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January 29, 2025 46 mins

Let’s face it. You’ve got a lot on your plate. Stress is a part of life. But how you manage it could be the saving grace on how you live well. In this episode of HIListically Speaking, Hilary reunites with former QVC host and holistic health coach Kerstin Lindquist. Kerstin opens up about her own challenges including infertility, adoption, career changes, and even family caregiving. She shares how she learned to surrender her stress and find her rest by owning her fears, trusting her faith through science.  If you’re looking for a mindset shift that sticks, this conversation is for you. ⁣

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kerstin Lindquist (00:00):
I wasn't done learning.
I wasn't done helping and serving others,
and this space that Hilary and I are in and
that you're all listening and watching
right now is a place of continual learning
and research, and we can be healthier, we
can be better, we can feel better.

(00:21):
It's no matter how old you are.

Hilary Russo (00:23):
The greatest weapon against stress is the
ability to choose one thought over another.
Famous physician, william James, who also
is called the father of American psychology,
is credited for saying that, and I remember
hearing those words for the first time and
I thought, hmm, so it's less about having

(00:46):
stress and more about how to build a
relationship with it.
Got it?
Stress is unavoidable, right?
We all have stress.
If we respond positively to a stressful
situation, we can learn and grow in ways
that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
Stuff happens, life will bring us good

(01:06):
stress and bad stress.
Managing it is key, and if you're
interested in discovering how you can do
that with neuroscience on your side, give
yourself the gift of putting healing in
your hands with Havening and come hug it
out with me.
It can be one-on-one, it could be sharing
it in the corporate setting or on the stage,
and if you want to level it up a little bit

(01:27):
and become a certified Havening
practitioner, you can work with me and
mentor with me, with me as your trainer.
There's so many possibilities.
I'm going to share all of that in the notes
of this podcast episode.
But there are others like me and they are
sharing ways to stress less, to live your
life to the fullest, to your dreams.
Basically learning how to surrender stress.

(01:51):
Kerstin Lindquist is one of those people.
Hey girl.

Kerstin Lindquist (01:55):
Hi, oh, I'm in.
I want to hug it out.
Yeah, girl, I want to do all of those
things Anytime you want.

Hilary Russo (02:02):
I'm here for you, you're here for me and
you know anyone that's tuning in is going
to recognize you for your years on QVC.
You were there when I first started and I
was a guest and I think you were actually
the host that welcomed me in.
But you've always focused on health and
wellness and well being and I love the fact
that you're also certified integrative

(02:23):
nutrition health coach, like I am yes,
twins.
You pair wellness with your background,
which is also this faith-filled life that
you live.
I love this about you.
It is so organic.
Where you have moved into this space, you
know we give gratitude, we give love and
attention to all that we are given in our

(02:43):
lives, like your time on QVC.
I know you loved it.
I know you also have a news background as
well.
Every one of these things peppered into our
lives make us who we are, really a part of
who we are, and now you're giving so much
attention to how to stress less or to
surrender to stress, and I want to really
talk about that today, in addition to some

(03:04):
of the other topics you're extremely open
about.
That are pretty vulnerable, so hey hey,
what a lovely, lovely introduction.

Kerstin Lindquist (03:14):
And yes, I will say, if there is one thing
the Lord has gifted me with, it is being a
I share.
I kind of don't hold back and I truly
believe that everybody out there listening
your story can help somebody else's
somebody else.
So I continue to share my stories because
of that.

Hilary Russo (03:30):
Yeah, and I remember when we were first
talking it might've even been the first
time that I I met you you were so open
about your journey with adoption and
infertility and that is something that so
many and I'm not going to just say women,
because if you're in partnership, the
partner's also really facing that as well
but as a woman who faces the infertility

(03:51):
portion and then looking into this world of
adoption, how has that been part of your
journey on helping people manage stress?

Kerstin Lindquist (04:00):
I think that my desire to serve others,
which is truly what I believe, that my
identity is, that the Lord has put me in a
place to be of service, and I know so many
women and men identify with that as well
Like, oh, I'm serving others, I'm serving
my kids, I'm serving my aging parents.
I just and side note to that oftentimes we

(04:23):
get so overwhelmed serving others that we
don't take care of ourselves, and I think
that's a lot of.
When I health coach and when I speak on
podcasts and on stages, it's trying to
convince people that mindset change, that
you are worth it.
You need to fill up your cup so that it can
overflow to help others.
When I started serving others and helping
others, I was in news on ABC and I had two
babies.

(04:43):
Five months apart, we finally, after years
and years of infertility, got pregnant
through IVF while simultaneously we had
been matched in adoption.
So it wasn't one of those stories where
it's like, oh, it's always how it happens,
you adopt and then you get pregnant.
No, I was on lots of drugs.
That's how it happened.
It just so happened to work that time.
But I started through that process.

(05:05):
Blogs had just started and I needed to
somehow explain why I was off of television
as the morning news anchor for so long with
stories of miscarriage, which this was 15
years ago.
It was still we kind of under a cloud of

(05:27):
silence and stories of trying to adopt or
being adopted, and I found, oh my goodness,
this is a place where I am called to serve
others, I'm called to help them feel less
alone, and so that's how it started for me,
and I didn't even know.
But looking back at that time now, serving
others, allowing them to be vulnerable and

(05:48):
share their story with you while you share
yours, is a way to decrease stress.

Hilary Russo (05:54):
Absolutely.
There is power and healing and, in
community and connection with others, that
collective right, yeah.
So this journey has been really something
that has been building for you.
I mean, like I said, when I first met you I
was new to QVC.
I was in a totally different category than
I moved into, which became the health and
wellness category.

(06:15):
But I always remember you being so into
health and wellness and fitness and to me
it seems like that's always been a part of
the life I know about Kerstin.
Is that right?

Kerstin Lindquist (06:27):
I would say so I think I had.
I.
I was like normal children and kids and I
watch it in my kids.
I have two teenage daughters and then I
have an eight-year-old, who you know, and I
have some.
Some of my children will only eat foods
that are white, and some of them are, you
know, and I'm just like, oh goodness, I'm a
health coach.
How is this happening?
But you, you have to have your own, your

(06:50):
own reason why, and for me it happened
around 14, 15, you know my skin.
Um, I was a cheerleader.
The way I looked kind of changed me into
okay, I have to exercise more, right?
So I would say that I was very into fitness
for a very long time, but the food part
didn't really come until I was in my 30s.
And then I went through infertility and

(07:11):
miscarriages and all of the drugs that you
have to take for that, and I was under a
dark cloud through those three years the
first time around, when we were having
miscarriages and then broken adoptions and
then finally had our babies.
And then the second time around, which is

(07:33):
when I knew you, when I felt like there was
one more in my life and I was going, god,
but how do we do this?
Because it was so hard to have our first
two babies and then we went through more
miscarriage and more broken adoptions
before my son my eight-year-old came along.
So there was a lot of abuse of my body at
that time and I wasn't necessarily doing

(07:54):
the right things.
I wish that 47-year-old Kerstin could go
back to 27 and 37-year-old Kerstin and tell
her but if you pay attention to what you're
putting in your mouth and how you're
exercising and how you're sleeping, you
will get through this waiting period
quicker and it will be easier and it won't
hurt as bad.
But we give ourselves grace, right, it

(08:16):
really wasn't.
Until I was about 39, 38, 39, after, um, my
mom, uh, died of Alzheimer's.
And it wasn't just the death of my mother
from that horrible, horrible disease, but
it was what we estimate is probably a 12
year battle.
We think she, probably we, started to see

(08:37):
the first signs when she was 58, 59 years
old.
So she missed really me seeing her, seeing
me have babies and being for me.
Then, um, she would never become a
grandmother in any meaningful sense of the
word.
And as I was losing her, what happened was
we went in to have she had a brain scan.
We sat down with the doctor and he put up

(08:59):
an image of her brain and there were dark
spots there.
And at this time I had both of my babies.
They were brand, brand new.
They were little five months apart and they
were little babies.
And I was holding them and I'm looking up
there and the doctor said you see those
dark spots up there, those are likely a
result of stress.
And my first thought was oh, so some of
this is avoidable.
Like my mom's not here, she missed the

(09:20):
birth of her grandkids due to dementia, and
some of this is avoidable.
How can I make sure that this doesn't
happen to me?
So I don't do this to these two babies that
I'm holding right now.
It was such a heartbreaking moment for me
right there because I needed my mom so much
and I knew that my babies were going to
need me like I needed her one day and I had
to make sure that I was around if I could
do anything about it.

(09:42):
So that was really the big turning moment
and that's when I started getting really
into health and nutrition and fitness, went
back to school, to IIN, and that set me on
this road.

Hilary Russo (09:53):
Yeah, I mean, it's really and I think
that's one of the reasons why I call the
HIListically Speaking podcast one of those
traumas to triumph stories, because it's
when these things happen, because we don't
know when they when these things happen,
because we don't know when they're outside
of ourselves, what we're going to do with
that information once, once we have it
right, Once we're represented with it, once
there's no choice.

(10:15):
Let me retract that.
There's always choice, what choice we make
right, what we're going to do next.
And when you're in it, when you're in the
throes of it, you realize how do I want to
live powerfully?
And I think I connect with what you're
saying, especially with your mom's health,
and I understand that too.
From having a dad that was sick my whole
life, I think it kind of put that bug in my

(10:36):
ear to want to live healthier.
What can I do for my holistic approach to
living right, that whole body approach?
And we kind of learn by doing when was IIN
for you?
When did you dive into that?

Kerstin Lindquist (10:49):
I always forget the year right before COVID.
When I finally went through it, my babies
were a little bit older.
I felt like I had time not really because I
still had my full-time job at QVC, but it
was important enough to me and it wasn't.
I didn't go into IIN, which is the
Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which
is where both Hilary and I went, and I know
that you do so much for them these days,

(11:11):
which is amazing.
I didn't go into it necessarily thinking,
oh, I'm going to be a health coach.
I went into it thinking, okay, how can I
use this for me?
How can I use it for my family members?
Also, I was a host on QVC and I was kind of
the health and wellness girl and I thought
this would be a great thing for me to be
able to use some of this knowledge to be

(11:31):
able to give back to my customers and serve
them.

