We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

Mental health is a topic that we hear about often. Managing the mental dimension of wellness is essential at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

It is estimated that nearly 20 million of our nation's young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that 1 in 5 U.S. children (ages 3–17) has a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

Many more are at risk of developing a disorder due to biological, family, school, ecological, political, peer, and community risk factors.

Our relationship with the natural world is critical in supporting good mental health and preventing mental and emotional distress.

Welcome to Episode Forty-Four of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Matthew Biel, Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Join us as we speak to Matt about how he interacts with the natural world, how time in nature can be a powerful mental health service, and how one's environment plays a vital role in developing and maintaining a child's mental well-being.

Matt discusses the impact of adversity and stress on children and families, the importance of reducing health disparities, and ways to improve access to mental health services.

This conversation was just what the doctor ordered…literally.

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Dr. Biel Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-biel-ab97163/

Georgetown University Center for Trauma and the Community:
https://ctc.georgetown.edu/

Youtube-Child Psychiatry: Ask Dr. Matthew Biel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifUr2Pmh7_4

Dr. Biel Publications:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew-Biel

* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

Humans have been innately connected to nature from the beginning of our species. Nature has served as the first teacher, providing countless lessons about life.

Few things capture children's attention, imagination, and hearts like the natural world.

Like most adults, children are spending much more time inside. Time spent in nature is enjoyable and necessary for increased health, wellness, growth, and development.

Many researchers agree that children who spend time outside are happier, more in control of their attention, and less anxious than their peers who spend more time indoors.

Being in nature has been shown to build a child's confidence, teach responsibility and empathy, and improve cognitive performance. Problems associated with separating children from nature include increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, increased rates of obesity, and attention deficit disorder.

Welcome to Episode Forty-Three of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Sarah Milligan-Toffler, President and CEO of the Children & Nature Network. This amazing organization's mission is " to increase equitable access to nature so that children–and the natural world–can thrive."

Sarah reflects on how her family's conservation efforts led to a career built on connecting humans to the natural world.

Sarah shares the importance of providing quality educational opportunities and resources for children and adults, how to find ways to "Nature Everywhere," and how we can work together to create a world in which children have access to the benefits of nature everywhere they live, learn, and play.

This conversation made us feel like kids again.

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Children & Nature Network Website
https://www.childrenandnature.org/


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

Music is a fundamental attribute of our species, appearing in almost every culture throughout history. Whether or not we can keep tune or time, humans have continued to play, sing, and hum throughout the ages.

The human brain can distinguish between music and other sounds. Research shows that our nervous system reacts differently to music, with multiple studies suggesting that music may enhance human health and performance.

Listening to or making music affects the brain in ways that may help promote health, manage disease symptoms, reduce stress during illness, and foster a healing response even when patients are unconscious.

Music allows us to express our feelings and communicate our stories. It alters motivation levels, boosts memory and mood, and enhances athletic and cognitive performance.

Our brain requires a lot of computing to make sense of music, offering a form of "exercise" for select brain cells, allowing them to process information more efficiently and effectively.

Welcome to Episode Forty-Two of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Eddie Gammill. Eddie is a Senior Director at WTW, a Registered Nurse, a health and wellness educator, and an accomplished opera singer.

Eddie reflects on his incredible journey through healthcare and music and how picking up an ukulele during COVID rekindled his love for music while protecting his mental health.

Eddie shares the importance of fostering creativity, perseverance, passion, and happiness. He discusses the empowerment of being involved in the YouTube docuseries Freedom to Love, which showcases members of the LGTBQ+ community who choose to be authentic regardless of their adversities.

This conversation was music to our ears (pun very intended)

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well
-NOW

Eddie's Website: https://eddiegammill.wixsite.com/eddie-gammill-musici

Eddie's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Eddie-Gammill/pfbid0xFbugKyb9rhkt5i2mA58Sdi88bLri1nr45L4bwHJP8koJyFasuUYqUA1nRWMGRFol/

Instagram: @Eddiegammill

DC Fringe Festival: https://capitalfringe.org/

Indianapolis Fringe Festival: https://indyfringe.org/performance/2024-fringe-crooner/

Freedom to Love YouTube Docu-Series:
Ep. 88: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbiDbRvYTfg&t=2s
Ep. 96: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy1X-qCRJCQ&t=11s


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.