Minds and Mics

Dr. Christian Jarrett joins me on the show to discuss the science of personality change and to what extent we can deliberately modify our own personality. Show Notes What is personality, exactly? The Big 5 Theory of Personality   What makes a personality theory valid? How writing a book changed how Christian sees personality What are the mechanisms of significant personality shifts? Personality ad...

In this episode of Minds & Mics , I talk with Martin Reed, a health coach who specializes in helping clients with insomnia and sleep issues.  Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: Martin’s own struggles with insomnia and how they led him to become an insomnia educator and coach Coaching vs therapy for insomnia and sleep issues The dangers of insomnia “communities” S...

In this episode of Minds and Mics, I talk with Melody Wilding, a leadership and executive coach who specializes in helping sensitive high-achievers who are tired of getting in their own way, including struggling with imposter syndrome. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: Sensitive strivers The big 5 personality traits Dr. Elaine Aron and the highly sensitive person Is...

Science journalist Jesse Singal joins me on the show to talk about the dangers of fad psychology, including myths and misconceptions about positive psychology, the self-esteem movement, deceptive media coverage of popular behavioral science research, the replication crisis in academic psychology, and more. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: Jonathan Haidt and moral f...

Designer and author Fred Dust joins me on the show to discuss how we can use principles from design to have better, more impactful conversations. Show Notes The distinctiveness of podcast conversations Mission-driven vs exploration-driven conversations The 3 ways conversations get derailed The usefulness of constraints in conversation Adjusting the speed of conversations The benefits of rehearsing...

Nick chats with Herbert Lui about practical ways to exercise your creativity. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: Misconceptions about creativity The creative process Nature vs nurture in creativity Quality vs quantity in creativity How to get started being more creative? Creative blocks Fear of being judged Creativity and community Constructive vs destructive compari...

Caitlin Faas returns to the show to talk about life coaching—what it is, how it works, how it helps, and common misconceptions. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: How Caitlin went from tenured professor to life coach Objections to life coaching: Life coaching isn’t legit… If you think you need a life coach, what you really need is a therapist There’s nothing you can...

Lodro Rinzler returns to the show to talk about how a Buddhist perspective on anxiety can help us through difficult times. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: Focusing on stories vs anxiety itself The parable of the second arrow Anxiety vs worry vs stress The Three Vajras : Body, Speech, and Mind Is the popularity of mindfulness a good thing? Should we try to get rid...

Dr. Sarah Sarkis joins me on the show to talk about the adaptive unconscious, self-sabotaging behavior, attachment patterns, and therapy vs performance coaching. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from our conversation: The adaptive unconscious Defense mechanisms Self-sabotage Improving self-awareness Developing an observing ego Attachment patterns Compensation and replication of attachmen...

Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins me on the show to talk about perfectly hidden depression, perfectionism, and the challenges of emotional vulnerability. Show Notes Here are some of the highlights from the conversations: Constructive vs destructive perfectionism Appetitive vs aversive motivation Trauma, childhood strategies, and the origins of perfectionism "Smiling depression" Emotional vulnerability...

Nick talks to professional mediator Dr. Adar Cohen about how we can have difficult conversations more effectively. Here are some of the highlights from the conversations: The Farsi concept of Taroff The psychology behind conflict avoidance The 3 main outcomes of difficult conversations: 1) Solution, 2) Plan, 3) Understanding Achieving deep understanding in conversations The elements of effective l...

In this episode, I talk with author, professor, and writing coach Uddipana Goswami about her practice of Life Writing and how it helped her to process emotional struggles in her life. You can learn more about Uddipana and her work on her personal website . Get the latest Minds & Mics episodes as soon as they're released If you enjoyed this episode of Minds&Mics and want to get notified whe...

Tim Stoddart joins me on the show to talk about his journey out of addiction and into entrepreneurship—and how blogging played a pivotal role. You can learn more about Tim and his work on his personal site TimStodz.com Links and items of note from this episode: Seth Godin Sober Nation Copyblogger Stodzy Internet Marketing Learn more about the Minds & Mics podcast here , including how to subscr...

