Welcome to the Aware and Prepared podcast

Where I, Mandi, a certified domestic violence victim advocate and survivor, host a podcast about prevention and post-traumatic growth to help others live safer with more peace.


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Hear real stories, expert insights, skills and resources to prevent harm, heal from trauma and grow. Let’s leave worry behind and live aware, prepared and empowered. You deserve to live in peace and safety!

Designing Your Home for Peace: Trauma-Informed Design and the Nervous System

Designing Your Home for Peace: Trauma-Informed Design and the Nervous System

Designing Your Home for Peace: Trauma-Informed Design and the Nervous SystemMandi Pratt
Published on: 19/01/2026

Is your home helping or harming your nervous system? Mandi sits down with trauma-informed interior designer and author, Sarah Trop, to explore how our environments impact emotional safety, regulation, and peace. How can small, thoughtful changes make a big difference? This conversation is filled with practical ideas to help your home or workplace feel more supportive, comforting, and aligned with how you want to feel.

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14 Simple Ways to Calm Your Nervous System When Stressed (Perfect for the Holiday Season)

14 Simple Ways to Calm Your Nervous System When Stressed (Perfect for the Holiday Season)

14 Simple Ways to Calm Your Nervous System When Stressed (Perfect for the Holiday Season)Mandi Pratt
Published on: 17/12/2025

Hear 14 simple, practical ways to calm your nervous system when you feel stuck in fight-or-flight like during the holidays! These are the same tools Mandi learned while healing from years of hypervigilance and complex trauma. These are research-backed gentle practices that help your body relearn what safety feels like. You’ll hear easy, accessible strategies you can use anywhere: at home, in your car, or during stressful moments, to reset your stress response, lower anxiety, and return to calm. This episode is especially supportive during the holidays, when emotions run high and your nervous system may need extra care. These practices aren’t about avoiding what’s hard. They’re about reminding your body that, in this moment, you can feel safe and that peace is something you can return to again and again.

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