The Motivation Mindset with Risa Williams

If someone asked you to share your computer's desktop, would you cringe a little? Are the texts and emails just piling up and you're feeling really overwhelmed by them? What's the state of your digital organization right now? Risa Williams talks to digital organizational expert, Indigo Organizing founder, and Ted Talk speaker, Amanda Jefferson, about managing our digital footprints in easier ways.

They discuss:

-What do when your email inbox is feeling overwhelming to navigate

-How password management can stress us out and what to do about it

-Organizing your computer desktop so that it suits your own needs  

-Tech Avoidance and how it gets in our own way of making progress on things

**Upcoming events: Risa Williams will be speaking at The Huddle at The Google Visitor Experience on Sept. 14th at 12 on "Calming Down Skills for Kids and Grownups" and the first 25 people get free books and gift bags! A fun event for both kids and grownups with art activities for everyone! Visit risawilliams.com/writingmedia for info.***

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Amanda Jefferson, indigoorganizing.com, @hey.amandaj 

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

How can we start and end our days in calmer ways? What are some easy routines that can keep us grounded in what we value and help us focus on what we want to get out of the week? Risa Williams talks to podcast host and founder of Whole Wellness Mamas, Amy Nesbitt, about how we can form daily routines that help provide structure and calmer feelings for our lives and our homes.

They discuss:

-Nightly routines that help set us up for calmer mornings

-Ways to visually chart upcoming events for the entire family

-Why one-on-one time is so important for families to prioritize

-How teaching our kids simple daily routines sets them up for an easier time in adulthood

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***Upcoming Events: Risa will be at The San Diego Book Festival on Aug. 23rd at the University of San Diego from 10 am to 4 PM! Stop by her author's booth and pick up some signed books and gifts for the kids!

Risa will also be speaking at Amy's Whole Wellness Mama Summit on Aug. 25th! Sign up here for free access: https://www.wholewellnessmamas.com/summit?sa=sa0227179901f588b20e00d2962f2d4c2c3fbe1952 ***

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Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Amy Nesbitt, linktr.ee/wholewellnessmamas

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Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Sometimes, we can get really lost in our own words during conversations with others. We wander off, we shut down, we forget to say what we need...so how can we learn to be more assertive in our every communication? Risa Williams is joined by Erica Curtis to discuss simple ways we can simplify our thoughts down into words and figure out exactly what we want out of the conversations we're having.

They discuss:

-Simple ways to figure out what you want from an interaction

-How conversations have two types of goals: Action Goals and Emotional Goals

-Practical communication principles from The Gottman Method and The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

-Why we need to regulate our nervous systems and soothe ourselves in order to be able to effectively communicate to others what we want

**UPCOMING EVENTS:

This Saturday: Risa will be doing a story-time and book signing at Village Well Bookstore in Culver City on August 9th at 11 am with free art activities for kids!

August 23rd: Risa and Erica will be hosting an author's booth at the San Diego Book Festival on August 23rd at 10 am, more details at: 

https://www.kpbs.org/sdbookfestival **

Hosts: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Erica Curtis, therapywitherica, @ericakcurtis

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you struggle to slow down and emotionally connect with what's going on around you sometimes? We all do! Risa Williams talks to Kyohei Mikawa, minister of The Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Center of Los Angeles, and Youtube creator of The Lotus Sutra Lab, about everyday mindfulness tools we can use to slow down and feel more compassion for ourselves and the world around us. In these stressful times, how can we lean into more gentle patience, understanding, and kindness towards ourselves and others throughout busy everyday life?

They discuss:

-Mindful "slow down" moments: Taking time throughout the day to practice slowing down and feeling what's happening in your body and around you

-Mindful listening: How to practice a gentle form of listening where we give others space to show us what they are feeling and really hear them more intentionally

-Mindful community: How sharing our mindfulness practice with others helps us practice it more regularly and feel more connected to the world around us

-Mindful spaces: Creating a space in your home that feels like "peace" for you to do your daily mindfulness practice

-Hope and heart: Two important concepts to consider on a daily level to help ground you and give you a boost to keep going

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Kyohei Mikawa, rklabuddhistcenter.com, youtube.com/@AwakenYourInnerBuddha

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you struggle with talking to yourself in a loving way? Do you find it's easier to show other people love rather than to give it to yourself? Then, this episode is for you! Risa Williams talks to therapist, Darrin Kagele, about cultivating self-love and learning into lean into self-kindness more intentionally.

