Ready to breathe a sign of relief? Welcome to Ask Dr. Jodi where you get trauma-informed mental health and relationship advice that you won’t hear anywhere else. Today, we’re exploring how to beat the winter blues, and I’m joined by comedian Julia Leahy from @morepestoplease on YouTube and TikTok. Together, we’re diving into the challenges of staying motivated during the colder, darker months—especially for those of us living in the city. We’ll share practical tips to keep your spirits high, like creating cozy spaces, sticking to routines, and finding joy in social connections and fun indoor activities. From maintaining a positive mindset to bundling up and getting outside for a walk, Julia and I have plenty of relatable insights to help you thrive through winter.
Dr. Jodi Aman is joined by comedian Julia Leahy from @morepestoplease on YT and TikTok to discuss how to beat the winter blues, especially for those facing colder months in the city. The two discuss the struggles of staying motivated when days get shorter and colder and explore practical tips for keeping spirits high—like creating cozy spaces, sticking to routines, and finding joy in social connections and indoor activities. From maintaining a positive mindset to bundling up and taking walks, Jodi and Julia share relatable insights to help you thrive through winter.
In this episode, Dr. Jodi and Julia Leahy discuss the common feelings of isolation and decreased motivation many face during winter. They cover how colder weather, shorter days, and city life in places like New York can amplify the winter blues. Julia shares her experiences as a content creator and offers light-hearted tips like building cozy, inviting spaces and the joys of crafting and decorating. The two explore ways to counteract winter struggles, such as keeping routines, joining exercise classes, and nurturing social connections, even through small outings or coffee breaks. Dr. Jodi highlights the benefits of maintaining a supportive environment, practicing self-compassion, and using creativity as a tool to feel empowered rather than overwhelmed. From managing daily routines to staying mentally energized, this episode is packed with relatable advice on managing seasonal challenges.
Thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please take a moment to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and share it with someone who needs inspiration or help to heal!
[00:00:00] Dr Jodi Aman: Hey, do you want to beat the winter blues with us? Hi, I'm Dr. Jodi and this is Julia Leahy from @morepestoplease.
[00:00:06] Julia Leahy: Hey, thanks for having me.
[00:00:09] Dr Jodi Aman: We're, gonna eat our ice cream sundaes. With the cherries on top.
[00:00:13] Julia Leahy: Whoa, this is a fancy spoon.
[00:00:14] Dr Jodi Aman: It's a very fancy spoon. I got it off Facebook.
[00:00:17] Julia Leahy: Yeah, you did.
[00:00:19] Dr Jodi Aman: It's like a golden spoon.
[00:00:22] Dr Jodi Aman: Hello everyone. I hope you're doing well. We're gonna start these long winter nights And the holidays are coming. And so I think it might be interesting to talk about like how to get through. I know a lot of people in my family, when they, when we get to the solstice, they're like, yeah, it's going to get, It's getting lighter and lighter, it's getting, the days are getting longer.
[00:00:44] Dr Jodi Aman: As we're coming into the fall, especially in like fall back, when the time changes. Yeah. It's like depressing.
[00:00:50] Julia Leahy: It's so depressing. Especially, I think there's a different level living in New York, because you have to go outside here more. To perform normal tasks, like to go get my groceries, I gotta go walk a couple of blocks.
[00:01:02] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:01:02] Julia Leahy: Whereas if I was back in Rochester
[00:01:04] Dr Jodi Aman: Just have it delivered?
[00:01:05] Julia Leahy: No, I mean, I'd have to walk my car to the driveway, and then walk to the Wegmans parking lot.
[00:01:10] Dr Jodi Aman: A shorter walk, I guess. Yeah, that's true.
[00:01:13] Julia Leahy: I have to walk to go do my laundry, because I don't have laundry.
[00:01:18] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah,
[00:01:19] Julia Leahy: it's just more tasks you have to do here.
[00:01:21] Julia Leahy: I feel like there's another layer to it
[00:01:23] Dr Jodi Aman: We're recording this from New York City the very famous New York City. And yeah, this is Julia's home base here. So Yeah, New York is really hard in the winter. Those cold days are pretty brutal because you're just freezing then you go in a store It's like so hot and then you go outside.
[00:01:40] Julia Leahy: It's like sweating in a parka
[00:01:42] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. And then you have the beautiful sweater on. and you're carrying your stupid thing, you're sweating through everything.
[00:01:49] Julia Leahy: The subway is so hot.
[00:01:52] Dr Jodi Aman: It's really a lot of a lot of hassle. I gotta eat some ice cream.
[00:01:55] Julia Leahy: Yeah, take a bite. It is. It's an added layer.
[00:01:57] Julia Leahy: Even though, I mean, in Rochester, we're pretty used to the dark and cold and gray.
[00:02:04] Dr Jodi Aman: Julia is from my hometown of Rochester, New York. So that's why we know each other. Yes. And, , so yeah, we're, so we're used to it being dark, we're used to the snow, but the New York city adds a whole other layer to it.
[00:02:16] Dr Jodi Aman: what is like, when you're looking into the winter as you're doing now, cause it's fall, I don't know if you're watching the recording. It's probably like a sunny day, but right now we're heading into the fall. It's the end of October and we're. At least there's holidays to kind of cheer us up. I don't think the hemisphere doesn't have that.
[00:02:35] Julia Leahy: Well, are you like a fall girly?
[00:02:38] Dr Jodi Aman: I
[00:02:38] Dr Jodi Aman: like the fall.
[00:02:39] Julia Leahy: I love, fall's my favorite.
[00:02:41] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay.
[00:02:41] Julia Leahy: I don't like sweating. Let me tell you something about me. Okay. I don't like sweating. I will do anything in my power to not sweat. So, the summer sometimes is not my favorite season. The trade off is you're losing daylight, but I'm sweating less.
[00:02:55] Julia Leahy: Yeah. It's a delightful temperature outside right now.
[00:03:00] Dr Jodi Aman: Well it's been a really warm fall.