Hilary Russo (11:32):
Yeah, love that.
And, by the way, I hear a lot of people who
go to IIN.
They're just going because really it's
first about you.
Like, what can I do?
to take care of this temple right, this
sanctuary, before you even think about how
can I serve others.
So I love when I run into people that are
just taking something within the curriculum

(11:53):
or any curriculum it doesn't have to be IIN
and just looking for new ways to live
powerfully, to live healthy, to live
HIListically, and then from doing that
maybe they're serving on a grander level.
Regardless, it begins at home, right.

Kerstin Lindquist (12:11):
It does, and I think that we learned this
at IIN too, and I see it all the time.
For instance, the clients that I have serve
me probably as much as I serve them.
It really is that that you know symbiotic
relationship what you're putting out there
is coming back to you and and what, what

(12:31):
you need, comes to you, and I think that
everybody needs to really believe that and
have faith in that that what you need, your
needs, will be met, as long as you are
being honest and open and vulnerable about
it.
So it's amazing to me that the clients that
I get I'm like oh my goodness, this is
exactly what I need.
I need to be researching this, I need to be
reminded of this as I'm talking to them.

Hilary Russo (12:51):
Yeah, and we learn from each other
absolutely, even those of us who are in the
space as coaches or practitioners.
I feel like every guest I have on this show
and I think I said this when I was on your
podcast, by the way, StRest is now a top
podcast out there you just launched we're

(13:12):
going to get to that in a second Cause.
I love my, my fellow women podcasters.
Uh, you, you held space for me and I even
said that like and I say it a lot on
HIListically speaking that every person I
have on the show is like a masterclass to
me.
I don't know everything, you don't know
everything, but when you're here, you're
sharing what you know, and there's some
takeaway that Hilary has from having
somebody in this space or a conversation we
have.
When we're out there in the world doing

(13:33):
what we do whether it is a client, whether
it is speaking on stage, whether it is
being at a corporate wellness event I'm
sure you learn from those that are feeding
you just as much as you're feeding them
right, and that's why we continue to do it.

Kerstin Lindquist (13:49):
I think that's one of the questions that I
get so frequently is how could you leave?
You were number one host on QVC, had the
number one show, you had this great career,
you provided for your family.
How could you leave that?
Provided for your family?
How could you leave that?
Sometimes I ask myself the same question,

(14:13):
but it's because I know that the Lord had
more for me.
He wanted to use me in a different space,
but I wasn't done learning, I wasn't done
helping and serving others, and this space
that Hilary and I are in and that you're
all listening and watching right now is a
place of continual learning and research,
and we can be healthier, we can be better,
we can feel better, no matter how old you

(14:35):
are.

Hilary Russo (14:36):
Yeah.
So I wanna talk about StRest and, before we
go there, I do wanna talk about your
devotion and your faith, because that is
such a personal journey and one that I feel
that we each we have our own thing that we
believe in, whether it is a structured
religion or just our own personal religion.

(14:57):
But for you, that's one area you've been
very open about and it actually has
parlayed into what you're doing with StRest,
your podcast, and it actually has parlayed
into what you're doing with StRestt, your
podcast.
But what is it about?
Faith that has really served you well in
your time, either both personally and
professionally.

Kerstin Lindquist (15:14):
I have been through some very dark times in
my life and everybody has.
I know that I'm not alone and there's no
comparison with with dark times, but when I
go through a time where there's the death
of a parent or miscarriage or any of the
things that are addictions in my family as
well, there's always a time when I'm pretty

(15:37):
low that I go.
How do people who don't have Jesus make it
through this?
And for me that's kind of the end all and
be all.
I know that everything works together for
his good.
I would never say to somebody that this all
happened for a reason and God's going to
take care of it, because that's mean you

(15:57):
can't say something like that and take away
the pain of losing a child.
But I do know that whatever is happening in
my life, that the Lord is there, holding me,
he's taking care of it.
He can provide for me the peace that
surpasses all understanding that is in the
Bible.
That is what we truly believe.
So, no matter what the outcome is, there is

(16:18):
a higher power and for me it is the Lord
who can provide a peace that surpasses all
understanding.
And I've also found in my life and I know,
and I was raised a Christian, so this has
always been a part of my life that as long
as I stay following behind the Lord in his
plan, it will all work out.
Doesn't mean there won't be pain, doesn't

(16:38):
mean there won't be sadness.
But as long as I'm keeping my eyes on him
and not on the world and what Kerstin wants
and and then I don't know quote unquote
things of the world and success and fame
and things like that, but I'm following
where the Lord is leading me and and
leaning on him.

Hilary Russo (17:02):
It all works out.
I felt that I felt that you don't have to
be devout to a religion or faith to just
feel that, because I feel what you're
feeling towards your closeness to religion
and Christianity, and it feels good to know
that you feel good in that space.

