Dying To Ask

Dorm Designers, Phone Dumps And All Things College 101

We're going back to school in this week's episode of the Dying to Ask podcast. Not a la Rodney Dangerfield in the 1986 comedy. More like a time hop to a time that may seem just as foreign.

Colleges expect this school year will be the most "normal" year for students since the pandemic started.

It might be normal by today's standards for young people. But if it's been a while since you moved into a dorm, wait until you hear what the college experience is like these days.

Jenn Curtis and Cynthia Muchnick, authors of "The Parent Compass," are back on the show this week.

And we're talking about everything from the HGTV-ization of dorm rooms to how phone dumps work and why your family needs one.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, buckle up, and get ready to go back to school, Dying to Ask-style. And yes, there will be a pop quiz for anyone who fails to leave a rating or review.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The emergence of college trends like professional dorm decorators
• Why you need a "proof of life" plan with your kid
• The pros and cons of a "phone dump"
• How to ease the transition to college for parent and child

How Being Hangry Costs You Friends And Productivity

Hunger plus anger equals hanger. It's a thing. And science now backs that up.

You could be one snack away from sabotaging your relationships and career. An exaggeration? Only slightly.

A new survey on hanger proves the phenomenon exists.

That "hanger" is actually fluctuating blood sugar that leads to impulsive decisions, words you don't mean (or shouldn't say out loud) and interactions you might regret.

Dr Neha Pathak is part of WebMD's medical team. Her job is to make sure the site's articles and videos are medically sound. She says the hangry study confirms what moms have known forever.

"Absolutely, so I think what we've known for a long time, is when we have low blood sugar it puts us up higher risk of being irritable getting angry and being impulsive. So this new study kind of adds to that, by showing us that when we're hungry, we also are at higher risk of negative emotions on a day to day basis," Pathak said.

The takeaway?

You might make some really bad calls in life because you needed a snack.

Think about that. You could be a handful of almonds away from setting your body and mind up for a blowup or for success.

One snack!

On this Dying to Ask:

• How scientists studied hanger
• A simple explanation of why you get cranky when you get hungry
• The time of day you should probably never schedule an important meeting
• Dr Pathak's pick for the number one food to treat hangriness fast
• And what it's like to be a WebMD doc

5 Ways To Stress Less By Walking More

Feeling blah? Three words: take a walk.

Walking is having, as they say, a moment.

Walking is the simplest thing we do each day and it may be the most instantly impactful when it comes to our mental and physical health.

In this solo episode, Fitz takes a walk on the not so wild side to explain how adding frequent walk breaks to the day had a positive impact on stress and creativity.

You'll learn the science behind why "moving mindfulness" works and you'll get easy hacks to make walk breaks a powerful reset button in your day.

Feeling stuck? Take a walk.

Feeling down? Take a walk.

Feeling frustrated or tired? Say it with me, take a walk.

Up for taking our walk challenge? Take a selfie and post it on social media with #walkwithfitz and she'll share your pics to motivate the Dying to Ask community.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How to sneak walking into your work or school day to improve productivity
• The hidden benefit to taking your kids on a lap around the block
• The science behind why walking impacts mood, depression and anxiety
• Five ways to make a walking habit stick

Creating Confidence With TV Host Amy Schmidt

Want to be more confident? Maybe you need to practice more.

That's the philosophy of author, TedX speaker, podcast and TV host Amy Schmidt.

Amy's "why not me and why not now" philosophy has made her an expert in mid-life reinvention.

Amy co-hosts the Better Than Gossip podcast and streaming TV show. The show's tagline, ageless advice for timeless women, promotes the idea that most problems are solvable with help and empathy from friends.

She says she's noticed many people complaining about a loss of confidence after everything we've been through in the last few years.

Her advice?

Recruit a good friend/ accountability partner and ask them a simple question: "what am I good at?"

"When you really dig into that conversation with someone you really trust that accountability partner and they say, 'you know what, I admire your confidence around public speaking. I love the way you can just, you know, go to a PTA meeting, and you can stand up and take charge. Or, I love the way when you walk into a yoga class, you kind of are this light.' You find out these things about yourself and you're like, 'wow I should do more of that.' That is the stepping stone to building more confidence."

On this Dying to Ask:

• Three ways to boost your outlook when you're feeling flat
• How to know it's time to make a personal or professional pivot when things are actually going OK
• What Fitz said on Amy's podcast that turned out to be controversial
• The power of having a word of the day

How To Define Your Life’s Purpose With News Anchor Latrice Currie

What's your purpose?

The pandemic forced all of us to reflect on where we are and where we're going. The Great Resignation is full of people who've redefined their life purpose and made professional and personal changes based on those evaluations.

Latrice Currie didn't need the pandemic to redefine her life's purpose. Life dealt her a curveball in 2019 and she's been on a different path ever since.

Latrice is a longtime, respected news anchor at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She's a wife and a mom. She's active in her community.

She also survived a life-threatening health scare she never saw coming.

Latrice suffered a blood clot. Quick thinking saved her life. Careful reflection changed her life after she spend six months off the air in rehab.

Everything changed one Sunday morning when Latrice suffered the blood clot out of the blue. She woke up three weeks later unable to speak and walk and comprehend how much her life had changed.

