A Mental Makeover

It's Mental Health May and I am starting off with insane statistics:ONE BILLION PEOPLE world wide are suffering with a mental health issue!!*This means 1 in 8 people are suffering. 800 THOUSAND PEOPLE commit suicide each year.**Mental health is critical to your over all health and I want to help YOU and those around you learn every day tools to regulate your emotions. We can link arms and help each other in this mental health crisis starting with this episode. *This study includes a wide variety of mental health issues. **This episode includes topics that some may find sensitive. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and needs immediate support, help is availabl. Speak with someone today using the # 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. Dial 988.—Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en Download your FREE Emotion Wheel Here  https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456b

Are apologies really necessary after we hurt someone?YES!There IS a right and wrong way to apologize according to our brains. A sincere apology changes brain activity and an insincere apology actually creates more damage!When we feel emotional hurt, from mean social media comments, to road rage, to relationship abuse, it lights up our brains the same way physical pain would. When we get hurt, or hurt someone else, we judge others on the actions that they took that hurt us, while we judge ourselves on what our intention or meaning was. Have you ever caught yourself saying:Oh, I didn't mean to do that… That's not what I meant to have happen… My intention wasn't to do…. If you're in a relationship you will most likely get hurt as well as hurt someone… which is why it is so important to understand what our brains do when hurt happens. I have a simple tool that will help you navigate your hurt, apologize “correctly” and move forward together, stronger after HURT. 

Our minds do this ONE thing so quickly and we don't even realize it. Have you ever spent time thinking about a choice or decision you made in the past and your brain flips a switch and thinks about how that single choice impacted your future?Have you ever thought…What if?What could have been?Things would be so different if I had… Etc, etc, etc.There is a part of your brain that loves to walk down memory lane and also fast forward to the future in a mater of seconds. What this actually does, is rob us of living in the moment and leads to the feelings of regret. I am teaching you my 3 F Words to step out of regret and into the present so that you can treasure the moments you have NOW and let go because of the things that DIDN'T happen back then. 

First a HUGE thank you to YOU for sharing, liking, and reviewing this podcast! We hit a giant goal at the time of recording this and that is all due to you!! If you haven't had a chance yet, I would love to hear your thoughts and you can write them all out, right here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-mental-makeover/id1625928488Now let's get into it. Has your manifesting failed? Are your mantras leaving you high and dry? Here's Why: A little bit of neuroscience is going to show you the controversy behind these two popular practices.Are they real? Are they backed by science?Do they even work?Have you created a vision board that didn't come to fruition?Feeling frustrated? Here's the secret: You are wasting your time because your brain has it's own belief system and does not always believe you...or those mantras you are saying. If your brain does not believe you, your mantras, meditations, manifestations, are not going to do ANYTHING at all. But there's a solution and I am going to show you.  

Beware the M's of MarchAre mantras, motivations, and manifestations all MADE UP?Are you either born with motivation or born without it?Can you build it and grow it like a skill?I was surprised by the answer to these questions and share them with you. Lacking motivation is not a failure. There are reasons our brains have a hard time being motivated for things we simply don't want to do, find hard, or are stuck in. There are two things that dominate your levels of motivation and I am sharing them both with you in this episode plus simple things you can do in your daily life to encourage yourself to stick to your goals, plans, and schedule. Looking to lose 10 pounds?Wanting to launch a course?Hoping to start a new morning routine?Let's take it one step at a time beginning with your motivation.Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en Download your FREE Emotion Wheel Here: https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456bGrab your Find One Good Thing Journal Here:https://www.stacidanford.com/shop/p/find-one-good-thingDownload your FREE 30 Day Habit Tracker Here:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63502e63e39982440049a077

I had no idea that parenting was going to be such a hot topic!!!And… surely wasn't expecting to hear the incredible questions from you.I didn't know how many important lessons we could all learn from children.Question after question flooded my DM's since starting the first episode in this parenting series and I want to share some of the answers I emailed to those parents with YOU. Plus I'm giving you the TOP 10 things we should NEVER say to our kids (some of which may just surprise you) and the 10 things we should say instead. P.S. I have personally messed up on ALL 10 of them!!!!

