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We've probably all heard about psychological safety, but what exactly is it, and how do we cultivate it? This is the topic we're diving into today.Think back, you've likely had a job or other relationship where you felt like you had to guard yourself. Or one where you felt like it wasn't acceptable to show up any less than 110%. Hopefully you've also had the experience of being in truly safe relationships. Ones where you can mess up, stumble, try things and potentially fail, and still be accepted.That is real psychological safety.Today we're speaking with Stephan Wiedner who is a psychological safety expert whose career has focused on developing sustainable high performance leaders, teams, and organizations. His passion for unleashing the collective potential of people has led him to cofound Noomii.com, the web’s largest network of independent life coaches, Skillsetter.com, the deliberate practice platform for interpersonal skills, and Zarango.com, the psychological safety training exp

In the field of Psychology, we are increasingly learning more about how trauma, habits, and beliefs are handed down from generation to generation, many times, without us knowing. Think about it - you very likely have belief systems and ways of seeing and responding to the world that were transmitted to you through generations of your family.This has incredible implications for the way we individually respond to the world, but also for the ways we understand systemic challenges and inequality in our society.If you've ever worked hard to understand your own behavior... If you've ever fought against continuing dysfunction in your family... If you've ever felt the pain of trauma in your family and wondered how to move past it... This episode is for you.Today we're speaking with Dr. Lynyetta Willis. As a psychologist and family empowerment coach, Dr. Lynyetta Willis, helps frustrated families stop Stable Misery® cycles or unhelpful patterns that keep them stuck, so they can create more joy in their

Trigger warning. How many times have you seen that phrase on social media? Do you truly know what it means? What does it mean to have a trigger? To be triggered? How do triggers impact us in our lives, in our performance, and in our relationships?This week, we're exploring these very fundamental questions. The fact of the matter is, we ALL have triggers. It's simply an artifact of the way our minds work. What's most important is that we know what our individual triggers are and how we can be intentional about responding when we encounter them.This week we're hearing from Jodie Eckleberry Hunt. Jodie has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana State University and is board-certified in Health Psychology. She has been the Director of Health Psychology and Executive Health and Wellness at Beaumont Health since 2016.I truly believe you'll gain a much more nuanced understanding of what a trigger is, how to identify your own, and what to do to be more responsive, rather than reactive, in t

Burnout is a topic that is becoming so prolific because so many of us are EXPERIENCING IT! Turns out, burnout is a state that is at the end of the road of a long continuum. There are ways we can intervene to reduce the chances of ourselves becoming burned out, but we have to recognize it first.I'm thrilled to be diving into that very topic today.Today we're speaking with Dr. Cassandra LeClair. She is a Communications & Relationships Expert, Motivator, Author, and Podcaster. With a Ph.D. in communications studies, specializing in women's and gender studies, Cassandra is an expert on communicating feelings, setting boundaries, and improving connections. She enables high-achieving women to gain an understanding of their identity and communication practices to improve their relationships with friends and family, in the workplace, and beyond.On this episode with Dr. LeClaire, we dive into burnout - how to know when you're burned out, and what the precursors are. We also dive into the role that

Our romantic relationships are simultaneously some of the most important, most misunderstood, most under-resourced relationships in our lives. So many of us have this misconception that our 'love lives' should just come naturally. That we shouldn't have to work so hard. That they can unfold in a healthy way, even if they're unexamined.The 50% divorce rate in the US suggests otherwise.Today, we're digging into the topic of romantic relationships with a true expert. Dr. Thomas Jordan is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City. He is on the faculty of NYU’s Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis, author of "Learn to Love: Guide to Healing Your Disappointing Love Life" and founder of LoveLifeLearningCenter.com. Dr. Jordan specializes in the treatment of unhealthy love lives and has been studying them for over 30 years.This episode hits on some truly practical, ACTIONABLE steps you can start taking TODAY to make meaningful improvements in your love

There are few things more fundamentally important than our health and wellbeing. When we have it, we take it for granted. However, when we're told there's a problem or when we aren't feeling well, it's all we can think about.Wellbeing has become even more of a focus since the pandemic because of the experiences we all had over the last 2 years. Mental health has suffered. We've neglected to take care of ourselves and chronic conditions are worsening. Yet, we see many people making professional decisions to help guard the lifestyle they had during the pandemic - particularly if it helped them make positive changes in their health and wellbeing.It's a lot to think about, so we brought in an expert.Laura Putnam, MA, author of the award-winning Workplace Wellness That Works, is CEO and founder of Motion Infusion, a leading well-being provider. Her work has been covered by MSNBC, The New York Times, FOX News, ABC News, US News & World Report, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and NPR. She

