The Verywell Mind Podcast

Craig Conover is an attorney who stars in Bravo TV’s reality show, Southern Charm. He’s also the author of Pillow Talk: What’s Wrong With My Sewing?Craig could easily make it look like he has everything figured out. He’s successful in so many different ways. But, he chooses to talk openly about his struggles with mental health and his past Adderall abuse. Some of the things he shares on the show are how he’s been bullied, how not everyone understands his passion for sewing, and how he’s managing his mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your brain tries to be helpful. It tells you about the dangers you should be looking out for so that you don’t get hurt. It also likes to remind you of past mistakes in an attempt to prevent you from repeating them. Of course, though, your brain doesn’t always get it right. It may repeatedly warn you that you shouldn’t apply for a job because you can’t handle the rejection. Or it may dredge up past memories that cause you to stay stuck in a dark place.There may be times when your brain overestimates you in an unhelpful manner as well. It might convince you that you don’t need to prepare for an interview because you are going to nail it. Or, it may give you a pep talk to talk you into taking a risk that ultimately ends up being a mistake.Fortunately, you don’t have to believe everything you think. And while you can’t control all the automatic thoughts that pop up into your mind, you can choose how you respond to those thoughts.On today’s episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I talk about how to respond to those unhelpful stories your brain tells you. I’ll give you some effective strategies for responding to irrational thoughts and explain why our brains often get things wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Graeme Tomlinson is a nutrition coach and a personal trainer. His Instagram account has attracted over 1 million followers, making it one of the most popular nutrition/fitness social media accounts in the world. He’s made it his mission to educate people on the facts about healthy eating. He debunks many of the popular diet culture myths and helps people better understand the false information that is spread in food advertisements.His latest book, Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind, explains how to develop a healthier relationship with food.Some of the things he talks about on the show are the most popular diet myths most people believe, how to stop being hard on yourself for your food choices, and how to develop a healthier mindset about food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, people assume that experiencing an uncomfortable emotion (like sadness or anxiety, is a sign of weakness). This is not true.In fact, allowing yourself to fully experience an uncomfortable emotion is a sign of strength, not weakness. It’s easier to push your feelings aside or pretend they don’t exist rather than work through them. There are lots of ways to work through tough feelings—some are healthier than others. In this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I share how to stay mentally strong when you’re experiencing uncomfortable feelings. I explain how to recognize the difference between thoughts, feelings, and behavior (something people often get confused about in my therapy office) and how to manage painful feelings in a healthy way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jay Glazer hosts FOX Sports’ award-winning NFL pregame show, FOX NFL Sunday. He’s developed a reputation for breaking major stories in the NFL throughout the year, and he’s become the “go-to” reporter for gaining accurate information about football updates.Now, he’s written a book called Unbreakable, in which he talks openly about his battle with depression and anxiety. He shares the strategies he uses to manage his mental health.Some of the things he talks about today are why he named his depression "the gray" and how it helps him, how he fights "the gray," and the most effective strategies for managing his mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all have things that we don’t want to do yet feel obligated to do them. Working out, cleaning the house, and paying the bills are just a few of those things that most of us don’t love doing yet we know these things are important. It’s hard to force yourself to do something boring or to keep going on a task that you don’t feel like doing.When we give up on our goals (like quitting the gym), or we avoid doing something often enough (like cleaning the house), we can get down ourselves for not having the mental strength we need to persevere.But you don’t need to rely on willpower to do unpleasant tasks. Instead, there are strategies you can use to make an unpleasant feeling more pleasant. Then, accomplishing it doesn’t seem so dreadful.That’s where temptation bundling comes into play. It’s a science-backed strategy that has been found to help people get those unpleasant tasks done more often. And the best news is, you might even find yourself looking forward to those things you normally don’t like doing when you employ this strategy regularly.In today’s episode, I’ll explain what temptation bundling is, how it works, and how some people in my therapy office have used it to make their lives better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University.She invests much of her time studying brain plasticity–how the brain is able to grow and adapt over the lifespan. She is known for her extensive work studying areas of the brain that are critical to our ability to develop and retain long-term memories. But she’s also conducted a lot of research on anxiety and how we can use it as a way to empower ourselves. Some of the things she talks about today are the exact exercises that can reduce anxiety, how to turn anxiety into a superpower, and the things that are likely to make your anxiety worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Addressing your mental health might feel daunting when you don’t know what to do or when you’re experiencing a mental health issue. You might imagine you have to sign up for a yoga class or learn complicated meditation techniques.While those things might improve your mental health, they aren’t the only options. There are plenty of things you can do right now to feel better. In today’s episode, I share some simple but effective ways to improve your mental health. They’re free and most of them don’t require much time. But they can go a long way toward improving your psychological well-being when they’re practiced on a regular basis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mallory Ervin held the title of Miss Kentucky in 2009. In 2010, she was fourth runner-up for Miss America. She also competed on the reality show The Amazing Race three separate times. Despite all the success she had on the outside, she didn’t feel worthy on the inside. And she developed an addiction to pills to help numb her feelings.Now, she’s written a best-selling book called Living Fully in which she writes about how she finally learned to live a bigger, better life that didn’t depend on achievements to be happy.Some of the things Mallory talks about on the show today are what made her seek help, what she learned in therapy, and how she's now living a full life (rather than a busy one). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While most people understand what it takes to become physically strong, there’s a lot of confusion about how to grow mentally strong.Fortunately, there are many things you can do to develop mental strength. You might even do some of them already without realizing that they’re helping you grow mentally stronger. In this episode, I share the three components of mental strength. I also talk about some specific exercises that can help you develop more mental strength. And I clear up some common misconceptions about what it means to be mentally strong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices