Dana Careless, a mental health professional, blogger, spin instructor and mom of two is Colleen’s guest this week on the podcast. Dana shares her tactics for overcoming personal challenges and making it all happen, along the way sharing lots of great insight on the importance of balance, living intentionally and being transparent. Dana is open and honest about her struggles with OCD, depression and anxiety and will help so many others as she shares her story.   Dana talks about how brutal honesty resonates and how two of her most honest and raw blogs on Come On, Mama went viral and she received the most comments and feedback. She talks about how the kindness of a stranger got her out of her funk and inspired the name of her blog.  She is passionate that we need to treat mental health as physical health and lose the stigma around it.  Dana gives a beautiful example of how we can re-frame this and why it will help all of us if we shift our mindset around mental health.

Living intentionally is the key to getting done what you want to get done. She also talks about the concept of getting the monkey off your back first.

Here’s the blog she referenced about the origins of the blog name.  Check out her blog for posts on Mom Guilt, Mental Health, Childcare, Marriage and so much more. You’ll love Dana’s honesty and her sense of humor! A beautiful combination!