Minds and Mics

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**Minds and Mics**

Psychologist Nick Wignall interviews experts in the fields of psychology, mental health, and human potential to better understand how the mind works and how we can make it work for us to improve our lives in practical, meaningful ways.

Latest Episodes:

Practical Creativity with Herbert Lui Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

Nick chats with Herbert Lui about practical ways to exercise your creativity.

Show Notes

Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

Misconceptions about creativity
The creative process
Nature vs nurture in creativity
Quality vs quantity in creativity
How to get started being more creative?
Creative blocks
Fear of being judged
Creativity and community
Constructive vs destructive comparisons
Why constraints are helpful for creativity
Is quitting important for creativity?

You can learn more about Herbert and his work here:

HerbertLui.net

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

The Case for Life Coaching with Dr. Caitlin Faas Feb 14, 2021

Show notes

Caitlin Faas returns to the show to talk about life coaching—what it is, how it works, how it helps, and common misconceptions.

Show Notes

Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

How Caitlin went from tenured professor to life coach
Objections to life coaching:
1. Life coaching isn’t legit…
2. If you think you need a life coach, what you really need is a therapist
3. There’s nothing you can get from a life coach that you can’t get from a good friend
4. Life coaches are just snake-oil salesman out to make a quick buck off of vulnerable people
5. Life coaching is too “woo-woo” or new-agey
How to find a life coach who’s a good fit for you
How to know if you need a life coach or a therapist
The dangers of using family and friends as your emotional support person
Can you do coaching and therapy at the same time?
How much does life coaching cost?
How often will I meet with a life coach?
What does a life coaching session look like?
Where to find a life coach?
Is there specific credentialing I should look for with a life coach?

You can learn more about Caitlin and her work here:

DrCaitlinFaas.com

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.

The Buddhist Way Through Anxiety with Lodro Rinzler Jan 31, 2021

Show notes

Lodro Rinzler returns to the show to talk about how a Buddhist perspective on anxiety can help us through difficult times.

Show Notes

Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

Focusing on stories vs anxiety itself
The parable of the second arrow
Anxiety vs worry vs stress
The Three Vajras: Body, Speech, and Mind
Is the popularity of mindfulness a good thing?
Should we try to get rid of negative thinking?
Expressing anxiety vs complaining about it
How to handle other people’s anxiety well
Gentle inquisitiveness
“You are not your anxiety”

You can learn more about Lodro 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.

Exploring the Adaptive Unconscious with Dr. Sarah Sarkis Jan 17, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Sarah Sarkis joins me on the show to talk about the adaptive unconscious, self-sabotaging behavior, attachment patterns, and therapy vs performance coaching.

Show Notes
Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

The adaptive unconscious
Defense mechanisms
Self-sabotage
Improving self-awareness
Developing an observing ego
Attachment patterns
Compensation and replication of attachment dynamics
Emotional masking
Using emotional pain as motivation
Is it the crime or the cover-up?
Psychological flexibility
Therapy vs coaching
Flow Research Collective

You can learn more about Sarah and her work at her website: DrSarahSarkis.com

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.

Perfectly Hidden Depression with Dr. Margaret Rutherford Jan 03, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins me on the show to talk about perfectly hidden depression, perfectionism, and the challenges of emotional vulnerability.

Show Notes

Here are some of the highlights from the conversations:

Constructive vs destructive perfectionism
Appetitive vs aversive motivation
Trauma, childhood strategies, and the origins of perfectionism
"Smiling depression"
Emotional vulnerability
- Brene Brown — The Gifts of Imperfection
- Terrence Real — I Don’t Want to Talk About It
Perfectly hidden depression
Rigid positivity
Classic depression vs perfectly hidden depression
Insight vs action
How not help someone else who struggles with perfectly hidden depression
Should more therapists be bloggers and podcasters?

You can learn more about Margaret 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.

Difficult Conversations with Adar Cohen Dec 19, 2020

Show notes

Nick talks to professional mediator Dr. Adar Cohen about how we can have difficult conversations more effectively.

Here are some of the highlights from the conversations:

The Farsi concept of Taroff
The psychology behind conflict avoidance
The 3 main outcomes of difficult conversations: 1) Solution, 2) Plan, 3) Understanding
Achieving deep understanding in conversations
The elements of effective listening
Open-ended questions vs. litigious questions
The importance of uncovering “gem statements"
How to prepare in advance for difficult conversations
How to handle defensiveness in difficult conversations
The importance of silence in difficult conversations
How to be a good mediator for other people

You can learn more about Adar and his work here:

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Life Writing with Uddipana Goswami Dec 19, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, I talk with author, professor, and writing coach Uddipana Goswami about her practice of Life Writing and how it helped her to process emotional struggles in her life.

You can learn more about Uddipana and her work on her personal website.

Get the latest Minds & Mics episodes as soon as they're released
If you enjoyed this episode of Minds&Mics and want to get notified whenever new episodes are released, you can join Nick's free weekly newsletter here →

From Addiction to Entrepreneurship with Tim Stoddart Nov 22, 2020

Show notes

Tim Stoddart joins me on the show to talk about his journey out of addiction and into entrepreneurship—and how blogging played a pivotal role.

You can learn more about Tim and his work on his personal site TimStodz.com

Links and items of note from this episode:

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

Career Transitions with Lisa Lewis Oct 11, 2020

Show notes

Getting clarity about how to make a career transition with Lisa Lewis.

Show Notes:

How Lisa became a career transition expert
What leads to career dissatisfaction?
The four pillars of career fulfillment
Testing career hypotheses
Executing on a new career strategy
Courage vs confidence

You can learn more about Lisa and her work here:

Starting a Meditation Practice with Lodro Rinzler Sep 13, 2020

Show notes

Lodro Rinzler is an experienced meditation teacher and the author of many books, including my favorite book about meditation, Sit Like a Buddha: A Pocket Guide to Meditation. In today's episode, I chat with Lodro about how to think differently about meditation, some of the unexpected benefits of meditating, and what you need to know to get a consistent meditation practice off the ground.

Show Notes