Dealing with Feeling

We call it "being productive," but for a lot of us it's a nervous system stuck in go mode. Always on. Always bracing. Then someone says "just breathe" and it sounds like a joke. Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with former NFL wide receiver and mindfulness facilitator Brandon "SOUL COLE" Coleman to talk about what happens when performance mode becomes your identity and stillness starts to feel unsafe. In this conversation: The identity crash after injury and why it can trigger anxiety, depression, and shutdown Why five minutes a day can actually change your patterns if you stick with it Mindfulness vs. breathwork and why "just breathe" isn't enough The five senses reset that works for skeptics in under two minutes Masculinity, vulnerability, and unlearning "tighten up" What it looks like to plant these skills early for kids and communities About the guest: Brandon "SOUL COLE" Coleman is a former NFL wide receiver and mindfulness facilitator who helps people build practical tools for regulation, resilience, and real-life performance. Connect with SOUL COLE: Instagram: @b_cole16 SOUL Impact Foundation: https://soulimpactfoundation.org Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books: Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

We call it "normal life." But for most of us, it's a low-grade chronic stress loop. News alerts. Group chats. Doomscrolling. Constant urgency. In this episode of Dealing With Feeling, Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with clinical psychologist and author Dr. Elisha Goldstein to explore how tiny emotional shifts can interrupt stress patterns, strengthen relationships, and change the trajectory of our health over time. This is a conversation about emotional longevity — and what it means to stop living in permanent survival mode. In this conversation: Why anxiety is not your identity, but a reinforced loop How low-grade stress becomes "the water we swim in" Elisha's 4R method: Recognize, Release, Refocus, Reinforce Moving from blame into skillful emotional requests in relationships How small shifts in real moments create long-term change About the guest: Dr. Elisha Goldstein is a clinical psychologist, teacher, and author whose work focuses on mindfulness, resilience, and emotional health. Guest links: Website: https://elishagoldstein.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/drelishagoldstein Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

Gaslighting is not just an argument. It is a slow erosion of identity. Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with his longtime friend and colleague Dr. Robin Stern to unpack The Gaslight Effect, how anxiety fuels both the gaslighter and the gaslightee, and what it takes to rebuild self-trust. They explore how people don't lose their reality overnight. They lose it in inches, one second-guess at a time. In this conversation: What gaslighting really is and why it is so disorienting The three stages of The Gaslight Effect: disbelief, defense, depression That first "maybe it wasn't that bad" moment, and why it matters How fear of being "the bad one" keeps the cycle going How to start rebuilding self-trust after months or years of doubt About the guest: Dr. Robin Stern is a psychoanalyst and the Senior Advisor to the Director at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She is the author of The Gaslight Effect, the Recovery Guide of the same name, the host of The Gaslight Effect podcast and a leading voice on gaslighting and self-trust. Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://robinstern.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/dr.robinstern X: https://x.com/RobinSStern Facebook: https://facebook.com/drrobinstern LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/robin-stern-220b403a Resources: The Gaslight Effect The Gaslight Effect Recovery Guide Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

Teens have language for anxiety. Most adults never got language for their own feelings. Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with Jamie Lockwood and Liz Fletcher to talk about what it means to raise and teach teens in this mental health moment. Together, they explore why more "mental health talk" hasn't solved the crisis, what teens actually need from adults, and how to support big feelings without shutting down, fixing, or turning everything into a performance. In this conversation: Why teen mental health is declining even with more "mental health talk" The adolescent brain "under construction" and why that matters Emotion judge vs. emotion scientist, and how teens can make the shift Tools used in real school settings (CBT triangle, RAIN, circle of control) Co-regulation at home when parents are exhausted, overwhelmed, and scared What they wish parents had known about emotions About the guests: Jamie Lockwood is a school-based clinician. Liz Fletcher is an educator and parent. The Teens Guide to Emotions: Our Essential Workbook for Navigating Big Feelings, Decision-Making, and Relationships with Confidence https://www.amazon.com/Teens-Guide-Em... Website: https://www.fearlessinkpress.com. Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Facebook: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support: https://ojilifelab.com. Oji Life Lab is the leader in mastery-centered learning for the workplace. To develop your skills in leadership, emotional intelligence and more, visit oji life lab dot com or click the link in the description of this video and use the promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

Dr. Laurie Santos, a Yale psychologist who studies wellbeing and teaches the science of happiness, explores why chasing more often backfires. She discusses miswanting, our obsession with the future, time affluence, the gap between feeling happy moment-to-moment and being satisfied with life, and why social connection and emotional skills matter. Short experiments and small habit shifts get highlighted as ways to test what truly helps.