Meet the love of my life… my oldest son, Brent. Today you get to meet the first person I ever loved. The one who taught me what real love, unconditional love, looked and felt like. Brent is my first born son. Even at 33 years old my heart bubbles and my entire world lights up when he walks into a room. My deep thinking child sat in the podcast chair totally unprepared, unrehearsed and uninformed because I wanted the raw truth from him as I asked the hard questions. Things like:How did my divorce impact your childhood?Where do you think I messed up?How did you move past the tough times?What lessons did you take with you now that you're an adult, father, husband, and coach?And of course, I had to ask what brain lessons he has taken with him along the way. It isn't always easy to hear your child tell you the pain they went through, especially when you may have been part of the reason. But, from my mom heart to yours, there are SO many lessons we can learn from our children if we go deep enough to ask the tough question, and are willing to hear the answers. This interview is full of wisdom from my boy who is now a man. 

I've had some husbands. I have some sons. But I only have ONE girl. Meet my daughter, Brooklyn. The 29 year old joy, bubbles, tell it like it is part of my life. She is my laughter and the sparkles that keep me on my toes. This wild & free girl shared her heart with me about: the hardest things she faced growing up, the things she wished had been different, and even the things she wants do differently as a mom herself.But with each question she answered I felt so proud to be talking with her because when I asked her what she hoped to bring to her own version of motherhood (that I'd passed along), she said; “I hope to instill unconditional love. I want to show that mama is going to be there, no matter what.”So, if you've ever wondered if you've screwed up your kid's life, remember….LOVE conquers all. Even though mother / daughter relationships can be hard and female relationships, as a whole, are just plain tricky, this one is special. And, when this interview ended, I took a deep breath and knew that maybe I'd done okay.If you are the mom, or you are the daughter, or if you have a special GIRL in your life, I can't wait to see what this episode brings up for you. 

God's funny little joke: Having a baby at 41…. Which turned out to be the gift of my life time. Have you ever done something and thought- “This is going to be what sends my kid to therapy…Me too. I'v thought that about 1,000 times. This week's episode has a very special guest:My youngest son Brady aka: The gift of my life time. The VERY surprise baby who joined my life in my 40's… God's funny little joke. If you sat down and asked your child, “What is the hardest thing you've had to go through?” Would your heart be ready for the answer?? We talk divorce, step parents, moves, having multiple father figures, and everything I “did” to help or hinder him in the past 15 years. A little tears, a little laughter and a lot of honest, introducing Brady Danford my next guest.

Why are we ALWAYS wanting more??Why does the spark fizzle out on new things so fast??  Including in relationships...Why do we want something SOO bad and once we have it, we lose interest?? It's a human thing we are all experiencing but why? And how do we combat it?? How do those feelings relate to why goals might actually be setting us up for failure?? It's the why episode and I am answering it all with science + brain patterns. The simple answer? We're just wired this way. The solution? That's what I can't wait to share with you. 

Season 2 of A Mental Makeover is here!!And we're kicking it off with a bang: 23 Brain Tips for 2023. What if I told you this year could be different if all you had was a road map and series of steps?? Would you do it?I am a firm believer in taking action on the information we learn so this episode is all about actions you can take to make sure this year isn't a repeat of the past. Don't let 23 action steps overwhelm you! It all begins with choosing in to just one thing. I can't wait to get started in this year with you. Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en Download your FREE Emotion Wheel Here: https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456bGrab your Find One Good Thing Journal Here:https://www.stacidanford.com/shop/p/find-one-good-thingDownload your FREE 30 Day Habit Tracker Here:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63502e63e39982440049a077

It's the holiday season and in the face of traditions, I am offering you something new. We are talking about a new approach to building better boundaries for yourself through the eyes of neuroscience. Maybe you have heard the term boundaries…I find it to be a buzz word of the moment…. So why is it important?How do we do it?What do you need to set them?Let's rewind with WHAT a boundary is. I am challenging you to reframe the very definition of a boundary. I am going to show you how we start setting our boundaries first by setting a goal. Just one goal. If there is one episode I want you to hear this holiday season, it's this one. Let's get into it. 

