Potential Psychology

"Thriving is not a spectator sport. You can't sit back and watch it happen."

This is the 4th episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive", a collaboration with positive psychology coach Marie McLeod. This series is all about exploring how to thrive and practicing the BEACON model; a model that Marie has developed to guide us through the simple steps to thriving and flourishing in life.

In this week's episode we explore the third "beam" of the BEACON model: Accountability.

This might seem an unusual element of thriving but there is no thriving without doing - and sometimes we need to hold ourselves accountable to get the doing, done.

Listen in as Marie and Ellen discuss:

•What accountability means when it comes to thriving and why it's important
•Real life, practical examples of where people struggle with accountability (because it's something we all struggle with from time to time)
•How our personal beliefs impact our goals and motivation.
•How to find your "why" to build motivation.
•Tips and techniques for holding yourself accountable to your action steps for thriving.

Your quest for this week: Get curious and challenge yourself to try a new activity for a week that you know will help you to thrive - even if it's difficult to get started. You might like to reflect on the activities we've spoken about already in this series - connecting with others, discovering or using your strengths to find 'flow' - or maybe it's an activity you've not tried before or you want to re-integrate into your life. Ellen and Marie discussed yoga and meditation as activities they'd like to get back into. Walking, social activities or new hobbies are also great ideas.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Marie's website - needtoseesomeone.com and resources here.
Seligman's PERMA+ Model - a foundational model in positive psychology
Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit
BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits

Little Lessons for Leaders Masterclass: Creating Hard Stops on Meeting Creep and Zoom Gloom. Ellen's new online program for leaders grappling with hybrid teams in a post-COVID world is now open. Register here.

Feedback? We want to hear from you. Email [email protected]
Want to hear more? It's all at potential.com.au/podcast
Check out our Potential Psychology YouTube Channel here

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"Flow requires us to use our strengths. Sadly many of us don't really know what those are. One of the first things that you must do is to identify these strengths. What are those things that your brain is wired to do, those things that you love doing?"

 

This is the 3rd episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive", a collaboration with positive psychology coach Marie McLeod. This series is all about exploring how to thrive and practicing the BEACON model; a model that Marie has developed to guide us through the simple steps to thriving and flourishing in life.

 

Today, we recap what we learned about Belonging and talk about how we did on our weekly quest. We then explore the second "beam" of the BEACON model: Engagement.

We discuss:

• Deep focus or "flow" and how it improves our quality of life, satisfaction and happiness


• Does personality affect how easy it is to get into a state of flow


• How can we craft our lives in order to get into a "flow" more often


• Understanding your profile of individual strengths and how to use that to increase engagement

 

Your quest for this week: Go with the way you're wired and spend more time doing the things you're good at. What activities get you into a state of flow and how do they make you feel? Share your experience with us. We'd love to hear from you. If you need a little help finding your strengths, take the VIA strengths survey.

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Marie's website and resources here.

VIA Strengths Survey

 

Want to become a Potential Psychology Podcast VIP?

You can now become a special VIP member of the Potential Psychology Podcast community with access to bonus episodes - the first of which is now ready and waiting for you. Dr Mike Rucker, co-host of our most recent podcast series on Fun and Wellbeing, and I are discussing the importance of making time for fun and positive experiences in our workplaces with tips on better email and meeting management and the kind of workplace we need to really thrive.

To join as a subscriber, at the tiny little cost of AU$5.99 a month head to https://anchor.fm/potentialpsychology/subscribe. I’m looking forward to seeing you in our inner sanctum.

Feedback? We want to hear from you. Email [email protected]

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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

We're back with another episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive", a collaboration with positive psychology coach Marie McLeod. This series is all about exploring how to thrive and practicing the BEACON model; a model of thriving that Marie has developed to guide us through the simple steps to thriving and flourishing in life.

 

In this episode, we talk about the first "beam" of the BEACON model: Belonging. We ask:

• What do we mean by belonging?


• How important is having close connections to others to our wellbeing?


