Guest: Dr. Ellen Vora | Season 11, Ep. 483
“Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
In this episode of the Small Changes Big Shifts podcast, we are joined by board-certified psychiatrist, acupuncturist and yoga teacher, Dr. Ellen Vora who has also authored the chapter on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Psychiatry in the textbook Mount Sinai Expert Guides: Psychiatry
Dr. Vora takes a functional medicine approach to mental health, considering the whole person and addressing the problem at the root, rather than reflexively prescribing medication to suppress symptoms.
She also takes the whole person into consideration, focusing on everything from physical health, sleep, nutrition, digestion, thought patterns, relationships and community to our connection with nature and creativity, and the ways we find meaning in life.
Ash she sits down with Dr. Michelle, we learn what drew Dr. Vora to learn more about holistic approach and other trainings to heal the human body such as Chinese medicine, movement, nutrition, and acupuncture.
Listen and discover:
- The fact that most commonly medications and antidepressants such as for anxiety, depression, and OCD don’t have great solid evidence that they actually work.
- Her advice on trying out a couple of holistic approaches before taking prescribed medicine.
- Our current mental health epidemic throughout the world with the number of cases increasing
- The difference between an episodic depression and chronic depression
- Why feeling out alignment with your work and daily life is actually a good call to action for you to change something.
- The vital importance of building a community in a comfortable environment with lower standards and avoiding isolation.
Specifically for expecting and young mothers, Dr. Vora explains:
- How to get your body ready for and after a baby with a good diet or nutritious, whole foods.
- Combating postpartum depression by focusing first on nutrition.
- Her top parenting tip: None of us is perfect, just show up the best you can for them as an authentic human.
“In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the history of science has been the history of most people being wrong about most things most of the time. The willingness to challenge even our most deeply-held assumptions and the humility to admit when we’ve been wrong are essential to good science.” – Chris Kresser
Tune in and find out what small changes you can make today for big shifts tomorrow with your wellbeing, community, and family.
Life’s brevity is its greatest gift, reminding us to savor each moment and live with intention. Jodi Wellman, founder of 4000 Mondays, inspires us to embrace the finite nature of life as a tool for living boldly and purposefully. Drawing from her expertise as a positive psychology practitioner, Jodi shares how practicing gratitude, savoring everyday experiences, and creating meaningful routines can transform how we experience time. She challenges us to use the awareness of our limited Mondays not to stress but to prioritize joy, connection, and the things that truly matter.
Key Highlights:
- Use "mortality math" to heighten your awareness of time and create urgency to pursue meaningful goals.
- Shake up routines with novelty to add vibrancy and excitement to everyday life.
- Gratitude letters are a powerful way to deepen relationships and enhance personal well-being.
- Savoring the mundane—like enjoying a favorite drink or completing a simple chore—can provide surprising joy and fulfillment.
- Boldness and intentionality are essential for living a life that feels complete and regret-free.
About the Guest:
Jodi Wellman is a speaker, author, and facilitator on living lives worth living. She founded Four Thousand Mondays to help people make the most of the time they are lucky to be above ground.
Jodi has a Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also an Assistant Instructor in the Master’s program and a facilitator in the Penn Resilience Program. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach.
Jodi’s TEDx talk is called How Death Can Bring You Back to Life; with over 1.3 million views, it is the 14th most-watched TEDx talk released in 2022, out of 15,900!
Her book, "You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets" was published in May 2024 by Voracious (Little, Brown & Company) in the US and Canada, and by John Murray One in the UK.
https://fourthousandmondays.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fourthousandmondays/
https://www.instagram.com/fourthousandmondays/
Connect with Dr. Michelle and Bayleigh at:
https://smallchangesbigshifts.com
hello@smallchangesbigshifts.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/smallchangesbigshifts
https://www.facebook.com/SmallChangesBigShifts
https://www.instagram.com/smallchangesbigshiftsco
Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!
Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Leave us an Apple Podcasts review
Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.