The Mind Mate Podcast

The great Johann Hari is back on the show promoting his latest book "Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention". This book is absolutely fantastic, from the front to the back. I personally believe Johann has touched on the most pressing issue facing our contemporary world as it bleeds into many of the problems our societies face. In fact, our ability to think deeply—to observe our impulses, emotions and thoughts—is the very thing that promotes and sustains democracies; so yes, this is seriously important stuff.

Johann Hari is a writer and journalist. He has written for the New York Times, Le Monde, the Guardian and other newspapers. His TED talks have been viewed over 70 million times, and his work has been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah to Noam Chomsky to Joe Rogan. He lives in London. 

About the book:

We think our inability to focus is a personal failing - a flaw in each one of us. It is not. This has been done to all of us by powerful external forces. Our focus has been stolen. Johann discovered there are twelve deep cases of this crisis, all of which have robbed some of our attention. He shows us how in a thrilling journey that ranges from Silicon Valley dissidents, to a favela in Rio where attention vanished, to an office in New Zealand that found a remarkable way to restore our attention. Crucially, he learned how - as individuals, and as a society - we can get our focus back, if we are determined to fight for it.

This is a really important show guys and one I truly think you will get a lot from; so please have a listen and let me know what you think about our ability to pay attention as a society as well as what we should do to reclaim it.

Welcome to episode 145! A client recently asked me about the best ways to reduce his anxiety at work; we spoke about how different tools work best at different times. She told me how he would do his best to sit with his fears and stress, but sometimes they got the better of him.

So, I asked her to rate his anxiety levels on a scale of 1-10, and then asked him what his different tools were for the different numbers on the scale. She didn’t have a variety of tools . . . We spoke about how different intensities of anxiety require different tools because - as this video discusses - if the anxiety is at a 10 and the “bath tub is overflowing” - there’s no point simply being with it; or in other words, trying to stay calm whilst watching the bathroom flood.

If your anxiety is at a 10: move. Dance. Get up out of your seat and shake your arms. Walk. Exercise. Anxiety is energy and at that level, that energy needs to go somewhere. In my opinion, meditation is a preventative practise; it’s not necessarily the best thing to do when you’re in the middle of a panic attack. When you’re at a 10, then it’s about working with the body, not so much the mind.

Please reach out if you’d like some clarification about your own anxiety! And remember: view your emotions like water in a bath!

Writing helps with the consolidation process because writing (hand-thinking) slows and filters thoughts emanating from significantly affective experiences into coherent analytical structures. Put simply, we slow the mind down because we can’t write as fast as we can think and that slowing down helps us formulate our opinions, conceptualisations and assumptions.

Additionally, by doing so, we remind ourselves that the past is the past, not the present. The degree to which the past shaped or dramatically influenced our lives is open to interpretation and depends on our current emotional states. Expressive writing, therefore, is a call to cultivating greater self-awareness. “The neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux and his colleagues have shown that the only way we can consciously access the emotional brain is through self-awareness, i.e. by activating the medial prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that notices what is going on inside us and thus allows us to feel what we’re feeling.” 

Writing helps integrate emotionally charged experiences and beckons (forces) us to contemplate our lives, and how they came to be. The future, once the past has been reconciled, is ours for the taking. We can end those shitty chapters and write new ones, akin to who we’d like to become. 

Snippet From Chapter 20 of my Book: Echoes From The Past!

"I tried to find my purpose for far too long. I read every book, watched every YouTube lecture and demanded that each of my therapists and counsellors show me the way to liberation and fulfilment. The thing is, “your purpose” doesn’t exist. It won’t every exist. “Your purpose” is a marketing ploy designed to keep you attached to an idea that will always keep you searching, unfulfilled and lost. Your purpose isn’t your purpose. Your purpose is purely and simply what you’re interested in right now and who you want to be—which is another of saying “what you want to be doing”—in six months’ time.

Chase the “you” in six months. Don’t worry about five or ten years. Our brains aren’t equipped to conceptualise such illusory spans across time and space; but the “you” in six months is practical and relatively tangible. The cool thing about the “you” in six months is that you really could become that person. They’re not that far away. Chase them down! Maybe they’re only six months ahead of you in their savings; in their training, writing or relationship status. Beat them!" 

Bee Mohamed is the Head of Patient Advocacy & Engagement of Astrid, the first female-led dispensary in Australia.

She made her mark in the medicinal cannabis industry in 2019 when she joined Canopy Growth Asia Pacific as the Stakeholder Relations and Advocacy Manager (Asia Pacific) and saw the regulatory barriers patients faced in Australia in accessing medicinal cannabis.

