Mental Health U

The Power of Goals: Strengthening Mental and Physical Health Through Intentional Living

• Bill Emahiser

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Embark on a transformative journey with us as Amy Kobold, COO of Unison Health and a seasoned runner, joins the conversation to reveal how setting goals can revolutionize both your mental and physical health. This episode is your ticket to learning how the grit and discipline from Amy's fitness regimen translate into an unstoppable resilience across all facets of life, whether you're juggling the demands of parenting or steering through the challenges of executive leadership. Through personal stories and Amy's own ascent from clinician to COO, we uncover the profound connection between professional growth and personal well-being.

Discover the art of goal mastery as we break down the process of turning lofty dreams into everyday reality. I'll share with you the method behind setting achievable targets and the importance of celebrating each small triumph along the way. You'll learn the necessity of having a game plan, the magic of accountability, and why it's crucial to forgive yourself when life throws a curveball. This episode isn't just about charting a path to success—it's about recognizing that every step forward is a victory in itself.

Finally, we address the essential topic of mental fortitude. This isn't just a talk about discipline; it's a guide to building the kind of mental resilience that can weather any storm. Amy and I provide you with actionable wellness tips and remind anyone struggling that help, like what's offered at Unison Health, is within reach. We close by reinforcing the message that life's true achievement is in the journey—continually striving to be our best selves with a dose of kindness towards oneself and others. This episode is more than just a conversation; it's a roadmap to a more fulfilled, balanced life.

Amy Kobold:

And that's what we talk about all the time in the gym is we do hard things here so we can do hard things outside of the gym. And whether that's parenting my you know my kids when they're having a rough day or a difficult challenge at work, when you, when you make a commitment to yourself and you keep it, it breeds confidence.

Bill Emahiser:

Hello and welcome. I'm your Bill ,Emahiser, and you're listening to Mental Health U, the podcast dedicated to demystifying and de-stigmatizing mental health issues. So if you or someone you know is struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma or some other mental health issue, then this podcast is for you. This episode is proudly sponsored by Unison Health, dedicated to making lives better through compassionate, quality mental health and addiction treatment services. Learn more at unisonhealthorg.

Bill Emahiser:

Today we are thrilled to have distinguished guests, Amy Kobold. Amy is the chief operating officer at Unison Health and a licensed professional clinical counselor, bringing a unique blend of clinical expertise and business acumen to our conversation. Armed with a master's degree in business administration, amy has seamlessly integrated her passion for mental health with her strategic leadership role at Unison Health. But that's not all. Amy is an avid runner and fitness instructor beyond the boardroom, underscoring her commitment to holistic wellness. In today's episode, Amy is going to share her insights and the impact of goal setting on mental and physical well-being. So whether you're a fitness enthusiast, a mental health advocate or simply looking for some practical strategies to enhance your overall well-being, you're in for a treat. Welcome, Amy. I am so excited to have you on the podcast today.

Amy Kobold:

Thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Bill Emahiser:

Well, Amy, let's start out talking a little bit about your professional experience and how your journey resulted in combining a mental health counseling degree with a business degree.

Amy Kobold:

So I started off with a bachelor's degree in psychology and I knew mental health and counseling was where I wanted to go. So I went straight from my bachelor's degree into my master's in counseling and I got licensed as a therapist and spent about two years doing therapy and I really enjoyed it. I love Unison, I love the organization and I was mentored by some fantastic leaders who really helped me see a path to become a supervisor. So pretty quickly I moved into a supervision role and I actually found that that position was even more fulfilling to me than doing therapy. I just liked teaching and mentoring and helping clinicians grow and see their potential and it really is a parallel process to therapy. You get to watch people kind of identify their strengths and reach new potentials. So I just found a lot of meaning in that.

Amy Kobold:

After about five or six years of different supervisor roles I started to aspire to become an executive leader. I worked in the quality department for a while and then I was really looking at what, what are my long-term goals? Where do I see myself in five, seven years? And I realized that if I wanted to kind of take my leadership to the next level and pursue executive leadership, I was going to need some different skills and some different education. So I definitely pondered it for a few months, discussed what that would mean for my life to go back. You know, at this point I had two kids, I was married, I obviously had a pretty busy career, but I did, with the support of my family, make that decision to go back and get my MBA and that was really to help me achieve my long-term goals.

