Podcasts about Psychology Today

Marly Brodsky is an international healthcare expert, licensed health educator, and CEO of Med Companion—a groundbreaking virtual patient advocacy service designed to bring humanity back into healthcare. After losing her grandmother to cancer due to gaps in the system, Marly left a high-level corporate healthcare role (where she led 15,000+ employees) to build a solution that helps patients navigate appointments, insurance, billing errors, and life-changing diagnoses. Recognized by Forbes and Psychology Today, Marly is on a mission to become the “human prescription” patients desperately need. On this episode we talk about: The broken gaps in the healthcare system—and why they cost patients time, money, and even lives Why Marly quit her corporate job overnight to start her company How patient advocacy can save thousands in medical billing mistakes The emotional toll of navigating cancer diagnoses and complex care Building awareness for a service people don't know they need—until it's too late Top 3 Takeaways Time is everything in healthcare. Delays, missed appointments, and insurance red tape can drastically impact outcomes—especially with serious diagnoses like cancer. Medical bills are often negotiable or incorrect. Having an advocate can save you thousands simply by catching coding errors or fighting improper charges. Entrepreneurship requires courage. Marly “burned the boats,” left a comfortable executive role, and built a mission-driven company despite uncertainty and fear. Notable Quotes “When you're sick and not feeling well, that's the most dangerous place to be navigating the system alone.” “Time is everything—especially for cancer patients.” “Healthcare shouldn't be stressful. Go enjoy your life and let us handle the in-betweens.” Connect with Marly Brodsky: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlybrodsky/ Instagram (Marlee): https://www.instagram.com/marly_brodsky/ Instagram (Company): https://www.instagram.com/medcompanion.co/ Website: https://medcompanion.com Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency. Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform. Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever tried to hold onto water or a handful of sand? The tighter you squeeze your fist, the faster it slips through your fingers, yet when you open your hand, it rests there effortlessly. In this episode, we will explore the profound spiritual paradox that true abundance and love can only enter an open hand, and discover how to deeply enjoy the world without the suffocating grip of attachment. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

Dr. Reid is a clinical assistant professor at University of Pennsylvania and an associate professor at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.  She attended medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her psychiatry residency at UCLA. This podcast will focus on her new book, Guilt Free:  Reclaiming Your Life from Unreasonable Expectations.  Dr. Reid also writes and podcasts on Substack at A Mind of Her Own focused on helping individuals nurture a deep and lasting self-trust.  She is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today with her blog "Think like a Shrink."  Her writing has also been featured on KevinMD and Doximity.  For more information, please see:  https://www.jenniferreidmd.com/ This podcast is available on your favorite podcast platform, or here:https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/episode-334-dr-jennifer-reid-guilt-free-reclaiming-your-life-from-unreasonable-expectations Have a blessed weekend!

Send us an email @ info@parentcoachesunleashed.com SummaryIn this episode of Parent Coaches Unleashed, Carrie Wiesenfeld and Jessica Anger engage in a heartfelt conversation with Paige, a mother of a transgender daughter named Chloe. They explore the journey of recognizing Chloe's gender identity from a young age, the importance of support systems, medical guidance, and the challenges faced in social transition, sports participation, and dating. Paige shares her experiences, insights, and resources for parents navigating similar paths, emphasizing the need for open communication, understanding, and community support.TakeawaysIt's essential to recognize and support a child's gender identity early on.Language around gender identity is evolving, and parents should be open to learning.Building a network of allies is crucial for a transgender child's acceptance.Medical guidance should come from competent professionals familiar with transgender issues.Social transition should be approached methodically and with preparation.Coming out can be a significant event for transgender children and their families.Medical interventions like puberty blockers should be discussed with a knowledgeable team.Participation in sports can present unique challenges for transgender youth.Safety concerns for transgender individuals, especially in dating, are paramount.Community support, such as camps for transgender youth, can be life-changing.Resources1. www.genderspectrum.org   Many downloadable resources General, Family, Educational, Faith, Medical and Mental Health, Allyship, Book list. You can also get speakers and speak to professionals 2. www.thetrevorproject.orgNon profit LGBTQ plus youth   They have a suicide hotline and so many resources3. Local PFLAG  and LGBTQ Centers  in your city   Just google it   Many have support groups, activities, advocacy opportunities, groups for parents and grandparents as well4. Psychologytoday.com to find a therapist using the therapist finder. You can enter your location, issues, insurance, preferences and other criteria and it will give you names, specialties, and contact information5. For specialists in medical care, go to WPATH Provider Directory, and https://lgbtqhealthcaredirectory.org6. https://harborcamps.orgBooks 1. My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis2. Raising my Rainbow by Lori Duron3. The Transgender Child (and Teen ) by Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper4. Raising The Transgender Child by Michele Angello  

Dr. Tim Elmore is founder of Growing Leaders (GrowingLeaders.com), an Atlanta‐based non‐profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. His work grew out of 20 years of serving alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell. Elmore has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, USA Today, Psychology Today, and he's been featured on CNN's Headline News, Fox Business, Newsmax TV and Fox and Friends to talk about leading multiple generations in the marketplace. He has written over 35 books, including Habitudes: Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes, Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership, and A New Kind of Diversity: Making the Different Generations on Your Team a Competitive Advantage. His latest book, The Future Begins with Z: Nine Strategies to Lead Generation Z As They Upset the Workplace, releases fall of 2025. You can find his work at: TimElmore.com.

If you struggle with people-pleasing and losing yourself in relationships, this episode with Ingrid Clayton, a licensed clinical psychologist and expert in relational trauma, about her book Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves and How to Find Our Way Back, is a conversation that can help you understand and transform patterns holding you back. Exploring fawning, which is a lesser-known trauma response shaped by caretaking, appeasement, and self-abandonment, you'll learn how it often shows up as anxiety and hypervigilance. And, through personal and client stories, you'll gain insights on reclaiming authenticity, navigating backlash, and starting the process of “unfawning.”Listen and Learn:Why do some people cope with relational trauma by becoming overly accommodating or pleasing?How people-pleasing might actually be your nervous system choosing safety in ways that once protected you, but could now be quietly shaping your identity and relationships without you realizing it, and what it actually takes to reconnect with who you areHow chronic fawning can look like emotional strength on the outside while quietly disconnecting you from your own anxiety and bodyHow what looks like dishonesty can actually be a survival response that once kept you safe, and what it takes to notice when it starts keeping you stuckHow tuning into what you notice in your body can be the first uncomfortable but powerful step to breaking people-pleasing patterns and building more authentic relationshipsWhy red flags can feel like home after emotional abuse and how learning to trust your own resentment might be the first step toward building a truly safe relationshipResources:Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves and How to Find Our Way Back https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9798217045327 Ingrid's Website: https://www.ingridclayton.com/ Connect with Ingrid on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingridclaytonphd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IngridClaytonPhD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingridclaytonphd/ Substack: https://substack.com/@ingridclaytonphd YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3PvWTgJMirURfgHWj3h28g About Ingrid ClaytonDr. Ingrid Clayton is a licensed clinical psychologist with a master's in transpersonal psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She's had a thriving private practice for more than sixteen years and is a regular contributor to Psychology Today, where her blog “Emotional Sobriety” has had more than a million views. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Book: Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves--and How to Find Our Way Back: https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9798217045327Related Episodes:305. The Power of Saying No with Vanessa Patrick186. Set Boundaries Find Peace with Nedra Tawwab 276. Assertive Communication Skills with Randy Paterson 308. Identifying and Surviving Gaslighting with Robin Stern 263. Relationships with Emotionally Immature People with Lindsay Gibson 383. What My Bones Know: C-PTSD with Stephanie Foo417. Busting Trauma Treatment Myths with Emi Nietfeld416. Trauma and PTSD Treatment with Robyn WalserSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott Kaufman is a psychologist, coach, professor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. He is a professor of psychology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Human Potential. He also hosts The Psychology Podcast which has received over 30 million downloads and is widely considered among the top  psychology podcasts in the world. Scott's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review, and he is the author and editor of 11 books. In his most recent book Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential, he explores the limiting beliefs and widespread anxiety that puts people in boxes, lowers expectations, and holds them back. In addition to teaching at Columbia, Scott has also been a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and NYU. Scott received a B.S. in psychology and human computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon, an M. Phil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge under a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University. In this episode we discuss the following: Scott's definition of intelligence: the dynamic interplay of engagement and abilities in the pursuit of goals. When we give people a chance to go deep into an area that they love, over a long period of time, they can develop expertise and brain structures that can override some of our IQ limitations. The thing that surprised Scott most as he researched intelligence was just how predictive IQ is. Scott thought he was going to be on a vendetta against IQ but ended up falling in love with the science of IQ, intelligence, and the brain. Differences in ability are both natural and valuable, and recognizing them—rather than denying them—creates better paths for growth and contribution. Unlocking our potential requires intellectual honesty, patience, and environments that allow passion and skill to reinforce one another over time.  

If your team can't move without you, you don't have leadership; you have dependence. Kendall Berg sits down with Leah Marone to unpack the Support, Don't Solve leadership model. This is the shift that stops constant interruption. It also builds real ownership. Leah explains why leaders often jump in too quickly, how this creates a dependency loop, and what to do instead. You will hear the first move that changes everything: validation first. Then questions. Then space. This episode is for the manager who is always on call. It is also for the high performer who wants to advance without carrying the whole team. You will walk away with a clear reframe, simple boundaries that still feel human, and language you can use the next time someone brings you a problem. In this episode, we discuss: Why does my team rely on me for every decision at work? How do I stop being the problem solver without sounding cold? What does "support, don't solve" look like in real leadership conversations? How do I set boundaries at work while still leading with empathy? What should I say first when someone brings me a problem? What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

We sat down with Lisa Broderick, CEO of Marshall Goldsmith Advisors and co-author of a new book Permanence: Become the Person You Want to Be and Stay That Way, to unpack a 2-minute practice that helps high-achievers, leaders and teams start compounding wins into lasting change. We walk through the Daily Questions Method and the crucial shift from outcome obsession to effort tracking. Lisa explains why willpower collapses under stress, how comparison culture hijacks identity, and how a tight feedback loop builds lasting habits using your brain's reward system. Beyond the core ritual, we dive into other practical tools you can use immediately to grow and improve permanently.Feedforward replaces backward-looking critiques with future-focused guidance you'll actually act on. The hero exercise turns admired qualities into your personal North Star. The wheel of change helps you decide what to keep, what to let go, and what to accept—so your motivation stops leaking into unwinnable fights.For teams, we outline a simple rollout: lightweight 360s to pick 3 behaviors, a shared cadence, and leaders modeling effort scores.Expect a clear, repeatable framework for personal growth and culture change, one that takes minutes, not meetings, and scales from individual habits to organizational norms.Ready to trade resets for lasting results?Subscribe, share this with a friend who wants to grow, and tell us: which 3 behaviors will you track this week?Short BIO:Lisa Broderick is a seasoned C-suite executive, corporate board member, and nonprofit founder with three decades of leadership experience across diverse industries, blending science with personal transformation.Author of the international bestseller All the Time in the World, which was translated into dozens of languages, and a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, Lisa distills human behavior, science, and systems thinking into complex organizational and behavioral insights.Her books deliver practical, results-driven strategies that empower individuals and organizations to achieve lasting success. Learn more about Lisa and get the book: https://permanencebook.com/Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Ally Masterson, is a pre-licensed clinical therapist in Chicago. She is a bilingual Spanish-English speaker who works with adult individuals, couples, & families. Ally uses integrated therapy methods combining IFS, existential, gestalt, attachment-based, psychodynamic, and somatic approaches. Some issues she focuses on include grief, aging, relationships, breaking patterns/cycles, cross-cultural identity, negative religious experiences, and loved ones of individuals with personality disorders. Ally is interested in the impacts of social media and how it relates to mental health. She's especially interested in the ways it both connects and disconnects us from the human experience. Additionally, she is concerned with the current political climate in the US and how this relates to mental health through what seen on social media."Links:TikTok:   / allytherapist  Instagram:   / allytherapist  Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/th...LinkedIn:   / ally-masterson-65511b8a  Practice Website: https://www.amandaatkinschicago.com/m...https://beacons.ai/chrisdpomayhttps://www.cameo.com/chrispomay book a personalized video message from yours truly CDP! https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/chris... if you wish to support my media content and You Tube Channel. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...https://www.barrycullen.com/Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/54200596...