There's no denying it - the last handful of years have been very challenging. Aside from the personal adversity we've all felt in our individual lives, we've faced incredible collective adversity. The pandemic. Political divide. Crime and mass shootings. It has all been a lot to handle, and many of us have found ourselves searching for ways to move through it and cope.Thankfully, the field of psychology has a very effective tool for times like these: self-compassion. By opening up to and being mindful of our own emotional experience, by realizing that we aren't alone in the way we're feeling, and by offering ourselves kindness rather than criticism, we can help support ourselves through truly challenging times.The main audio of this episode is a replay of an impromptu self-compassion break I led the day after the mass shooting at the elementary school in Ulvalde, Texas. Quite a few people from around the world joined in community to learn how to apply this important tool during challenging

One of the basic principles of cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) is that our mind and our behavior (and our emotions and life experience) are strongly linked. Our body and our behavior send strong messages that tell us how to appraise a situation and how we might want to respond. Yet, we spend so much energy attempting to ignore it. We focus instead on being "rational," or "logical." We believe emotions are "irrational" and shouldn't be trusted.Today, we're debunking that.Today we're speaking with Dr. Amanda Blake. Dr. Blake is the author of the award-winning book Your Body Is Your Brain, and creator of the Body = Brain course on the neurobiology of experiential leadership learning. In addition to teaching about the art and science of embodiment, she works with progressive leaders worldwide to help them become their best self, enjoy life more, and make a bigger contribution. Once an internationally competitive athlete, Mandy is skilled at cultivating high performance in her

In light of recent events in Texas and across the U.S., I am offering a free self-compassion break today at 2:30 pm CT. No registration necessary. Simply click the link below to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81847216706Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Did you know that research tells us that we all should strive to get TWO HOURS of enjoyable leisure activity EVERY SINGLE DAY?! When I heard that statistic, I was shocked!We focus so intently on performance, optimization, and striving. We focus on how much we can get done and how to increase that amount. And we forget that life is meant to be fun as well.This week we're speaking with Dr. Mike Rucker. He is an organizational psychologist and charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association who has been academically published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management and Nutrition Research. His ideas about fun and health have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Vox, Thrive Global, mindbodygreen, and more. He currently serves as a senior leader at Active Wellness.Additional Resources:Episode 0143: Dr. Steven HayesThe Happiness TrapConnect with MichaelPre-order The Fun HabitAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redc

Life Design is a field that I am incredibly passionate about. The ability to envision a future we want to create and then take intentional steps to get there is so POWERFUL.However, the path toward that future is a very individual one. Not everyone will face the same challenges, and we differ in the way we are motivated. Today, we're diving into a couple of frameworks that can help you understand yourself at a deeper level and make progress toward your biggest goals.Dr Libby Kemkaran was A lifelong student of Behavioral Psychology and Neuroassociative Conditioning she took the opportunity while at Cambridge to undertake a degree in Biological and Biomedical Science, with a major in behavior, specifically the neural mechanisms of behavior. Libby is a TEDx Speaker and Circle Host and delivers her 'TAME Your Brain' program of strategy and Neurocoaching to the corporate world leading change in Management, Communications, and Mindset for Success.Additional Resources:Blog post: Judgy McJudgersonEpisode

The conversation around mental health and wellbeing is being elevated after the experience we've all had during the pandemic. However, an incredible amount of stigma still exists around seeking help for a mental health condition.This week, we're diving deep into what it means to break that stigma, seek out the help you need, and support others in their mental health quest.I interviewed Sara Schley for the recent Global Resilience Summit, and I instantly knew I had to have her on the show. Sara is the author of the acclaimed memoir, BrainStorm: From Broken to Blessed on the Bipolar Spectrum.During our conversation, Sara recounts her personal journey on the bipolar spectrum from the days when she was misdiagnosed to getting a correct diagnosis 25 years later. After 40 years of living with this condition, Sara has broken her silence and is speaking out about her experience and the importance of caring for our own mental health. Sara also has a very practical, actionable 4-point plan for helping support o

Is it better to set a goal to achieve something or to avoid something? Exactly how detrimental is it to have people around you who don't support your goals? Are big, hairy, audacious goals (BHAG) better to set, or are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals better?The content out there on goal-setting and motivation is conflicting. It can be hard to sift through what is important and what will actually work. Today, we're talking to a true expert - a pioneer - in the field of human motivation and achievement.Today, we're speaking with Dr. Ayelet Fishbach. Dr. Fishbach is a Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business and the author of "GET IT DONE: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation." She is the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network and is an expert on motivation and decision making.During our interview we dive into the ni

If you're a parent and you've ever felt guilty for taking a break, raise your hand! (April raises her hand.)Parental guilt is all too familiar for so many of us. Taking care of our little ones is challenging, and sometimes, you just need a break. But, the second you get one, the guilt creeps in. I find that situations like these are easier to handle when we understand WHY we're feeling that way. That's exactly what we're digging into in this episode.Specifically, we're going to talk about 2 concepts that you've probably heard about if you've ever taken an introductory psychology course, but we're going to apply them to this common, real-world situation. We're going to cover each concept in-depth, we'll talk about the brain science behind them, and then we'll unpack how they contribute to the parental guilt that so many of us feel on a regular basis.I'll be honest, I can't take the guilt away. However, I hope this episode arms you with a powerful set of t