[00:03:01] Julia Leahy: It's been a nice fall, but I love, like, I thrive at 62 degrees. I'm thriving.
[00:03:09] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay. Alright, so you like it, and then it gets, then it goes below.
[00:03:14] Julia Leahy: Then it goes below, and the darkness is rough. Especially because, well, okay, so I content create full time, and so I don't have the traditional, like, work schedule, or school, or like, if you were a student, like, I don't have that traditional schedule.
[00:03:26] Julia Leahy: But that, I imagine, is harder, because then you're getting out of work or whatever, and it's dark. It's dark if you left your house, and it's dark when you get home. That's hard.
[00:03:35] Dr Jodi Aman: Especially if you didn't have windows.
[00:03:37] Julia Leahy: Yeah, which in
[00:03:38] Julia Leahy: this city you might not.
[00:03:40] Dr Jodi Aman: You might not have windows in your desk.
[00:03:42] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:03:44] Julia Leahy: Or in your apartment.
[00:03:45] Dr Jodi Aman: So if you are, yeah, if you went to work and it's still dark and you went home and it's still dark and you had no daylight, that, that is really,
[00:03:51] Julia Leahy: that's hard.
[00:03:52] Julia Leahy: It's really hard.
[00:03:53] Julia Leahy: That's really hard. That is a recipe for a seasonal depression.
[00:03:57] Dr Jodi Aman: I mean, a lot of people get depressed
[00:03:58] Dr Jodi Aman: during it.
[00:03:59] Julia Leahy: I definitely do. A hundred percent. Especially in college, I feel like actually. I think just cause like no one's. College in the warm weather is so, everyone's outside, everyone's mingling, and then it's so much harder when
[00:04:13] Dr Jodi Aman: It's so, much more bandwidth, like, to deal with the cold and all the extra stuff, and you,
[00:04:19] Julia Leahy: yeah,
[00:04:20] Dr Jodi Aman: you need to pack, you're carrying extra stuff.
[00:04:22] Julia Leahy: I'm always carrying something, sweating.
[00:04:24] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah, and then if you don't want to, like, if it's really nice out, you're like, I'll just run home, but if it's cold, you're like, I'm not running home, because you have to take everything with you. I mean, it's just like, there's so much more to think about, and so The motivation piece of having to do all that.
[00:04:40] Julia Leahy: It's a it's totally a motivation thing.
[00:04:42] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah It's so when your motivation is down because you're like I have to do that and that's hard and then you feel like bad about Yourself like what's wrong with me? I'm lazy.
[00:04:50] Julia Leahy: Well, and I mean if you're no Like yeah people when it's like For example, I need to go outside to go to the laundromat to do my laundry and it's like dark and cold then it's like I have no motivation to do that.
[00:05:04] Julia Leahy: Okay. Well now I'm neglecting like a very task I need to do a hygiene task, Like then that's just then you just you feel shitty and you can't and
[00:05:12] Dr Jodi Aman: you're like normal people can do this and I can't or something.
[00:05:15] Julia Leahy: Yeah, it just takes a lot of it takes a lot No one like it's so
[00:05:18] Dr Jodi Aman: But everybody feels like that.
[00:05:20] Julia Leahy: I know, but it's not something you feel like you've talked about because it's like, why can't you do your laundry? Do your laundry.
[00:05:25] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah,
[00:05:26] Julia Leahy: I know. But it's, now
[00:05:27] Julia Leahy: I gotta take my laundry bag outside.
[00:05:30] Dr Jodi Aman: Like, it's like, we are unmotivated and then we like, beat ourself up because we're unmotivated. And then that's where the, I mean, it's also like, you're not getting the vitamin D.
[00:05:42] Julia Leahy: This is delicious.
[00:05:43] Dr Jodi Aman: This is delicious.
[00:05:45] Julia Leahy: I'm having the time of my life.
[00:05:47] Dr Jodi Aman: I haven't had ice cream in a really long time.
[00:05:49] Julia Leahy: I don't think I have either.
[00:05:50] Julia Leahy: It's also not, I mean
[00:05:51] Dr Jodi Aman: But having a cold snack in the cold, it's like having a warm hug.
[00:05:59] Julia Leahy: Okay.
[00:06:01] Julia Leahy: Alright. Well, okay. So, so, this is something I struggle with a little more because I have always had problems with eating.
[00:06:11] Julia Leahy: Winter foods are really heavy. Very, it's always like butter and potatoes and like steak, like heavy carb comfort food.
[00:06:22] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah, yeah.
[00:06:24] Julia Leahy: And so, and that's tough because the summer is always like a lemon salad or something. Yeah, so it's tough because like you're moving less because you're just not outside as much and you're eating worse foods.
[00:06:36] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:06:36] Julia Leahy: I struggle with that.
[00:06:37] Dr Jodi Aman: I, I, yes I get it. Yeah, not moving as much is, you're not getting endorphins, but then you're, you're feeling, and then it's, it feels triggering because of the food. Like when you said you've always had a problem with eating, does it feel?
[00:06:51] Julia Leahy: I just am very, like, I just have to, I've had a history of something that I have to just be very careful about what I eat and what I put in my body.
[00:06:58] Dr Jodi Aman: So. I'm sorry, I suggested these,
[00:07:00] Julia Leahy: no, I'm, oh. Don't worry about it, I'm eating good.
[00:07:03] Dr Jodi Aman: I was thinking about winter. so, if you, like, the holidays hard?
[00:07:10] Julia Leahy: Yeah, definitely. Cookies everywhere, all the time. I'm Italian. You're Italian?
[00:07:15] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:07:16] Julia Leahy: Yeah. Pizzelles and scatabad and choyadel. All over the Thanksgiving table.
[00:07:23] Julia Leahy: I'm not doing good. Cookie dough, I'm cooked. I'm eating it.
[00:07:28] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, okay. Is your mom a baker? Baker?
[00:07:30] Julia Leahy: We always bake for the holidays.
[00:07:32] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, cool.
[00:07:33] Julia Leahy: Yeah. My grandma cooked.
