All IWS22 InDependent Daily Recaps are created via partnership with the staff and writers for It’s A Military Life. It's a Military Life is a milso and vet networking community, dedicated to serving military families and those who serve our country past and present. Founder, Christina Etchberger, is an Army spouse on a mission to give a voice and opportunities to members of the military community by sharing their stories and providing resources.

The second day of the InDependent Wellness Summit was all about learning to flourish through conflict and holistic health.

The Day 2 interviews started with Elizabeth Earnshaw, therapist, author, and podcast producer. Elizabeth (Liz) began by sharing that she is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. She is the head therapist at Actually, where she works to make relational wellness accessible and mainstream. 

Conflict is something I find to be inevitable in any relationship throughout life. “It’s natural to have conflict,” Liz says during the interview. I am glad that she mentioned this because people tend to think, myself included sometimes, that conflict shouldn’t exist. It can occur with acquaintances and it often occurs with your closest loved ones. I think the most important thing is how you view and handle these conflicts. 

Liz asked the question, “How can you take care of yourself and take care of the other person in a really functional dynamic?” I liked that she asked this question because it made me stop and think. It is not a question that I have ever thought of before. I think it is an extremely important question because sometimes people do not know what a functional dynamic looks like. I think it leads to another question, what is a functional dynamic for you and your relationship? That is different for everyone as well.

“In my friendship I started to speak up more,” Liz mentions during the interview. I found this quote to be extremely powerful because I find myself not speaking up in many situations. I figure that speaking up may create more conflict, when in reality not speaking up creates the most conflict. I tend to do this with the people that are closest to me, I find myself more vocal with people I know I may not interact with ever again. I think that this is something I need to implement in my relationships in order to allow myself to properly flourish in these relationships.

While listening to this interview, it was hard to identify which part was my favorite. I genuinely enjoyed hearing Liz’s personal experiences and what solutions she came up with during those experiences. The most important takeaways I have from this interview are to feel connected and respected after a conflict, and to carve out a specific time to talk about certain topics with your partner. Changing the way you view, handle, and resolve conflict is going to be a behavioral shift. It is going to be a learning process for not only yourself, but for the other person in the relationship. It is going to be complicated, but I think in the end it will be worth it due to the benefits it will provide any relationship in life. —Becca Zettwoch, IML Treasurer

The second interview for Day 2 was with Dr. Kasey Holland N.D. She explained how her role as a Naturopathic Doctor is different from conventional medicine. Integrative medicine and functional medicine both take different approaches. Integrative seeks to dig deeper and find the root of the problem and what is causing it, to understand the individual as a whole, and improve their health and wellness. The aim is to address your physical, mental, and emotional needs. Conventional medicine focuses on treating the illness or disease instead of the whole. 

The first thing Dr. Kasey and Corie discussed was the Epstein-Barr virus, a widespread virus more commonly known as mono. It causes symptoms such as unexplained fatigue and joint pain and unfortunately, the virus remains in your body. Over 95% of us have dealt with it without realizing it and it can easily be overlooked by doctors. Dr. Kasey also talked about mold exposure and what she recommends to help heal the body. 

When Dr. Kasey talked about gut health, she mentioned that stress and inflammation play a huge part. She then gave tips about what to eat to help heal the gut and help our bodies perform at their maximum potential. Dr. Kasey encourages us to remember that “a lot of what we call ‘common’ gets mistaken for normal.” 

Dr. Kasey left us with some great practical tips. She said, "Your morning sets you up." Be consistent with your morning routine. If you can get morning sun first thing in the morning, it will help balance your day. Try to take a five-minute walk after your meals to help digestion. Before going to sleep, try to take an hour away from screen time so your body can get in a relaxed mindset. Start being more mindful about what you're eating. If you need to use the weekends to meal prep for the week, do so. Find what works best for you and stick with it. —Judy Castillo, IML Editor

The Summit interview "Flourish Through Holistic Health" with Dr. Kasey Holland was very powerful for me. She encouraged listeners to look at health in a more balanced approach, both holistically and considering medication if needed. Dr. Holland’s insight inspired me to delve into Holistic Health on a deeper level to better manage my diagnoses and empowered me to take my health into my own hands. I have migraines; Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which is a hormonal imbalance; and Toxoplasmosis, which is an infection caused by a parasite. All three of these affect my life daily, and I often get frustrated with the symptoms. Some symptoms of these diagnoses can be reduced, however the vision lost from past ocular Toxoplasmosis flare-ups is permanent. I get discouraged trying to be more balanced without seeing better results, so this interview was a good reminder that even small choices can lead to better health.

Listening to this interview has motivated me to pursue a healthier lifestyle, continue to reduce anxiety, and also change my mindset. Dr. Holland gave some great suggestions, from going on a five-minute walk, taking a cold shower, being more mindful of what we eat, reducing our blue light exposure, and more. Each small action adds up collectively to make a huge difference! Living more naturally has already made a tremendous difference in my life and this interview has definitely encouraged me to pursue other aspects of Holistic living and refocus my outlook. —Elizabeth Fought, InDependent Volunteer Coordinator 

In case you missed it, be sure to check out Day 1. Interested in attending next year’s event? Sign up for our newsletter and be one of the first to know!