The Verywell Mind Podcast

Hope keeps us going through tough times. But we’ve all had times when we’ve felt utterly hopeless. It’s so hard to push through when you don’t have any hope that things will get better. Maybe you have a health issue that causes you to feel utterly hopeless about the future. You might be convinced that no matter what you do or what medication you try, you’re never going to feel better. Or you might...

Brooke Shields has worked in Hollywood since 1978 as an actress and a model. She’s starred on magazine covers across the globe, appeared in movies like The Blue Lagoon, and starred in the TV show Suddenly Susan. She’s also a New York Times Best Selling author. In 2005, her book Down Came the Rain talked about the debilitating postpartum depression she experienced after the birth of her daughter, a...

Whether you don’t feel like working out any longer or you don’t feel like cleaning the house, it’s tough to push yourself to do things you don’t feel like doing. That’s because your brain will try to hijack your behavior. It might tell you that you’re too tired to keep going. Or it might distract you with catastrophic thoughts.  But you don’t have to believe your brain when it tells you that you c...

Terry Crews is an NFL player turned actor and TV host. He has appeared on shows like Everybody Hates Chris and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He’s also hosted shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and America’s Got Talent. He’s the author of a new book called Tough. In it, he shares stories from his childhood, his experiences in the NFL, and how his idea of real toughness has evolved over the years.  Some...

Whether you want to lose weight or you want to get out of debt, change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process. And much of that process happens long before we even begin to create change. Here are the six stages of change, how to identify which stage you're in, and what you can do to move through each stage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When your nervous system is activated and you feel complete panic, thinking calming thoughts might not cut it. Or, when you feel so angry you can’t think clearly, you won’t be able to have a productive problem-solving conversation.  Sometimes, it’s helpful to calm your nervous system first. Changing your body’s physiology can calm both your brain and your body. That’s where TIPP comes in. It invol...

Eric Barker is the creator of a blog called Barking Up the Wrong Tree which presents scientific answers about how to "be awesome at life." He’s also the author of two best-selling books. Barking Up the Wrong Tree addressed the science of success. His new book, Plays Well With Others, discusses the science behind relationships.  Some of the things Eric talks about are why friends might be more impo...

Do you ever think you just don’t have any more to give? Are you emotionally exhausted? Do you feel cynical and hopeless?  These are just a few signs that you might be experiencing burnout. High levels of chronic stress combined with a sense of feeling stuck can lead to burnout.  You can’t always control all the factors that contribute to burnout. An unhealthy work environment may be to blame. But...

Lisa Bilyeu is co-founder of Quest Nutrition, a billion-dollar company. She’s also the president of Impact Theory, a weekly interview show that uncovers how achievers become successful. She’s now the author of a book called Radical Confidence. In it, she describes how changing her mindset helped her create the life of her dreams. Some of the things she talks about in today's episode are how gratit...

When someone is gaslighting you, you’ll likely second guess yourself. Gaslighters are good at convincing you that you’ve lost touch with reality. Whether they lie about your behavior, insist your feelings are irrational, or say your thoughts are distorted, their goal is to cause you to feel as though you’re losing your mind. While gaslighting is most often discussed in terms of romantic relationsh...

Edith Eger was a Jew living in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe when she and her family were sent to Auschwitz, a death camp. Dr. Eger and her sister survived, but their parents did not. After the war, Dr. Eger got married and had a baby. She and her husband moved to the United States in 1949, and she got her degree in psychology. She began treating people with PTSD, which inspired her to continue wor...

Do you ever feel like your brain can’t possibly make one more decision? Do simple choices feel overwhelming sometimes? If so, you might be experiencing decision fatigue. It’s a real problem that can affect all of us. Our decision-making mental muscles only have so much energy. And when those reserves are depleted, decision-making can go downhill fast. For some people, decision fatigue causes them...

Chrissy Metz is an American actress and singer. She’s best known for her role as Kate Pearson on the TV series This Is Us. She’s been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and she’s won two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Chrissy’s 2018 book, This Is Me, became a #1 New York Times Best Seller. In it, she describes her life growing up, the lessons she’s learned along the way, a...

