The Better Mental Health Show

Our world today is saturated with pleasures. The problem? Our brains are designed to handle very limited, fleeting amounts. Things like sugary foods, social media, TV binging, and other additive substances all leave us in constant state of pleasure. On today's episode why talk about the problem this causes and the anxiety it can create. On this show we discuss this article.

Last week Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, and all I kept reading were debates as to who was wrong. For me, I saw something completely different. I saw two humans suffering and their mental health disease manifest in violence in front of millions of people. To me, this is an excellent teachable moment, and on this episode I discuss what those lessons are.

Being defensive is a common behavior of many humans and can wreak havoc on our ability to communicate and form healthy relationships. Why are humans so defensive? How can we become less defensive? How can we raise our kids to be less defensive? Join us on episode 106. On this episode we use and discuss the following articles: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-is-2020/202109/why-certa...

The family dinner is becoming a lost tradition and it is needed now more than ever. Sitting together as a family for a meal has a long list of documented benefits for the overall health (mental and physical) of both adults and kids. On Episode 105 we discuss the various benefits of sitting down together and sharing a meal. On this episode we discuss the following article

War is terrible, and for for kids in particular, it can evoke anxieties around feeling safe. When kids hear about or see images of war, they often don't understand why or where it is happening. This unknown can make them feel like it will happen in their neighborhood next. Should we talk to our kids about war, and if so, what should we say? We discuss on Episode 104. On this episode we discuss the...

The world is imperfect, so we should teach kids how to embrace imperfection. This is not an easy task in a society that promotes perfection ubiquitously. On today's show we discuss strategies to help kids learn to embrace imperfection. On this episode we discuss the following article

Masks have been a critical tool in the battle against COVID. While they have been effective, it didn't come without a cost. For the past two years our kids had to navigate their first experiences of learning to read, taking the bus to school, middle school crushes and senior prom all with half of their face covered. This, coupled with isolation and the inability to socially interact has had a prof...

We take showers to rid our bodies of the daily dirt and sweat we accumulate. These leave us feeling fresh and clean for the next part of our day. Our minds accumulate a lot of "dirt" in the forms of stress from work and school each day. Why not take a mental shower to help us transition our day? How do we do that? We discuss on Episode 101.

On the 100th episode, I explore 10 lessons I have learned these past three years in my battle with anxiety. These range from therapy, to CBD, to parenting, to avoiding the news. Join me for this milestone episode and make sure you catch up on all previous 99 episodes!

My 9 year old recently came to me and said, "Dad, I have something on my mind" and I was so proud. Why? One of the most critical factors in being a more mentally strong human is the ability to recognize when you are feeling a certain way and then being able to talk about it. So how to do encourage this behavior in our children, our students, even our adult partners? Today on episode 99 we talk abo...

Workplace stress is often cited as a major driver of mental health deterioration. The pandemic has made this worse withe labor shortages forcing the remaining employees to pick up the slack of their depleted teams. Increased workload, shifting responsibilities and inter-personal conflict are just a few of the issues cited by many employees. While employers are becoming more aware and cognizant of...

As a parent I often struggle with how much to encourage a broad set of activities to my son versus letting him pick a few he feels he is "good at". I never want him to feel it is OK to give up, but there is something to say for having a natural talent for one thing and focusing on that. Early specialization is the idea that the earlier a kid specializes in something, the more exceptional that huma...

The unknown is the root of many, if not all anxieties. Sometimes, the anxiety is not actually caused by the fear of bad happening, but rather, whether or not that bad will in fact happen at all. There are numerous scientific experiments that actually prover this theory correct. So what can we do about this fear of uncertainty and how can we teach our kids to not go down that rabbit hole? cWe discu...

Facebook recently announced its name change to Meta, aligning with its focus on building a virtual reality internet. What does this mean? A place for people to escape the real world by entering a fake world where they can have coffee with friends, visit a cafe in Rome, or check out the ancient pyramids in Egypt. Sounds great right? The only problem is you aren't actually visiting with friends or a...

Sleep. We all know a good nights rest matters, but how many of us actually get one. It's a vicious cycle. People with poor sleep habits are more prone to mental health issues and people with mental health issues are less likely to get good sleep. So what can we do about this and what does the data say? Let's talk about it. This podcast featured information from the following articles. https://www....

Touch is so powerful, more so than we think.. Evolutionarily, it is the most important way that mammals communicate safety to one another and as such, a touch has been shown to lower stress, alter heart rates, reduce anxiety, and promote calm. So what does the mean for our mental health and how can we us it to our advantage? We discuss on today's show. This episode references the following article...

Being afraid of something can lead to strong feelings of anxiety, even when that trigger is not present. Some of these fears go well beyond extreme anxiety and can be categorized and diagnosed as a phobia. Not all fears are classified as phobias and on Episode 92, we discuss what a phobia is, how it is different than general anxiety, and some strategies to utilize if you do have a diagnosable phob...

Instagram and Facebook have been associated with mental health issues amongst young people for quite some time, but the company has always downplayed it. This past week, evidence has emerged that Facebook conducted its own research and learned that in fact Instagram is harming the mental health of young girls in particular at high rates, and has done nothing about it. What does the evidence show a...

Listening is not hearing. When we actively listen we are consciously receiving information and processing what it means. Through this process, the person sending the message feels comforted in knowing the person on the other end is thoughtfully engaged in what they have to say. This makes them feel relieved, safe, and help build confidence. Being an active listener goes beyond the benefits for the...

Another school year in a pandemic, more mask mandates, and more angry parents screaming about the harm masks are causing their children. But what about that harm, is it real or made up? Do masks harm kids, in particular, do they affect their mental health now or down the road? I hear a lot of people talking about how COVID has affected kids mental health, and while this is very true, no evidence s...

Image courtesy of Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images By now most of us have heard about gymnast and Olympian Simone BIles withdrawal from Olympic competition citing mental health problems. And along those lines, I bet a lot of you heard some of the negative comments and criticism thrown her way calling her weak, immature, and a shame to our country. Over the past 5 years we have seen more and more...

Accepting criticism is not easy for most humans but I argue it is one of the best ways we can grow.  Often times we get defensive and act out of emotion  in response to criticism rendering that critique useless and the opportunity squandered. On today's episode we discuss ways to better open yourself up to critique, offer critiques as a parent, and why it matters to your mental health. Articles di...

Being bored is viewed as a negative state, something we are constantly trying to escape. Feeling bored? Take your phone out and scroll, problem solved. Waiting on a line at the store? Boring. Take your phone out and scroll. While this may be temporarily satisfying, avoiding the ability to be bored and idle is doing long term damage to our brains by wiring them to constantly expect action and stimu...

As the pandemic is winding down, the mental health pandemic has already begun. In particular, anxiety rates have gone way up amongst all ages, and rightfully so. For the past year and half we have been isolate, scared, and unknowing of when and how things will change. All of these things are the perfect ingredients for high levels of anxiety. So how can we handle this as we emerge from the pandemi...

Having high expectations can cause stress and anxiety. The idea of tying some sort of pleasure or reward to something that may or may not happen is really just a disaster waiting to happen. But we humans do this all the time. It isn't wrong to set expectations for oneself, but it wrong to set too many, and in particular expectations that are just not realistic. So what can we do to lower expectati...