The OverThinker's Guide to Joy

In this episode, I interview the talented Tony Shalhoub. He is best known for his iconic role as Adrian Monk in the hit series "Monk", where he received multiple Emmy nominations and wins, a Golden Globe Award, and two SAG awards. He also starred as Abe Weissman in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," where he won a Primetime Emmy Award and two further SAG awards. We talk about how Monk changed Tony's lif...

Jamie Berman is a master-certified coach specializing in manifestation and the energetics of money. With a background in spiritual psychology, she has empowered thousands of clients to shift their beliefs and behaviors, enabling them to break free from under-earning and achieve financial success without the need for constant hustle. Manifestation has been wrongly described as thinking thoughts and...

Known as "the Queen of Cable" and "the most powerful woman in entertainment", today I'm joined by Bonnie Hammer. In this episode, Bonnie shares her journey from starting as a production assistant, to becoming the Vice-Chair of NBCUniversal, and what helped her do so. She shares insight on career growth, leadership, and navigating the entertainment world. We also delve into Bonnie's new book "15 Li...

Why is it that we're often our own harshest critics? Why are we harder on ourselves for mistakes, we would easily forgive others for? I know I've experienced self-criticism, especially when it comes to perfectionism. Society expects us to always do well and emphasises achievement. We're told to work hard and be resilient. Social media fuels this by setting unrealistic standards we've all seen and...

We all do it, even the most organized and motivated of us. Procrastination affects everyone - I procrastinated just this week when recording this episode. But why is it so common? Join me in this episode as I delve deep into all things procrastination.

Negative thoughts can lead to frustration, anger, and irritation - especially for perfectionists. Luckily, we can reframe these thoughts using one of my favorite tools: the STEPS model.   It's a powerful tool for reframing your mindset in challenging circumstances, and you can use it too.   Join me today as I take you on a personal journey in which I needed to overcome negative thoughts and discov...

Mark Feuerstein, the successful actor, writer, producer and director known for his starring role in USA's Royal Pains, joins me today.   We discuss Mark's journey into meditation years ago and how it has grounded him amid his successful acting career spanning television hits like The West Wing, Sex and the City, and Prison Break, as well as films such as What Women Want and In Her Shoes.   We delv...

As a society, we have a tendency to rely on external things for support and solutions. Things like good luck charms, superstitions and placebo effects are proof that the power to getting through hard times, actually comes from our minds - it's called Associative Memory. And it is in no way a bad thing - I use Associative Memory in my life by listening to classical music while I write, to tap into...

Do you struggle to get a good night's sleep? Are you often kept awake by restlessness and an inability to drift off?   I've struggled with insomnia most of my life, with trouble falling asleep when I was younger and difficulty staying asleep now.   In this episode, we'll go over my challenges and how I dealt with them. We'll also talk about what might be the reason behind your insomnia and some sl...

Best known for his roles as Detective Carlton Lassiter in Psych and King Richard in Galavant, today I'm talking to Tim Omundson.   After suffering a serious stroke in 2017, which caused him to need to learn to eat and walk again, Tim is sharing his nearly seven-year journey of adaptation, perseverance, and reinvention, which allowed him to act again in This is Us and Percy Jackson and the Olympian...

Fear is a primal instinct wired into our brains as a survival mechanism. It served our ancestors when facing immediate physical threats like predators, and now when we experience it, we feel as though we lack courage.   However, courage and fear can coexist simultaneously, we just think they can't because of our tendency to overthink and underestimate our own ability to cope.   And one of the bigg...

Moving from a structured, corporate job into owning your own business can be a learning curve when it comes to time management and focus. I found this when I started trying to write my own book. But through taking a course on how to write a book in 30 days, I discovered an amazing technique that generates focus, and it's all to do with how you manage your time. In this episode, hear how I battled...

