Up, Close and Personal with Kristen Wells

Meet Dr. Kristen Wells. She is a health psycologist who works at a university as a health researcher. She is also a published writer who has written research articles for medical and public health journals. In her spare time she runs a website called Stress and Health Online which focuses on health and stress related information. Along with it, a blog which shares her experiences in dealing with stress in her life.

Visit her site HERE to know more about her or to get some information on stress and health, the site can be very handy. However before you go on her site, check out below interview where Dr. Wells shares her more personal stories, thoughts and tips about stress, life and blogging.

Cutecoconut (C) : So tell me a little bit about yourself, where are you from and what do you do when you are not blogging?

Kristen Wells (KW) : I am originally from Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States and live in Florida. I am a mother and I work at a university when I am not blogging. For fun, I like to hang out with my child and the rest of my family, read books (mostly novels), swim, work in my yard (it is oddly relaxing). I also like going to a spa and watching independent and foreign films (I hardly ever get to do that).

C : How do you manage between your work and your house including taking care of the children, husband and also blogging? When do you find time to blog?

KW : My house has two full time workers and a full time preschooler! We try to work together to keep up the house and we do the best that we can with it, but I would have to say we are far from perfect. Both my job and my husband’s jobs are very challenging, and mine can be very time consuming. I would say that we try to divide up tasks and even involve my child in doing simple things, like picking up toys in her room and playroom and feeding the cats. We often spend weekends catching up. The times that it becomes tricky is when I travel for work, when one of us is ill, and when I have a grant deadlines. Then it is a bit more difficult to keep up with things. I am in general a night and weekend blogger. I blog when my child is asleep most of the time.

C : When did you start blogging and why?

KW : I started work on the whole concept of the website around the winter of last year. The Stress and Health Online website includes the blog but also some information about stress, stress management, and various health issues, along with information about me. I worked on the design and that content during the winter and took it online in July. I added the blog to go with the website shortly thereafter.

I started blogging for a few reasons. I was looking to combine my public health work with something creative. I spend most of my days writing very technical research articles and grants, which I enjoy and which stimulates me intellectually, but I started to feel that sometimes the knowledge that we get from these articles does not make it to everyone, which is unfortunate. I think that we all deserve to know what is out there, and so I chose a topic that I am passionate about and try to focus on creating content that people can use which is based on research and science, but also my (and now other people’s) experiences in the world!

C : Your Stress and Health Online blog, well the title already speaks for itself, how did you come up with the idea?

KW : I have been working in public health since 1997 and also am a psychologist. So, the topic has been of interest to me for some time. I have worked with cancer patients and survivors for many years and am often inspired by the strengths that they often bring to a terribly difficult situation. Also, my graduate school dissertation research focused on stress, depression, and type 2 diabetes. I thought the concept would be something I could work on slowly and continue to update regularly.

C : How do you get your inspiration to write in your blog?

KW : I get them from all different types of sources. Some are my life experiences, which can be stressful and are more often than not funny. Lately, I have felt that my narrow experiences don’t really cover the every possible stressful event, so I have been working with other bloggers and readers through both guest posts and interviews to learn about other people’s experiences with stressful experiences and stress management. I also pull a lot from medical research and try to follow various feeds that provide me with links to research articles about topics that fit the theme of the blog. I am lucky since I work in a university in that I can usually get the original research article or report and review it before I pass it along to readers so that I can be sure that my post reflects the research correctly! I am interested in trying to develop new stress related/or stress management product as well as spa reviews in the future. I like a good spa visit.

C : Have you ever been in a stressful situation yourself? which was the most memorable one and how did you cope up with that?

KW : I have definitely experienced my share of stress, from daily hassles to really awful situations. I haven’t yet posted about this, but one of my more difficult life experiences was having a complicated pregnancy that included 10 weeks of very restrictive bedrest followed by the birth of my preterm child. I am grateful every day that everything turned out well in the end, but it was not an easy time for me.

C : What is your most favorite part of blogging?

KW : I have to say I have enjoyed “meeting” people from all different walks of life. It has been a good learning experience for me too. I am one of those people who likes new experiences, so it has been a creative and sometimes technical challenge to design, create, implement, and manage a website and blog. It stimulates my brain!

C : What kind of book do you like to read? do you have favorite author? who are they?

KW : I like to read all kind of books, from novels to essays to biographies and autobiographies. I read a LOT, so it would be hard to identify just a few favorite authors… I really appreciate a good book.

C : Tell me two of your favorite blogs, the ones that make you come back every time you want to read something or just to have some fun reading?

KW : I follow on and off several blogs–there are several that I like for health or stress related content and others that I like for mom or humor related content. I also like some travel blogs and blogs about the lives of people who are different from mine. I also have a soft spot for good photos on a blog. It would be tough for me to list just 2! There are so many good ones!

C : Any tips for new momblogger out there?

KW : I would have to say that I have been able to find the answers to just about every question by researching it. It can take some time, but other bloggers are very helpful. Another tip that I would suggest is to connect with some other bloggers in some way. You will find that just like friends you know in person that other bloggers or mom bloggers can be so helpful. Find ways to connect with other bloggers and find ones that share something in common with you (like an interest in crafting, etc). You will find that these connections are mutually beneficial. For instance, I would have to say that one of the best posts on my blog came from a guest posting that Pam Maynard did–she described how to manage stress when you have to get an MRI. When I look back on it, it was such a practical user-friendly post and even if it helps one person be more prepared for an MRI, that makes me happy. I would never have had such a good post on my blog without Pam’s help. http://www.stressandhealthonline.com/blog/need-an-mri-how-to-make-the-experience-positive/

Dr. Wells has shared almost every detail you need to know so what are you waiting for? Go to her site now and find some enlightment for any stress situation that you may have come across (or maybe, ‘may’ come across someday??).