Podcasts about psychological strength

Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist, speaker, author, and co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. She is passionate about using psychology and applied neuroscience to help people live bold, happy lives. Dr. Ashley Smith Vroom Vroom Veer Show Summary In this episode of "Vroom Vroom Veer," Jeff Smith opens with a warm welcome to Dr. Ashley Smith, after an insightful introduction by Tim Paige on the show's theme of embracing the veers in life. Dr. Ashley Smith, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in anxiety disorders, shares both professional insights and personal stories. She discusses her work in psychology and neuroscience, detailing her involvement with Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, a venture she co-founded to make psychological tools more accessible beyond academic and therapy settings. Jeff and Ashley delve into various topics, including handling life's challenges, understanding how our brains can act as barriers to happiness, and leveraging mindfulness to lead a better life. Ashley shares her personal journey, dealing with vision impairment, and how she has turned personal trials into professional triumphs, adapting her life to focus on what truly brings happiness. They discuss the importance of understanding the mind's functionality, which often prioritizes survival over happiness, and how one can train themselves to foster happiness by nurturing a different relationship with their thoughts and emotions. Ashley also shares her experiences of shifting from traditional clinical practice to virtual sessions, emphasizing the advantages it presents for both her professional and personal growth. She talks about how embracing changes and confronting fears has helped her live a more fulfilling life. The episode concludes with both hosts reflecting on the beauty of being here in the moment and the importance of continually seeking personal satisfaction over external accomplishments. Listeners are directed to Ashley's resources and contacts for further engagement, making it clear how insightful and practical her contributions to psychology and personal happiness are. Jeff Smith closes the episode, ensuring the audience is left with meaningful strategies to navigate their life's veers. Connections Website

Loved today's episode with Dr. Ashley Smith. This is one of my favorites because she left us with so many tangible tips to help us with our mindset and outlook, and I know you are going to love this one too.Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed psychologist, co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, speaker, and author of *The Way I See It: A Psychologist's Guide to a Happier Life*.She is a sought-after anxiety expert and an outspoken advocate dedicated to changing the way we approach mental health and wellbeing.Dr. Ashley is also open about learning to thrive with a rare visual impairment. The combination of her professional expertise and personal experiences puts her in a unique position to educate and inspire. She is passionate about helping others live bold, happy lives while performing at their peak.We talked about her visual impairment and how she was able to get out of despair and move forward. We talked about happiness and how to achieve a happy life. The way she talks about difficult emotions and anxiety is so helpful, and really, this episode is for everyone! I hope you enjoy Dr. Ashley Smith's episode as much as I do. Please share this with someone who could use these tools in their lives and leave us a review as it helps us get the word out about our show.FIND DR. ASHELY SMITH, Click hereFind her book: The Way I see it  EYES WIDE OPEN BOOK, Click here  Find Jess below!Website: Simply Jess Skincare SIMPLY JESS SKINCARE:Each and every product is naturally derived, highly concentrated and most importantly, super performing! Every product was born out of a need to have a truly pure product that met my high standards for efficacy. You can take 20% off Your Order of our all natural skincare line with code PODCAST Shop Now! Email Us! jess@learningtoglow.comFollow us! Instagram Tik Tok

@jewel says denying the truth cost her years of her life. This is how she shifted her perception to see truth more clearly and regain her strength. “My number one job was to be a happy, whole human — not a human full of holes.” Jewel Kilcher, singer-songwriter, and visual artist, opens up about her childhood, the start of her career, and what makes Jewel, Jewel. After being discovered during a coffee shop gig in the 1990's, folk singer Jewel began the life-long endeavor of being a performer. Jewel went on to gain worldwide recognition for her talent and creativity. But who is she at her core? What are her greatest fears, her deepest aspirations? In this interview, Jewel shares the personal struggles and triumphs that have shaped her, the importance of truth on her life and well-being, and the lessons she's learned along the way. Through this conversation, Jewel offers an up-close look into her journey, revealing the experiences and hard-won insights that have shaped her as both an artist and a person. We created this video in partnership with @unlikelycollaborators. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Jewel: Jewel Kilcher, known mononymously as Jewel, embodies the quintessential story of resilience and artistic integrity. From her humble beginnings in the rugged landscapes of Alaska to her rise as a multi-platinum recording artist, Jewel's journey is a testament to the transformative power of art. Homeless at 18, she honed her craft performing in coffee shops, blending folk, pop, and country influences with her ethereal voice and introspective songwriting. Her debut album, "Pieces of You," captured hearts worldwide, achieving remarkable commercial success while delivering profound, soul-stirring messages. Beyond music, Jewel's talents extend to poetry and acting, with her literary works and performances reflecting her deep empathy and authenticity. Jewel's commitment to social causes, including mental health advocacy and her foundation, the Inspiring Children Foundation, underscores her dedication to making a positive impact. In a world often dominated by transient fame, Jewel stands out as a beacon of enduring creativity and compassionate leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Dr. Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist, co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, and a self-proclaimed happiness quester. Since earning her PhD in 2007, she has become a sought-after specialist in the treatment of anxiety disorders. In addition to direct patient care, Dr. Ashley has published a book, articles, and a weekly blog. She regularly provides keynotes, workshops, and trainings for a variety of audiences and is involved in public outreach through the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Dr. Ashley is also open about living - and learning to thrive - with a rare visual impairment. The combination of her professional expertise and personal experiences put her in a unique position to educate and inspire. She is passionate about helping others live bold, happy lives through the use of psychology and applied neuroscience, and her ultimate goal is to change the way people think.   In this episode we talk about:  ◾️ Uncertainty, adversity, and knowing limitations when dealing with mental illness ◾️ Dr. Ashley's personal experience with mental illness ◾️ Dr. Ashley's approach in treating individual patients Find Ashley here:   drashleysmith.com Find Zach here : zachwesterbeck.com @zach_westerbeck This podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, affordable, and convenient OCD therapy. NOCD therapists are trained in Exposure Response Prevention, or ERP, therapy, the gold standard treatment for OCD. With NOCD, you can do virtual, live face-to-face video sessions with one of their licensed, specialty-trained therapists, and they accept most major insurance plans. If your insurance isn't covered, mention discount code ZACH100 for a special $100 rate for the next two months. To find out more about NOCD, visit zachwesterbeck.com/virtual-ocd-therapy/ to book a free 15-minute call.