This episode covers: • Mic-628 Could Reset Your Body Clock and Cut Jet Lag in Half A new circadian drug candidate, Mic-628, has demonstrated the ability to shift the body's internal clock and significantly reduce jet-lag recovery time in early human studies. In controlled simulations, participants experienced faster realignment of their sleep-wake cycles and improved daytime performance compared to standard approaches like melatonin and light timing alone. Dave explains how this compound targets a core clock pathway, why eastbound travel is biologically harder than westbound, and how pharmacologic chronotherapy could become a serious performance tool for frequent travelers and shift workers. He also connects circadian alignment to obesity, insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk, and cognitive decline, outlining what this breakthrough could mean if safety data continues to hold. • Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top/ • Late-Life Depression May Signal Parkinson's or Dementia New research from Shanghai Jiao Tong University found that new-onset depression in older adults is strongly associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease and dementia. Dave reframes this finding as a brain health signal rather than a purely psychiatric issue, explaining how inflammation, microglial activation, vascular health, and neurodegeneration intersect with mood changes. He breaks down why sudden depression in someone with no prior history may warrant deeper cognitive testing, sleep evaluation, and metabolic screening instead of simply prescribing an antidepressant and moving on. This story highlights the importance of treating mood shifts as early biological data in a longevity framework. • Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260210040623.htm • Speed-Training Brain Games Reduced Dementia Risk by 25 Percent The long-running NIH-funded ACTIVE trial found that a specific speed-of-processing training program reduced dementia incidence by roughly 25 percent over two decades. Unlike memory or reasoning exercises, this visual processing speed protocol produced measurable long-term protection. Dave explains why reaction time and processing speed may be core capacities tied to cognitive resilience, and how structured brain-training programs descended from this research can be treated like strength training for the mind. Instead of vague advice to “stay mentally active,” this data supports building deliberate, trackable cognitive training into a midlife longevity plan. • Sources: – NPR summary: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/09/nx-s1-5702423/modest-mental-exercise-can-reduce-risk-of-dementia-for-decades-study-finds – Psychology Today analysis: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/build-your-brain/202602/new-study-means-the-age-of-dementia-prevention-begins-now • Moderate Coffee Intake Linked to Slower Brain Aging A large analysis of roughly 130,000 participants found that moderate coffee consumption, about one to three cups daily, was associated with markers of slower brain aging and lower dementia risk. Dave explains why moderate, morning-weighted caffeine intake may align acute performance benefits with potential long-term brain protection. He breaks down the dose curve, why more is not necessarily better, and how to use coffee strategically without compromising sleep or circadian rhythm. Rather than framing caffeine as either a miracle or a villain, this study supports intelligent, personalized dosing as part of a broader brain-health stack. • Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00409-y • Kratom Crackdowns and the Future of Supplement Freedom Regulators are tightening restrictions on high-potency kratom derivatives such as 7-hydroxymitragynine, with new bans and stricter warning requirements emerging at the state level. The FDA continues to treat kratom and its concentrated derivatives as unapproved drugs with opioid-like effects, while local jurisdictions are targeting specific formulations linked to adverse events. Dave breaks down how this represents a broader shift in how edge-case compounds are regulated, why supply volatility and underground markets can increase risk, and what this means for biohackers who experiment with gray-area tools. He also explains how evolving enforcement strategies could shape future access to peptides, nootropics, and other advanced compounds. • Sources: – Kansas City coverage: https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/strong-high-weak-laws-7-oh-ban-kratom-regulation-moves-forward-in-kansas-city-missouri – Florida policy coverage: https://www.wgcu.org/health/2026-02-04/kratom-advocates-tout-its-properties-but-legislators-want-strict-warnings-about-the-herbal-supplement – Legal landscape analysis: https://www.lumalexlaw.com/2025/10/09/kratoms-legal-future-how-states-and-the-federal-government-are-responding/ – FDA background: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-kratom All source links are provided for direct access to the original reporting and research. This episode is designed for biohackers, longevity seekers, and high-performance listeners who want mechanism-level clarity on circadian biology, neurodegeneration signals, cognitive training, caffeine strategy, and supplement regulation. Host Dave Asprey connects emerging science, behavioral data, and policy shifts into practical frameworks you can use to build a resilient, adaptable health stack. New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Keywords: Mic-628 circadian drug, jet lag recovery science, chronotherapy biohacking, late life depression dementia risk, Parkinson's prodromal symptoms, ACTIVE trial dementia prevention, speed of processing training, brain aging coffee study, moderate caffeine longevity, kratom regulation 7-OH, supplement law biohacking, neurodegeneration early signals, cognitive performance training, circadian rhythm optimization, metabolic brain health, biohacking news Thank you to our sponsors! - Antarctica Trip | Join me in Antarctica from March 8–17, 2026. Visit https://www.insiderexpeditions.com/future and use code DAVE for $1,000 off.- TRU KAVA | Go to https://trukava.com/ and use code DAVE10 for 10% off.Resources: • Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/ • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 0:18 - Story #1: Circadian Drug for Jet Lag 2:00 - Story #2: Depression as Early Warning Sign 3:30 - Story #3: Brain Processing Speed Training 4:56 - Story #4: Coffee and Brain Health 6:24 - Story #5: Kratom Regulation 8:21 - Weekly Roundup 9:25 - Closing See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The French philosopher Blaise Pascal once famously said, 'All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.' We often treat boredom as a minor annoyance, but modern psychology tells us it is actually a powerful drive that can push us toward addiction, unnecessary drama, and destructive risks just to feel alive. In this episode, we will explore why your brain hates the quiet, and how to turn that restless energy into creativity instead of chaos. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

Welcome solo and group practice owners! We are Liath Dalton and Evan Dumas, your co-hosts of Group Practice Tech. In our latest episode, we offer actionable tips for practice owners regarding the rapidly changing landscape of online referral sources. We discuss: How online referral sources have changed over the last year Why Psychology Today is no longer the dominant referral pathway Emphasizing community based referrals How clients are using AI to find therapists How AI tools prioritize results Practical do's and don'ts for being findable via AI Listen here: https://personcenteredtech.com/group/podcast/ For more, visit our website. PCT Resources Free companion resource: Being Findable in an AI-Shaped Referral World: A Therapist's Do's & Don'ts Guide We've created a practical, no-hype Do's & Don'ts checklist to help you strengthen your discoverability without chasing trends or gaming AI. It walks you through exactly what to focus on — and what to ignore — so your practice stays clear, ethical, and resilient in a changing referral landscape. On-Demand CE Course: Marketing in Mental Health: The Legal and Ethical Do's and Don'ts You Need to Know Join AMHCA ethics committee member, therapist and HIPAA lawyer, Eric Ström, JD PhD LMHC, as he unpacks what it means to do marketing as a mental health clinician. With so much advice being shared online and between colleagues about how to grow your mental health practice and business, he's here to set clear boundaries around what is appropriate ethically and legally when trying to bring in new clients. 3 Legal-Ethical CE Credit Hours Group Practice Care Premium weekly (live & recorded) direct support & consultation service, Group Practice Office Hours — including monthly session with therapist attorney Eric Ström, JD PhD LMHC + assignable staff HIPAA Security Awareness: Bring Your Own Device training + access to Device Security Center with step-by-step device-specific tutorials & registration forms for securing and documenting all personally owned & practice-provided devices (for *all* team members at no per-person cost) + assignable staff HIPAA Security Awareness: Remote Workspaces training for all team members + access to Remote Workspace Center with step-by-step tutorials & registration forms for securing and documenting Remote Workspaces (for *all* team members at no per-person cost) + more Resources Article from Clear Health Costs: Therapist forums buzzing over drop in Psychology Today referrals Article from Clear Health Costs: Therapists say Psychology Today referrals have dried up, and express concern

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode!According to Psychology Today, parasocial relationships are "one-sided relationships in which a person develops a strong sense of connection, intimacy, or familiarity with someone they don't know, most often celebrities or media personalities. These relationships exist only in the mind of the individual, who experiences a bond despite the lack of reciprocity. The term was coined by psychologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl in 1956 when televisions became widely available, they noted that TV viewers began to develop the 'illusion of intimacy' with the characters on the screen.”In our increasingly digital and online world, parasocial relationships can develop with YouTubers, content creators on social media, podcasters, celebrities - the list is practically endless. Tune in to hear about our parasocial relationships and our feelings about the phenomenon. Don't forget to share whether you have any parasocial relationships and with whom?Support the showBe part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at madnesscafepodcast@gmail.com.Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!Thanks!

Learn how easily pros tie well-being to success—and how fear of failure can distort self-worth. Accounting ARCWith Byron Patrick and Donny ShimamotoCenter for Accounting TransformationBusy season may still be a days out, but the stress response already starts to hum for a lot of accounting professionals — the calendar fills, the inbox tightens, and the margin for error feels like it shrinks to a sliver. In the latest Accounting ARC, Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, and Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, take that reality head-on with a surprisingly practical lens: modern stoicism.  MORE Accounting ARC: The Fastest Way to Lose Talent Is “Dick Leadership” | Post-Holiday Fatigue Isn't a Failure; It's a Signal | OCR, Research Bots & Meeting Assistants: What Actually Helps Now | Return Season is the New Stress Test | Small Firms May Have the Biggest Advantage in 2026 | Downgraded: What the DOE Said About Accounting | Savage: Using Your License as a Megaphone |  Baker: Interpreting Pricing Psychology | Don't Get Fired by Your Own Automation | What Amazon Doesn't Tell You | Royalties, Residuals, and Reality Checks | ARC-SLC  They start by naming the misconception most people bring to the word “stoic” — that it means emotionless, rigid, “stone-faced.” Shimamoto, founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC and founder and inspiration architect for the Center for Accounting Transformation, admits that's how he learned it, too: a kind of unfeeling resilience. But the article that sparks the episode — a Psychology Today piece on the science of stoicism — reframes it as something more useful (and more human): a set of attitudes and behaviors linked with resilience, lower anger and higher life satisfaction.  

Behind the scenes of everyday family life is a mental workload many of us carry without even realizing it, and that's exactly what Debbie Sorensen explores in her interview with sociologist Allison Daminger about her book, What's on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life. Allison defines cognitive labor as the invisible work of managing family needs and obligations, and walks us through its importance for individual well-being and relationship satisfaction. The discussion also touches on how these tasks are often unrecognized in statistics, the gender dynamics in cognitive labor, and the implications for families and workplaces. You'll also get a look at insights from her research involving both different-sex and same-sex couples, and she suggests ways to address gender imbalances through individual, cultural, and systemic changes.Listen and Learn: How cognitive household labor silently shapes family lifeHow mental load secretly drains energy in daily life and why the invisible tasks of keeping a household running can be more exhausting than anyone realizesWhy the small, everyday decisions parents make reveal hidden patterns in family life that most people never noticeWhy women often carry the mental load at home even when they out-earn or out-work their partnersHow couples explain unequal household labor reveals that what seems like personality differences is actually shaped by deeply ingrained social and cultural expectations around genderThe surprising ways “superhuman” and “bumbler” roles shape relationships and what small changes can help partners share the load more freelyInsights from same-sex couples on sharing mental load and the lessons they offer for balancing household responsibilitiesResources: What's on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9780691245386Allison's Website: https://www.allisondaminger.com/Allison's Substack: https://allisondaminger.substack.com/Connect with Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisondaminger/ About Allison DamingerAllison Daminger is an assistant professor of sociology at UW-Madison and the author of the new book What's on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life. Daminger's research is focused on how and why gender shapes family dynamics, particularly the division of work and power in couples. Her award-winning scholarship has been published in top academic journals and featured in outlets including The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Psychology Today. Daminger holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Policy from Harvard University and lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin. Related Episodes:176. Fair Play with Eve Rodsky 206. Fair Play Part 2 with Eve Rodsky275. Work, Parent, Thrive with Yael Schonbrun386. Parents Are Stressed: What Do We Do About It? with Emily, Debbie, and our dear friend Yael Schonbrun306. Screaming on the Inside: The Challenges of American Motherhood with Jessica Grose146. Parental Burnout with Lisa Coyne441. Having It All with Corinne Low137. The Complexities of Motherhood with Daphne de Marneffe104. You're Doing It Wrong with Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan33. Couples with Young Children: Relationship Challenges and Strategies with Yael Schonbrun See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the navigator for her daughter's rare disease and a Yale-trained physician, Dr. Maggie Kang, uses her personal and professional training to guide other parents through the healthcare system, helping them turn health challenges into leadership. She is a passionate advocate, TEDx speaker, and contributor to HuffPost and Psychology Today.  In this episode, we explore how caregivers can reclaim agency for themselves and their loved ones, move beyond cycles of suffering or self-comfort, and take meaningful action—especially within the rare disease community. We also discuss the grief that accompanies losing our pre-caregiving life and how to intentionally create a vibrant, empowered “new normal.” And, you'll learn why fresh parsley is one of Maggie's go-to self-care strategies. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod221 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Have you ever felt the need to choose between non-profit and private practice? Is it possible to do both? My guest today, Tina, has found a way to do so! She believes in sustainability, both in business and her personal life. For Tina, being able to offer her services in the non-profit sector helps her to make sure her expertise is available to people who need the support but can't easily afford it, and seeing private clients in her solo practice helps her to support herself!   By combining both approaches, Tina can make sure she utilizes both her passion and her skills, and live while working in a way that feels fully integrated with her values. If you want to learn more, come join our conversation!  MEET TINA Tina Bells is a Registered Psychotherapist and EMDR therapist based in Toronto, where she also serves as the Grief and Bereavement Coordinator for a local hospice. She is the owner of Grounded Voice Psychotherapy, her Private Practice, where she supports individuals experiencing loss and Spiritual abuse. With a Master's in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy and over a decade of experience in non-profits, including those such as shelters and correctional services, all of which inform her holistic, compassionate approach. Learn more about Tina on her practice website, Psychology Today, and LinkedIn profiles.  In this episode:  What motivated Tina to become a therapist  Going into private practice  Managing a diverse schedule  Tina's goals for 2026 Tina's advice to listeners  What motivated Tina to become a therapist There was no big, sudden moment of realization that Tina had to know she wanted to become a therapist. Instead, pursuing therapy came from a lifetime of interest in other people. 'I think it was a series of small things over time. I always knew I wanted to support people, that's what led to the Master's in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy, and then into the non-profit work that I have been doing for the last two decades.' - Tina Bells  Initially, Tina worked mostly with people who were struggling with addictions, but with time, her passions shifted, things changed, and she began to focus on grief. That pulled her in and encouraged her to pivot her career.  Going into private practice  While Tina continues to work in the non-profit sector, she has begun her own Canadian private practice to prevent burnout.  'I think sustainability is an ethical issue, and that private practice allows me to do both [non-profit and private practice work], and allows me to have meaningful work in non-profit and provide for clients in a way that you can't when you're in the system.' - Tina Bells  For Tina, having one foot in both the non-profit sector and private practice enables her to find a clear, sustainable balance between serving her community and her passions while still being able to earn a stable income to support herself.  'It's really amazing to serve in that way, and to meet the needs of people who wouldn't be able to access mental healthcare otherwise. [And] when you're in private practice, you're able to meet a need in a different way, so you get more time with people. You get to see some of that long-term [change].' - Tina Bells Therefore, Tina can give support and care to people who need assistance through non-profit sectors, and also continue seeing her private practice clients.  Managing a diverse schedule  Since Tina works in both non-profit and private practice, she needs to be strategic with her time.  At the moment, she works for three days in a non-profit and two days in her private practice. With this split, she's able to work with both groups of people and still afford her lifestyle.  Additionally, her private practice is completely virtual, which helps her manage her work from home on her dedicated practice days.  Tina's goals for 2026 For 2026, Tina's main goal is to get groups up and running in her Canadian private practice.  'I'm trying to generate some interest in that. I would really love to do a group that focuses on the grief around losing a spiritual community. I think that's a really big piece, and it's not something that's often talked about, so that's my goal … To get a group going.' - Tina Bells She has added this option to her Psychology Today profile just to start the process. While she hasn't gotten any clients for the groups yet, the year has just begun! And Tina knows it will take some time to develop.  Additionally, Tina has goals to expand her marketing efforts, especially when it comes to networking and meeting new people in the community. If you are a non-profit or private practice owner, reach out to Tina and connect.  Tina's advice to listeners Don't underestimate the importance (and power!) of good supervision. Working with an expert and compassionate mentor can help you cover so much ground, especially if you are feeling unsure, nervous, or unsure how to begin this journey into therapy.  Connect with me: Instagram Website  Resources mentioned and useful links: Nadia and Debora D'Luso: A Sister-Team in Private Practice | EP 188 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months free) Get started with Hushmail here and get one month for free! Learn more about Tina on her practice website, Psychology Today, and LinkedIn profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn  

Is your child struggling with your separation or divorce? Wondering if they need professional help? Licensed play therapist Jenny Hornby joins Lisa to discuss the critical signs that children need therapeutic support during high-conflict divorce - and why getting help for yourself might be even more important.In this essential conversation, you'll discover when therapy becomes necessary, what different therapeutic approaches can offer, and how to find the right mental health professional for your family's specific situation. Jenny shares expert insights on play therapy, EMDR for trauma processing, and why the "oxygen mask principle" applies to parents navigating custody battles.Whether you're just starting separation proceedings or deep into a custody battle, this conversation provides the guidance you need to support your child's emotional wellbeing while taking care of yourself too.