Bill Emahiser:

You're also an avid runner and really into that fitness space. What do you do on as far as running goes, as far as fitness goes?

Amy Kobold:

So I've played sports ever since I was young. That was definitely my passion as a teenager. My closest friends today, two of my four bridesmaids were my co-basketball players on the varsity team in high school, so that was really my community. I loved just being in the gym. I liked exercising and it was about the community and it was about the relationships and just how it impacted my mental health positively. It helped me cope with stress, and so, you know, college was definitely more challenging to stay fit.

Amy Kobold:

But after I got out of my first bachelor's degree, I was really looking for something similar to what I had in high school and I got involved with a kickboxing class. I got involved with a spin class, and I made some great friends there too, and I found that that one hour of my day that I would spend pursuing exercise and fitness allowed me to accomplish the things later in the day that I wanted, and I pretty quickly saw that my energy level, my attitude, just my perspective, was always better on the days that I exercised. And so it's looked different for me over the years because at different times different exercises like were more fun to me, and so, you know, in college it was spin class and kickboxing, and then in my late 20s and early 30s it was running, and for the last five years it's been CrossFit. And so I've definitely evolved and done different things, but it was always about you know the people I was with and having fun.

Amy Kobold:

That's what I always tell people is, if you're looking to get involved with fitness, find something that you actually like to do. Like, if you hate running, don't run. You're never going to stick with it if you hate it. But there's so many different options out there. You might really enjoy biking, you might really enjoy swimming, and there's no one right way to do it. I think sometimes we get really dogmatic with I have to do it this way because I know this one person did it this way and that worked for them. Well, that might not work for you, and that's okay. So you know, I've tried to mix it up over the years Because once I got sick of spinning, I was like all right, I don't even want to do this anymore. What else might be out there that I would enjoy?

Bill Emahiser:

I mean it is the new year and people are inevitably thinking about where they've been and what the future is going to hold, and that leads us to thinking about goal setting. It's interesting. I've read an article in Forbes recently where they polled Americans attitudes surrounding setting goals and resolutions and I thought it was really interesting. The survey highlighted some standout themes this year for 2024. The top three resolutions that people are thinking about is physical health, they're looking at their finances and their mental health, and it's interesting that last year the number one item was mental health that people were prioritizing that, so it's still in the top three. We also know that most people when they set a resolution, that usually by the third week of January they have stopped working on their resolution, that it comes and it goes.

Bill Emahiser:

I really thought that it would be interesting to have you on the podcast as we listen to your history, because there's no accident in that you ended up with two master's degrees. You're in a leadership role at Unison Health and you've done all these fitness activities and I know I see trophies and I see metals hanging on your wall, so I know you've run half marathons. I thought you might be the perfect person to talk about how important it is to set goals and how you might achieve goals. And with that I'm just curious why do you believe goal setting is so crucial?

Amy Kobold:

I think pursuing a goal has to be intentional. We don't naturally drift towards achievements, in my experience, and so writing things down and having a plan is critical for me to achieve anything, whether that's I want to get my grocery shopping done by Friday. If I say that I'm probably not going to get it done, but if I know I'm going to go grocery shopping Wednesday at three after I get out of this meeting and I do this, that's specific. If I let myself just kind of drift through life, it's it's going to be kind of aimless and it doesn't allow me to achieve what I want to achieve. And so for me there's there's two really big components. It's kind of looking down the road at what I, what I want to accomplish, and knowing what that long-term goal is. For example, my first half marathon. I planned that 11 months in advance. I knew next April I want to run that half marathon and I had never run long distances before, so I was going from zero to 13.1 miles. So I set a very long-term goal. And then from there it's about the daily pursuit of that goal. What does that look like today? It doesn't mean I run 13 miles today. It didn't even mean I ran one mile. That day it was. I ran a quarter mile and I walked a quarter mile. Then I ran a quarter mile and I walked a quarter mile. So recognizing where I'm at today and then not taking too big of a jump to try and get to where I want to be, because that's very punishing. Had I went out there and tried to even run five miles or even two miles on day one, I would have been frustrated, I would have been down on myself, I would have wanted to give up because I couldn't do it.