Hello and welcome back, everybody. We have an amazing guest today. This is actually somebody I have followed, sort of half known for a long time through a very, very close friend, Shala Nicely, who's been on the show quite a few times, and she connected me with Dr. Ashley Smith. Today, we are talking about happiness and what makes a “good life” regardless of anxiety or of challenges you may be going through.  Dr. Ashley Smith is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She's the co-founder of Peak Mind, which is The Center for Psychological Strength. She's a speaker, author, and entrepreneur. She has her own TED Talk, which I think really shows how epic and skilled she is.  Today, we talk about how to be happy. What is happiness? How do you get there? Is it even attainable? What is the definition of happiness? Do we actually want it or is it the goal or is it not the goal? I think that this is an episode I needed to hear so much. In fact, since hearing this episode as we recorded it, I basically changed quite a few things. I will be honest with you, I didn't actually change things related to me, but I changed things in relation to how I parented my children. I realized midway through this episode that I was pushing them into the hamster wheel of life. Ashley really helped me to acknowledge and understand that it's not about success, it's not about winning things, it's not about achievement so much, while they are very important. She talks about these specific things that science and research have shown to actually improve happiness.  I'm going to leave it at that. I'm going to go right over to the show. Thank you, Dr. Ashley Smith, for coming on. For those who want to know more about her, click the links in the show notes, and I cannot wait to listen back to this with you all. Have a great day, everybody.  Kimberley: Welcome, Dr. Ashley Smith. I'm so happy to have you here. Dr. Ashley: I am excited to be here today. I've wanted to be on your podcast for years, so thank you for this. Kimberley: Same. Actually, we have joint friends and it's so good when you meet people through people that you trust. I have actually followed you for a very long time. I'm very excited to have you on, particularly talking about what we're talking about. It's a topic we probably should visit more regularly here on the show. We had discussed the idea of happiness and what makes a good life. Can you give me a brief understanding of what that means or what your idea about that is? Dr. Ashley: Yeah. Oh, this is a topic that I love to talk about. When I think about it, I have a little bit of a soapbox, which is that I think our approach to mental health is broken. I say that as someone who is a mental health practitioner, and I really love my job and I love working with people and helping. But what I mean by that is our traditional approach has been, “Let's reduce symptoms. Let's correct the stuff that's ‘wrong' with someone.” When it comes to anxiety or depression, it's how do we reduce that? And that's great. Those are really important skills, but we've got this whole other side that I think we need to be focusing on. And that is the question of how do we get more of the good stuff. More happiness, more well-being. How do we create lives that are worth living? That's not the same as how do we get rid or reduce anxiety and depression. In the field of psychology, there's this branch of it called Positive Psychology. I stumbled on that 20 years ago as a grad student and thought, “This is amazing. People are actually studying happiness. There's a science to this.” I looked at happiness and optimism and social anxiety and depression and how those were all connected. Fast forward, 15 years or so, I really hit a point with my professional life and my personal life where I was recognizing, “Wait a minute, I need more. I need more as an individual. The clients I work with need more. How do we get more of this good stuff?” This is the longest preamble to say, I did a deep dive into the science of happiness and learned a lot over the years, and I want to be really clear about a couple of things. When we talk about happiness, a lot of people think pleasure. “I want good experiences, I want to enjoy this.” That's a part of it, this positive emotion that we all call happiness or joy. But that's only a piece of it. There's actually this whole backfiring process that can happen when we chase that. If I'm just chasing the next pleasant event, what that actually does is set me up to not have a happy life. Think about it. I mean, I love chocolate, and if I eat that unchecked because it brings me pleasure, at some point, it's going to take a toll on my health. What does that actually do to my well-being and happiness?  What was really interesting getting into this area was, it's not just this transient state of pleasure or enjoyment, but they're the other factors that contribute to a good life. It's things like relationships. It's things like meaning and purpose. It's engagement. It's achievement even. It's these things that are not always pleasant in the moment, but that really contribute to this sense of satisfaction with life or contentment with life. I think it's really important that we need to be looking at what are the ingredients that really make a good life.  WHAT IS CONSIDERED A GOOD LIFE?  Kimberley: I love this, and I love a good recipe too. I like following recipes and ingredients. It's funny, I'm actually in the process of getting good at cooking and I'm realizing for the first time in my life that following instructions and ingredients is actually a really important thing, because I'm not that person. First of all, what is a good life? When I looked at that, I actually put it in quote marks. What is a good life? What do you think? You explained it; it's not chasing pleasure. We know that doesn't work, otherwise, you just buy a bunch of stuff you don't want and behave in ways that aren't helpful. Not to also villainize pleasure, it's a great thing, but what would you describe as a good life? Dr. Ashley: On the one hand, it's the million-dollar question. Philosophers and scientists and religious leaders and all kinds of people have been trying to answer that question for eons. I don't know that I have it nailed down. I think I'm humble enough to say I have my own ideas about it. To me, what makes a good life, it's really when the way we spend our time lines up with what's important to us, when we're living in accordance with our values to use some psych buzzwords, but when we're doing the things that really matter. I think also part of a good life is having daily rhythms and lifestyle habits that support us as biological creatures. I want to contrast that with the demands of modern life, which are that we should be productive 24/7, that we should be multitasking. People sacrifice sleep and movement and leisure time and stillness. I think all of that compromises us. It impacts us on a neurological level. Our brains are part of our system. If we're not taking care of our system, they're not going to function optimally. That gets in the way of a good life.  When we're sacrificing relationships, when I look at all of the research, when I look at my own experience, a huge component of a good life is having quality relationships. Not quantity, quality. Trusting ones that are full of belonging and acceptance that are two-way support streets, those are really important. I think a lot of times, modern life compromises that. We get pulled in all of these other directions. Kimberley: Yeah. Oh my gosh, there's so many things. I also think that anxiety and depression pull us away from those things too. You are anxious or you're depressed and so, therefore, you don't go to the party or the family event or the church service. That's an interesting idea. I love this. Tell us about this idea of meaning. How do we find meaning? I'll just share with you a little bit of my own personal experience. I remember when I was actually going through a very difficult time with my chronic illness and I know I was depressed at the time. It was the first time in my life where I started to have thoughts like, “What's the point?” Not that I was saying I was suicidal, but I was more like, “I just don't understand why am I doing all this.” I think that that's common. What are your thoughts on this idea of the meaning behind in life? Dr. Ashley: That's a fantastic question. I have a vision impairment, so I'm legally blind. It's a really rare thing and it's unpredictable. I don't know how much sight I will lose. Ultimately, the doctors can't tell me there's no treatment options. It's just I go along and every so often, there's a shift and I see less. For me, I hit that same point you were talking about back in 2014 when I had to stop driving. I was anxious and I would say depressed and really wallowing in this, “What does this mean for my life? I can't be independent. People aren't going to associate with me personally or professionally when they see this flaw.” It was a dark point. For me, that's when I went back to the science of happiness when I finally got tired of being stuck and I realized my anxiety skills and my depression skills. They're helpful and I practice what I preach, but it wasn't enough. And that's really what propelled me back into this science of happiness where I figured, you know what, someone has to have done this.  I did come across this theory of well-being called the PERMA factors. These are like the ingredients that we need. I'm getting back to that because the M in this is meaning. With this, the PERMA factors, P is positive emotion. That's the pleasure, the joy, the happiness. Cool. I know some strategies for boosting that. E is engagement. Are you really involved and engaged in what you're doing? Are you present? Are you hitting that state of flow? R is the relationships, A (skipping ahead) is achievement, but M is this meaning, and it's a hard one to figure out.  I remember then, this started what I was calling my blind quest for happiness where I started to think about, what do I need to do? How do I experiment? How do I live a happy life despite these cards I've been dealt? We don't get to choose them. You've got a chronic illness, I have a vision impairment, listeners have anxiety and depression, and we get these cards. I think of it like if life is a poker game, we don't get to choose the cards we're dealt, but by golly, we get to choose how to play them, and that's important. I think a lot of times people can turn adversity into meaning. For me, I'm now at a point where it's not that I don't care about my vision, it's just I really accepted it. It is what it is, it's going to do what it's going to do, and I'm focusing on the things I can control. That has given me a sense of meaning. I want to help other people live better lives. I want to help other people crack the code of how our brains work against us and how do we play our cards well. If we go to all of this, “meaning” is really just finding something that's bigger than you are, finding something to pursue or contribute to that's bigger than you. I think when we look at anxiety and depression, the nature of those experiences is that they make us very self-involved. I mean, people with anxiety and depression, in my experience, have giant hearts, tons of empathy, but it locks our thinking into our experience and what's going on in these unhelpful thoughts.  When we can connect with something bigger than us, it gets us outside of that.  If I go back to grad school, writing my dissertation was decidedly not a fun experience. Would I do it again? Yes. Because it was worth it on this path to my reason for being—helping people live better lives. Sometimes I think when we have this meaning, this purpose, this greater good, it helps us endure the things that I want to say suck. Kimberley: You can say suck. Dr. Ashley: Yeah. That's where it's not just about how do I get rid of anxiety or depression. Sometimes we can't. Chronic health conditions, anxiety is chronic. My vision is chronic. I'm not getting rid of this, but how do I live a good life despite that? I think there are a ton of examples throughout history and currently of people doing amazing things despite some hardship.  Kimberley: Yeah. I love this idea. It's funny, you talk about being outside yourself. When I'm having a bad day, I usually go, there's like a 10 minutes' drive from us that looks over Los Angeles. If let's say I'm having a day where I'm in my head only looking at my problems, and then I see LA, I'm like, “Oh honey, there is a whole world out there that you haven't thought about.” I'm not saying that in a critical way, just like it gives me perspective. Dr. Ashley: I think that's so important, to realize there's so much more. When it does shrink our problems, all of a sudden, it's manageable. Kimberley: Right. Let's talk about just one more question about meaning. I'm guessing more about people finding what's your why and so forth. What would you encourage for people who are very unhappy, have been chasing this idea of reducing anxiety, reducing depression, chasing pleasure, and feeling very stuck between those? Let's say I really have no idea what my meaning is. What would be your advice to start that process?  Dr. Ashley: Experimentation. I think experimenting is a lifestyle that I wish everyone would adopt, because what happens is we want to think. We are thinkers. That's what our minds were designed to do. That's awesome and sometimes it's really helpful, but I don't think we're going to think our way into passion or meaning or a good life. I think we have to start trying things. What will happen, if you notice, is your mind is going to have a lot of commentary. It's going to say, “That's dumb. That's not going to work. Who are you to try that? You can't do that.” It's all just noise that if we look at what is it doing, it's keeping you stuck. With the experimentation, I'm just a big fan of go try it. Whether you think it's going to work or not, you don't know. We want to trust our experience, not what our mind tells us. Trust your actual experience.  For me, I remember getting my first self-help book. It was actually called Go Find Your Passion and Purpose. Because I was at this crossroads, I had been doing anxiety work for a long time, had plateaued, and was feeling a little bored, and that coincided with the stopping driving. My whole personal world was just in disarray and I was like, “I'm going to go hike part of the Appalachian Trail while I can. While I do that, I'm going to find my purpose in life.” I did not find it, but it was an experiment. I go and I get this experience and I can say, “Okay, I'm not going to be someone who does a six-month hike. I made it four days. Awesome.” But go and experiment with things. I never thought that I would really want to write and I started a blog, and that has turned out to be such a positive experience. Prior to that, my writing experience had been very academic where it was a chore. Now, this is something I really enjoy, or talking to people.  I would say experiment and continue to seek out those new experiences. One, seeking out new experiences helps on the anxiety side because you're continually putting yourself into uncertain and new, so your confidence level is going to grow, your tolerance for not knowing grows, and your tolerance for awkward grows. That's my plug for go try new things, period. Somewhere along the way, you're going to find something that sparks an interest or that sparks this sense of, “Yeah, this is me.” Notice that. I know you talk a lot about mindfulness, we need to notice what was my actual experience, not what did my head tell me. What did I actually feel? And keep experimenting until you find something. I think that's really the key. Kimberley: I love that you said your tolerance for awkwardness. I think that is a big piece of the work because it is a big piece. We talk about tolerating discomfort, tolerating uncertainty, but I think that's a very key point, especially when it comes to relationships, which I know is one of the factors. Tolerate the awkwardness is key. Dr. Ashley: Yeah. I think it's huge. I've been seeking out new experiences since 2017. This is going to be my New Year's resolution. It was such a transformational experience over the course of the year that I've just continued it, and I'm trying to get everybody to join me because it's such an expansive practice. I think it's great for anxiety and depression, it's great for humans, it's been great for me on this quest for a good life. But with this, it means I have put myself into some awkward situations on purpose. Sometimes I know going into it, sometimes I don't.  I went to this one, it was called Nia. I practice yoga. That's cool. That's very much in my comfort zone. This was yoga adjacent, but it was also an interpretive dance with sound effects. You had to make eye contact with people and dance in these weird ways. I distinctly remember having this conversation with myself when I showed up, “What did you just get yourself into?” And then it was immediately, “Okay, you have two choices here. You can grit your teeth and hate the next hour, or you can embrace the awkward and dance at a three. Because she said, you can dance at a one, itty bitty, at a two or at a three and really go for it.” That for me was my, “All right, let's just do this.” I embrace the awkward, and that was a turning point. That was amazing. And then now, when I think about good life, I feel like so many doors are opened because I'm not afraid of, “This is going to be awkward.” It's going to be and you're going to be okay or it's going to make a hilarious story. I said, “Go for it.” Kimberley: You're here to tell the story. I love it. You didn't die from awkwardness. Dr. Ashley: No. Kimberley: Can you tell me about the P? Can you go through them and just give us a little bit more information? Because I think that's really important. Dr. Ashley: Yeah. I love this theory because you can think about it as like, how are my PERMA factors doing? When you're low, raise them. You know that those are the ingredients for a good life. The P is positive emotion. That is, we do need to spend time in positive emotional states. The more time we're in the positive emotional states, the better compared to the negative ones like anxiety or sadness, or anger. Now that said, we know if we try to only pursue pleasure, it's going to backfire. If I'm trying to avoid anxiety, I'm actually going to get more anxiety. But this is where behavioral activation comes in. Do things that are theoretically enjoyable and see if it puts you in a positive state. Again, theoretically enjoyable, because if you're in the throes of depression, nothing feels enjoyable, do it anyways. And then notice, did it bring on a pleasurable emotional state? Cool. We want to do those things.  E is engagement. This is when people talk about finding flow or being in the zone. These are the activities that you're fully engaged in it. Self-consciousness goes away. You lose track of time because you're just in it. We know that the more consistently we are able to put ourselves in states of flow, the higher our well-being tends to be. Athletes will talk about this a lot. When they're on the field, they're in the zone. Musicians, artists. But there are other ways to do this. This is a place for me personally, I didn't know. I was like, “Well, okay, great. I need E, I need engagement. What puts me in a state of flow?” It took experimentation and noticing. For me, writing does it. Web design, I'm not techy, but when I start to do design projects, I get in that state of flow. It has to be this perfect apex, this perfect joining of skill and pleasure, like enjoyment. If it's too easy, you will not go into a state of flow. That's just the P. If it's too hard, we go into a state of stress or anxiety, so that's not flow. We have to be right on the cusp of our skillset. It's hard work, but we're into it. That's the E. R is relationships. We need quality relationships where we are being open, where we are being vulnerable, we're really connecting with other people. That is huge. I mean, if we look at what's the best predictor of life satisfaction, it's quality relationships. This also is doing things for other people. Altruism, ugh, I love this side note. The act of kindness thing hits on three different factors. It feels good to do something good for other people. If you want a mood boost, go do an act of kindness. That reliably boosts our mood. It also improves relationships and it can tap into that meaning. I love that as just a practice.  The M we talked about, that's meaning. And then the A, that's achievement for achievement's sake. As humans, it feels good to conquer goals. It feels good to accomplish things. And that contributes to our well-being independently of the positive feelings that we get from it, or the meaning in the relationships or the engagement. I'm also a really big fan of set goals and then crush them. It can be silly little things like, I'm going to hold my breath for two minutes. Okay, cool. That's a silly little thing, but then it feels good to do it. Or it could be something huge like crossing those bucket list things off your list. Kimberley: You know what's funny around achievement? I've got a couple of questions, but first I want to tell you your stories. Last year, I was struggling to do a couple of things that were really important to me for my medical health. I found an app called Streaks. Have you heard of Streaks? It's a $5 app. But when you do the action, and for me it was taking my medicine, it does this little spiral and then it's like, “You've done this for three days in a row.” And then tomorrow you click it and then it says, “You've done it for four days in a row.” You would think that the benefits of taking my medicine would be enough. But for me, it's actually knowing I get that little positive reinforcement of like, “Look at me, I've taken my medicine for 47 days in a row, or now are like 300 days in a row.” I don't think I deserve a medal for being able to take my medicine. But for me, that little bit of reward center on the achievement was a huge shift for me. And then it became, how many days did you practice your Spanish in a row? Even like, how many days did you do your Kegels? I've got all of the streaks happening and it's really incredible how that little achievement piece does boost your mood. Dr. Ashley: Yeah. But what I love about this is you're also talking about how to hack the system. We're talking about our brains and this is the stuff that just lights me up, because oftentimes our minds will say, “Well, you should just take your medication. You should just do these things.” Well, that's not how it works. There's a million reasons why we don't do the things we know we should do. But can we figure out how to hack the system? Yeah. Our brains love streaks. They love streaks.  it taps our reward centers, like you're saying, and so let's use the tools that work. That got you if your goal is to take your medication consistently. Using our brain's glitchy wiring to our own advantage is something that's huge. That did it. And then it does feel good. And then you get some momentum going and then you create a habit around that and it's fantastic. Kimberley: Yeah. What about those who are overachieving to the point that it's bringing their happiness down? What would we do there?  Dr. Ashley: Yeah. I think that's a great question and it's something that comes up a lot, especially when we look at anxiety and perfectionism. At least the way I think about it is coming back to what's driving this. Is this being driven by fear? Is this being driven by values? For me, I almost think of it as—I'm going to try to make sense with it—is it the -ing or the -ed? Meaning, the doING (I-N-G) or the -ed as in I did this past tense. What I mean by this is, I notice for me when I'm approaching something, say a big goal, like I want to write a book this year. If I can approach that from a place of, “I am doing this because this is important to me, I feel driven to get this message out into the world,” the -ing, the process of doing it, that feels like it's going to boost my wellbeing when I start to get pulled into the thoughts of the outcome. I'm going to write this book and how many people are going to read it and is it going to sell? I'm really looking at all of this, and underneath that is fear. What if it doesn't sell? What if people judge it? What if they think it's stupid? Then I'm focusing on the outcome, kind of when it's done. That I think is actually going to detract from my well-being because it's not coming from a valued place; it's coming from this feared place.  A lot of times with overachieving, we're chasing this other people's expectations or we're chasing this promise of happiness. When you do this, then you'll be happy. It's not going to work like that. It may be for a moment and then the bar just changes again. Now you've got another target. We have to come back to this, I think the process or the journey. Are you doing this because it matters to you, or are you doing this because some sort of fear is compelling you?  Kimberley: Right. I'm just asking questions based on the questions I would've had when I was struggling the most. I remember hearing something that blew my mind and I actually want your honest opinion about it. I remember I used to chase happiness, like you talked about, even though I was doing all these things. I was doing all these things, but there was that anxious drive behind it. I remember hearing somebody saying life is 50/50. Even though you're doing all these things, you're still going to have 50% great and 50% hard. For me, that was actually very relieving. I think I was caught in and I think a lot of people experienced this like, “Okay, I'm at 50%, how can I get to 55? How can I get to 56?” What are your thoughts on also accepting that you won't be happy all the time, or what are your thoughts on balancing this goal for happiness or this lifelong playfulness around happiness?  Dr. Ashley: I agree with you completely. I think we have this cultural myth that we should be happy all the time. If you're not happy, there must be something wrong. You're doing something wrong. It sets up even this idea that being happy all the time is possible. It isn't. If we look at, again, happiness, what people mean by that is a pleasurable or enjoyable state, an emotion that we like. Humans are wired. Two-thirds of our emotions would be under that negative category. Just by the way we're wired, we're more likely to have negative emotions, and they're just messengers. They're just designed to give us information about a situation. Some of them are going to be dangerous, so we're going to feel anxious. Or we're going to lose something we care about, so we're going to be sad. We're going to mess up, so we're going to feel guilty. It's unrealistic to expect to not have those emotions. I think that is a hundred percent something that we need to work on, just accepting happiness all the time is not possible and pursuing it is like playing a rigged game.  The other thing, you know how on the anxiety side we talk about facing fears because then you habituate or you get used to them. But that habituation process happens on the pleasurable side too. This is why when we chase happiness, we end up on this hedonic treadmill where it's, “Oh, I'm going to go buy this thing. And then I'm going to feel really happy,” and you are. And then you're going to habituate. Your body goes back to baseline so that happiness fades. If you're looking to an external source, you're going to get caught up in this always chasing something bigger and better, not sustainable.  I like to look at happiness as the side effect of living a good life. Do the things that we know matter. Take care of your health and wellbeing. Sleep, eat well, move your body, practice mindfulness, the PERMA factors that we talked about, and live in line with your values. If you're doing those things, happiness is the side effect of that. Kimberley: To make that the goal, not happiness the goal.  Dr. Ashley: Yeah.  Kimberley: I think that's very, very true. Again, for me, it was a massive relief. I remember this weight falling off of like, “Oh,” because I think social media makes it so easy to assume that everyone is just happy, happy, happy content, to feel all the things. It was delightful to be like, “Oh no, everyone's got a 50/50.” Dr. Ashley: Exactly. When we know that's normal, then all of a sudden, you can accept it. Like, I'm anxious for now, I'm sad for now. To do that, it does keep us from piling on extra. I have this saying that I love, “Just because life gives you a cactus doesn't mean you have to sit on it.” A lot of times, we sit on it because we're ruminating or I don't want to feel this way and we're fighting it. And that's just amplifying it and making it a lot harder. When we can say, “Oh, this is where I'm at today. I'm still going to choose to do the things that I know are good for me, that are part of me, living a good life by my standards or my terms,” that's going to be the side effect, is I'm going to end up with more happiness down the road, but not chasing it in that moment. Kimberley: I love this. Thank you for coming on and talking about this. I think this has been enlightening and so joyful to have these conversations. I feel a little lighter, even myself, after chatting with you, so thank you. Tell me how people can hear from you, get in touch with you, learn about your work. Dr. Ashley: Yeah, absolutely. I have a blog that I publish every week, so if you're interested in that, you can subscribe at PeakMindPsychology.com/subscribe, o you can just check out all of the blog posts. That's probably the best way to follow me and follow my work. I also have a TEDx Talk that came out pretty recently and you can watch that as well. It's called Is Your Brain Deceiving You, and talk a little bit about learning to play my cards well. Kimberley: I love the TED Talk. Congratulations on that. It was so cool.  Dr. Ashley: Thank you.  Kimberley: Thank you again for coming on. This has been just delightful. Really it has. Dr. Ashley: I appreciate you having me.

