Stop Thinking About It and Just Do It (Here's How)

I know, I know. “You are enough” sounds like something on a throw pillow. But hang with me. Today I’m talking about a guy who tried to pass me on the left in a parking lot (where was he going?), why rushing around makes us careless and a little self-important, and how being in a big hurry worry quietly steals the very moments we’re living in. You’re already there. There’s nowhere else to get to. Then we’ll do 16 Seconds to Bliss together, a simple counting breath you can use anywhere, anytime, even in the car. Key TakeawaysRushing ruins the moment you’re in and blocks any chance at mindfulness.Saving a second or two in traffic is almost never worth the stress on your mind and body.If you say you’re going to take a breath, take it right then. Same goes for prayers.Your brain can only hyper-focus for about 90 minutes before it needs a break. Give it one.99.9% of moments aren’t bad. It’s what we lug into them that makes them feel that way.People remember the vibe you bring, not your napkins or your Pinterest-perfect cake.You’re already enough. Whatever you’re doing is probably plenty, maybe even too much.Episode HighlightsThe parking lot pass on the way to lunch with friendsMy old road rage days and the little meditating Shrinky Dink I kept by my odometerA friend of a friend who got a speeding ticket on the way to teach his meditation classMy husband’s refusal to rush (and why he might have a point)The family Halloween costume tradition that is not negotiableStopping a stressed-out principal in the hallway for 16 seconds of breathing“Am I still breathing?” and what happens when you ask kindergartners vs. adultsA guided 16 Seconds to Bliss counting meditationMentions and ReferencesDavidji and his 16 Seconds to Bliss practiceEckhart Tolle, the “Am I still breathing?” questionSouper Jenny, AtlantaJulie Taylor, the best principal in the history of all principalsTry This WeekThe waiting room challenge: next time you’re at the doctor’s office, leave your phone in your pocket. Look around, let your mind wander, breathe. Let me know how it goes. I think you’ll be surprised.16 Seconds to Bliss: empty your lungs with two exhales. Breathe in your nose for 4, hold for 4, out your mouth for 4, hold out for 4. Then let your breath come back to its natural rhythm.Catch yourself rushing: when you feel antsy behind someone turning into a parking spot, that’s your cue. Take the breath.Connect With MeInstagram: @thestresstherapistTwitter: @stresstherapyilovetherapy.com for meditation and yoga retreats and other offeringsLive in Georgia and ready to work with me? Visit my website to sign up for a free face-to-face consultation.Jump on my mailer so you don’t stress or miss one thing.Edited and produced by Owen Flake

Hey beautiful people. Last week I just threw it out there: if you’re tired, go to sleep. And I know for some of you that landed like a joke, because going to sleep is the whole problem. I get it. I was a chronic insomniac for years. Years. And it’s gone now. Completely cured. So today it’s sleep hygiene day on Stress Therapy, and I’m giving you the old faithfuls you’ve heard a million times, plus the stuff that actually worked for me and for my clients, which is not what everybody else is saying. Key TakeawaysYou can’t force sleep. Outside of anesthesia, nothing puts you to sleep. Pills create an environment for it, but the more you chase it, the further it goes.Your bed is for sleep and sex. That’s it. No TV, no phone, no meditating in it either.When you wake up at 3 a.m., do not talk to yourself about it. Get out of your head and into your body. Once you get riled up and release cortisol, you’ve got about 90 minutes before it clears, and that’s your hour and a half of staring at the ceiling.Episode HighlightsThe old faithfuls you’ve heard forever and quietly stopped doing: napping, working out too late, eating right before bedWhy 68 degrees is the number, and what happens when it gets menopausal in your roomMy eye cover obsession, and why the one the airline hands you is not getting the job doneBeditation, and why I almost never meditate in my own bedWhy alcohol has you wide awake and spiraling at 3 a.m., and why morning is technically the best time to drink itHow to move your bedtime without a fight: 20 minutes at a time over three to five daysThe old iPod trick that cured my insomnia, with nothing on it but books, music and binaural beatsWhy a pad of paper and a pen beside your bed beats reaching for your phoneWhy you need to stop calling it my insomnia, and start talking about yourself like a good sleeperA short nervous system reset you can do lying right there in bedMentions and ReferencesBinaural beats apps: Brainwave for Apple, Brain Waves or Atmosphere for AndroidMy favorite eye covers, including the Bluetooth ones with the timerMy friend Ann Dupree, who teaches resilience, on why your prefrontal cortex is the wrong part of your brain to be chatting with at 3 a.m.Libby, Kindle, Apple Books and Spotify, the only apps allowed on the little iPodMagnesium, which I think is one of the most important supplements we can take. Melatonin I save for jet lag. Ask your doctor.My Tom Petty Full Moon Fever t-shirt, because we’re not having night sweats around hereTry This WeekPick one thing from the list and change it tonight. Turn the thermostat down. Put a pad of paper and a pen next to the bed and leave your phone in another room. Buy the paper book. And when you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t look at the clock and don’t do the math. Come into your body instead. How does your arm feel against the pillowcase? How does your knee feel under the sheets. That’s the whole trick, and it works. Connect With MeInstagram: @thestresstherapistTwitter: @stresstherapyMeditation and yoga retreats and other offerings: ilovetherapy.comLive in Georgia and ready to work together? Visit the website to set up a free face-to-face consultation.Join my mailer so you don’t miss a thing. Edited and produced by Owen Flake