• What is a Thrive Tribe and how do we cultivate and sustain one?


• Who gets to be in our "thrive tribe?"


• What's a micro-moment of connection? And how does it help us to build relationships?

 

Your quest for this week: Find opportunities to create micro-moments of connection and tell us about them!

  

Are You Ready to Fulfil Your Potential?

Download your FREE copy of ‘Creating Thriving, Motivated Teams: A How To Guide’ by entering your details below

 

Want to become a Potential Psychology Podcast VIP?

You can now become a special VIP member of the Potential Psychology Podcast community with access to bonus episodes - the first of which is now ready and waiting for you. Dr Mike Rucker, co-host of our most recent podcast series on Fun and Wellbeing, and I are discussing the importance of making time for fun and positive experiences in our workplaces with tips on better email and meeting management and the kind of workplace we need to really thrive.

To join as a subscriber, at the tiny little cost of AU$5.99 a month head to https://anchor.fm/potentialpsychology/subscribe. I’m looking forward to seeing you in our inner sanctum.

 

Feedback? We want to hear from you. Email [email protected]

Want to hear more? It's all at potential.com.au/podcast

Check out our Potential Psychology YouTube Channel here.

 

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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

We're shaking things up a bit in season 11 of the show with a new format. I am co-hosting this series with positive psychology coach Marie McLeod - our wonderful guest from our "How To Thrive" episode in season 10.

 

In this podcast series, Marie and I go deep into the practice of positive psychology and wellbeing science, sharing how we live what we teach in our work and in our lives. We dive into what it means to thrive and dissect a beam of the BEACON model, Marie's evidence-based model of thriving, in each episode. We even have do-at-home exercises for you to complete along with us. That means YOU get to participate in this fabulous collaboration too.

 

In this episode, you will learn:

• What the BEACON Model is and how it helps you to thrive


• What each beam of BEACON stands for


• What we mean by well-being literacy


• The history and origin of the positive psychology


• About finding emotional equilibrium


• Why is it important to look for the things that go well in life.

 

Today's quest: What went well for you? How to focus on what's strong rather than what's wrong and rewire your brain for positivity.

  

Are You Ready to Fulfil Your Potential?

Download your FREE copy of ‘Creating Thriving, Motivated Teams: A How To Guide’ by entering your details below

Want to become a Potential Psychology Podcast VIP?

You can now become a special VIP member of the Potential Psychology Podcast community with access to bonus episodes - the first of which is now ready and waiting for you. Dr Mike Rucker, co-host of our most recent podcast series on Fun and Wellbeing, and I are discussing the importance of making time for fun and positive experiences in our workplaces with tips on better email and meeting management and the kind of workplace we need to really thrive.

To join as a subscriber, at the tiny little cost of AU$5.99 a month head to https://anchor.fm/potentialpsychology/subscribe. I’m looking forward to seeing you in our inner sanctum.

 

Feedback? We want to hear from you. Email [email protected]

Want to hear more? It's all at potential.com.au/podcast

Check out our Potential Psychology YouTube Channel here.

 

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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

"Go and see a psychologist because you want to be premium" - Dr Jo Mitchell

In our world the number 100 is of great significance. 100 is the basis of percentages, 100° Celsius is the boiling point of pure water at sea level, currencies use 100 subunits to make 1 unit, and a score of 100 in school is the perfect score!

Today we're excited to celebrate our 100th episode with a very special guest. We return to our roots by welcoming our first ever guest Dr. Jo Mitchell back to the show. Jo is the Director & Co-Founder of The Mind Room in Melbourne. She is a clinical and coaching psychologist who works with professionals and performers in sport, small business and creative industries. She is passionate about building lives with meaning. She and her team at The Mind Room believe that "if people know more about how their minds work, they suffer less and live more meaningful, connected and satisfying lives". As Jo and I discuss in this conversation, that's a philosophy that we share and one that made Jo the perfect person with whom to celebrate 100 episodes; where we've come from, where we've been and where we are going.