In this episode of the “Experts in Sport” podcast, host Martin Foster sits down with Chris Harwood, Sport Psychology professor, and Karl Steptoe, Sport & Performance Psychology Lead. They discuss the development and research behind the 5Cs framework, which aims to make sports psychology more accessible and targeted at helping young people. Timestamps: 00:00 – 02:04 Introduction & career background information on our guests 02:05 – 08:39 The meaning and purpose of the 5Cs 08:40 – 16:33 The development process 16:34 – 35:03 Implementing the 5Cs in clubs and coaching 35:04 – 42:04 Measuring of the framework 42:05 – 46:32 Quickfire questions 46:33 – 50:07 Future plans for the 5Cs 50:08 – 51:07 Episode recap and conclusion 

Hosts and PTSI Resilience Trainers John Salerno and Samantha Horwitz talk with Danielle Kawash and Simon Matthews of First in Wellness on @A Badge of Honor Podcast. Because we take a beating and keep on going... Being a first responder is stressful. Excess stress has consequences. Learn how to transform that stress into strength. First In Wellness is a team of experienced and highly-specialized coaches from around the world. They provide goal-oriented, personalized, preventative health and wellness programs designed to meet the specific challenges faced by first responders. Their programs are educational and encourage meeting small goals to build motivation for lasting lifestyle changes. They use a functional medicine, preventative care model and utilize core principles of several behavioral change models. If you are a first responder looking for resources reach out to First In Wellness at https://www.firstinwellness.comA Badge of Honor offers workshops to first responders across the nation, working with mental health liasons and critical incident management teams for Post Traumatic Stress Injury Recovery, wellness and resilience. A Badge of Honor says, "We Hear You," and wants you to know you are not alone.A Badge of Honor Podcast is brought to you by:Carry In Texas, https://www.carryintexas.com 469-232-7894OBBM Network Podcasts, https://obbmnetworkpodcasts.com 214-714-0495To support the show or Sponsor a first responder visit https://ABadgeofHonor.comSupport the show

What does “overall psychological strength and stability” mean and what does that have to do with maintaining weight loss? Having what the researchers of the article we have been discussing for the past several episodes call “overall psychological strength and stability” basically means being a healthy adult. Well… that doesn't clear things up very much! Listen in and I'll explain why being able to at least act as if we're psychologically healthy adults is important when it comes to keeping weight off. And maintaining  weight loss after bariatric surgery is, after all, one of the main goals I hope you have when making the decision to have bariatric surgery. So let's get on with finding out what a person with overall psychological strength and stability acts like! As always, please be sure to share this information with your friends! Encourage them to listen to BariAftercare, the Podcast and for additional information to include a worksheet I created on this topic, join the BariAftercare program by going to www.bariaftercare.com. SOURCES:lfhag K, Rössner S. Who succeeds in maintaining weight loss? A conceptual review of factors associated with weight loss maintenance and weight regain. Obes Rev. 2005;6(1):67–85.BariAftercare: www.bariaftercare.comhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2020/06/25/what-personality-traits-define-the-psychologically-healthy-individual/?sh=450058e62d7dPlease subscribe to the show and rate it on Apple Podcasts, download free information at www.conniestapletonphd.com, and follow me on Twitter (@cstapletonphd), Instagram (@cstapletonphd), YouTube, LinkedIn, and on Facebook.