Episode Warning: This episode may be a bit controversial and I am asking you, the listeners, to come into this one with an open mind. I am treating this episode as a true Catholic confessional leading with why and when I was a total judgmental jerk, and the lesson I learned from it. Did you know that we're all judgmental at the core. And here's why:Our brains are wired to judge because it needs make quick decisions.Here's how: If I see a snake on my porch, I need my brain to make a quick judgement that I might be in danger and need to shut my back door. We don't have time to go through a whole mental process to first identify if it is slimy, if it is green, if it is moving, is it venomous. Instead, we need our brain to wire and fire quickly!!This is all happening at a subconscious level. BUT...we CAN switch this judgement zone over to a cognitive level however, which allow us to slow our own roll. Here's my first ask. Listen to this episode with a pause, being open to the fact that MAYBE your judgements are coming from a subconscious place from which you have no TRUE experience. Then, lean in to listening and learning more from others. Here's my second ask. Write me. I would love to know how this episode has added to, taken away from, shifted, or solidified your opinion. I would also love to hear your moments of unintentional judgement. Oh and ps.We do talk Kanye!!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not just to say it, but to LIVE it! ~ John F. Kennedy I want to wish you a wonderful celebration, where ever you are, where ever you are celebrating, what ever you are doing, have a happy, happy Thanksgiving! I encourage you to pause today and notice what you are grateful for. Celebrate being grateful and the feeling of thankfulness more than just this holiday and more than just in November. I'll walk you through the easiest way to do this using your phone! Take a moment, to ask yourself: If tomorrow was my last day, what things, people, places, have I LOVED and cherished the most? I hope you cherish this holiday. Sending love to you and yours, from me and mine! 

Do you have any regrets? My own answer has surprised me and I want to share it with you. So while I have been thinking about this question non stop, I want to ask you the same thing… Do you have any regrets? What do you do with these regrets? Have they kept you up at night the way this question alone has for me?One of the regrets that keeps coming up for me that I share with you in this episode is one that lasted for nearly a decade. It came from selfishness more than anything else and maybe this is something you can relate to. So, join me in this episode as we walk down the aisle of regret, BUT don't worry, we won't stay and take residency there, I'll show you how to move forward from your regrets, decisions you've made, and help you see you ARE the cookie on the dessert table.  —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en Download your FREE Emotion Wheel Here  https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456b

This is the most popular topic in my dm's as soon as November hits: The Holidays. Thoughts like these might begin to creep in:"What if my family doesn't get along?""What if I don't want to see them?""What if I'm grieving?""How do I get through this season when I feel anything but joyful?"So what can you do to get through your holidays with a dash more joy?This Holiday Handbook comes in two chapters: 1. How to handle families/relationships & all of those potentially tricky dynamics2. How to navigate seasonal depressionI'm walking you through just how to prepare for your holiday season by understanding why your brain is working the way it is then giving you practical tips on how to make your holiday a little more hopeful. Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en Download your FREE Emotion Wheel Here  https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456b

Sometimes when we are struggling with something, it is so easy to feel alone. We forget we are more alike as people than we are different. We judge ourselves, we make ourselves feel like we aren't capable, we maybe even just feel down right unlucky. So what do we do when we hit a bout of bad luck? First we second guess ourselves, right? Maybe I'm not supposed to do this... Maybe I'm not made for this... Maybe I'm not ready for this...Second we activate fear and trauma in our brains. We lean into what has happened to us before and send ourselves into total fear and worry. Third we watch it all pile up and feel overwhelmed like we can't handle one more thing. What can we do instead?Introducing the "Bounce Back."I'm walking you through what the bounce back is, and how you can build your resilience to have your brain literally bounce back from adversities.  —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en Download your FREE Emotion Wheel Here  https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456b

