Do you know what you'll be retiring to?

Join us for six Fridays starting on October 3rd and invest in Future You.

Learn more here.

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How much time do you spend working out your body versus working out your emotional health? Physical fitness requires daily practice—hitting the gym once won't deliver the results you want. But when it comes to our emotions, we often think we'll "deal with that later" or assume we don't need to actively work on our emotional well-being.

Emily Anhalt, clinical psychologist and author of Flex Your Feelings: Train Your Brain to Develop the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness, knows this approach doesn't work. She's developed a framework for "emotional fitness"—an ongoing, proactive practice of strengthening your mental and emotional health through small, consistent habits that build resilience, curiosity, and communication skills before you need them.

In this conversation, Emily shares how emotionally fit people approach life differently, why playfulness is a valuable health practice (with research to back it up), and practical strategies you can implement today. Her insights are particularly valuable and timely for those navigating retirement transitions, when stress doesn't disappear—it simply changes form.

Emily Anhalt joins us from California.

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We Discuss

Why emotional fitness requires daily practice, just like physical fitness
How curiosity transforms defensiveness into opportunities for growth
Why playfulness can increase creativity, collaboration, and longevity
The hidden stress of retirement: identity, relationships, and meaning
Setting boundaries: every "yes" is also a "no" to something else
The power of "Relationship Retros" for proactive connection
Using emojis strategically to improve communication and reduce misunderstandings
Building new friendships through your existing network
The monthly feedback message that can transform your relationships

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Bio

Dr. Emily Anhalt is the author of  Flex Your Feelings: Train Your Brain to Develop the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness. She is a clinical psychologist, author, and cofounder of Coa, the gym for mental health.

For the past fifteen years, Dr. Anhalt has worked clinically with executives, founders, and tech employees, and has conducted extensive research with prominent psychologists and entrepreneurs about how leaders can improve their emotional health.

Dr. Anhalt has collaborated with companies like Google, Salesforce, NBCUniversal, NASDAQ, and the NBA.

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For More on Dr. Emily Anhalt
Flex Your Feelings: Train Your Brain to Develop the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness
Website

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Podcast Conversations You May Like

Ditch Your Baggage – Dr. Bob Rosen

Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson

The Emotionally Intelligent Retirement – Kate Schroeder & Nick Wignall

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About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast
There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You’ll get smarter about the investment decisions you’ll make about the most important asset you’ll have in retirement: your time.

About Retirement Wisdom

I help people who are retiring, but aren’t quite done yet, discover what’s next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.