If you have ever felt like there must be something wrong with you because of how you handled a situation, this episode is for you.We've all been there. We've experienced anxiety, anger, depression and other states of being, and it can be easy to look at ourselves as though there's something wrong with us. Even the field of psychology has taken this approach. We label things as "disorders" and we try to "treat" people. It all creates a ton of stigma that keeps people from making the changes they want to make in their lives.Today, we're speaking with Dr. Joseph Shrand, author, triple board certified psychiatrist, neuroscientist, Chief Medical Officer and lecturer of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical SchoolAdditional Resources:Learn more about Dr. Joe and Drug Story TheaterListen to my interview with Sean Webb of "Mind Hacking Happiness"Listen to my interview with Dr. Steven Hayes, founder of Acceptance and Commitment TherapyCheck out this podcast episode to learn how to culti

If the last 2 years have taught us one thing it is this: people's lives don't exist in silos. The experiences, stresses, and challenges people face in their personal lives bleed over into their professional lives, and vice versa. It has never been more apparent that we need to support people in a more holistic, human way than right now.As we look to the future and anticipate yet another stage of change, I wanted to have a conversation about how we support our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of our teams and colleagues at work. To do this, I've enlisted the help of my friend, Ryan Wolf, Wellbeing Lead for Gallup.During our conversation, Ryan and I dive into what wellbeing truly means. We talk about how it has changed in the last decade or so, and anticipate even more change in the coming few years. We talk about how critical it is for companies and employers to support their teams on a more holistic, human level, and we talk about how to go about it.Finally, you won't want to miss our conversat

What does it mean for you to "perform well" or "win" today? Have you ever stopped to consider that? One more question, as a high-achieving person or a top-performing person, have you ever stopped to consider times when it might be ok for you to show up intentionally looking to achieve at a B+ level?These questions sound like heresy when we put them in the context of our traditional, high-pressure professional world. However, as we've learned from the pandemic and from some very high-profile athletes more recently, no one, even high achievers, is infallible.If you are a human being with a body and a mind, you have limits. You have needs. And, you simply can not perform at 150% all the time. And today, we're speaking with an expert who will help us sort through all of that.Today's guest is Lauren Ammon. She is a certified coach who works with athletes of all levels. She helps people acknowledge and recognize their own humanity. She helps people create as much psychological and emotio

One of the most common things we get asked is how to reduce anxiety. Talk about the ultimate question! Anxiety is SO incredibly common, yet the tools to reduce it can feel so elusive. In today's episode, we're leaning on cognitive-behavioral theory to help us use micro-behaviors to reduce anxiety (or induce any emotional state you're after).During this episode, I give a quick overview of what cognitive-behavioral theory is and the interrelationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I walk you through a great analogy developed by my incredible co-founder, Dr. Ashley Smith, to help you understand the true impact of this interrelationship in how you experience life. And finally, we turn to a practical way you can use small behavioral changes in your own life to influence your emotions in the direction you want them to go.You're not going to want to miss this one!Additional Resources:Get the free guided experience I spoke about from Episode 338: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/0338Get

The current state of the world has many of us feeling afraid, uncertain, and even disconnected. Given everything that is happening right now, it's natural to have the impulse to pull away. To disengage. To disconnect.However, the field of positive psychology shows us that it's our interconnection to other people that drives much of our happiness and wellbeing. Beyond that, it's our interconnection with other people that has the power to heal the divisive wounds at the heart of so much of the turmoil we see in the world today.Today we're speaking about interconnection with this week's guest, Juan Lee. Juan is an author and teacher on the powerful principle of love. For over 30 years, he has studied organized religion to find the elements that unite humanity and share the message with those who need it. Based outside of Washington DC, Juan is a decorated US Air Force veteran and author of Love Made Simple.Tune in today to be reminded of the importance of your role in humanity. My hope is tha

BURNOUT. It's a topic in the news almost daily. Given the stress we've all been under over the last 2 years, burnout is at an all-time high. But is it? Really?I mean, I agree that we're burned out, but my instinct tells me that we've been that way much longer than we realize. The pressure of the pandemic has brought it to the surface more clearly, but the burnout itself is a tale as old as time.Today we're talking about burnout with the perfect guest. Caroline Dooner is a writer, humorist, and ex-professional actress & singer. She started writing about our relationship with food 10 years ago on thef*ckitdiet.com, after radically healing her own relationship with food. All of that became "The F*ck It Diet" book, geared towards helping others heal. Her second book, "Tired as F*ck," is about her burnout & two years of rest, after years of running herself into the ground. This episode is part validation, part instruction manual, part permission slip, and part call-to-ar