HER

Highly successful people can suffer from depression. How can you navigate that depression?Success brings a dopamine rush. Those who are driven for high levels of success aren’t immune to the desire for that high. It can be addictive. It shouldn’t be surprising that these ambitious risk-takers can suffer from depression. They aren’t as content with the emotional high from a beautiful day. They crave more. If they aren’t achieving greater heights, they can become depressed. It’s a huge let-down. Constant comparison can also lead to depression. Trying to achieve high levels of success is a competitive pursuit. Looking at your accomplishments versus someone else’s can make you feel like a loser. Goal attainment doesn’t equal lasting happiness. Your values can shift. Evaluate what’s important to you now and make changes. The corner office that doesn’t resolve all of life’s problems can be a downer. Overnight Success Privilege doesn’t stimulate resilience. This explains how people who have surprising instant success have so much difficulty handling things. They haven’t had the chance to learn from smaller ups and downs that people gain on a longer path to success. Finding Dopamine Elsewhere Know that life is bigger than the workplace. Find other things that boost your happiness levels. Hobbies and creative endeavors can help you thrive. Enjoying the little things can help. Adjusting your expectations will reduce your depression. You will not win at everything. Do well where you can and accept moderate successes you have. Find a good therapist if needed. Set goals for your therapy. Embrace the challenges to confront your personal issues. Listen as Therese Borchard joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share how to navigate depression. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Is your take-charge attitude taking a toll on your home life?Are you an alpha woman? An alpha woman takes charge. She may be considered bossy or controlling. A beta woman takes a softer approach. Both personalities have their strengths and weaknesses. Alpha women can have a lot of personal life conflict. How can you resolve this conflict? Wave the white flag. The drive to be in control stems from fear of something not working out or fear of your partner being able to handle the situation. Keep in mind that you’ve deemed your partner worthy of your love. Grant the trust that things will happen without your bossiness. Own your inner beta. Embrace the feminine. Yes, you may have to take charge in the workplace to get ahead. That doesn’t always play well in a romantic relationship. Try being more nurturing, easier and softer. Your partner will respond differently than when the relationship is combative or competitive. Learn the dance. Women have the opportunity to steer the relationship in the direction they want. You don’t have to be right or have the last word. Your partner will follow your lead. Give love and be conciliatory.  Stop saying ‘no.’ There’s no need to negate just to play devil’s advocate. Some arguments aren’t worth having. Sometimes your partner wants sympathy and agreement. Think twice before asserting your rightness How do you view marriage? Do you consider divorce as a possibility? Reframe your relationship and drop divorce as an option. See what you can do to make improvements to find contentment in your marriage. Listen as Suzanne Venker joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to discuss how an alpha woman can enjoy harmony at home. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Young women are changing the work culture for the better for everyone. But, even major achievers experience struggles.The current generation of young women is changing the way all generations think about power and success. Women who are now in their 20s and 30s are making a difference in workplace values. First, young women are demanding freedom from the office. They don’t want to spend hours in unproductive meetings. Face-to-face time isn’t as necessary with modern technology. These women are urging for greater work-life balance that affects us all. Office presence isn’t required to get a lot of work done. Young women have also replaced the idea of competition in the workplace. There was once only room for one woman at the corporate table, having to fight everyone for that position. With sisterhood, support and collaboration, everyone wins. Everyone can find success. Additionally, today’s young women are strongly motivated. Their ambition is clearer and they know how they want to make their mark on the world. They’re disrupting the power structure and doing things their own way. Personal Life Challenges However, women are still held back by fixed ideas in their personal lives. They feel like they should have the career and personal life squared away by age 30. Old ideas of relationship expectations are getting in the way. Many young women aren’t finding excitement in potential partners for their career ambitions. In many cases, these career women are finding greater happiness with partners who aren’t as ambitious. Millennials aren’t exempt from pressures to have families. Dating apps can feel like a second job, making dating tough. Housekeeping attempts can suffer in the life of an ambitious woman. A big life is a messy life. Don’t feel ashamed when the housework doesn’t get completed because you’ve been working on your side hustle, networking and tackling passion projects. You’re creating energy doing other things. Squad Goals Women need a squad to help support them as they face life. These are women who understand and support each other. They aren’t best friends, co-workers, family or mentors. They help you achieve, succeed and navigate when there’s no clear-cut path. Listen as Ann Shoket joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share how the world is changing because of millennial women. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

