PFO Newsletter- 01.17.25

All the research says that by now, we’ve thrown in the towel on our New Years Resolutions. 

That’s why I’m not a big resolution-er. (not a word, I know) I prefer to set goals or partake in challenges, instead. 

That said, I’d like to invite you into John’s and my connection challenge. (keep reading to hear all about it)

John and I are doing a connectivity challenge because life gets so busy and relationships are hard and we get resentful of one another and next thing you know, we’re bitter towards one another. So, we kind of made up a couples challenge because we noticed all those things happening. 

We’re incorporating the physical, spiritual and emotional/mental into this challenge. HERE IT IS:

PHYSICAL: Every week, we commit to working out together at least once. Whether it’s a vigorous walk, a yoga class or going to our local YMCA, we’re carving out time to move together. We consider this our weekly “date” and a time to connect. 

SPIRITUAL: We’re praying together every night. We’ve been married almost 25 years and we’ve never done this consistently. 

EMOTIONAL/MENTAL: We hear a lot about the mental load that women carry and how it can cause a ton of tension in relationships. So, we’re doing two things to solve this: On Sundays, we have a “board meeting”. We go over everything on our calendar for the upcoming week and we plan out our meals and who is going to do what. That’s the first thing we do. The second thing we do is a daily check-in. Every day, we ask one another “How Can I Support You Today?” It’s amazing how this category alone has improved our communication.

Also, John has somehow convinced me to push myself out of my comfort zone…he’s convinced me to do weekly cold plunges. They're the absolute WORST. LOL.I hate being cold. I’m the person that doesn’t go all the way in the pool because I hate being cold.  But, I’m trying to change my mindset about cold plunges–and focus on the after effects. I’ve never had more MENTAL CLARITY and ADRENALINE than after a cold plunge. As you can tell, we don’t have a fancy cold plunge contraption. We just fill our bath tub with cold water. I put on a good meditative song that’s approx 5 minutes long and that’s my goal. The first :30-:60 are the toughest, but if you can breathe THROUGH IT, you can do it. (Please don’t share this photo with anyone—haha.)

We’re doing this connection challenge for 30-days and then we’ll re-assess, modify and hopefully, keep it going, in some capacity. Making time for one another is a struggle, but we also know we can’t grow unless we invest in our relationship. 

Want to join us? Just let me know in the comment section at the very bottom…modify how you want! Just make sure you have spiritual, physical and emotional/mental components. 

We’re talking about our connectivity challenge throughout the month on the podcast—John joins me all month long to talk about our HOTTEST TOPICS–Menopause, Teenagers, Politics and College…don’t miss the conversations. 

And, you’re hearing it first…in February, we launch a much requested series on DATING–from dating after divorce, to navigating your teenagers dating, plus how to keep your relationship spicy, we talk about it all. 

Finally, would you do me a HUGE FAVOR? Would it be ridiculous for you to take a moment out of your day and write a REVIEW of my podcast? It matters because these podcast platforms promote the shows that have engagement and feedback and reviews. I’d be so grateful if you could do this for me…truly! If you go the show on Apple or Spotify, just scroll down to where it says “Write A Review”.  

Thanks sooo much, friends! Super thankful for all of you in 2025 xo 

-Paula

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

1. GIVEAWAY: Signed Books 📚

Giveaway– I’m giving away THREE signed copies of my book, You Don’t Have To CARRY It All: Ditch the Mom Guilt and Find a Better Way Forward. If you want to win, DM me on Instagram with your mailing address and I’ll get them out to you ASAP

2. YUKA: The App That Tells You What’s REALLY In Your Food

I am completely OBSESSED with an app that tells you what’s in your food and cosmetics. It’s called YUKA and here’s how it works: you’ll scan your products’ barcode and get either a bad, poor, good or excellent rating. I’ve been scanning just about everything in my house and at the grocery store. It’s EYE OPENING what’s in our products and often, what’s disguised as “healthy” or “organic” isn’t really. I use the free version of the app. Let me know what you think about it! I’m a little crazy about it–just ask my kids! Ha.

3. Prioritize Your Health With ALLOY Menopause

Ladies, let’s prioritize our health in 2025! I’ve been singing the praises of Hormone Replacement Therapy, which was prescribed to me through ALLOY, a tele-health menopause company, that only focuses on Menopause. You’ll be connected with a menopause trained OBGYN that won’t dismiss your symptoms or tell you it’s “all in your head”. Within days, you’ll have a treatment plan. If you use my code (PAULA42103) get a $15 credit towards your treatment plan! (Your insurance should reimburse, by the way)

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

Join the Conversation!

If you’ve made it this far, I invite you to join (or start) the conversation in our comments section. What would you like to share? -Paula