whatever. But damn, there's actually something to this.

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EPISODE CXX: LISTEN MORE TALK LESS

 We all love to talk but not everyone loves to listen.  Maybe some people think they listen, but they may be waiting just to talk again and appear to be listening.  Today I focus on ways we can listen more consciously, and have a bigger effect on others.  This is to me too as I know I can improve too.

MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE

LACK OF COMMINICATION - Ratt
CAUGHT IN A MOSH - Anthrax
NO REPLY AT ALL - Genesis
JIVE TALKING - Beegees
ITS OH SO QUIET - Bjork
MISCOMMUNICATIONS - Ant Saunders
DON'T SPEAK - No Doubt
PAY ATTENTION - B Dazzle

WEEKEND WONDER

My new contributor Penny has been killing it with contributions here. If you want to add anything to the Breathe N Bounce world, please let me know.

7 Mistakes You're Making with Social Media Detox (and How Music Therapy Actually Helps)

Look, I'll be honest with you, this whole social media detox thing is harder than it looks. I'm sitting here writing this while actively trying to stay off Instagram myself, and it's such a weird place to be. We know we need to step back, but then we go about it all wrong and end up feeling like failures when we inevitably scroll at 2 AM again.

Here's the thing though: most of us are making the same mistakes over and over, and nobody's talking about how music can actually help us through this shit. So let's get real about what's not working and how we can actually make this stick. READ MORE

HAPPY MENTAL HEALTH DAY

I do Michael Moments everyday. You can follow them on TikTok. This one was important because mental health is one of the most important parts of who we are. I talk about that here

..AND NOW

Anger: A Healthy Release, But Only When Managed

Look, I'm gonna be real with you here. We need to talk about anger, and I mean really talk about it, not the sanitized, "just breathe through it" bullshit that gets thrown around social media. Because here's the thing: anger gets a really bad rap, and honestly? That's doing us all a disservice.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially after losing my shit over something completely ridiculous last week. You know how it is, one small thing happens, and suddenly you're seeing red over your coffee maker taking too long or your phone not connecting to WiFi fast enough. But instead of beating myself up about it afterward, I started wondering: what if we've got this whole anger thing completely backwards?

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LOSING FOCUS

So I wrote a couple weeks ago, I wrote my thoughts on some events happening in our country and my concern about them. However, as I sit here and think about things, I feel like I made a left turn off the mindfulness freeway of happiness and Zen, or whatever you want to call it. (read more)
 

AND NOW...

Time Management with ADHD: How to Stay on Track (Without Losing Your Mind)

Okay, let's be real here, if you have ADHD like I do, you've probably heard the phrase "just make a to-do list" about a thousand times. And honestly? It makes me want to roll my eyes so hard they fall out of my head. But here's the thing that drives me absolutely nuts: those boring-ass lists and time management systems actually work. I hate that they work, but they do.

I've been wrestling with this contradiction for years. My ADHD brain craves spontaneity, gets bored with routine, and literally rebels against anything that feels too structured. But without some kind of system, I'm basically a human pinball bouncing off walls, forgetting important stuff, and staying up way too late because I lost track of time again.

So let me share what I've learned about making time management work when your brain operates like mine does, scattered, creative, and occasionally brilliant, but definitely not built for traditional productivity advice.

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EPISODE CXIX: NO TIME NO EXCUSES

 We all make excuses why we can't do things for ourselves or to be better, but what we don't realize is we don't have all the time in the world.  Our ticket can be punched out of nowhere and I guess maybe it doesn't matter because we're no longer in this world.  However we need to make the best of everything while we here.  

MUSIC FROM THIS EPISODE

GOT THE TIME - Joe Jackson
SOME WILL PAIN WILL LAST - Kreator
KNOW WHO YOU ARE AT EVERY AGE - Cocteau Twins
CHOICE - Jack Stauber
CHANGE - Taylor Swift
THIRD EYE - Florence + The Machine
DONT STOP AT THE TOP - Scorpions
LOOKING FOR STRANGE - KMFDM
TIME - Pink Floyd

AND NOW...

Music Therapy vs. Talk Therapy: Which Is Better For Your Mental Health Journey?

Okay, let's be real here, this last month has been really tough for me, and I've been sitting in my therapist's office wondering if talking about my feelings for the hundredth time is actually helping or if I'm just paying someone to listen to me complain. Don't get me wrong, I love my therapist, but sometimes I walk out of there feeling like we just went in circles for 50 minutes.

So naturally, I started wondering: what if there's another way? What if instead of dissecting every anxious thought I've ever had, I could just... I don't know, play some music and feel better? It sounds almost too simple, right? But that got me diving deep into this whole music therapy thing, and honestly, what I found surprised me.

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