Potential Psychology

Today we are talking about one of my favourite topics - Sleep! My guest is Dr Kate Sprecher and she is speaking to me from Colorado, in the United States, where she a is post-doctoral researcher in the Sleep and Chronobiology Lab at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Kate's passion is understanding how sleep affects our physical and mental health with her guiding question being, 'How we can get the best sleep possible?'

In this conversation I ask Kate about:

•The impact of sleep (or lack of it) on our health and wellbeing
•How she and her team study sleep in the lab
•Her tips for better sleep, and
•Her recommended resources for learning more about better sleep and how to get it.

We also discuss:

•The impact of our natural and unnatural environments on our sleep cycles
•The role of sleep for the human body, from how we think and feel to the impact on our hormones and even deep down to our mollecular level
•The simple strategies we can use to maximise the quality of our sleep for greater happiness and wellbeing.

Sleep (or lack of it) affects us all and Kate explains the science of sleep in such an easy to understand, engaging way.

Join me for this very important conversation about something we all do, every day.

You can find out more and see the show notes for this episode at Potential Psychology

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Today I am kicking off the first of a few conversations specific to well being within particular professions.

My guest for this episode has spent 10 years researching why the mental health of Veterinarians has become so compromised and what can be done about it.

Dr Nadine Hamilton is a psychologist who has worked with Vets in her private practice to help them develop better coping strategies and get on top of stress and psychological fatigue to avoid burnout and prevent suicide. She also works with veterinary practice managers and owners to increase wellbeing, productivity and the retention of vets in the workplace - and she is the author of a new book, 'Coping with Stress and Burnout as a Veterinarian'

Listen in as Nadine and I discuss:

•The 'Dark Side' of the Veterinary Profession
•Sources of stress for Vets and their colleagues
•The ways in which Positive Psychology and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy can help
•Nadine's Coping and Wellbeing Program for Veterinary Professionals

A 'must listen' conversation for Veterinarians and those who love them, Vet Science students and those who teach them, and pet owners everywhere.

Learn more at Potential Psychology or follow Ellen and Potential Psychology on Facebook or Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

I'm delighted to have Matthew Condie on the podcast for this episode.

Matt is the kind of eclectic psychologist that I love talking to. He's held several key roles in clinical psychology including child protection, youth and adult mental health, forensic drug and alcohol, emergency psychiatric services, perinatal and infant mental health, and refugee mental health working in refugee camps overseas. But Matt also has sport in his veins and he works with athletes and as an educator in the United States, teaching in the area of Sport and Performance psychology and leadership.

In this conversation Matt and I traverse the terrains of identity, vulnerability, self compassion and leadership.

•We explore the different identities that we possess - worker, family member, child, sibling, partner, parent - and how it's easy to get lost in these to the detriment of who we are as individuals.
•We discuss values and how knowing your core values helps you stay true to yourself
•Matt introduces us to self-compassion and its importance in complex situations and emotions.
•Brene Brown's book, Dare to Lead, comes up and we examine what we means by leaning in to vulnerability in order to experience our full range of emotions and possibilities.
•And we demonstrate our own vulnerability as we grapple with some tech challenges and accept that failure and struggle is part of life and success.

Join me for this thoughtful and thought-provoking conversation.

Learn more at Potential Psychology or follow Ellen and Potential Psychology on Facebook or Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

Do you know how to keep your brain healthy and well as you age?

That's what we're talking about in this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast. My guest is psychologist and neuroscientist Dr Desiree Dickerson who joins me from a little Spanish town near Denia. Desiree's passion is sharing up-to-date, science-backed tools and lifestyle strategies to stay mentally sharp and improve your brain health today and for the years to come.

She gives public talks on brain health and well-being and runs workshops on how to rewire your brain for effective behaviour, habit change and lifelong wellbeing.

In this episode I ask Desiree,

'Why should we keep our brain healthy?'
'How do we do it?'
And
'What does it take to keep our brain resilient to reduce the risk of dementia in later life?'

Desiree shares her five strategies for staying mentally sharp and building a resilient brain. She also recommends some great resources for learning more about the vital but often overlooked power centre we possess between our ears.
Join me for life changing insights into caring for your brain and wellbeing.

Learn more at Potential Psychology or follow Ellen and Potential Psychology on Facebook or Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

My guest today has found a way to take the human experiences that we're often not great at talking about openly and make them accessible through story and story telling.

Her name is Anna Box. She is a psychologist and story strategist and on any given day she might be working with screenwriters and actors on unpacking a character's psychology, or working with an elite sport organisation on narrative, or working with a school to bring together positive psychology with spirituality and faith based messaging - or maybe teaching leaders about The Hero's Journey.

Anna's work explores stories and film and research and well being and performance and thriving. She is passionate about everything she does and that passion spills forth in every word of this conversation.

Join me and Anna as we discuss:

•The stories we tell ourselves - how they help and how they hinder us
•Unpacking and understanding our stories in order to grow and flourish
•Qualitative research and understanding what counts and what doesn't
•Branding, strategy, values and stories in organisations
•Recognising your shadow side and doing the work to be the best that you can be - for yourself and for others
•Recognising and thinking critically about the stories we swim around in each day
•How Anna principles of Positive Psychology and Acceptance Commitment Therapy to brands, strategies and stories in organisations
•Movies, narrative and their emotional impact on us
•How movies, TV and stories can help us to understand ourselves better
•Anna's Screen + Soul workshops and her passion for sharing the intersection of stories and the science of thriving.