The last 18 months have challenged some of the most basic assumptions we had about what is necessary for a productive work environment. Gone are the days when we believed we absolutely HAD TO BE IN PERSON to be productive. Among others, one of the big lessons COVID has taught us is that the future of work is flexible.Today, I'm speaking with April Seifert, Ph.D. in Social Cognitive Psychology and co-Founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength.  We're talking about major insights we've all learned from our hybrid work during COVID as well as some very practical ways we can support our own wellbeing and leaders can support their teams in a hybrid work model.Links from the episode:Listen to April's Podcast, "Building Psychological Strength" here: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/Join the Twin Cities Wellness Collective™ here: https://www.tcwellnesscollective.com/

As human beings, one thing we simply have to learn to contend with is our emotions. They can get the best of us at times. The thing to remember is that an emotion typically arises when we're interpreting the facts of a situation or applying a judgement to something that is happening, has happened, or will happen. What happens when you remove the judgement? Join us for our FREE live webinar Foundations of Psychological Strength by registering at: www.peakmindpsychology.com/webinar 

Have you ever taken a necessary break from work with the goal of recharging, resting, and relaxing...yet you end up feeling ANXIOUS?! Stepping away from work should feel relaxing, right? Yet, so many times, we end up feeling anxiety, and it can feel surprising and unexplainable. In today's episode, we're diving into 4 things that cause us to feel anxious when we step away, and 4 ways to help yourself navigate through that anxiety so you can truly enjoy the time away that you so deserve. Join us for the FREE live webinar Foundations of Psychological Strength by signing up at this link: www.peakmindpsychology.com/webinar  

What if you are one conversation away from peace of mind? Hear me out. Many times, we spend our precious mental energy making assumptions and predictions about what another person is thinking or how they might react. Sign up for our FREE live webinar "Foundations of Psychological Strength" by visiting www.peakmindpsychology.com/webinar 

It's easy to practice gratitude when life is good. It's easy to feel strong when you're not being tested. However, the real value of psychological strength reveals itself during a crisis. In this episode, I'll share a crisis situation I recently went through and will articulate a handful of ways that psych strength helped me get through it and truly thrive on the other side of it.

This week on the podcast, we're having a very intimate, open conversation about the process of coming out with none other than the incredible Megs Pulvermacher. Megs is a nationally certified School Psychologist, host of the hit podcast Out, What Now?, and the founder of the Queer Impact Collective. During this episode we speak intimately about the coming out process. From the initial realization and recognition to the decisions about who to come out to, when, and in what context. We talk about the shift in identity that happens during this process and the resulting impact it has on a person's sense of self and how they show up in the world. Whether you personally identify with the LGBTQIA+ community or not, this episode can not be missed. Everyone will benefit from this meaningful conversation. Learn more about the Queer Impact Collective at: www.queerimpactcollective.com Listen to the Out, What Now? podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-what-now/id1525428380

In this session of the Hospitality Resilience Series, we discover how Elite sport athletes develop their personal resilience and learn from their techniques and methods, to develop our own psychological resilience. We are pleased to be joined by special Guest Chris Bodman, Strength and Conditioning coach and Performance psychologist. He has dedicated his career to exploring ideal ways to make individuals better prepared to perform at an optimum level and help promote and enhance functioning and performance on the short and longer term. He also recently founded his consultancy LMNTARY Performance. About the Hospitality Resilience Series:The Covid-19 pandemic has created great upheaval in terms of how we live, how we interact and communicate, how we spend our time, and how we conduct our professional lives. Change, chaos and uncertainty have become constant companions and have forced many of us to recalibrate our purpose, our relationships, our desires and our ambitions. As the hospitality sector begins to look towards recovery, the burdens and strains on leadership continue to bring focus to the need for strengthening personal resilience and inner immunity. The Hospitality Resilience Series seeks to challenge existing mindsets, exchange personal insights, discuss practical solutions and provide a forum for shared experiences that will help build personal solutions. Watch the full recording of this highly insightful session as Chris takes us on amazing journeys of some of his high performing athletes and sheds light on the importance of support from your team and surrounding environment(s).In the same category:Finding your inner-balance and focus, on your journey to building personal resilience with Zen Monk, Marcel RedingThe future of Sleep: How to reduce stress and improve your personal performance with Yadid Ayzenberg On adaptability and the need to change - Building personal resilience and inner immunity with Sean WorkerOn honing your gut instinct and eating healthy to build up resilience with Rhaya JordanJoin the Hospitality Resilience Community on: Linkedin: Hospitality Resilience Group

In this episode Casey and Tim join April Seifert, host of Building Psychological Strength podcast, in an episode swap - this episode with be released on both podcast feeds!  Listen in as Casey and Tim discuss with April the A Deeper Way Foundational Tenets - which is an excellent primer for Season 5!April Seifert holds a Ph.D. in Social Cognitive Psychology. This means, she has spent nearly 2 decades studying the ways our minds store information, form habitual and subconscious thought processes, and how all of that impacts our behavior and our life experience. She is the host of the top-rated podcast Building Psychological Strength, and the co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. The underlying goal of all of April’s work is to help people apply the powerful tools and information from the field of Psychology to help them live fuller, more meaningful lives. Where to find April:www.peakmindpsychology.comwww.aprilseifert.comPodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-psychological-strength/id1182817399 Join the Psychology at Work conversation online:InstagramLinkedInFacebookVisit us at adeeperway.com to learn about taking the work to a deeper level.

My guest today is Simon Thompson Group Commander in Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue service.He had the goal to complete 44597 press up's by the 4th May 2021. 44597 is the total number of uniformed and support staff that work in the various fire and rescue services in England. The 4th of May is an important date for firefighters as it is firefighter memorial day. To complete this on average he did 340 press up's each day. We also discuss:Mental reliance & Ross EdgleyInjuries & setbackshis role as a HAZMAT officerfire safety self-carepersonal developmentrecruitment & fire service valuesGet notified of each episode as soon as they come out by clicking HEREFollow the podcast onFacebook&InstagramA big thanks to the support of our partners for being part of the FFP familyWilliam Wood WatchesBlue Light CardIf you have taken value from any of our episodes and would like to support the future growth of The Firefighters Podcast then you can do so by clicking HEREYou can learn more about and donate to Simon's heroic effort then simply click HERE

Dr. April Seifert is a social cognitive psychologist, data scientist, entrepreneur, wife, mother, thriving with MS — and skydiver. She is the co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. (https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/) She joins us for an informed and inspiring discussion about navigating family life, growing up with rare illness, and learning to succeed beyond your fear. (Recorded in 2020.)

CUE THE CONFETTI! Friends, this is episode 200 of the podcast, and in honor of that huge milestone, we’re diving DEEP into the different facets of psychological strength.  You see, when we talk about ‘building psychological strength,’ we’re really talking about developing yourself in 5 core areas so that you’re better skilled and equipped to handle anything life throws at you.  2020 has shown us just how V.U.C.A. life can be (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous). We all need to work on the skills and abilities that set us up to be able to thrive, no matter what life throws our way.  How would that feel?  Imagine it! How would it feel to have the confidence that, no matter what, you have the skills to move through any challenge and thrive?   That is what psychological strength is, and today, to celebrate this exciting milestone, we’re diving deep.  Thank you to each and every one of you who have downloaded an episode of this podcast. If you haven’t subscribed, please hit that button in celebration of this exciting day. Thank you for being on this journey with us and for recognizing your own worth.   During this episode, we mentioned our flagship program Ascend. If you would like to learn more information on that program and get in before we raise the price, visit www.peakmindpsychology.com/ascend . 