In this episode, Jo and I talk about:

•The changes, growth, and new contributions of the Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Science community
•How The Mind Room came to be and what drives it
•Why shared spaces and collaboration are important not only for clients but for psychologists as well
•The role of community in happiness and wellbeing
•How we can smash the stigma around mental illness by doing things differently
•What the wellbeing landscape looks like under lockdown
•The future of Wellbeing Science and practice and those who are taking the field into the future.

Thank you so much for sharing 100 episodes of the Potential Psychology Podcast with us. This conversation is a celebration of who we are and why we do what we do; to help us all to fulfill our potential. Listen in and please let me know what you think - and stay tuned for news about what's next for the Potential Psychology Podcast.

Onwards and upwards,
Ellen.


Where can you find Jo:
https://twitter.com/themindroom
https://facebook.com/TheMindRoom
https://instagram.com/themindroom

Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Indigo Project
Project Thrive

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"The key thing is to know if it's in your 'zone of genius' or if you could actually hand that down to someone who can do it 10x faster. Let go of the need for control."

In this wonderful discussion my guest and I are talking work and business but not in terms of targets, revenue and turnover. We're talking about being human at work and the critical role that values, connection and heart play in getting things done and feeling good about what we do.

My guest is Kristy Smith, the energetic and inspiring Founder, Director & Driver of Virtual Elves, an outsourcing and business support team that serves small to medium sized businesses - including Potential Psychology - to do really fulfil their potential. As Kristy says, 'You have to let go to grow' - a philosophy that has helped me greatly here at PP.

In this episode, we talk about:

•The long and fascinating history of Virtual Elves and how Kristy was working with a work-from-home team well before the pandemic
•What is a Virtual Assistant, who needs one and how do they help small businesses to grow and small business owners to stay sane?
•Learning to let go and delegate in order to be more productive. An important life lesson.
•How Kristy got into the business of helping people and providing virtual support to others
•Building trust and camaraderie within a virtual community
•Uncovering your "zone of genius" and how that works across cultures and organisations
•The joys of working from home and understanding how disruption has lead to exciting breakthroughs in the way we work
•How working with remote teams has brought people closer and kept businesses afloat

Where can you find Kristy:
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn

Resources discussed in this episode:
VirtualElves
Self Compassion
Test Your Level of Self Compassion
Dr Kristin Neff on The Healing Power of Self Compassion - The Psychology Podcast

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"At its core, this study emphasises that our bodies are important. Anything that gets you out of your head and creating an in-the-moment kind of awareness is a powerful and useful thing. Physical awareness is an extra option and options have value."

Scientific research, especially in the psychological sciences, is rarely linear. There is no definitive answer and, as with most things, context is important. This is evident in the conversations that have sparked around 'Power Posing' or the idea that body positions can change the way you think and feel.

My guest today's guest is Tom Loncar, executive coach, writer, researcher on leadership psychology and mindset and founder of "Grow Gravitas." In a recent article for the British Psychological Society Tom examined power posing's 10-year journey and the role that it has played in social science research. It's a great article about a fascinating topic - whether small postural adjustment make us feel more powerful when facing stressful situations. But while power posing is interesting in its own right, it has an even more fascinating back story that sees it embroiled in psychology's replication crisis'.

Listen in to hear Tom and I geek out about:

•Power posing: What it is and why it took the world by storm.
•Why there is rarely a 'silver bullet' for behaviour change.
•How Tom got started in his in-depth research by diving down rabbit holes.
•A short but long history of embodiment or 'embodied cognition' and how our bodies influence our emotions.
•The role Power Posing played in behavioural science's 'replication crisis'.
•Where the dialogue is now for 'power posing' and where it might take us next.

About our guest:
In addition to his work as an executive coach and researcher, Tom is also a regular contributing writer on leadership for the Australian Financial Review and BOSS Magazine. His articles have covered a wide variety of topics examining leadership growth and the often unseen barriers that can get in the way of doing what matters.