The first episode of the Neurodiverse Love Docuseries will be released on February 14, 2026. Through this four part series, you will meet four Neurodiverse couples who share some of their lived experiences, lessons learned and the strengths, challenges and differences they've had in their marriages. None of the couples knew they were in a mixed neurotype relationship when they married and each shares some of the experiences that have led to more connection, understanding and acceptance of each other's differences.In addition, you will hear from three coaches/therapists who work with Neurodiverse couples. They share their perspective on why challenges may be occurring and also provide strategies and tools for increasing connection.To contribute to this very important project or to learn more about the docuseries click here.—————————————————————————- This episode is another wonderful presentation from the 2025 Neurodiverse Love Conference. During this session you will discover the unique strengths, strategies, and insights that successful neurodiverse couples use to navigate their relationships. Eva A. Mendes explores practical tools and must-know tips that real couples have shared to help their relationships grow and endure.More specifically you will learn:✨ Proven techniques to enhance connection and communication✨ Creative solutions for managing sensory and emotional differences✨ A roadmap to build your own relationship toolkitIn addition, you will learn actionable exercises and discussion prompts to apply these best-kept secrets in your own relationship while also being inspired by real stories and empowered to create lasting love!Eva A. Mendes is a world-renowned therapist, author, and couples counselor specializing in autism, ADHD, and neurodiverse relationships. With a focus on autistic adults, individuals with ADHD, gifted individuals, and LGBTQ clients, she helps diverse clients navigate the complexities of neurodiversity. Eva trained extensively at AANE and has authored several influential books, including Marriage and Lasting Relationships with Asperger's Syndrome, Gender, Sexuality, and Autism and her most recent book Conversations on Love and Autism. Her Heart of Autism blog on Psychology Today offers practical advice for neurodiverse individuals and couples. Learn more at www.eva-mendes.com or contact her at eva@eva-mendes.com.—————————————————————————-To learn more about the resources and services Mona offers you can check out her website at: www.neurodiverselove.comIf you would like to buy unlimited access to all 30+ video sessions from the 2025 Neurodiverse Love Conference click here and use code Podcast50 to get $50 off. With your purchase you will also get these FREE BONUSES: unlimited access to the 27 video sessions from the 2023 Neurodiverse Love Conference, the Neurodiverse Love Conversation Cards and Workbook. If you have any questions or need additional information please email: neurodiverselove4u@gmail.com

Many men over 40 take their health seriously but feel confused, frustrated, or quietly concerned about changes in their sex life.   In this episode, Ted speaks with human sexuality expert Dr. Nicole McNichols about how stress, sleep, anxiety, body image, and relationship dynamics shape sexual health. They explore why common explanations like testosterone or blood flow often miss the bigger picture, and how unrealistic expectations fueled by culture and pornography can undermine confidence and desire.   This conversation reframes sex as an essential part of overall health and longevity, offering a more grounded, evidence-based way to think about intimacy, performance, and connection. Listen now.    Today's Guest  Dr. Nicole McNichols  Dr. Nicole McNichols is an internationally recognized professor of human sexuality, author, and speaker at the University of Washington, where her course The Diversity of Human Sexuality is the most popular in the school's history.  She is the coauthor of Human Sexuality in a Diverse Society and the author of You Could Be Having Better Sex: The Definitive Guide to a Happier, Healthier, and Hotter Sex Life. She writes for Psychology Today, The Seattle Times, and The Conversation, and lives in the Seattle area with her family.  Connect to Dr. Nicole McNichols  LinkedIn: Nicole McNichols  Website: nicolethesexprofessor.com   Book: You Could Be Having Better Sex: The Definitive Guide to a Happier, Healthier, and Hotter Sex Life    You'll learn:   Why sexual health is a powerful but overlooked marker of overall wellbeing and longevity  How stress, poor sleep, anxiety, and body image issues quietly reduce desire and performance  Why pornography myths create unrealistic expectations that fuel insecurity and pressure  How emotional connection, self-growth, and planned intimacy support a healthier sex life    What Ted and Julie discuss:  (00:00) Introduction  (01:30) Meet Dr. Nicole McNichols  (02:30) The Connection Between Health and Sex  (05:30) Understanding the Pleasure Cycle  (12:47) The Impact of Pornography on Sexual Health  (24:31) Addressing Porn Use and Relationship Dynamics  (31:51) The Importance of Planning Intimacy  (36:07) Addressing the Root Causes of Sexual Issues  (37:47) The Role of Therapy in Sexual Health  (39:14) Final Thoughts and Upcoming Episodes  (39:37) The Importance of Self-Growth in Relationships  (59:27) Planning Intimacy and Pleasure  (63:19) Conclusion and Final Thoughts 

Strengths in Numbers™ guides and materials are developed by Ingrid Stabb, the leading expert in the enneagram, strengths and collaboration. She has been featured in The New York Times, Psychology Today, ABC View from the Bay and Wisdom 2.0.Co-author of The Career Within You (with the author of The Enneagram Made Easy), she also marketed and developed collaboration solutions around the world for companies including Oracle, Great Place to Work®, The Marcus Buckingham Company and more. A proponent of collaboration as a means to personal and professional fulfillment, Ingrid shares her message about collaboration as an essential “glue” of life—and the enneagram as the key to unlocking the “how.”  She is building a movement around #StrengthsinNumbers.Her latest book is The 9 Points of Potential, "which introduces a new Enneagram test that will help you identify your greatest talents and equip you with strategies to use them to your greatest output and benefit, all while harnessing the power of collaboration to achieve across-the-board success."Ingrid holds an MBA from Yale and a BA from Columbia. Her mission is to inspire the creation of life-affirming organizations and to live with love, commitment, fun, and creativity. ______________________________________________________________________ The Edupreneur: Your Blueprint To Jumpstart And Scale Your Education BusinessYou've spent years in the classroom, leading PD, designing curriculum, and transforming how students learn. Now, it's time to leverage that experience and build something for yourself. The Edupreneur isn't just another book; it's the playbook for educators who want to take their knowledge beyond the school walls and into a thriving business.I wrote this book because I've been where you are. I know what it's like to have the skills, the passion, and the drive but not know where to start. I break it all down: the mindset shifts, the business models, the pricing strategies, and the branding moves that will help you position yourself as a leader in this space.Inside, you'll learn how to:✅ Turn your expertise into income streams, without feeling like a sellout✅ Build a personal brand that commands respect (and top dollar)✅ Market your work in a way that feels natural and impactful✅ Navigate the business side of edupreneurship, from pricing to partnershipsWhether you want to consult, create courses, write books, or launch a podcast, this book will help you get there. Stop waiting for permission. Start building your own table.Grab your copy today and take control of your future.Buy it from EduMatch Publishing https://edumatch-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/new-releases/products/the-edupreneur-by-dr-will

Are you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stuck in old patterns, or unsure how to take the next step toward emotional well-being? You're not alone — and the first step toward lasting change often begins with understanding, connection, and support.Tatiana Grant, LPC, NCC & Professional therapy can help you:Navigate anxiety, depression, stress, or life transitions with clarity and confidence.Develop practical tools to manage thoughts, emotions, and relationships.Break unhelpful patterns and build habits that support long-term mental health.Feel truly heard and understood in a safe, confidential space.Whether you're just beginning to explore therapy or are seeking deeper insight and growth, finding a qualified clinician who understands your struggle is essential. Writing a strong therapist profile — like those you'll find on Psychology Today — shows how clinicians connect with ideal clients and invite people to take that brave first step toward healing.

This episode is a raw, unscripted deep dive into men's mental health, toxic masculinity myths, anxiety, depression, fatherhood, money stress, and why modern mental health systems continue to miss men entirely. Using recent Psychology Today articles and peer reviewed research, the conversation breaks down what toxic masculinity actually is, how rare it truly is, and why buzzwords without clear definitions are doing more harm than good. You'll hear real talk on why most men are not toxic, how anxiety often shows up as anger or withdrawal, and why many men feel misunderstood or dismissed by traditional therapy models. You can expect honest commentary on male vulnerability, financial pressure, provider identity, SSRIs, plant medicine, trauma, fatherhood, and why men struggle in silence until things fall apart. This episode challenges pop psychology, questions mainstream narratives, and opens up a much needed conversation about what men actually need to heal, lead, and stay present for their families. If you care about men's mental health, masculinity, relationships, fatherhood, purpose, or breaking generational patterns, this video will hit hard and make you think long after it endsDisclaimer: We are not professionals. This podcast is opinioned based and from life experience. This is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions helped by our guests may not reflect our own. But we love a good conversation.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/2-be-better--5828421/support.

You can be 100% right about the facts, but if you are wrong in your internal state, you still lose the battle for your own happiness. This episode uncovers the hidden cost of 'psychological violence' and proves that true power comes from a calm mind, not a hateful one. Let's explore how to protect your heart from the poison of resentment so you can remain strong, clear, and truly free. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

New Year's resolutions promise hope, but for many people, they quietly deliver shame, stress, and self-blame instead. If resolutions leave you feeling worse about yourself every January, this episode explains why — and what actually works. Host Gabe Howard is joined by returning favorite Jodi Wellman to unpack why traditional goal-setting often backfires, especially when it comes to mental health. They explore the psychology behind the “fresh start effect,” how all-or-nothing thinking sets us up to fail, and why massive lifestyle overhauls rarely stick. More importantly, they offer practical, compassionate alternatives; Like shifting from rigid goals to identity-based habits, process-focused wins, and restarting without guilt when things go off track. Listener Takeaways The mental health cost of setting outcome-based goals Why smaller, process-focused goals actually create lasting change How to restart a goal without guilt or self-punishment Whether you've already ditched your New Year's resolutions or never believed in them to begin with, this episode explores a healthier, more realistic way to create change—without harming your mental well-being. “What is really common, which is set a goal. Don't get there. Feel bad about it. So net net it's not a good experience. For many of us, that's problematic because we feel badly about ourselves [. . .] And maybe that's your version of self-compassion is to let that goal gracefully go.” ~Jodi Wellman, MAPP Our guest, Jodi Wellman, MAPP is a speaker, author, and facilitator on living lives worth living. She founded Four Thousand Mondays to help people make the most of the time they are lucky to be above ground.  With 25 years of corporate leadership experience (most recently as Senior Vice President of Operations at a leading health and lifestyle organization), Jodi has led private CEO advisory boards and coaches teams to work well and live even better. Jodi has a Master's of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also an Assistant Instructor and facilitator in the Penn Resilience Program. She is an ICF Professional Certified Coach. Her book, "You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets," made Adam Grant's Summer Reading List and was a “Top 3 Psychology Book of 2024” by the Next Big Idea Club (curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Dan Pink). Jodi has been featured in The New York Times, Oprah Daily, Fast Company, CNBC, Forbes, Psychology Today, The Los Angeles Times, and more. Jodi's TEDx talk is called How Death Can Bring You Back to Life; with over 1.3 million views, it is the 14th most-watched TEDx talk released in 2022, out of 15,900! Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can't imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Please share the show -- it's how we grow! Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychology Today Suggests Living By Wheel of the Year

