Science

The Flourishing Center

Take a glimpse into the world of applied positive psychology with The Flourishing Center. Host Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, takes you through each episode giving you insights, the science, and life hacks that you can apply so you can live an authentically happy and flourishing life. In the Science Says Episodes, Emiliya uncovers new research in positive psychology and how to apply the science to your life. In the Flourishing Fridays Episodes, she showcases a Life Hack which is a proven and practical action you can do today to boost your productivity and wellbeing. In the Practitioner’s Profile, Emiliya highlights a guest positive psychology practitioner. Guests include teachers, parents, therapists, entrepreneurs, managers, coaches, doctors, teenagers and others, who have been trained in positive psychology, and are applying the science in unique ways in their unique sectors of the world. The Coaches Corner Episodes allow you to see positive psychology coaching in action. This is where the science of happiness fuels the art of thriving!

Latest Episodes:

66. A BRIGHTER PURPOSE Kelly Miller: Practitioner Profiler Sep 18, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 66: A BRIGHTER PURPOSE

Practitioner Profiler (PP)- Welcome to our Positive Psychology Practitioner Profiler where we highlight ordinary people that are doing extra ordinary things! Each practitioner is one of our graduates of the CertifIcate in Positive Psychology Program. Find out the exciting ways people are putting the science into practice within their Communities, Organizations and Lives.

In this episode, Emiliya Zhivotovskaya CEO & Founder, The Flourishing Center highlights Kelly Miller, the creator of a Brighter Purpose. A Brighter Purpose was ignited to create a movement of humans moving toward flourishing lives. After the loss of a dear family member, Kelly Miller has made it her mission to help as many as she can to understand how malleable we are as humans, and how powerful our minds can be. With more people thriving with the benefits of accurate, intentional, and resilient thinking, the better our world will become.

Kelly teaches people about the science of Positive Psychology, which is the study of optimal human functioning. It aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive. Positive psychology is about helping people move "north of neutral" (Seligman, 2002). It is about building what is right, not just fixing what is wrong. Practitioners of positive psychology live approach based lives (Peterson, 2003).

Kelly shares her personal experience with her daughters anxiety. "When I witnessed my daughter's first panic attack (over a pair of pants), I really didn't know what to do. She was very obviously in pain. My mothering skills were simply not enough to help her and it was agonizing for both of us." This is why she created the book, Jane's Worry Elephant. She created it so that other parents know what science has shown can help children. So that other kids experiencing anxiety can have some tools of their own. Anxiety is painful. She wants to help ease the pain, and to let other families know that they are not alone.

Listen how Kelly uses Positive Psychology copings skills to make changes in the world. Her go to positive psychology tool as a mother is the 54321 technique. Which is where you acknowledge: 5 things around you, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste. Worry Box is another tool that helps open up conversation and allows worry to be placed on the box.

You can reach Kelly Miller: https://abrighterpurposecoach.com

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer:

65. SHIFTING GEARS WITH GRACE: Flourishing Friday Sep 13, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 65: SHIFTING GEARS WITH GRACE

Flourishing Friday (FF)-Welcome to Flourishing Fridays (FF), where every Friday we bring you a Positive Psychology-based life hack that will help you to flourish. In these episodes we look at real life application of Positive Psychology, while giving you tips and strategies to put Positive Psychology into use in all areas of your life.

Productivity doesn't happen by accident. Accomplishing all the things you need and want to do requires forethought and planning, along with a continuous supply of motivation and focus. Do you ever think how amazing it would be to do everything you set out to do each day and do it with ease and grace? However, we often face a mountain of work, situations and feel a sense of overwhelmed as the demands of the day make us feel defeated.

Take charge of your time and energy, and learn what to focus on and what to let go. In this episode Emiliya shares with us her personal secrets that contribute to her success. She shed's some light on what helps her shift gears with grace and ease. How effectively do you shift from one thing to another? Think about the last time you were all over the place, full of a free floating anxiety, bouncing from one task to another, reacting to people and situations emotionally.

Emiliya answers the questions How do I get back to my center? How do I ground myself? Staying grounded requires daily attention and effort.Asking yourself "What do I see, hear, taste, smell, touch?" to ground and center your being. Being centered in order to shift gears effectively. Emiliya says, "When I'm centered it's easier to respond to people, to catch the nuances of their attention, and to let inspiration flow through me." She also emphasizes the importance of Mindfulness and how it also improves our productivity and allows us to shift gears with grace by helping us produce better work.

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer,

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

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64. POSSIBILITY TO HEAL: Real-time Resilience Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 64: POSSIBILITY TO HEAL

Real-time Resilience (RR)- Welcome to Real-time Resilience (RR), where we look at real people being resilient in real time. Be ready to discover and learn skills to help you bounce back better. Listen in to bounce back stories that are sure to inspire and encourage you through any struggle.

Life isn't perfect, so it is exciting to witness real people, with real stories, practicing real-time resilience. Listen in to Bounce Back stories that are sure to inspire and encourage you through any struggle.

Healing starts with the belief that you can!

