American State of Mind

This podcast was one of the hardest ones to do. But after a year of bringing you mental health and politics, it is time to end the show. Schedule conflicts and other issues finally made us make the call to end the show. But this ending is the start of something we hope you join us for, the launch of A More Perfect Union. We hope you give us a follow on Instagram and on Youtube. Be sure to check out our website www.amoreperfectunionshow.org

This week Farra and Scott dive into the topic of perfectionism. The two get honest about their own struggles with perfectionism both in their academics and their careers. What makes us want to be perfect? Why do we work so hard often to the point of anxiety to avoid even the appearance of shortcomings? Scott and Farra discuss how perfectionism has been built into the culture of the United States, and how it has even influenced our political candidates over the past few decades.  The duo also dives into what the heck is going on with President Biden's so-called ban on beef.Be sure to check the show notes and more at ASMPODCAST.COM

Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd by a jury of his peers this week. Scott and Farra dive into the case answering viewer questions and discussing the topics of accountability and justice. Scott breaks down why he did not want to do an episode on the case and what changed his mind. Be sure to visit ASMPODCAST.COM for show notes and more details into supporting the show!

This is a special episode for our monthly supporters we wanted to test out with the entire community. Each week we will be doing a short episode discussing the top news stories of the week. We will break down the facts on both sides and give you a detailed breakdown of the story and in some cases our views on the issues. Please let us know what you think of this new series and be sure to check the show notes for more details. www.asmpodcast.com 

Megan's back and this time with Farra! This week we dive into the Georgia Election Law and try to make sense of the new rules and the conversations around the bill. We look into the controversy around reduced dropboxes and the new rules around handing out water at election sites. Be sure to check out this week's show notes on ASMPODCAST.COM to see all our resources!

The past year has worn on everyone.  Between the normal stresses of day-to-day life and the threat of a pandemic and election, we have all felt like we are at the end of our rope. This week Farra and Scott share their struggles with burnout the past few months, the signs of burnout, and the methods they use to break out of the never-ending burnout cycle. Be sure to visit asmpodcast.com for episode notes and be sure to share on Instagram how you are handling burnout! 

The founders understood the importance of the press. So much so that they made sure to list it as a freedom protected even outside the regular freedom of speech. But the fourth estate is falling as trust in the news seems to be disappearing in the age of instant news. This week we have Megan Burns on to talk about Journalism and the current state of reporting in the United States. We dive into what questions you should ask when reading a story and how to determine a good source of reporting. We also talk about the COVID 19 vaccines and Megan shares her experience with the vaccine and her side effects. 

This week we talk all about race in America. We have three amazing guests who share their experiences about being Black in America. We talk about privilege, power, our history, and where we are presently. Our guests share how we can be allies and how we all can continue to make a change towards equality.Derek Lotthttps://www.instagram.com/derekclott/Charryse Johnsonhttps://www.instagram.com/charryse_j/Veronica Petersonhttps://www.instagram.com/ronitheoptimist/

From Disney to country music, cancel culture seems to be everywhere. But what actually is cancel culture? If there any benefits to "canceling" viewpoints that are offensive? This week on American State of Mind we dive into all things cancel culture and work to identify how both the right and the left seem to practice their own versions of cancel culture. Visit our website to learn more or to become a sponsor! www.asmpodcast.com

In the 1970s, the self-esteem movement came on the scene! This concept of self-esteem was not only promising for individuals, but for our society as a whole. The movement was endorsed by the government, research focused on the topic, and it became a cultural phenomenon in Western societies. So what’s the problem? In the last 20 years, self-esteem has been shown to have some major pitfalls. So how do we get the positive benefits provided by self-esteem without the downsides? This is where self-compassion comes in! So what’s the difference between self-esteem and self-compassion? Join Scott and Farra as they chat all about it!

Well, who would have guessed that a group of people on Reddit would break the stock market? This past week was a wild ride and worth of the meme phrase "stonks". This week we dive into what the heck happened with Game Stop and other stocks. Not to mention we explain what the heck stocks are. ALSO, we learn that Farra likes Batman v Superman....

Cue the Hamilton music cause it's The Biden Administration! But for real after the election that never ended, we had an inauguration and a new administration entered office. We talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly from the first week of the Biden Administration. We discuss if unity is even possible in a world this divided. Plus we answer your submitted questions!

The day after the attack on the Capitol big tech companies took steps to limit speech they felt were inciting violence. This came in the form of Amazon removing social media app Parler from its servers, Twitter banning the Presidents personal account, and Facebook blocking posts with "stop the steal" wording. But in a nation of Free Speech, how is this possible? What does the Frist Amendment have to say when censorship comes not from the government but from corporations? This week we examine the First Amendment and its relationship to the current debate around censorship. We discuss what the future of the nation looks like in the age of the internet.