In this special series kickoff, Lesley Logan opens an honest conversation about burnout and how it can quietly build around the things you love doing—often without you realizing it. She explores the irony of burning out from the things we are passionate about, the three key signs defined by the WHO, and why high achievers are most at risk of losing their “muchness.” If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:The three parts of burnout as defined by the World Health Organization.Why chronic stress can quietly build even when you love your work.What makes burnout show up differently for women than men.How emotional labor and always-on expectations contribute to burnout.What burnout can actually look like before it is clearly recognized.Episode References/Links:Submit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsBurn-Out an “Occupational Phenomenon” – https://beitpod.com/burnoutWhy Ambitious Women Burn Out - https://beitpod.com/burnout2 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  It's so easy for us to love what we're doing, but create chronic stress around it, and so then we burn out from the thing we love doing. Lesley Logan 0:08  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 0:50  Hello, Be It babe. How are you? Oh my gosh. Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It Podcast. You know, normally we do interviews on Tuesdays and recaps on Thursdays and FYFs on Fridays, and everyone's well, I just want to do like a topic, because we've had some amazing guests on it, and I want to revisit that with you, right? I think it'd be a lot of fun. So in doing that, I want us to discuss burnout. We've have a self-love series, we have a habit series. And you know, something that I get a lot from the women that listen this podcast and we work with is just like, the difficulty in preventing burnout, and also, just like, are they ever not burned out and all that good stuff? Because in being it until you see it, it's really easy for y'all to be just overachievers at it, and just like, go harder than one needs to, right? And so I want to just give us. I want us to be on. I want us to have the tools to be it until we see it. And that means understanding burnout and how to prevent it. So this episode will be, what is burnout, so we can be really clear about what it is. I think it's important to be able to name something versus like, what's depression, what's overwhelm, things like that. And then also the second episode, beyond like preventions, like things you can actually do, because you guys are action takers, and I love that so much. Lesley Logan 2:05  So what is burnout? Why do we have burnout? What does it look like? That's what this episode is. If you're like Lesley, I've got it. Well, you can wait till Thursday. But just in case, you know, I think it's important to go over this. And I saw this quote, yeah, as I was preparing for this episode, and it said from the Mad Hatter, and it said, you've lost your muchness. You used to be much, muchier. And I think that, like that can be a sign of burnout, if you, like, lost your muchness, right? But get this the World Health Organization (WHO), actually has defined what burnout is. And so I think that's great. I think, like, let's go with the science. The burnout is a syndrome tied to unsuccessfully managed workplace stress. Like, obviously it can be personal stuff too, so well. But like, WHO is doing this from this part. So it's made up of three parts, exhaustion, feeling distant or cynical towards your job and reduced performance at work. Dr. Ashley, who has since become an expert on this topic, and is a self-proclaimed burnout doctor, she said, I think you can get burnout from any chronic stress situation. So I think that that is helpful, because, like, the simpler sentence, what WHO was trying to say, is any chronic stress situation that can provide burnout. And this is interesting you guys, because it's so easy for us to love what we're doing, but create chronic, chronic stress around it, and so then we burn out from the thing we love doing. And we'll talk about why that happens. So burnout is serious. In severe cases, it can cause premature aging of the brain. This is, this is insanity to me, because, like, oh my God, we cannot let our brains age sooner than they need to, and if you're under 45 your chance of dying from all causes goes up. I mean, let that just sink in, and it's indicated by a study they did a scientific journal, PLO S1, Dr. Ashley estimates it can take one to three years to recover from burnout. You know, as a kid, I remember like, my mom had a job that, like, was really stressful for her, and she slept the whole summer. And I remember my dad having to, like, leave work on stress leave like these it can take one to three years recover, and I do believe it did for both of them. So it's really, really important that we don't just go, oh, this is the busy season I'm in, you know, and dismiss it like we should be stronger and we shouldn't be feeling this way. Lesley Logan 4:25  Why is burnout happening more often? So, increase caregiver and emotional labor. So obviously, this episode, this podcast, is really designed for women. We have few good men who listen. Thank you so much. And it is so we've mostly women listeners. So I'm just going to talk about the women's aspect of burnout. So women often carry the mental load for their households. And this is so true. I see it in a lot of my friends who are moms, you know, like they remember everything. They're coordinating the childcare, they're managing family needs and often caring for aging parents. They also frequently are expected to manage the emotions of those around them at both at work and at home. Home, which is why, like it's possible to have a stressful job, but then if your home life is also demanding of you, then it like you don't have a refuge, right? And so that can be really, really difficult. Cultural expectations, the style norms, can pressure women to be nurturers, always available and have to have it all, creating unrealistic standards and feelings of inadequacy when these expectations aren't met. And this is also something that I've seen because, to be honest, I have a I have some friends, I've like, friends in air quotes that I've known from groups that we have been in, and I'm watching their posts on Instagram, and they're just like, so beautiful all the time, so put together. Even when they're like, I'm not put together, they're so put together. Like, their background is so beautiful, their house is so well decorated, and they're showing like, oh, I can be this, like, person who, like, makes sourdough, and I also am a badass in the workplace. That's amazing. That's wonderful. I hope they're so happy, but also, like, it can set up an expectation that we should all be feeling the same way as them, in the same place of our life. And like, that's just not the case, right? We don't all have the same 24 hours in a day. So the always on culture, a sense of constant responsibility, combined with social media pressure to maintain a perfect image contributes to a feeling of being always on and unable to truly rest. Lesley Logan 6:13  This is something I have really had to grapple with in the last five years, because a lot of the work that I do is on camera, you know? And I always was like, Oh, my God, maybe I have to, like, I have to, like, get ready. I have to do my makeup. I didn't even finish it today. If you're watching this on the YouTube channel, like, I, like, I started this recording, like, oh, we have no mascara on. Like, I got really good at going, you know what? I have to put out this content. I have to do all this stuff for the work that we do, that I that I that I created because I love this podcast, I love the memberships that I have, but I cannot also expect myself to be, in air quotes, on all the time. And so first of all, since day one, I've always just been myself online. I don't really know how to be anything else. And two, that means I don't match I don't always have my hair done, I don't always have these things. And so by just being myself, it has really helped me overcome the Always On pressures that can be out there. But if you are feeling that like that is a real pressure that is out there. And I understand that, and I it's difficult, but I hope that you can truly allow yourself to be yourself and everywhere you are and and you're allowed to have feelings and things like that. But if your workplace doesn't allow that, if, if the standards you set for yourself don't allow for that, if the people in your life don't allow for that, that can that means that you're always on, and that can be a pressure that's causing burnout in your life. Lesley Logan 7:26  So there are also some workplace factors that I think are really important to go over. Obviously, some of you who are listening don't have the opportunity to control the workplace. Some of you have created your own workplace. And so if any of these factors are in your workplace you created, we definitely want to, you know, unravel that if you have these factors in the workplace that you are in, then I definitely think it's worth going okay, at least I can pinpoint part of where this burnout is coming from. So inequitable workloads, women may face additional work outside of their formal roles, such as supporting colleagues, and have less flexibility in their jobs. We had an FYF of a few weeks back where I actually discussed, like, how men are given workplace reviews and women are given workplace reviews, and it's really annoying, because women's workplace reviews are often on, like, their personality versus like, the actual job that they did. So this is this can create chronic stress in the situation at your work. Couple that with like, what you've got going on at home, and you have a recipe for burnout, right? Gender pay and inequality. The gender wage gap and workplace discrimination creates stress, while limited career advancement opportunities and a lack of recognition for contributions exacerbate burnout. I mean, we all are aware that women are not paid the same amount as men, and then you add in race, and that is, it makes it even more of a pay gap. So if you happen to be a woman of a of color, you all you already are probably experiencing more factors towards your burnout. And so if you're feeling it like it's real, right? And I hate that for you, but I also think it's important that we don't deny that that's what's going on. And then lack of support. In professional environments, a lack of support from senior leaders and gender biases can make burnout more likely in this, yeah, lack of support in general, in life, can create burnout like it's so I have ADHD, so it's not easy for me to ask for help. I have to like practice. And the reality is is like, we all need it. We all need help. No one is supposed to do life alone. Lesley Logan 9:18  And then I just want to add this from Psychology Today, because in my research for this, I found a couple things that made me think of you. So y'all are high achievers. There's nothing wrong being a high achiever, right? Overachieving is exhausting. High achieving, nothing wrong with it, but high achieving women are at a greater risk of burnout and identity erosion due to chronic self-neglect. And you know, on this podcast, we talk a lot about prioritizing yourself first, so that that could be something that is actually causing the burnout. You could love what you do. You could love the family you have, but if you're and you probably do, but if you are lacking that prioritization of self and neglecting you, then you're going to, even with all the things you love, create burnout experience and then burnout why it's so, so important to pay attention to is that burnout can lead to anxiety, depression and a loss of personal meaning, connection. That's a big deal. It's a big deal. Not only are you not able to even have anything to be it till you see, but it can cause you to have missed experiences and relationships that that you probably care so much about, partners, family members, children, things like that. So it's really, really important that we address burnout and that we discuss, like, what it looks like, so that we can prevent it, and we'll talk about that in the next episode. Lesley Logan 10:28  But some common signs, just in case you're like, okay, I don't have it. So signs of burnout in women may include chronic fatigue, decreased motivation, feelings of inefficiency, increased irritability, disrupted sleep patterns, withdraw from social activities. So obviously these things can also look like perimenopause. They can look like depression. But you know, we had, we had somebody on the pod who is like, I'm not depressed, right? Not depressed, but I'm not fulfilled. So it, I think that it's important to be like, wow, if I know I'm not depressed, if I don't feel that way, but I have increased irritability, and I'm withdrawing from social activities. You know, if I'm decreasing motivation, I'm usually a very motivated person, there's something going on. And instead of thinking there's something wrong with you, we can look around what's going on in my world that is causing these things that are not normal for me. So with all that, you know, I definitely have had burnout in my life, you know, like we talk not much in recent past, because I'm because I've gotten so good at spotting what it looks like in my body and in my life and how I'm reacting to things. But I remember back in probably right before our wedding, I was, it was my day off, and I was driving to the mall to go buy something for myself. I were going to a party. I was like, I'm gonna go buy this thing. Like, it should be so exciting. It should be so fun. And I saw an email pop up, you know, those like little notifications on this email pop up, and it just sent me into having a total anxiety. I don't have anxiety, sent me to total anxiety attack. I had to pull over, had to call Brad, you know. And what we discovered is that, like, you just sit down and like, actually look at what's going on. And my workplace experience was just so stressful, even though I loved what I did, I love the people I worked with. I love teaching. I love being a teacher. I loved all of it, but the truth is, is that the people around me were creating a chronic stress experience. And so we got really clear on the numbers that I needed to make in my personal business, and we made a plan, and I worked that plan, and I was able to get out of that job, and I was able to notice, oh, oh, here are the things I am creating chronic stress in my own situation that I created myself. And so you're not going to be perfect at stopping before burnout, but if you can notice what it feels like in your body and how it how it is presenting itself, it makes it easier. Lesley Logan 12:54  So I'm gonna wrap up the episode here, because I know you're really busy, and I don't want this podcast to be part of the chronic stress that you have in your life. So thank you so much for listening to this series, all the series. If you are enjoying the series we're doing, I would love to know the topic you want us to like, do a little more research on, have a little more talk about it. Or if there's guests that you want to like us to have on the pod, you can definitely send those in. Mean the world to me if you leave a review and share this with a friend who needs to hear it, maybe you have a friend who's like, exhibiting all these signs, and it would just be helpful for them to be like, oh, nothing wrong with me. I'm just in a really crappy situation that is causing this kind of feeling and behavior in my body, in my life, and I there's that means we, once we know that, once we're aware, that we can make changes. We can't make changes if we're not aware, right? So thank you so much. And until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 13:40  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. Brad Crowell 14:23  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 14:29  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 14:33  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 14:40  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 14:43  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When you're in a high-conflict divorce, the behaviors often feel indistinguishable. Gaslighting. Manipulation. Control. Chaos. Emotional whiplash. It's why so many people fixate on one question: Is my spouse a narcissist? In this episode, I'm joined by licensed psychotherapist and narcissistic abuse expert Chelsey Brooke Cole to explore a deeper truth—when the impact on you feels the same, does the label actually matter? We unpack what narcissistic abuse truly is, how it overlaps with other forms of emotional and psychological abuse, and why abusers and narcissists often behave in nearly identical ways during divorce. Especially when they're losing control. Especially when the legal process becomes another tool for domination, punishment, and destabilization. This conversation is not about diagnosing your ex. It's about understanding patterns so you can stop internalizing blame, stop doubting your reality, and stop negotiating from fear. We talk about the internal experience of these dynamics—the fog, the shame, the fragmentation, the nervous system overload—and how those symptoms affect your ability to think clearly, make decisions, and advocate for yourself and your children. Most importantly, we focus on what actually helps. How to protect yourself emotionally and strategically during a high-conflict divorce. How to anticipate predictable escalations. How to step out of reactivity and into steadiness. And how to begin rebuilding your sense of identity, self-worth, and agency after prolonged psychological control. If you're divorcing someone who feels impossible, unpredictable, or emotionally dangerous, this episode offers clarity, validation, and a path forward rooted in reality—not labels. Chelsey Brooke Cole is a licensed psychotherapist, certified partner trauma therapist, bestselling author of If Only I'd Known!, and a nationally recognized expert in narcissistic abuse and complex trauma. She has been featured in USA Today, Psychology Today, HuffPost, WKRN News 2, and FOX 26 Houston, and supports thousands of survivors through her clinical work, education, and trauma-informed programs. This episode is for anyone navigating a high-conflict divorce who needs to understand what's happening, why it's so destabilizing, and how to move forward without losing themselves in the process. Connect with Chelsey: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseybrookecole Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseybrookecole Website: https://www.chelseybrookecole.com/ Free ebook version of bestselling book, If Only I'd Known! How to Outsmart Narcissists, Set Guilt-Free Boundaries, and Create Unshakeable Self-Worth: https://us14.list-manage.com/survey?u=b1c7f3139f2ce732f0176d8e5&id=5e960f8627&attribution=false Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Follow JBD on Instagram: @journey_beyond_divorce Book a Free Rapid Relief Call: http://rapidreliefcall.com Free Divorce Support Network Gift: https://divorcesupportnetwork.com/jbdpod

Away to Me is Patricia McConnell PhD's first mystery novel, and it's gorgeous. Zazie and Kristi chat with Patricia to learn more about the book and why she decided to write fiction set in the dog world.We talk about:What made Patricia decide to write a mystery novelThe main character, Maddie McGowanWhether it was fun to be writing dogs as charactersHow she wrote about the dogs as real characters & without turning the interactions into negative/aversive ones. The many different dog training cases that appear as secondary characters in the bookPatricia has previously written many wonderful non-fiction books, including her memoir, The Education of Will. What's different about writing fiction? The power and importance of friendships and how dogs are one of the ways that many people can find a community?What motivates her to write, and will we see more of Maddie after this? Away to Me will be published on Feb 24th and is available for pre-order wherever books are sold.Also mentioned:What the Dog Knows by Cat WarrenPatricia's blog post on finding grace https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/natl-dog-training-month-or-you-and-54/Susanna Daniel and Madison Writers' Studio https://madisonwriters.com/Patricia McConnell at Bark! Fest https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16149739The book Patricia recommend is The Salt Stones by Helen Whybrow.Learn more about Patricia and her book, Away to Me, on her website: https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/Send us a text to say hello!Support the showAbout the co-hosts: Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers and has her PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She lives in beautiful northern British Columbia, where she helps dog guardians through online classes. She is also a northern anthropologist. Kristi Benson's website Facebook Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, and has a column at Psychology Today. She lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, a dog and a cat. Instagram BlueSky

In this heartfelt episode, host Amanda Bauner candidly shares her personal struggles amid political turmoil in the U.S. She discusses the impact of current events on her travel plans and explores why finding joy is especially important during challenging times. Amanda offers practical tips for cultivating joy in daily life and travel, emphasizing the value of community, resilience, and meaningful connections.  Resources from This Episode February 2025 Psychology Today article: "The Importance of Joy in the Darkest of Times" authored by F. Diane Barth, LCSW. HelpGuide.org's article: "Finding Joy During Difficult Times" authored by Stephanie Mihalas, PhD, and ABPP. Me and the Magic Episode 124: Microadventures for the Solo Traveler. Me and the Magic Episode 159: Why Your Travel Plans and Goals May Change. Join the Me and the Magic Community Join the Me and the Magic Facebook community to share your love of solo travel, cruises, Disney travel, and more with new friends. Plus, share your thoughts and questions on this episode with the community! Connect with Amanda Is there a topic you'd like us to discuss? Email Amanda at amanda@meandthemagic.com.   Subscribe to the Me and the Magic weekly newsletter for exclusive content, including solo travel tips! Me and the Magic has voicemail! Leave a voicemail or text to 1-347-74MAGIC (1-347-746-2442). Share your thoughts about this episode, a future episode topic idea, or just say hi! Podcast Subscribe to this podcast so you will be the first to hear new episodes!  If you are enjoying the podcast, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. The reviews help other people find this podcast.  Online Shop Buy some fun travel and pop culture shirts and more, at our online shop!

