The MindfulMess with Gene & Matt

In this episode, Gene & Matt talk about values and belief systems. What are they? How do they influence our actions? Where do they come from? And can they be changed? Matt talks about the connection between mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression, and how they could actually be a misalignment between one’s values and their behaviors. Gene talks a little about social anxiety, how that presents in his mind, and applies a value analysis to understand if his behaviors in social contexts are aligned with his values, or something else, such as fear. We also come to a place of agreement that values are something that we all ought to revisit and reassess at various points in our life, and how doing so can help keep us on the path of the life we want to be living!

A couple things we referenced in the episode: 

The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris (2nd edition, July 2022) : a book that guides any person, mental health professional or not, through the steps of acceptance and commitment therapy as a way to address anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, guilt, existential worries or dread, or navigating difficult life changes. It seeks to help its readers better understand the emotional and psychological landscape of these experiences in order to find the most fulfilling path forward.

And here's a link that explains more of what acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is:

Welcome to the MindfulMess! In this first episode, we take an unconventional approach, and pull you right into the middle of a conversation that centers around victimhood. What a topic to kick things off! Our chat begins by dipping into some of our own experiences with the negative consequences of tribe mentality in the LGBTQ+ community, and touches on topics of trauma as changeable storytelling and our personal responsibility in overcoming a "victim state of mind." And Matt shares a couple of personal stories around his childhood trauma, how they led to some of his own self-limiting attitudes in his adult relationships, and the things he's learned about himself in the process. We hope you enjoy this episode! Please excuse the brief cameo by our little furry friend, Chad the Pug ;) 

Welcome to the MindfulMess! This is our intro episode; we'll share with you a little bit about who we are, why we came together for this podcast, and what we hope to achieve together and with you, our audience. Thank you for joining us and thank you for listening!

- Gene & Matt