As we move through these uncertain times together, I want to do everything I can to help you build and maintain the psychological strength you’ll need to thrive through this adversity.  

We founded Peak Mind to help you navigate times exactly like this.  

Life is not always perfect. Sometimes gratitude is more difficult to find. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is do our best to remain calm and keep a balanced mindset. 

Psychological strength can help you do just that. 

This episode is the first of a series of episodes that I plan to do to help you navigate the complex thoughts and feelings that might be coming up as we face the coming weeks and months. 

In today’s episode, I discuss a few things: 

• First, we discuss the brain science behind why we all feel so anxious as our day-to-day lives are so different from the way they once were. You are not alone in your feelings. They are very normal and quite natural and adaptive. 
• I talk about how our natural response to uncertainty is to try to control our circumstances. This helps explain why we as a group have responded in some of the ways that we have (hello, toilet paper). 
• Finally, I end with a hands-on exercise that you can do to help find a more grounded, centered, balanced mindset during times that you might feel anxious or worried. 

The fact of the matter is, there is a threat out there. The corona virus is real. However, I hope that the information and exercise in this episode helps you remain calm and centered, even as you move through a period of great uncertainty and change. 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: 

As an additional resource, Peak Mind will be offering free, virtual psychological strength-building sessions to those people enrolled in our free Starter Pack module. We are offering these sessions to help build community and offer information, support, and actionable tools to help you move through the coming weeks and months. 

Head over to https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/starter-pack to sign up for free and be notified about the details of these sessions. 

What if I told you that it is literally possible for you to choose the way you’re going to feel in nearly every situation in life? 

As it turns out, decades of research into the connection between thoughts and emotions shows us that it is, and we’re digging deep into it this week.  

This week, we’re speaking with Dr. Sasha Heinz. Dr. Heinz is a Developmental Psychologist and Life Coach, is an expert in Positive Psychology, lasting behavioral change, and the science of getting unstuck. She is a graduate of Harvard University, a former faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program, a working mom, and she has lived life on the frontline of the battle with perfectionism. 

This episode is such a powerful one because it has the ability to change your day-to-day life experience. 

We dig into: 

• The link between situations, thoughts, emotions, and actions, and the order in which they happen 
• We talk about the importance of cultivating emotional fluency 
• We dive DEEP into guilt and the sneaky ways our mind propagates it 
• Then we talk about what to do to change all of that 

I’m so proud of myself because there were about a dozen rabbit holes I didn’t go down in this interview in the effort of keeping us focused. Rest assured, Dr. Heinz will be back for another episode soon. 

Until then, please enjoy this interview and think about how you might use the tips in this episode to help improve your own emotional experience. 

Unless you’ve been living so far off the grid that a global pandemic can’t reach you anyways, you’ve heard about the coronavirus. You’ve probably also been affected in some way. Events have been cancelled. Businesses and schools have closed or shifted to remote options. Supplies at grocery stores have sold out in places, and the stock market has plummeted.

With organizations like the WHO and CDC issuing the need for safety precautions and various levels of government calling various states of emergency, it’s hard not to worry…or worry that you’re not worrying enough.

For more than a decade, Ashley's day job as a clinical psychologist has been helping people learn to manage anxiety effectively. Because so many people are feeling anxiety and worry, we wanted to share a few tips to help you keep your cool while staying safe.

Relevant Links:

• Here are some more credible resources about dealing with the coronavirus: https://adaa.org/finding-help/coronavirus-anxiety-helpful-resources
• Here are other episodes of the podcast that focus on anxiety

Pop quiz! On a scale from 1-10, how uncomfortable does it make you feel to think about negotiating on your own behalf? 

Now, on a scale from 1-10, how uncomfortable does it make you feel to think about negotiating on someone else’s behalf?  

For a lot of us, the thought of asking for something for ourselves is TERRIFYING. The self-doubt kicks in so fast. “Am I being fair?” “Is my performance really worth that much?” “What if they think I’m difficult to work with?” 

So many of us have that experience, and that’s why we’re diving into the topic this week.  

This week we’re speaking with Ruzana Glaeser. co-founder of brightmeetsbrave.com, a website aimed to empower women to ask on their own behalf.  

Ruzana has experience negotiating for manufacturing and retail companies, in the US and abroad, for large corporations as well as small privately held firms. She has a direct yet collaborative approach to negotiations, enjoys working with women and speaking about how women can find confidence to negotiate on their own behalf and succeed! 

During this interview, we talk about: 

• What gender roles and stereotypes actually are and the role they play in negotiations 
• Our fear of backlash and what to do about it
• How to cultivate a sense of self-worth to help you be more confident in the size of your ask 
• The amazing role men can play in your negotiation 
• Actionable tips for prep, execution, follow-up 

I encourage you to take a broad view of how negotiation plays into your life. The tips and information in this episode can help you in your job, in your relationships, and in so many other facets of life.  

Help us create our next core program by participating in our survey: https://www.peakmindpsychology.com/survey  

Have you ever had to persist even though you wanted to give up?  

Have you ever had to admit to yourself that you have a limited capacity of energy or bandwidth and had to be strategic about how you spend your time and energy?  

Have you ever had to transition into a new identity and felt sadness at the identity and lifestyle you’re leaving behind? 

If you said ‘yes’ to any of those questions, this week’s interview is for you. This week, we’re speaking with Brian Weaver, entrepreneur, father, husband, and former elite amateur IronMan athlete. 

Brian spent years in the sport of IronMan, ranking as high as No. 1 in the world for his class. He knows exactly what it feels like to have to persist when you want to quit. He intimately understands the strategy it takes to work within your limited amount of energy, and he’s masterful at setting up the strategies, systems, and supportive environments to help him achieve his goals. 

And we get to learn from him this week! 

In his episode, we cover: 

• The strategic approach Brian took to create space in his busy life to compete in IronMan.  
• We talked about the importance of time management and a supportive network of people in helping you achieve your goals. 
• He gives priceless advice on the importance of self-awareness and knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are so that you can strategically approach each of them. 
• He also speaks in depth about how to manage your limited amount of energy in a given day using a brilliant metaphor about a book of matches. 
• Finally, he talks about his experience as he has transitioned out of the sport and what it has meant to leave that identity behind.  

This episode is full of so much wisdom from someone who has competed at an elite level, and he breaks it all down to make it applicable to our daily lives.