51. In this episode of the 5 Core Life, Will Moore is interviewed on the Building Psychological Strength Podcast by April Seifert. People are increasingly seeing the benefits of building resilience, building confidence, building mental toughness and flexibility, and moving past fear and anxiety in their lives. April Seifert, Ph.D., hosts the Building Psychological Strength Podcast that helps you build psychological strength through interviews and information from some of the world's leading experts in the fields of Psychology and Life Design. It's time to go beyond merely surviving. It's time to thrive! In this episode, April & Will talk about: What habits are and what they aren't Some common misconceptions about habits 5 core areas of your life that you develop habits around and why each one is so important to your outcome. Are you ready to fire on all cylinders? If so, let's go! This episode originally aired on September 2nd, 2020 MORE ABOUT APRIL SEIFERT & YOUR SUPER POWER MIND: April holds a Ph.D. in Social Cognitive Psychology. She has spent over a decade studying how our minds store information, form habitual and subconscious thought processes, and how all of that impacts our behavior and our life experience. The Blog: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com The Podcast: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/0189 MORE ABOUT 5 CORE LIFE: WHAT'S YOUR CORE SCORE? Take the FREE Life Evaluator Quiz to see where you currently stand in your five cores: https://www.mooremomentum.com/free-life-evaluation Like and Subscribe! FIND ME ON FACEBOOK, IG or TWITTER: @mooremomentum JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP: 5 Core Life: Become an Entrepreneur in the Five Crucial Areas of Your Life ⬇️ https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildamilliondollarbiz/ SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY BLOG AS WELL! www.mooremomentum.com/blog --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/5corelife/message

Today we’re going deep. Into the depths of our minds to talk about the fundamental processes that govern more of our behavior and more of the results and outcomes in our lives than we even realize. We’re sifting through the core of our psychological profiles that makes up the basis or the foundation for most of our lives. And we’re showing how this core, these fundamental processes, can be used to both better our lives and to navigate through some of the most difficult days that life will throw at us.  Today, we’re speaking with Elizabeth Benton. During our conversation, Elizabeth shares how she was depressed, deeply in debt, and obese. As a nutrition expert and educator who binged on junk food every time she put gas in her car, she felt like a fraud and a failure. Desperate to start her life, she decided to believe in her potential rather than her past. She lost 150 pounds, paid off $130,000, and remains debt-free as a successful entrepreneur.  What I love most about this episode is that it wasn’t the surface level behaviors that needed to change first. It wasn’t about the food or the budget. Rather, to see changes manifest in those areas, Elizabeth had to focus on the core: her identity, her values, her mindset. By doing that, she saw how everything could change.  Today, Elizabeth is the owner of Primal Potential. Through her platform of podcasts, coaching, and live events, she has fueled her deepest struggles into a burning passion to help people create transformations and live more fulfilled lives.  I should also mention that Elizabeth very recently lost a child. She shares a bit about that experience in this conversation and how the same mindset techniques that helped her lose weight and get out of debt are the ones she’s relying on to get her through the most difficult time in her life.   Please approach this episode with care. There is depth and value here, but we’re talking about real topics – difficult topics – topics that might be hard for some listeners to hear.  

Ashley and April founded Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength in 2019. Their mission is to make information, tools, and techniques from the fields of Psychology and Life Design easily accessible so that everyone who wants to can THRIVE! April Seifert, Ph.D. I'm thrilled to be part of Peak Mind because I know first-hand how powerful the fields of Psychology and Design Thinking can be in helping people make the most of the one life they're going to live. You see, everyone has been given the same gift of one life. Few people, however, actively participate in it.   Ashley Smith, Ph.D. I am passionate about sharing the principles and practices of CBT, applied neuroscience, and positive psychology beyond the walls of my office. While stress and heartache are unavoidable parts of life, I wholeheartedly believe that we always have some choice and some control over things that can maximize our happiness...MINDSET MATTERS! Our brains are powerful but they are not sophisticated and when you know the short cuts that they take, the glitches and the biases in the way that they process information you then have choices. We’d like to help you understand how your mind works so that you can build strength; flexibility, endurance, and stamina a lot like you can when you understand your body. Psychological strength can give you the tools you need to navigate uncertainty in healthy ways. During Covid19 we're offering free workshops. We want to help. Click the link below to get started now. https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/starter-pack   So you know they're legit: April Seifert, Ph.D., is a social cognitive psychologist, life design strategist, and serial entrepreneur. She is also an endurance athlete and a certified skydiver. She is passionate about helping women make the most out of their one life by creating a full and vibrant life experience.  Ashley Smith, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and entrepreneur who specializes in anxiety and related conditions. She blends cognitive-behavioral therapy, positive psychology practices, and applied neuroscience to help others live happy, fulfilling lives.     

If we can all just agree that we are humans with brains and realize that brains tend to respond to times of uncertainty, change, and real threat in very predictable ways as anxiety, worry, and fear...then we can immediately be compassionate with ourselves because it just means that we're human. Every single person that is going through COVID19, they're human and they're experiencing what it means to be human which is: We react to our surroundings in these predictable ways. - April Seifert   If thoughts and feelings are not us then why are they there in the first place?   Get 15% off your CURED Nutrition order with the code WELLNESSFORCE   ---> Get The Morning 21 System: A simple and powerful 21 minute system designed to give you more energy to let go of old weight and live life well.   JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | *REVIEW THE PODCAST*   Wellness Force Radio Episode 342 Social-cognitive Psychologist, Life Design Strategist, Co-Host of the Building Psychological Strength Podcast, and Co-Founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, April Seifert, shares why time and wealth are our most valuable gifts, what anxiety actually is, how to navigate rational and irrational thoughts, and how to build momentum by acting now. Discover how cognitive behavioral therapy can radically shift your entire life with just one simple practice.   Listen To Episode 342 As April Seifert Uncovers:   [1:30] What Anxiety Actually Is April Seifert Building Psychological Strength Podcast Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength 0153 | How to EMBODY Psychological Strength with Josh Trent Leave Wellness Force a review on iTunes Organifi Why Peak Mind psychology isn't just for athletes; it's for everyone. Her own traumas and personal hardships that she has experienced in life even from an early age. The diagnosis of her multiple sclerosis and how that has impacted her life. How her own adversity has inspired her to share her work even more with other people because psychology was what helped her thrive through multiple obstacles. 311 Mark Wolynn The fact that she went blind twice due to her multiple sclerosis and how she gained back her sight. Unpacking the easiest way to give yourself self-compassion during times of anxious feelings. 129 Gretchen Rubin The power of giving yourself permission to feel your negative emotions rather than just going into a shame spiral.   [13:00] Navigating Our Rational & Irrational Thoughts Why so much of our fear is connected to irrational thoughts. How we can navigate and know the difference between rational and irrational thought patterns. The importance of building up psychological strength and what steps we can take to do that. Why we can be there to support our partners but it is not our responsibility to fix or manage their emotions. One of the central tenants of Life Design from Peak Mind is that you are at the center of your life and other people are at the center of their own lives. How to design your life for you, not for other people, and be 100% radically responsible for it. Why hitting the pause button is the no. 1 most important thing you should do and why we find it so difficult in the first place.   [23:00] Creating Momentum By Choosing To Act Now Understanding that there is great power in making a decision and creating momentum. Why you should put some psychological distance between you that is consciousness and your thoughts. How to sit back and truly observe and get curious about your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. What anxiety actually is and it's not you - it's just a bodily emotional and thought process that is happening in your body and your mind but it is not you. Why thoughts and feelings are not the answer; just bits of information for you to weigh among other bits of information. Eckhart Tolle How to better understand and map your stress and anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic especially with all of the news media pushing fear. Alan Watts How we can see COVID19 as a reminder to treat the planet, one another, and even ourselves with love and higher respect.   [39:00] Your New, Easy Gratitude Practice Why so many people struggle with having a daily gratitude practice. April's new gratitude practice for you: ask yourself what you miss right now and then flip that into action. Steven C. Hayes The concept of mental and emotional resilience and how they have changed for her throughout her training. Psychological flexibility that allows us to be more resilient while our anchor points keep us grounded. Understanding what is true and not true for you from a mindful point of view. Their mission behind Peak Mind and how they're helping people live life well by helping them better understand how the mind works. Why you don't have to be an expert to help people but you can guide them along a journey that you also personally understand. The silver lining in COVID19 at macro and micro levels from the environment to our home life. M21 Wellness Guide Wellness Force Community   Power Quotes From The Show   The Greatest Self-Care Hack "If you are feeling anxious, worried, emotionally exhausted, and unable to focus, the very first thing you need to understand is that there is nothing wrong with you. You are not deficient, weak, or handling this worse than anybody else; it is just that you are a human who has a brain and that brain is reacting in ways that brains do given the circumstances that we're in and that is nothing to be ashamed of, ever." - April Seifert   What Are Anxiety And Fear? "You are not your thoughts nor your emotions. You are also not your bodily sensations of fear. What do fear and anxiety mean? They are just bodily, emotional thought processes that are happening in your body and in your mind but they are not you. You can be an observer of that and the more distance you put between yourself and that process, the more you'll be able to move through it, feel it, and realize that they're nothing that has to do with your next step."  - April Seifert     You Are Your Rooted Consciousness   "If it's not accurate or helpful, you don't have to buy into that thought. You are not that story, you are not your belief systems, you are not your thoughts nor your feelings. You are that centered consciousness awareness that is deeply rooted in the things that don't change no matter what situation or circumstances you're in; that is your core." - April Seifert   Links From Today's Show  Building Psychological Strength Podcast 0153 | How to EMBODY Psychological Strength with Josh Trent Leave Wellness Force a review on iTunes Organifi 311 Mark Wolynn 129 Gretchen Rubin Eckhart Tolle Alan Watts Steven C. Hayes Peak Mind Free Resources Peak Mind Starter Pack M21 Wellness Guide Wellness Force Community April Seifert Twitter Instagram YouTube Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength Facebook Instagram YouTube Pinterest LinkedIn About April Seifert April Seifert is a social-cognitive psychologist, life design strategist, and co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Her presentation will explore how the choices we make with respect to self-awareness, flexibility, and psychological strength can transform our minds into our biggest liability — or our most valuable asset.   Join The #WellnessWarrior VIP Club **Click on the photo above to get exclusive discounts on new wellness tools, be first in line for new podcasts, get access to invite-only events, and so much more.**   More Top Episodes 226 Paul Chek: The Revolution Is Coming (3 Part Series) 131 Drew Manning: Emotional Fitness 129 Gretchen Rubin: The Four Tendencies  183 Dr. Kyra Bobinet: Brain Science 196 Aubrey Marcus: Own The Day 103 Robb Wolf: Wired To Eat Best of The Best: The Top 10 Guests From over 200 Shows Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the #WellnessWarrior Community on Facebook Tweet us on Twitter: Send us a tweet Comment on the Facebook page Organifi Get 20% off your purchase today with code: WELLNESSFORCE Are you getting the quality nutrition your body needs? It's what provides us with energy every day. And when we don’t give our body the nutrition it needs, we feel it. It’s in the way we lack motivation. It’s in the way we get stuck in ruts, dragging ourselves to work, to lunch, back to work, and back home... You don’t need to hire a nutritionist, though. You don’t need to live at the gym, either. In fact, all you really need is about 3 minutes a day… and Organifi will do the rest. Morning, Noon, And Night… Organifi Superfoods Have Your Nutritional Needs Covered. ORGANIFI GREEN JUICE Start the day with a refreshing glass of 11 perfect detoxing superfoods. Moringa, chlorella, ashwagandha, wheatgrass, coconut water, and a whole lot more to get energy levels up, cortisol levels down, and your day started off right. ORGANIFI RED JUICE Boost metabolism and energy with a delicious ruby-red fruit punch. All the best berries and super-fruits for a youthful glow, and real hardcore adaptogenic herbs, roots, and mushrooms for that extra kick of power. Great for those afternoon slumps! ORGANIFI GOLD What better way to end the day, than with a delicious mug of something sweet, nostalgic, and relaxing? Our Gold tea is made with turmeric, ginger, lemon balm, reishi, and more. Calming… soothing… for a great night’s sleep. Wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go!

