In this episode, we talk with Emma Taylor, a mental health coach for the GROWTH program through NCHPAD Connect. As part of our Self-Care Summer content series, Emma shares her expertise on managing daily energy levels, prioritizing self-care, and practicing self-compassion. She offers thoughtful advice and relatable strategies that tie directly into the impactful work being done in the GROWTH program, making this conversation both practical and empowering.

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Episode Transcript

Quick Navigation (click the linked text below to jump to a new section)

• Intro
• Emma’s personal and professional background
• Techniques to promote self-care
• Acknowledging energy levels as an act of self-compassion
• Deciding what is worth your time and energy
• How internalized ableism ties into energy management
• Identifying signs of burnout or energy depletion
• Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking time for yourself and Emma’s final thoughts.

*Edited for clarity*

Host  00:04

This is Wellness, Health and Everything Else: a NCHPAD Podcast.

Welcome to Wellness, Health and Everything Else: a NCHPAD Podcast. NCHPAD is the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability – the nation’s premier center dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of everyone. In each episode, we explore topics at the intersection of health, wellness and mobility limitations. If you have an idea for a topic, would like to learn more about a topic, or are interested in our free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, give us a call at 866-866-8896 or check out our website at nchpad.org.

Music Interlude

In this episode, we’re joined by Emma Taylor, a mental health coach at NCHPAD for the GROWTH program which is part of NCHPAD Connect. As part of our Self-Care Summer content series, we spoke with Emma about managing your daily energy, the importance of self-care and techniques for self-compassion, especially when your schedule gets hectic. Emma provides great insight into this topic by relating it to the work being done in the GROWTH program.

EMMA  01:17

Hi everyone, my name is Emma Taylor, and I’m one of the mental health coaches here at NCHPAD for the mental wellness program called GROWTH. I’ve been helping shape the program since 2022 when I started out as a research assistant for the program director. Now, I am working at NCHPAD as one of the health coaches, helping to facilitate participant engagement. I graduated from Roanoke College in 2022 with a bachelor’s in psychology, where I was very active in working as a resident advisor for students at the college and I also worked in student affairs. I worked eight years previously at a summer camp in North Carolina where I was a camp counselor, and then eventually moved into a leadership role as well. So, I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. I live with a form of cerebral palsy called hemiplegia that affects the right side of my body. One fun fact is that when I was one year old, I was actually one of the youngest participants in a constraint-induced therapy study that happened in the physical therapy department here at UAB. Along with support from family members [and] dedicated health professionals, it helped spark my passion for helping others and helping to promote inclusion and disability mental health.

Host  02:57

Here are some techniques the GROWTH program uses to promote self-care.

EMMA  03:02

In the GROWTH program, we focus on making mental health strategies accessible, inclusive and practical, especially for people living with mobility limitations. We introduce a variety of self-care tools over the six weeks. These include relaxation techniques like breathing exercises and guided imagery, as well as gratitude practices and journaling and journaling prompts. One of the core tools that we use is our self-care plan, which encourages our participants to reflect on questions like, “how am I doing” and “what’s impacting how I’m doing?” We also explore the eight dimensions of self-care, from emotional to physical to spiritual and relational, making sure that our strategies are for all levels of ability. Our one-on-one coaching sessions help personalize these tools for participants and can help build their routines and best practices in utilizing these self-care strategies.

Host  04:21

Emma discussed the importance of acknowledging energy limits as an act of self-compassion.

EMMA  04:26

So, acknowledging our energy limits is one of the most powerful acts of self-care and of self-compassion that we as individuals can do for ourselves. It’s something that we strongly promote and emphasize to our participants in GROWTH. One of our experiential learning activities that we do with participants is something called the spoon theory. It’s a technique that helps individuals recognize their levels of energy as spoons. It’s giving guided imagery. And for me, personally, understanding spoon theory and helping to teach it to our participants has been also very beneficial and helpful for me as well. I often have struggled to articulate why some days I just don’t have the capacity for certain activities or why seemingly simple tasks could completely deplete me in some instances. Before learning about spoon theory, I felt a constant pressure to keep up with others, and this often led to burnout. When we first learned about spoon theory, it felt very validating to realize that my energy wasn’t limitless and certainly not a personal failing. It completely shifted how I viewed talking about my energy levels and also how I articulated my limitations and needs to others that I’m close with. In the program, we dedicate a week just for self-compassion and self-care. We talk with participants about self-compassion, involving these key elements: kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Acknowledging your energy limits embodies self-kindness and treating yourself with the same care that you would offer a good friend. It also taps into common humanity, recognizing that suffering and struggling are normal parts of the human experience. This practice brings a number of benefits, including reduced stress and improved emotional well-being, which directly relates to our program’s goal of helping to enhance coping with pain and illness and building resilience.

Host  07:01

We asked Emma how individuals should decide what’s worth their time and energy each day.

EMMA  07:07

Deciding what’s worth my time and energy each day is directly tied to understanding and applying spoon theory. Since my energy (or spoons) is a limited resource, I have to be intentional about how I spend it. I try to engage in daily spoon accounting, where I consciously assess my available energy for the day and then spend my spoons wisely. I try to identify what I can control and accept what I can’t, focusing my efforts on what truly matters and letting go of the rest. It’s about setting realistic expectations for myself and maintaining perspective, which are key aspects of controlling the controllables that we discuss in the program in one of our building connection sections. If an activity demands more spoons than I have, it doesn’t align with my core values or immediate needs. It’s often not worth my time and energy for that particular day.

Host  08:21

Here are Emma’s thoughts about how internalized ableism ties into energy management.

EMMA  08:26

Internalized ableism is a significant factor in energy depletion. It involves self-doubt and self-criticism, often pushing oneself too hard due to societal pressures or the belief that one should be able to do more. This is a major area that we address in the GROWTH program, specifically in our ableism and self-advocacy module. For me, challenging internalized ableism deeply affects my personal life, especially when it comes to forming relationships with others. Growing up in school I struggled with making friends. And I guess part of the reason is when I tried to explain why I couldn’t do things as fast as the other kids, or it took me longer to take a quiz or a task, it was hard for some to understand why. It certainly didn’t help that the pandemic happened halfway through my undergraduate, adding another layer of isolation and uncertainty. These experiences truly made me pay close attention to the thoughts and emotions I put on myself. I’ve had to learn consistency, to check in and make sure I know my worth, stick up for myself and never feel like I’m being treated unfairly. Reflecting on my own experiences, I found that forming social and emotional bonds, particularly during high school and college, has been a significant challenge. Living with cerebral palsy, I often felt different from my peers, which sometimes led to feelings of isolation and difficulty connecting with others. On a deeper level, navigating relationships and dating has also been complex. Letting loved ones know my needs and boundaries is crucial, yet it can be challenging to balance the desire for connection with the need to protect my emotional and physical well-being. The experiences I’ve had in the past resonate and sometimes stick with me, but I don’t let them define me or my future. They have only shaped my understanding of relationships and continue to influence how I engage with others in this world, always striving to find a balance between vulnerability along with grace and compassion for myself. One of the ways that I found comfort and positivity in my journey was through the Disney Pixar movie Finding Nemo. As a former camp counselor working with little kids, I often used this movie as a tool to explain my cerebral palsy. The story of Nemo’s perseverance despite his challenges resonated with me deeply. It became a sweet and simple way to show the kids that everyone has their own unique fin, but it doesn’t stop us from exploring the world and making meaningful connections with others. This movie helped me to frame my experiences in a way that was both relatable and empowering for not only me but also for the campers and the co-counselors I worked with at the camp. This ties directly into another section in our program that we talk about with participants. In this section, we let participants share their personal experiences, and it helps them to bond with those who also may have had similar experiences living with a disability as well.