Kyle Austin Young is an award-winning strategy consultant for high achievers, entrepreneurs, and leaders in a wide range of fields. This work has given him the opportunity to develop and refine a powerful system for accomplishing big, meaningful goals that focuses on understanding and changing your odds of success. Kyle is a popular writer for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Boston Globe, CNBC, Psychology Today, Forbes, and Business Insider. He is also the author of Success is a Numbers Game: Achieve Bigger Goals by Changing the Odds. When he's not writing, consulting, or spending time with family, you'll usually find him fishing. Click here to connect with Kyle on LinkedIn.

Tonya Lester, LCSW, is the author of Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself and a Brooklyn-based psychotherapist and writer. Her essay, "Couples Therapist, Heal Thyself" was published in the Modern Love column in The New York Times, and she has been writing the popular Staying Sane Inside Insanity blog for Psychology Today since 2020. Tonya is a well known couples therapist, so it's particularly juicy and important that we're going to talk about struggles Tonya faced in her own marriage, and how she and her husband worked through them in couples therapy. Here's some of what we talked about: The conflict that landed them in couples therapy Being challenged by their couples therapist How Tonya and her husband changed their pattern The difference between a deal-breaker issue and a grappling issue Tonya's thoughts on secure attachment and attachment bonds How her own work as a couples therapist changed after being a client Show notes at https://anniezam.com/podcast/255  

We spend our lives climbing mountains—chasing the perfect relationship, the higher salary, or the dream home—convinced that the view from the top will finally make us feel complete. But all too often, we arrive at the summit only to find that the feeling of emptiness has followed us up the trail. In this episode, we will dismantle the illusion that 'more' is the answer and explore why true fulfillment can never be found in things that can be lost. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

Welcome to The Mental Breakdown and Psychreg Podcast! Today, Dr. Berney and Dr. Marshall discuss the importance of remaining calm when trying to manage our children's behavior. Read the article from Psychology Today here. You can now follow Dr. Marshall on twitter, as well! Dr. Berney and Dr. Marshall are happy to announce the release of their new parenting e-book, Handbook for Raising an Emotionally Healthy Child Part 2: Attention. You can get your copy from Amazon here. We hope that you will join us each morning so that we can help you make your day the best it can be! See you tomorrow. Become a patron and support our work at http://www.Patreon.com/thementalbreakdown. Visit Psychreg for blog posts covering a variety of topics within the fields of mental health and psychology. The Parenting Your ADHD Child course is now on YouTube! Check it out at the Paedeia YouTube Channel. The Handbook for Raising an Emotionally Health Child Part 1: Behavior Management is now available on kindle! Get your copy today! The Elimination Diet Manual is now available on kindle and nook! Get your copy today! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube Channels, Paedeia and The Mental Breakdown. Please leave us a review on iTunes so that others might find our podcast and join in on the conversation!

Send us a textWhat you'll hear:Me bitching about having the flu, and unsolicited advice if you get it 1:00Why this subject, why now 4:00The first parameter to consider when choosing a mental health professional 7:00InclusiveTherapists.com a great resource for affirming mental health care and coaching 12:00Check out your prospective therapist on Psychology Today 14:35Psychiatrists vs. other practicioners, and why the highest possible education does not guarantee a good practitioner 16:00Thank you to the wonderful Janelle Peters/Janelle Dinosaurs for these resources!  If you can work with Janelle, DO IT!  10/10 recommend.  19:25For alternative approaches I can also highly recommend Sharon Loerzer at Family Evolution Center  19:45If you want to hear more about Imbolc and how to celebrate it:  Episode 14: May Brigid bless you: Imbolc- what is it and how can you celebrate it 20:30Woo Corner is comin atcha in the next week!  Sign up here 22:06Don't go back to sleep.xoRachelSign up here for monthly blasts and functional wooFind me on InstagramSupport this podcast on Patreon

Ever felt like no matter how much you prepare for an important conversation with your partner, you still end up missing each other entirely? In the heat of tough conversations, even the best intentions can get lost as tension rises and defenses go up. It's all too easy for moments of misunderstanding to snowball, leaving both people feeling disconnected and unsure how to find their way back to each other. In this episode, you'll discover a radically simple approach to transforming those tense moments into opportunities for true connection. Looking through the lens of openness, which the conversation calls the "aperture effect," you'll learn why slowing down, becoming mindful, and attuning to each other's emotional states can help you break free from unhelpful patterns. Explore practical techniques to foster emotional safety, collaboration, and presence so you can turn even challenging interactions into pathways for deeper understanding and closeness. Kathryn Ford, M.D., is a psychiatrist, couples therapist, and author. Her work is a unique integration of mindfulness, psychotherapy, and neuroscience. After receiving her M.D. degree from Brown School of Medicine, Dr. Ford completed a residency in psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her meditation practice and studies developed her understanding of the power of mindfulness for building deeper, more resilient relationships. She has taught at Stanford Continuing Studies, Stanford Medical School, and  Santa Clara University, and publishes regularly online in Psychology Today.   Episode Highlights 04:02 The Aperture Effect—an exploration at the intersection of psychiatry, mindfulness, and neuroscience. 09:40 What happens when openness shuts down in conversation? 11:26 The brain's role in relationship dynamics and mindful self-awareness. 15:23 Recognizing and responding to real-time emotional signals. 17:14 How our openness fluctuates moment to moment: Practical awareness skills. 21:08 Why slowing down changes everything: Strategies for connection over resolution. 26:06 Openness on a continuum: Tracking your state in challenging conversations. 29:16 Regrouping when things get rocky: Navigating pauses and timeouts. 33:53 Moving between vulnerability and defensiveness. 38:13 Vulnerability as the pathway to connection. 42:18 The power of naming your emotional state. 43:30 Learning and practicing aperture awareness and mindfulness.   Your Checklist of Actions to Take Practice mindful pausing: When you notice tension or confusion in conversations with your partner, pause for a deep breath to ground yourself and slow the interaction. Regularly check in with yourself during discussions. Ask, "Am I open or closed right now?" and observe your body for cues like warmth (open) or tension (closed). Use the "Two Sentences" exercise by limiting your speaking turns to one or two sentences and then pausing, giving both you and your partner time to process before responding. Be explicit about your emotional state, for example, saying, "I'm feeling a bit vulnerable discussing this," to invite empathy and understanding. When things get heated, intentionally slow down the dialogue. Avoid rapid-fire responses and give space for reflection. Call a timeout if needed: If either partner rates their openness as a 4 or lower (on a 1-10 scale), suggest a short break to allow both people to regroup and prevent escalation. Reassure and regroup: Offer reassurance like, "I didn't mean to sound harsh," and check if both partners feel ready to continue before moving forward. Acknowledge the need for ongoing conversations: Accept that not every topic needs a final resolution. Focus on maintaining connection, trust, and openness even when issues remain unresolved.   Mentioned The Aperture Effect (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) Polyvagal Theory (website) Gottman Institute (website) Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) (*Psychology Today) (link) ERP 340: The Essential Skill Of Tracking Openness in Relationship — An Interview With Dr. Kathryn Ford 12 Relationship Principles to Strengthen Your Love (free guide)   Connect with Kathryn Ford M.D. Websites: kathrynfordmd.com Facebook: facebook.com/KathrynFordMD Instagram: instagram.com/KathrynFordMD LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathryn-ford-m-d-1a675b2b Substack: substack.com/@kathrynfordmd   Connect with Dr. Jessica Higgins Facebook: facebook.com/EmpoweredRelationship  Instagram: instagram.com/drjessicahiggins  Podcast: drjessicahiggins.com/podcasts/ Pinterest: pinterest.com/EmpowerRelation  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drjessicahiggins  Twitter: @DrJessHiggins  Website: drjessicahiggins.com   Email: jessica@drjessicahiggins.com  

Sarah Allen Benton is an Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She is Chief Clinical Officer and co-owner of Waterview Behavioral Health. She is also the co-owner of Benton Behavioral Health Consulting, LLC, offering clinical and business support services to innovative addiction and mental health companies. She holds a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Health Psychology. She is also author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic and writes a blog for Psychology Today. Her newest book is Parents in Recovery: Navigating a Sober Family Lifestyle AND Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic. Click here for a list of resources that Sarah provides.

We often think of our emotions like a light switch—that we can be a rage monster on the freeway or rude to a chatbot, and then instantly flip the switch to 'Saint' when we walk through the front door to see our family. But neuroscience tells us a different story. Every time we practice impatience—even when we think it's harmless—we are literally wiring our brains to be unkind. Today, we're discussing the ripple effects of our private words, and how the 'neural grooves' we carve in secret eventually bleed over into the lives of the people we love most. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

Today our guest is Dr. Sarah Rose Cavanagh, psychologist, educator, and author specializing in the science of emotion, motivation, and learning. As Senior Associate Director for Teaching and Learning at Simmons University in Boston, she blends empirical research with practical strategies to help teachers, leaders, and teams navigate the emotional dynamics of classrooms and workplaces. Her writing spans several widely praised books—including Mind Over Monsters, Hivemind, and The Spark of Learning, and essays for Psychology Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Literary Hub. A sought-after speaker, she delivers keynote addresses and workshops internationally on topics ranging from emotional engagement to compassionate approaches for supporting mental health and effective learning. Sara's work challenges conventional pedagogy by foregrounding emotion as a driver of motivation and retention, urging educators to cultivate environments that balance compassion with challenge. And we are delighted to have Dr. Cavanagh on the show to discuss mental health days, the role of so-called negative emotion in learning, and we need joy in our teaching. https://www.sarahrosecav.com/ From the host: Authority, Passion, and Subject-Centered Teaching

Host Sarah Nicastro welcomes Jeffrey Yip, Associate Professor of Management and Organizational Studies at Simon Fraser University, who teaches leadership in the Executive MBA and Management of Technology programs, conducts research that addresses managerial challenges in work relationships and leading change, and has contributed to resources like HBR and Psychology Today. Jeff shares the need for leaders to listen to organizational pain through a process called “painstorming” and explains how doing so can significantly improve change management.

Andrea Bartz is a journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club pick We Were Never Here, The Spare Room, The Lost Night, and The Herd. Her thrillers have been optioned by Netflix, Hulu, and other production companies, and more than half a million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Vogue, and she's held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self. She was also a lead plaintiff in the landmark class-action lawsuit Bartz v. Anthropic, which was the first major win for creatives against an AI company as well as the largest copyright recovery in history. She lives with her girlfriend and pets in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley. Her latest novel isThe Last Ferry Out, published in May. Andrea joined Barbara to talk about prologues, writing as an intuitive pantser, literary vs. genre fiction, the Anthropic class action lawsuit, and much more. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can find hundreds of past interviews on our website. You can help out the show and indie bookstores by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. It's stocked with titles by our guest authors, as well as our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you'll find an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. It's perfect for writing. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at writersonwritingpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from our listeners! (Recorded January 19, 2026) Host: Barbara DeMarco-BarrettHost: Marrie StoneMusic: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

Change is the only constant, yet our first reaction to it is often fear. Whether it is a shift in the economy, a change in our health, or the rise of new technology like AI, the "unknown" triggers our defenses. In this episode, we explore the choice between Fear and Acceptance. We look at historical figures like Dorothy Vaughan (who embraced the first computers) and the Impressionist painters (who embraced the camera) to see how successful people don't fight the future—they evolve with it. Learn how to treat the changes in our world not as threats, but as a "gym" where we practice expanding our hearts, quieting our egos, and moving from anxiety to curiosity. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