Self-Care means many things to many people. But does your version of self-care truly make you feel great? Does it make you feel strong and resilient? This week's episode of the Wedded Wellness Podcast with April Seifert will help design your life by way of everyday practices so that you can answer YES to all of these questions. April Seifert intimately knows the importance of the 1 life we are all going to live. After losing her father to colon cancer at the age of 11 and being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 14, April became keenly aware that time and health are some of the most valuable gifts we have and that life is meant to be lived actively and to the fullest. Today, April helps people do just that. As the co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, April helps people cultivate the confidence, resilience, and mental flexibility they need to thrive through life’s ups and downs. April holds a Ph.D. in Social Cognitive Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is a serial entrepreneur, host of the Building Psychological Strength podcast, wife to a hunky ER physician, and mom to 2 strong, independent girls.You can join April and her partner Ashley each week every Monday and Thursday for live community psych strength training workshops. Sign up and learn more here. Learn more:Follow Peak Mind on Instagram @peakmindpsychologyLearn more about Peak Mind Psychology at www.peakmindpsychology.comFollow Wedded Wellness on Instagram: @wedded.wellnessLearn more about Wedded Wellness at www.weddedwellness.com.Join Ashley, longtime yoga teacher and host of the Wedded Wellness Podcast, for FREE weekly online yoga classes and special events. Learn more by visiting Wedded Wellness on Instagram. 

This episode was created for and is dedicated to our front-line healthcare workers.    The responsibility you are being asked to shoulder amidst a time of incredible uncertainty and rapid change is overwhelming. We see you. We see the sacrifice you’re making. We can attempt to empathize with the emotional toll this must all be taking.    When you play such an important role supporting others, it’s important that others support you. We support you.  This week, I’m speaking with Lisa Wimberger, the founder of the Neuroscultping Institute. Lisa created neurosculpting using a combination of meditation and brain science to develop a hands-on technique that can reset and retrain your brain and your nervous system to down-regulate during times of stress.  She originally created neurosculpting in 2007 to help first-responders cope with the incredible intensity of their jobs. Too many first-responders suffer emotional trauma and PTSD from simply doing their jobs, and the neurosculpting technique can help guard against that.   You can see why I asked Lisa to join me for this special episode of Building Psychological Strength. I wanted to give our front-line medical professionals tools they can use to remain balanced during a time of excruciating pressure.    During our conversation, we:  Acknowledge the different situations healthcare workers are in and how stressful they all are, regardless of whether the “surge” has hit your area or not,  We talk about what we can do as community members to support healthcare workers  Lisa covers the role our nervous system is playing in this situation, including the way it is supposed to work, and the way it does work in a period of sustained stress.  What healthcare workers can be doing to help down-regulate their nervous system during this time.   Known ways you can tune your vagus nerve.  The 3 keys to successful neuroplasticity  This episode is packed with resources for everyone, but in particular, for front-line healthcare workers.   We also highlighted a number of resources  Peak mind is currently offering bi-weekly (2 / week) psych strength building workshops absolutely FREE. Sign up for the Peak Mind Starter Pack at www.peakmindpsychology.com/start to get all the details about how you can join us and to access the replays from past calls.   Lisa’s original episode on the podcast where she dives in-depth into the neurosculpting approach  Lisa’s book: Neurosculpting: A Whole-Brain Approach to Heal Trauma, Rewrite Limiting Beliefs, and Find Wholeness  Finally, Lisa announced the upcoming launch of her new neurosculpting app. Learn more at: www.neuropraxis.com   Peak mind is currently offering bi-weekly (2 / week) psych strength building workshops absolutely FREE. Sign up for the Peak Mind Starter Pack at www.peakmindpsychology.com/start to get all the details about how you can join us and to access the replays from past calls. 

Have you ever thought about all of the ways you show up as a leader in your life?   Think about it.   The most obvious is probably a leadership position at work or in your company. But, how about in your relationships outside of work? How about as a parent? How about as a romantic partner?  All of these aspects of our lives, and even more than those I mentioned, involve elements of leadership, which is why I am so excited about this week’s episode.  This week we are speaking with Noelle Cordeaux, CEO and founder of JRNI (pronounced “Journey”). Noelle is an expert in the ways in which Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching intersect to help people show up in a more effective way.   She holds a Graduate Certificate in Executive & Professional Coaching, and her graduate studies include a Masters in Social Work and a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality.  During our interview we talk about:  The history of the field of Positive Psychology. The history of the field of coaching.  Specifically, we have a deep discussion about the booming coaching industry and the difference between:   Scientific coach practitioners  Informed coach practitioners  Pop Psychology practitioners   We talk about leadership & the important way our nervous and endocrine systems are involved in our effectiveness.  And Noelle highlights countless actionable steps we can take right now to be more effective in our next interactions.   One thing I don’t want you to miss are a set of key reflective questions Noelle urges us to ask ourselves:  Is that a fact or a feeling?  What’s the outcome that you’re looking for?  Is this something you want to give your time and energy to right now?  Will this matter in 1 year from now?  This episode is meaty. You might want to grab a pen and a journal for it. I know I took away so much value from Noelle’s expertise, and I hope you will too!  Relevant Links:  Flourish (Positive Psychology book by Martin Seligman) 

Hey, parents out there, this week’s episode is one you won’t want to miss.   During a challenging time with your child, have you ever questioned yourself and wondered whether you were doing the right thing? Wondered whether it is better to engage with my child in this moment or ignore them? Wondered whether you’re causing psychological problems or distress when your child is crying or screaming at the top of their lungs.   This week’s episode is for you.   This week, we’re speaking with Dr. Karen Cassiday, Clinical Psychologist, former President of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and expert in the area of building psychological strength in children.   In this episode, we get into some really valuable conversations about:  What is the role / responsibility of a parent versus that of the child?   The importance of directing yourself toward raising a kid who is a competent adult who can live without you.  Why “happy is not a good goal.”   The difference between self-esteem and self-worth  The science behind temper tantrums and how to handle them.   I know you’ll get so much value from this conversation with Karen Cassiday! 

This week on the podcast, we're talking to a kindred spirit. Josh Trent is the founder of Wellness Force, a movement to help people improve their lives by helping them find physical and mental intelligence. Here's the thing. Not only does Josh advocate learning about important topics like gratitude, meditation, mindfulness, the subconscious mind, and decision fatigue, but he advocates embodying this knowledge. Showing up everyday with the intention of living this wisdom. Putting it into practice, and truly reaping the benefits of it. Incredible, huh? In my interview with Josh, we hit so many valuable topics, such as: The importance of testing and experimentation and how it can lead you toward building the life you want. The power of gratitude Cultivating emotional intelligence Avoiding decision fatigue What the negativity bias is and where it comes from The link between the impostor syndrome and the "spotlight effect" Not only that, but Josh offers up an actionable set of tips about how you can begin to steer your life into alignment, with one simple action: a monthly emotional inventory. You aren't going to want to miss this valuable and courageous conversation with Josh Trent!

Watch my TEDx Talk here! Join a webinar here! If you've been following me at Peak Mind or on social media, you likely know that I recently fulfilled a life-long goal by giving a TEDx Talk. It was an absolutely thrilling day, but there was a long road of hard work, unexpected issues, and tremendous self-doubt to get there. On today's podcast, I want to take you behind the scenes to talk you through my journey. Here's the thing: It's so easy to look at the final product of a journey like that and assume that the person just breezed right through the process. It couldn't be further from the truth! Rather, my journey from application to final talk was one that required me to use every ounce of psychological strength I've built over the years, and I want to point out how it came into play. I hope by sharing my experience, you gain some practical knowledge about how to move forward in difficult times using some of the techniques that I used. I also hope this episode gives you the motivation and permission to chase after your own giant goals! If I can do it, anyone can. You've got this!

How many times have you heard people talk about physical health as though it’s separate from mental health?  Let’s come at this from a different direction. If you stayed up very late for 4 nights in a row, how would you feel, emotionally, afterward?  That simple example shows how integrated our physical and mental health are, and in Peak Mind we speak about them in that way.  This week, we’re coming at this holistic approach to health from another perspective, the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. This week we’re speaking with Senia Tuominen, a certified acupuncturist and Holistic Health Expert.   Senia treats very complex cases through a combination of Qi (energy) work and acupuncture, among other things.  This interview blew me away because of the similarities and parallels between the ways in which traditional Chinese medicine thinks about and approaches the way our minds work and the ways in which we approach it from a western Psychology perspective.  I’m thrilled to bring you this interview to give you a new perspective on how to think about both physical and mental health. 

If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t enough, this episode is for you.  If you’ve ever felt like you needed to lose X pounds or make $X in order to be happy, this episode is for you.  If you have a set of beliefs or thought patterns about yourself that aren’t helpful, this episode definitely is for you.  This week, we’re talking to Betty Jean Bell. Betty has helped successful women around the world to lose weight, improve their health, and love their bodies now, regardless of shape. All while running their businesses, families, and lives. She helps people transform their confidence, body image, and health with meaningful science, psychology, spirituality, and uncommon action that works.   We get into the most incredible conversation about habitual thought patterns and how they can trick us into believing that they’re true. How we can begin to reprogram our neural-pathways through intentional effort. How this can impact your physical health, your financial and career success, and your relationships.  The beliefs we have about ourselves influence every aspect of our lives, and there are ways to impact those beliefs to turn them into something more helpful and empowering. Join us for a FREE live webinar in December to learn how your identity shapes your self-limiting beliefs and why they’re so influential.  Sign up here to save your seat!    Relevant Links:  https://beingbadass.com  For another perspective on weight loss, check out Glenn Livingston's episode #0137 – link to prior episode Episode #0140 - Kayla's journey of psychological strength through bariatric surgery “Stillness is the Key” book 

This week on the podcast, we’re diving into the topics of obesity and bariatric surgery. These topics are important ones to cover in their own right, but even beyond that, they’re topics that touch on many of the psychological hurdles that all of us face when we have to make a change in our life.  This week’s guest is Kayla Landaeta. Growing up, Kayla was overweight and obese. In college, Kayla weighed 343 pounds, and eventually, she realized that she wanted to make a change in her life. She discovered bariatric surgery and navigated her way through the hoops she had to jump through, the self-limiting beliefs that arose, and the new identity she had to take on after she lost over 160 pounds.   In this episode Kayla not only shares her own journey, but she shares so much wisdom from her work as a bariatric life coach. In this episode, we talk about the notion of radical responsibility and how you can make the decision to change your life. We talk about self-identity and how it can cause us to stay in situations that don’t really serve us. And we talk about the shift that happens when we make a big change in life.  If you relate to Kayla’s story, I know you’re going to get a lot out of this episode. And, if you don’t, if you’ve never struggled with your weight to the degree that Kayla describes, you’re still going to get so much from this conversation. The aspects of psychological strength that we cover are foundational to an active, thriving life for absolutely everyone.  You can learn more about Kayla by following her on Instagram or on her website: https://www.timetodeflate.com/.