[00:07:35] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. My mom was not a baker, really. My grandma maybe had a couple things and my sister bakes, but I am not because I just want to throw everything in.
[00:07:45] Dr Jodi Aman: Like I'll make soup because whatever I have I'll put that in there.
[00:07:48] Julia Leahy: Because, well have you heard cooking is an art baking is science.
[00:07:51] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. I'm not going to follow a recipe I'm just not a follow a recipe kind of person. No? No. Which is probably why I have tech problems with
[00:08:00] Dr Jodi Aman: my show.
[00:08:01] Julia Leahy: Intimate numbers?
[00:08:01] Dr Jodi Aman: I don't want to like Follow a recipe. I want to create something.
[00:08:05] Julia Leahy: Yeah. No, absolutely.
[00:08:07] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. All right. Let's talk about @morepestoplease.
[00:08:10] Julia Leahy: Okay.
[00:08:10] Dr Jodi Aman: The show that's like amazing that you started a few years, how many years ago? How long has it been going?
[00:08:16] Julia Leahy: My tikTok or my podcast?
[00:08:17] Dr Jodi Aman: Let's do TikTok and then we'll go into the podcast.
[00:08:20] Julia Leahy: Sure, , I do comedy on TikTok. I've been doing it for since maybe my junior year of college, so that's like going on four years.
[00:08:29] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay.
[00:08:30] Julia Leahy: And yeah, it's what I do full time. It's super cool.
[00:08:33] Dr Jodi Aman: How many hours a day do you do it?
[00:08:36] Julia Leahy: Not a whole lot, I'll tell you that. Maybe one.
[00:08:40] Dr Jodi Aman: So you put one TikTok together a day?
[00:08:42] Dr Jodi Aman: I don't see I have notifications that come up when you post, and it's
[00:08:45] Julia Leahy: Do you?
[00:08:46] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, it's almost every day. I'm like, oh!
[00:08:48] Julia Leahy: I try to post multiple times a week, for sure.
[00:08:50] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:08:50] Julia Leahy: Definitely not every day, and I try to do something every day. Like, I'll have a, I'll have a meeting with my team, because I'm like, signed to the agency.
[00:08:58] Julia Leahy: I mean, I'm incoming. So if I'm not doing, like, posting, I try to do something related. So I feel like I have a job.
[00:09:07] Dr Jodi Aman: Is it not enough structure?
[00:09:09] Julia Leahy: Absolutely not.
[00:09:10] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay.
[00:09:11] Julia Leahy: And I struggle with that a lot during the winter,
[00:09:12] Julia Leahy: because.
[00:09:13] Dr Jodi Aman: It's not to have structure.
[00:09:14] Julia Leahy: No structure.
[00:09:15] Dr Jodi Aman: Like, do you sometimes, like, not go out at all?
[00:09:18] Julia Leahy: So, well,
[00:09:19] Dr Jodi Aman: I think I've seen a TikTok when you've said that.
[00:09:21] Julia Leahy: For sure, probably crying, because it's really hard.
[00:09:25] Dr Jodi Aman: You have to, more pesto, please, on TikTok. It's so funny.
[00:09:28] Julia Leahy: It's a little raunchy, but if you're into that, check it out.
[00:09:31] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:09:32] Julia Leahy: It's hard because it's the coolest job in the world, and I'm so grateful, and it's given me so many opportunities, and It's not by any means like I'm not like going out and working manual labor for 12 hours It's a very cushy and amazing job, but I think like anything there are like some things that are harder than others Yeah, and one of those things that I struggle with is the lack of structure I wish I had like somewhere that I wake up and have to go The two, and then this is the time, and now I'm done, but I don't do that.
[00:10:04] Julia Leahy: I'm bad at that, I guess. I feel like if I, maybe if I was more
[00:10:07] Dr Jodi Aman: I mean, you could create that. I mean No, and I
[00:10:09] Dr Jodi Aman: try. But the life coach in me is like, nope. Okay,
[00:10:12] Dr Jodi Aman: I'll help you.
[00:10:13] Julia Leahy: And I try, so let me tell you what, let me tell you. I try to leave, I try to take a walk.
[00:10:18] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay.
[00:10:18] Julia Leahy: Preferably a model.
[00:10:19] Dr Jodi Aman: Same time or not?
[00:10:20] Julia Leahy: No.
[00:10:21] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay.
[00:10:21] Julia Leahy: Whenever I'm called.
[00:10:22] Dr Jodi Aman: Structure.
[00:10:23] Julia Leahy: That's, oh, that's smart.
[00:10:26] Dr Jodi Aman: It's really good for your brain to do the same thing at the same time.
[00:10:30] Julia Leahy: That's delicious. And maybe I'll adopt it.
[00:10:33] Dr Jodi Aman: Going to sleep, waking up, eating, and exercise, if you do the, or if you meditate, meditating. If you do those things at the same time each day, that routine is like, totally uplevels your mindset.
[00:10:44] Julia Leahy: Well. I did just, I'm signing a membership for a new gym, and they have classes, so that'll be, I gotta be there on time. That'll be great for me. You'll like that. All right.
[00:10:57] Dr Jodi Aman: But with people, like, cause that's, I was going to say too, it's so great to be in a class and not be exercising a lot. When people are alone a lot or isolated a lot and then they exercise alone, I'm like,
[00:11:13] Julia Leahy: yeah. So I feel like if you're someone who like, Works with a lot of people. Yeah, exercise is probably your, like, good impression time.
[00:11:20] Dr Jodi Aman: But if you're alone all the time, you need to exercise with people.
[00:11:23] Julia Leahy: I take any opportunity I can get to talk to people because I don't talk to
[00:11:26] Julia Leahy: people all day.
[00:11:27] Dr Jodi Aman: And people are interesting, they probably inspire you to tell a funny story.
[00:11:31] Julia Leahy: Well, I haven't started yet.
[00:11:33] Julia Leahy: I
[00:11:33] Julia Leahy: just signed up. So
[00:11:34] Julia Leahy: I can't tell you. I'm sure I'll make a friend.