 Hey beautiful people. I've got a little cold and my hair is not cooperating, but I showed up anyway, because I didn't want to procrastinate on talking to you about procrastination. My mom Lois has never put anything off a day in her life, and she genuinely doesn't understand why the rest of us do. This one's for everybody else. Here's the truth: procrastination has nothing to do with how badly you want something. It's an emotional problem, not a productivity problem. You're not avoiding the task. You're avoiding the feeling attached to the task. Once you understand what your brain is doing, you can get the upper hand, and I've seen this work over and over with my clients. Key TakeawaysYour brain can't tell the difference between thinking about something and doing it. Every time you think about that thing you're putting off, your brain believes you're working on it and getting nowhere, so it starts to feel huge.Don't think about it unless you're working on it. Put it in your calendar in small chunks, set a reminder, and let it go until then.Motivation comes after action, not before. Start small, and the good feelings follow.Episode HighlightsA quick lemon exercise that proves your brain reacts to your thoughts like they're realWhy creative people are especially prone to procrastination, and the "perfect problem" that keeps them from startingThe five-minute timer trick I used with a painter client, who showed up with a canvas way bigger than I expectedWhy it takes longer to complain about emptying the dishwasher than to actually empty it (about three minutes, kids)Why your to-do list needs fun things on it too, even Halloween costumes in DecemberA guided meditation where you picture your task already done and feel what that's like, followed by silent repetition of the mantra OmMentions and ReferencesMy book, Honey Do to Honey DONE!, on using reminders and task lists so households can stop arguing about kitty litter and start actually talking to each otherThe "little by little" technique from last seasonMy "It's All in Your Head" T-shirtPickleball players and CrossFit folks, who are proof that feeling good fuels follow-throughTry This Week Pick one thing you've been putting off. Instead of thinking about it all week, put it in your calendar as a short block, even five minutes. When the time comes, get yourself somewhere that feels good: your favorite spot, a candle, your favorite drink. Then just start. And add one fun thing to your to-do list while you're at it. Connect With Me Instagram: @thestresstherapistTwitter: @stresstherapyMeditation and yoga retreats and other offerings: ilovetherapy.comLive in Georgia and ready to work together? Visit the website to set up a free face-to-face consultation.Join my mailer so you don't miss a thing. Edited and produced by Owen Flake

