The Positive Psychology Podcast - Bringing the Science of Happiness to your Earbuds with Kristen Truempy

Rosie from Illinois bravely confronts the shock, confusion and disillusion following the election of Donald Trump. She sits with discomfort, struggles through some painful realizations and ultimately recovers a sense of direction and even excitement. This is not only relevant for those of you trying to make sense of the new political landscape. It's also a demonstration of how we can face our own contradictions and use the tension generated to propel us toward personal growth. If you want a personal growth spurt of your own check out my 21-Day audiobook program called Brainwash.

To those of you who are terrified and not entirely sure what to do next: here are some thoughts to comfort but hopefully also inspire you to see this as the growth opportunity that it is. This episode does neither contain concepts from psychology or politics but is instead my heartfelt reaction. The psychology and the politics will come later as I decided to do a mini-series on politics and building our future. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Let others punch fear in the face. Michelle Poler instinctively knew that she would need some oysters, a bikini and a time-machine to confront her numerous fears. In this conversation we dive into the creative and fun way she decided to address her fears, what she learned in the process and how she inspired millions to do the same (but in their unique way). Also you don't want to miss her thought-provoking insight into what her relationship with fear is like now. You can find out more and connect with Michelle and her interesting work here: http://100dayswithoutfear.com/ https://medium.com/hello-fears https://twitter.com/michelle_poler OK now something completely different. If you are in the UK and would love to go through a certified positive psychology program that is tried & tested, thorough and taught by a kick-ass wise Japan loving lady called Daniela Blickhan go to http://strengthsphoenix.com/daniela And last but not least my audiobook Brainwash is out. No more waiting, you can get it instantly if you go to http://strengthsphoenix.com/shop

Deirdre a listener from beautiful Cape Town asked me a few questions about my personal journey with depression and I decided to answer her questions on the podcast. Furthermore I added a section about what people who have loved ones with depression should keep in mind. If your inner dialogue sucks and you would like to challenge and rework the responsible brain patterns check out my audiobook Brainwash at http://strengthsphoenix.com/shop

Today investor and fellow podcaster Matt Bodnar joins us to discuss money but we end up covering: Decision-making Blocking and tackling Financial literacy Limiting beliefs and how to reverse them (The 4 Questions) Pyramid of Action and more In the second half Matt does such impromptu coaching taking on my money hang-ups. If you are really into science or psychology as usual you may have to open your mind or skip this episode all together. Matt referred to lots of resources, so here they are: Click here to check out Matt's podcast episode with Vishen Lakhiani Charlie Munger's books can be found here Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki Seeking Wisdom by Peter Bevelin Influence by Robert Cialdini Farnham Street Blog And in case you want to be one of the first to get a copy of my first audiobook called Brainwash pre-order here: http://strengthsphoenix.com/shop

No this is not an "exercise is good for you" episode. It's also not about how running affects you psychologically. This is really about taking the techniques of positive psychology and applying them to a tough challenge, in this case, training for a half-marathon. Even if you have never run a mile in your life and don't plan to some of the mindset obstacles and changes discussed here will be useful for whatever big challenge you have in your own life. To support the funding of my new and first audiobook Brainwash please visit http://strengthsphoenix.com/shop

Why is coaching so popular and will it remain that way when the robots come? Today Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Associate Professor of Coaching at Henley Business School shares with us his insights into when coaching is needed, how it can unleash its powers in companies and when working with young people. You can find his books at Sage Publications. There's also a status update regarding the launch of my first audiobook Brainwash which you can check out at http://strengthsphoenix.com/shop

I have never been more terrified of releasing an episode of the Positive Psychology Podcast. It's the closest thing to taking off my clothes and running around naked online that I have done. If you want to know why listen in and check out https://gum.co/brainwash

Translating psychological concepts into daily life is not easy. So in this new reflection episode I look back on the concepts my friend Susanna Halonen taught me back in 2014 on passion. I will examine how I apply her ideas in my own life, where I still struggle and how two years later, I still work on implementation. I highly recommend that you listen to the original episode 8 on passion to remind yourself of the details of her passion theory. I hope that the reflection episodes help you deepen what you already know and inspire you to apply the concepts in your daily life.