Amy Kobold:

So I think, recognizing where we're at and then creating very bite-sized mini goals to get to where we want to be, there's reward in that, because then I felt really good after that first day. I did it. I ran the quarter mile and I walked the quarter mile. I did what I set out to do and that's that positive reinforcement, just that feeling of satisfaction that breeds confidence and then it believes. It's bred in me the Belief that I can do it, because typically when we set goals it's something new or it's something challenging and there will be roadblocks, there will be barriers, there will be a thousand reasons, you know things that will get in the way. But if you've created a good foundation and you've had seven victories before, that one barrier hits the belief that you can push through that. Really, you know it's what stops you from giving up.

Amy Kobold:

So I think, bite-sized goals and then being realistic about it. You know, my goal initially was not to run every single day. That never would have happened. I would. I was too busy. I knew that. And so you know, if I would have said I'm gonna run every day and then on a third day I missed it, it's so easy to give up then because now I haven't met my goal, now I feel bad about myself. So I'm just gonna throw in the towel. Versus saying I'm gonna run three days a week and it's gonna be Monday at 6 am and Wednesday at 7 pm, and Planning it out, scheduling a date for myself, if you will it's it's much harder to avoid it then versus saying even I'm gonna run three times this week and then if it happens, it happens and we know it won't write everything will get in the way. A million things will pop up. So for me, writing it down, having a plan and making sure it's realistic is so important.

Bill Emahiser:

Mental Health U is brought to you by Unison Health. Unison Health Making Lives Better. Life can be hectic, right. So you were doing all these. You were doing marathons and doing the fitness side of things, but you were also pursuing your professional goals. You were pursuing an education to master's degrees. Certainly there were times where things got in the way where just an event that you don't expect life happens and it throws you off. Can you talk about how you might get back on track, how somebody could get back on track after they've? Maybe they have missed they even scheduled, they did everything right and it's, you know, seven o'clock on that Wednesday evening. They're gonna go run and then you know, their tire blows out or their kid is sick or you know, some kind of life event happens. How do people get back on track?

Amy Kobold:

Yeah, I think giving ourselves a little grace is definitely important and recalibrating. You know, one day doesn't discount 30 good days of work, and that was a hard lesson I had to teach myself because I'm, you know, I can be very black and white. And so I did want to say, oh, I didn't get my run on Wednesday, I'm just not gonna run the rest of the week because this week's wasted quote, but it's not right. So two runs is still better than no runs, Even if my goal was three if I got two.

Amy Kobold:

So I think, counting the wins along the way and really reinforcing that I write everything down because for me, visually being able to see it, that's rewarding in and of itself. And so I keep a little calendar where I just jot down my workout afterwards. And that way, if my goal for you know, the month was I want to run 100 miles, let's say, and I got to 90, it's easy for me to just focus on that. 10 I didn't do. But when you can see written down 90 miles, like that's a lot. And so celebrating, you know, even if it wasn't 100% celebrating, kind of where you're at, reminding yourself of the wins that you've had, it makes it much harder to throw in the towel when you can see some progress.

Amy Kobold:

And so you know, for me, healthy eating and nutrition is another focus, and it's a challenging one. You know weight loss goals can be really challenging, and so you know, one bad day, one cheat meal doesn't discount 30 good days of nutrition. And so we are the sum of what we do repeatedly. We are not the sum of what we do once and so if you miss one run, one goal, one thing you meant to do, if you've done it 29 times beforehand, that is the totality. It's not that one. So I think where our focus is really is important.

Bill Emahiser:

Do you ever incorporate other people? Do people know what your goals are? Are you sharing that with others, or is it kind of a secret? How does that work?

Amy Kobold:

No, I definitely share them with people because it's helped me to be accountable. I've been getting up and going to a 5 am CrossFit class for about four years and I know I never would have stuck with that if it wasn't for the friend I met there that also does 5 am, and if I'm not there on a Thursday and I told her I was gonna be there on Thursday, I know I'm gonna get a text at 730. Where were you today? So I think having some accountability partners and some people that can cheer you on it makes it fun it really does and it can give a lot of positive reinforcement and a lot of encouragement when you know not every workout or not every run is my best, and so if that workout wasn't my best that day, that's okay. I got to see my friend. I can appreciate different components of it.