Every August the same emails start rolling in. I can't believe it's back to school. I can't believe summer's over. I can't believe it's fall already. And I always think, why can't anybody believe it? Back to school comes after summer every single year.What's not to believe? In this episode I talk about time delusion, which is real, and why it hits differently for people who meditate. When my kids were little, everyone told me it would fly by. It didn't. Now I've got a senior on my hands and everyone is telling me this year will be a blink, and I still don't think it will be. Not because I'm special, but because I've been practicing being here. You get better at what you practice. If you practice stillness, you get good at stillness. If you practice scrolling, well, you get good at that too, which is probably why everybody walking into my office lately is telling me they have attention problems. I believe them.There's a rant about email in here. Fair warning. I stand by it.We also meditate together, so find a comfortable seat before you press play if you can. It's a simple belly breath practice, nothing fancy, just you and your breath and the moment you're in. Your breath is always your way back. The retreat sponsorshipSomething happened this month that has never happened in nineteen retreats. A past retreat attendee put down a deposit for our September 2026 mountain retreat and then couldn't make it. Her deposit was fully refundable, and instead of taking it back she asked me to give it to someone who wants to come but is balking at the price. So there's a $250 sponsorship sitting here. And there's already a sale on the website, $100 or $150 off depending on which room you pick. Stack them and you're looking at up to $400 off. You don't have to prove anything. There's no application, no criteria, no explaining yourself to me. New roof, bad timing, tight month, whatever it is, I don't need to know. You just have to want to come. If you want it, you got it. Just let me know. Connect with me Instagram: @thestresstherapistTwitter: @stresstherapyWebsite: ilovetherapy.com for retreats, meditation, yoga, and everything else If you live in Georgia and you're thinking about becoming a client, head to the website to sign up for a free face to face consultation. And at the very least, get on the mailer so you don't miss a thing. Until next time, have a lovely, lovely day. Produced and edited by Owen Flake.

Hey beautiful people! What if you didn't have to lure anything into this moment — no worry, no anxiety, no "hurry up and get to the next thing" — and what if the good stuff started showing up on its own? In this mini meditation episode, I talk about taking custody of your own consciousness, getting out of the hurry-up cycle, and learning to just sit in right now. There's only one Now, baby, and it's right here. Stick around for the little guided meditation at the end. In this episode:The "hurry up" trap — how we rush through every single moment to get to the next one, only to rush through that one tooWherever you go, there you are: why nothing actually happens in the past or the future, only right nowEckhart Tolle's simplest doorway into the present — just ask yourself, "Am I still breathing?"Puppies versus politics — choosing what you let into your moment, being for peace instead of against warBliss blips: those little unprovoked blips of bliss that show up for no reason at all, and why they're tied straight to your meditation practiceA short guided meditation using a soft drishti, an environmental scan, and the Om Shanti mantraMentions and shoutouts:Joe Dispenza and the retreat that stuck with meWherever You Go, There You Are (I'm pretty sure that's Jon Kabat-Zinn)Eckhart Tolle, Yogananda, Dan Siegel's "flip your lid," and Mother Teresa's "I won't march against war, but I'll march for peace"The Vedas on life as a show we get to watchSeptember retreat at ilovetherapy.com with Sonic Yogi and an amazing Atlanta cellist joining usIf you've ever had a bliss blip, I want to hear about it — email me at [email protected] (it's Cheri with a C — wasn't my idea). And come meditate with us at ilovetherapy.com. Connect with me @thestresstherapist on Instagram and @stresstherapy on Twitter. Georgia residents — book a free consultation at thestresstherapist.com. Produced and edited by Owen Flake

Graduation season is here, and Cheri has a message for every new grad that she wishes she'd heard at 22 instead of figuring out the hard way: nobody is coming to save you. Not your parents, not your therapist, not the perfect partner, not your followers. And once you really get that, it's not depressing — it's the most freeing thing in the world. In this quickie episode, Cheri unpacks what it actually looks like to show up for yourself. She talks about why obsessing over how you look to attract the "right" person is a losing game (spoiler: all the dudes look the same after 60 anyway), why disappointment is almost always a sign you were outsourcing your wellbeing, and how taking 100% responsibility for your life is where the magic actually starts. She also gets into the social media trap — how scrolling through someone else's feed means you're paying attention to their agenda instead of your own — and makes the case for being the master and commander of your own attention. You don't have to record your life. You don't have to report on it. The quietest lives can be the richest ones. The episode wraps with a short seated meditation on letting thoughts come and go without judgment, plus a homework assignment: next time you're standing in line at the grocery store or waiting at the dentist, leave the phone in your pocket. Just stand there. Notice what you're thinking. That's it. It used to be normal. We've lost it. Time to get it back. A few things Cheri wants you to walk away with:You are the person you've been waiting for. Be her. Be him.Pick the kindest partner. Looks fade, kindness compounds.Walk away from people who aren't bringing out your best — no animosity, no diagnosis, just go.Disappointment = you were relying on something outside yourself. Take that as data.Sitting and doing nothing is not lazy. It's a skill, and it's becoming a rare one.Connect with Cheri: Instagram: @thestresstherapist Twitter: @stresstherapy Retreats and offerings: ilovetherapy.com Georgia residents — book a free consultation at thestresstherapist.com Produced and edited by Owen Flake.

