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-Reclai…

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 Feldm…

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

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 he…

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 So…

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 Lar…

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 b…

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 change…

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 coac…

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: Common misconceptions about kids and technology use Why scr…

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I talk with psychologist and author Pia Callesen about overthinking and the metacognitive approach to emotional struggles like anxiety and depression. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: What is overthinking, exactly? Types of overthinking The 2 reasons why we overthink The difference b…

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I talk with my friend Rosie Sherry about how she made the news for being a "reckless" parent, her distinctive approach to unschooling her kids, authenticity and vulnerability on social media, and what it means to practice self-care as a full-time community builder and mother of five. Show Notes Here are some of the …

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I talk with Jay Clouse, the creator and host of one of my favorite podcasts, Creative Elements. Jay and I get into the details of creative overwhelm and burnout and how Jay manages it. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: What does overwhelm actually look like for Jay? Hard works as a re…

Oliver Burkeman joins me to talk about the problem with the narrow concept of time management and how we mere mortals ought to think about managing our time instead. Show Notes Time management for 4-year-olds The narrow vs broad meaning of time management The importance trap and the temptation to “clear the decks” Anti-skills, negative capability, …

Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist as well as the host of the popular YouTube channel, Therapy in a Nutshell. In today's episode, Emma and I talk about emotional processing and the most important ideas and skills we can learn to manage painful feelings in a healthy and productive way. Show Notes What is emotional processing? Wh…

Dr. Christian Jarrett joins me on the show to discuss the science of personality change and to what extent we can deliberately modify our own personality. Show Notes What is personality, exactly? The Big 5 Theory of Personality What makes a personality theory valid? How writing a book changed how Christian sees personality What are the mechanisms o…

In this episode of Minds & Mics, I talk with Martin Reed, a health coach who specializes in helping clients with insomnia and sleep issues. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: Martin’s own struggles with insomnia and how they led him to become an insomnia educator and coach Coaching vs therapy for insomnia and sleep is…

In this episode of Minds and Mics, I talk with Melody Wilding, a leadership and executive coach who specializes in helping sensitive high-achievers who are tired of getting in their own way, including struggling with imposter syndrome. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: Sensitive strivers The big 5 personality traits …

Science journalist Jesse Singal joins me on the show to talk about the dangers of fad psychology, including myths and misconceptions about positive psychology, the self-esteem movement, deceptive media coverage of popular behavioral science research, the replication crisis in academic psychology, and more. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights…

Designer and author Fred Dust joins me on the show to discuss how we can use principles from design to have better, more impactful conversations. Show Notes The distinctiveness of podcast conversations Mission-driven vs exploration-driven conversations The 3 ways conversations get derailed The usefulness of constraints in conversation Adjusting the…

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…

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: Life coaching isn’t legit… If you think you need a life coach, what you r…

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 mi…

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 …

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 perfecti…

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 understa…

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 o…

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: Seth Godin Sober Nation Copyblogger Stodzy Internet Marketing Learn more about the Minds…

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: Lisa Lewis (Web…

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 consis…

Scott Young is a prolific writer and thinker best known for his concept of ultralearning. In today's episode, I pick Scott's brain about what ultralearning actually is and the many psychological benefits that come with it. Show Notes The MIT Challenge The Year without English (6:00) The 30-Day Portrait Drawing Challenge (11:00) What is ultralearnin…

Child psychologist Kristen Ohlenforst comes on the show to discuss childhood anxiety, followed up by a no-holds-barred round-robin between Nick and Kristen recounting their own "embarrassing blunders" and "tricks of the trade" as psychologist-parents. Show Notes How Kristen became interested in psychology (1:24) Talk Therapy vs Play Therapy for kid…

Philosopher Alexus McLeod comes on the show to discuss ancient Chinese philosophy and what it can tell us about alternative approaches to mental health today. Show Notes Mental health in ancient Chinese philosophy Eastern vs Western approaches to philosophy Alexus’s Essay in Aeon (12:00) Communal approaches to personhood (13:00) Character and commu…

Psychiatrist Brian Wu comes on the show to discuss how to think about psychiatric medication. Show Notes Psychiatrists vs psychologists The most important factor when choosing a psychiatrist (17:00) What is psychiatric medication, exactly? (18:52) The most common psychiatric medications (20:00) Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (26:00) Benzod…

Piers Steel, one of the world's leading researchers on the science of procrastination, explains how to think about procrastination, what really causes it, and the changes we can make to do it a little less. Show Notes Meta-analysis David Hume, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding The four factors in procrastination: Values Self-confidence Impu…

Clinical psychologist and marriage therapist Sam Hamburg joins Nick to discuss common myths and misconceptions about happy marriages, communication in relationships, and the advice all newlyweds should get but never do. Show Notes Why communication is never really the problem Why commitment is no guarantee of happiness The myth of hard work in marr…

Psychologist and researcher Yvonne Barnes-Holmes joins Nick to discuss the role of language in mental health and human suffering, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and the state of psychotherapy in the 21st century. Show Notes The power of language for mental health and suffering Thought-Identity Fusion Learning histories and narrative habits Read…

Caitlin Faas, a professor of human development and life coach, joins Nick to discuss the psychology of overeating. Show Notes The Life Coach School “Overeating” vs “weight loss” Eating as a way to push down difficult feelings How long do emotions really last? Patterns of emotional eating Managing urges Intentional vs automatic thoughts Curiosity an…

Gregg Krech, an expert in a form of Japanese psychology called Morita Therapy, discusses how to think differently about the role of emotions in mental health and the surprising power of taking action to improve things like anxiety, procrastination, and depression. Show Notes The relationship between feeling and action Morita therapy Feeling-centere…

Neuroscience researcher and author Brian Pennie reflects on his 15-year addiction to heroin and how he managed to not only survive those harrowing years but to come out of it and build a life he loves. Show Notes Anxiety and addiction "The opposite of addiction is connection." Johann Hari Awareness is the opposite of addiction Awareness by Anthony …

Dr. Randy Paterson guides us through the ins and outs of assertive communication, explaining why it's essential for healthy, happy relationships in work, love, and life. Show Notes What is assertiveness? Common misconceptions about assertiveness The 4 styles of communication The benefits of becoming more assertive The barriers to being assertive: t…

Nick and Daniel trade off describing their favorite myths and misconceptions about insomnia and sleep. Show Notes: Does everyone need 8 hours of sleep per night? Should I go to bed at the same time every night? The crucial difference between feeling tired and feeling sleepy If I’m not getting 8 hours of sleep, am I at risk for major health issues? …

Nick and Traci separate myth from reality on the topic of hypnosis and discuss what clinical hypnosis can actually be useful for. Show Notes: Common misconceptions about hypnosis What is hypnosis, exactly? Hypnosis vs Positive Visualization, Flow, and Mindfulness What does hypnosis actually feel like? What is a hypnotic trance? Everyday trances For…

Nick and Tom discuss different ways of thinking about addiction and why it matters for tackling one of the world's most important challenges. Show Notes: Common misconceptions about addiction The 3 fundamental addictive behaviors Are addicts fundamentally different than non-addicts? Is addiction a habit? Addiction, loss of control, and the gun-to-t…

Nick and Daron discuss what mindfulness is exactly and how to incorporate more mindfulness into your own life (without sitting on a yoga mat repeating a mantra for hours). Show Notes: What is mindfulness? The trappings of mindfulness Mindfulness as exercise for your attention Mindfulness vs mindfulness meditation Formal vs ordinary mindfulness Mind…