Shauna Streich, a Rehabilitation Consultant, founded The Possibility Centre to assist people who are recovering from injury and illness, providing support through the ups and downs of the recovery process. The consultant became the patient when Shauna was placed in a medically-induced coma from complications related to severe bilateral pneumonia and septic shock. She required intubation and mechanical ventilation for 17 days. When she finally awoke she could barely speak, couldn't walk or even feed herself.

From this experience, Shauna knows that recovery can leave you feeling frustrated, vulnerable, and scared. She also knows that it can be difficult to find help during this time of uncertainty. Shauna's personal journey, her passion about the healing process plus her 20 years of experience in rehabilitation and disability management provides a unique perspective when assisting people.

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer,

You can reach Shauna Streich at the possibility centre at: http://thepossibilitycentre.com

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

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63. SUGAR CRAVINGS BEGONE: Flourishing Friday Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 63: SUGAR CRAVINGS BEGONE

Fill your life with sweetness that is not necessarily sweetness. Research says that our brains are hardwired for pleasure and sugar works like many addictive drugs. Sugar affects our brain pathways just like addictive drugs, and most of us don't realize how much we're eating.

Using sugar to numb out feelings? Sugar Detox: Hype or Hope? A sugar detox diet promises to end your craving for sweets and help you lose weight. But does it work? Some people use sugary foods in ways that aren't healthy, even though it may not be an actual addiction. Some signs: You crave sugar, lose control, and eat more than you planned. Your brain also sees sugar as a reward, which makes you keep wanting more of it. If you often eat a lot of sugar, you're reinforcing that reward, which can make it tough to break the habit.

SUGAR CRAVINGS BEGONE

Can you beat your sugar habit by quitting cold turkey? Some sugar detox plans urge you to avoid all sweets. That means all fruit, dairy, and refined grains. The idea is to purge your system of sugar.

Do you frequently numb out with food, television, social media or drama? Stop numbing your feelings with sugar. Like any addiction, the main underlying cause of sugar eating is limiting beliefs and emotions—both conscious and unconscious—around not feeling loved, safe or secure. Listen to Emiliya's perspective on sugar cravings and consumption along with her tips to detox off sugar.

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer,

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

62. GRIEF WITH GRATITUDE: Coaches Corner Aug 21, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 62: GRIEF WITH GRATITUDE

Coaches Corner (CC)- Welcome to the Coaches Corner where you get to witness Positive Psychology based coaching in action with master level certified coaching. Listen to positive psychology in action through real life coaching sessions with Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, who holds a Master Coach Certificate (MCC) from the International Coach Federation ICF.

Grieving the loss of a loved one is a challenge like no other. Grief is the normal and expected response to death. The giving process is different for everyone. Listen how Emiliya coaches Venessa, through processing the loss of her father.

"I wish he were here. When am I going to get over it? Maybe I just have to get through it." Grief can be deeply painful and complex, but it's a completely natural reaction for those who have lost something or someone.

Discover how Venessa discovers that there is nothing wrong with her for grieving. Although "getting over it" might be a well-meaning thought, she discovers a much more realistic goal for her grief is resilience and gratitude. She discovers this doesn't mean getting back to who you used to be, but learning and growing from your experiences. Everyone deals with grief differently, but acceptance, support, and expression through gratitude and journalling resonated with Venessa. She also decided that celebrating the life of her loved one can be one of the best ways to support her healing.

Exploring the feeling and processing! Grief and gratitude simultaneously.

Through the coaching process she decides to not judge herself as she grieves, and give yourself time to experience her feelings. She discovers she can experience gratitude by exploring the many different ways in which she can honour her dad's life.

Allow memories and experiences to be a positive thing for her.

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer,

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

SHOW LINK:

61. SLEEPING HEALTH FROM NASAL BREATHING: Flourishing Friday Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 59: SLEEPING HEALTH FROM NASAL BREATHING

Healthier while you sleep!! Improve energy, vitality, mood and clear headed.

Tap your mouth shut when your are sleeping! Sounds crazy, right?

Science has shown that nostril breathing is healthier. Mouth breathing is meant to be a back up system. Mouth breathing is associated with stress. Nasal breathing (as opposed to mouth breathing) increases circulating blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, slows the breathing rate and improves overall lung volumes. The nose also adds moisture and warmth to inhaled air for smoother entry to the lungs. Nasal breathing, as opposed to mouth breathing, has another important advantage, especially for effective and efficient exercise: It can allow for more oxygen to get to active tissues.

Listen while Emiliya backs up this claim with scientific research. She teaches us about the Buteyko Method. The Buteyko method emphasizes the importance of nasal breathing, which protects the airways by humidifying, warming, and cleaning the air entering the lungs. Expected benefits include easier breathing, deeper sleep, more energy, reduced asthma and nasal congestion along with increased feeling of calm.

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer,

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

60. LIVING OUT LOUDER: Practitioner Profile Aug 14, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 60: LIVING OUT LOUDER

In this episode, Emiliya Zhivotovskaya CEO & Founder, The Flourishing Center highlights Lizzie LaRock, a writer/photographer/coach based in Colorado.

She teaches online and in-person creativity courses and workshops using photography, creative writing, mindfulness and applied positive psychology tools.