Her new book, My Journey: Finding God's Purpose and Power, tells the story of what happened before and after LaTrice's turning point. The good news? You don't have to live through a blood clot to live a bigger, more satisfying and impactful life!

It's equal parts raw and inspiring. And, it's a road map to identifying and following through on pivoting to one's true purpose.

On this Dying to Ask:

• What LaTrice did while barely conscious that gave her a shot at surviving a blood clot
• What she advises all people to do to better their chances of a freak health problem
• What it was like to BECOME the story instead of TELL the stories
• How we can all find our purpose when life deals us a bad hand

The Annual Summer Beach Reads Episode, Part 2

Go read a book.

Those four words summarized my mother's constant summer refrain in my childhood and I find myself parroting her words as a mom myself!

Part 2 of our annual summer beach reads episode focuses on books for kids and young adults, or YA readers. But, here's the thing. YA is actually for all ages.

Do you just love a quick, fun read? Listen for some great YA reads that will inspire and entertain.

Have a reluctant reader at home? My guest Tina Ferguson has some great hacks to get kids lost in the pages of a great book.

Tina is the owner of Face in a Book bookstore in El Dorado Hills, California.

Titles mentioned in show:

• Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
• The Peach Rebellion by Wendelin Van Draanen
• Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa

In this Dying to Ask:

• How to get a reluctant reader interested in reading
• Why graphic novels are a powerful reading motivator
• How Disney and TikTok are inspiring great children's literature
• The rise of inclusivity and diversity in children's lit
• Why YA books are for all ages
• And, stick around to the end for the backstory on how Dolly Parton and James Patterson teamed up for one of the most popular books of the year

The Summer Beach Reads Episode, Part 1

Read anything good lately? Your answer will be 'yes' if you pick up any of the titles in our annual summer beach reads show.

We've broken the show into two parts. Part one covers titles for adults. Part two has suggestions for kids and young adults.

Our guide to all things literary is Tina Ferguson, owner of Face in a Book Bookstore in El Dorado Hills, California.

This summer's picks include:

• Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry
• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
• This is Not a Pity Memoir by Abi Morgan
• The Divorce Colony by April White

In this Dying to Ask:

• How pre-sales factor into authors making the New York Times Best Sellers list
• The influence of groups like Reese's Book Club and Jenna's Book Club on book sales
• How authors are referencing the pandemic in fiction set in COVID-19 years
• Fitz and Tina share their favorite titles for a great summer read

Get In Shape With The Creator Of Fit Girl Hacks

Can you hack your way to better health? The creator of "Fit Girl Hacks" says absolutely.

Monique Christian is the trainer behind the social media community "Fit Girl Hacks." She has worked in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. Her big conclusion after training hundreds of people? Working out and eating well don't have to be so complicated.

She's sharing her shortcuts to better health in weekly hacks including:

• Don't think too long or you'll talk yourself out of a workout
• Start the day with a win and see how the rest of the day goes
• Go to farmer's markets and learn the growers' names since they are generous with their friends

Simple but effective.

Listen to this episode on a workout and I'll bet you'll burn a few extra calories!

On this Dying to Ask:

• Christian rapid-fire breaks down more than two dozen fit girl hacks
• How friends can help or hinder your fitness goals
• Why your brain is your biggest workout enemy
• A summer grilling hack that will change how you look at meal prepping
• And Monique shares what it's like to embrace life as a fitness influencer at 50

Dying To Ask Podcast: How Gardening Improves Mental Health

Stressed out? Maybe it's time to dig in the dirt.

A recent study highlighted in Agweek confirmed gardening has tremendous benefits for reducing stress and improving mental health.

Struggling to relax or focus?

Try planting some seeds and watching flowers grow. Or, bury a tomato plant and watch half of a Caprese salad sprout before your eyes.

The experts at WebMD confirm the correlation between time spent around plants and a sense of peace.

And more Americans than ever are sowing the seeds of sanity as they give backyard gardening a try.

In this solo episode, I'll share how I got into gardening and how it's kept my mind clear during some of life's most stressful times.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The science of why gardening is good for mental health
• Why watching things grow is good for focus
• How to get started even if you have a small space and limited budget

How To Deal With Toxic People With Diane Gottsman

Gotta get away?

Good luck getting away from toxic people this summer.

Summer travel is predicted to hit pre-pandemic rates and you'll need to pack more than patience to make it to your destination with your cool intact.

Diane Gottsman is a modern etiquette expert and the founder of the Protocol School of Texas.

If you think people are edgier and crankier than ever, she says you're right! And those dicey interactions are spilling into many aspects of daily life.

Pandemic anxiety lingers and crowded airplanes are often where passengers who don't see eye to eye on virus precautions get into it.

Internships are back. But, employers and interns may be out of step on expectations on everything from communication to wardrobe.

The labor shortage has made shopping in some stores difficult because of inexperienced workers. It's easy to get frustrated. It's easy to say something you shouldn't. And it's often difficult to calm conflict.

So, how can you diffuse a hot situation?

Diane has a script for that and she's going to coach you on how to tricky situations and difficult people.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How to diffuse conflict in places like planes or stores
• How to extract yourself from a gossipy conversation
• Two ways to instantly improve your interactions with people