There's a reason hearing your mother's voice can feel different from hearing anyone else's — even when it's just a phone call. This episode opens with the surprising effects researchers have discovered. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-psychology-of-relationships/202104/two-key-reasons-why-you-should-call-your-mom Guilt feels terrible — and that's exactly what makes it so effective. While we tend to see guilt as something to avoid, it may actually play an essential role in helping us learn, repair relationships, and behave more ethically. Christopher Moore explains why guilt exists, how it evolved, and why feeling guilty can sometimes be a very good thing. Christopher is a professor of psychology and former dean of science at Dalhousie University, whose work has been cited in Psychology Today, Today's Parent, and The New York Times. He is author of The Power of Guilt: Why We Feel It and Its Surprising Ability to Heal (https://amzn.to/3Nrt051). Plagiarism seems like a clear-cut wrongdoing — but the reality is far more complicated. People plagiarize more often than you might think, sometimes without even realizing it. And in some cases, you can be accused of plagiarism even if you've never seen the original work. With only so many ways to tell a story or write a song, where does coincidence end and plagiarism begin? Roger Kreuz joins me to explore this fascinating gray area. He is Associate Dean and professor of psychology at the University of Memphis, a columnist for Psychology Today, and author of Strikingly Similar: Plagiarism and Appropriation from Chaucer to Chatbots. (https://amzn.to/4soVFaS). And finally, there's a widespread belief that dark roast coffee has more caffeine than light roast — or that espresso packs far more caffeine than a regular cup of coffee. Both ideas sound logical, but they're not quite right. We wrap up by explaining what actually determines caffeine content and why these myths persist. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/light-vs-dark-roast-coffee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode, Darin breaks down one of the most misunderstood drivers of behavior change: environment. We've been taught that success comes down to discipline, motivation, and willpower, but neuroscience tells a very different story. Darin explains how modern environments hijack the brain's reward system, override conscious choice, and quietly shape habits before we even realize it. This episode is a practical, science-backed roadmap for redesigning your surroundings so healthy behaviors become automatic and self-sabotaging patterns lose their grip.     What You'll Learn Why willpower is a weak and unreliable backup system How your environment shapes behavior before conscious choice The neuroscience behind cues, habits, and automatic behavior Why modern food and tech are engineered to hijack dopamine How stress amplifies cravings and impulsive behavior The link between cortisol, dopamine, and habit formation Why changing your environment works better than "trying harder" How visual cues influence food choices and cravings Why phones, notifications, and color overstimulate the brain Simple ways to design a SuperLife environment that supports your goals     Chapters 00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife and the mission of sovereignty 00:00:33 – Sponsor: TruNiagen NAD⁺ supplements and why verification matters 00:02:18 – Introducing today's topic: environment vs willpower 00:02:42 – Why willpower has been misunderstood 00:03:18 – Willpower as a weak backup system 00:03:32 – How surroundings shape habits automatically 00:03:53 – The neuroscience of behavior change 00:04:01 – Dopamine hijacking in modern life 00:04:14 – Designing environments that make good habits automatic 00:05:06 – Why this topic matters more than ever 00:05:46 – External cues and automatic brain responses 00:06:18 – Hippocampus, basal ganglia, and habit loops 00:06:55 – Nudge theory and environmental design 00:07:31 – Why willpower shouldn't lead behavior change 00:07:55 – Food cues, stress, and cravings 00:08:20 – Phones, notifications, and dopamine overload 00:09:05 – Reward prediction and cue-driven behavior 00:10:02 – Redesigning environments to reduce addiction 00:10:34 – Stress hormones and habit reinforcement 00:11:30 – Sponsor: Our Place non-toxic cookware 00:13:34 – Stress, scrolling, and lost time 00:14:26 – Junk food, stress, and compulsive eating 00:15:12 – How environmental cues shift food desire 00:15:28 – Engineered foods and reward circuits 00:16:09 – Tech cues, stress, and attention hijacking 00:17:06 – Practical solutions: designing a SuperLife environment 00:17:48 – Kitchen setup and visual food cues 00:18:41 – Workspace design and single-purpose zones 00:19:08 – Reducing digital dopamine triggers 00:19:32 – Using grayscale mode on your phone 00:20:32 – Social environment and behavior modeling 00:21:21 – Community, support, and the SuperLife Patreon 00:22:18 – Bringing nature into your home 00:23:19 – Environment influences habits more than willpower 00:23:52 – Why inaction keeps you stuck 00:24:13 – Changing your environment to change your life 00:24:26 – Closing thoughts and call to action     Thank You to Our Sponsors: Our Place: Non-toxic cookware that keeps harmful chemicals out of your food. Get 10% off at fromourplace.com with code DARIN. Tru Niagen: Boost NAD+ levels for cellular health and longevity. Get 20% off with code DARIN20 at truniagen.com.     Find More From Darin: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences     Key Takeaway If you don't change your environment, something else will keep making choices for you.     Bibliography/Sources Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery. (Reference for Environment > Willpower). https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits Laran, J., & Salerno, A. (2013). Life-history strategy, food choice, and caloric consumption. Psychological Science, 24(2), 167–173. (Reference for harsh environment cues increasing desire for energy-dense foods). https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612450031 Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why having so little means so much. Times Books. (Reference for scarcity/environment hijacking cognitive bandwidth). https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780805092646 Schwabe, L., & Wolf, O. T. (2011). Stress-induced modulation of instrumental behavior: From goal-directed to habitual control of action. Behavioral Neuroscience, 125(5), 664–673. (Reference for stress hormones amplifying habit/cue-reward learning). https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024732 Story, M., Kaphingst, K. M., Robinson-O'Brien, R., & Glanz, K. (2008). Creating healthy food and eating environments: Policy and environmental approaches. Annual Review of Public Health, 29, 253–272. (Reference for the "ecological framework" of eating behavior). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090926 Subramaniam, A. (2025). How your environment shapes your habits. Psychology Today. (Reference for the specific Psychology Today article on external cues). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-from-a-neuroscience-perspective/202503/how-your-environment-shapes-your-habits Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Yale University Press. (Reference for Nudge Theory). https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300122237/nudge Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201–230. (Reference for nature exposure reducing stress markers). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80184-7 Wansink, B. (2004). Environmental factors that increase the food intake and consumption volume of unknowing consumers. Annual Review of Nutrition, 24, 455–479. (Reference for visual cues and food environment engineering). https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.24.010403.103025  

