Cass responds to a listener question about how to live with uncertainty. She discusses the psychological concept of 'Intolerance of Uncertainty', its impact on mental health, particularly anxiety and worry, and explains how worry serves as a mental behaviour that provides an illusion of control but ultimately detracts from present joy. Cass emphasises the importance of understanding the physiological aspects of anxiety and offers practical strategies for managing uncertainty and worry, including mindfulness, breathing techniques, and cognitive tools.

Take the IU Scale here: https://www.phenxtoolkit.org/protocols/view/650701

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

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Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness

This week, Cass and Dr Anastasia Hronis delve into the complexities of dopamine, its role in pleasure and motivation, and how modern conveniences can lead to excessive dopamine activation. Anastasia is the author of 'The Dopamine Brain' and she's here to assure you that you do not need a "Dopamine Detox". Instead, she discusses the importance of finding balance between hedonic and eudaimonic pleasures, the significance of identifying personal values, and practical strategies for managing dopamine-driven behaviours. The conversation emphasises the need for meaningful alternatives to quick dopamine hits and highlights the benefits of music, movement, and social connections in enhancing well-being.

Connect with Dr Anastasia Hronis:

www.linkedin.com/in/anastasiahronis

www.instagram.com/anastasia.hronis

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

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Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

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Cass explores the concept of being fully committed to goals while remaining unattached to the outcomes. She discusses the balance between giving your all and not letting the results define your self-worth. Through examples and personal insights, Cass emphasises the importance of understanding commitment, non-attachment, and the role of personal values in achieving true fulfilment. The conversation also touches on spiritual concepts of ego and essence, encouraging listeners to find peace in their journey towards their goals.

Takeaways:

• It's possible to want something deeply while not needing it for your self-worth.
• Your character and values should define you, not your achievements or failures.
• Understanding what you can control helps in managing expectations and reducing anxiety.
• Surrendering control can lead to greater peace and acceptance of outcomes.
• Ego often leads to attachment and competition, while essence connects us to a greater purpose.
• Finding joy in the journey can paradoxically lead to greater success.

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

www.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod

Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness

Cass talks with Jessica McGuire, a physiotherapist and author of The Nervous System Reset, about the importance of the nervous system in physical and emotional health. Jessica explains the role of the vagus nerve in regulating our emotions, balancing our physical health, and facilitating social interactions. She explains the different states of the nervous system and provides strategies for regulating a dysregulated nervous system.  

Connect with Jessica:

www.jessicamaguire.com

www.instagram.com/repairing_the_nervous_system

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

www.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod

Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness

In this solo episode, Cass discusses the concept of upper limit problems as described in the book 'The Big Leap' by Gay Hendricks. Upper limit problems refer to self-imposed limitations that prevent individuals from achieving greater success, happiness, and fulfillment. Cass explores the four core beliefs that contribute to upper limit problems. She also highlights the importance of expanding one's capacity for feeling good and offers strategies for overcoming upper limit problems.

Book: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

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Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

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In this solo episode of Crappy to Happy, Cass discusses the importance of quality friendships and what makes them thrive. She highlights three key ingredients of high-quality friendships: consistency, positivity, and vulnerability. Cass emphasises the need for regular contact, positive interactions, and the ability to share personal and intimate experiences.

She encourages listeners to assess their own friendships and take responsibility for their contribution to the relationship. Cass also emphasises the importance of opening our circles and making an effort to connect with new people. She concludes by sharing her own plan to reach out and invite someone new to an event.

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

www.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod

Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness

In this solo episode, Cass explores the concept of narrative identity theory and how the stories we tell ourselves about our lives shape our sense of self and well-being. She discusses the importance of personal agency, belonging, redemption, meaning-making, and coherence in our life stories.

Cass emphasises the power of reframing our narratives to focus on growth, learning, and positive outcomes rather than solely on suffering and struggle. She encourages listeners to reflect on their own narrative identities and consider how they can reshape their stories to enhance their psychological well-being.

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

www.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod

Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness

In this episode, Cass recaps what she covered in her live online workshop, "How to Cultivate Unshakeable Self-Confidence".

She outlines the key difference between self-doubt and the imposter experience, which runs much deeper, and the importance of having tools and strategies which address both.

She shares her views on the limitations of 'mindset' strategies for cultivating confidence and why emotional work, somatic (body based) tools, and strategies to mine your unconscious beliefs are all necessary for a lasting transformation. She takes you through an exercise to heal old childhood wounds that might be contributing to your feelings of unworthiness.

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

www.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod

Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness

In this solo episode, Cass shares one of the common reasons people struggle to make progress on the things they say that want to achieve. "Competing commitments", sometimes called competing desires or conflicting values, are the (often unconscious) desires that run counter to your stated goal, and cause you to spin your wheels or sabotage your progress.

When you uncover your competing commitments, you're in a position to examine the truth of your assumptions and resolve the inner conflict that's been hindering your progress.

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

www.instagram.com/crappytohappypod

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Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness

Cass talks with fellow psychologist, Ariane Beeston about Ariane's experience of severe postpartum depression and psychosis. They discuss the feelings of failure that can prevent new mothers from asking for help, the lack of support available for mums beyond their babys' infancy, and the added shame of being a mental health professional experiencing mental illness.

Ariane speaks candidly about how she was able to fool people into believing she was fine even when she wasn't, what it was like being admitted to an inpatient psychiatric facility, and what ultimately helped her to heal and recover.

*original version of this ep had overlapping audio through the last 5 minutes. This has been fixed. Apologies!

Her book, "Because I'm Not Myself, You See" is out now in all bookstores.

Connect with Ariane:

https://www.arianebeeston.com/

Centre for Perinatal Excellence

Connect with Cass:



www.crappytohappypod.com

[email protected] 

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www.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod

Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:

www.cassdunn.com/happiness