The Verywell Mind Podcast

Latest Episodes:

207 - Discipline Is Destiny with Best-Selling Author Ryan Holiday Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Ryan Holiday is a #1 New York Times Best-Selling author and media strategist. He’s written more than a dozen books, including Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, The Obstacle Is the Way, and Stillness Is the Key.

He’s also the host of a popular podcast called The Daily Stoic.

His newest book, Discipline Is Destiny, is part of a series he’s written on The Stoic Virtues.

Some of the things he talks about today are why a lack of discipline leads to unhappiness, the areas of your life where you can start developing more discipline, and the biggest misconceptions about living a disciplined life.

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206 - Friday Fix: How to Make Wise Decisions Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

We all make poor decisions sometimes. But we often blame those bad decisions on not having enough information. And while that may be a factor, there’s another factor that often comes into play–we aren’t balancing our emotions with logic.

Emotions should play a role in our decisions. But, if they play too big of a role, we’ll make poor choices.

Logic should also play a role in decision making. But if we base our choices on logic alone, we’ll also make mistakes.

We make our best decisions when we balance logic with emotion. That can be tough to do though.

Fortunately, this is a skill that everyone can learn. And as we sharpen our skills, we get better at making wise decisions.

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205 - What to Say to Someone Who Is Going Through a Hard Time with Dr. Kelsey Crowe Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

Kelsey Crowe, Ph.D. heads Empathy Bootcamp, a company that trains people to be more empathetic. She's also the author of There Is No Good Card for This. She's an expert in helping people find the best words to say to someone going through a tough time.

Some of the things she talks about today are why it's so difficult for us to know what to say to someone who is in pain, the one phrase you can use in almost any situation, and the things you can do for someone who is going through a hard time. Whether someone you know has lost a loved one or they've been diagnosed with a serious illness, Kelsey will help you find the best words to say to them.

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204 - Friday Fix: An Effective Tool for Dealing with Catastrophic Thoughts Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

We all imagine catastrophic things happening sometimes. Maybe whenever a loved one doesn’t reply to a text message, right you automatically think something terrible has happened to them. Or perhaps every time your boss asks you to meet, you assume that you’re about to get fired.

Not only do catastrophic thoughts overestimate how bad things are going to be, they also underestimate our ability to cope if something bad does happen. You might tell yourself that you’d be completely destroyed if you got laid off or that you’d never recover if your love interest broke up with you.

Catastrophic thoughts cause us to feel awful. And they can keep us from taking productive action if you let them.

While you can’t stop them from happening, you can choose how you respond to them.

It’s a common issue we address in the therapy office — skills for managing catastrophic thoughts. Here's my favorite strategy for dealing with them.

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203 - Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday with Former Bachelor Nick Viall Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

Nick Viall is best known for his role on The Bachelor TV series. He starred in The Bachelorette for two seasons before starring as "The Bachelor." He also appeared on Bachelor in Paradise.

He has since started a podcast called The Viall Files where he talks about relationships, and he wrote a book called Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday: and Other Advice on Love, Sex, and Dating.

Some of the things he talks about today are the difference between expectations and boundaries, how your ego can interfere with your ability to have healthy relationships, and why it's our natural tendency to choose pain over boredom.

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202 - Friday Fix: The Difference Between Acting Tough and Being Strong Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

We all act tough sometimes. There are times when acting tough can serve a purpose. There will be times when you need to set your feelings aside and push through something difficult.

It’s OK to acknowledge that you feel uncomfortable, to ask for help, and to be vulnerable with other people. In fact, it often takes more strength to acknowledge your feelings or to admit to your mistakes.

It can be helpful to stop and ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing right now an example of being strong, or am I just acting tough?”

Once you recognize the difference, you can choose to start doing the things that help you grow mentally stronger.

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201 - Break the Silence on Suicide with Psychiatrist Mark Goulston Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Mark Goulston is a psychiatrist, best-selling author, and executive coach.

He spent many years of his career working with patients who were experiencing thoughts of suicide. He learned that one of the best things he could do for people who were in pain was to sit and listen to them.

Some of the things he talks about today are the truth about why people experience suicidal thoughts (it's not always depression), how to talk to a loved one if you're concerned about them, and what you can do if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide.

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200 - Friday Fix: Top 20 Mental Strength Exercises From the First 200 Episodes Sep 23, 2022

Show notes

We're celebrating our 200th episode by sharing the top mental strength lessons we've learned so far on the podcast. I discuss some of my favorite lessons I've learned from guests like Matthew McConaughey, Nikki Sixx, and Chrissy Metz. I also share the mental strength exercises that our listeners talk about the most from the Friday Fix episodes!

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199 - How to Stop Self-Destructive Behavior with Actor Ethan Suplee Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

Ethan Suplee is an actor who is known for his roles on TV shows like Boy Meets World and My Name Is Earl as well as movies like American History X, Blow, The Wolf of Wallstreet, John Q, and Remember the Titans.

In many of his acting roles, Ethan was morbidly obese. But food wasn’t his only addiction. He struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol as well.

After being told that he was going to die due to the severity of his health issues stemming from his weight and addiction, Ethan decided to try and get healthier. He went to rehab, lost hundreds of pounds, and took control of his health.

Some of the things he talks about are how he stopped engaging in self-destructive behavior, how he continues to combat self-hatred, and the steps he's taking to improve his life one step at a time.

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198 - Friday Fix: How Growing a Garden Can Reduce Your Depression Sep 16, 2022

Show notes

There are many ways to treat depression — medication, individual therapy, group therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation to name a few.

But there are also lifestyle changes that can sometimes provide effective relief from symptoms. Something as simple as growing a garden can sometimes be an effective way to improve mood and reduce stress.

In fact, horticulture therapy has become an entire field of treatment for individuals who want to improve their well-being. From working in community gardens to growing plants at home — being in nature, getting physical activity, and working toward a goal are good for mental health.

But there's something about caring for a plant, even if it's an indoor plant that provides extra benefits to our emotional well-being.

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