[00:11:38] Julia Leahy: I'm going to make a friend or two
[00:11:39] Dr Jodi Aman: people at the gym that you're going to be like, Oh, I got a date.
[00:11:43] Julia Leahy: No, I can't. That's the problem because no, you'll like this too. I, because of the lack of structure, I was like, I'm going to get a part time job so that I'd have somewhere to go a few days a week.
[00:11:53] Julia Leahy: And I was hosting at a restaurant, so many stories.
[00:11:57] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh yeah, like staff and customers.
[00:12:00] Julia Leahy: Oh yeah.
[00:12:01] Dr Jodi Aman: You can't tell them.
[00:12:02] Julia Leahy: I was actively working there, and I don't want anyone to know where I work, I don't want to give anything away.
[00:12:07] Julia Leahy: But I actually found that, and I really like, everyone there was great.
[00:12:11] Julia Leahy: Made some friends, really enjoyed going and socializing. , I found that is actually too much of a time commitment with the TikTok stuff, because I was always working at night cause I'm a restaurant, like there's, it's not open during the day, it's open for dinner. And sometimes I'd get invited to like events or be booked for a standup gig and I'm frantically trying to get someone to take my shift.
[00:12:31] Julia Leahy: I'm like, what am I doing? I was doing the restaurant job for like, to like have some socialization.
[00:12:37] Julia Leahy: And now I'm like, I totally need a coffee shop, but let me tell you something, it's really hard to get. New York City coffee shop jobs without barista experience. They don't like that.
[00:12:47] Dr Jodi Aman: But now you have host experience.
[00:12:50] Dr Jodi Aman: I'll bring people to your restaurant. I'll tiktok you.
[00:12:55] Julia Leahy: No, but I'm hoping that because I am relaunching my podcast. I am hoping that with the Relaunch of my podcast, I will have a lot more structure. 'cause I then I write it, I shoot it, I edit it. I do all that myself. And something I do with that to make sure I'm like getting out of my apartment is, I always try to do that. Like in a, I'll pick a coffee shop, so I have to
[00:13:21] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh yeah, I was gonna say, suggest that too.
[00:13:23] Julia Leahy: To leave my little cave.
[00:13:24] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. Like have a library you go to or something.
[00:13:27] Julia Leahy: Yeah. Or something like that. Yeah. I was thinking for yeah, like a weaver. Well then I get a little treat.
[00:13:33] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah, that's good.
[00:13:34] Julia Leahy: I like it in my little treat, my little pumpkin spice treat.
[00:13:37] Dr Jodi Aman: I've been having trouble with caffeine lately. It's really making me sick. Just the last week or so.
[00:13:42] Julia Leahy: Really?
[00:13:42] Dr Jodi Aman: I'm just, today I was like, I think it's the caffeine. Why haven't I been sick for a week?
[00:13:47] Julia Leahy: Stomach sick or like anxious?
[00:13:49] Dr Jodi Aman: Stomach sick and like shaky.
[00:13:51] Julia Leahy: Yeah, shaky. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't drink coffee.
[00:13:54] Dr Jodi Aman: I think have to stop.
[00:13:56] Dr Jodi Aman: I kind of intuitively, I'm like, I think coffee might be my problem, like about a week ago.
[00:14:01] Julia Leahy: If I drink coffee, it's gotta have so many flavors and weird things in it that it's barely coffee anymore.
[00:14:06] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. I did, I trained myself to drink black coffee.
[00:14:10] Julia Leahy: Yeah, that's very useful.
[00:14:11] Dr Jodi Aman: It's the original hot thing in the morning. I just really love it.
[00:14:14] Julia Leahy: No, that's so, I wish
[00:14:16] Dr Jodi Aman: I can't wait to wake up and have that cup of coffee.
[00:14:18] Julia Leahy: Oh, that's kind of nice.
[00:14:20] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. And it has to be really hot if it cools down, like I'm not drinking it. So I have to drink in a travel mug, to keep it hot. And I still, like, after about 15 minutes, I pour it out.
[00:14:31] Dr Jodi Aman: I coffee,
[00:14:32] Julia Leahy: put the microwave.
[00:14:32] Julia Leahy: Oh,
[00:14:32] Julia Leahy: Oh. Heat it up?
[00:14:34] Dr Jodi Aman: No.
[00:14:35] Julia Leahy: Gotcha.
[00:14:36] Dr Jodi Aman: No. Or I can give it to my husband, Ted.
[00:14:39] Julia Leahy: So you're not an iced coffee drinker?
[00:14:41] Dr Jodi Aman: No. Okay. It was like boiling. I hear you. It was a boiling coffee. Okay. Like my grandma. Okay. Like they had a hot coffee, that generation.
[00:14:50] Julia Leahy: Well, another thing too that helps me during the winter along those lines is making, like cosifying my apartment as much as I possibly can.
[00:15:00] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. All right. So beating the winter blues by having like this, a nice sanctuary, a nice nest to feel comfy in.
[00:15:10] Julia Leahy: , especially with the time that I have, like the downtime, I keep it clean, really clean. I like wash my sheets very frequently, which is crazy. I'd never
[00:15:21] Julia Leahy: washed my sheets in college.
[00:15:23] Dr Jodi Aman: That was normal.
[00:15:24] Julia Leahy: But now it's like, now I'm a freak and everything's very clean because it's my little mess. It's my coziness. I'm there all day.
[00:15:31] Dr Jodi Aman: That's great.
[00:15:32] Julia Leahy: It needs to be clean.
[00:15:33] Julia Leahy: Yeah. I go to Home Goods. I have my scented candles.
[00:15:35] Dr Jodi Aman: Do you have like, where, do you have like good sitting places in your place? Like, do you have a desk or a good chair to read in or cozy or watch?
[00:15:43] Julia Leahy: Yeah.
[00:15:43] Julia Leahy: We have like a cute little living room. Okay. Very cute. For my heart and soul. I love decorating my apartment. It is beautiful.
[00:15:50] Dr Jodi Aman: What about people that you live with? That probably is a really important part of getting through.