Getting clarity about how to make a career transition with Lisa Lewis. Show Notes: How Lisa became a career transition expert What leads to career dissatisfaction? The four pillars of career fulfillment Testing career hypotheses Executing on a new career strategy Courage vs confidence You can learn more about Lisa and her work here: Lisa Lewis (Website) Career Clarity (Book) Get the latest Minds &...

Lodro Rinzler is an experienced meditation teacher and the author of many books, including my favorite book about meditation, Sit Like a Buddha: A Pocket Guide to Meditation . In today's episode, I chat with Lodro about how to think differently about meditation, some of the unexpected benefits of meditating, and what you need to know to get a consistent meditation practice off the ground. Show Not...

Scott Young is a prolific writer and thinker best known for his concept of ultralearning. In today's episode, I pick Scott's brain about what ultralearning actually is and the many psychological benefits that come with it. Show Notes The MIT Challenge The Year without English (6:00) The 30-Day Portrait Drawing Challenge (11:00) What is ultralearning? (18:00) Ultralearning and deep satisfaction (21...

Child psychologist Kristen Ohlenforst comes on the show to discuss childhood anxiety, followed up by a no-holds-barred round-robin between Nick and Kristen recounting their own "embarrassing blunders" and "tricks of the trade" as psychologist-parents. Show Notes How Kristen became interested in psychology (1:24) Talk Therapy vs Play Therapy for kids (12:58) Common misconceptions about childhood an...

Philosopher Alexus McLeod comes on the show to discuss ancient Chinese philosophy and what it can tell us about alternative approaches to mental health today. Show Notes Mental health in ancient Chinese philosophy Eastern vs Western approaches to philosophy Alexus’s Essay in Aeon (12:00) Communal approaches to personhood (13:00) Character and community (19:30) Stoicism and Buddhism (23:20) Can soc...

Psychiatrist Brian Wu comes on the show to discuss how to think about psychiatric medication. Show Notes Psychiatrists vs psychologists The most important factor when choosing a psychiatrist (17:00) What is psychiatric medication, exactly? (18:52) The most common psychiatric medications (20:00) Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (26:00)  Benzodiazepines (29:00)  Getting prescribed psychiatric...

Piers Steel, one of the world's leading researchers on the science of procrastination, explains how to think about procrastination, what really causes it, and the changes we can make to do it a little less. Show Notes Meta-analysis David Hume,  An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding The four factors in procrastination: Values Self-confidence Impulsiveness Reward delay Task aversiveness Subjecti...

Clinical psychologist and marriage therapist Sam Hamburg joins Nick to discuss common myths and misconceptions about happy marriages, communication in relationships, and the advice all newlyweds should get but never do. Show Notes Why communication is never really the problem  Why commitment is no guarantee of happiness The myth of hard work in marriage Why compatibility is the secret to a happy m...

Psychologist and researcher Yvonne Barnes-Holmes joins Nick to discuss the role of language in mental health and human suffering, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and the state of psychotherapy in the 21st century. Show Notes The power of language for mental health and suffering Thought-Identity Fusion Learning histories and narrative habits Reading and social perspective-taking The Cat in the H...

Caitlin Faas, a professor of human development and life coach, joins Nick to discuss the psychology of overeating. Show Notes The Life Coach School “Overeating” vs “weight loss” Eating as a way to push down difficult feelings How long do emotions really last? Patterns of emotional eating Managing urges Intentional vs automatic thoughts Curiosity and “I wonder…” statements Indulgent feelings System...

Gregg Krech, an expert in a form of Japanese psychology called Morita Therapy, discusses how to think differently about the role of emotions in mental health and the surprising power of taking action to improve things like anxiety, procrastination, and depression. Show Notes The relationship between feeling and action Morita therapy Feeling-centered vs purpose-centered lifestyle Coexisting with un...

Neuroscience researcher and author Brian Pennie reflects on his 15-year addiction to heroin and how he managed to not only survive those harrowing years but to come out of it and build a life he loves. Show Notes Anxiety and addiction "The opposite of addiction is connection." Johann Hari Awareness is the opposite of addiction Awareness by Anthony DeMelo Storytelling and “the grand self-deception”...