Hey beautiful people! It's Maycember — that wild stretch of end-of-school-year chaos and springtime new beginnings. Instead of piling more onto your plate, I'm sharing a few tiny cognitive tweaks that can shift everything, plus a quick moment of stillness to get you through. I also open up about a recent scary diagnosis and why I'm refusing to own it. Rare but possible, baby. In this episode:Why you should never "own" a diagnosis (mental or physical) — the language we use shapes our identity and our healingThree cognitive flips that change everything: "I have to" becomes "I get to," "what if" becomes "even if," and the quiet magic of "wouldn't it be nice if…"A 16-second bliss break you can do anywhere — shoutout to my friend Davidji for this oneMentions and shoutouts:Catch Stress Therapy the show on New Reality TV (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV)Huge congrats to the Chamblee High School varsity tennis team heading to state finalsStanford is studying energy healers and their effect on cancer cells — science is catching up to the woo wooSeptember 23–27 retreat with a sale running this week at ilovetherapy.comIf you spot a "Rare But Possible" t-shirt out there, please send it my wayConnect with me @thestresstherapist on Instagram and @stresstherapy on Twitter. Georgia residents — book a free consultation at ilovetherapy.com.Produced and edited by Owen Flake

Hey, beautiful people. Let's talk about intuition — that knowing in your gut that you can't quite explain but you absolutely cannot ignore. In this episode, I'm sharing the full story of how I spent months smelling smoke before my office actually caught fire, predicted the flood that came after, and what all of that taught me about trusting the voice inside that doesn't speak in words. We're getting into why meditation is the single best thing you can do to sharpen your intuition, how to tell the difference between ego noise and real guidance, and why "listen to the listener" is the most important thing anyone's ever said to me at a silent retreat. Plus we do a beautiful guided meditation together — heart center breathing up through the third eye — to help you connect with that wise, divine, knowing part of yourself. Because you already know everything you need to know. You just have to get quiet enough to hear it. 🧘‍♀️ 💡 3 Key TakeawaysIntuition isn't reserved for psychics or special people — it's in all of us. Meditation is what turns up the volume. The more you sit, the more available your wise self becomes.If the voice you're hearing is mean, identity-based, or ego-driven ("you're a bad person"), that's not intuition — that's your ego throwing a fit. Real intuition tends to arrive quietly, from nowhere, and it doesn't attack you.Nobody ever says "I shouldn't have listened to my gut." That alone tells you everything you need to know about how valuable this is.🔥 Episode HighlightsThe full fire premonition story — six months of smelling smoke, middle-of-the-night office checks, a husband who thought I was losing it, and the call from State Farm that proved I wasn'tMy six-year-old telling the police her mommy knew the office would burn down (great for the insurance claim, thanks kid)Predicting the flood days later — and pulling out every piece of paper and fabric just in timeWhy the Waze vs. your gut dilemma is the most relatable intuition test there isA psychiatrist who couldn't wrap his head around acupressure — and how far we've come since then with mind-body-soul connectionThe monk at a silent retreat who said "listen to the listener" and completely rewired my brainA guided heart center to third eye breathing meditation📣 Mentions & References🧠 "Listen to the Listener" — the teaching from a silent retreat that changed everything about how I understand intuition🧘 Heart Center to Third Eye Meditation — a breathing visualization connecting your heart space to your place of knowing💆 Somatic Work — body-based healing and why you can't throw a stick at the internet without hitting that word right now🏥 Chinese Medicine / Acupressure — thousands of years of wisdom we chose to ignore, and we're finally catching up👦 My son's take on therapy — "You think everything affects your mental" — yeah buddy, because it does✅ Try This WeekNext time you get a gut feeling — even a small one, like which way to turn — follow it. Then write it down. Start tracking when your intuition shows up and what it's telling you.Sit for 10 minutes a day this week. Just breathe. The more still you get, the louder that inner voice becomes.Ask yourself: is this thought ego or intuition? If it's attacking your identity, it's ego. If it arrived from nowhere and feels calm but certain, pay attention.🏡 Hang With Me🧘 Retreats — ilovetherapy.com, click on Retreats. Meditation, yoga, and people who get it.💌 thestresstherapist.com — therapy, retreats, and all the things📲 @thestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on Twitter🎙️ Produced and edited by Owen Flake.