[00:15:54] Julia Leahy: Yeah. I live with, a friend of mine from college. Her name is Maddie. She's great.
[00:15:58] Julia Leahy: She's the same level of clean as me.
[00:16:00] Dr Jodi Aman: That is important.
[00:16:02] Julia Leahy: Yeah. The only thing that kind of sucks is she works a ton. And so I don't see like, so it's, I don't see her as much as I wish I did. Especially like when I have little to no human interaction during the day. But she works like a nine to five and then works a restaurant job too.
[00:16:18] Julia Leahy: So she's always busy.
[00:16:19] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, she's always busy.
[00:16:20] Julia Leahy: Yeah.
[00:16:20] Dr Jodi Aman: We just found out, we just found out that, You have a connection, like you're, one of your friends lives with my son.
[00:16:26] Julia Leahy: Yes.
[00:16:27] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah, yes, and how do you know Elizabeth?
[00:16:29] Julia Leahy: , through, do you know Jillian Anderson? She's a camp girl.
[00:16:33] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, she's a camp girl.
[00:16:34] Julia Leahy: Yeah, she's good childhood friends with, there's like a huge, it's a huge network and all the last names are Aman or Green or Brown.
[00:16:42] Julia Leahy: Brown. Yeah, it's a big camp network and I know everyone through the grapevine a little bit. Yeah, okay. Cause I was a camp kid. I went to camp,
[00:16:52] Julia Leahy: summers.
[00:16:53] Dr Jodi Aman: I mean, everyone in Rochester, right? I mean, I met Ted there.
[00:16:58] Julia Leahy: No way!
[00:16:58] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:16:59] Julia Leahy: That's adorable!
[00:17:00] Dr Jodi Aman: So, and like, the other Amen, Mary and Kevin met each other.
[00:17:05] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. So like, we're still besties and
[00:17:08] Julia Leahy: that's amazing.
[00:17:09] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. So, yeah, but yeah. So then all our kids worked at camp. Yes. And a lot of them are from camp.
[00:17:18] Julia Leahy: Yes. Amazing.
[00:17:19] Dr Jodi Aman: Even ivy, the little one.
[00:17:21] Julia Leahy: Oh yeah?
[00:17:21] Julia Leahy: I never made it past CIT. I found out I don't really love children, which is a really key part of working at the camp.
[00:17:32] Dr Jodi Aman: So maybe you could go to their parties out there in Brooklyn.
[00:17:35] Julia Leahy: Oh yeah! No, they're great. They're great.
[00:17:38] Dr Jodi Aman: I think they're having a, I think there's a Halloween party. I think I was invited.
[00:17:44] Julia Leahy: I might be there! Yes.
[00:17:47] Dr Jodi Aman: It could be there too.
[00:17:48] Julia Leahy: Yeah? Oh my god. That'd be great. Just another, like.
[00:17:51] Dr Jodi Aman: Julia and lily did theater together, that's how I mentioned that.
[00:17:53] Dr Jodi Aman: Yes. And it's so funny. So always funny. Like, Julie's always been funny. So I'm so glad that you're doing it. comedy. I cannot wait to see you in stand up. I'm going to catch you sometime.
[00:18:04] Julia Leahy: Please do.
[00:18:04] Dr Jodi Aman: But I love the show More Pesto Hysterical. And the Pesto Pod is the name of your podcast.
[00:18:10] Julia Leahy: Yes.
[00:18:11] Dr Jodi Aman: And the videos are on YouTube of the podcast.
[00:18:13] Julia Leahy: Videos are on YouTube. I'm releasing on Spotify too. I usually, I always used to do video on Spotify, but I'm switching to audio.
[00:18:20] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay. I don't
[00:18:20] Dr Jodi Aman: know anything about that.
[00:18:22] Dr Jodi Aman: My stuff's on Spotify. I'm on there.
[00:18:25] Julia Leahy: Are you about a video on Spotify or are you just talking to the mic?
[00:18:28] Dr Jodi Aman: I don't know. Okay,
[00:18:29] Julia Leahy: probably not then.
[00:18:30] Julia Leahy: Yeah, I wanted it to be more of something you can listen to like in the car or doing another task. So I didn't want video to be the first, the primary form
[00:18:39] Julia Leahy: of watching it.
[00:18:39] Dr Jodi Aman: I like that. I think more people listen to stuff. I don't think so. Yeah. Even like on YouTube, on, on YouTube. On Facebook and Instagram, people are reading and not listening because they're like other people in the room.
[00:18:51] Dr Jodi Aman: But on YouTube, I feel like people are listening while they're doing something else. Yeah. Especially if it's just more like a training. I like to have podcasts on if I'm doing my makeup in the morning. Like pretty much if I'm consuming content, I'm, I have it on like high speed.
[00:19:06] Julia Leahy: Oh my god multiple things going on at the same time.
[00:19:09] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. Yeah. And I'm like, yes, putting makeup on and listening to something high speed, like some training or something.
[00:19:15] Julia Leahy: No, I sometimes have, I don't know if it's like, I need like multi stimulation. I have like something on the TV and something on my phone.
[00:19:22] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh yeah.
[00:19:23] Julia Leahy: Playing at the same time. Like different things.
[00:19:24] Dr Jodi Aman: Like two videos or like a game?
[00:19:27] Julia Leahy: No, two videos.
[00:19:28] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:19:29] Dr Jodi Aman: I don't know what that
[00:19:30] Julia Leahy: means.
[00:19:31] Dr Jodi Aman: We're like kind of simpatico because I mean, sometimes it's a game. Sometimes I have to watch a video and be playing a game, but then I'm also like, what else can I do?
[00:19:39] Julia Leahy: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:19:40] Dr Jodi Aman: I'm like, my mind can do more stuff. Like anything to not be thinking.
[00:19:44] Julia Leahy: Let me just, have I done the connections today? Let me do connections.
[00:19:48] Dr Jodi Aman: I'm like making up new ideas at the same time. Like my mind just is like, crazy busy, but it's fine.