Originally I was reluctant to dig into grit: it just sounded like one of these many killjoy concepts that make us into the perfect corporate consumer soldier. How wrong I was. You don't need to have a flawlessly clean room or stay on the perfect diet for the rest of your life. Check out what grit is, how you can identify and cultivate it.

Did you know that you are a broadcaster and have a lots of influence over the people in your life? Former CBS news anchor turned Positive Psychologist Michelle Gielan discusses how changing what and how we broadcast is crucial for success, happiness and health. If Michelle's message resonated with you, you can get her audiobook Broadcasting Happiness for free if you go through http://strengthsphoenix.com/audible and sign-up for a trial membership. You can find out more about Michelle at http://michellegielan.com/ If you want to take the success scale go to http://broadcastinghappiness.com/success-scale/ And last but not least if you want to download the manifesto she talked about go to http://transformativejournalism.com/the-manifesto/ .

If you take your well-being seriously you have to prioritize and manage it. Today I will share how I do this focusing mainly on the tools I use, mostly smartphone apps. You can find the full list of links on the page Apps to Manage Happiness

In our pursuit of happiness it is easy to become myopic. Why not freshen things up by trying, just for the length of this episode, to achieve utter misery? Randy Paterson is a psychologist and the author of the book How to be Miserable: 40 Strategies you Already use. He will shine a light on some of the strategies we use to be miserable (unless you are of course a regular listener, in which case, I trust, you have kicked most of these habits already ;-). For more episodes visit http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen For those of you who finally want to give Audible a try and support the podcast while doing so (at no extra cost to you) check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/audible

Dan McAdams' work has illuminated how stories shape our identity. Today we dissect the elements of story to unearth the narrative we tell ourselves. Furthermore we will look at a life-stage model and how reaching or missing expected milestones can shape our identity. You can find more episodes at http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen To get a free audiobook of your choice check out http://strengthphoenix.com/audible

Maria Sirois from episode 21 on authenticity returns to the Positive Psychology Podcast to talk about happiness after loss. Maria has written A Short Course in Happiness After Loss: (and Other Dark, Difficult Times) We talk about when happiness is appropriate after loss, what we can do when tragedy strikes and how we can support those we love going through a hard time. Maria also mentions Viktor Frankl who has written an amazing book called Man's Search for Meaning If you want to hear Maria's take on authenticity check out episode 21. And last but not least if you need something a bit lighter to listen to after these serious topics you can search for Nicola Yoon's great novel Everything Everything on Audible, download it for free if you sign up to try out Audible's membership (which I have been using since 2006) and support the Positive Psychology Podcast at the same time.

Today we will talk about the philosophy of minimalism. It's not (yet) rooted in psychological evidence but based on what we know about what makes people happy and what doesn't it contains a lot of useful ideas. We will talk about what minimalism is and is not, what the benefits are as well as some guidelines to help you consider as you go about your life. And in case you would like to learn more about minimalism (I recommend Leo Babauta's The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life) you can grab a free audiobook if you go through my website http://strengthsphoenix.com/audible More episodes can be found at http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen Why not be brave and leave the first review in your iTunes store?

We will talk about the anatomy of habits, discuss BJ Fogg's work on tiny habits and then address some things which make successful habit implementation more likely. This episode is meant to revisit some of the aspects of the Happy Habits interview episode (number 26) and to add a different approach to habits that is easy and helpful. We will also talk about the obstacles and excuses that can trip you up. For those of you who want to delve deeper into the topic of habits I can recommend two books: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin If you go through this link you will not only get a new audiobook for free but you will also get the fuzzy feeling of knowing that you sponsored a month's worth of hosting fees.

Comfort and convenience We seek comfort through convenience. The time that convenience was designed to create for more important things is often taken up by more convenience Convenience is a never ending task. Our tolerance for discomfort steadily decreases which in turn is related to a lowering of our psychological well-being A way out is to allow more risk and failure back into our lives Consumerism The number of ads outnumbers probably all other messages we get every day Without thinking about our relationship with consumerism it controls us Rethinking consumerism is not about saying goodbye to fun and joy It's about aligning what's important to us with how we spend our energy and resources This creates room for the great stuff Antidotes gratitude savouring mindfulness thinking about values and what you do and don't do creation Resources mentioned: The Upside of your Dark Side by Todd Kashdan & Robert Biswas-Diener Related episodes: Positive Money Savouring You can download any Audible book for free (psychology or say the Harry Potter series) if you go through strengthsphoenix.com/audible . I am currently listening to Adam Grant's Originals, Brené Brown's Rising Strong and The Candy Machine by Tom Felling. Audible does sponsor the podcast so should you decide to go through this link I will get a little something to cover the costs such as hosting at no extra cost to you. I love Audible and have been a customer since 2006 and a member with 1 or 2 books each month since 2010. For more episodes of the Positive Psychology Podcast click http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

