The Fast From Noise: Women’s Mental Health in Lent w/ Dr. Robyn Middleton, PhD (Guest Co-Host Gavin McCort, RDN)

In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian is joined by guest co-host Gavin McCort, RDN, & Dr. Robyn Middleton, PhD to explore women’s mental health during Lent... covering anxiety, burnout, stress, perfectionism, distraction, & how the Jesus Prayer restores peace in a noisy, overstimulated world.It connects Orthodox spirituality with real-world mental health, including Robyn’s research on the Jesus Prayer, breathwork, vagus nerve stimulation, & heart rate variability (HRV), along with her journey from healthcare administration & communication studies into the Orthodox Church.Together, they unpack why Lent is not “wellness culture with incense,” but a season of repentance that exposes what is actually happening beneath the surface (mentally, physically, & spiritually). From smartphone addiction & scattered attention to productivity-driven identity & isolation, this conversation addresses the root causes of modern anxiety & how the Church offers real healing.Robyn shares how stepping away from social media, entering into the life of the Church, & approaching Orthodoxy as a hospital, helped her find greater peace during the Fast.The episode also covers:The Jesus Prayer & its effects on anxiety, the nervous system, & attentionWhy the Jesus Prayer is not a mantra or biohackWomen’s mental load, burnout, & the pressure to “do it all”How productivity becomes a false identityIsolation, lockdown effects, & the need for real communityThe difference between struggle & harm during LentHow to practice sustainable prayer & fasting without burnoutWhy parish life, coffee hour, & embodied community matter for healingIf you’re struggling with anxiety, overwhelmed by stress, or trying to keep the Fast without burning out, this episode offers a grounded, Orthodox approach to restoring peace.And if you’re a man listening, this conversation matters too... because the mental load in a home is either being shared or carried by one exhausted woman.Sound Bytes: "Lent is not wellness culture with incense. It’s repentance.""We’re trying to solve identity problems at the level of behavior.""Your attention isn’t just distracted, it’s fractured.""Prayer is not something you perform, it’s something you enter into.""Struggle builds you. Harm breaks you.""The Church isn’t a performance, it’s a hospital.""Orthodoxy doesn’t just show you God... it shows you yourself.""Not perfectly, but faithfully."Chapters:00:00 Opener01:29 Lent, Stress & the Body: Why This Matters04:00 Meet Dr. Robyn Middleton07:58 The Public Health Breakdown: A Turning Point14:10 Finding Dr. Mike’s Thesis & Counterflow Connection16:20 The Jesus Prayer Study: Science Meets Tradition20:15 Prayer as Communication: Rewiring the Mind24:22 Is the Jesus Prayer a Mantra? Misconceptions Explained31:31 Robyn’s Work: Anxiety, Speech & the Nervous System34:04 Hidden Coping Mechanisms That Increase Anxiety38:31 Productivity Is Not Worth: The Trap Women Fall Into40:05 Isolation, Lockdowns & Mental Health Fallout44:56 Why Lent Exposes Anxiety & Inner Chaos50:29 Struggle vs Harm: When Zeal Becomes Damage53:04 Sustainable Prayer: Where to Actually Start56:28 Stress & Communication: Why We Stop Listening59:08 Community as Medicine: The Parish Model01:04:06 The Orthodox Clergy Shortage01:08:16 Final Word: Keep Showing Up in Lent01:11:22 OutroWork with ⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