Whether you want to bring up a difficult subject with a loved one or you want to join a new class, fear can be a powerful obstacle. In fact, any uncomfortable emotion (like sadness, anxiety, or anger) can stand in between you and your goals if you let it.

In today’s Friday Fix, I share one of my favorite strategies for finding courage when you need it the most so you can face your fears, make a change, or do something you’ve always wanted to do.

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Paul Gilmartin is a comedian. He was the longtime host of the TBS show Dinner and a Movie. He's also appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, HBO, and VH1.

He’s now the host of a popular podcast called The Mental Illness Happy Hour. He interviews celebrities, experts, and everyday people about their trauma, mental illness, addiction, and negative thinking. 

He had always made other people laugh, and he looked like he was enjoying life from the outside.

But mental illnesses are often hidden. And just because someone doesn’t “look depressed” doesn’t mean that they aren’t. In today's show, Paul talks about how he got sober, what helped reduce his depression, and how he faces uncomfortable emotions. 

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A lot of people have entered my therapy office over the years saying things like, “I just have to get rid of my stress.” 

But stress is part of life. And there will always be obstacles and hardships. Even having nothing to do can be quite stressful.

Being mentally strong when you’re feeling stressed out doesn’t mean ignoring your stress or pretending it doesn’t exist. It’s about being aware of your stress levels so you can take action. 

Stress management is a skill that can be learned. And we all have the ability to get better at it.

On today’s episode of the Friday Fix, we’re talking about how to change the way you think about stressful events. Shifting your mindset could make a huge difference in how your body and your brain reacts to stress. 

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Melissa Bernstein creates all the toys for her company, Melissa & Doug. Melissa also has what she calls "existential" depression. She's discovered a lot of creative people experience this. Fortunately, she's also discovered some things that help her feel better. 

In this episode, she shares how to know if you have existential depression and the strategies that can help.

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The way you respond to feelings of anxiety makes a huge difference in how intense these emotions become and how long they last.

There may be some mistakes you’re making that are actually making your anxiety worse.

Fortunately, learning about anxiety can help you figure out how to respond to your anxious feelings in a helpful way.

On today’s Friday Fix, I share one of my favorite strategies for taming anxiety. It’s a great first step for any time you feel anxious.

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“It's so easy to say, ‘Oh, everything happens for a reason.’ But if you don't do the work to figure out the reason, then you're never going to see the purpose in that mistake.” 

When Craig Grossi was serving in Afghanistan, he befriended a stray dog named Fred. When his deployment was up, he decided to smuggle Fred into the United States with him.

The two then took a cross country road trip and documented their adventures in Craig's first book, Craig and Fred.

Now, Craig and Fred help train service dogs in the Maine State Prison. Craig started a writing group with some of the veterans who were in prison and he learned some valuable life lessons. Some of the things he talks about include friendship, forgiveness, and finding the courage to ask for help. 

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Kids need mental strength just as much as adults, especially right now.

So I'm thrilled that my first-ever mental strength book for kids has hit the shelves. It's called 13 Things Strong Kids Do. 

My book teaches kids how to build mental muscle so they can think big, feel good, and act brave.

And while my book is written for kids, it’s important for the adults in their lives to reinforce the material. 

After all, kids often need a coach who is there with them in the moment. So when they’re tempted to give up or when they begin to doubt themselves, we can teach them how to apply the exercises to real-life situations.

On today’s Friday Fix, I share the 13 Things Strong Kids Do and some strategies you can use to encourage your kids to develop these healthy habits now.

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Mallory couldn’t control her circumstances. But she took control of her attitude.

She chose to continue swimming competitively after becoming paralyzed from the waist down. And even though things were a lot different for her after her injury, she chose to keep striving to reach her greatest potential. 

Some of the things Mallory discusses include the messiness of grief, how to respond to people who try to define your limitations, and how to shift your own beliefs about your capabilities.

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There may be several ways in which you give away your power without even realizing that you’re doing it. 

You might waste a lot of time thinking about someone you don’t like. This would mean you are giving that person power over your time.

Or you might let someone treat you poorly. Perhaps you don’t dare speak up because you don’t want to seem rude—but then you still blame the other person for ruining your day. This means you are giving that person power over your life.

Retaining your personal power requires you to take responsibility for the way you think, feel, and act. It’s about being proactive regarding how much time and energy you devote to the people and activities in your life.

In today’s episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I’ll share a simple but powerful exercise that can help you take back your power so you feel more in control.

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Even though Kendall shares a lot of inspirational and motivational messages with her followers, she’s open about her own struggles with mental health issues. 

She makes it clear that while her OCD and depression were treated, she doesn’t consider her journey with mental health over. She continues to make her mental health an ongoing priority in her life, and she shares the strategies that work for her.

Some of the things Kendall shares are how to make your mental health a real priority in your life, a strategy that can help you take action when you don't feel like it, how to find the courage to ask for help when you need it, and much, much more.

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