“Stop and think, why am I having this reaction? And observe instead of being in it.” In this episode, Nick speaks with Lybi Ma about the importance of embracing all emotions, including those that are often deemed negative. They emphasize the need to sit with and process feelings rather than suppressing them, highlighting that experiencing emotions is a natural part of life. What to listen for: It’s important to feel all emotions, not just the positive ones. Emotional acceptance is crucial for mental well-being. Processing emotions can be a daily practice. You don’t have to dwell on feelings forever; it’s about acknowledgment. Sharing feelings with others can foster a deeper connection and greater understanding. “We spend a lot of time negating half of our emotions. We want to feel happy and not depressed or not anxious, or we don’t want to feel anger. Feel these things.” Avoiding “negative” emotions actually gives them more power over us Emotions like anger, sadness, and anxiety are signals, not flaws Trying to feel only happy creates emotional suppression, not healing Feeling emotions fully helps them move through instead of getting stuck Emotional wholeness comes from allowing all feelings, not just the pleasant ones “People stop breathing when they’re tense and in the moment of being reactive to an unhappy situation. And when you stop breathing, cortisol goes up, and you become alert, and you’re looking for the predator. Just breathe and let your body work it out.” Tension often causes shallow or stopped breathing without us realizing it Holding the breath signals danger, triggering a cortisol stress response The body goes into survival mode, scanning for threats that may not exist Slow, intentional breathing helps calm the nervous system naturally Sometimes regulation isn't mental—it's physical: breathe and let the body reset About Lybi Ma Lybi is the executive editor of Psychology Today. In addition to producing the print magazine, she also edits its website and blog platform, which hosts more than nine hundred authors, academic researchers, and journalists. She edited a Psychology Today book series covering topics such as anger, food addiction, and bipolar disorder. She has a blended family of five adult children and lives with her husband in Westchester, New York. Her newest book, HOW TO BE LESS MISERABLE, is available now from Blackstone Publishing. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/lybi-ma https://www.linkedin.com/in/lybi-ma-b982941/ https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/products/book-hb9q?variant=46150345883786 Resources: Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/ Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:00.971)Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Libby, how you doing today? Lybi Ma (00:10.338)Good. Thank you for having me. Nick McGowan (00:13.233)Absolutely, I’m excited that you’re here. I told you, I thought you were gonna be really academic and I think you’re gonna be able to tie that in with being an actual human. And I’m excited with all this. So why don’t you get us started? Yes, thank you. Thank you for breathing air with the rest of us. Why don’t you get this started? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre? Lybi Ma (00:25.121)breathing. Lybi Ma (00:38.39)I am the executive editor at Psychology Today, and I’ve been there for quite a few decades. Not gonna tell you completely because I don’t want you to know my age. And something that, well, the thing about me is that we take my ex-husband on vacation with us. There you go. Nick McGowan (01:06.644)So I appreciate that you basically just hold the mic there, like about to drop it and like, what do you want to do with this? I feel like there are people that would be like, and here’s some context to it. So I’ve got to ask what, what do you mean? How does that work? Does he physically go with you or is he like in a box? Okay. Lybi Ma (01:22.222)Yeah, he’s, he comes with us. He shows up. We had three weddings in 13 months between my second husband and me. And they’re grown kids. And he came to my stepkids’ weddings and they call him Uncle Carl. Nick McGowan (01:44.628)Cool. That’s really awesome. That is an odd thing that I, unfortunately that I think most people don’t experience. Yeah. Well, this is, this is a good thing to start on too. Cause I’ve actually had this conversation with somebody recently where they’re like, yeah, I’ve got a young kid and the mom and I don’t really, we don’t work, but we work really well together for the kid. Lybi Ma (01:54.211)I gave you one, didn’t I? I gave you one. Nick McGowan (02:10.919)And that was really important. Like I could see him almost like put his foot in the ground. Like this is what we’re doing specifically for a child. That’s not how I grew up. Like my mom and dad, they’re still basically like a town or two apart from each other. They’ll see each other at a bar somewhere and like snarl at each other. Like I am 41 years old, calm down. It’s been a long ass time. However, my dad and his ex-wife are great friends because of the relationship that they had and all that. My dad actually… Lybi Ma (02:29.613)Okay. Nick McGowan (02:40.827)met her husband, shook his hand with a hundred dollar bill and said, thank you. It’s your turn. I’m like, the kahones on that man for that. But that’s an interesting thing that you can actually have that. Now I would imagine, look, you work for psychology today. You’ve probably done a lot of work on yourself and through your relationships and healed through things. But can you give us a little bit of context of like how the heck that works? Lybi Ma (02:48.59)I like that. That’s funny. Lybi Ma (03:07.8)So in the beginning when I first got divorced, I thought, I’m never speaking to this person again. And that lasted for a little while. And I actually worked through his second wife. I needed her to pick up the kids. So as you know, we had a very friendly situation. And I thought, well, this is not really good for the kids. So I think I better. start being more amenable to the whole thing. And I got this job and it helped me. This job, I read a lot of information. Constance Ahrens did research. She did a good book on divorced kids. And basically divorced kids can do well if The parents get along and there’s no conflict in their household. And as long as each parent has a good relationship with the child, they’re probably going to do well. And I will have to say that my children did very well. So yeah, it worked out. And yeah, and it also helps when you have a person like my ex-husband who is very amiable. He wants to be friendly and he has a crazy romance with my husband, a bromance, sorry, not romance, a bromance. They have a thing going on. So there you go. Nick McGowan (04:28.454)awesome. Nick McGowan (04:48.86)Ha Nick McGowan (04:54.473)Which you probably didn’t think like we’re getting a divorce at some point I’ll be married again and he’ll be great friends with my then husband. Like could you have written that you know? Lybi Ma (05:01.13)No, no, I had no idea. No idea. No. Getting along is better. Yeah. Nick McGowan (05:06.097)Yeah. That’s interesting. Yeah. But I, I find it interesting how sometimes we, people can say, there was this period of time and then a period of lapse. And then I realized this thing and then another period and here we are. There was a lot of time in between then and this conversation right now. And even the times where I’m sure you were super frustrated, upset, pissed the whole nine and then maybe I could do things different. And I think sometimes we blow past that because Lybi Ma (05:33.25)Yeah. Nick McGowan (05:39.312)Maybe context isn’t always important in all the situations. However, I want to say it’s pretty much always super important. And that’s really what the purpose of the show is to be able to kind of talk about those tough times. Like you went through a divorce, but you saw it as I’m going to help with the kids. And this is more important for my kids. And now you’re seeing your kids in action from the result of what you guys have done. It’s really hard for people to see the stuff that they need to work on and be open to that, especially when they’re in a really, really difficult time going through it. or post divorce or something like that. Now, how does that tie into the work that you’ve done and worked with for maybe just a couple decades? Don’t need to know your age. But being able to actually go through that stuff on your own and then literally work with psychology today and the psychologists and other people doing important work and you being a researcher yourself. Lybi Ma (06:33.026)Well, I’ll be honest with you. First of all, I’m not a researcher. take the researcher’s information and try to put it in accessible language so that people can relate. So you see all this information coming through and everything makes a whole lot of sense. Nick McGowan (06:53.02)sense. Lybi Ma (07:02.38)And I started to apply it to my own life. And it was very helpful. I became a wiser person because I work at this magazine. Yeah. Nick McGowan (07:15.751)Sure. Were there things that you can kind of look back to? Like kind of hovering around the same topic here, because I know it’s important, divorce kids and families and all that, but for you to be able to look back to and say, you know, if I wasn’t in the job that I am in, I probably would have been in different spot because you learn certain things because of the information you were seeing coming to you. And then just putting it into action. Like, is there anything that really stands out to you? Like, if I didn’t learn this. Lybi Ma (07:23.95)huh. Nick McGowan (07:45.233)I didn’t learn it this way, it would have all been different. Lybi Ma (07:48.259)Well, I think that when I was younger and the kids were little, I was newly divorced. I fought with life quite a bit. And I think that is a main message in my book is fighting with life, it just doesn’t work. We have to plug on and not fight with it. I turn to, also turn to, you know, spiritual thought a little bit like Buddhism. Buddhists accept things. This is how it is. So let’s just take this. You can’t change it. So let’s just try to make it work. Work with what you have. So that’s what I did. I worked with what I had. So I take a little bit of psychology and I mix it. My family. Nick McGowan (08:56.134)Little bit of this, little bit of that. Lybi Ma (08:57.198)Yeah, right. My family comes from the Tibetan, Ching Hai Plateau. And it is, Ching Hai is next door to Tibet. And actually, my grandfather was a trader, he had a donkey, and he put all his tea and shoelaces and whatever, know, spices on his Nick McGowan (09:26.704)Yeah. Lybi Ma (09:27.032)donkey and then he would go back and forth from Tibet to Qinghai. And they are, and these people in that area, there’s Tibetan Buddhists and they’re also Hui. The Hui are Chinese Muslims, which my family are Chinese Muslims. They come from that area and they’re very similar. They have a very similar sort of way of thinking. and acceptance is a big part of it. And that didn’t work out. So we better turn over here and see if this is gonna work out. That’s the way it is. Nick McGowan (10:09.637)You yeah. So let’s, let’s talk about that for a bit. Cause that does tie into even just being miserable or not miserable, let alone less miserable. So if we think of like, it’s funny cause I struggle with that at times. I, I curse like a fucking cartoon at different times. Like this thing doesn’t work. I’m like, just making noises and shit. And my partner on the other hand will go completely calm, silent almost and just methodical. Lybi Ma (10:22.67)Yeah, right. Nick McGowan (10:42.717)And it’s a thing that’s, I believe is actually part of her design, how she is. And I can get up at E and Nancy and all that. But then there are also layers to this where there’s trauma involved. There are different experiences, even things back to how our parents related to things. Like my parents would throw their arms up in the air about things. And I learned, I guess I do that. Like I get upset and pissed and like throw my arms up and flail. And my body still reacts at times that way where it’s like, yo, calm down. It’s totally fine. Being able to accept a thing. Lybi Ma (10:57.44)Nick McGowan (11:13.172)in the split second and then start to move in a different direction can be harder for people because of the things that they’ve gone through and even the way that they are. But how have you found to be able to work within the way that you best operate to say, all right, well, I can find acceptance and I can move on from here. Because I think that’s really where, that’s where the change happens is those macro moments where we actually do something. Cause it’s easy for you and I to shoot the shit and talk about this stuff. Lybi Ma (11:22.881)yeah, certainly. Nick McGowan (11:42.073)But it’s in that moment where you’re like, and how you don’t do that. You know what I mean? Lybi Ma (11:42.126)Yeah. Lybi Ma (11:48.493)You know, I never had a moment of epiphany. It just sort of moved along in the right direction. So I’m not going to say, wow, I had this aha that I had to accept things in life. No, was in my mind, I was hanging this guy up by his toes for a long time. So, and I don’t think there’s wrong, there’s anything wrong with doing that. if you have to feel it, then feel it. We spend a lot of time negating half our emotions. And that is something quite important and well studied. We want to feel happy and not depressed or not anxious or Nick McGowan (12:19.897)Yeah. Nick McGowan (12:36.866)Yeah. Lybi Ma (12:46.362)We don’t want to feel anger or I don’t know. Well, you feel these things and okay, feel them. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to lash out and burn a car. No, you’re just going to feel them. Sit there and feel it and watch it. Watch it. Nick McGowan (12:57.507)Yeah. Lybi Ma (13:05.102)with you and then okay well I gotta get up and cook dinner for the family so I gotta get moving here so I’m not gonna sit here and dwell about it. Maybe I’ll make an appointment and that’s another therapy tool. Make an appointment. If you need to feel crummy then okay I felt crummy at 4 30 to 5. I’m gonna do the same thing tomorrow 4 30 to 5 and I’m gonna Nick McGowan (13:13.365)Yeah. Yeah. Lybi Ma (13:33.772)sit with my feelings and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. Nick McGowan (13:36.109)Yeah. Nick McGowan (13:40.544)I’m right there with you. I think it’s important for us to feel that stuff where if you think about where we’re at right now, almost 2026 with technology and the amount of information, like we see all these things like social media, for example, you hop on, you see somebody doing this big thing, but you don’t have the context of all the other things that have happened before that or even 20 minutes before that when they’re screaming at somebody to get out of their way in the grocery store or whatever. And it’s like, This is what I said to you, I appreciate you being human because that moment where you’re like, this really hurts. I still got to make dinner for these people. We all got to eat tonight. Let me do that. And let me not also then just drag that out. And I find having the amount of conversations I have with people on the podcast and outside of that with clients, just random people that I come into contact with, it’s always interesting to me how somebody will, we want to always put up a better face than what’s really going on. Lybi Ma (14:17.102)Yeah Nick McGowan (14:38.499)And you also don’t want to just be completely shitty and just the world is on fire and totally. people have seemed to have a hard time finding equanimity within themselves to then be able to have a conversation outside of that. And it sounds to me like what you’ve experienced that a lot of us have, where it’s like over the course of time, the rock just gets smoother because the water was going over it. You finally go, okay, it’s been six months. I’ve been upset about this for so long, but some people still. Lybi Ma (15:05.486)Exactly. Nick McGowan (15:07.296)they still just keep going with that hatred for it, which I guess is kind of a different topic. But your book with being less miserable. Lybi Ma (15:15.404)No, think hatred is, no, hatred is important. I mean, if you’re gonna wallow in it, that’s probably not good, but sometimes anger, good anger used constructively will make you do things that are important in life. But hating people outright, I don’t know. I’m not too sure about that. Nick McGowan (15:25.954)Yeah. Nick McGowan (15:35.394)Yeah. Nick McGowan (15:43.811)Yeah, there are enough of those people that are sitting in an office. The rest of the government shut down right now. yeah, it’s interesting because I think that’s where I was headed with the wallowing in it. Like any of this, you don’t want to wallow in it, but you do need to sit in it. Like I’ve had conversations with people that they have a really hard time. It’s like the stove is too hot to even get close to touch it. And then there are other people that like they can put their entire body on it. Lybi Ma (15:50.894)my goodness. Nick McGowan (16:13.142)They can roll around on it like a bed of needles almost, you know, and just sit there. I find that that’s an interesting thing because that’s part of maybe their design, but also they’ve gotten to a point, some of them, where they go, look, I can’t do anything outside of the stuff that’s happening. So I can only do something with what I have here. So why waste my time anymore? Like they’ve wallowed enough or they’ve gone through enough of it. Lybi Ma (16:36.031)Right, right, right, right. Yeah. Nick McGowan (16:40.054)But how does this tie back into the stuff that you talk about specifically with miserable? Like that was part of the reason why I wanted to have you on here. was like, the word miserable is one of those things where there’s not really anything pleasant to it. It’s just fucking miserable. Like here we are. Lybi Ma (16:54.638)It’s the truth. Because we put the Western society puts a lot of weight on happiness. Happiness has to be a goal. And everybody runs around with their bucket lists and they have to do this and that to be happy. Well, no. Sure, you’re gonna go and see the Northern Lights. That’s nice. And you’re gonna be happy. But then you come down to your set level of mood that is well studied. We go up, we come down. grumpy people are in a certain spot. More upbeat people are up here and they move higher, but they always move down to their set level. And that is a hedonic adaptation. We just come back down to where. where we are in life. So the word happiness is not on my book cover because, you know, it’s, we should feel okay about not being happy all the time. That’s all there is to it. We’re not going to reach that crazy happiness all the time. It’s just not, I don’t think that’s realistic. I would rather be. Nick McGowan (18:22.177)Great. Lybi Ma (18:23.02)I want to be practical. And the other part is when we judge how we feel, I’m not happy, I must be a loser. any time you judge this feeling that you’re having, well, guess what? People have studied that and you kind of feel worse. You feel worse because you’re judging it. Nick McGowan (18:25.141)Yeah. Lybi Ma (18:50.766)It’s a funny thing. Yeah, I think it was came from UC Berkeley, researchers there. Yeah, you’re gonna sit there and say things about yourself that are not true. You’re making them up really. You’re gonna feel worse. So I don’t think we should try to be happy all the time. We can just. Nick McGowan (18:51.403)Yeah. Lybi Ma (19:18.604)be practical and just own up to all these things that we feel and not judge them. Nick McGowan (19:26.305)Obviously easier said than done for a good chunk of people. But that is, it’s such a critical piece where it’s like, if we, if we spend that time, like I know I’ve done this personally, where being angry or upset about something, you feel like you’re being active in it, but you’re just being animated in it. And you just keep going deeper and deeper down. I would spiral in that many, many years ago. And then learning from it, you go, Yeah, you can reach a point where you go, I’m just kind of bored with this. And this doesn’t make any sense to do this anymore. So why would I do that? But we do see stuff where people are talking about all the success that they had and the 15 year overnight success sort of situations where it’s like, if this person’s happy constantly, cause that’s all they post or whatever. And stepping outside of that, actually being within ourselves. I’d love that you’d said that you’re more in the country than you are with everybody else and being by yourself and being away from people, I would imagine you then have more time to actually be able to say, how do I feel right now? And do what you want with it instead of saying, well, I’m told I need to do something different, you know? Lybi Ma (20:39.95)Right, right. Well, who’s telling you to do it, first of all? Which one? I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. Nick McGowan (20:44.794)Yeah, well, sometimes it’s, Yeah. One of the voices, one of the many up there. So what actually led you to start the process to write the book? Did you just get so frustrated within yourself of like, have to put this out there? Did this kind of come up organically? Lybi Ma (20:55.69)Yeah, I don’t know. Lybi Ma (21:07.944)No, well, you know, I got over my… Lybi Ma (21:17.366)negative feelings about divorce and all that. And I moved on and plugged on. So that was good. I just, every time I read a new piece of research, I would squirrel it away. And I thought, yeah, that goes with the feelings that I had back then of being miserable. So I would squirrel it away. And then when COVID happened, I watched people. and they were interesting to watch. Some people did very well. Some people did very poorly. And I don’t want to get into a conversation about the introvert and the extrovert, whatever. I’m just talking about emotions and sitting with them generally, because even introverts need people. We’re all social. So that’s not really part of what I’m talking about. I just watched all of it and I thought, you know what, I think I have enough information here to write a book. So COVID sort of pushed me a little bit. Nick McGowan (22:31.231)Thanks, COVID. Yeah. Lybi Ma (22:32.398)I guess so. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know about that. Yeah, people were, I watched people and they had a lot of, you know, negative reaction to a negative thing that was happening. They were told to stay at home and then, and then get into a loop of bad feelings. It just went on and on and on. And I found that the thoughts that they had were quite irrational. And that is something also well studied. The brain is not very logical. It also has a very negative bias. are evolved into thinking negatively. Yeah, ancient man needed to be worried about predators and being eaten. They needed to be alert. is that a bad thing around the corner that’s going to eat me? Well, we the human brain has not changed that much. And we still do it. did that person insult me? And we got Nick McGowan (23:56.958)Yeah. Lybi Ma (23:57.535)And then you start doing this thing and it’s very, very not rational. It’s not positive. It’s pretty negative. And you just keep going in this distorted fashion. these negative things have a lasting impression and positive things are less important. And there was an interesting study where researchers Nick McGowan (24:03.496)Yeah. Lybi Ma (24:27.102)showed study subjects photographs. people on a roller coaster maybe or something neutral like a hairdryer and a gun pointed at you and people remember the gun. So negative things have a lasting impression. And this bias that we have, it makes sure that we hold on to our insults and grievances. We do a lot of things in our head that are irrational. Jump to conclusions, my date hated me, a fortune teller. Why would they even call me back anyway? Mind read. Nick McGowan (25:09.854)Yeah. Lybi Ma (25:22.39)I know that you’re thinking about me and it’s bad, all or nothing. I will not be happy until the end of time. Those sort of things. We do these things over and over and over to ourselves. really it doesn’t seem to be helping. Nick McGowan (25:44.625)No, but we all, I think, are somewhat addicted to it. And we don’t think that other people go through it. It’s almost like when we say, well, this person’s looking at me or what are they thinking about me? They’re probably not. And if they did, they noticed something and then they’re thinking about themselves. Like, I had that same jacket. Do I look like an asshole in that jacket? Is that me? And they’re off thinking about themselves. Meanwhile, both of them are like, my God, what are they thinking? Lybi Ma (25:49.761)Yeah, yeah. Lybi Ma (25:59.139)That you’re right. Lybi Ma (26:09.368)They’re so right. You are so right. They’re too busy thinking about themselves like we are too busy thinking about ourselves. It’s just we’re worried about how we look, how we appear. Did I say that? was it stupid? Did I sound stupid? whatever. Nick McGowan (26:19.911)Yeah. Nick McGowan (26:27.71)I think there’s a bit of a caveat though, because there are also times where we can grow from that stuff, because we can say, the situation in this whatever office or this call or whatever didn’t go the way that I wanted to, what could I have done differently? Like sort of watching game tape in a sense on yourself, but not beating yourself up with it and not in every single situation. Lybi Ma (26:51.278)Yeah, that part. Nick McGowan (26:54.235)Yeah, and being like, all right, well, what can I learn from this? What can I do a little differently? There’s a power within that, but then also removing the nonsensical shit. I’ve gotten to the point where I probably talk to myself more so than I did before and be like, easy there, asshole, calm down. Because like, random noises will come from other rooms, it seems, in the back of my head. Like, you can’t do that. You look like an asshole, that jacket. I’m like, shut up. Like, let me just kind of go. But being able to understand that there’s a balance to learning and growing and being able to review things and say, could I do a little differently? And beating yourself up can be a razor’s edge. But what kind of advice do you give for people that are trying to figure that stuff out? And they obviously don’t want to be miserable, but they’re also sort of addicted to that feeling of it because they’re so used to it, you know? Lybi Ma (27:50.062)One of the main things that I’ve read We have to be more aware that we’re doing it. and speak to ourselves. maybe in the third person. Libby’s doing that again. She’s disappointed and it’s turning into this thing. And now that distorted thinking is taken off. Okay, Libby, stop that. We have to be aware and point it out. So great research from University of Michigan. Nick McGowan (28:12.177)Yep. Lybi Ma (28:35.15)you observe. And that’s Buddhist to me. You observe this thought and meditation is a little like that. there’s a thought, watch it go by. That’s nice. Whatever. It’s a thought. It’s not real. And a lot of times our thoughts lie to us. So don’t do it. at least if you if you keep doing it, know that you’re doing and then in addition to that, you label it. So if it’s a feeling, well, Libby is angry at not right now because XYZ happened and she’s going to hold on to this grievance and nurse that grievance until whenever. Okay, that’s nice. You know, you’re doing that again. So We label how we feel. I’m feeling sad right now. That’s good. I’m feeling angry right now. And talk to yourself a little bit, but not in a, you say, beat yourself up mode. And then you turn to self-sabotage. So you want to numb yourself. It goes into this cycle of… Nick McGowan (30:02.747)Yeah, vicious cycle. Lybi Ma (30:04.502)Yeah, yeah, turns into a cycle. You beat yourself up and it leads leads to this negativity and you’re not very nice to yourself. So that’s another thing. Self-compassion is very important. Water research on that. You want to count right. You want to be compassionate to your to ourselves and breathe while you’re being compassionate. Nick McGowan (30:21.915)Yeah, grace with ourselves even. Lybi Ma (30:34.626)People stop breathing and when they’re tense and in the moment of being reactive to an unhappy situation and when you stop breathing, well, cortisol goes up and you become alert and you’re looking for the predator. No, you know what? Just breathe and let your body work it out. It’s not bad. Nick McGowan (30:36.815)Yeah. Nick McGowan (30:52.165)Yeah. Nick McGowan (31:03.226)I love this sort of stuff. I love that we’re able to get into this because I know there are other, I don’t want to talk bad about any podcasts or other people’s interviews or anything like that. But there are conversations out there that are very surfacey where it can talk about, yeah, you want to be aware and you want to look at these things and then do some with it. You want to show grace to yourself. And we also need to talk about when it’s really difficult to do that because even in like the moment you just said where you stopped breathing. scientifically, that takes oxygen away from your blood. Your blood is no longer moving oxygen through the rest of your fucking body. And your brain is a part of that. So it’s like science-wise, that makes sense. I think there’s also a balance of not just saying, I’m aware of this thing and if I’m shitty again, then so be it. I’m aware of it. It’s doing something with it, not beating yourself up and still being able to understand that I can’t bypass this. Lybi Ma (31:37.538)Right. Nick McGowan (32:02.521)Because I think that’s where the happiness stuff comes in. If you’re feeling bad, just go be happy. cool, great. Fuck the trauma and all the other nonsense that I absolutely need to process out of my body. Let me just go be happy. And then you go be happy and you do a thing and you go, like you said earlier, right back to your own little status quo and you go, shit, I am still a miserable bastard. What do I do from here? Let me look for another happy thing. And you’re like, off to do it again. Just bypassing the bullshit, you know? Lybi Ma (32:10.574)I Lybi Ma (32:28.846)Right. doesn’t really, you always go back to where you were. Nick McGowan (32:37.294)Yeah, awareness is such a big thing that my logical and smart-ass mind thinks, well, that makes total sense to me. Because if you’re not aware, how the fuck are you aware? Like if you don’t know a thing’s there, you can’t do anything about it. But that’s really when the work begins. Like you’re aware and you go, I’m aware of this feeling. And I’m glad that you brought up the next part of that being naming it. That is really difficult for a lot of people to name. Lybi Ma (32:41.046)Yeah. Nick McGowan (33:05.24)what their emotion is. They go, I’m just angry. Really, maybe you’re grieving or maybe you’re really upset that’s not just anger, but it’s a betrayal that happened or something like that. And actually being able to call what it is instead of just going, just a sticker almost. You’re like, and I’m shitty right now and push it off to the next thing and just move along instead of actually doing that work. But that, I don’t know. I feel like I can go. Lybi Ma (33:29.944)Right. Nick McGowan (33:32.557)deep with it because that’s where systems come into play that tell us, don’t do this, just keep working, just keep hustling, keep grinding, keep blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It makes me almost just wanna fucking throw up in my mouth every time I even think about it. Cause it’s like, we are hurting ourselves, we’re hurting each other and we’re perpetuating it because none of us are just going, time out. Give me a fucking second. What is this? What am I feeling? So talk to us about how the book relates to that. Lybi Ma (34:02.349)Lybi Ma (34:06.018)Sitting with our emotions, you mean? Nick McGowan (34:08.677)And understanding like if you’re feeling miserable and being less miserable is still taking away that but it’s not bypassing it. It’s not letting you bypass it. Lybi Ma (34:17.386)No, no, you have to feel what you feel. Otherwise, it’s not true. You have this feeling and it’s a true feeling and you should feel it. once you do that, you let yourself do that, you will probably break through a bit more to get beyond and be less miserable. You know, you will probably thank yourself. I do. I do. You know, it’s an interesting thing. My husband and I don’t fight very often, but we’ve been through tense, you know, when you move and all that stuff. And yeah, it’s not easy. And I can catch myself. Oh, wait, I’m being reactive at this moment. And I’ll just stop and think, wow, that’s interesting. I’m doing it. I’m doing it at this very moment. And I start talking out loud. all right, hang with me for a minute here while I think about why I’m having this reaction. Why am I having this reaction? What is bringing this up? Nick McGowan (35:39.383)Yeah. Lybi Ma (35:46.219)I think we need to stop because you start spinning in that in a certain direction of negativity and you might as well just stop it and just ask yourself, what’s what is this and observe and instead of being in it, just step outside and and look at it. Yeah. Nick McGowan (35:54.274)Yeah. Nick McGowan (36:07.256)and look at it. Yeah. Huh. And that’s, that’s a simple, like incredible thing though, to say live in the moment, like, hold on, give me a second. I’m feeling something. Let me work through this and come back to you. it’s almost like having a conversation, a heated conversation and saying, I need a second and stepping away. That could be really, really difficult for a lot of people in that moment because you’re so in it, but If you think about any time you’ve ever said that, even to yourself or to your husband or anybody else. Lybi Ma (36:40.942)Mm-hmm. Nick McGowan (36:45.816)Probably most every single time they’ve respected it. Lybi Ma (36:49.686)Yes. Yes, you’re not, you’re not trying to run from the situation. You’re just trying to understand what’s going on inside yourself. And a lot of times when you’re in a fight with a partner or someone, usually it’s person closest to you, because they’re the ones who are gonna forgive you. But usually it’s just sort of, you know, not, it isn’t about that moment. It’s about something else. Something else is going on. Yeah, it brings up some, yeah, go ahead. Nick McGowan (37:33.815)And it’s not… Yeah. It’s not just those people. We often will take it out on the people we love because they’re the closest and they know us the most. And yes, you said they will forgive us, but that doesn’t give us a license to abuse the shit out of them because you’re angry that somebody took the last fucking piece of bread at whatever grocery store or whatever happened earlier. And you’re like, God damn the person closest to me. It’s like, but what do they do? what? Yeah. Lybi Ma (37:51.246)to do that. Lybi Ma (38:00.303)Yeah. Lybi Ma (38:04.682)nothing. They’re just standing there. They’re standing there. I don’t know. They’re just standing there. Yeah. I think one another way to, since you’re looking for ways to counter it, I mean, you know, there’s many things to do, you start being more mindful. So I try to call out my reactivity with being mindful, breathe, I write things down. Nick McGowan (38:10.327)Yeah. Lybi Ma (38:34.67)And I try to be grateful in the moment. You’re having a fight and I try to be grateful to the person I’m fighting with. If you show them grace and your self grace and you’ll get through the dumb fight, whatever it was that you’re, and just go with the flow of things. I don’t mean lay down and just die. What I mean is, Nick McGowan (38:44.47)Sure. Yeah. Nick McGowan (38:54.548)Yeah. Lybi Ma (39:04.301)You. get into the flow of life. And there’s been quite a lot of work on the topic of flow for decades. we move with what is happening. Flow is more complicated than that. mean, it has to do with… Nick McGowan (39:13.056)Yeah. Nick McGowan (39:26.208)Yeah. Lybi Ma (39:33.132)being very, very engaged in what you’re doing. So a writer would feel flow when they’re writing or the piano player is really into the music or even listening to music, you running, you get in the flow, but you can apply the flow theory into life, everyday life. Just go with it. I think that’s important. Nick McGowan (39:58.038)That’s really important. And I appreciate that you point out these things that in some ways, and as I said earlier, there are other conversations that get real surfacey and they go, yeah, go with the flow. Cool. Let’s stop there. Just go with the flow. Being able to be mindful, to talk about these things, even with the gratitude. Like I’ve heard for years and years, people are like, just be grateful and gratitude this and gratitude that and have a gratitude journal, blah, blah, blah. It’s like all those things can be good and helpful if they are good and helpful. If you’re just being Lybi Ma (40:24.192)Right. Nick McGowan (40:25.065)grateful and you’re like, I fucking had this and God, I’m grateful for it. But even in that moment of being grateful that you have a partner to be able to argue with and, and yeah. And then that’ll automatically just disarm you a little bit. Like even as you’re saying that I’m picturing it and picturing, you know, me with my partner arguing about whatever. And to think of that, I just want to hug her because I love her. I love that I have the partner to be able to Lybi Ma (40:29.518)All right. Lybi Ma (40:35.778)Right? A lot of people don’t. Lybi Ma (40:42.755)Yeah. Nick McGowan (40:53.737)bitch can complain about things with or whatever. And it’s like, if we can be aware of that and actually show the grace and do the thing in the moment, instead of just saying, just be grateful and gratitude this and gratitude that. It’s like, fuck your gratitude unless you’re actually gonna do something with it. Because then it’s the moment, that moment right there where you do something with it instead of just saying, well, I’m just gonna go back to my old ways and just be kind of shitty about it. So for the people that are trying to be less miserable. Lybi Ma (41:09.23)Ha Nick McGowan (41:23.375)or trying to just wrap their head around how they can give themselves grace and kind of work through life at their pace instead of just what the rest of the world tells us we should do. What’s your advice for somebody that’s on their path towards self mastery? Lybi Ma (41:40.275)Give yourself a break, please. Good Lord. I don’t know why we have to be so hard on ourselves. And we run around looking for solutions to everything. Well, sometimes, you know, life does work out. It does work out. And I think we don’t have to make it harder. Nick McGowan (41:42.793)Nice. Lybi Ma (42:09.774)We make it harder, we fight with life, and I think we can watch it a little. Doesn’t mean that we should not be proactive and move forward and reach our goals, but we can calm down a bit about how we treat ourselves, and you will be less miserable. Nick McGowan (42:35.093)I love that, especially like the come down. Like that’s the vibe I got like right off the bat. Chill out, give yourself a break. Just relax. It’s not the end of the world. And yeah, just chill out. Lybi Ma (42:39.95)Yeah. It isn’t. It is not the end of the world. Bad things do happen and it feels like it’s going to be the end of the world, but actually things do work out. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Right. Nick McGowan (42:55.379)Yeah, divorces. You know, the people that have gone through it, you understand that. I had different people when I got a divorce, they were like, man, I was in bad shape for years. And I was like, well, that sucks. I don’t want to go through that. And I’m like, well, I didn’t get a, I didn’t get married to get a divorce, but I didn’t get a divorce to die. So, and I’m thankful it happened. I mean, I wish her the best, but I wouldn’t have my partner now. I wouldn’t have my business and all the other things that have come from it. Lybi Ma (43:06.296)Right, right. Lybi Ma (43:14.927)Right. Nick McGowan (43:24.777)But I want to touch on something you pointed out where it’s like, give yourself a break, the things will work out and things happen. I was actually sort of joking, but sort of like, this is just a mind fuck of a thing with my coach recently, where I understand that the right things happen at the right times. Always. It’s actually an affirmation of mine. It’s the anxiety before and the anxiety after that exact one moment. Because that one moment is where like, these things happen at the right time. Like, look. Lybi Ma (43:50.828)Okay. Nick McGowan (43:54.45)And I’ve seen it happen. Like it lines up where it’s like, I couldn’t have scripted this. God was like, this is how this thing’s going to work. And it’s like, that’s incredible. But there’s anxiety for the 98 % before and all the other stuff after it, where it’s like that one moment. But that one moment happens and happens more often than not, know? So it’s just a weird little situation that we can get lost in all the other minutia of it. Lybi Ma (44:17.825)Right, right. Nick McGowan (44:23.912)So I appreciate you being as real as you are. I’m like, just calm down, chill out. It’ll be okay. Lybi Ma (44:24.152)Right. It’s gonna be okay. I wish I told my, knew that when I was younger. It’s gonna be okay. It will be. Nick McGowan (44:36.616)Yeah. Hmm. Yeah. And just like, if you could go back and talk to your 18 year old self, what would you say? And I think most people probably say it with a fist and then shake them a little bit with whatever, like whatever you’re going to do, don’t. but that’s what this podcast is for. Like, let’s talk about these things because we’re all going through it. Like, let’s not shy away from that. We all go through this stuff. So, Libby, I really appreciate you being on today. I appreciate the work that you’re doing. Lybi Ma (44:51.224)Hahaha Lybi Ma (45:03.894)All right. Nick McGowan (45:05.208)and you’re putting out the books that you are and just that you’re able to work with that information that’s coming to you and help spread that out and being as real as you are. So thank you for being here. Of course, and before I let you go, where can people find you and where can they connect with you? And of course, where can they get the book? Lybi Ma (45:14.882)Thank you. Lybi Ma (45:22.478)Well, of course, I’m on Psychology Today. You’ll find me there on the website. And you’ll find my book on the, you know, any major source like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, that sort of thing. Nick McGowan (45:44.541)Perfect. And I’ll have some of those links in the show notes too. So again, thank you so much for being with us today. Appreciate it. Lybi Ma (45:50.933)Thank you.

