Ali Klotz

Introducing Ali Klotz

Ali Klotz is a wife, mother of two, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and Co-Owner of POP Nation.  During our conversation, Ali generously shared the very personal story of how she became overwhelmed by stress and anxiety – what she calls her “storm” – and how her doctor made her realize she needed to say no to everything, rest, and reapproach her life with a new perspective and a new set of boundaries.

Website: popnation.me
POP Nation social media:  @popnation.me (on Instagram and Facebook)
“Mom life” social media: @ali.klotz (on Instagram and Facebook)

Key Takeaways

• After the birth of her first child, Ali struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety. The anxiety got so bad, it became debilitating. Ali first attributed her symptoms to a hormone imbalance and went to a Functional Medicine doctor, searching for answers. His prescription? Sleep – he said, “stop everything and sleep.”
• In case you’re wondering, here’s some information about Functional Medicine:
  • The Institute for Functional Medicine – What is Functional Medicine?
  • Cleveland Clinic – What is Functional Medicine?
• Following her doctor’s orders, Ali then “unplugged from life.” She took time off work, paused her coaching work, canceled all family commitments, and let her body and mind rest. Which gave her time to “detox” from the stress in her life, think about the things that “triggered” her anxiety, and come up with strategies for preventing or dealing with those triggers.
  • One strategy she used (especially when her anxiety was high), was watching The Lion King over and over (102 times). Watching something familiar and comforting is a common strategy many people use to calm themselves down when their anxiety is high.
• She made sleep a priority, developing new sleep hygiene habits.
  • Here’s some information about sleep and sleep hygiene from the CDC.
• Another thing she set boundaries around was social media – even going so far as temporarily removing social media apps from her phone.
  • Sarah suggested “no phone zones,” or recharging stations, or even “no phone activities,” to help us be more mindful of when and where we’re using our phones.
• Once she had some time to rest and reassess her priorities, Ali and her husband s l o w l y reintroduced activities into their lives, but now make a point of budgeting the number of commitments over the period of a couple of weeks, so that things don’t become overwhelming again.
• Ali’s final words of wisdom for listeners: “Embrace the pause. Embrace slowing down.” In other words, give yourself permission to pause. In the space you give yourself, you’ll find the things that matter to you and move you towards finding your true purpose.

Resources & Recommendations

• Books Ali mentioned – by Emily Ley
  • A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living (Amazon link)
  • When Less Becomes More: Making Space for Slow, Simple, and Good (Amazon link)
• Podcast Heather mentioned – to help with insomnia: Sleep with Me Podcast

Credits and Thanks

• Special thanks to Reanna Karousis of Collective Reach and the Social Distance Happy Hour, who inspired and challenged us to start this podcast and helped us produce our first episode.
• Thanks also to our families and friends for all their encouragement and support, and to you, our listeners, for joining us on this adventure.
• That’s a Hard No is a joint production of Clever Girl Marketing and Purposeful Growth & Wellness.
• Logo design by Angela Giaco of A Pink Sunset. You can find her at apinksunset.com.
• Music: “Whiskey for Lunch” by GG Rigs. (Don’t judge us, you guys. We just like the song.)