Kerstin Lindquist (17:15):
And I also want everybody to understand,
because I think that there's a lot of
separation when you talk about faith or
religion or spirituality as a Christian,
and how I believe and how I practice.
I am 100% welcoming to all people of all
faiths and all beliefs.
There isn't a us against them in

(17:35):
Christianity, and let me be the first
person to apologize to anybody who's felt
that way in the past.
If you've walked into a church and felt
less than, or shunned or shame or guilt,
that is not of my Lord.
That is of what we would consider the devil,
and that is evil.
There is no shame, there is no guilt.
There is none of that in walking in step

(17:59):
with the Lord.
It's all about love and acceptance, no
matter who you are, what you've been
through, what you've done and what you
believe.

Hilary Russo (18:05):
And I'd like to think that many religions
are like that, like it all comes back to
faith and family and acceptance.
And we've grown, we've evolved, you know,
we've progressed, and as someone who,
myself, I come from an interfaith home,
right, so my thought is I have two
wonderful parents who are on two different
sides of things, but when it all comes
together, it's all about love, it's all

(18:27):
about love yeah yeah, and it reminds me of
a really powerful quote, because some
people, like you said you know we live in
this world where a lot of people are even
questioning religion, period.
Yeah, and I remember hearing Kelly Clarkson,
who I love, kelly Clarkson.
She said God will give you anything you
can't handle, so don't stress.
Which brings us back to stress.

(18:49):
And I can hear her saying that in her Texas
accent, right, but it's so true.
You know, no matter what your belief system
is, having faith in something, knowing that
there's a higher power that will always
guide you on that that path, and also
trusting yourself, knowing that you're part
of that team right, You're part of that
team with whatever your faith is is really

(19:11):
important.
How have you approached faith with those
who might not be devout to something?

Kerstin Lindquist (19:18):
How do you cradle that and support people
like that I first go to fear, because a lot
of the stress that we have in our life is
created by fear.
So when I'm asking somebody and I'm working
with somebody who is under a lot of stress,
I try to break it down and and I will say
that I I can use this as an example I get a
lot of people in my life who are care,

(19:40):
caregivers and who are servants, a lot of
women, um in their fifties and sixties, who
are taking care of um, aging parents, maybe
they have grown children who are still at
home, or young children, whatever it might
be.
And there is, I'm so stressed out because
I'm taking care of everybody else and I'm
doing this, and so we'll always go to Jesus

(20:01):
first and always go to him to help us.
But he also gives us the tools to be able
to take care of ourselves, and that's what
he wants us to do to be able to honor our
bodies.
But I'll go to, okay, what are you afraid
of?
And it's well, I'm afraid if I don't take
care of my mom, she's going to die.
Okay, so you're afraid that she's going to
die, but you know what?
You have no control over that.

(20:22):
Like, death is a beautiful part of our life.
What are you afraid of in the death?
I'm afraid of being lonely, I'm afraid of
being sad, I'm afraid of being left.
So then we get into those pieces.
Those are things that we can work on.
So that's where I'll go, is I'll go to fear
first.
What is really causing the stress is a fear,
and where's that fear coming from?

Hilary Russo (20:44):
That's such a good way to approach it
because it's less about, like, what I said
earlier.
It's less about trying to get rid of stress,
because you don't.
It's how to manage it and build a
relationship with it.
What can I do to serve myself in this?
And there's only two real things out there.
It's love and fear.
And if you're not in this space, you're in

(21:04):
this space, right?
So being able to be vulnerable and approach
and say, OK, maybe I am scared of this,
Maybe I don't feel like I'm in control,
it's a safety that's being taken away from
me.
And you're in a space now and I think we
both are as well.
Being in midlife, especially these
conversations about being the family
caregiver, are huge.

(21:25):
I'm hearing it everywhere.
I know you've been through it personally.
But do you find that that is a space that's
just growing and growing?
And maybe it's just because we're at that
age where that sandwich generation?
But I feel like that's a conversation that
is coming up a lot.

Kerstin Lindquist (21:41):
It is and it it.
This isn't how it used to be, and I think
that's part of the reason why what I speak
on and what I counsel people in is reducing
stress and finding rest is so important and
so prevalent right now.
So if you look back 50 years ago, a woman
who was I'm 47 years old or who is 50 or 55,

(22:03):
would be slowing down, not, um, you know,
working as hard.
Children would be way out of the nest, um,
and maybe we're taking care of an aging
parent.
Maybe that's about it.
Fast forward.
Now what we're doing is having babies at 48.
So we're going through that in a biological

(22:23):
time when we cannot metabolize stress, and
we're taking care of aging parents, and
there is more Alzheimer's and dementia than
ever before.
So we're not just taking care of somebody
who's sick, we're dealing with one of the
cruelest diseases, which is the hardest to
manage.
On top of that, and we are believing in
which is completely true that we can

(22:44):
reinvent ourselves and work harder than
ever at 50 and have this next chapter.
But then we are working harder, so we're
not slowing down and taking more time.
So we're in this kind of conundrum.
Then what do we do?
I'm not going to say don't have a baby
later in life.
I'm not going to say don't take care of
your parents.
I'm not going to say don't go after that

(23:04):
dream, because you should go after your
dreams.
What you have to have are the tools to put
in place every single day that can kind of
then allow your biological body to get into
that rest and recovery, not be in the fight
or flight but in the rest of recovery and
get out of stress so that you can have both

(23:26):
good stress, going for that dream, taking
care of that baby.
But then you're minimizing the bad stress.
Oh, I'm exhausted, I'm not sleeping, I'm
eating bad.
The bad stress oh, I'm exhausted, I'm not
sleeping, I'm eating bad, I'm worried all
the time.
So it is more prevalent now, unfortunately.
But we're not doing the things that we need
to do to be able to allow ourselves to

(23:49):
thrive in this time.

