The Verywell Mind Podcast

We all put things off sometimes — even when we know there will be negative consequences for doing it. Whether we avoid doing household chores, making appointments, or paying our bills, procrastination can become a real problem. And while some people seem to think it’s a time management issue, procrastination is more likely to stem from an emotional regulation issue. We put off things that will cau...

I released this episode in 2021. But the strategies are still effective (and perhaps even more relevant now). So we decided to re-release it so you can make 2023 your best year yet! Most resolutions don’t work. In fact, most are abandoned by mid-January.  Yet most people continue to establish resolutions year after year hoping that, somehow, this will be the year that they actually create change....

It’s been a great year hosting The Verywell Mind Podcast. We’ve talked to so many mentally strong people who have been brave enough and kind enough to share their strategies for staying mentally strong and their struggles along the way. I’ve also had a lot of fun creating the Friday Fix episodes to share some of my favorite strategies straight from the therapy office. I use them in my everyday lif...

Michael Baldwin says EMDR saved his life. Deborah Korn, PsyD uses EMDR to help people overcome trauma. Together, they wrote a book called Every Memory Deserves Respect. Some of the things they talk about are how EMDR works, why it is so effective in addressing PTSD, what to expect from an EMDR session, and the symptoms that tend to improve with treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

A decade ago, the idea of meeting with a therapist online seemed a bit too far-fetched for many people. There were concerns about everything from privacy to credibility. But online therapy has become mainstream over the past few years. In fact, the abundance of online therapy sites and additional services being offered over the past few years has left many people feeling overwhelmed by all the cho...

Tracy McCubbin has always loved to create clutter-free spaces. So she turned her organizational skills into a full-time business called dClutterfly where she helps people organize their homes.  She’s also the author of two books. Her first book, Making Space, Clutter Free, teaches readers how to get rid of the clutter once and for all. Her newest book, Make Space for Happiness, describes the link...

It’s called “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for many people, the holidays aren’t joy-filled. In fact, this time of year can be extra tough in many ways. The holidays can amplify existing issues, like loneliness. They create a lot of stress, including financial strain, for many people. Sprinkle in some family tension, grief, and end of the year deadlines, and it’s a recipe for higher rat...

Andrea Bonior is a psychologist who spent fifteen years turning what she’d learned in the therapy office into a mental health column for The Washington Post called “Baggage Check.” She’s also the author of three books, including Detox Your Thoughts. She writes for Psychology Today and is the host of a new podcast called Baggage Check. Some of the things Andrea shares are how to deal with people wh...

Whether you want an extra hand moving furniture or you need professional help for depression, asking for help can be tough. It can feel scary too. We don’t want people to reject us, judge us, or feel more powerful than us.  But the sooner we ask for help and make our needs known, the sooner we can get some relief. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make asking for help feel a little...

Since 1993, Maurice Benard has been playing Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. Maurice has made his battle with bipolar disorder public. The writers at General Hospital have even made his on-screen character bipolar so that he can depict what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder. Maurice’s book, Nothing General About It, reveals how he’s learned to live with bipolar and how...

Kevin Hart is a world famous comedian whose stand-up comedy tours sell out stages around the world. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015. He’s also a New York Times bestselling author of several books. His latest book, an Audible Original called Monsters and How to Tame Them, discusses strategies for managing your inner critic. Some of the things he t...

Sometimes, practicing gratitude can feel a little bit like a chore. Writing thank you notes or telling your family what you’re thankful for over the dinner table might not conjure up true gratitude after a while. But, there are gratitude practices that can help you feel thankful every day. And that can have huge benefits for your health, your relationships, and your happiness level. One of the bes...

Andy Grammer is a singer, songwriter and record producer. He’s best known for his song, “Honey, I’m Good,” which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. His music is uplifting but he felt depressed during the pandemic. Now, he’s talking about how he went to therapy, what he learned, and why anyone can develop depression. Some of the things you'll hear on the show are how Andy recognized he wa...

There’s a lot of information out there about setting healthy boundaries. But sometimes it’s difficult to get to the first step–saying no. If you’re a people-pleaser or you have a fear of missing out, saying no is difficult. Whether your friends invite you to do something or your boss offers you a new opportunity, it can be hard to find the right words to turn something down. It’s especially uncomf...

John Oates is a member of the best-selling duo of all time Hall & Oates. He’s also an accomplished solo artist who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and The American Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2017, his autobiography, Change of Seasons, became a bestseller. In it, he shares his journey with managing his mental health as a famous musician and the steps he took to stay grounded...

Sometimes, we inadvertently increase the chances that our biggest fears might come true. That’s not to say it’s your fault if something bad happened to you. Bad things happen to us through no fault of our own much of the time. But there are times when our fear of something causes us to react in a way that actually increases the chances that our fear might come true. From dating the exact type of p...

Taye Diggs is an actor who has appeared on Broadway, in several TV shows, and in many movies. He’s best known for his roles in Rent, the TV series Private Practice, and the movies How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Brown Sugar, and Malibu’s Most Wanted. Currently, he stars in All American, and he's going to host a new reality dating show called Back in the Groove. Taye struggled with insomnia for 13...

If you set an aggressive but realistic goal that you want to achieve and a tight deadline, there’s no time to procrastinate. And you might realize how much every single day counts as you have limited time to reach your goal. I have found 30-day challenges to be really helpful in my life. Sometimes, they motivate me to create change. At other times, they provide me with information. I treat them as...

Dr. Yeager is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Much of his work focuses on facilitating the advancement of meaningful dialogue surrounding the subject of race and racism. He also serves as the therapist for the Detroit Pistons professional NBA basketball team.  He’s the author of a new book called How Am I Doing: 40 Conversations to Have With Yourself. In it, he describes questions we can...

There’s more than one way to tackle the same problem — especially when it comes to mental health problems.  Some therapists focus on problems and all the things that contribute to emotional pain and suffering. Their goal is to help people gain insight into their problems so they can create positive changes. Solution-focused therapists focus on solutions only. These therapists don’t explore old chi...

Ryan Holiday is a #1 New York Times Best-Selling author and media strategist. He’s written more than a dozen books, including Ego Is the Enemy, The Daily Stoic, The Obstacle Is the Way, and Stillness Is the Key. He’s also the host of a popular podcast called The Daily Stoic. His newest book, Discipline Is Destiny, is part of a series he’s written on The Stoic Virtues.  Some of the things he talks...

We all make poor decisions sometimes. But we often blame those bad decisions on not having enough information. And while that may be a factor, there’s another factor that often comes into play–we aren’t balancing our emotions with logic.  Emotions should play a role in our decisions. But, if they play too big of a role, we’ll make poor choices. Logic should also play a role in decision making. But...

Kelsey Crowe, Ph. D. heads Empathy Bootcamp, a company that trains people to be more empathetic. She's also the author of There Is No Good Card for This. She's an expert in helping people find the best words to say to someone going through a tough time. Some of the things she talks about today are why it's so difficult for us to know what to say to someone who is in pain, the one phrase you can us...

We all imagine catastrophic things happening sometimes. Maybe whenever a loved one doesn’t reply to a text message, right you automatically think something terrible has happened to them. Or perhaps every time your boss asks you to meet, you assume that you’re about to get fired. Not only do catastrophic thoughts overestimate how bad things are going to be, they also underestimate our ability to co...

Nick Viall is best known for his role on The Bachelor TV series. He starred in The Bachelorette for two seasons before starring as "The Bachelor." He also appeared on Bachelor in Paradise. He has since started a podcast called The Viall Files where he talks about relationships, and he wrote a book called Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday: and Other Advice on Love, Sex, and Dating. Some of the thin...