This episode will change your life.   We all have habits that we want to change. Maybe we want to eat healthier, drink less, or exercise more. You’ve likely set a goal to change a particularly difficult habit....and then failed. Likely multiple times.  We set New Years’ resolutions, and they fall through.   Habit change is hard.  Today, we’re featuring Dr. Glenn Livingston, author of the book “Never Binge Again” on the podcast. Not only is he a Ph.D. trained psychologist, but he himself lost 80 pounds by using the pillars of psychological strength to change his own behavior.  During his interview we dive deep into the areas of your brain that control habitual behavior and how they can trick you into giving up on your goals to change your own habits. We talk about the role of intentionally cultivating self-awareness and psychological strength to begin pushing back against the urges and impulses of our “reptilian brain.”   And at the end, Dr. Livingston gives actionable tips about how to get started in changing a difficult habit TODAY, and a heap of free resources to help support you in your journey.  We’re thrilled to partner with Dr. Glenn Livingston on this episode of Building Psychological Strength.  For a limited time, join the Peak Mind membership for only $1 for your first month! https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/membership Use the code 'THRIVE' at checkout!

April Seifert joins Jeremy for a conversation! In this episode April shares her story of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a teenager, how she's managed it, and what it's taught her about wellness care and the value of time. She also shares the concept behind her latest project Peak Mind - online tools to develop pschological strength - peakmindpsychology.com. They discuss from a neurological perspective how mental exercise is just as important as doing physical exercises. The two also compare their experience of sharing their knowledge and experience to audiences through their podcast, as well as what they've learned from hosting a show, responsibilities to their audience, and why everyone should do something that's a little uncomfortable.Support the show (http://patreon.com/highwaytohealth)

Ashley is passionate about helping others find happiness and enjoyment in life, and this passion fueled her latest business venture, co-founding Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength (www.peakmindpsychology.com), to provide cutting edge information and tools from the fields of psychology and design thinking to everyone who wants to transform their lives. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/visionarywomenpreneurs/message

So many people secretly hold the goal of leaving their 9-5 job to work for themselves, but the leap from traditional employment to an entrepreneurial gig can feel so big and scary! This week’s guest is going to put it into perspective for you in a way that no one else really does. This week, you’re going to meet Michelle Evans! Michelle is an entrepreneur in the online marketing space who helps other companies steadily attract new clients through online marketing funnels. What’s amazing about this interview though is the approach Michelle took toward becoming an entrepreneur. It is NOT the slash and burn, abruptly quit your job one day sort of story. Rather, Michelle worked with a career coach, got to know herself really well, then began creating her dream job alongside her 9-5 job. This allowed her to build her business without the pressure of making it sustain her for all of her financial needs. What a different perspective than what you typically hear, huh?! Here’s what we dig into: Alignment to your values & strengths - Michelle’s journey away from her 9-5 job began when she got clear about her own, personal values and strengths. This happens to be the very first step of the life design process! Self-awareness - We’re incredibly bad at knowing ourselves. Isn’t that crazy?! Even when it seems like we know ourselves well, it’s astonishing how much lies under the murky surface. It’s so elusive, yet so important. You’ll definitely want to catch this part of the conversation. So many obstacles are manufactured - We find any reason we can to give us a reason to step back into our comfort zone, and many times, that comes in the form of manufactured “obstacles.” This part of the conversation could change your life.   The podcast is pivoting! As of August 1st, the Women Inspired podcast will become the Building Psychological Strength podcast! If you want to learn more about Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, visit us at www.peakmindpsychology.com!

Friends, I have an announcement, and because you have been along this journey with me, I want you to hear it first. The podcast is pivoting. As you know, I have been cultivating my work more and more in the direction of psychological strength and life design. Specifically, recently I partnered with Ashley Smith to form Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Our goal is to bring rigor and scientific-backing to the personal development space by offering content around the tools, techniques, and concepts from the fields of Psychology and Life Design. Think of us as a gym membership for your mind. We know from recent research that our minds are much more malleable than we once thought, and through intentional mental exercises, we can strengthen our resilience, confidence, and ability to weather and thrive through life’s ups and downs. That is psychological strength! To align with the important mission behind that work. as of August 1, the Women Inspired podcast will be rebranded as the “Building Psychological Strength” podcast. My goal will be to feature guests and concepts that will help you build resilience, confidence, and mental stamina to help you thrive throughout your daily life. This could take the form of expert interviews about core concepts of psychological strength or inspiring stories of people who have thrived through adversity. The end goal will be to leave you with tangible tips on how you can build your own psychological strength. I can’t tell you how many mixed emotions I have about all of this. I’m so sad to leave behind a brand that has been so near and dear to my heart. But, at the same time, I am being called so strongly to do this work, and I want to put all of my attention and energy behind it. I know the world can benefit from it. I hope you’ll listen in to this episode to learn more, and I so hope you’ll continue to follow me into the new dawn of the podcast, coming in August.

“Just think positively!” “Why can’t you look on the bright side?” At one time or another, almost all of us have been going through a tough time and have had someone say something like this to us. It has become so pervasive that a term has been coined to describe it: toxic positivity. This is when encouraging someone to simply “look on the bright side” without taking into account the circumstances they’re in becomes more harmful than helpful. Here’s the thing: a big chunk of psychological strength involves intentional exercises that are positivity-focused or gratitude-focused. So, is the entire concept of psychological strength just another form of toxic positivity? Oooooh, hell no. In this episode, I am on a serious soap box about the importance and power of building psychological strength and how it’s vastly different from toxic positivity. I touch on: TIMING: The time to build psychological strength is NOT when you’re currently in crisis. That’s akin to trying to learn how to shoot free-throws during the NBA Finals. The intentional work happens outside of the times when the pressure is on or when life is testing you. Timing is everything. BIASED THINKING: One of the big issues with toxic positivity is that it’s asking you to ignore the difficulty you might be going through and pretend that everything is going well. That’s just unrealistic. In contrast, the tools and techniques that we use to build psychological strength capitalize on the fact that our minds are already biased toward the negative. And, by intentionally using mind-balancing techniques (similar to free-throw practice), we can balance out our thinking to make it more reflective of the reality we’re living. TIMES OF CRISIS: I also have a special message for those of you who might be in a time of crisis or who might be experiencing one of those testing times of life. I hope these words give you comfort and hope for the future. Visit www.peakmindpsychology.com to learn more about building psychological strength!

April Seifert is a social cognitive psychologist, business owner of a consulting company where she specializes in data science, and the podcast host of the Women Inspired Podcast. In this episode, April joins us to talk about life design, how to build psychological strength (especially for business owners), and how to change your identity in order to make more money. Show Notes: https://www.wanderwealthypodcast.com/podcast/episode109 Ready to create profit, effortlessly, in your business? Download The 5-Step Easy Profit Roadmap. Get on the waitlist for my next Guilt-Free Spending System Workshop for entrepreneurs! We have a new community for entrepreneurs who want to talk about money: Join The Wealthy Entrepreneur on Facebook! (For folks in business for at least 1 year) Hey, biz owners! Help me out by taking this survey (only takes 2 minutes!) Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and leave a review on iTunes. (It helps a lot!) Tess is the founder of Wander Wealthy and the lead Wealth and Mindset Coach for Online Coaches. She works one-on-one with her clients to help them find ease in their personal and business finances. She is also the host of The Wander Wealthy Podcast and excited to bring you new ideas, tips, and tactics through soloshows and exclusive interviews with other smart and savvy entrepreneurs.

What is your biggest goal? Nope, I mean your BIGGEST GOAL? The one that is so big that it scares you? That’s the one I want you to have in mind as you listen to this week’s episode. This week, I have the incredible honor of chatting with a powerhouse friend of mine, Bri Seeley. Like many of us, Bri once lived in the land of 'should.' After completing two degree’s in fashion design, she built her own fashion label from the ground up and was convinced fashion was her path. Except, it didn't feel right. Bri took the leap to close her fashion brand and follow her soul’s calling: to become a business and transformational coach. Since then, she has coached thousands of people around the world, has been featured on the Today Show, in Forbes, and in so many other media outlets. Bri is the author of the book “Permission to Leap,” and her passion is helping people reach their goals and live their truth, unapologetically. You’re going to love this one! We hit so many powerful topics: How identity can hold us back. I’m going to have to do a whole episode on this soon. Bottom line, if you believe you can do something or you believe you can’t do something, you’re right. Your concept of your identity and what “people like you” are capable of will dictate how high you can fly. Give yourself permission to want what you want. Sometimes we feel ashamed at the size of our goals or at the outcome we truly want to shoot for. STOP! Give yourself permission to want that huge salary, to want that perfect job, to want that expensive bag, etc. Your brain can be your biggest asset - USE IT. Your brain has an incredible ability to goal-seek, but it needs a crystal clear target to go after. If you can give your mind a clear target of what you want it to get for you, it’ll do its job and find opportunities, people, circumstances, and events that align with the thing you want. Let your brain goal-seek for you. Recently, I announced my partnership with Ashley Smith to form Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Think of it as a gym membership for your mind! We’re so excited about this new venture that we’re offering a FREE 4-part Achieve Your Peak video series. Sign up now - the doors won’t be open for long! www.peakmindpsychology.com/webinar 

