Understanding Emotions and the Concept of Alexithymia

60 million Americans are affected by mental health issues. One in five will experience mental health issues within a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

The good news is: you don’t have to stay stuck, sad, lonely, frustrated. You don’t have to feel useless or lost. The pain of that will pass - and it may pass quicker than you think.

I’ve known Dr. Joan Rosenberg for 15 years. When I am in a rut, or I feel stagnant or stuck, I talk to her. She is a bestselling author and a captivating public speaker, an all around amazing person who is excellent at what she does.

Joan offers an essential tool and 4 step framework I think will be beneficial for your entrepreneurial mental health toolkit. 

• The 90-Second Rule: Bodily sensations associated with difficult feelings are often what we try to avoid. But, we can lean into them, accept that it will pass in 90 seconds or less, and then we experience them more fully and move through them.

  
  

• Express Authentic Emotions. Both Dr. Rosenberg and Gay Hendricks stress that suppressing or "transmuting" emotions, such as masking sadness or disappointment with anger, can be detrimental. Gay shares that one of his clients experienced a huge breakthrough when he was able to acknowledge the source of his anger. 

  
  

• It takes strength to ask for help and acknowledge limitations. Success is rarely achieved alone.  Even the military prioritizes assessing needs and limitations and calling for support when necessary. Embrace vulnerability and build the support systems necessary to go the distance! 

Not only is Joan a brilliant psychologist, she’s a bestselling author, and a captivating public speaker. Her experience and expertise make her Mental Health Framework essential for any entrepreneur.

Listen to Big Leap with Gay Hendricks and Joan Rosenberg, PhD.

Time Stamps
[ 0:00:00-0:00:11]

• People are experiencing a LOT of stress right now, financial, physical, natural disasters. It’s taking a toll on mental health - including members of Mike’s family. 
• Mike welcomes Gay back to the podcast after a challenging year of medical issues, including broken bones.

[0:02:47-0:12:54]

• Joan introduces the 90-second rule: feelings are transient and dissipate within 90 seconds. It’s the physical sensation we try to avoid, not the breadth of the feeling itself. 
• There is a brilliant connection between the 90-second rule with Gay’s book "The Ten Second Miracle," focusing on the importance of understanding and mapping bodily sensations.

[0:14:13-0:20:00]

• Entrepreneurs struggle with change, control, and fear in their businesses.This is connected to risk and also presents a unique struggle with leadership. 
• Joan outlines four steps for an entrepreneurial mental health toolkit: 1) embracing change as a constant, 2) developing emotional flexibility, 3) improving communication skills, and 4) managing risk-taking by addressing the fear of undesired emotional outcomes.

[0:20:00-0:35:00]

• There is a deep connection between handling external change and internal emotional awareness.
• “Alexithymia," is the difficulty in identifying and articulating emotions. How can awareness and education about alexithymia contribute to better mental health practices in workplaces?
• Transmuting feelings can hinder your growth. It’s important to express authentic emotions.
• You can break “trauma loops" by facing difficult feelings and acknowledging your needs and limitations. It’s GOOD to ask for help. 

Additional Resources

• Read Dr. Joan Rosenberg’s Book, 90 Seconds to a Life You Love
• Get on the Early Bird List for The Big Leap Experience!
• Grab your copy of Mike's new #1 Best Selling Book The Ai Accelerator and don’t forget to leave a review!