Okay, y'all. Your ego has been lying to you — and it's really good at it. In this episode, I'm breaking down the three sneaky ways your ego pulls you right out of your meditation practice every single time: time, body, and environment. We're talking fake sore throats, alarming thoughts about whether you left the front door open, and the "brilliant idea" trap that your ego absolutely loves to use on you. I'll also walk you through a gorgeous flower meditation using the mantra Aham Brahmasmi — because it's time to remind that divine, holy self of yours who's actually in charge. Spoiler: it's not your ego. You are the boss. Let's go. 🌸 💡 3 Key Learning PointsYour ego knows your weaknesses — time, body discomfort, and your to-do list — and it will use all of them to pull you off your cushion. Knowing that is half the battle.That sore throat, achy knee, or urgent thought to check the front door? It might be 100% your ego. Real but not real — but still real. You'll get it when you hear it.The mantra "This is all I'm supposed to be doing" isn't just motivation — it's ego defense. Use it.📣 Mentions & Shout-Outs🧠 Mantra of the episode: Aham Brahmasmi — "I am Brahman. I am the divine. I am connected to cosmic consciousness."🌸 Flower Meditation — A visualization practice for gently setting your ego's interruptions aside, petal by petal.💪 The Cheri Flake Willpower Challenge — 40 days of "I will" and "I won't" — a real-life lesson in what your body will fake to get you to quit.🍬 Hall's Cherry Cough Drop Gate — Possibly the most relatable addiction confession ever recorded.🧘 David G (davidg.com) — Cheri's beloved meditation teacher and the keeper of the Aham Brahmasmi mantra.🏡 Retreats with Cheri — Outdoor saunas, hot tubs, sound healing, group hypnotherapy, yin yoga, all-inclusive, zero dishes. Yes please.💌 thestresstherapist.com — Info on therapy, retreats, and joining the stress-free crew.📲 Follow Cheri: @thestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on TwitterProduced and edited by Owen Flake.

Okay, y’all. Buckle up for a full-body reminder: there is nothing wrong with you. In this episode, I’m throwing down the truth about judgment (yours and everyone else’s), ego meltdowns, pink hair stereotypes, and what happens when you finally shut up long enough to hear what’s going on in your own head. We get real about red pepper anxiety, the silent retreat that changed me, and the quote that’s been living rent-free in my brain: “No one will ever love you the way you want to be loved… because that’s your job.” Spoiler: there’s also a blue breath meditation to clear out your throat chakra so you can speak your truth without all the noise. It’s part pep talk, part truth bomb, and all heart. Let’s go. 💡 3 Key Learning PointsYou’re the only one watching your red pepper game. Everyone else is busy with their own garlic.If you think others are judging you, check your own mirror. We tend to see in others what we’re doing ourselves.Let the ego talk—but don’t let it drive. You’re more than your opinions, your comparisons, and your raking style.📣 Mentions & Shout-Outs🎬 Wayne’s World – Cheri’s forever favorite (and a reminder that taste doesn’t have to be cool to be true).🧠 Quote of the day: “No one will ever love you the way you want to be loved… because that’s your job.”🧘‍♀️ Silent Retreat Stories – Featuring: raking epiphanies, bug goggles, and red pepper enlightenment.🎙️ Awaken Your Inner Awesomeness by Melissa Oatman – Fellow pink hair goddess and podcaster.💇‍♀️ Pink Hair as Botox – Cheri’s hairdresser said it best.🎤 Nancy Wilson from Heart – More pink hair legends.🎞️ The Incredible Shrinking Woman starring Lily Tomlin – Yes, we went there.✨ Chakra Talk – Meditation focused on the throat chakra using the “Hum” mantra.💌 ilovetherapy.com – Info on therapy, retreats, and joining the stress-free crew.📲 Follow Cheri: @hestresstherapist on Instagram | @stresstherapy on Twitter