She created a fascinating program called The Life Feast Online Experience. What is The Life Feast? The Life Feast is the online experience where you will savor, swoon and sincerely fall in love with life's little moments. You'll use photography, a smidge of mindfulness and the science of positive psychology to shake up your usual routine, amplify what's working and experience life through a different lens.

Most of us live our lives rushing our kids to every enrichment experience under the sun. Our own creative wellbeing is on the backburner (or not even on the stove!). This is like trying to nourish ourselves with a cardboard tasting meal replacement shake rather than treating ourselves to a 6-course full on decadent feast every once in a while. But don't worry, this course is full of flavor with ZERO calories ... more nourishing than paleo, more fun than spin class …

You do need curiosity ... and a smidge of playfulness won't hurt.

Lizzie teaches the power in the ability to Pause and see the things around us that are beautiful, to take notice what is around you, to observe and enjoy what you see!

We get better what we focus on!!

You can reach Lizzie at: https://www.larockstarcreative.com

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer:

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

59. BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF: Flourishing Friday Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 59: BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF

In this episode Emiliya takes inspiration from the book, How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Richo. She builds on last weeks Flourishing Friday and how we can turn the learning into a form of self care.

I see myself, I value myself, I accept myself, I love myself, I trust myself

When deeply understood and applied, these five simple concepts–what Richo calls the five A's–form the basis of mature love. They help us to move away from judgment, fear, and blame to a position of openness, compassion, and realism about life and relationships. By giving and receiving these five A's, relationships with ourselves become deeper and more meaningful, and they become a ground for personal transformation.

David Richo, offers a fresh perspective on love and relationships. Drawing on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, in this episode Emiliya helps us explores five hallmarks of mindful loving and how they play a key role in our relationships with ourselves.

Attention to the present moment; observing, listening, and noticing all the feelings at play in our relationships. It is important to give yourself attention. What am I thinking, feeling and needing.
Acceptance of ourselves and others just as we are. This is about accepting where you are at in the moment.
Appreciation of all our gifts, our limits, our longings, and our poignant human predicament. We can think about what do we value about ourselves. Basking and savouring in yourself.
Affection shown through holding and touching in respectful ways. Being able to give yourself affection through self care, time, sleep, food.
Allowing life and love to be just as they are, with all their ecstasy and ache, without trying to take control. This is about building trust with yourself and allowing yourself to be human.

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer,

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

SHOW LINK:

58. IT'S HARD TO READ THE LABEL WHEN YOU'RE INSIDE THE JAR: Coaches Corner Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 58: IT'S HARD TO READ THE LABEL WHEN YOU'RE INSIDE THE JAR

"IT'S HARD TO READ THE LABEL WHEN YOU'RE INSIDE THE JAR" Charlie Gilkey from Productive Flourishing

Discover how Emiliya coaches her client from a place of where she is to where she wants to be. Emiliya takes Nicole through a gentle, patient process of helping her to move out of her jar and see the label.

Nicole went from stuck in relationship dating patterns to taking power her back. Using experience to get greater clarity. Through the process of coaching Nicole was able to gain back her power and allow her to positively approach the dating process. Relationship and dating challenges Nicole is faced with, allows for a moment of growth and clarity. Through the coaching model, the clients discovers the benefit of having clarity of what she is needing.

Our wounds make us stronger!

Self-care is what she discovers she is needing. As soon as she discovers her own needs Nicole feels light and free. She becomes liberated and gains a sense of freedom. She uses some positive psychology techniques like talking to her brain, "Thank you brain this isn't helpful right now." Redirecting and pull back brain to more useful thinking. She feels empowered to turn her focus inward on self-care.

For Full show notes & to apply to be coached with Emiliya:

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

Show Link:

57. HOW TO BE AN ADULT IN RELATIONSHIPS: Flourishing Friday Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

EPISODE 57: HOW TO BE AN ADULT IN RELATIONSHIPS

In this episode Emiliya takes inspiration from the book, How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Richo.

"Most people think of love as a feeling," says David Richo, "but love is not so much a feeling as a way of being present." In this book, Richo offers a fresh perspective on love and relationships- one that focuses not on finding an ideal mate, but on becoming a more loving and realistic person. Drawing on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, How to Be an Adult in Relationships explores five hallmarks of mindful loving and how they play a key role in our relationships throughout life:

Attention to the present moment; observing, listening, and noticing all the feelings at play in our relationships.
Acceptance of ourselves and others just as we are.
Appreciation of all our gifts, our limits, our longings, and our poignant human predicament.
Affection shown through holding and touching in respectful ways.
Allowing life and love to be just as they are, with all their ecstasy and ache, without trying to take control.

Affirm: I see you, I value you, I accept you, I love you, I trust you

When deeply understood and applied, these five simple concepts–what Richo calls the five A's–form the basis of mature love. They help us to move away from judgment, fear, and blame to a position of openness, compassion, and realism about life and relationships. By giving and receiving these five A's, relationships become deeper and more meaningful, and they become a ground for personal transformation.

For Full show notes & more information on what we have to offer,

visit The Flourishing Center at: www.theflourishingcenter.com

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