Hilary Russo (23:50):
Yeah, this is a really good topic.
I'm really glad you brought that up
especially, and we're going to touch on
that just a second.
But I want to let folks know that are
tuning in that Kerstin Lindquist is the
guest on this show.
You might've seen her before when her 13
years on QVC.
Maybe you saw us together, I don't know,
it's possible.
But also, you know, with Kerstin being in

(24:10):
the space of health and wellness, being an
integrative nutrition health coach, also
being just a rocket, like a rocket fuel for
stressing less, for surrendering that
stress, she's actually offering a discount
for her workshops.
I'm going to put the links in the podcast
for that.
But speaking of podcasts, let's talk about

(24:31):
StRest.
Lay it on me.
I love the show.
Thank you for holding space for me to be on
your show in the early stages.
And what?
What led you to say you know what I haven't?
It might be similar to the story I had, but
it's what led you to say you know what?
There's one area of media that I have not
covered yet.
Let's do podcasting, cause that's what I

(24:52):
was thinking.
I'm like, well, haven't done this one,
right?

Kerstin Lindquist (24:56):
Well, you know that's so funny that you
asked that you're right, cause I was in
news.
I was an actress way back in the day.
You'll find me on West wing and then I did
QVC.
Um, podcasts are where I learned the most.
I think it also is my time of life over the
last 15 years of raising children You're in
the car all the time so I have been the
most influenced by podcasts and I saw that

(25:18):
there was a white space in and, granted,
there's a lot of great health and wellness
podcasts out there, but there's not a whole
lot that are health science and biblical
truth and there's not a whole lot that are
a hundred percent dedicated to helping you
reduce stress in your life.
So I was blessed and lucky enough to get a
um a two book deal with Zondervan and

(25:39):
Harper Collins.
I've actually written two books already,
but my next book is coming out with
Zondervan at the end of 2025.
And then I have a book in 2026 coming out
by the name of StRest and I said you know
what a podcast would be a great place to be
able to get in a lot of the doctors that I
want to put their research into my book and,
like you said, Hilary, really have a

(26:00):
masterclass for myself so that I could
write it all up.
And that's how the podcast started and in
the couple of short months that we've done
it, it has become my favorite thing.
I just feel so blessed to be able to sit
down and ask all the questions of all these
amazing, remarkable, brilliant brains yours

(26:22):
included, and also friends of mine that
I've worked at QVC and ABC News so I've got
some celebrity in there and things like
that and listening to how they've managed
stress in their lives.

Hilary Russo (26:31):
Yeah, such a great outlet, isn't it?
It just gives us a space to sit down and
have a conversation.
I hate calling it an interview, because I
feel like it's really authentically real
yeah.
I don't even like that term and I feel like
it's a conversation.
It's real.
It's two people or three, depending on how
many you're having on sitting on the couch
shooting the breeze and talking about

(26:53):
things that are valuable and have value.
I'm really excited that you are in the
podcasting world now, a fellow podcaster,
so we're going to let folks know about
Stressed.
Put all the links to your podcast.
What's coming up for you.
Actually, you know, what I would love for
you to do, Kerstin, is actually even share
with me some of the books that have already
come out and what's coming up, because even

(27:15):
in the end of 2025, as we move in, you know
podcasts stay.
every you can go back to them and listen to
them and watch them for years to come.
I'll add the newer books that are coming
into the podcast space because I have a
HIListically speaking library.
So thanks for that.
All right, let's move into just talking
about like what's next for you, Like where

(27:35):
do you want to go with this new venture?
You know, like moving away from having to
be and, by the way, I know that that it was
a wonderful experience for you being at QVC
and people love you and adore you, myself
included but this, this is a pivot away
from that and really moving into a space
that you've been growing for quite some

(27:57):
time.
Where would you like to see it all go?

Kerstin Lindquist (28:00):
It's interesting because we're having this
conversation as I have three more days at
QVC.
They're spread apart the next couple of
months, next couple of weeks, but looking
at wow, 13 and a half year career and then
I have three days left and I am allowing
myself we talked about this before a little
bit holding like that, that, that love and

(28:22):
fear together.
I'm allowing myself to hold joy and then
pain as well, cause there's some sadness
and there's some scariness and change.
I am leaving a beautiful relationship, but
I'm doing it with full assurance that I'm
headed in the right direction.
I, my family and I went and took three and
a half months off in 2023 to be
missionaries.
We moved down to um, northern Baja

(28:44):
California, mexico, to serve at a Christian
um medical clinic, and it was a lifelong
calling that I had on my life to go serve.
I also wanted to take my children and have
them see something different than mainline
Pennsylvania, because, as blessed as we are
and I'm not complaining about being blessed
at all I have two adopted children One is