Prior to the cannabis industry, Bee was the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of ScriptWise, a not for profit organisation dedicated to prevent the harms associated with prescription medication dependency and overdose. Working closely with both patients and families affected by this issue, the organisation was successful in bringing changes around the issue such as: commitment by the Federal Government to implement a nation-wide Real Time Prescription Monitoring system (RTPM), rescheduling of codeine-based medications (in 2018) and to introduce best practice in prescribing opioids.

She holds a Master in Social Science (International Development) and has worked in both the public and community sector for close to 8 years. Her true passion is to influence health policies through patient-led advocacy and engagement in improving access to progressive medicines.

***Social Media***

https://astrid.health/

@astrid.dispensary

#medicinalcannabis #plantmedicine #astridhealth

Though psychedelic drugs remain illegal, guided ceremonies, or sessions, are happening across the country, especially in major cities. But more people seek out safe, structured environments to use psychedelics for spiritual growth and psychological healing. For today's episode, Tom Ahern with his guest, Dr. Dan Engle will discuss what you need to know about psychedelic therapy and how psychedelic substances can be used for treating illnesses such as addiction, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Yes, the extraordinary therapeutic potential of psychedelic medications explained in this podcast! Stay tuned!

#drdanengle #mdmaassistedtherapy #psychedelicmedicine

What to expect from the episode:

Author Bio

Dan Engle, MD, is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance.

His medical degree is from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His psychiatry residency degree is from the University of Colorado Denver, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship degree is from Oregon Health & Science University.

Dr. Engle is an international consultant to several global healing centers facilitating the use of long-standing indigenous plant medicines for healing and awakening. He is the Founder and

Medical Director of the Kuya Institute for Transformational Medicine in Austin, Texas, Full Spectrum Medicine, a psychedelic integration and educational platform, and Thank You Life, a non-profit funding stream supporting access to psychedelic therapies.

www.drdanengle.com www.fullspectrummedicine.com www.kuya.life www.thankyoulife.org

Connect with Dan:

Website: https://drdanengle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrDanEngle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drdanengle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdanengle/

Connect with Tom:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tom.ahern

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tombahern

Medium: https://medium.com/@tom.ahern

YouTube: https://bit.ly/2shhVqM

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-mind-mate-podcast

During this pandemic, most people are in social distress, and that affects their mental health. For today's episode, Tom Ahern, with his guest, Nick Bracks will discuss the struggles people face that leads to questioning their self-worth and how stories of other people give us hope and comfort in a way that what you are going through is relatable. They will also talk about different kinds of techniques, tools, activities, and resources that will support your mental health! Stay tuned! #moveyourmind  #mentalhealthmatters #nickbracks

Here are the things to expect in the episode:

About Nick:

Nick Bracks is a storyteller who has dedicated his adult life to creating positive conversations around mental health. An acclaimed mental health advocate and successful multi-entrepreneur, Nick has delivered 1,000+ mental health seminars around the globe, including two TEDx talks. This came about following his own personal and public battle with mental health and wellbeing. Creative at heart, Nick is an actor with several films to his name and a two-year role on the well-loved Australian soap, Neighbours. Acting, along with exercise and meditation, is Nick’s foundation for vibrant mental health. Nick now spends his time advocating for mental health, speaking and interviewing, creating content and acting. His professional life and personal development are perfectly intertwined.

Connect with Nick:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickbracks/

Book: https://bit.ly/3svd8QK

Connect with Tom Ahern:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tom.ahern

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tombahern

Medium: https://medium.com/@tom.ahern

YouTube: https://bit.ly/2shhVqM

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-mind-mate-podcast

Love. What is love, and how do you define it? For today's episode, Tom Ahern will narrate how you view yourself in a relationship. In many ways, relationships determine who you truly are. To understand yourself is to know the way your mind works. It's a vital key to any healthy relationship and can lead to so many amazing things like self-love and compassion. Uncontrolled emotions like anger and fear affect your growth in a relationship. Let’s listen to this podcast and discover that true love has no opposite! Stay tuned!

#gottmaninstitute #relationshipgoals #relationshipadvice

In this episode we cover:

Connect with Tom Ahern:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tom.ahern

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tombahern

Medium: https://medium.com/@tom.ahern

YouTube: https://bit.ly/2shhVqM

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-mind-mate-podcast

For today's episode, let's listen to Tom Ahern as he reads a wonderful story of Debbie, a 46 years old woman who happened to be a victim of unfolding circumstances. How she overcomes the fear of losing control and how psychological healing helped her through self-understanding. Stay tuned!

Here are the things to expect in the episode:

Connect with Tom Ahern:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tom.ahern

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tombahern

Medium: https://medium.com/@tom.ahern

YouTube: https://bit.ly/2shhVqM

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-mind-mate-podcast