Every week, my inbox is flooded with questions from podcast listeners and readers who want to know about mental health, mental strength, and therapy. As much as I’d love to be able to respond to each message, it’s no longer feasible to do so.  So that’s where these "Ask Me Anything" episodes come in. Every month or so, I pick a few questions and address them on the podcast.  On today’s show, I ans...

Jenn Mann is a licensed marriage and family therapist who is best known for being the host of VH1’s hit shows Couples Therapy and Family Therapy.  She’s the author of several best-selling books including The Relationship Fix: Dr. Jenn’s 6-Step Guide to Improving Communication, Connection & Intimacy. Some of the things she talks about today are common communication mistakes, how to reconnect with y...

Imposter syndrome is that uncomfortable feeling you experience when you think you’re unqualified and incompetent. You might look around and assume everyone knows what they’re doing except you.  And if you achieve something good, you’ll chalk your accomplishments up to “good luck.”  Almost everyone experiences imposter syndrome at one point or another. For some people, it’s a small problem. For oth...

Brooke is a television personality, author, fitness trainer, actress, and entrepreneur.  She’s appeared on my shows over the years, including hosting Wild On!, a travel show that appeared on the E! network. She won the seventh season of Dancing With the Stars and then became a co-host of the show. She’s the host of the Intimate Knowledge podcast. She’s appeared on the cover of many fitness, lifest...

Whether you carried on a whole conversation with spinach in your teeth or you slipped and fell in front of a whole room full of people, embarrassing moments are inevitable. Although embarrassment feels uncomfortable, it won’t kill you. But the fear of embarrassment might actually be deadly.  Fortunately, there’s help for people who fear being judged or who fear that they’ll experience embarrassmen...

Paul Ekman is often called “the human lie detector,” and he’s considered the world’s deception detection expert. He’s the inspiration behind the hit series Lie to Me, and he consulted on the movie Inside Out. He’s also trained organizations, such as police departments and the TSA, on how to tell when someone is lying.  TIME Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He...

We’ve all wrestled with tough decisions before. Should I move to a new city? Should I find a different job? Should I end this relationship? It’s not always those big decisions that are tough. Some smaller decisions are tough too.  Should I call the teacher to tell her that my child is being bullied even though my child asked me not to? Should I call my friend and tell them they hurt my feelings? ...

Craig Conover is an attorney who stars in Bravo TV’s reality show, Southern Charm. He’s also the author of Pillow Talk: What’s Wrong With My Sewing? Craig could easily make it look like he has everything figured out. He’s successful in so many different ways.  But, he chooses to talk openly about his struggles with mental health and his past Adderall abuse. Some of the things he shares on the show...

Your brain tries to be helpful. It tells you about the dangers you should be looking out for so that you don’t get hurt. It also likes to remind you of past mistakes in an attempt to prevent you from repeating them.  Of course, though, your brain doesn’t always get it right. It may repeatedly warn you that you shouldn’t apply for a job because you can’t handle the rejection. Or it may dredge up pa...

Graeme Tomlinson is a nutrition coach and a personal trainer. His Instagram account has attracted over 1 million followers, making it one of the most popular nutrition/fitness social media accounts in the world.  He’s made it his mission to educate people on the facts about healthy eating. He debunks many of the popular diet culture myths and helps people better understand the false information th...

Sometimes, people assume that experiencing an uncomfortable emotion (like sadness or anxiety, is a sign of weakness). This is not true. In fact, allowing yourself to fully experience an uncomfortable emotion is a sign of strength, not weakness. It’s easier to push your feelings aside or pretend they don’t exist rather than work through them.  There are lots of ways to work through tough feelings—s...

Jay Glazer hosts FOX Sports’ award-winning NFL pregame show, FOX NFL Sunday. He’s developed a reputation for breaking major stories in the NFL throughout the year, and he’s become the “go-to” reporter for gaining accurate information about football updates. Now, he’s written a book called Unbreakable, in which he talks openly about his battle with depression and anxiety. He shares the strategies h...