The ground beneath our feet is rich with history and health. How did we lose our connection to it?We spend 90-95% of our time inside. Many of us tend to walk on pavement when we do step outside. We’re disconnected from the ground that nurtures us. Children aren’t being allowed to go outside to play. Fear of germs, strangers and injury keeps kids indoors. How did we lose contact with nature? Soil Sealing We have limited soil available to grow food. The ground is full of life. Development of modern cities paves over the fertile land, preventing the soil from getting the air and water it needs. Asphalt seals the ground off from nourishment. With an expanding population, we need as much fertile soil as we can get for our food supply. Our health is connected to the health of the natural world. Listen to the experts. We need to sort out how to improve our environment. Take yourself on a long walk. Stay engaged with nature. Find the sacred ground that reminds you of your connection to nature and the world around you. Listen as Paul Bogard joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share the necessary human connection to the ground beneath us. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Learn the ins and outs of smiling and why women hate being told, "Smile!"Why do people keep telling women to smile? Why are women so irritated when they’re told to smile? “Smile!” Smiling triggers dopamine production, making you feel good. When someone else sees a smile, it leads to smile mimicry. Even the tiniest twitch of a smile can make the viewer feel happier. Some folks tell others to smile so they can make themselves feel better. Many people smile to level the playing field. Men tend to be more rank-oriented. They don’t typically smile as much. “Resting Bitch Face” Why is it called “resting bitch face” if a woman doesn’t smile constantly? Hillary Clinton was publicly chastised for not smiling enough. Facial expression shows emotion. A woman playing cards close to her vest to be competitive isn’t revealing her emotions. A reserved expression doesn’t invite empathy. Smiling is a submissive gesture of appeasement. You can see it in chimpanzees and some dogs. In fact, high testosterone levels are linked with decreased facial expression. No one wants to appear weak and submissive in an important business meeting. Women don’t like being told to show more emotion or appease others. Don't smile if it feels unnatural. But, everyone likes a genuine smile. Listen as Dr. Helen Fisher joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to discuss the ins and outs of smiling. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

You can find joy in being the worst.Women are perfectionists. That makes it tough to fail at a project or activity. Maybe you constantly compare how well you do to someone else’s accomplishments. Sometimes you feel like you suck because you’re learning. You can’t expect to master something new instantly. Giving yourself the freedom to not be perfect will bring you joy. You can enjoy the learning process. There’s no need to be shackled by perfectionism. Your quality of life suffers when you try to get it right with no learning curve. There’s nothing wrong with striving for excellence. Stop demanding perfection in everything you do. You need to learn to play. Let your hair down and live in the moment. Be willing to make mistakes. Consider what kind of experience you want to have, and immerse yourself in the process. It can be liberating. You can laugh at how terrible you are at certain activities. Try something you’ve always wanted to do without any expectations. Do it for you and not to impress other people. Think about the kind of life you want. How much joy, humor and playfulness do you want? How can you reach that? It’s okay to be imperfect. Listen as Dr. Holly Parker joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share how having fun can be more rewarding than perfectionism. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Author, athlete and advocate Kathrine Switzer shares her experiences as the first female runner in the Boston Marathon in 1967 and returning to that marathon 50 years later.Kathrine Switzer made a name for herself 50 years ago because she wanted to run the Boston Marathon.  No woman ran that marathon prior to 1967. Kathrine had a coach and loved to run. No political statement intended, she paid the entry fee, reviewed the rule book and received her racing bib. Nothing in the rules said a woman couldn’t run the race. Gender wasn’t listed in the rule book or on the entry form. Perhaps the general consensus among race organizers was, "why would women want to run?" While certain male individuals tried to stop Katherine from running the race (both mentally and physically), she persevered.  Kathrine’s daring run inspired women to enter marathons. Her work contributed to women’s running becoming part of the Olympics in 1984. The number of female runners took off after that. Now, 58% of runners are women. She founded 261 Fearless, Inc., a non-profit foundation to encourage and support female runners. It was named after Kathrine’s bib number from her first run in the Boston Marathon: the bib an official tried to tear off her. Listen as Kathrine Switzer joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share her story and the joys of running. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Female readers and writers want richer subject matter than what mainstream magazines tend to provide.Conventional women’s magazines are stuffed with clothing ads, celebrity dating and the sexy tips to “light his fire.” Fluff can be a fun distraction. Women are also interested in substance, especially as writers. There hasn't always been much opportunity for women to write about meatier topics. There’s a new movement in women’s magazines driven by female writers. The content is diverse. These magazines provide a new outlet for female writers to sell their articles about a myriad of topics of interest to men and women. Listen as Jillian Goodman of Mary Review joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to discuss the new options in women’s journalism. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

Take control of addiction and win.When life slams you with interesting challenges, you have options. Self-medicating doesn’t remedy extreme disappointment. It’s especially tricky to select a healthier option when you have a familial history of alcoholism. You can take control and end the alcoholic cycle. Tips For Recovery Focus on what you have to do. No distractions.  Keep beating your enemies. Embrace the competitive spirit against alcohol. Stay aware of your thoughts. Celebration and depression or anxiety can prompt the alcohol craving. Listen to the inspiring story of Nancy Stearns Bercaw as she shares her tale of recovery with Dr. Pamela Peeke. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins

That boardroom boss isn't always welcome at home. How can you succeed in both your career and your romantic relationship?When you’re in corporate America as a successful executive woman, the controlling, ladder-climbing energy doesn’t necessarily stop when you head home at night. How does this affect intimacy? Might it become difficult for your mate to enjoy time spent in your home life? It may be refreshing for your mate to set boundaries. Your work-life attitude may not be a good fit for the home. How to Be an Executive in Your Relationship First, check in with the energy you’re bringing to your lover. How is that energy serving you? Is it helping you in the way you want? You should be able to be soft and vulnerable in your relationship. Second, find out what your partner needs in the relationship. Don’t blow those things off. No need to build up resentment. Finally, you have to communicate. Prevent worry and confusion by talking to each other. Listen as life coach Sharon Pope joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to advise on how you can have as much success in a relationship as you do in the executive office. Sponsor: Smarty Pants Vitamins