They discuss:

-How kindness is a starting point for learning self-love

-Creating a Self-Love Menu to draw from when you're feeling stuck

-Why training your brain to form new pathways is so important to do

-How self-love is a habit that we need to practice consistently

-Risa's tool: The Cartoon Animal from her book, The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit

-Darrin's tool: "The Sacred Pause" and how to use it to get past stuckpoints

**Stop by and say hello to Risa Williams and Erica Curtis at The San Diego Book Festival on August 23rd at 10am PST! They will be in an author's booth promoting their newest kids book, Max and The Imaginary Tree...as well as their other books!**

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Darrin Kagele, darrinkagele.com

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you avoid trying new things sometimes because your inner critic really holds you back? On this special 100th episode of The Motivation Mindset, Risa Williams talks to podcast host and therapist, Wynn Helms, about how trying new things is so good for you to do - it helps our brains with cognitive flexibility, it engages our curiosity and helps us lean into life-long learning.

They discuss:

-How managing your inner critic is just part of the creative process and how it happens to everyone

-Why new things scare us into self-judgment and criticism

-How leaning into our sense of humor and childlike curiosity helps us get over the hard parts of learning a new thing

-Why it's important to try new things to avoid staying stuck or becoming too "rigid" in our thinking

**A big thank you to all the wonderful guests from the last 100 episodes and all the listeners around the world - we appreciate you!**

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Wynn Helms, wynnhelms.com, @wynn.helms.lmft1

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

What age were you when you learned how to cook for yourself, organize your home, fix household objects or manage your time? Some of us didn't learn these things from our parents or families, we had to teach them to ourselves as adults! And so what happens now, when we have kids, and we have to teach everyday things we weren't taught as kids? Risa Williams talks to Life Skills expert and Ted Talk Speaker, Katie Kimball, about learning and teaching life skills needed for thriving in everyday life.

They discuss:

-How to approach teaching life skills with curiosity and encourage collaboration from our kids  

-How to avoid teaching life skills in chaos and crisis mode

-How learning life skills increases resiliency and confidence 

-How to delegate tasks when you're at your stress capacity 

-How everyone these days can benefit from life-long learning of everyday skills

**For Motivation Mindset listeners, check out Katie's Life Skills Summer Camp for kids at: kidscookrealfood.com/motivationmindset***

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Katie Kimball, kidscookrealfood.com/motivationmindset, @katiekimballkidscook

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you tend to argue with your partner a lot about clutter? Do you have different "clutter tolerance" styles? Sometimes, one person in a relationship doesn't even see the clutter sitting there, while another is very visually and emotionally triggered by it! So, what can we do? Risa Williams talks to organizational expert and author, Colette Roy, about her new book, Clutter and Couples, which addresses all these things that help couples communicate about clutter.

They discuss:

-How people have different levels of clutter tolerance that can cause conflict

-How we can adapt a "data collection" mindset of discussing clutter  

-How praising new organizational habits can be the key to paving new pathways together

-What to do when clutter starts to affect your intimacy and starts to create communication conflicts

-How carving out "sacred areas" of the home together helps you find harmony while still maintaining "independent zones" for your own styles

-Using "pattern disruption" as a way to break out of cluttering habits

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Colette Roy, clutterandcouples.com, @clutterandcouples

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you find the transition into summer to be really stressful to manage? You're not alone! The first few weeks of summer can often feel emotionally bumpy and chaotic to navigate for both parents and kids. Risa Williams talks to Lori Oberbroeckling about managing the start of summer break in a less stressful way so that you can find your fun as a family again.

They discuss:

-Why transitioning into summer can often feel so challenging for kids and parents 

-How kids tend to need some structure and some free time and how to find a balance that works 

-Why we need to bring our stress down before making plans so we don't wind up "defaulting" to things that didn't work last year

-How taking stock of what worked (and didn't) last year is important to review

-How making summer checklists can help everyone figure out a better balance between activities and free time

Risa will be speaking on June 16th at Lori's Supermom Summer Camp - a virtual productivity workshop for parents! Get your free ticket at this link, or by visiting https://www.risawilliams.com/writingmedia.

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Lori Oberbroeckling, secretsofsupermom.com, @secretsofsupermom

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you sometimes wonder why you get to the end of the day and you haven't completed all the tasks you set out to do? Well, sometimes it's down to something called "invisible tasks" which are either tasks we don't really acknowledge we're doing each day, or invisible pieces of tasks we haven't even considered! Risa Williams talks to time management expert, Doctor Radio show host, and media psychologist, Dr. Jessica Stern, about the idea of invisible tasks and how they can sometimes lead to procrastination or stuck-points.

They discuss:

-How invisible parts of tasks might be holding us back because we're not acknowledging that they're really there

-How invisible tasks sometimes lead us straight into procrastination 

-Where we get stuck with perfectionism when it comes to invisible pieces of tasks we need to do

-How we can start to observe and collect data to become more aware of all the invisible pieces of tasks we might not even be seeing day-to-day

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Dr. Jessica Stern, drjessicabstern.com, @drjessicabstern

Support the show

For info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.

*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.