Podcast Episodes

[Rebroadcast] Overcoming Anxiety I: Feel the Fear

Episode 266

#266: Overcoming anxiety occurs in three successive stages. In this first installment of a three episode series, we discuss stage one: confronting the trigger of anxiety head-on, embracing the fear. …

Published on 7 hours ago

[Rebroadcast] How to Discipline Your Children While Deepening Your Bond with Them

Episode 265

#265: When a child does something wrong, your first instinct may be justice: to punish them. In this episode, we discuss “No-Drama Discipline,” by Daniel Siegal and Tina Bryson, exploring how to disc…

Published on 1 week ago

[Rebroadcast] Unleash the Power of Dynorphins

Episode 264

#264: Difficult situations can feel intolerable. That intolerable feeling is produced by dynorphins and it makes us want to give up and abandon the difficulty we’re facing, whether it’s exercise, a d…

Published on 2 weeks ago

[Rebroadcast] How to Get Energy from Tiredness

Episode 263

#263: What do you do when you feel tired? Go back to sleep? Take a nap? Power through? In this episode, we discuss a number of approaches to overcoming tiredness, from tracking your levels of fatigue…

Published on 3 weeks ago

[Rebroadcast] The Paradoxes of Mindfulness

Episode 262

#262: Mindfulness lies at the heart of OptimalWork’s approach. Living your highest ideals means being fully present, fully engaged with reality. Cultivating this habit is the work of mindfulness. But…

Published on 4 weeks ago

[Rebroadcast] From Tolerance to Acceptance to Love

Episode 261

#261: The two fundamental ways you can relate to challenge are approach and avoidance. Typically, approach leads to a virtuous cycle: the challenge gets easier and more enjoyable over time as you gro…

Published on 1 month ago

[Rebroadcast] Should You Be Doing Therapy at Work?

Episode 260

#260: With rising rates of anxiety and depression, some have suggested that managers be trained to provide “mental-health first aid” to employees in distress. In this episode, we discuss the best way…

Published on 1 month, 1 week ago

[Rebroadcast] How to Persuade Your Emotions

#259: What’s the best way to prevent distractions? Are prevention techniques — like website blockers — effective? In this episode, we discuss different strategies aimed at behavior change. We argue t…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

[Rebroadcast] The True Value of Reframing

Episode 258

#258: Reframing is a practice that developed from cognitive behavioral therapy. It means discovering the opportunity present within a challenge. If you face a challenge that causes anxiety, distracti…

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago

[Rebroadcast] The Power of a Golden Hour

Episode 257

#257: At the heart of our approach is the practice of a Golden Hour: preparing your mind for a time of work, focusing on one thing, and setting a stop time in advance. Doing a Golden Hour brings the …

Published on 2 months ago