PsycHope Self-Help Podcast

On this episode, Dr. McManus guides your journey down the Spirit Path by highlighting key struggles of work stress for this path. The journey concludes by reviewing two stress relief tools that harness the power of connection to help reduce the negative impact work stress can have on us. Your Path Through Work Stress Quiz Ready to find your best path through work stress? You can find the quiz righ...

On this episode, Dr. McManus guides your journey down the Body Path by highlighting key struggles of work stress for this path. The journey concludes by reviewing two stress relief tools that use abilities already within our bodies to comfort and soothe the negative impact work stress can have on us. Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief...

On this episode, the podcast gives some background on the latest self-help resource created by Dr. Jennifer McManus: The Your Path Through Work Stress online quiz. Dr. McManus explains how this quiz is based on psychological research on stress symptoms and stress management techniques. The Mind, Body, Spirit framework that was used to conceptualize the experience of work stress is also discussed....

The PsycHope Self-Help podcast is back after a summer hiatus. It's that time of year again when we're back in full swing at work. With this mind, the podcast highlights the negative impact work stress can have on our mental health and physical health. Scientifically supported techniques that can help with managing work stress are also discussed.     Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.c...

As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, the podcast highlights a mental health concern unique to women: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD. In this episode, we raise awareness for PMDD by exploring the continuum of menstrual cycle symptoms, from regular menstrual symptoms to premenstrual syndrome (or PMS) to PMDD. We chose a continuum approach to understanding PMDD because women often s...

Have you ever wondered why some people are more likely to develop a mental illness or have mental health problems than others? If so, then this episode is for you! The podcast explores the Diathesis Stress Model, which provides a framework for understanding the connection between stress and mental illness. Ideas for stress management are also provided.  Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for...

Wrap up Stress Awareness month by diving into how stressful life events are measured in psychological research studies and learn which stressors are in the top 10. You can find a copy of The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory PDF right here on the American Institute of Stress website . Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insigh...

This episode explores two of the top challenges for which women engage in self-help practices: stress and anxiety. Special attention is given to why it is so hard to tell the difference between stress and anxiety.  Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insight quizzes, worksheets, workbooks, and more. You can also find self...

Given the PsycHope Self-Help podcast is a space for women, this episode explores the importance of International Women’s Day to women’s mental health. International Women's Day occurs on March 8th each year. This year's theme is embrace equity. You can learn more about this day of celebrating women and accelerating gender parity on the International Women's Day website.  Self-Help R...

Today the podcast brings you a quick episode on the self-help approach of thought work as inspired by cognitive behavioral therapy. Access the CBT infographics:  Instagram Facebook   Resources on CBT: Beck Institute   Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insight quizzes, worksheets, workbooks, and more. You can also find s...

This week, the podcast reviews the healing power of self-compassion and offers a few practical ideas of how to integrate self-compassion into our own lives as self-help approaches. Try the Guided Mindfulness Meditation, Reflecting on Self-Compassion , that was created to accompany this episode. References  Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself Fierce Self-Compassion: How Wome...

In the spirit of the focus on love that dominates the month of February, the podcast explores the psychology of compassion. This episode provides an introduction to the psychology of compassion and includes findings from relevant and classic psychological research studies. A quick overview of Compassion Focused Therapy is provided and some seeds of how to incorporate compassion into one’s own life...

This week, the podcast explores how mindfulness can be beneficial in terms of helping us manage stress and anxiety. Key findings from the scientific research on mindfulness are reviewed. And in the second half of the episode, Dr. McManus shares some ideas of how to use mindfulness as a self-help intervention for stress and anxiety in our own lives.   The mindfulness meditation that accompanies thi...

This week the podcast takes a deep dive into the psychological benefits of physical exercise. Special attention is given to the positive impact of exercise on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Suggestions on how to apply the research findings on the psychological benefits of exercise as a self-help intervention in one’s own life are also offered. Links to references: Physical Activity Guid...

This week, the podcast offers another foundational episode for the overall vision of this relatively new podcast. The PsycHope Self Help podcast is a space where psychology illuminates paths to healing, hope, and personal growth. On this episode, clarification is provided on how psychology lights the way down these paths for us. What makes psychology-informed self-help interventions unique from ot...

In this episode, 14 psychology tips are offered to help you stay motivated for and make progress on your New Year’s Resolutions or personal goals any time of the year. We'll explore the following tips: 1.      Start with how you set them 2.      Put them in writing 3.      Start when ready 4.      Social support 5.      Accountability 6.      Friendly competition 7.      The value of internal...

In this episode, the podcast turns our attention to the New Year and New Year’s resolutions. Dr. Jennifer McManus offers some strategies for positioning yourself for success when setting your New Year’s Resolutions for the coming year. While the theme for the episode is New Year’s Resolutions, the approaches can be applied to personal goals any time of the year. This episode is just about the part...

On the 12th day of holiday stress relief, we’re highlighting how social support can help during what can be a challenging time of year.  Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insight quizzes, worksheets, workbooks, and more. You can also find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations and other stress relief videos on...

On the 11th day of holiday stress relief, we’re going to explore a few strategies to help us navigate the stress involved with difficult family dynamics.   Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insight quizzes, worksheets, workbooks, and more. You can also find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations and other stre...

Join the podcast for daily quick tip episodes with 12 days of Holiday Stress relief. On the 10th day of Holiday Stress relief, the podcast switches things up a bit. So far, we’ve been focusing on a specific stress relief strategy for each day. On this episode, however, the podcast concentrates on a specific challenge – that of heightened stress around travel over the holidays – and explores a vari...

Many people struggle to cope with heightened stress during the holiday season. Some people will be so busy they never slow down to fully experience the current moment. So, on the 9th day of Holiday Stress relief, we consider how practicing mindfulness, which is all about being in the current moment, can help us cope with holiday stress. The holiday themed guided meditation video referenced on the...

On the 8th day of Holiday Stress relief this self-help podcaster brings you the gift of calming breathing for managing holiday stress. It's one of my favorite relaxation strategies!  The calming breathing exercise video can be found here: Peace on Earth .  Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insight quizzes, workshee...

On the 7th day of Holiday Stress relief, the quick tip is to recognize your strengths and draw on them. Here is the link to the character's strengths survey: Survey Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insight quizzes, worksheets, workbooks, and more. You can also find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations...

On the 6th day of holiday stress relief, the podcast turns its attention to how physical exercise and our diet choices can help with holiday stress.  Self-Help Resources Head to psychope.com for all of our complimentary self-care and stress relief resources like insight quizzes, worksheets, workbooks, and more. You can also find self-help resources like mindfulness meditations and other stress rel...

On the 5th day of holiday Stress relief, I want to remind you of the importance of self-care. During a time of year when we’re so focused on the happiness of others—whether that’s by getting a meaningful gift or hosting a memorable event—it’s so easy to let our self-care go to the bottom of our list of priorities. The value of self-care for stress management is explained and ideas for self-care ac...