Today we're digging into executive function — what it really is, why it matters so much for neurodivergent kids (and adults!), and how we can better support these skills without judgment or overwhelm. Sarah and I talk about how awareness around executive function has evolved, why self-regulation is foundational, and how different skills — emotional, cognitive, and behavioral — are all interconnected. She shares her supportive, nonjudgmental coaching philosophy, along with practical ideas for helping kids with lagging executive function skills and navigating resistance when it shows up. Most importantly, Sarah reminds us that there is so much hope here: executive function skills can grow, and there are concrete steps we can take to help our kids thrive. About Sarah Kesty  Sarah Kesty helps amazing neurodivergent people create strategies to thrive! She is an executive function, autism, and ADHD coach and host of the Executive Function Podcast. A 4-time teacher of the year, Sarah's Brain Tools School coaching and learning programs support high schoolers, college students, adults, and coaches in developing executive function skills to smooth out life. Sarah specializes in translating research into real-life, actionable strategies. She regularly writes and presents for international groups and publications, including The Humane Society, State Departments of Education, Psychology Today, and Edutopia. Sarah's trainings teach businesses and schools to create environments and systems that support executive function. Her mission is to make the world brain-friendly, inclusive, and a little more fun. An avid birder and local Trail Guide, she and her family live in San Diego, surrounded by nature. Her book for teachers, Growing Executive Function, was released September 2025 (Solution Tree). Things you'll learn from this episode  How executive function serves as a foundation for success and why self-regulation is central to these skills Why “living in hard mode” can hinder executive functioning and how environmental factors play a major role How executive function skills can be taught, supported, and improved over time Why non-judgmental, supportive coaching helps children build confidence and reduce avoidance How visual aids and small, structured supports can make time management more accessible Why recognizing and celebrating small wins reinforces progress and builds hope for continued growth Resources mentioned Sarah Kesty's website Growing Executive Function: Empowering Secondary Students With Skills for Lifelong Success (Executive function made easy for teachers) by Sarah Kesty Stop Playing in Hard Mode (Psychology Today) Sarah Kesty on Psychology Today Sarah Kesty on Instagram Sarah Kesty on YouTube Sarah Kesty on Edutopia Sarah Kesty on Facebook Seth Perler (executive function coach) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an attempt to cope with a harsh and overwhelming world, many of us unconsciously desensitize ourselves to block out pain. But here is the catch: our emotions do not have selective volume knobs; when we numb the darkness, we also numb the light. In this episode, we explore this numbness paradox—why avoiding pain kills your joy—and how to safely open your heart to feel fully alive again. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

Get your free 2026 tracker sheet ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠ Check out the 2026 Kick-Off Pack as part of the 1000 Hours Outside Mega Bundle ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ (available through January 12th!) ** Ginny Yurich sits down with Psychology Today editor and author Hara Estroff Marano to talk about the quiet shift that started long before smartphones—and why it's been devastating for kids. Drawing from A Nation of Wimps, Hara explains how fear and rapid cultural change pushed parents into “invasive” parenting, accidentally transmitting anxiety and squeezing play, risk, and independence out of childhood. The result isn't safer, stronger kids—it's more rigidity, perfectionism, and fragility. This episode is a steadying, permission-giving reset: play isn't extra, it's training for uncertainty; disappointment is information; and childhood doesn't need to be optimized to be successful. If you've felt the pressure to manage every outcome, this conversation will help you step back, rebuild resilience the natural way, and give your kids what they actually need to grow up well. Get your copy of A Nation of Wimps here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Austin Young shares his techniques for de-risking goals to improve your chances of success. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The thinking trap that accounts for most failures2) The four paths to success3) Why thinking negative improves your oddsSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1117 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT KYLE — Kyle Austin Young is an award-winning strategy consultant for high achievers, entrepreneurs, and leaders in a wide range of fields. This work has given him the opportunity to develop and refine a powerful system for accomplishing big, meaningful goals that focuses on understanding and changing your odds of success. Kyle is a popular writer for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Boston Globe, CNBC, Psychology Today, Forbes, and Business Insider. When he's not writing, consulting, or spending time with family, you'll usually find him fishing.• Book: Success Is a Numbers Game: Achieve Bigger Goals by Changing the Odds• LinkedIn: Kyle Austin Young • Website: KyleAustinYoung.com • Free Tool: Success Diagram— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: The Whuffie Factor by Hunt• Book: Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success by Ron Friedman— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.