The worst part of anxiety is not the feeling. It's the loop. The "what if" that keeps feeding itself until it feels like truth. Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with Dr. Judson Brewer to unpack how worry becomes a habit, why reassurance and mental debate often backfire, and how curiosity can disrupt the cycle without forcing you to "think positive." In this conversation: How anxiety becomes a loop: trigger → worry → short relief → more worry Why worrying feels like control even when it isn't Curiosity as the interrupt that changes the pattern Anxiety vs stress vs overwhelm and why precise labeling matters A simple way to shift from "oh no" to "oh" About the guest: Dr. Judson Brewer is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who studies habit change and anxiety. Judd's books: Unwinding Anxiety, The Craving Mind, The Hunger Habit https://drjud.com Programs & resources: https://goingbeyondanxiety.com https://juddbrewer.substack.com Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Meta: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support. Visit https://ojilifelab.com and use promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

Most of us aren't trying to raise perfect kids. We're trying to raise kids who can handle life without falling apart. The problem is… adults are drowning too. Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with Dr. Aliza Pressman on Dealing With Feeling to break down what emotionally healthy parenting actually looks like in real time—especially when your child is melting down, you're depleted, and every instinct is telling you to control the moment. In this conversation: The difference between boundaries and harshness Why "all feelings are welcome" doesn't mean all behaviors are The five essentials: relationship, reflection, regulation, rules, repair Repair after rupture and the language that rebuilds trust How to stay steady without becoming permissive or reactive About the guest: Dr. Aliza Pressman is a developmental psychologist and co-founding director of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center. Explore Aliza's work: Raising Good Humans podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Instagram: @raisinggoodhumanspodcast Mount Sinai Parenting Center: https://www.mountsinai.org/care/parenting-center Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Meta: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support. Visit https://ojilifelab.com and use promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

If you only regulate once you're already at a 10, you're not practicing resilience. You're doing damage control. Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with Stephanie Boxerbaum on Dealing With Feeling to unpack why high-achievers resist mindfulness, what "enoughness" actually means when you still care about excellence, and how to build small, real practices that prevent the spiral instead of cleaning it up after. In this conversation: "Don't be a crisis meditator" and what prevention actually looks like Why constant problem-solving keeps you tense Enoughness without lowering standards A discreet reset you can do in under a minute How to stay present when parenting stress hits About the guest: Stephanie Boxerbaum is Managing Partner at Box Counsel and a certified meditation teacher. Guest links: Box Counsel: https://www.boxcounsel.com Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Meta: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support. Visit https://ojilifelab.com and use promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

When anxiety hits, the impulse is to hide it, power through it, or act fast so it goes away. But what if the stronger move is the pause? Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with Liza Soberano to talk about what it's like to navigate fear under public pressure, how she uses boundaries and goals to stay grounded, and what it means to choose a response instead of reacting to the moment. In this conversation: Anxiety under the spotlight and why you shouldn't act at the peak Goal-setting as a compass when fear spikes Boundaries and emotional allies (not yes-men) How to slow down the urge to "fix it" fast Staying steady while still speaking up About the guest: Liza Soberano is a Filipino-American actress and advocate. Guest link: Liza Soberano: https://instagram.com/lizasoberano Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Meta: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support. Visit https://ojilifelab.com and use promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.

"Do you enjoy not liking your body?" It is a brutal question. And for a lot of people, it lands like truth. Dr. Marc Brackett sits down with Katie Sturino, founder of Megababe and author of Sunny Side Up, to unpack how shame and early messages shape our self-story, why body image struggles are nearly universal, and what it takes to move from self-criticism to self-acceptance. In this conversation: The childhood insults we carry into adulthood Why body image pressure hits so many people, in so many ways How shame shapes self-talk and identity Handling public criticism and leadership stress What changes when self-hatred stops taking up all the space About the guest: Katie Sturino is an entrepreneur, the founder of Megababe, and the author of Sunny Side Up. Book link: Sunny Side Up (Celadon Books): https://celadonbooks.com/authors/katie-sturino/ Megababe: https://megababebeauty.com Connect with Marc Brackett: Website: https://marcbrackett.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/marc.brackett X: https://x.com/drmarcbrackett Meta: https://facebook.com/drmarcbrackett LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drmarcbrackett Dr. Marc Brackett's Books Permission to Feel Dealing with Feeling Explore Marc Brackett's work at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, where he serves as founding director, and learn more about RULER—an evidence-based, systemic approach to SEL developed at Yale that supports leaders, educators, students, and families in building emotional intelligence and creating healthier school climates. A special thank you to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence for supporting this webcast. I also want to thank Oji Life Lab for their generous support. Visit https://ojilifelab.com and use promo code DEALINGWITHFEELINGS to save 25%.