(29:06):
full Mexican and one is full Honduran, both
born in the United States, though, so they
are American.
I wanted them to see other cultures.
I wanted them to see how lucky we are to
live where we are and know that this wasn't
completely real life, and I also wanted to
serve others.
So we moved down there and it was one of
the best experiences of my life.
The kids loved it as well, shockingly

(29:27):
enough, and I came back and more and more I
was hearing the Lord saying you're going to
need to do more of that.
I fought it for a while.
I kept on saying God, I'm the soul you know,
not soul, but I make the money for my
family and and I provide and I'm helping
women at QVC.
Like I get to talk about Bibles and I had

(29:48):
my own line of of books and and
inspirational um sweatshirts and things
like that.
Like God, can't you still continue to just
use me there?
And he's like no, no, no, I need to, I need
to use you in another place.
So it took a year of pushing back a little
bit, but I got there and every time I said

(30:09):
okay and surrendered and this is a huge
lesson that I work with my clients on
surrendered, not even knowing where I was
going.
I always envisioned it as okay, I'm going
to step out this door and there's going to
be nothingness, just like open sky and I'm
just going to take the step because I don't
know what the next job is.
I don't know what the next thing is.
The Lord is going to provide this amazing

(30:30):
cloud that's just going to lift me higher
and higher and higher, and that's exactly
what has happened.
When I started this kind of transition in
the middle of 2024, it was like, well, I
want to speak.
I've been on stages, I've been doing
keynote speeches on stress, moving from
stress to rest, 20 different ways to help
you reorganize your life, which I love
doing.
I love being on stages, I love being in

(30:51):
women's conferences, I love being on at
churches.
So that's a big part of it.
I knew that was a part of it.
I thought, ah, maybe I'll do a podcast.
I knew a little bit of health coaching.
I thought I wanted to write more books and
then, all of a sudden, the Lord provides
the most amazing publisher with not a one
book deal but a two book deal.
Um, and then a lot of it had to do with the

(31:11):
children and my time of life.
I have two teenagers, and teenage daughters
are, um, in my experience, harder than
infants and toddlers, and I wish that we
were kind of told that in the beginning
that, yeah, you should take some time off
when they're babies, but you know when
they're really going to need you when
they're 15, they're really going to need

(31:32):
you when they get into high school because
it is so hard for them out there.
So I knew I needed to have more time than I
could commit to them working full-time at a
network.
So it's a little bit of all of those things
I'm leaning into the research for the
podcast, for the books, for writing the
books, speaking as much as I possibly can

(31:55):
so that I can spread this message of
reducing your stress, so that possibly more
people can not have to go through what I
did and what my mom went through, and then
really giving back these next couple of
years to my daughters.
I got the son too.
He's eight, but he's a little easier right
now.
Right now.

Hilary Russo (32:13):
Yeah, and you had your daughter.
You have one of your daughters on StRest
when you first launched, which I loved the
connection there, like how many teenagers
want to hang out with their moms anyway.

Kerstin Lindquist (32:25):
No, I'm super blessed she.
I always call her the spiritual leader of
our household.
I know that the father is supposed to be
and then maybe the mother, but no, it's my
middle daughter.
She is very, very just super connected, she,
to the Lord.
I always think she's going to probably go
to like to, you know, theological seminary

(32:45):
or something like that.
So when we were discussing with my producer,
how do we introduce Kerstin, after being at
QVC and ABC news and her other books on
infertility, how do we?
How do we introduce her in this space of
podcasting, and we all kind of decided,
yeah, georgia should interview you.
And boy did she do a great job.

Hilary Russo (33:04):
Oh, she did amazing Shout out to Georgia.
Maybe she's on the step of having her own
podcast one day.
Who knows More space for that, and I was
going to ask you that.
But you kind of answered the question.
But we can even elaborate a little bit more
of it.
Like where can you kind of see where your
kids are going to go in, in how you've been
a parent, like you said, you can see one
going to seminary.

(33:25):
Can you kind of see, in a way, the
direction that your kids might be headed?
What a question.

Kerstin Lindquist (33:34):
Some days I think yes, and some days I've
got no idea, and I really try to I'm very,
very cognizant about.
Just because I did this doesn't mean that
you do this and you choose.
You and both of my daughters are very, very
different.
One's going down the cosmetology line, one
is like I want to go to Cornell or I want

(33:56):
to go to Harvard.
But I think, above all, though, for them,
what I'm just hoping and praying, and where
I do see them going, is avoiding where so
many children are right now, which is just
being full of anxiety.
And as soon as I start to see them go down

(34:16):
that road and Hilary, this kind of takes us
back to a lot of it has to do the food
we're eating, the electronics that we're
consuming.
These generations are so full of anxiety,
and if I can just help them kind of
navigate through that and stay away, then
the world is their oyster.
But once you start to get overtaken by

(34:38):
anxiety and worry and stress, your world
gets smaller.

Hilary Russo (34:43):
Yeah, and we didn't have that growing up.
I mean, we had magazines and television, we
had mtv and that was stressful.
You know the comparison game, but I feel
like in this generation, even as adults, we
can really get pulled in and and go down
that rabbit hole if we're not careful.
Uh, it should be used as a tool, right,
these are tools, much like any of the tools

(35:05):
that we put in our little toolbox that we
use to relieve stress, which I'm curious
about.
Do you have a favorite technique or a tool
that you love to use to just calm the mind?
You don't have to say Havening.