One of the most interesting ways to implement positive psychology is by using techniques from the arts. You don't have to be a liberal arts college major to use and enjoy these techniques. Shannon Polly and I discuss how acting as if, posture, reading great speeches and improv theatre techniques help her Fortune 500 clients grow personally and develop and stronger executive presence. We also discuss how acting and authenticity relate to each other and have a special fun surprise at the end. Shannon is a leadership development facilitator, coach, speaker, author and founder of Shannon Polly and Associates, with degrees in both music and drama. She is also among the first 150 people in the world to graduate with a Masters of Science in Applied Positive Psychology. You can learn more about her work at http://shannonpolly.com/ Character Strengths Matter: How to Live a Full Live Shannon mentioned the comedian Yakov Smirnoff in case you're curious what a comedian with a positive psychology degree is like. Amy Cuddy's TED talk on how body languages influences how we feel. If you enjoy the talk you can download her audiobook for free if you sign up for a risk free trial at strengthsphoenix.com/audible Sonja Lyubomirsky The How of Happiness Michelle McQuaid's Strengths Challenge You can download any Audible book for free (psychology or say the Harry Potter series) if you go through strengthsphoenix.com/audible Audible does sponsor the podcast so should you decide to go through this link I will get a little something to cover the costs such as hosting at no extra cost to you. I love Audible and have been a customer since 2006 and a member with 1 or 2 books each month since 2010. For more episodes of the Positive Psychology Podcast click http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Episode 10 was for the guys, this one is for the ladies. Niyc Pidgeon, a positive psychologist who works mainly with female entrepreneurs and I discuss the differences between coaching men and women, when coaching makes sense, self-care and what kind of interventions Niyc uses with her clients to make them even more successful. Find out more about Niyc at http://www.niycpidgeon.com/ Niyc mentioned this book: Second Wave Positive Psychology by Kate Hefferon, Itai Ivtzan, Tim Lomas and Piers Worth. For more episodes of the Positive Psychology Podcast go to http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Elaine, a listener of the podcast, wrote in and suggested that I cover shame from the perspective of positive psychology. We will look at the work of Brené Brown, a rockstar shame and vulnerability researcher. Furthermore I will also address shame from a personal point of view, simply because not talking about it breeds more of it. For more episodes of the Positive Psychology Podcast check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen gdt4f5er

What do we sacrifice on the altar of speed and instant everything? Why is the imperative for speed bad for you and what can we do about it? We will talk about some of the surprising benefits that patience has on our lives. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

If you are new to the Positive Psychology Podcast (or a bit behind) and you are a bit lost why not check out the top 10 of 2015?

Who doesn't want more happiness, optimism and balance in their life? Self-compassion, championed by Dr. Kristin Neff, is one of those things that almost nobody has enough of. We are very self-critical because we're afraid otherwise we might lose our edge. That is however not true so why continue beating ourselves up? In this episode we explore what self-compassion is, why it's often misunderstood and what we can do to get more of it. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Thanksgiving is over but regardless of the time of the year it's really helpful to be conscious of all the resources that are at our disposal. It provides us with perspective and show us that whatever is bothering us, is not the only thing we have (or lost) in life. In this episode we talk about 16 categories, some of which we don't usually think about, when thinking about what we have. If you are unhappy with your own resources you can use this list to build resources the same way people traditionally think about building wealth. For more episodes check out strengthsphoenix.com/listen

The holiday season has kicked off and people all around the world are wondering what to do about 'negative' family members. Waiting them to change has not helped so what now? Try to involve them in a strengths-based conversation. See how different the conversation pans out when we start asking more meaningful questions than 'how are you?' I invited Erica Virvo on for this demonstration because her fun and adventurous spirit has led her to experience the kind of life many people dream they could lead themselves (hint: she's not a trust-fund baby). For more episodes of the Positive Psychology Podcast check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Dr. Richard Wiseman is on a mission to make people go to sleep more often and more deeply. You will hear what happens we we sleep, what happens when we don't sleep enough, the benefits of sleeping, how to fall asleep more easily and a little bit about dreams. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Today we look at authentic leadership and why it's important for anyone, regardless of whether you have a formal leadership position or not. We will examine the benefits of authentic leadership, the qualities these authentic leaders have and how they lead. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