Ashley Smith is a licensed clinical psychologist and has spent the past 10 plus years specializing in treating anxiety and related disorders using an evidenced-based treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy. She has dedicated her career to helping people understand how their brains work and teaching them effective strategies for reducing anxiety and depression and ultimately leading meaningful and happy lives.April Seifert, on the other hand, is a psychologist, entrepreneur, and life design strategist. Growing up, her life was not easy. She lost her dad to cancer when she was very young. Shortly after that, she became temporarily blind and paralyzed, which ultimately landed her with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Because of these two life events, she became intimately aware of how short life is and how quickly it can all be taken away. It brought vowed to take responsibility for creating her own joy, contentment, excitement, and fulfillment in her life. In this episode, April And Ashley share their expertise in the field of Cognitive Behavioral Theory, Psychology, and life design. They also talk about their mission to equip people with the information and tools they need to maximize their psychological strength and live their best life.“Psychological strength is an empowered state of resilience and it encompasses the mindset, the qualities and the skills that people need, not only to overcome obstacles but also to really flourish and thrive.” - Ashley Smith and April SeifertTime Stamps: 05:58 - What is Psychological Strength and why it is important06:43 - April and Ashley's inspiration to start Peak Mind13:07 - How they help others build psychological strength19:01 - How to overcome anxiety25:26 - What Peak Mind Membership is all about28:02 - Seizing every moment, taking control of your life, building a better mindset and life design37:11 - Why self-care is important and how to better care for yourself44:37 - How to achieve a more positive and more loving mindset49:30 - Employing psychological strength in times of adversity56:23 - Success stories of overcoming anxieties01:01:36 - April and Ashley's everyday wellness routine01:08:55 - What wellbeing is to themKey Takeaways:"Psychological strength is really just focusing on this present moment without judgment." - Ashley Smith"Wellbeing encompasses what we typically think of as happiness, but also achievement and meaning and purpose." - Ashley Smith"Wellbeing is being the best version of myself that I can be, and having my days look and feel as close to the ideal that I want them to feel." -April Seifert Connect with Ashley Smith and April SeifertPeak MindConnect with Ashley Smithhttps://www.drashleysmith.com/FacebookTwitterConnect with April Seiferthttps://www.aprilseifert.com/

Every once in a while, we get to meet someone so multifaceted and interesting that they shift the way we think about the number of paths we can take during our lifetime. This week’s interview was one of those conversations for me. This week, you’re going to meet Sheira Brayer. Sheira is an empowerment speaker, an award-winning songwriter, the author of the book “Motiv8: 8 Ways to Rock Your Own World,” and a mom. Sheira is on a mission to educate, guide, and inspire mothers and their young daughters with the tools and skills they need to feel better in their own skin! Imagine that! Focusing on one of the most important relationships we’ll ever have - the one we have with ourselves! Imagine if every single person in the world made it their mission to understand, support, and love themselves as fully as they possibly could. Imagine how different our world would be?! I absolutely adored this conversation! Not only is Sheira so entertaining to chat with, but she takes such a creative approach toward the empowerment work she does. Yes, her curriculum is incredible, but the way she infuses her musical ability into it to generate even bigger results is just remarkable. I know you’re going to love this conversation! In particular, we touch on: Self Awareness - I am willing to bet that I could pick almost anyone at random off of the street and they could benefit from increasing their level of self-awareness. This is one of the areas where we “don’t know what we don’t know,” and the more time and effort you put toward getting to know yourself at a deep and intimate level, the better chance you have of living in alignment with that authentic person inside of you. Self Beliefs - The views you have about yourself will impact the way you interact with others. Isn’t that profound?! Not only do we project our own beliefs onto other people, but once we understand where our motivations and habits come from, we can start to understand why other people might act and react the way that they do. Talk about a way to foster compassion and empathy! Personal Development - Friends, I got on a soapbox with this one. So many times, people down-play the impact of working on yourself. Of becoming a better person. Of showing up in the best way you possibly can. I’ll circle back to something I said before - IMAGINE IF EVERYONE DID! We’d live in such a more vibrant, incredible world. So, from that perspective, self-improvement is not selfish, it’s a good deed we’re all doing for society. Recently, I announced my partnership with Ashley Smith to form Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Think of it as a gym membership for your mind! We’re so excited about this new venture that we’re offering a FREE 4-part Achieve Your Peak video series. Sign up now - the doors won’t be open for long!

Today’s episode could very likely change your financial life. I’m serious. Today, you’re going to hear from Tess Wicks, a financial expert, and the founder of Wander Wealthy. Periodically in past episodes of the podcast, I’ve focused on the important topic of focusing on building wealth to create financial stability, opportunity, flexibility, and options. But, here’s the thing. Many times, talking about, wanting, and trying to create wealth can feel GROSS. It can just feel uncomfortable. Why is that?! So many of us have beliefs around money that, quite frankly, hold us back from earning at the level that we can and should be earning at, and today’s episode is meant to squash all of those. Today, my interview with Tess is your permission slip to unapologetically build wealth in your own life, and she even gives some practical tips about how to do it. I can’t wait for you to hear these incredible topics: Why one of the riskiest things you can do is stay out of the wealth-building game. Contrary to some beliefs, money is NOT evil. Aligning your spending with your values can make each dollar go so much further Our identities around money and wealth create the ceiling of what we will ever go after for ourselves. Check out this episode and put these tips to work in your own life. Let’s go build some wealth! Recently, I announced my partnership with Ashley Smith to form Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Think of it as a gym membership for your mind! We’re so excited about this new venture that we’re offering a FREE 4-part Achieve Your Peak video series. Sign up now - the doors won’t be open for long!

Wow, I actually had a really tough time putting a title on this week’s podcast episode because we discussed so many amazing topics! How do you pick just one to highlight?! This week, I had the chance to sit down with Monica Zimmerman. Monica is a life and success coach who helps people elevate their emotional intelligence at work and in their relationships. She has a special place in her heart for women returning back to work after having a baby, and she draws from her past experience as a midwife to help women through that important transition. Monica and I got into some incredible topics! In this episode, we cover: The power of self-awareness - Being able to understand yourself and the situations, people, and events that impact your emotions is such an important skill. It’s one that many people believe they have, when in reality, they don’t. It takes intentional work to cultivate this skill, and Monica and I talk all about it. The massive impact of small changes - Our lives are comprised of the thousands of small decisions we make on a daily basis. This means that even small shifts can create a massive ripple effect on your life. Monica shares such wisdom about how to incorporate these small changes into your life to make meaningful improvements. Recently, I announced my partnership with Ashley Smith to form Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Think of it as a gym membership for your mind! We’re so excited about this new venture that we’re offering a FREE 4-part Achieve Your Peak video series. Sign up now - the doors won’t be open for long!

How many times have you felt the urge to try something new, but you stopped short because you felt like you weren’t qualified? For example, maybe you want to write a book, but you didn’t go to school to be a writer. Have you ever considered that the qualification doesn’t precede action? Rather, it is through action that you become qualified. Also, it is through action that we literally become the person we need to be in order to stretch outside of our comfort zone. In this episode, we cover: That you don’t have to be perfectly qualified to try something new How your identity dictates the size of the goals you’ll go after This episode is your permission to pivot. Recently, I announced my partnership with Ashley Smith to form Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength. Think of it as a gym membership for your mind! We’re so excited about this new venture that we’re offering a FREE 4-part Achieve Your Peak video series. Sign up now at www.peakmindpsychology.com/webinar. The doors won’t be open for long!

Pop quiz: Tell me the things people should be doing to keep their bodies strong and help them avoid illness and injury! You got it: Exercise, sleep, diet, water Now, what about the things you should be doing to keep you mind strong? What are the things you should be doing to cultivate psychological strength so you have the mental resilience to weather the ups and downs of life? That’s harder, isn’t it? Well, as it turns out, the fields of Psychology and Design Thinking are brimming with evidence-based tools and techniques that can help you build the psychological strength and life alignment that will help you THRIVE in your life! But, until now, those tools have really only been available in academic journals or behind the doors of therapists’ offices. I’m thrilled to announce a new partnership with my friend Ashley Smith! Together, we have created Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength, and in this episode, we’ll tell you all about it. In this episode, you’ll learn: What psychological strength is and why it’s important to cultivate it Why our brains can be our best asset or biggest barrier How you can start building your own psychological strength through a membership in Peak Mind. This project has been in the works for over a year, and we truly believe that we’re bringing something innovative, meaningful, valuable, and powerful to the market. We’d love for you to join us! Wanna learn more? We’re offering a FREE 4-part Achieve Your Peak video series. Sign up now - the doors won’t be open for long! www.peakmindpsychology/webinar

England finally win a penalty shoot out! Second in 8 total shoot outs! No accident though. Vindication of Gareth Southgate’s holistic approach to coaching - conditioning bodies and minds. My thoughts here - ping me your’s @eddraper81

Because of the way our minds operate, human beings struggle with change. No matter whether the change is a net positive or net negative change, whether it's big or small. All change causes some degree of friction and difficulty. And we've all weathered a LOT of it in the past few years.On today's episode, we're diving into the topic of change. First and foremost, we'll talk about why change is difficult for us. Turns out, you're not weak! You don't lack resilience! You're simply a human being with a mind, and our human mind's HATE change. Tune in, and you'll learn why.Then we'll dive into one of the models of change that I really like as a way of understanding how we as human beings move through change. We'll talk about the difference between a "change" and a "transition." We'll talk about the fundamental principles of the mind that are impacted when we experience a change and how we ultimately move on to get to the other side of a change.Finally, I'll offer a handful of resources to help you navigate your own change or to help others navigate theirs. These are proven, valuable techniques for supporting yourself and others during some of the most volatile times.We've all been through a lot, and there's likely more change to come. But, it IS POSSIBLE to thrive through change with the right tools.Additional Resources:Try out Emotion Sifting by visiting this blog post: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/Emotional-Intelligence-Sifting-Through-Grey-Emotional-SludgeLearn more about the science of self-compassion with this episode from the podcast vault: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/0254Ready to design your work life? Check out this blog post for some tips: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/do-you-feel-stuck-at-workBe one of the first 5 people to review this episode of the podcast and email a screenshot of your review to info@peakmindpsychology.com and get a free copy of my Life Design Transformation Blueprint! Submit your review here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-psychological-strength/id1182817399Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The last 18 months have challenged some of the most basic assumptions we had about what is necessary for a productive work environment. Gone are the days when we believed we absolutely HAD TO BE IN PERSON to be productive. Among others, one of the big lessons COVID has taught us is that the future of work is flexible.Today, I'm speaking with Alex Morrall, founder of the Twin Cities Wellness Collective and the host of the podcast of the same name. We're talking about major insights we've all learned from our hybrid work during COVID as well as some very practical ways we can support our own wellbeing and leaders can support their teams in a hybrid work model.Additional Resources:Learn more about Alex Morrall and his work and subscribe to his podcast at: https://www.tcwellnesscollective.com/Martin Seligman's book "Flourish": https://amzn.to/39QbBMD [affiliate link]Episode 251 "Preparing for the Post COVID Life Change": https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/blog/0251Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy