We all have good intentions—to eat healthier, exercise consistently, strengthen our relationships, spend more time with God, be more present, or finally pursue the things that matter most. So why is it often so difficult to follow through?

In this episode of Aligned Living, Dr. Autumn explores the idea that we don’t rise to our intentions; we fall to our systems. And those systems go far beyond routines and calendars. Your sleep, nutrition, stress, nervous system, brain, environment, relationships, physical space, schedule, and daily rhythms all influence your capacity to live according to what you value.

Instead of simply asking, “Why can’t I be more disciplined?” this episode invites you to ask a better question: Have I built a life that supports what I say matters? You’ll learn how to identify the friction between your intentions and your everyday life, understand why willpower alone isn’t enough, and begin creating systems that make aligned choices easier and more sustainable.

Because good intentions can point you in the right direction—but alignment is what helps you actually live them.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Ep 34: Good Intentions Aren’t Enough: Build a Life That Supports What Matters

What if the relationships in your life are shaping your health more than you realize?

Dr. Autumn sits down with therapist, social worker, and doctoral researcher Heydie Orr to unpack relational resilience — our capacity to grow through healthy, mutually supportive relationships.

They talk about why independence isn't the same as wholeness, why being surrounded by people doesn't mean you're truly connected, and how reciprocity, consistency, vulnerability, boundaries, and healthy conflict turn a relationship from draining into strengthening.

If you've ever felt lonely, struggled to trust after being hurt, or wondered what a healthy relationship should actually look like, this one's for you. Relational health is mental health, and none of us were built to do life alone.

Guest info: Heydie Orr

https://heydie-orr.clientsecure.me/

https://www.atscorp.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heydie-orr-lmsw-ssw-ctrp-c-868066138/

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Ep 33: Who's in Your Corner?

What if the interruptions we work so hard to avoid are actually invitations to become more present, resilient, and fully human? In this episode, Dr. Autumn sits down with Chrissy Weeks, Executive Director of DC127, to explore what it means to live an interruptible life. In a culture that ties our value to productivity and constant accessibility, Chrissy challenges us to consider what our response to interruption reveals about what we value, and what might change if we made more margin for God, ourselves, and the people around us. Chrissy shares stories from her work with families impacted by the foster care system, illustrating a truth as humbling as it is universal: even the strongest among us still need people, and community can build the resilience necessary for lasting change. This episode is an invitation to ask how you respond when you're interrupted, where you might need more margin, and whether you have the kind of community around you that helps you flourish. Because sometimes becoming more whole isn't about adding something else to your life. It may be about creating space to be interrupted.

Guest Info: Chrissy Weeks

www.dc127.org [http://www.dc127.org/]

Article Link: https://mailchi.mp/dc127/living-an-interruptible-life

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Ep 32: An Interruptible Life: Making Room for What Matters Most

Prayer and Scripture get most of the credit for spiritual growth, but Dr. Autumn unpacks a piece we usually skip: the body. This episode makes the case that sleep, emotional health, relationships, and daily rhythms aren't distractions from discipleship, they're part of how the Holy Spirit actually forms us. The payoff is practical too: the self-control and discernment we need to live out what we already know God is calling us to do.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Ep 31. The Biology of Becoming: Why Spiritual Formation Is More Embodied Than We Think

Most of us know what we should do—so why don't we do it?

Because beneath our choices are stories. Exhaustion is normal. My value comes from achievement. Busy means important.These narratives quietly shape our health, relationships, leadership, and well-being in ways we rarely examine.

In this episode, Dr. Autumn helps you identify the hidden stories running your life—and what it looks like to replace them with something rooted in wholeness, wisdom, and shalom.

The question this episode will help you ask: What story is shaping my choices?

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Ep 30: What Narratives Shape Your Life?

You're sleeping. Eating well. Taking the supplements. And still — you're exhausted.

In this episode, Dr. Autumn breaks down why energy isn't just physical, and why no amount of sleep will fix a nervous system that's overloaded, a mind full of clutter, or emotions you haven't had the chance to process. She unpacks the hidden forces quietly draining you, including disrupted sleep rhythms, dehydration, spiritual misalignment, and the invisible weight of modern life.

This isn't another wellness checklist. It's a real conversation about what's actually happening in your body and mind, plus what it looks like to restore energy from the inside out.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Ep 29 You're Doing Everything Right. So Why Are You Still Exhausted?

In this episode of Aligned Living, Dr. Autumn speaks with Joshua Symonette—pastor of Hopeville in Baltimore, nonprofit leader, husband of 23 years, and father of four—to explore the hidden cost of unprocessed emotions in leadership and everyday life. Joshua shares a vulnerable turning point when an unexpected emotional breakdown revealed he had been living in constant problem-solving mode—running on “survival skills” instead of “thriving skills.”

Together, they unpack why emotional health isn’t optional for leaders, why ignoring emotions quietly shapes our relationships and environments, and how practices like silence, slowing down, naming emotions, and prayer help cultivate true wholeness. If you’ve ever felt like you’re holding everything together on the outside while something inside feels off, this conversation offers a powerful invitation to pause, pay attention, and ask one honest question: Why do I feel this way?

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Guest Info: Joshua Symonette

IG: jmsymonette

iamhopeville.com [http://iamhopeville.com/]

Ep 28: You Can’t Compartmentalize Wholeness with Guest Joshua Symonette

Ever whispered, “God… what is happening?”

In this episode, Dr. Autumn speaks to the seasons that rattle your certainty — heartbreak, disappointment, unanswered prayers, emotional exhaustion — and shows you how to walk through them without losing your faith, your nervous system, or your integrity.

Blending biblical lament, nervous system regulation, and the principles of Aligned Living, she reframes hard seasons not as punishment, but as preparation. Learn how to steady your body, guard your thoughts, protect your character, and stay anchored — even when life feels disorienting.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Mentioned Resources:

The Playground Leader by Dr Autumn Swain

Prophetic Lament by Soong-Chan Rah

Ep 27: Refined Through the Stretch: Trusting God in Hard Seasons

In the series finale of Aligned Living with Dr. Autumn, we break down why making wise choices isn’t just about discipline or willpower. It’s about whether your mind and body feel regulated enough to support good decision-making. This episode explains how emotions provide important information, how a calm nervous system keeps the brain’s decision-making center (the prefrontal cortex) functioning, and how chronic stress disrupts judgment and self-control. Drawing from neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and faith, Dr. Autumn shows how caring for your whole self helps you make consistent, aligned choices—without burnout or constant struggle.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

Ep 26: The Thought That Changes Everything: A Series Finale on Aligned Living

In this episode, Dr. Autumn sits down with spoken word artist Cookie B, who discovered her gift through a reluctant college assignment—and later had to fight to reclaim it. Together they explore what it means to walk in your God-given gifts, heal from what silences you, and find freedom in creativity and faith. Through personal stories and powerful poetry, Cookie reminds us: when you live out your purpose, you don’t just serve others—you come alive.

Intro and Outro Music Credit: Savage by Beat Mekanik, Free Music Archive, License type: CC BY

Please visit: www.autumnswain.com [http://autumnswain.com/]

Contact: autumn@thealignedleader.org

IG: @drautumnswain

FB: Autumn Alena Swain

How to find our guest, Cookie B.

https://www.itscookieb.com/

IG: itscookieb

You can find her Spoken Word pieces including her new album on all listening platforms.

Ep 25: When Purpose Speaks: Reclaiming Voice and Wholeness

How to lead a life of increased wholeness and delve into the exploration of living in alignment.

Autumn Swain (@drautumn) · Zencastr

Autumn Swain (@drautumn)

On this show, I provide tools, inspiration, and practical tips to help guide you in leading a life of wholeness. Whether you hold a leadership role in an organization, corporation, or business, lead a team or initiative in your community, or serve as a leader within your family, this podcast is customized for you. My desire is to assist you in leading from a perspective of holistic well-being. Say peace out to the fatigue, fog and frustration of living in a place that lacks abundant well-being, and join me for a thorough exploration of spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, social, and economic well-being—all in one place! You can discover more at www.autumnswain.com.  Thank you and be well!