Making lemonade out of life’s lemons with Tay Lautner
In this podcast (episode #549) and blog, I talk to Tay Lautner, registered nurse, mental health advocate and co-host of the popular podcast The Squeeze, about her experiences as a health care provider over Covid, why she and her husband started their podcast, how she manages her mental health while living in the public eye, and so much more!
During Covid, Tay was a cardiac nurse in LA, and struggled with depression, anxiety and PTSD. Through her own experiences and what she was doing to heal, Tay wanted to give back and let others know they are not alone, so she started a mental health blog and non-profit, as well as a podcast with her husband called The Squeeze. Their goal is to make mental health resources and tools available to everyone, as a lot of people are struggling and cannot find the help they need.
Tay’s exposure to mental health struggles started when she was young. As she notes,
“Throughout my childhood until now, I have witnessed multiple family members struggle with addiction, from alcohol, to heroin, and everything in between. At age ten, I watched my cousin, who was someone I looked at as a brother, lie lifeless in an ICU bed with tubes and machines all connected to him, the aftermath of an accidental overdose. I remember going home and crying, being so confused as to why he couldn’t just stop doing drugs. Over time, I watched him, and other family members, get sober… then relapse.. over and over again.”
And, later on in high school, a close friend of hers who struggled with bipolar took his own life, which had a profound effect on her life and her desire to help others.
As Tay points out, “When life gives you lemons, what do you do with them?” We all have our own struggles and challenges, or “lemons”. How do we turn them into lemonade? How do we find healing? Tay’s struggles over the past couple of years have taught her a lot about how to care for herself, mentally and physically, and she is still learning today. Her passion is to share what she has been through and what she has learned with others, teaching them the importance of putting their mental health and wellness first. This is what I call the “oxygen mask principle”: we cannot truly be there for others if we are not able to support ourselves and our needs. Like the oxygen mask in an airplane, we must put our mask on first before we can help others.
For more on managing your mental health, listen to my podcast with Taylor Lautner (episode #549) and check out her non-profit The Lemons Foundation and her podcast. 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!).
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Podcast Highlights
2:30 Tay’s experiences as a nurse during Covid & her mental health struggles
5:33, 10:43 Tay’s story
11:40 Mental health in the public eye
17:40 Tay’s experiences as a nurse during Covid & her mental health struggles
25:30 The importance of self-examination & listening to what your brain and body are telling you
32:10 The power of connecting with others
22:30 The importance of talking about what we are going through with others
34:15 The mental health insights Tay has gained on her podcast
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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.