We all watched as domestic terrorists stormed the capital building. We watched the United States Capital turn into a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. But what now? This week we work to process these emotions and make sense of the world we have entered into.

It has been one wild year! But we are finally done, and with it comes the end of the first season of American State of Mind. We have had blast doing this podcast each week. So this week we answer viewer questions and look forward to next year!

Well Kiddos, it's finally the end. The end of the longest election we have ever had! Today we talk about the electoral college vote and what this means for closing the book on the election. We also discuss what it means to be a Dr, titles, and the wall street journal article targeting Dr. Biden.

Let's talk about... Purity Culture. In the '90s conservative Christian politics pushed the ideas of absence and purity on America's youth. The goal was to reduce sexual activity to prevent teen pregnancy, abortions, and the spread of STDs. Books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye and conferences that featured a torn-up rose taught kids that sex was wrong. But as these kids grew into adults the baggage of this movement has left lasting impacts on men and women. This week we dive into this movement. The politics of it, the impact of it, and how people struggling with sexual issues caused by the purity culture can move into wholeness. Check out the full episode post on our website:www.asmpodcast.com

What do politics have to do with a poop eating flamingo? This episode is an adventure! The holiday season is upon us and we know that this year has been one hell of a year. But we still think there are things for us to be thankful for! We also know for many of you Thanksgiving can bring on stress as family with very different views come under one roof. We unpack some strategies with how to deal with these conversations or how to avoid them entirely. VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.asmpodcast.com

We needed a break from election talk and the end of democracy as we know it. So we chose to talk about our favorite tv shows, movies, and podcast. Somehow that led us to the 1960s, and what it means to compromise in American politics. This episode is worth a listen just for the segues!

The election is over and Joe Biden is the President-Elect. Right? We break down what in the world is going on in the United States. Plus we talk about how you can stay sane in a time where it seems like no one around you is. So let's all take a deep breath and confront our election anxiety head-on.

We are all just exhausted....

This is the final Episode before the 2020 Presidential Election! Once Scott figures out what episode it is, we dive into one last talk about the election. We give tips for figuring out your response to low level ballot topics and give tips for voting on Election Day. Farra also learns about an incredibly important elected office! We also speak to Veronica Peterson, the creator of the Votable App and awesome resource to help people understand government and their ballot. Be sure to visit www.asmpodcast.com for more post and to join our community.

“I was just doing my job”. This phrase is often the excuse we hear for all types of situations, from simple service industry jobs to the horrors of the Nuremberg Trails. This week we dive into what it means to question those in charge. When should we question our roles in the “machine”. We talk about how we as parents can bring up children that respect authority but still have the courage to question authority when it no longer lines up with your moral code. Be sure to check out our website to join our community and get the video version!

Capitalism, socialism, and communism, these are all terms we hear on the news but what do they mean? This week we dive into the new American State of Mind website, the VP debate and discuss the “isms”. Oh and we do it all virtual this week!

Well, it happened. We all watched that debate and it was something. This week we discuss what if anything we got out of the debate. We talk about alternatives and answer your questions from the first debate. From there we touch on The Social Dilemma, a new documentary on Netflix causing a stir! Is it real? What should we do with social media in light of it? Is data a human right?

This week we look at the election! We discuss what voting will be like in the age of COVID-19. We answer your questions about the electoral college, how to choose who you want to vote for, and more. This week our special guest is Kiersten Wonsock from the Florida Governor's office. We talk all about her time on the campaign trail with Senator Rick Scott and what we should all remember during election years. (Note this episode was originally episode 6 but was pushed back after the passing of Justice Ginsburg)

In this episode, we talk about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her legacy. Farra asks all about how the Supreme Court works and what RGB’s death means moving forward. Scott shares what we the people can do moving forward as well.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month and at American State of Mind, we wanted to create an episode to honor this special month. We talked about mental health and suicide awareness, the effects of suicide, resources provided by our government, and we even have a special guest! Licensed Professional Counselor, Charryse Johnson, joins the podcast to help us understand the complexities of suicide and discuss prevention.

In our part 2 episode on trust, we dive into the social disparities we see in communities, income gaps, and thoughts on capitalism. We talk about how our Congress and Senate play a bigger role than we think in the erosion and rebuilding of trust. We then end the episode by discussing how we rebuild trust with others and in institutions.

In this week’s episode, we talk about a very difficult topic: TRUST. We define trust, talk about how it’s built, and how easily trust can be lost. We look at trust within the American government, trust with authority figures, and even trust at a micro-level. This is part one in a two-part series.

This week we talk about the DNC convention and the role conventions and primaries play in our political system. We look at the rise of parties and how their division affects our mental health and our ability to talk about politics with one another.

Let's do this! We kick off American State of Mind with an intro into who we are and why we choose two of the most controversial topics to put into a podcast. We answer a few questions and Farra learns about the census.