Stress is not an uncommon feeling today. Pressures from work, home and life leave us feeling overwhelmed and uneasy from time to time. How do we overcome these feelings and maintain a positive outlook? Stress and Communication Expert, Dr. Kathy Gruver, chats about mindset, communication and the importance of play in the workplace. Learning to not put added pressure on yourself + give yourself permission to have fun goes a long way to reduce stress.

* 0:17 – An empowering mindset* 1:58 – How simple conversations can spark growth & development* 3:27 – The mind, body medicine* 6:43 – #PlayWhereYouWork* 9:24 – Breaking the ‘achievement mode’ culture* 11:59 – Giving yourself permission to play* 14:50 – The pros of open communication & mutual respect* 24:09 – Choosing the reality we show* 25:23 – Getting to know the person underneath the persona

Website

http://www.kathygruver.com

Full Episode Transcription:

Todd: (00:00)All right. So Kathy, so happy to have you here and dive into a little bit of your story. And I always like to start with why you do what you do, what is it that has drawn you to your career and your profession and what puts that big smile on your face that you have right now when we’re talking?Kathy: (00:17)Yeah. Thanks. I’m so happy to be here and meet you guys. This is very exciting. You know, I have always had this parallel path of performer and healer. I was an actor since I was about five and I started doing massage when I was a little kid. It was just this very natural thing that I was drawn to. And so when I moved to Hollywood from Pittsburgh to pursue those award winning film roles, I thought that the massage would be a good sideline and the award winning film roles never came and the massage stuck with me. And so I just developed that over the years and ended up studying more and more everything from Reiki and homeopathics to mind, body medicine and stress reduction and coaching and corporate work. And so I sort of now combine those two things. And now I get on stages in front of well, anywhere from 5 to 1500 people and teach them what I know. So it’s really about empowering those people and whether I’m seeing one-on-one in my office or an audience of thousands, that’s really what fuels me is I want to impart the knowledge that I know to give people those options, to give them choices so that they know that they can make the changes that are going to make them grow and evolve and, and be the best people they can be. I mean, it sounds kind of cliche, but I mean, it really is. That’s, what’s, that’s, what’s, that’s what fuels me, is helping those people.Derek: (01:27)It sounds great that we all resonate with that, Kathy, in terms of that mission and purpose. I think that’s why we’re actually all here talking, so, yeah. Todd: (01:35)And how, what sort of an impact, because, you know, you’re in California, you’re in Santa Barbara and then you’ve got this background in massage and Reiki sounds very spiritual and and a little woo woo. Right. But that,