[00:19:53] Julia Leahy: I've started though, circling back to wintertime. Circling back to wintertime.
[00:19:58] Dr Jodi Aman: Meet the winter blues.
[00:19:59] Julia Leahy: It sounds stupid to say it, but like inside activities, they're so important during the winter.
[00:20:05] Julia Leahy: Like I just started reading again. I haven't read in years. Oh my God. What a great winter. You're doing something without, like, you're relaxing, but it feels like less productive or I'm sorry, more productive than just sitting there.
[00:20:15] Dr Jodi Aman: You're still consuming the content.
[00:20:18] Julia Leahy: Yeah, but it feels better. Yeah.
[00:20:20] Julia Leahy: It feels better than like, yeah. Yeah.
[00:20:22] Dr Jodi Aman: It totally does. Because
[00:20:23] Julia Leahy: I don't feel like I wasted a day.
[00:20:25] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. When you're reading, like you're, it's developing. Yeah. You're developing the imagination, like you're seeing and you're doing it. You're, it's not as passive as watching TV.
[00:20:36] Julia Leahy: Yeah, I would agree.
[00:20:36] Dr Jodi Aman: So it's
[00:20:37] Julia Leahy: Hit me with that science behind it.
[00:20:39] Dr Jodi Aman: I can't help it. I can't help it. It's a psychological piece because this is what I do, but Yeah, so I, yeah, so there's something about reading when you're just reading it because you could just, you imagine or doing that, you're like participating in a story and actually last night, Lily and I recorded that one.
[00:20:56] Dr Jodi Aman: I was asked to see if you want to do that one on the catharsis of scary movies. Lily. Lily and I prerecorded a episode that's gonna air November 11th on, where was that? I know. Oh, I just got back from Europe On Europe. Oh yeah. Yeah. We, anyway, so we did, oh yeah, I did that. I'm trying to think, like, I saw that on Facebook, like, forgot.
[00:21:20] Julia Leahy: I'm very active on Facebook.
[00:21:22] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah, so we're just talking about how when you're participating and you're like the catharsis of like processing things through the other characters is really
[00:21:33] Dr Jodi Aman: important.
[00:21:34] Julia Leahy: Yeah.
[00:21:35] Dr Jodi Aman: It's really important.
[00:21:35] Julia Leahy: Yeah. And I, and when I'm like in it, I read, I get, I read so fast, I go through like so many books.
[00:21:41] Dr Jodi Aman: Paper
[00:21:41] Dr Jodi Aman: book? Okay.
[00:21:43] Julia Leahy: Yeah.
[00:21:43] Dr Jodi Aman: Everyone I talk to your age, like I prefer paper books.
[00:21:47] Julia Leahy: Yeah, although expensive. I didn't know how expensive books were!
[00:21:52] Dr Jodi Aman: You don't have a library card?
[00:21:54] Julia Leahy: Girl,
[00:21:54] Julia Leahy: no.
[00:21:55] Dr Jodi Aman: But then you have to hold on to the book.
[00:21:57] Julia Leahy: Yeah, but, yeah, but I'm so new to it. I've like, now I got like, oh, a seventh book that I own.
[00:22:03] Dr Jodi Aman: What about like used books?
[00:22:05] Julia Leahy: Sure. Oh, yeah, sure.
[00:22:06] Dr Jodi Aman: I just spent my whole life like I have too many books I have to get rid of books and now I just
[00:22:10] Julia Leahy: I've never been like that. I was never a reader.
[00:22:12] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. Yeah. So fiction?
[00:22:15] Julia Leahy: Yeah, I like crime, mystery. Yeah, I love true crime. Love it. Although I did read ACOTAR. Do you know about ACOTAR?
[00:22:22] Dr Jodi Aman: No, what is aCOTAR?
[00:22:23] Julia Leahy: Oh, it's crazy.
[00:22:25] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay, so reading to beat the winter blues what is
[00:22:27] Dr Jodi Aman: ACOTAR?
[00:22:28] Julia Leahy: ACOTAR, A Court of Thorns and Roses.
[00:22:30] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, yes. Oh, good. I read the whole series. Okay. ? Yeah. Last year. Was that the name, the author's name?
[00:22:37] Julia Leahy: No, it's a like a Thorns.
[00:22:39] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, I never heard that acronym.
[00:22:40] Julia Leahy: You've never heard that?
[00:22:41] Dr Jodi Aman: No.
[00:22:41] Julia Leahy: You gotta get on TikTok and look up ACOTAR and look at the edits. Oh, you'll love it.
[00:22:47] Dr Jodi Aman: All right, cool.
[00:22:49] Julia Leahy: It's delicious
[00:22:49] Dr Jodi Aman: to jack about it. My nephew Jack, about that series.
[00:22:53] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. Yeah. Love it.
[00:22:54] Dr Jodi Aman: Well, yeah, I read the whole series.
[00:22:55] Julia Leahy: I didn't finish it didn't finish series, and I won't because I. I got tired, but
[00:23:01] Dr Jodi Aman: yeah, I mean, it's long,
[00:23:02] Julia Leahy: it's so long, but now I'm back on my mysteries.
[00:23:06] Julia Leahy: And then it's like, then it captivates you to finish it faster.
[00:23:10] Dr Jodi Aman: Just remember my icecream.
[00:23:11] Julia Leahy: Yeah,
[00:23:11] Julia Leahy: right. Ice cream soup now.
[00:23:14] Dr Jodi Aman: I put, I post on the Instagram story. All my books that I read, I'm at. Oh, yeah. I'm I usually listen to one and read one at the same time.
[00:23:22] Julia Leahy: Different?
[00:23:24] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah, because if I'm in a room with somebody, I read, like at night before I go to bed.
[00:23:28] Dr Jodi Aman: Sure. If I'm taking a walk or I'm in the car or something, I'll be listening.
[00:23:32] Julia Leahy: Yeah, but is it the same book?
[00:23:33] Dr Jodi Aman: No.
[00:23:34] Dr Jodi Aman: And that's expensive. But I usually get them from the, so that's expensive, so I either have an audio book or an e book.
