Potential Psychology

After taking a long-ish hiatus from the Potential Psychology Podcast to focus on introspection, self-care, and exploring available opportunities in the midst of a pandemic, I am back with inspiring guests and engaging episodes for you.

But first, let's get up to speed with what's happening on PPHQ:

•What happened on Potential Psychology since our last episode (if you missed it, catch it here: Finding Antifragility in a World of Failure with Dr Paige Williams) went on air.
•Exploring deeper community involvement and taking on an exciting new role.
•Growth opportunities within the PP Team and fruitful partnerships.
•And more importantly, The Self Care Club - what is it and why you should be in it.

Also, please keep an eye out on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for our "Lockdown Life" tips - a tips series on living in the 'new normal', with thought provoking notes on topics such as ambiguous loss, surge capacity and adjusting to a 'new normal'.

---

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

"As complex adaptive systems, it's actually struggle that helps us thrive."

I am so pleased to be joined in this episode by Dr. Paige Williams to chat about her work in learning and teaching others about resilience and becoming 'antifragile'. Paige is an incredible author who just released her new book, Becoming AntiFragile: Learning to Thrive Through Disruption and Challenge.

In her career, Paige has honed her focus on resilience and helps others to become antifragile leaders. She is both a captivating conference speaker and leadership development program specialist that insights change and cultivates resiliency in leaders. Paige also shares her passion for resiliency by continuing her research as an Honorary Fellow of the Centre for Positive Psychology and teaching at Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne.

After the recent release of Becoming AntiFragile, Paige is delighted to share her vast psychological knowledge of resiliency and what it means to be antifragile.

In my conversation with Paige, we cover:

· What is means to be 'antifragile'.
· How she believes being antifragile will help us through the Coronavirus pandemic.
· Finding resiliency through a combination and balance of thriving and struggling.
· The R.O.B.U.S.T. Principles and why they are important to becoming antifragile.
· How antifragility translates in professional spaces and personal life.

In my interview with Paige she provides clear insight into her research of resiliency and the best ways to shift from fragility to being antifragile. Paige's wisdom and ability to articulate her powerful perspective is inspiring and beneficial in harnessing resiliency in daily life.

Tune in to learn how to become antifragile to achieve resilience in every aspect of life.


For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter


EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A BECOMING ANTIFRAGILE MASTERCLASS WITH PAIGE

Website: https://drpaigewilliams.com/book/
Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1922357081
If you purchase the book on Tuesday 28th July you have the opportunity to win a seat at an exclusive online Becoming AntiFragile Masterclass hosted by me. To enter the draw send proof of purchase of the book to: [email protected]

---

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

Today I am joined by Andrew Martin, Scientia Professor, Professor of Educational Psychology, and Co-Chair of the Educational Psychology Research Group in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales, Australia. In addition to his many accolades, Andrew has passionately dedicated his career to studying educational psychology.
It's through this study that Andrew has gained a remarkable understanding of the best ways to learn, grow and adapt. His insight is enlightening and informative, especially in the face of our current state of transition and change. In this episode Andrew offers his vast knowledge of learning to adapt and tapping into our capacity to be adaptable.

In my conversation with Andrew, I uncover:

•What "adaptability" is from a psychological perspective.
•How to adapt through the Coronavirus Pandemic.
•Employing, facilitating and teaching healthy ways for children to adapt to change.
•How to address children's learning and adaptation at every stage of maturity.
•The link between our ability to adapt and our wellbeing.
•The difference between adaptation and resilience in the face adversity and change.
•Strategies to adapt well, no matter what life throws at you.

Andrew so wonderfully explains the three key components we need to consider when we're trying to adapt to change or new circumstances. He outlines the tools we need to regulate our reactions in order to adapt to our situation and maintain resilience in trying times.

Listen in to learn more about the significance of adaptability, how to learn the skills of adaptability and the role adaptability plays in creating thriving lives.

For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

---

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

"Sometimes, the true act of self-care is the thing you least feel like doing. It's tying up incompletions. It's looking at what's depleting you and taking action on that. Sometimes, it's addressing areas of pain and discomfort" - Suzy Reading, psychologist & author


I'm thrilled to welcome Suzy Reading back to the show today to discuss the topic of self-care.

Suzy is an accomplished Chartered Psychologist that has devoted her practice to stress management, wellbeing, and shifting to a healthy lifestyle as well as a talented yoga teacher and personal trainer.

Suzy's passion is offering a cohesive approach to wellbeing by connecting with the head, heart, and body, and work to empower people through self-care practices. She shares this passion with us by offering advice, tips, and useful approaches to self-care.

Suzy's new book, Self-Care for Tough Times, speaks magnificently to the current state of the world by defining and teaching the underlying skills that help us navigate stressors, such as anxiety, grief, and change and transitions.