Amy Kobold:

I have found that being in a community of people that are pursuing something similar whether that's, you know, their own goals related to CrossFit or running or whatever it creates momentum and it creates some just some support when you might need it, because I think we confuse motivation as nest. We don't need motivation. Motivation's a feeling. I love the days when I go to the gym and I'm motivated. That's fantastic. But very rarely am I waking up at 430 in the morning motivated to go. I'm doing it because I'm disciplined and I've made the choice to do it, and so I think if we rely only on our own motivation, that will always run out. We are not going to always feel like doing it, but if we're disciplined and we've got people around us to help support that, it helps us be successful.

Bill Emahiser:

Sounds very empowering. Have you noticed a positive impact on your mental health and your emotional state because of that discipline?

Amy Kobold:

Absolutely. My husband jokes that he's like you need to go work out on days that I'm struggling, because it definitely gives me energy, it gives me confidence that I can do hard things, and that's what we talk about all the time in the gym is we do hard things here so we can do hard things outside of the gym. And whether that's parenting my you know my kids when they're having a rough day or a difficult challenge at work, when you, when you make a commitment to yourself and you keep it, it breeds confidence. It's very much a life giver for me. And really what got me into running was it was mental health related.

Amy Kobold:

I had not been a runner and I set that goal to run that half marathon because I was kind of struggling. I was feeling tired all the time, I was feeling lethargic, I was feeling kind of overwhelmed by life. I had just had my second son and I and I wasn't really sure what my next steps were going to be in my career and the running really was the, the catalyst for a lot of the professional decisions I made within that next year after that, um, to go back and get my MBA and and to pursue some different things. So I think those two things go hand in hand for me. I have a difficult time being mentally healthy if I'm not physically healthy.

Bill Emahiser:

Well, that kind of is a nice segue into. You know, 2024 is coming up and you you have all this experience with goal setting, with objectives and achievement. If you had to give a couple of your best wellness tips for the listeners today, what might some of those things be?

Amy Kobold:

My number one thing is to get outside, get some fresh air. I know the sunshine hasn't been around for the last week or two, but, you know, getting some sunshine but even if the sun's not out, um, just that fresh air and and go for a walk or be in nature, you know, or indoors a lot in in Ohio, especially around this time of year. Bundle up and get some fresh air and get outdoors. My second one is to make sure you're getting enough sleep. That's something that I found I was sacrificing and you know I was trying to do all the things but I wasn't resting and I eventually just fatigued and I and I really had to to learn that the hard way. So getting enough rest and for me that means putting down my screen and limiting my screen time, especially in the evening.

Amy Kobold:

I think we are all prone to staring at our phones longer than we should be and that's just not doing anything healthy for our brains. So, limiting screen time, getting outdoors, getting rest and and really just getting active, and that doesn't have to be, you know, running a half marathon. It can be, going for a five minute walk, it can be, you know, playing outdoors with your kids, it can be something that you wouldn't even call, quote, exercise, but just being active and moving. And for me too, nutrition is a big part of wellness. I I can feel it when I'm not eating healthy and not even just like in my waiter. Just mentally I'm sluggish, I'm tired, I'm fatigued because I'm not fueling my body properly.

Bill Emahiser:

Let's pretend that everybody is. You know, people are doing these tips. They're they're sleeping there, they're exercising, they're getting out and they're still struggling with some kind of mental health issue. Maybe they they're feeling some anxiety or depression or some other issue that's impacting their daily functioning. Here in the Northwest Ohio region, where can folks go for help if they're struggling with a mental health issue?

Amy Kobold:

You can visit www. unisonhealth. org and click schedule and appointment. And a And licensed counselor, can meet with you. You don't have to wait until you're depressed or so anxious you can't leave the house you. You can be just concerned about how you're feeling and come in and talk about it. We've got great staff here that can offer support to you. Even if it's not life threatening, sometimes we think it oh, it's not that bad, it doesn't have to be that bad, you're not feeling like yourself. Get help.

Bill Emahiser:

Thank you, Amy, I really appreciate your time, your knowledge and your passion. Your perspective on the importance of goal setting for mental and physical health has undoubtedly, I think, left our listeners with a wealth of inspiration and practical strategies to our audience. Remember that life is a journey, it's not a destination. You set those goals, stay focused and continue to strive to be the best version of yourself until next time. Be kind to yourself, be kind to others and have a super fantastic day. This podcast has been brought to you by Unison Health. Unison Health is a nonprofit mental health agency dedicated to serving the Northwest Ohio community for the past 50 years.