Kerstin Lindquist (35:19):
Well, yeah, no, well, Havening.
Of course, I have two things that I think
that that you can take away today.
There's so many, and for me, especially
when I'm speaking, it's a mindset change.
It's.
I went about it first with okay, I'm gonna
give you 20 different tips and tools on how

(35:39):
to how to reduce your stress which I can
give you.
I can give you more than that.
That's great, but you won't use in the any
any of them and you won't get there if you
still, in the back of your mind, think that
you should have stress, that stress is a
badge of honor and I'll rest when I'm dead
and I'm not going to get anything done if I
don't have stress.
So the very first thing that we have to do

(36:01):
is deprogram you to believe that no, no, no,
no, stress is not a batch of honor and that
if you really want to live a joy filled
life, you have to make the hard decisions
to reorganize your life to get out of
stress, and for some people, that means
moving.
It means setting up boundaries with people

(36:22):
in your life.
It means changing your job, getting out of
shift work with people in your life.
It means changing your job, getting out of
shift work.
It means cutting out sugar or cutting out
alcohol.
I mean, there's some hard decisions that
have to be made.
So the first, it's a mindset change.
From there, I always go to sleep.
If you want to have the biggest impact on
reducing your stress, the number one thing

(36:43):
you can do is work on your sleep, and that
really just goes back to science, because
that is where your brain and your body heal.
And if your brain and your body can't heal,
you can't manage stress the next day.
And I think a lot of people see this when
they're overwhelmed or they're struggling
with sleep.
And then all of a sudden they have one good
night's sleep and they wake up and they're
like all of a sudden, oh, I'm not crying

(37:05):
all day long, I can get things done.
And they're like all of a sudden, oh, I'm
not crying all day long, I can get things
done, I feel better.
So I will spend most of my time speaking on
and working with clients on sleep.
And then, if we take it down even further
to, let's say, you're super stressed out
right now, like you just can't get yourself,
you're in that instant fight or flight.

(37:26):
Your body thinks that you're being chased
by a bear.
There's a couple of different things you
can do.
The very first thing, the number one thing
you could do, as long as you don't have a
heart condition, is to put your face in a
salad bowl filled with ice and water, like
ice water right there.
That'll get you at it.
Another thing that you can do is you can
push against a wall, because, when you

(37:48):
think about it, if you're, you can't run
from a bear while you're stopped pushing
against a wall, so you can push against a
wall.
And then there's also breathing techniques,
which are absolutely fantastic Two quick
inhales out and one long exhale out.

Hilary Russo (38:01):
Yeah, those are great.

Kerstin Lindquist (38:03):
Those are things that you can do kind of in
the acute trauma of stress.

Hilary Russo (38:08):
There's so many wonderful ways that we can
downregulate, and the fact is that there's
so many, and it goes back to our work in
health coaching with bioindividuality.
Right, what's right for one person might
not be right for another person.
So it's building that toolbox of things

(38:29):
that you can do, because maybe sometimes
pressing against the wall is what you want
to do, but another day it's not, and then
another day you want to try doing the cold
plunge or doing havening, or doing whatever
works for you.
It's your journey.
So hearing from you and having these
different techniques and tools are really
wonderful to give people options.
So do you have a favorite of your own?

Kerstin Lindquist (38:53):
uh, yoga, nidra or nsdr non-sleep deep rest
and I think that the reason why it's my
favorite right now, your favorite, will
change as well depending on the time of
your life.
I'm a um perimenopausal woman.
My hormones are kind of you know, out of
whack a little bit.
We're getting to that that stage.
I am running a new business.

(39:14):
I'm still kind of working over here at QVC.
I'm raising three baby little humans.
You know I am super, I would say more busy
than I would even like to be right now, but
busy in a good way, because I enjoy it.
So I need to take that break in the
afternoon.
This is what we were talking about earlier,
how women used to be slowing down at this
time of life and they're not right now.

(39:35):
So how do we, how do we build in the
slowdown and still stay busy, which sounds
like it's impossible?
You do things like NSDR, which is non sleep
deep rest.
It's not yoga, it's's not spiritual.
For those of you who are like I don't do
that stuff, you can do it for 10 minutes.
It's free on YouTube, or you can do it for
15 minutes.
I've done it in the car, I've done it
laying down in the house, but I know, if I
start to feel the overwhelm or I start to

(39:57):
feel weepy, I need to go have that brain
break and that is a great way for me to
reset Great, awesome, awesome shares, and
we'll put all of that in the notes of the
podcast.

Hilary Russo (40:10):
Obviously, the transcript's available too,
so if you have any questions about what
Kerstin has shared and different ways that
she's supporting herself and my goodness, I
have to agree with you on the rest and the
sleep.
I mean, I myself have sleep apnea, so I
understand the importance of sleep and what
it is not going to be for me the next day
if I don't get good sleep.

Kerstin Lindquist (40:29):
And you just know.

