Meet Jessica Cording

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Cording. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessica, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hopes that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
Navigating PTSD related to sexual assault as a teenager has been one of the most profound learning experiences of my life. My frustration with my mind and body and the challenges I encountered in trying to communicate those struggles to others nudged me towards the path of studying the connections between our mental, physical, and emotional health. Over twenty years later, this is a key focus of my professional work as a dietitian, health coach, Pilates instructor, and author.

It took time to learn and understand, but some of the things that have been most helpful for me are focusing on nutrition (especially blood sugar management and gut health), exercise, and sleep hygiene. Major shout-out to the wonders of therapy, as well!

I learned pretty young that drugs and alcohol were not going to be my thing, but workaholism was another story. I do feel like I have to be mindful of having an underlying addiction, so to speak, to achieving and to being “productive,” as these were more “acceptable” crutches that society rewards you for. Coming from a family where being busy is a badge of honor and—let’s be real—being an elder millennial who was fed all the “girl boss” messaging for many years, I’ve definitely had some rock-bottom burnout experiences. While she never takes this advice herself, my mother has always said that if you don’t take time for rest, your body will choose that time for you, and that is so true!

While I still have to keep my tendency to work too much in check (especially when I’m going through an emotionally challenging time), talking about it with my husband, journaling, and making time for activities away from my phone and computer help a lot. I’ve also learned that when I feel some old trauma dust kicked up, that’s when I need to call my therapist, grab my journal, get extra intentional about incorporating stress-fighting foods, get outside, and plan some fun or relaxing activities to shift my energy.

I don’t look at being “healed” from PTSD as never ever feeling triggered again, but rather, I believe it’s about being able to recognize when it happens and utilize the tools you have to come back into balance.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a dietitian, health coach, and author who focuses a lot on the intersections between nutrition, lifestyle, and mental health. I’m known for my mind-body-spirit approach and my emphasis on building sustainable healthy habits to support overall wellbeing. Through my writing, consulting, public speaking, and counseling, I work with individuals, corporations, and the media to help make healthy living approachable and enjoyable.

I’m the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety and The Farewell Tour: A Caregiver’s Guide To Stress Management, Sane Nutrition, and Better Sleep (Viva Editions). I also write for several media outlets, such as SHAPE and Forbes, and am frequently featured in many other publications online and in print. I also run the Drama-Free Healthy Living podcast and have recorded guided meditations for the Simple Habit app. Additionally, a big believer in the mental and physical benefits of exercise, I’m a certified Pilates mat instructor.

I love helping people who are trying to reach and maintain a healthy weight in a sustainable way, improve their energy, build muscle and feel stronger, and feel calmer about food and exercise. I’ve worked a lot with women navigating hormonal shifts related to pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause, and being able to demystify those experiences and help them feel more at home in their body makes me so happy. I also support trauma survivors who have found some help from traditional treatments like therapy but still have a hard time trusting their body’s cues and establishing an eating and exercise routine that helps them feel more grounded and resilient in the face of triggers that do come up. Stress management and sleep hygiene are also big focuses in my work, as someone can be eating a really nourishing diet, working out consistently, but if they’re super-stress or their sleep is shot, it’s going to be hard to see results or even just feel like a functional human.

I also love working with food and lifestyle brands on various kinds of projects, whether that is consulting behind the scenes on product or program development, collaborating on media campaigns, or doing educational programs for their audiences. Public speaking is also a big part of my work. I have over 15 years of experience speaking to in-person and virtual groups of all sizes. On the corporate wellness side, I work with companies who invest in their employees by offering resources like webinars, live lectures, recipe demos, nutrition counseling, and self-guided or group virtual courses.

Something newer I’ve been working on is the Trauma Healing Toolbox online coaching program, where I share nutrition and lifestyle game changers to support trauma recovery. It originated because I began receiving a lot of inquiries from people who’d read about my trauma journey and were looking for support, and I couldn’t find anything out there that offered comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle approaches to support more traditional trauma healing tools like therapy. Originally launched in January of 2024, I am continuing to evolve the program.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Early on in my education and career, I felt insecure about being a creative as well as a clinician—I thought I had to keep those two parts of my life separate! It wasn’t until I embraced the creative along with the clinical that I felt fulfilled and like I was honoring my true nature. I wish I could tell my younger self to stop wasting time worrying about being “too much” or “not enough” or to get hung up on what she “should” be doing—and to just follow what lights her up and not compare herself to others! We’re all on our own path, and that’s okay. That’s a beautiful thing. Honestly, as a recovering people pleaser, I still need to remind myself of these things sometimes!

I would also add that giving myself permission to trust my intuition has been huge. For me, it’s always been there, insistent and clear, and listening to that inner voice sooner rather than later tends to save a lot of stress and heartache down the road. When that voice tells you something that maybe you don’t want to hear or that surprises you, get curious about that rather than shut it down.

Lastly, I like to believe my optimism is my superpower. Setbacks and challenges are inevitable, and I have found time and again that my ability and willingness to reframe these struggles has helped me feel more resilient.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I didn’t really understand until I was older how lucky I was for always feeling like I could be myself around my parents. Being encouraged to stay true to who I am was a gift. While they definitely reminded me to keep my audience in mind (and not to curse in school / at work / on National TV) they always encouraged me to speak my heart and communicate clearly.

Something else that really stuck with me was that even though they worked really hard and were very busy, we still felt close and connected. It showed me the value of emotional presence and that it goes way beyond just being in the same room as someone.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Alyssa Peek (for main photo and the one of me by the flowers) Karen Obrist (for photo of my in a the black coat outside and of me doing Pilates with my dog) The book covers can be credited to Viva Editions / Start Media The other photo of me outside was taken by my husband, Jacob Tschetter

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