[00:23:41] Julia Leahy: So you're reading two books at the same time, essentially.
[00:23:42] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:23:43] Julia Leahy: Oh, that sounds fun.
[00:23:44] Dr Jodi Aman: But they're not at the same exact time like you do with the videos, like a crazy question.
[00:23:48] Julia Leahy: I know but at the same, yeah. Yeah. Like in the same day?
[00:23:52] Dr Jodi Aman: Absolutely. A hundred percent.
[00:23:54] Julia Leahy: How do you do
[00:23:54] Julia Leahy: that? Yeah. I don't know what's happening.
[00:23:56] Dr Jodi Aman: Because, well, I mean, there's just totally different stories. Sometimes they're non fiction or whatever, but they're just different stories.
[00:24:02] Dr Jodi Aman: But sometimes I don't, I can't listen because I'm yeah Sometimes I can't read because I'm walking. Yeah, we're in the car, I'm not gonna read those sometimes I'm just a red light when you're in that when you're in New York City and I like stopped at a light forever
[00:24:15] Julia Leahy: you drives here. Oh, terrible.
[00:24:19] Julia Leahy: Yeah.
[00:24:19] Julia Leahy: Okay, so you don't have the struggle of going to the.
[00:24:22] Julia Leahy: Walking a million blocks to the grocery store.
[00:24:24] Dr Jodi Aman: Well, you have to walk a million blocks to park your car.
[00:24:27] Julia Leahy: This is true. This is true.
[00:24:28] Dr Jodi Aman: I mean, it is definitely a pain, but it's easier to just drive down here. Okay. Yeah, and in Brooklyn. We're in Brooklyn right now. It's free parking, but you have to find it. It's like, yeah, it's like blocks.
[00:24:42] Dr Jodi Aman: But near Lilly, there's always a spot.
[00:24:45] Julia Leahy: Really?
[00:24:45] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:24:46] Julia Leahy: Interesting.
[00:24:47] Dr Jodi Aman: So, like, yeah, there's always a spot on the street.
[00:24:52] Julia Leahy: There's never any near me. No. I think mine's more residential so it's like people that live there.
[00:24:57] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. I mean this is people live there but they probably just don't have cars. I mean it's really her apartment's just like this.
[00:25:04] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah. You know it's not a great place. It's so no one has cars on that street.
[00:25:09] Julia Leahy: There you go.
[00:25:11] Dr Jodi Aman: There you go.
[00:25:12] Julia Leahy: No, I do not have a car. So I fly back and forth.
[00:25:14] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah, that's good. I wouldn't if I was down here but we, we drive down.
[00:25:18] Julia Leahy: Yeah, yeah.
[00:25:19] Dr Jodi Aman: My little grandson is like an adorable. If you want to see what he looks like, just go to my Instagram, put Nona Jodi in the highlights.
[00:25:26] Dr Jodi Aman: I'm so biased.
[00:25:30] Julia Leahy: As you should. I've seen a picture of him. He's really cute. So the winter.
[00:25:34] Dr Jodi Aman: Lily was like, you're obsessed with him. She's like, all you do is watch videos of him. I'm like, that's how I beat my winter blues. It's by watching pictures of like this baby smiling. Like how could you be sad when this baby's like,
[00:25:50] Julia Leahy: I also inside activities, I, like, do you, are you a crafter?
[00:25:54] Dr Jodi Aman: Yes, I don't have much time, but I totally have always been a crafter. I have a craft closet. Actually, this weekend we went to the Adirondacks with my husband's family for all these crafts for the toddlers. But they were a little too
[00:26:08] Julia Leahy: Okay. Yeah. Too advanced. It's the craft for humans.
[00:26:10] Dr Jodi Aman: But yeah, so what kind of crafts?
[00:26:12] Dr Jodi Aman: I
[00:26:13] Julia Leahy: really enjoy I have like a big, giant wall calendar and I keep It is beautiful. Oh! Beautiful. So I, at least a couple times a week, will take it down and like, every box is decorated and they're like motivational quotes all over it and I keep it and I keep that trick Organized and everything.
[00:26:32] Julia Leahy: That's how I remember things.
[00:26:34] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah
[00:26:35] Dr Jodi Aman: So it's like
[00:26:36] Dr Jodi Aman: i'm picturing a chalkboard, but what do you mean?
[00:26:39] Julia Leahy: Well, it's just like paper But like one of the big ones for Staples like they're huge and I would equate it to like bullet journaling Yeah, the way I make it like very pretty Because I do like I love like
[00:26:49] Dr Jodi Aman: and then do you like what if you when you?
[00:26:52] Julia Leahy: You Throw it in the garbage. Yeah, bummer.
[00:26:54] Julia Leahy: So what do you do with a journal? What do you mean?
[00:26:57] Dr Jodi Aman: You keep your journal in your basement for a while.
[00:27:01] Julia Leahy: Oh, I don't throw it out. I'm not sentimental like that.
[00:27:04] Dr Jodi Aman: Okay, so you just take it and throw it.
[00:27:08] Julia Leahy: Yeah. So I
[00:27:08] Julia Leahy: always
[00:27:09] Julia Leahy: have That's nice, because it's like
[00:27:12] Dr Jodi Aman: I have every calendar
[00:27:13] Dr Jodi Aman: since I've been married.
[00:27:15] Julia Leahy: That's crazy.
[00:27:16] Dr Jodi Aman: They're like this big.
[00:27:18] Julia Leahy: Okay. So you're just the wrong one.
[00:27:19] Dr Jodi Aman: I was like, sometimes you're looking back a year because you're trying to remember something. Well, sure. But but I don't know. It's like, this is like a testimony of our life for 26 years.
[00:27:29] Julia Leahy: That's true. It's kind of cool.
[00:27:31] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:27:31] Dr Jodi Aman: What the kids did.
[00:27:32] Julia Leahy: A little time capsule.