Host  12:35

Emma provided some ways to identify signs of burnout or energy depletion in yourself.

EMMA  12:40

We encourage in the GROWTH program, [that] it really comes down to tuning into our body’s signals and recognizing when my spoons are running low. I pay attention to both observable behaviors and internal symptoms. Early signs for me might include consistently showing up late or canceling personal or professional commitments, feeling more tired than usual, or experiencing difficulty concentrating and decisiveness. If it worsens, I might notice myself withdraw from friends, decline personal hygiene, or have ongoing racing thoughts. We discuss similar warning signs of mental distress in the program, such as changes in appetite or sleep patterns or persistent sadness and increased irritability. The program also highlights key indicators, like the frequency, duration and impairment of symptoms. If these signs occur most of the day, persist and begin to interfere with my work performance, relationships or usual activities, I know I’m facing significant energy depletion or burnout.

Host  14:14

Emma discussed why setting boundaries helps protect your well-being, and how to balance productivity and rest.

EMMA  14:20

It’s a core coping strategy we emphasize in GROWTH. Learning to say no has been a bit of a struggle for me sometimes. As someone who is passionate about advocacy and inclusiveness, my initial instinct is always to say yes to every opportunity that is thrown my way. Every request for help. Every social invitation. I wanted to prove I was capable. That my disability did not limit me. However, I quickly learned that constantly saying yes without considering my spoon count led to complete exhaustion, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I recall a period in college [when] I was over-committed to multiple volunteer roles and a demanding academic schedule. I was constantly running on empty, sacrificing my sleep and social connection just to keep up. It was a hard lesson, but that burnout taught me the essential truth that saying no isn’t about being unhelpful or unwilling. It’s about honoring my own capacity and protecting my well-being so I can show up fully when it truly matters. For me, my key boundaries involve communicating my energy limitations effectively without feeling like I’m making excuses. For instance, I might say I’d love to join, but I have a lower spoon count today, so I just need to decline this time. Or I can’t commit to this project, but I’ll need to work on it in shorter, focused bursts, rather than a long stretch. It’s about being proactive and clear about what you can do, rather than waiting until you’re completely depleted. This has been particularly helpful for me in my role as a health coach here at NCHPAD. I model this self-awareness for the GROWTH program participants.

Host  16:49

Here is Emma’s advice for those who feel guilty about taking time for themselves, along with her final thoughts.

EMMA  16:56

For anyone who feels guilty about taking time for themselves, my first piece of advice would be to understand that this feeling often stems from deeply ingrained societal messages, and for many of us, from internalized ableism. We’re often told implicitly or explicitly that our worth is tied to constant productivity, or that needing a rest is a sign of weakness, and that’s simply just not true. Remember the principle of common humanity: everyone needs rest and self-care. You are not alone in needing to recharge. It’s a normal part of being human. In GROWTH, we explicitly state [that] self-care is a priority. It’s fundamental to your overall health and well-being. Taking time for yourself isn’t a luxury. It’s a non-negotiable act of energy management and self-preservation. It’s an act of self-compassion. Recognize when your energy, or your spoons, are limited. If you deplete them constantly without replenishing them, you can’t show up fully for anything or anyone. Energy management, self-care and challenging internalized ableism are not one-time fixes. Start small and be patient with yourself. And remember that every act of self-compassion is a step towards a healthier and more balanced life.

Host  18:35

Thanks for listening to Wellness, Health and Everything Else. We’ll provide a link with show notes, including full transcripts, links and more, in the podcast description.

If you would like to learn more about the GROWTH program, you can visit our website in the links provided in the episode details or find the link on the NCHPAD Connect page on our website. You can also check out all our self-care summer resources under the news + updates tab at the top of our website. If you have questions about our free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, call us at 866-866-8896 or check out our website at nchpad.org.