The Fear of Missing Out, the Joy of Missing out and the Fear of Other People's Opinions are the three musketeers of the modern social landscape.   When I worked in television, I struggled with FOMO and FOPO. Everything was about getting on the right lists, being invited to big events, networking with the right people and curating a sense of a glamorous life. I found myself spending a lot of time a...

When life gets hectic, me time often falls by the wayside. My guest this week is someone who has followed her dreams and knows the real value of celebrating me time. Discovering and embracing me time is something she credits her success with, and we all need a little reminder to take some time for ourselves. Maggie Lawson is a lifelong actress who I've had the pleasure of working with. She's also...

The entertainment industry is smack-dab in the middle of award season, and like most people, one of my favorite parts of tuning in is the acceptance speeches.    Niecy Nash-Betts has almost 100 acting credits, but it was her first time winning an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series, and her speech was nothing short of show-stopping. Join me this week to hear why I believe Niecy N...

If you're struggling with negative thoughts, tune in this week to discover how your brain's natural negativity bias is influencing your perception of your life. I'm discussing how the brain processes negative stimuli versus positive, and you'll learn how to avoid falling victim to the clutches of your brain's negativity bias, without resorting to toxic positivity.   Get full show notes and more in...

The New Year is an exciting time when all of us feel like we get to wipe the slate clean and start anew. Something that often goes hand-in-hand with the promise of a new year is the practice of setting resolutions, but I'm offering you a better way to start 2024 on this episode.   Join me this week to learn why I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, and why I recommend setting an intention rat...

Whether it's in your relationship, your family, or in your work, being the hypervigilant person in your circles can be utterly exhausting. So, before your hypervigilance leaves you stressed, burnt out, and overthinking more than usual, listen closely to this episode to learn what you can do about it.   I'm showing you why being in a state of hypervigilance isn't always a bad thing, where the habit...

It's December, which means everybody is busy getting ready for the Holidays, or they're busy avoiding the festivities. Emotions like overwhelm, incompleteness, and disappointment are common at the end of the year, and can lead us to coast through December, giving up on 2023 in the belief that we get to start 2024 with a clean slate.   If you feel like you're giving up in December, burying your hea...

There are five different varieties of perfectionist, as illustrated in a wonderful book I've been reading: The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler. Tune in this week to discover which one of the five perfectionist categories you fall into, and what you can do to start moving through the world without the anxiety of perfectionism getting in your way.   Get full show...

In her documentary, Taylor Swift says, "When you're living for the approval of strangers, one bad thing can cause everything to crumble." For so many of us, we have a deep desire to be thought of as good, and hearing criticism can be crushing. How do we stop placing so much importance on the criticism we receive?   This week, I'm sharing how your brain's negativity bias works, and showing you how...

If you've ever experienced chronic pain, occasional pain, or even general aggravation, you'll know how hopeless it can make us feel. Whether physically or psychologically, we are anything but patient when we're in pain, and in fact, it usually makes us more angry and we might even try pushing through it with gritted teeth.   Join me on this episode to learn one radical pain management remedy. It m...

My daughter Morgan's quarter-life crisis led to a complete reinvention of her entire life. At 25 years old, she quit her job, broke up with her boyfriend, and moved across the country all in the same week. If you too are at the end of your rope, sometimes it takes hearing someone else's story to believe you can get unstuck, and Morgan has been a great example of what it takes to start over.   Join...

Why aren't you currently taking action on the goals you've set? Are you waiting for the mood to strike or for inspiration to arrive? Do you feel confused about your next steps? Maybe you're overwhelmed, lethargic, or unmotivated after creating your initial plan?   This week, I'm speaking to High Performance Coach and procrastination expert, Sarah Arnold-Hall. Sarah helps entrepreneurs who know wha...

Women have a propensity to carry excessive or irrational guilt, and it's an emotion my female clients in particular tend to struggle with. So this week, I'm sharing what you need to know about the emotional habit of guilt, and how you may have unwittingly created neuropathways to reinforce this emotion. You'll hear what happens when guilt becomes a habit, why trying to change it can feel like goin...