[00:27:33] Dr Jodi Aman: It is totally a time capsule. We used to have this like, energy shield training for empaths actually. It's a lot of, yeah, it's a really, it's a video training for empaths. So that's what that link is. If you're on Facebook, jodieman. com slash empaths. But what I'm really promoting now is this Generation Z Mental Health Resource Guide.
[00:27:55] Dr Jodi Aman: So if you go to https://jodiaman.com/guide, if you're a teacher, if you're a parent if you are in Generation Z or if you're a counselor, this is a comprehensive guide to help you understand what the heck is going on and how to actually, so https://jodiaman.com/guide, but you can still get that impasse freebie too.
[00:28:16] Dr Jodi Aman: That's a video training. That's me telling you how to block the negative energy because we need to do that.
[00:28:22] Julia Leahy: And I'm Gen Z. Yeah, I know. So I'll eat that up.
[00:28:26] Dr Jodi Aman: So, so, so, so nice to have you here.
[00:28:29] Julia Leahy: Thank you for having me.
[00:28:29] Dr Jodi Aman: I'm gonna keep going. I know, I'm yapping. But yeah, so, so more pesto please on TikTok.
[00:28:35] Julia Leahy: More pesto please on TikTok.
[00:28:36] Dr Jodi Aman: Just funny things, make you laugh. Sure, yeah. Make you cry. Well, hopefully not, unless it's cry laughing. Cry laughing is always good. It's my favorite kind of thing.
[00:28:47] Julia Leahy: Yeah.
[00:28:48] Dr Jodi Aman: Like, pee your pants laughing is the second thing.
[00:28:50] Julia Leahy: Yeah,
[00:28:51] Julia Leahy: or like, really tired, delirious.
[00:28:54] Julia Leahy: Like in an
[00:28:54] Julia Leahy: airport or something.
[00:28:56] Julia Leahy: That's good laughing.
[00:28:57] Dr Jodi Aman: Yeah.
[00:28:58] Julia Leahy: Yeah.
[00:28:59] Dr Jodi Aman: So yeah, if you want to laugh in any kind of ways that you'd like to go to morepestoplease. Yes. And and she'll let you know if she's performing.
[00:29:08] Julia Leahy: Yes, on my Instagram I keep it very updated with if I'm performing. Also, the Pesto Pod comes out tomorrow, Tuesday at 10am, and hopefully every Tuesday after that.
[00:29:18] Dr Jodi Aman: What are the topics on my Pesto Pod? My Pesto Pod? The Pesto Pod. Sure, or yours. Your Pesto Pod. Our Pesto Pod. Yeah. Le.
[00:29:29] Julia Leahy: Yeah. It's kind of going to give like, it's going to give school a little bit. I'm teaching about a random thing every episode. Oh. But it's just me teaching with my very colorful vocabulary.
[00:29:41] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, I love it. You kept it clean here. You didn't have to, but I mean, well, it just came out that way.
[00:29:46] Julia Leahy: I, yeah. I guess it's my natural Did you have to work hard on it?
[00:29:49] Dr Jodi Aman: No, I said shitty.
[00:29:50] Julia Leahy: Oh, okay. I slip, but. We're having a pretty
[00:29:55] Julia Leahy: clean conversation. What did you want me to do?
[00:29:58] Dr Jodi Aman: Oh, beating the winter blues.
[00:30:00] Dr Jodi Aman: Well, beating the winter blues with routine, with comedy, with instaurativities like crafts. We didn't mention board games, so it's gonna bring that up. Because if you hang out with those guys. If you hang out with those guys.
[00:30:12] Julia Leahy: Are they board gamers?
[00:30:13] Dr Jodi Aman: are board gamers.
[00:30:14] Julia Leahy: Incredible.
[00:30:15] Dr Jodi Aman: So this is going to be a whole new world.
[00:30:17] Julia Leahy: Yeah. And take it, take a walk every day. Take a
[00:30:19] Julia Leahy: walk every day. Buckle up and take a walk.
[00:30:20] Dr Jodi Aman: And join a gym. If you're in your job and you're isolated or you're at school or wherever you are and you feel like you don't have enough, then when you're looking for those other activities to do, you have to be around people.
[00:30:33] Julia Leahy: Yeah. I signed up for my classes. It's combat class. Yes. Yeah. I'm excited.
[00:30:40] Dr Jodi Aman: All right. Cool.
[00:30:41] Dr Jodi Aman: And improv. And improv.
[00:30:43] Julia Leahy: Take a class.
[00:30:44] Julia Leahy: Take a class. That's my advice for the Winter Blues.
[00:30:46] Dr Jodi Aman: Take a class.
[00:30:47] Dr Jodi Aman: Take a class. Do some art. Exercise art.
[00:30:50] Julia Leahy: Take a walk.
[00:30:51] Dr Jodi Aman: Learn something new.
[00:30:51] Julia Leahy: Put on really warm socks and take a walk.
[00:30:53] Julia Leahy: That's my, that's my, that's my final.
[00:30:55] Dr Jodi Aman: About like 20 years ago, I decided to start walking. I used, I was, in winter, I was like, I never went outside, so like, Bundle up. You can't go outside, you can't go outside, it's so cold. And then I started to walk and I was like, oh, I could be outside. It helped me the whole rest of the day to like go in the car and not be like afraid to go outside.
[00:31:13] Dr Jodi Aman: It's like I was no longer trapped in the car.
[00:31:15] Julia Leahy: Plus, plus like spend a little money and get like yourself a really nice scarf and then you'll want to go outside and like show it off or like a beautiful coat and it'll motivate you to go outside more. It's great.
[00:31:27] Dr Jodi Aman: All right. I'm so happy that that you joined us whether you're here live or watching the recording.
[00:31:33] Dr Jodi Aman: We're really happy to be here. We're, I'm on live every Monday at 8 PM. And so click the bell and get a notification so you could get out, ask us questions, hang out, talk, whatever you want to do. So glad to see you again, go to my website, https://jodiaman.com/ live. You can watch it there or slash guide, you'd get my guide.
[00:31:53] Dr Jodi Aman: Or if you need any other thing, I have tons and tons of stuff there for you and subscribe to my channel.