We delve deeply into everything from parenting to personal development to therapy and finish up with a fun chat about Anna's favourite movies. It's a fascinating, insightful and very enjoyable conversation.

Learn more at Potential Psychology or follow Ellen and Potential Psychology on Facebook or Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

Tired of nagging and arguing with the kids? Today's guest suggests that you flip the switch to positive for happier, healthier kids and greater harmony for the whole family.

Professor Lea Waters is one of the world's leading experts on Positive Education, Positive Organizations and Strength-Based Parenting and Teaching. She's a psychologist, the president of the international positive psychology association, the Founding Director of Positive Psychology Centre at the University of Melbourne.

Lea is also author of The Strengths Switch: How the new science of strength-based parenting can help your child and your teen to flourish

Now before you imagine her as someone so impossibly smart and talented and therefore nothing like you and I, she is also a parent, who due to a difficult upbringing herself, was determined to parent differently, successfully and with a wealth of research behind her approach.

Join me as I talk to Lea about:

•Strength-based parenting - What are strengths and how do you identify them in your child?
•The benefits of strength-based parenting for parents
•Why we default to finding weakness rather than strength and how to counteract this
•Stopping the cycle of criticism and the benefits of a strength-based approach for teens
•How to create harmony at home, and
•Practical strategies for building a strength-based approach in your family.

It's a refreshing, fun and positive conversation about parenting and kids!

Learn more at Potential Psychology or follow Ellen and Potential Psychology on Facebook or Instagram

Thanks for listening.
Ellen

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

Has the mental health pendulum swung too far?

Distress is a contentious topic. We no longer accept 'toughen up, don't cry' as the appropriate message for our kids, schools, even workplaces but my guest today argues that 'medicalising' distress and jumping too quickly to diagnoses and clinical support might not be helping either.

Professor Lindsay Oades is the Director of the Centre for Positive Psychology at The Melbourne Graduate School of Education. He firmly believes that "wellbeing is everybody's business" and his mission is to enable others to enable others.

In this episode of The Potential Psychology Podcast Lindsay and I discuss:

•How we learn to thrive and the complexity of well being
•Sharing the language of well being
•Putting well being on the agenda at a national and international level
•Aiming for more than the prevention of illness
•How our schools and communities act as a lever for healthier generations
•Lindsay's 'thrivability theory'.

It's a conversation that will inspire you to think about preparing future generations for mental health, happiness and well being.

Learn more at Potential Psychology or follow Ellen and Potential Psychology on Facebook or Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

With me in this episode is Dr Adrian Medhurst. Adrian is a psychologist, speaker, author and thought leader on a mission to optimise performance and wellbeing for people and organisations. He specialises in performance psychology, wellbeing science, mindfulness, innovation and emerging technology.

Adrian is the author of "Meditate on This: The Science of Mindfulness" and the CEO of - Benny Button, a wellbeing and performance business.
Adrian describes himself as 'dedicated to improving the lives of as many people as possible through wellbeing and performance initiatives.' A man after my own heart!

During our conversation, Adrian and I cover:

•Agility and finding the balance between wellbeing and performance
•Using little tweaks to enhance our happiness
•How to live well and have impact
•Mindfulness and the skill of being self aware
•Mastering daily stress, and
•Benny Button's 8 Factor Model for Wellbeing and Performance.

Adrian is also offering listeners a chance to try the Benny Button Wellbeing and Performance Profiler for FREE.

I'm so pleased to be sharing this insightful conversation with you.

For links to Adrian's great list of recommended resources mentioned in this episode, go to Potential Psychology or follow Ellen and Potential Psychology on Facebook or Instagram

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

We're back with Season 4 of the Potential Psychology Podcast!

In this mini episode I give you the low-down on the up coming expert guests and topics for another insightful and inspiring 10 week listening experience.

Are you ready to learn from some of the world's authorities on wellbeing, performance, parenting and mastering your mind and behaviour?

Are you ready to fulfil your potential?

Come listen in! I'm looking forward to sharing the season with you.

If you're new to the podcast, you can catch up on past seasons at http://potential.com.au/podcast

Onwards and upwards,
Ellen.

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/potentialpsychology/message

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit potentialpsychology.substack.com

Drowning in email? Swamped by notifications? Stressed by endless work demands?

How do you disconnect in a working world that's switched on 24/7?

In this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast I talk to Dr Melissa Marot, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Organisational Psychologist about work, stress, technology and finding balance in a constantly connected world.

I ask Melissa:

• What happens in our brain when we're stressed?

• How should we respond to stressful situations at work?

• What does the changing nature of work, workplaces and constant contact mean for stress and wellbeing?

• How do we set expectations and boundaries to better manage 24/7 connection?

• What are her tips for managing email inbox overwhelm?

Melissa also shares:

• The importance of decompression, healthy routines and working with intention.

• How to create a life in which you actively and intentionally switch on and switch off.

• Burnout - What are the physical and psychological symptoms?

If you want to better balance work and life, listen in!