In this episode, Suzy and I chat about:

•What the realisation of our need for self-care looks like.
•How to check-in, take notice, and give ourselves permission to invest in ourselves lovingly.
•The Vitality Wheel and how it allows us to map out our self-care.
•The importance of self-care every day, but especially while coping with the Covid-19 Pandemic.
•Five reasons we all need to practice and prioritise self-care.
•Overcoming the idea that we are not worthy of self-care.
•Quick "wins" to easily practice self-care.

Suzy does a wonderful job of explaining the importance of self-care, framing it as "health care," and bringing light to the benefits of self-care, not only in our own lives but in the way we impact those around us. By describing her own learning and experience with self-care, Suzy uncovers the barriers and challenges we face when we neglect our own self-care.

Learn more about Suzy Reading.

For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

---

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

"There are some fundamental principles that parents want kids to follow: respect themselves, respect other people, and, in a nutshell, if they're doing those things, they'll be able to enjoy themselves and stay safe wherever they go online." - Martine Oglethorpe

Life lately has been unusual. With school, work and socialising conducted from home, the pressure has dialled up for juggling parents. Where do 'screen time' rules fit in? What's reasonable device use right now? And how do we adapt when screens are all we have?

As parents we try to do right by our kids and in the digital world that often means a battle over technology. Screen time is inevitable especially now when we are confined to home but my guest, Martine Oglethorpe, says that it's still possible to raise a great kid in a very digital world.

In this episode we explore how to arm ourselves with the right tools, awareness, and mindset to ensure our kids partake in healthy, constructive and enjoyable screen time.

In my conversation with Martine, we discuss:

•How much is too much screen time, and what questions parents should be asking to determine the types of screen time their children are partaking in?
•How parents should position their digital presence to understand, be aware of online activity, and be able to communicate about it with their kids.
•Ideas to facilitate healthy screen time for children to hang out with friends during the Coronavirus outbreak.
•Ways to set appropriate boundaries for different age groups online.

About our guest:
Martine Oglethorpe is a speaker, author, an e-safety and digital parenting expert, a mother of five and the author of the recently released book, The Modern Parent: Raising a Great Kid in a Digital World. She is well versed in working with children and families and is passionate about technology's effect on children and parenting in the digital world. Martine speaks to several challenges that parents face when it comes to approaching screen time and parenting in the age of social media and online activity. Her perspective is refreshing and motivating, allowing parents to feel confident rather than defeated when handling their children's digital interactions.

For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

---

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

Is working from home working for you? Are you running staff meetings from your kitchen? Home schooling in the lounge? Have you discovered your partner's 'work persona' - a side you've never seen before? And is your dining table still there, beneath the laptops, monitors, notebooks and files?

Working from home, once the ultimate office-worker perk, is rapidly becoming a major wellbeing challenge as we're thrust into a new world, largely unprepared. In today's conversation I ask Dr Joe Sweeney, industry analyst for digital workforce innovation, policy and education and a researcher in workforce transformation to share his tips and insights into working and schooling from home.

Joe has worked for a fully distributed (remote) work-from-home organisation for the past 16 years and successfully home-schooled his son. He is currently advising employers on establishing simple, effective work from home policies, tailored to employer and employee needs during this global pandemic. Joe knows what works and what doesn't and in this episode he shares his knowledge and advice from both a strategic and a practitioner's perspective.

In this conversation Joe and I discuss:

•What employers and employees should keep in mind as many of us transition abruptly to working from home.
•His tips for working well and keeping well when working from home, including workspace needs, work life balance and keeping psychologically well.
•Home schooling - what works and what doesn't, how to juggle it all and where to turn for help.
•What the working world might look like, post COVID-19.

Joe is a fantastic podcast guest; smart, insightful, thoughtful, practical and entertaining. He is generous with his tips and recommendations and he'll get you thinking, whether you've made the move to working from home or your an employer suddenly responsible for a distributed workforce. Listen in to learn.

For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

---

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

Hello wonderful humans.

I'm mixing things up for this episode of the Potential Psychology Podcast. I had planned an episode on Personality and How It Drives What We Do for this week on the back of our fun webinar with some members of the PP community last Monday morning. But given the state of uncertainty we're in right now due to this new coronavirus, COVID-19 and its impact on almost every facet of life, I've parked that and decided to share some tips that might help us face some of our more immediate challenges.

In this solo episode I talk you through:

•How our brain responds to uncertainty and why we're seeing the best and worst of human behaviour right now
•What to do when you can't control what's happening and why focusing on your 'inner circle' gives you power
•Breaking the negative cycle of worry, checking and more worry with one simple question
•5 simple strategies for maintaining calm and building emotional resilience - because we might be in this for the long haul!

Two weeks ago I could not have imagined that this would be the topic for this episode. For the past week it has been all I have talked about. The demand for strategies to maintain mental health is strong and while I wish this wasn't where we are right now, I'm so glad that positive psychology, as a field of research and practice, can bring us 20 years of knowledge to support us to thrive in the face of challenge.

And you can bet that I'm practising every one of these strategies every day right now!

Please listen and share widely. I know this content can help x

---

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

In the midst of COVID-19 uncertainty and the anxiety it is provoking it can do the heart and mind good to be distracted with positive stories of people doing good in our world. We need that right now.

My guests for this episode are Naomi Hunter and Jeremy Hunter, the co-Managing Directors of Empowering Resources, a boutique publisher of children's books that encourage meaningful conversations between kids and their trusted adults.

Their books handle tough topics with nurturing and understanding. They allow conversations to evolve to where kids need them to go.

Naomi is the author of A Secret Safe To Tell, a gentle book that encourages meaningful conversations about body safety, the importance of not keeping secrets and confiding in trusted adults if something is making you uncomfortable. Naomi wrote it when she became a mother, working through her own experience of childhood sexual abuse. She hoped that she could empower other children to share their experiences and get the help and support that they need much earlier in life than she was able to.

Within the first three months of its release, A Secret Safe to Tell encouraged 10 young children to disclose sexually abusive situations to their carers. These children were instantly validated and the abuse stopped. They did not need to wait until becoming an adult to start to heal, as Naomi had to.

A Secret Safe to Tell and Even Mummy Cries (Naomi's second book) were both nominated for Children's Book of the Year in Australia and the Simplified Chinese version of A Secret Safe to Tell just won a gold award at a children's choice book awards in China, where 1.3 million children voted for their favourite book!

Empowering Resources publish for many authors whose stories help kids to feel validated, to feel seen and to feel empowered.

As high profile psychologist and past guest here on the show, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg says, 'These are some of the most important books that exist.'

This is a joyful conversation with both Naomi and Jeremy. I ask them:

•Who is Empowering Resources and why do the books you publish matter?


•Naomi, why did you write A Secret Safe to Tell? How did writing it help you and how has publishing it helped others?


•What feedback to you get from parents and professionals about the books, how they use them and how they may have helped?


•Where do professionals go for resources like these/where can the books be found?


•What is your advice to parents and care givers about having difficult conversations with kids?

It's a privilege to share Naomi, Jeremy and their authors' work with you. Please listen in to be reminded of the good in the world.

---

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

I'm delighted to have Dr Suzy Green back on the show today. Suzy was one of my lecturers when I completed the Masters of Coaching Psychology at The University of Sydney (some time ago now) and today I'm proud to call her a colleague. I'm also thrilled to be introducing you to her new book, The Positivity Prescription: A six week wellbeing program based on the science of positive psychology.

Over the past 20 years Suzy has asserted herself as a pioneer of Positive Psychology. She is the founder of the Sydney-based The Positivity Institute and her evidence-based psychological strategies have helped thousands of Australians prevent and overcome mental health issues.

With the release of The Positivity Prescription, Suzy is excited to be sharing her knowledge and experience with a broader audience.

In this conversation Suzy and I discuss:

•What it means to 'flourish,' psychologically-speaking.
•Her hopes for The Positivity Prescription and bringing positive psychology to a broader audience.
•How positivity and happiness differ and what the science says about the benefits of positivity.
•The six 'Ms' of wellbeing - Meaning, Might, Mood, Motivation, Mindfulness and Mindset
•How have the 6Ms have helped her face challenges and live a flourishing life.
•Suzy's tips for living a flourishing life, and
•Where to buy the book!

Suzy does a marvelous job in this interview of not only explaining the science of positivity in simple terms but also sharing her personal examples of how she puts that science to work in her life with verve and gusto.

Listen in to learn a little more about living a flourishing life.

For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

---

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

Joining me on the show for this episode is science communicator and content creator Ryan O'Donnell, a.k.a RyanO. Ryan wakes up daily trying to fill the gap between the amazing science of behavior and the billions of people that it could impact for the better. He does this by creating content for behavioral science enthusiasts via The Daily BA on YouTube, The Controversial Exchange and CHATTcon while preparing for his next big venture. (He gives us a sneak peak into that during our podcast chat.)

Ryan started his career as a Behaviour Analyst but his interests have grown to include everything from entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning, social media, podcasting, and vlogging. These interests and skills have allowed him to work with a lot of great people, travel and share the science of behaviour with the world at large and that's what we are talking about today - how to bring the science of behaviour to a bigger world.

In this episode I ask Ryan:

•What is Behaviour Analysis and why does it matter?
•What attracted you to the field?
•How did you move from straight BA work to film making and digital content creation? And why?
•What it the bigger purpose for you of bringing the science of behaviour to YouTube and the digital world?
•How did you develop your video and content creation skills?
•How do you think our communities can benefit from bringing behaviour to a bigger world?

If you have a passion for science communication, helping others to learn, grow and flourish or the innovative use of digital content and story telling, don't miss this fantastic conversation.

For a full transcript, guest profile, expert tips and the resources mentioned in this episode, visit potential.com.au/podcast or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

---

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