çWell this podcast took a turn.Have you ever had a plan and before you could even blink you took a deep detour? That was this episode. This podcast is one of my most personal and truly vulnerable yet. Things have happened in my life that have been HARD and I think when people look at someone who is ‘always happy' or ‘extremely positive' it's easy to assume they haven't experience anything difficult… right??Death, addiction, affairs, divorce. It's all in here. Dealing with difficulty.  Hard times, tricky situations, and difficult people, they aren't always quick and easy to get through which is why we NEED the tools to endure. I want to bring you those lessons today.   — Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en Download your FREE Emotion Wheel Here  https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456b

I get emailed about this once a week… I get dm's about it multiple times a day…I get questions about it at every event…  What is toxic positivity and how does it work??The truth is, you may have fallen into toxic talk without even knowing it which is why I am here to tell you the FIVE things to NEVER say again. Here's what you'll learn:The difference between toxic positivity and positive psychology Why ‘pretending' is the death to true positivity and joyWhy feeling your feelings is vital - including the hardshipsWhat NOT to say and what to swap it for If you are guilty of saying or doing some of these things, that's OKAY. Spoiler alert, I'm guilty of some of them too. But when you learn why they're so harmful, you'll want to change. Get ready for a new outlook and more true authentic feelings. Let's get into it.Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=enDownload your FREE Emotion Wheel Here https://view.flodesk.com/emails/635084004df020ce04fe456b

Have you ever wondered if the "gratitude attitude" mindset is real or total bullsh$t?? I've heard ALL the doubts about gratitude. I'm here today to bust the TOP 3 MYTHS and set the record straight. Here's the truth: Gratitude has a direct impact on your brain and your brain chemicals. That is NOT bullsh$t. So where do you start? I have had a gratitude practice for the past 15 years. It has changed shape and steps, but the core has remained the same for over a decade and that is because IT WORKS. You don't have to list hundreds of things you are grateful for to have a “good” gratitude practice. I am giving you permission to skip the long winded lists of things you are thankful for. In fact, these can lead to dread, frustration, and annoyance. Instead, I give you my game changing tip to transform how you “do” gratitude as well as a little secret for the next time you're in the Starbucks line and need an extra mood boost.

I was a self help junkie. I read hundreds of books in an effort to better myself. I was on the hunt for what was wrong in my life and the answer to fix it. The issue?? None of the self help books, the motivational conferences, the $9 to $999 downloadable courses, or 5 steps to success workshops were getting to the ROOT cause: The Brain. I am busting myths in this episode starting with: Knowledge is NOT power. Willpower is the number one thing I hear is a problem, and that leads to guilt about not having what is needed to make a change. Here's how "self help" works:We have years and years of compounded thoughts. We spend 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day, submerged into a new idea. Then, we expect that tiny new thought to over ride our years and years of previous thoughts. See how that doesn't quite stick??There IS a way to have the self help books help you, but it begins deep in the brain with a foundational change and I am showing you the 3 ways to make that happen. PS. I mention seasons of changes in this episode and reference my episode on change, check out my episode here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5naQzrndvzESMsHZu7YN3h?si=58a07c7305044fba—Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en

Divorce. Job Shifts. Relocating. Body Changes. I think it's safe to say that MOST people don't love change and especially don't love being stuck in transition. A new job, a new town, a new school, there is pain where there is transition, and I am going to show you just what transition does to your brain so that together, we can make them a little easier. The fear in transition comes from the lies we tell ourselves:“It is never going to get better.”“It was the best is ever was, the way it was before.”“It can't ever be as good.”“My best days are behind me, and everything in front of me is going to be sad/bad/fill in the blank.” Whether you are dreading what's next, or you are ready to hurry up and get to the next phase, these feelings and thoughts we have create during transitional time, actually wire our brains to produces chemicals that continue to make us sad and STUCK in the bad. So what do we do? I'm telling you just how to treat transitions! —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en

