By now you've likely heard about the value of growth mindsets, and if you've head about growth mindsets, you've likely heard about the importance of mistakes. "Teach your child to celebrate their mistakes, then watch them learn and flourish!" Hold on a sec... Ed and Renee are here to pump the breaks on that runaway mistake-party. First of all, not all mistakes are the same. Second, too much focus on the mistakes themselves is the opposite of helpful! Check out this awesome episode for a quick course correction on the value of our errors. 

Support the show

And, we're back! In this season 2 premier, Ed and Renee return to the root of the show, anxiety, with some strategies for identifying its good, its bad, and its awesome. If you're wondering what on earth could be good, let alone 'awesome,' about such a difficult emotion, you're just a click away from learning. 

Support the show

Time flies when you're recording podcasts! Amazing to think that it's been a year since we launched Dear Anxiety. Even more amazing to think about the dozens of topics we've covered, the hundreds of thousands of downloads, and the wealth of heartfelt ratings, reviews, and emails we've received. Thank you, listeners, for making it all possible! Ed and Renee conclude season one by reflecting on the show, and sharing a few quick thoughts about their mental preparation for the fast-approaching holiday season. 

Support the show

We all want to raise grateful kids: kids who say thank you at the dinner table, show appreciation for every convenience they have, and express gratitude for all the gifts they're given. But gratitude isn't just about the words we speak. It's about what happens in our bodies and minds when we truly reflect on all that's good in our lives. And what about our own gratitude? Ed and Renee are here with tools for helping everyone in your family grow their gratitude skills. 

Support the show

Were you popular in school? Part of the "in" crowd? Or did you always feel like you were on the outside looking in? And what about our kids? Do you see them struggling with the same pressures of popularity made even worse in a digital age? Everyone understands the pains associated with "popularity," whether you always felt excluded, or you were at the top of the social ladder trying to maintain a status that you didn't fully understand. Listen in as Ed and Renee share their own emotional experiences, break down what it means to be popular, explain how working to be popular might actually be a good thing, and offer tools to help kids navigate their emotions and find a place of belonging in any social structure. 

Support the show

"School is so boring." "I don't have anything to do." "This car ride takes too long!" "I'm. So. BORED!" Everyone has heard these protests from their kids, and there's something about their words that pressures us into action, as if they were facing some physical danger. But what exactly is boredom, and why do we feel the need to fix it so urgently? Should we be fixing it at all? What are the reasons kids get bored in the first place? Hear all these questions asked and answered on this stimulating episode of Dear Anxiety. 

Support the show

One of the hardest things about coping with anxiety is feeling the physical manifestations in our bodies. Blushing. Sweating. Racing hearts. Shortness of breath. Shaking hands. For some, the symptoms are annoying and embarrassing. For others, they're scary, even mimicking the symptoms of a heart attack! Plus, those symptoms themselves can make our worry worse; we get anxiety about our anxious experience! In this episode, Ed and Renee talk us through our physical reactions to anxiety, and no episode would be complete without plenty of tools to help us fight back. 

Support the show

Most adults know that they're supposed to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Despite that knowledge, many of us don't really come close hitting that target. And teens are even worse! When it comes to getting their recommended hours of sleep, 97% of them fall short. So, what is the real cost of sleep deprivation? How can we help our kids get the rest that's essential for their development, and how can we change our own sleep habits so that we can show up as our best selves? Ed and Renee have answers to all these questions on this weeks episode.  

Support the show

Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, and parenting with compassion is no exception. Really, caring and compassion can be flat out exhausting, so much so that there has been actual research into the issue of compassion fatigue. Ed and Renee know you're here because you ARE a compassionate parent, so they spend this episode exploring why caring is tiring, how we can make space for ourselves to rejuvenate, and they give us examples of how we can show up as our best, most loving selves, even when we feel we've got nothing left to give. 

Support the show

It would be hard to find a human who didn't want to be more confident, but despite the universal appeal, confidence means something a little different to everybody. Do you want more confidence on social situations? In relationships? Do you want to be more confident giving speeches? Or how about simply being more confidence in who you are as an authentic individual? Ed and Renee touch on all of these things while taking on confidence in this week's episode of Dear Anxiety. 

Support the show