Where to find Tom:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/TomLoncar
LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/tloncar

Resources mentioned in this episode:
A Decade of 'Power Posing': Where Do We Stand? by Tom Loncar
Does "Power Posing" really work? ABC Radio interview with Tom Loncar
Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy
TEDTalk: Your body language may shape who you are with Amy Cuddy
Smiling does make you happier - under carefully controlled conditions
Assessing the Robustness of Power Posing
Social Sciences Replication Project
When the Revolution Came for Amy Cuddy

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"Thriving is not a spectator sport. Sometimes, showing up is enough but you have to hold yourself and other people in your space accountable for thriving. Find the balance between grit and grace. Know when you need to dig in deep or when you need to fall back with self compassion."

In this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast we're exploring the science of what is right about the human experience and how positive psychology can progress the conversation about mental ill-health in our community. My guest is Marie McLeod, Director of Thriveability and the guiding force behind the upcoming documentary, 'How To Thrive: practical guide to happiness.' in which she coaches 10 volunteers with mental health issues to help them learn 'how to thrive.'

In this episode, Marie and I discuss:

•How the documentary come about - the magic of synchronicity!
•Mechanisms and tools that help us get through difficulties.
•The BEACON model of wellbeing and how to use it.
•Self-compassion and finding the balance between 'grit and grace.'
•Exploring the capacity to thrive despite struggle - documentary participants' real life stories.
•Why Marie was inspired to use the documentary format and an exclusive peak behind the scenes of the "How To Thrive" project.

You can watch the trailer to the magnificent documentary "How To Thrive" here.

Where can you find Marie:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Food Isn't Medicine by Dr Joshua Woolrich
Past episodes discussing Acceptance - Dr. Laura Braid, Eric Winters, Dr Patricia Zurita-Ona, Dr Diana Hill

About How To Thrive
How to Thrive: a practical guide to happiness - Trailer
Website (coming soon!)

Subscribe to our newsletter
YouTube channel

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In today's show we're getting curious about psychological flexibility - the skill of not getting sidetracked or bogged down when difficult thoughts, feelings and sensations arise.

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"Most humans have been training for anxiety their whole life. We live in a mostly anxious society where it's all about hustling, getting straight A's...it's just really stressful. So (our) brain is designed for an anxious life. If we give our brain the practice in relaxing every single day, it's gonna get better at it." - Erika Flint

When we think of hypnosis we often imagine the magician with a swinging pocket watch. But hypnosis is more than a stage act. It's a genuine psychological therapy that helps us access deeper parts of our minds. Yet many of us still fear it. Today's guest is here to dispel common media misrepresentations and myths surrounding hypnosis.

Erika Flint is a Board Certified Hypnotist and Accredited Certified Professional Hypnotherapy Instructor. Her lifelong goal is to help bring hypnosis into mainstream healing and thinking.

In this episode, we talk about:

•What is Hypnosis and how does it work
•Dispelling fears surrounding hypnosis with science based facts
•How much is our behaviour driven by our subconscious
•How is hypnosis different from mindful meditation
•Is there such a thing as self-hypnosis?
•What is "hypnotic suggestion"?
•How can hypnosis help with stress management, goal attainment, high performance, and wellbeing
•How long does it typically take to realise results from hypnotherapy
•Are there any risk associated with hypnosis
•Where to start if you want to get hypnotherapy

Erika is also the author of the best-selling books "Reprogram Your Weight" and "Lighter", that combines leading edge hypnosis techniques with client success stories of weight loss.

Where to find Erika:
(socmed accts)
Website - https://cascadehypnosiscenter.com/

Books by Erika Flint:
https://www.amazon.com/Erika-Flint/e/B01I2DB3OS%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Resources mentioned in this podcast:
https://podcastnotes.org/tim-ferris-show/brene-brown-tim-ferriss-self-acceptance-trauma/
https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/taken-for-granted-bren%C3%A9-brown-on-what-vulnerability-isnt/

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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