While science is at the heart of positive psychology we sometimes need role models to understand how concepts like curiosity or growing beyond our comfort zones can be applied to our own lives. Nathaniel Boyle from the Daily Travel Podcast talks to us about how travel helps us to grow into our true selves. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Willpower is essential to to reach our goals. Yet as Kelly McGonigal points out in her book The Willpower Instinct common ideas about willpower are often wrong. In this episode we look at these misconceptions and how to overcome them. For more episodes of the Positive Psychology Podcast check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

What can I do right in love? That's the question Nate Bagley asked himself before he embarked on the Loveumentary project, where he has interviewed over 70 couples who are in functioning relationships. We talk about what it takes, delicate balances and ridding ourselves from unhelpful relationship beliefs. For more episodes visit http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

In this short episode we look at what flow is and how you can cultivate it. Like last week's episode on mindfulness this is also about the quality of experience. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Mindfulness is not just for vegan yoga practitioners or new agey types: CEOs do it (so if they have time you probably do too) as well and many others. This episode will cover what mindfulness is, what it isn't, why bother and how to develop it. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Positive Psychology is not just interested in happy clappy topics - it's also interested in how we can deal with difficult situations. In this episode I am not sharing research but instead tell the story of the death of my father. It's a taboo subject and the notion that some things can be positive about death is barely ever talked about. I share some personal lessons I learned about death, what I hope will be different and what will be the next time someone close to me dies.

Negative thinking happens in the heat of the moment. How can we change that and what are concrete ways to change the inner dialogue? This is an excerpt from three positive psychology coaching calls designed to illustrate the positive psychology of changing your inner dialogue in action. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Did you always want to study a foreign language but got discouraged or never even started? Or are you an expat who wants to connect with the locals but struggle? This is a passionate pep talk peppered with positive psychology concepts to help you think about language learning in fresh ways and also practical steps to get you going. For other episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Therapy with a positive twist: how does it work? How can we bring people to experience powerful breakthroughs and get them out of their heads? What's story and acting got to do with it? Dr. Dan Tomasulo, psychologist, therapist, MAPP and writer explores these questions with us today and gives us a backstage peek into the therapist's office. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

What is empathy, what do we know about it and how do we increase it? For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

You will have an opportunity to think about how individualistic you are and which things you prefer to do by yourself. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

People like to talk about values but what are they exactly? And how can something so abstract actually be helpful in our messy daily life? For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

What is a positive institution? What sets a good company or school apart from regular institutions? What can you contribute to make the institutions you are involved with more positive? For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Travel is a wonderful way to achieve personal growth. How does it relate to psychological well-being? How does travel allow us to explore and live our values? I will address these questions by sharing my personal take on travel and how it contributes to a more fulfilled life. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Making positive psychology inclusive is not just a topic that is important for people with disabilities but all of us. Michael Wehmeyer talks about how implementing measures to think about and assist people with disabilities benefits society in surprising ways. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Ryan Niemiec returns to discuss what mindfulness is, what the benefits are and how we can personalize the practice by tapping into our strengths. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Emotional intelligence is made up of different skills. We will look at the different skills and how to cultivate them. We will also learn why decision making without emotions might not be as great as we think it is. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Writing can help us deal with trauma and the negative effects of inhibiting things and keeping secrets. We will explore how writing can be a great coping mechanism. Furthermore examples are given of how writing contributes to positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

A fixed mindset might be what's standing in your way. Learn what a growth mindset is and how to acquire it. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Constructive journalism is about news that is not junk food to your mind. Based on the work of Cathrine Glydensted we explore what constructive journalism is, how you are impacted by the news and what you can watch out for to ensure a more quality news diet. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

What are high-quality connections? What do they feel like and what benefits do they have? What different lenses exist to make sense of our relationships? For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen

Based on the work of Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté we will explore the ABC of resilience, thinking traps and how to question them and icebergs. For more episodes check out http://strengthsphoenix.com/listen