Dying To Ask

How To Wake Up Early Even If You’re Not A Morning Person

What time did you get up today? What time did you intend to get up today?

This week on the podcast, we're doing a deep dive into how to wake up early even if you're not a morning person.

Sounds simple. Set an alarm clock and then get out of bed when it goes off.

But we all know it's tougher than that. Americans are more sleep deprived than ever before.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in three Americans isn't getting enough rest.

That makes getting up with that alarm clock tough, if not impossible, some days. And the reality is that the alarm is set for a reason. You have kids, work, school and life to get to!

But what if we told you there are ways to make getting up earlier a little easier?

You might not feel like a million bucks. But you won't feel the added stress of running late because you snoozed 14 times.

The only thing worse than sleeping poorly is waking up miserably. Improve your outlook by improving how you start the day from the second you open your eyes with wake-up tips courtesy of the KCRA 3 morning team, experts in all things early.

In this Dying to Ask:

• Why getting up early is one of the top productivity hacks
• How the morning news team gets up hours before sunrise
• Why your inability to wake up might be your alarm clock's fault
• And learn the quirky ways the KCRA morning team gets going long before sunrise

BONUS: Surviving An Empty Nest With Amy Schmidt

Is your house quiet? Do you keep buying more food than you can eat in a week? Is your laundry basket empty for the first time in decades?

If you answered "yes" to any or all of those questions, then you might be an empty nester!

Kids are off to college. And, if you are finding yourself with fewer heartbeats at the dinner table, don't worry if you're finding it unsettling.

Empty nest syndrome is legit.

And, it makes sense. You've been a caretaker of another human being for at least 18 years. It's going to take a while to get used to a new normal.

Many people experience fear, anxiety, depression and flat-out confusion during this time.

In this BONUS episode of the podcast, Amy Schmidt shares her personal experience of having kids leave home for college and adulthood. And, she's honest about the conflicting feelings parents have when kids take off. She also explains the term "gray divorce" and why relationships face new challenges during this time.

Amy is an entrepreneur and the creator and co-host of the Better Than Gossip streaming show and podcast.

Don't have college-aged kids? Don't worry. The advice is applicable to anyone facing a big lifestyle transition.

In this Dying to Ask:

• 6 tips to embrace an empty nest
• Why it's time to lose the predictability in your life
• The importance of rediscovering hobbies and developing new interests

Get Stuff Done With An Accountability Partner

Want to get something done? Consider finding an accountability partner.

Accountability partners can be friends, work colleagues or even strangers at first.

They agree to help coach each other toward goals, personal or professional. They can be a really effective tool in setting and reaching milestones.

But, there are dos and don'ts to finding and being a good partner.

Amy Schmidt, the co-host of the Better than Gossip podcast, is back on the show with how she relies on accountability partners.

A good partnership can help you reach goals faster. And, isn't it more fun to work hard with the support of a friend?

In this Dying to Ask:

• How to choose an accountability partner
• How to structure the relationship so that both sides are getting something out of it
• Why bluntness is important in the relationship
• How accountability partners add purpose and enrich our personal and professional lives

3 Ways To Become A Runner

How can I become a runner? Easy. Start running.

It sounds a little flip, but it's actually the truth. Goals don't become reality until you take the first steps.

If your goal is running, those first steps are quite literal.

Running consistently is a goal a lot of people struggle to meet. Why? Running is hard. It's tiring. It can be painful. It's annoying at times. You know, kind of like life.

And that's why conquering a running goal is a powerful confidence booster for so many people.

This episode came from a listener's suggestion.

Listen if you have a goal of becoming a runner.

Listen if you just like talking about goals period. The hacks are applicable to any fitness goal or life challenge.

In this Dying to Ask:

• A three-step plan to get your feet moving and your brain cranking this fall.

Three Ways To Look And Feel Better, Plus Medical Myths Busted

Feeling blah?

Dr. John Whyte has a prescription to feel and look better with three tweaks to your day.

No drugs. No supplements — and best of all, no copay!

Whyte is the Chief Medical Officer of WebMD. It's his job to make sure the medical info on the site is factually correct. He's a medical storyteller with a background that includes stints at the Food and Drug Administration and time as the chief medical expert at Discovery Channel.

The good news heading into fall? Whyte is positive about our ability to manage COVID-19 without the world shutting down and needing to mask mandates.

The bad news? We have some work to do on our mental health. Like a lot of work.

This episode starts with some good news about the pandemic.

Then, Fitz and Whyte have some fun breaking down five medical myths. Spoiler alert: Fitz isn't on board for two of them!

Think it's gross when someone doesn't shower every day? That person may have a health edge. Pop a lot of Vitamin C when you get a cold. Skip it. Get irritated when your family members don't make the bed? Get over it.

Finally, Whyte has three hacks to improve your health, physical and mental. You can implement them today and he'll be surprised if you don't feel different quickly. They'll cost you nothing. They don't take much time. They're backed by science.

On this Dying to Ask:

• Why showering daily is overrated
• The health benefits of not making your bed
• Why Vitamin C is probably a waste when you're sick
• Three changes you can make today to improve your health dramatically in days

How To Perfect An Apology

Sorry, not sorry.

Know someone who is horrible at apologizing for a mistake? Or, for those self-actualized among us, maybe you're that person?

Quickly taking responsibility for messing up has a near-instant impact on your mental health and well-being.

Blaming others for your own mistakes is a one-way street to sabotaging your mental mindset.

So, what if you commit to accepting responsibility for screwups quickly? It could be a lifestyle hack that could change how you perceive the world and how it perceives you.

In this episode, Fitz shares a personal story about a podcast guest scheduling mistake she recently made. It left a CEO stranded solo in a Zoom waiting room while Fitz ate breakfast at the TV station. She shares how she handled it that preserved the relationship with the CEO's company and how it allowed Fitz not to beat herself up about the error.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The surprising mental health benefits of apologizing for mistakes quickly
• The link between responsibility and anxiety
• Fitz' "Triple A" method of saying sorry and actually meaning it

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