Did you know that JOY is fleeting? It doesn't stick. We can feel joy in a moment, but soon after, it fades away! Do you know why?? Because joy is not a THREAT to our survival so it doesn't stay around like danger, hurt, and worry. Your brain holds onto the THREATS. Your brain thinks that reminding you what hurt or caused you danger, will in turn protect you from having it happen again. So how do we keep the joy alive and hold onto those moments??I am showing you HOW in this episode by sharing my top 10 moments of the summer! From my "me-cation" to my implant removal, to feeding an alligator, to spending quality time with my kids, these 10 moments of joy are ones I am training myself to hold onto. Listen to my top 10 moments then make a note of my FOUR tips to make your own list today to hold on to joy. —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=enGrab my free back to school anxiety sheet: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271fe

We're getting into a personal experience today… Introducing The Thought Thief. Here's my question: Are you stealing from yourself?Your brain might be stealing your joy, your happiness, and your well being just from the thoughts inside your head.In this episode, we will take a quick inventory of thoughts and identify how they may be the silent thieves of our good feelings. Maybe you have heard or even SAID this very common phrase: ‘If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all…'LIE. Your brain, is always listening, not just to your words, but to your thoughts too. Especially the thoughts you have about yourself and I want to show you how to trick the brain into THINKING the nice things not just saying them. —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=enGrab my free back to school anxiety sheet: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271fe

Back to school season…This episode is for the caregivers, the parents, the teachers, the adults in a child's life because we are talking about how to handle going back to school for the first time in nearly 3 years. Together we cover how to help your children navigate this stressful time of the year. Kids, pre teens, even teens, don't have the mental wiring systems to express the levels of stress or anxiety they are feeling about going back to school. So what do they do when they don't know what to say, they say nothing at all.How do you read the silence? How do you know how to help?How do you support them? Let's dive into it together in this episode. —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en

Brains and Bathingsuits….In the swings of menopause Fresh off removing my breast implants I am over 50 On a beach, surrounded by babes in bikinis…Sounds like a dream summer day, right? HA. How many of you have experienced feeling avoidance, fear, or anxiety around being in a bathing suit in the summer?This episode is to address just how one (little) article of clothing, and cause a big impact on the brain. Our 2nd episode of In Her Shoes is here and I am helping you do a quick confidence check. I am Staci Danford, an educational neuroscientist with another episode of A Mental Makeover here to remind you that the jiggle does not have to impact the joy. Can't wait for you to listen. —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feGrab my free downloadable to explant surgeries:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en

Today's topic is going into the truth bombs of my most recent surgey:Breast Implant RemovalThere is a huge surge of people who are having their implants removed, also known as an explant surgery. So many of the small symptoms I was having are related to breast implant illness. Why did I get implants?What is breast implant illness?What were my symptoms?How was it impacting my brain? Before and after the surgeries??I am answering it all this week. No questions are off limits. Let's take a journey back to 1999.... —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feLet's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en

"I wish I had more confidence...""How do they have so much confidence???""Where do they get that kind of self assurance?"I used to think confidence was something you were just born with. I used to think it could come from your upbringing, or life experiences. I used to think you either had it or you don't. The truth is, neuroscience now knows confidence is a SKILL. And the best news ever? You can learn it, at any age, at any time, in any circumstance!In hopes of bringing you the tools you need to start growing that self confidence skill, I am combining my coaching, training, and mindfulness techniques to you in this episode while bringing awareness to the FOUR confidence killers you need to know about! —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feJoin my Mental Health May free zoom community:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/625ef6c756c69c8b0fd423f7 Let's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en

After spending a decade in the “brain space” I am coming to you in the podcasting space! Welcome to A Mental Makeover, where we have a little bit of neuroscience, a little bit of a joy, and a whole lot of fun. In hopes of bringing you the tools you need to boost your self esteem, I am combining my coaching, training, and mindfulness techniques to you in this episode! I am busting myths and spilling secrets on all things self esteem, including a daily habit you can take on to improve how you see YOU. So what is self esteem? How do you grow it? This is a conversation I want to have with you so that YOU can learn how to have better conversations with yourself, even if it's tough. Let's talk about it. —Do you get my weekly email?? Come join the party:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62472584b3be600de2a271feJoin my Mental Health May free zoom community:https://view.flodesk.com/pages/625ef6c756c69c8b0fd423f7 Let's follow each other on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stacidanford/?hl=en