Everything will be ok (with Colton Underwood)

In this podcast (episode #581) and blog, I talk to mental health advocate, TV personality, philanthropist, producer, bestselling author, podcast host, and former NFL player Colton Underwood about how everyone struggles with mental health, Colton’s own struggles and why he is passionate about helping others like him, and so much more!

During his time in the NFL, Colton was inspired by his young cousin Harper to launch the Legacy Foundation and bring awareness to Cystic Fibrosis (CF) - a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. In recent years he has become a mental health advocate, speaking on his own experiences with the hope to help others. Because of this and the mental health side effects of CF treatment modalities, Colton transitioned the foundation to mental health awareness. Most recently, he has been in Washington DC to introduce new legislation from his foundation that would provide mental health resources to student athletes. 

In his new podcast, Daddyhood, Colton talks about his and his husband’s journey to expand their family, and how the fertility journey can come with a lot of mental health struggles for not only women but everyone wanting to start having children or expand their family. As Colton notes, the process can be incredibly confusing, emotional and isolating, and there is not enough mental health support for couples or individuals who are on this journey. This is why he started his podcast: to provide support and information for both straight and LGBTQI+ couples about what the fertility journey entails, what to expect, and how to find the support you need, including: 

• The importance of having a strong support system around you when things don’t go as planned, whether this is friends, family, a therapist, counselor or whatever you need to help you stay strong on your journey.
• The power of developing a routine and schedule to help ground you during the ups and downs of the fertility process.
• Finding out what works for you to support your mental wellbeing as you try to start or expand your family. 

Colton is also incredibly passionate about sharing his own mental health journey as he struggled with his own sexuality, which inspired him to help others with their own mental health struggles. Through his own journey, Colton realized that trying to suppress who he was affected his ability to function, and he moved back home to seek mental health support. He realized that he had to stop running from himself—that he would only feel whole again when he faced and accepted who he was.  

For people who are currently in a similar struggle to what Colton experienced, he wants to let you know that, first and foremost, things will be okay. Even if you lose some parts of your old life, but you will also have so many new opportunities to truly be yourself and to meet people who will love and support you for who you are—your authentic self. But first, you have to come out to yourself first, and own who you are—even though this can be so challenging and scary, it will allow you to begin discovering who you are and who you want to be, rather than trying to be someone else’s idea of you. You will find that there are a lot of people out there who will support you and love you on this journey, and that there are a lot of people like you—you are not alone! 

Being true to who you are and accepting yourself is key when it comes to your mental wellbeing. As Colton notes, when you are at peace with yourself, you can be at peace with other people and other things that are going on in your life. It helps you not only improve your relationship with yourself, but with other people as well, and allows you to build up your mental resilience so that you are not tossed around by the ups and downs of life. Once you have battled the forces holding you back from who you truly are, you are so much stronger than before, and will be able to reach out and support others as they discover who they are!

For more on managing mental health, listen to my podcast with Colton (episode #581) and check out his incredible work. If you enjoy listening to my podcast, please consider leaving a 5-star review and subscribing. And keep sharing episodes with friends and family and on social media. (Don’t forget to tag me so I can see your posts!).  

This podcast is sponsored by: 

Qualia Senolytics. In my recent podcast (episode #569), I talked about how incredible senolytics can be for our mental and physical health as we age mentally. If you haven’t heard about these ingredients yet, Senolytics are a class of ingredients discovered less than 10 years ago, and they’re being called the biggest discovery of our time for promoting healthy aging and enhancing your physical prime! If someone would have told me that there are science-backed ingredients that could help me feel 15 years younger in a matter of months, I wouldn’t have believed it. Then I tried Qualia Senolytic! Much like pruning the yellowing and dead leaves off a plant, Qualia Senolytic helps remove senescent cells, which are old and worn out cells that no longer serve a useful function for our health but still take up space and nutrients from our healthy cells and contribute to that “getting old” feeling. The amazing ingredients in Qualia Senolytic help get rid of these “zombie” cells while allowing helping our brain and body thrive as we age. And you only need to take it just 2 days a month! I also love that the formula is non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and the ingredients are meant to complement one another, factoring in the combined effect of all ingredients together. Plus it comes with a 100 Day money back guarantee! So resist aging at the cellular level, try Qualia Senolytic. Go to neurohacker.com/LEAF for up to $100 off and use code LEAF at checkout for an additional 15% off. 

Podcast Highlights 

1:42 Colton’s amazing story  

3:40 Fertility & mental health 

9:07 The importance of a support system when going through the fertility process 

11:20 Parenting & mental health

12:44 Colton’s mental health struggles & healing journey  

21:50 The power of embracing who you truly are 

34:20 Colton’s mental health advocacy & what you can do to help others  

40:00 Finding the help you need 

Switch On Your Brain LLC. is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific viewpoint or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by our organization. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact info@drleaf.com.    

This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.