Hilary Russo (40:30):
You folks out there know what you feel when
you are tired and groggy your brain is not
working correctly.
It's almost like running a car without gas
Eventually it's not going to run.
Eventually it's not going to run.
So the fact that we're focusing on this and
the fact that Stress the podcast is giving

(40:51):
people the avenue to learn more from
experts in the field that share their own
approaches, that share what they've learned
with science-backed also just getting
better sleep, and also for those who are
interested in a more faith-based podcast,
you're bringing, like you said, you're
bringing these things together, and I think
it's a really beautiful space for that.
So I'm so, I'm so excited for you.

(41:12):
This is really great.
So, one thing I want to do before we go is,
uh, I love to play a game.
I've got my brain candy rapid fire game.
This is, uh, I know if you're a listener
and you're probably like I've been
listening to HIListically Speaking.
I've never gotten to play this game.
Today is the day, All right.
So you know, and if anybody's listening for
the first time, the Brain Candy Game is my

(41:35):
opportunity to write down a number of words
that the guest has said In this case it is
Ms Kerstin, and she's going to come back
with the first word that comes to mind.
Rapidly, you ready?
Clearing my brain.

Kerstin Lindquist (41:56):
Yes, okay, don't put your face in water
right now.

Hilary Russo (41:59):
Okay, here we go.
Infertility, adoption, abuse, healing, rest,
sleep, mindset, change Missionary.
Sleep, mindset, change missionary.
Me fear.
Love, miscarriage, hope, alzheimer's mom

(42:23):
StRest podcast jesus, love, yeah.
And then the final word I'm gonna say on
that, just because you said it, love um,
you, you are loved.

Kerstin Lindquist (42:42):
I'm gonna say that over and over again.
You are loved.
If you're listening to this, you are loved.

Hilary Russo (42:47):
Wow, girl, I felt that Like, I felt like
you were just talking to me.

Kerstin Lindquist (42:50):
I love that you are, you are.

Hilary Russo (42:52):
Well, we're all.
That's where it is.
It's love or fear.
What's your choice?
Right and choice is powerful.
And in love we'll find the way to stress
less.
We'll find the ways to rest our mind and
body.
We'll find ways to heal our mind, body and
soul.
We'll find ways to connect with people that
are like-minded to do that right.

(43:18):
So, with that being said, do you have any
final words?

Kerstin Lindquist (43:20):
that you would like to share with those who
are tuning in, truly, what I just said you
are loved, you are worthy, and I think that
sometimes the hardest part of getting
yourself out of stress is are loved, you
are worthy, and I think that sometimes the
hardest part of getting yourself out of
stress is feeling like you're not worthy,
like you don't deserve the time, you don't
deserve the energy, you don't deserve the
hard work.
And if nobody's told you before, you are
loved and you are worthy and you are worth

(43:41):
it.

Hilary Russo (43:41):
So don't forget that I won't.
Thanks.
I want you to do yourself a favor right now.
I want you to connect with Kerstin and,
while you're at it, make sure that you put
StRest Podcast on your list of podcasts to
tune into.
It is a wonderful podcast that's out there
and I am so grateful that she has had me on

(44:01):
her show, but you're going to recognize
some other voices as well, so definitely
take advantage of that and make sure you
also check out her workshop.
She is offering a beautiful discount for
those who are tuning into HIListically
Speaking.
I added all of that to the notes of this
episode and listen if you're interested in
learning more about IIN, that's the
Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where

(44:22):
both Kerstin and myself are graduates.
We are certified holistic health
practitioners or holistic health coaches,
rather, if you want to take advantage of a
free sample class, definitely check out the
links that I am sharing in the notes of
this episode because, as an ambassador of
IAN, I'm offering you an opportunity to
check out a sample class for free and then,

(44:44):
if you're interested, and you move on into
the world of holistic health, whether it is
to use it personally in your life or to go
forward and do it as a profession and
become a holistic health coach or any of
the other programs they offer, which are
fabulous.
You are going to receive a beautiful
opportunity that keeps the money in your
pocket but gives you more knowledge and

(45:05):
that's really truly the riches right there.
And you hear me talk about Havening a lot
right On this show, out in public pretty
much everywhere.
Havening is something that I love to share
so that it can put the healing in your
hands.
There are so many ways that you can
experience Havening, one of which is my
monthly Havening happyours.
That are free online events you can sign up

(45:27):
for that.
I'll put the links in the podcast notes.
You can also attend any of my other events.
Or, if you are feeling spicy and you want
to become a Havening practitioner, I offer
a number of trainings and mentorship so
that you can put the healing in your hands
and help others and serve others in the
world of neuroscience, can put the healing
in your hands and help others and serve

(45:48):
others in the world of neuroscience.
And, of course, you can also bring me in if
you're interested in having me share the
stage or a corporate wellness program.
All of that is possible to how to bring
healing into your hands, to hug it out, to
heal together and to be kind to your mind.
HIListically Speaking, is edited by Two
Market Media with music by Lipbone Redding
and, of course, supported by you.
So thank you for taking the time to be here

(46:10):
today, with both myself and with Kerstin,
to stress less and to put yourself first.
Never forget.
I love you, I believe in you and I'm
sending hugs your way.
Be well.
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