The Verywell Mind Podcast

Kelly Slater is the greatest professional surfer of all time! He's been surfing for 46 years and doesn't plan to quit any time soon.Some of the things he talks about are how he stays so passionate about surfing without burning out, the exact things he does every day to manage his mental health, and how he deals with self-doubt.Check out more about Kelly's story on the new season of Make or Break on Apple TV+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People often associate mental strength building challenges with physical endurance tasks. But, you don't have to subject yourself to incredible physical challenges to build mental muscle. In fact, you can build mental strength without even getting off the couch.There are many ways to build mental strength. Here are five of my favorite mental strength building exercises that you can do right now from anywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lewis Howes is a New York Times Best-Selling author, industry-leading podcast host, and keynote speaker. His show, The School of Greatness, is one of the top podcasts in the world with more than 500 million downloads. He was recognized by the White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30.His new book, The Greatness Mindset, describes what he’s learned about creating the life of your dreams, and it includes strategies from some of his favorite mentors and podcast guests.Some of the things he talks about today are practicing self-acceptance, designing a better life for yourself, and the strategies that can help you heal your old emotional wounds.Check out The School of Greatness and LewisHowes.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your brain lies to you. But, it’s tough to recognize those lies sometimes. Your brain will convince you that you messed everything up or that no one likes you. Or it will trick you into thinking it can predict the future and it’ll tell you something bad is going to happen.Whether you think you’re not smart enough to succeed or you believe that you’ll never get out of debt, your beliefs can quickly turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Fortunately, you don’t have to believe everything you think. In fact, you can learn to recognize how your brain tries to trick you into believing things that aren’t true. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chase Rice is a country music singer and songwriter. He’s sold over 2 million albums, and his songs have been streamed more than 3 billion times.Some of his biggest songs include "Eyes on You" and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen. (featuring Florida Georgia Line)." Prior to becoming a musician, he appeared on Survivor: Nicaragua where he was a runner-up. His newest album, I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell, focuses on mental health.Some of the things he talks about on the show today are why he didn't know he was depressed, how he came to terms with it and got treatment, and the steps he continues to take on a daily basis to manage his mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many people go online to seek positive affirmations, mental health tips, and strategies for building mental strength. Unfortunately, many social media tips on improving mental health aren’t accurate, and some strategies can be downright damaging.Many slogans, mantras, and tips just aren’t correct. But these pieces of bad mental health advice can go viral if they sound catchy, get paired with some cool music, or appear in an amazing video. Whether we’re talking about Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, the more likes, comments, and shares a piece of content has, the more likely people are to believe it’s true. But just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s accurate.So here are some of the most common misconceptions about mental health, relationships, emotions, and human behavior that frequently get shared on social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this bonus episode, I share how to know if online therapy is right for you, who shouldn't sign up for it, and how to find the best service for you. I also answer listeners' questions about online treatment and share some of the winners of Verywell Mind's Online Therapy Awards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Rucker, Ph.D., is an organizational psychologist who focuses on the science of fun. He’s a charter member of the International Positive Psychology Association, and his academic work has been published in peer-reviewed journals.He discovered that many of the tools he had built as a student of positive psychology failed to help him during a difficult time in his life. He realized there’s a lot of misinformation out there about happiness, so he launched his own research into strategies that could bring more joy into his life.He wrote a book called The Fun Habit in which he encourages people to give themselves permission to have more fun. He describes concrete strategies for creating time for fun and describes how to make every day activities — like going to work — more enjoyable.Some of the things he talks about are how to make everyday activities more fun, how to prevent burnout, and an exercise that will help you discover what kinds of fun are most important to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In recent years, the idea that your physical health is related to your mental health has become less controversial. It’s become clear that physical activity isn’t just good for your body. It’s also good for your mind.But the mind/body connection is a two-way street. There are many ways you can use your mind to help your body too.Everything from laughter to meditation might help you live a healthier, longer life. Your mind can also help you perform better regardless of whether you’re an athlete or a salesperson.Here are some ways to unleash the power of your mind to benefit your body. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elissa Epel, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco. She studies psychological, social, and behavioral processes related to chronic stress and how it affects health. She has conducted extensive research on the biological processes of aging with a focus on toxic stress.She’s a New York Times Best-Selling author. Her newest book, The Stress Prescription, provides strategies for managing stress and turning it into your strength. Some of the things she talks about today are when stress is actually good for you, the best stress relievers you should try today, and the ways you can engage in deep rest to combat the effects of chronic stress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices