Minds and Mics

Latest Episodes:

6 Expert Tips for Overcoming Social Anxiety with Emma McAdam Jun 07, 2024

Show notes

Psychologist Nick Wignall and therapist Emma McAdam share their favorite tips for overcoming social anxiety.

💌 JOIN NICK'S FREE NEWSLETTER
The Friendly Mind: https://www.thefriendlymind.com/newsletter-yt/

⚒️ LINKS & RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE
→ Painfully Shy by Barbara and Gregory Markway https://www.amazon.com/Painfully-Shy-Overcome-Anxiety-Reclaim/dp/0312316232
→ The Assertiveness Workbook by Randy Paterson https://www.amazon.com/Assertiveness-Workbook-Express-Yourself-Relationships/dp/1648480276/
→ Emma's Anxiety Course: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills
→ Nick's Anxiety Course: https://nickwignall.com/creating-calm/

The End of Trauma with Dr. George Bonanno Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I chat with trauma and resilience researcher Dr. George Bonanno.

Show Notes:

How to think clearly about trauma and PTSD
Common misconceptions about trauma
The resilience paradox
The problem with the PTSD diagnosis
Trauma concept creep
How to develop resilience (The flexibility sequence)
The end of trauma?
Lisa Feldman Barret
Mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of exercise on mood and emotional health

Learn more about Dr. Bonanno and his work here:

Get New Episodes First

Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here, including how to subscribe and get all my newest episodes as soon as they’re released.

Better Sleep for High-Achievers with Dr. Daniel Erichsen Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I chat with Dr. Daniel Erichsen about better sleep for high-achievers.

Navigating Big Feelings Well with Liz Fosslien May 07, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I chat with Liz Fosslien about her new book, Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay. We cover topics like perfectionism vs healthy striving, the difference between envy and jealousy, burnout and the Amazon Zen Booth, revenge bedtime procrastination, and the role of personal responsibility in mental health.

Show Notes

The dark side of “coping” with difficult feelings
No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work
Jealousy vs envy
Benign vs malicious envy
The role of personal responsibility in mental health
The Amazon Zen Booth
How organizations can actually help foster well-being and resilience
The relationships between burnout and self-awareness
Why setting boundaries is so hard (and how to make it a little easier)
Revenge bedtime procrastination
Emotional opportunity cost
Perfectionism and self-kindness
Healthy striving vs perfectionism
The benefits of playfulness

Learn more about Liz and her work here:

Get New Episodes First

Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here, including how to subscribe and get all my newest episodes as soon as they’re released.

Psychological Flexibility with Steve Hayes May 07, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I chat with Dr. Steve Hayes, the founder of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). We talk about everything from the importance of psychological flexibility and emotional tolerance to the future of psychotherapy and what to look for in a great therapist.

Show Notes

Psychological flexibility
Psychological rigidity
Social anxiety and panic attacks
Where does self-judgment and negative self-talk come from?
The psychological function of religion and wisdom traditions
Emotional tolerance
3rd wave behavior therapy, process-based therapy, and the future of psychotherapy
What to look for in a good therapist
2nd wave humanistic therapy

Learn more about Steve and his work here:

Get New Episodes First

Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here, including how to subscribe and get all my newest episodes as soon as they’re released.

Reclaiming Your Ambition with Michael Bungay Stanier Feb 25, 2022

Show notes

In the latest episode of Minds & Mics, I chatted with Michael Bungay Stanier about his new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters and a range of topics, including the obligation we all have to be "doubly ambitious," why SMART goals aren't usually very smart, the case for working in 6-week cycles, and the genius of cartoonist Gary Larson.

Show Notes

What makes a book useful?
The Coaching Habit
Being “doubly ambitious”
How to think about overwhelm: realistic, consistent, grace
Working in 6-week cycles
Why Michael hates SMART goals
Should we follow our passion?
Relaxing into commitment
Prizes and punishments of maintaining the status quo
The Call of the Wild (Gary Larson)
The value of the humble pros and cons list

Learn more about Michael and his work here:

Get New Episodes First

Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here, including how to subscribe and get all my newest episodes as soon as they’re released.

Using Technology to Build Emotional Intelligence with Kai Koch Dec 11, 2021

Show notes

Kai Koch is the co-founder of ahead, which is a software company and app for building emotional intelligence. We talk about the opportunities and challenges for technology in emotional health, self-awareness, emotional intelligence in organizations, and what the future of technology-assisted emotional health might look like.

Show Notes

The unique benefits of mobile technology for emotional health
Making self-awareness social
Making personal growth social
Emotional granularity
Emotional intelligence in organizations
The future of technology for emotional health

Learn more about Kai and his work here:

Get New Episodes First

Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here, including how to subscribe and get all my newest episodes as soon as they’re released.

Better Sleep for New Moms with Dr. Jade Wu Nov 21, 2021

Show notes

Sleep psychologist Dr. Jade Wu returns to the show to talk specifically about sleep issues for new moms, including what’s normal and what should be addressed professionally, how sleep and postpartum depression interact, intrusive thoughts and anxiety, and some practical tips for new moms to get their sleep back on track.

Show Notes

How sleep changes in pregnancy and postpartum
Sleep deprivation vs circadian disruptions
Types of sleep disturbances that predict postpartum depression
Tips for minimizing sleep issues as a new parent
How much to nap as a new mom
What old-school pediatricians get wrong about sleep with new babies
Parasomnias in pregnancy and postpartum
Exploding head syndrome
Sleep paralysis
Postpartum anxiety
REM rebound and nightmares
Intrusive thoughts
Sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing
Poor sleep and postpartum depression

Learn more about Jade and her work here:

Website: JadeWuPHD.com
Twitter: @jadewuphd

Get New Episodes First

Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here, including how to subscribe and get all my newest episodes as soon as they’re released.

Rethinking Sleep Health with Dr. Jade Wu Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

Jade and I chat about uncommon sleep misconceptions, how to deal with nightmares, intergenerational sleep trauma, the problem with sleep hygiene, and the message about sleep Jade wants carved on her gravestone.

Show Notes

Uncommon sleep myths and misconceptions
My other chat about sleep myths with Dr. Daniel Erichsen
Better Sleep with insomnia coach Martin Reed
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
Conditioned arousal
Bed time vs rise time
How much deep sleep do you actually need?
What causes nightmares?
The behavioral model of nightmares and imagery rehearsal therapy
Parasomnias
Sleep and social justice
Intergenerational sleep trauma
The problem with sleep hygiene
Tired vs sleepy
The message about sleep Jade wants carved on her gravestone

Learn more about Jade and her work here:

Website: JadeWuPHD.com
Twitter: @jadewuphd

Get New Episodes First

Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here, including how to subscribe and get all my newest episodes as soon as they’re released.

Raising Indistractable Kids with Nir Eyal Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I talk with author Nir Eyal about the relationship between technology use and wellbeing among children, parenting in the age of social media, and the virtues of getting out of your kids’ way.

Show Notes

Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: