Pursue What Matters

In psychology, we often explore tools that help us navigate life, and one of my favorites from the trauma literature is the Window of Tolerance. It's a powerful concept that I use both in clinical practice and leadership. It provides a framework for understanding our experiences and helps us manage them more effectively.

Tune in to today’s podcast episode to learn what the Window of Tolerance is and how you can apply it in your life.

If you've listened to the podcast before, you know I'm a bit of a geek about attachment. In today’s episode, we’re diving into the topic of secure attachment—a key factor in happiness, security, and healthier relationships.

Attachment forms early in life, and we all carry its impact with us. Without awareness, those early attachment issues can affect our present-day relationships.Join me as we discuss how to address relationship concerns and take small steps toward building a more secure attachment.

Life is tough, and we all face stressors that impact our minds and bodies. When stress hits, our nervous system often reacts in ways that aren't always helpful.

Tune in today as we discuss how to manage these reactions and develop effective coping strategies. It's more than just finding comfort. It's about learning how to handle stress in a way that works.

Hello! I hope you've had a wonderful summer while I've been away! I'm excited to get back into a new season of the podcast with you.

One thing that's been a theme for this podcast, and my life, is that we should always be learning. So on this episode, I wanted to share 5 things I've learned since last season.

Thanks for listening!

It's been a long road to get to 252 podcast episodes, and all I can say is thank you! It's been a great journey, and there's plenty more journey ahead of us.

Our journey is going to look a little different moving forward: I'm excited to announce that I'll be releasing podcasts in seasons, just like many of your other favorite podcasts. 

Follow along with me on Instagram at @dr.melissasmith for updates on the new seasons, and daily posts about the latest in leadership research. 

So long for now, and remember: love and work, work and love, that's all there is. 

What do the most successful couples do, and what do they avoid? Join me today as I review The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman, PhD, who’s taught us the most about making marriage work. 

This podcast will help you:

Learn the secret weapon of successful marriages

Understand the 7 principles to making marriage work

Identify one key way to strengthen your relationship 

Attachment style is based on attachment theory, a very useful theory of human development that psychologists have been utilizing to better understand how humans function in relationships. Join me today for a review of attachment style, learn more about your attachment adaptation, why attachment matters in work and love. 

This podcast will help you:

Identify attachment styles 

Learn how attachment theory applies to love and work

Understand how early attachment relationships impact present-day functioning 

We all want deep, enduring love, but how many of us actually achieve that? Today, we're talking about true intimacy, what it is, and how to get it in your life. 

This podcast will help you:

Understand what whole love is

Learn healthy selfishness

Find true intimacy in your relationships

Do you have a quiet ego or a noisy ego? We all know people whose ego walks into the room before they do. A quiet ego is self-assured but always makes room for others. 

This podcast will help you:

Understand what ego means

Identify different components of an ego

Learn how a quiet ego doesn't mean a silent ego

As we step into February, the month of love, here's a thought to ponder: do you consider yourself a loving soul or a bit of a prickly pear? More importantly, what do others perceive, and can you see yourself clearly?

Join me today as we kick off the month by taking a moment to look in the mirror.

This podcast will help you:

Discover that the key to well-being is the ability to love others unselfishly

Reflect on how loving you are

Learn why loving people are high in both agency and communion