The Verywell Mind Podcast

Edith Eger was a Jew living in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe when she and her family were sent to Auschwitz, a death camp. Dr. Eger and her sister survived, but their parents did not.After the war, Dr. Eger got married and had a baby. She and her husband moved to the United States in 1949, and she got her degree in psychology. She began treating people with PTSD, which inspired her to continue working on healing herself.Now, she’s written two books, The Choice and The Gift, where she chronicles her journey and the lessons she learned along the way.Dr. Eger's daughter, Marianne Engle, also became a psychologist. She joins us for this conversation today. Some of the things Dr. Eger talks about are the things she had done to promote her own healing, how she fosters resilience in others, and how she has turned her suffering into strength. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you ever feel like your brain can’t possibly make one more decision? Do simple choices feel overwhelming sometimes? If so, you might be experiencing decision fatigue.It’s a real problem that can affect all of us. Our decision-making mental muscles only have so much energy. And when those reserves are depleted, decision-making can go downhill fast.For some people, decision fatigue causes them to make poor choices. For others, the weariness makes it nearly impossible to decide on anything at all. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to combat decision fatigue. A few simple changes to the way you operate your day can make a big difference to your brainpower. In today’s episode, I share the pitfalls of decision fatigue and the five things you can do to avoid it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chrissy Metz is an American actress and singer. She’s best known for her role as Kate Pearson on the TV series This Is Us. She’s been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and she’s won two Screen Actors Guild Awards.Chrissy’s 2018 book, This Is Me, became a #1 New York Times Best Seller. In it, she describes her life growing up, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and her tips for living your best life. Some of the things Chrissy talks about today are how she's learned to recognize her unhealed childhood wounds, the steps she is taking to manage her mental health, and how she's learning to become comfortable being uncomfortable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every week, my inbox is flooded with questions from podcast listeners and readers who want to know about mental health, mental strength, and therapy. As much as I’d love to be able to respond to each message, it’s no longer feasible to do so. So that’s where these "Ask Me Anything" episodes come in. Every month or so, I pick a few questions and address them on the podcast. On today’s show, I answer questions about recognizing if you have depression, dealing with in-law relationships, and self-talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jenn Mann is a licensed marriage and family therapist who is best known for being the host of VH1’s hit shows Couples Therapy and Family Therapy. She’s the author of several best-selling books including The Relationship Fix: Dr. Jenn’s 6-Step Guide to Improving Communication, Connection & Intimacy.Some of the things she talks about today are common communication mistakes, how to reconnect with your partner, and how to improve your relationship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imposter syndrome is that uncomfortable feeling you experience when you think you’re unqualified and incompetent. You might look around and assume everyone knows what they’re doing except you. And if you achieve something good, you’ll chalk your accomplishments up to “good luck.” Almost everyone experiences imposter syndrome at one point or another. For some people, it’s a small problem. For others though, it can be debilitating.If you have imposter syndrome, you might worry that someone is going to discover how inept you really are. You might cope by becoming an overachiever. Or you might stop trying to reach your potential so you don’t disappoint anyone. Imposter syndrome isn’t just something that happens at work. You might struggle with it in your personal life too if you feel like an ineffective parent or you think you aren’t a good partner. Fortunately, this science-backed strategy for overcoming imposter syndrome can help you live your best life–and feel effective while you’re doing it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brooke is a television personality, author, fitness trainer, actress, and entrepreneur. She’s appeared on my shows over the years, including hosting Wild On!, a travel show that appeared on the E! network. She won the seventh season of Dancing With the Stars and then became a co-host of the show.She’s the host of the Intimate Knowledge podcast. She’s appeared on the cover of many fitness, lifestyle, and fashion magazines. Despite her busy lifestyle, she makes self-care a top priority in her life.Some of the things she talks about today are how she teaches people to get comfortable being uncomfortable, how she establishes boundaries, and how she creates time for herself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether you carried on a whole conversation with spinach in your teeth or you slipped and fell in front of a whole room full of people, embarrassing moments are inevitable.Although embarrassment feels uncomfortable, it won’t kill you. But the fear of embarrassment might actually be deadly. Fortunately, there’s help for people who fear being judged or who fear that they’ll experience embarrassment. It’s an issue we frequently address in the therapy office. Rather than avoid embarrassing moments, there’s something really powerful about learning to cope with embarrassing feelings. You might even get to a place where you can empower yourself by sharing your embarrassing stories with others.On today’s episode, I share real-life ways the fear of embarrassment sometimes kills people. And I talk about the steps you can take to conquer your fear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paul Ekman is often called “the human lie detector,” and he’s considered the world’s deception detection expert.He’s the inspiration behind the hit series Lie to Me, and he consulted on the movie Inside Out. He’s also trained organizations, such as police departments and the TSA, on how to tell when someone is lying. TIME Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He’s also been ranked fifteenth among the most influential psychologists of the 21st century.Some of the things he talks about today are why people lie, the biggest myths we believe about detecting lies, and how you can actually tell if someone is being deceptive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve all wrestled with tough decisions before. Should I move to a new city? Should I find a different job? Should I end this relationship?It’s not always those big decisions that are tough. Some smaller decisions are tough too. Should I call the teacher to tell her that my child is being bullied even though my child asked me not to? Should I call my friend and tell them they hurt my feelings? When you’re struggling to know what to do, you likely have some go-to habits you reach for. Maybe you call someone to talk through your options. Or maybe you do some online research to help you better understand the facts.But those habits might not necessarily help you reach the best decision. In fact, they might delay your decision-making or even lead you to make a worse choice.So on today’s show, I’m talking about a strategy that makes tough decisions simpler. And the best news is this strategy will also help you make better decisions.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices