 Podcasts accompany people during long commutes, workouts at the gym, and downtime in the bathtub, among other places. If you’re wondering if that’s a good thing, it may help you to know that podcasts interact with your brain in the same way stories do. A 2016 study found that listening to podcasts stimulates multiple areas of both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Accessing information via the human voice can generate activity in parts of the brain responsible for memory, sensory activity, and emotion. If that’s not enough to get you listening to podcasts, we’ve compiled a list of some great ones. These mental health podcasts were chosen for accuracy of information, honesty, and content that promotes reflective dialogue. Podcasts are a modern, efficient way to increase your knowledge base about virtually any topic, including those that affect the health and well-being of your body, brain, and spirit. These are ten previews direct from their publishers. If you’ve got 15 minutes or more to spare, check them out:  The Overwhelmed Brain Anxiety, depression, fears, obsession, panic, or any relationship, marriage or family issues, this show will help you achieve less stress and more happiness. Become empowered and honor yourself so that you can make decisions that are right for you. Mindfulness, compassion and being in the present moment are only components of a bigger picture. Live authentically and strengthen your emotional intelligence to avoid emotional abuse. Get to the root of emotional issues with solid relationship advice and personal help. If affirmations don't work and you're tired of being told to "think positively!", start listening to this show for a better life.  Happier with Gretchin Rubin Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s co-host and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully. Part of the Cadence13 Network.  10 Percent Happier Dan Harris is a fidgety, skeptical ABC newsman who had a panic attack live on Good Morning America, which led him to something he always thought was ridiculous: meditation. He wrote the bestselling book, "10% Happier," started an app -- "10% Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics" -- and now, in this podcast, Dan talks with smart people about whether there's anything beyond 10%. Basically, here's what this podcast is obsessed with: Can you be an ambitious person and still strive for enlightenment? New episodes every Wednesday morning.  By the Book Half reality show, half self-help podcast, and one wild social experiment. Join comedian Jolenta Greenberg and culture critic Kristen Meinzer as they live by the rules of a different self-help book each episode to figure out which ones might actually be life changing.  The Struggle Bus The Struggle Bus is an advice show about mental health, self-care, and just getting through the day. Co-hosts Katharine Heller (@spkheller) and Sally Tamarkin (@sallyt) answer listener questions about family, friends, work, mental health, love, and literally everything else — no topic is off-limits and no problem is too big, too small, or too weird. Climb aboard and get advice from two friends who have lots of feelings and lots of opinions.  The Hilarious World of Depression A show about clinical depression...with laughs? Well, yeah. Depression is an incredibly common and isolating illness experienced by millions, yet often stigmatized by society. The Hilarious World of Depression is a series of frank, moving, and, yes, funny conversations with top comedians who have dealt with this disease, hosted by veteran humorist and public radio host John Moe. Join guests such as Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, Andy Richter, and Jen Kirkman to learn how they’ve dealt with depression and managed to laugh along the way. If you have not met the disease personally, it’s almost certain that someone you know has, whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague, or neighbor. Depression is a vicious cycle of solitude and stigma that leaves people miserable and sometimes dead. Frankly, we’re not going to put up with that anymore. The Hilarious World of Depression is not medical treatment and should not be seen as a substitute for therapy or medication. But it is a chance to gain some insight, have a few laughs, and realize that people with depression are not alone and that together, we can all feel a bit better. American Public Media and HealthPartners’ Make It Okay campaign are committed to breaking the stigma around mental health.  The OCD Stories The OCD Stories is a show that offers hope and inspiration. Stuart Ralph interviews some of the best minds in OCD treatment and recovery to share their advice, to both entertain and educate listeners towards a healthier life. Hope it helps. Disclaimer - this podcast is not a replacement for therapy. Please seek treatment from a licensed mental health professional.  Therapy Lab Award-winning psychotherapist Dr. Sheri Jacobson has sat on both sides of the therapist’s chair. In the TherapyLab podcast, she explores people’s personal insights into therapy, mental health and wellbeing. Through candid conversations with inspirational people including musicians, photographers and authors, the series is great listening for anyone who has ever wondered “What is therapy like and how does it help?”  Tiny Leaps, Big Changes Tiny Leaps, Big Changes is a personal development podcast focused on exploring the day-to-day behaviors we all engage in that determine the results we gain in our lives. Hosted by Gregg Clunis, the show shares simple strategies you can implement into your life to start moving the needle towards your biggest goals.  Anxiety Slayer
Anxiety Slayer is an award-winning podcast for anyone suffering from PTSD, panic attacks, stress, and anxiety. Listen in for a rich collection of supportive conversations, meditations, relaxations, and breathing techniques to help you feel calm, centered and relaxed. Join us for weekly podcasts for your peace of mind and personal growth. Celebrating 10 years!  Some one in five U.S. adults is taking at least one drug for a psychiatric problem; nearly one in four middle-aged women in the United States is taking antidepressants at any given time. You can't escape it: When scientists test the water supply of Western countries, they always find it is laced with antidepressants, because so many of us are taking them and excreting them that they simply can't be filtered out of the water we drink every day. Mustang Nation, if you had always wanted to attend a college campus and be part of one of their classes - now is an opportune moment!! Yale University of Haverford, Connecticut has been inspiring hearts and minds for over 300 years by bringing together ideas and people for positive change around the globe. Emphasizing learning as an essential way of life, Yale is now bringing the widely popular "happiness" course online through Coursera. Check out this free 4-week online course and take the Mustang Happiness Challenge at MVHS by committing to:
1) Taking the "happiness" course with Yale Psychology Professor Dr. Laurie Santos 2) Reading through this current reflection on "The Pursuit of Happiness with Flow" and listening to Dr. Santos' podcasts here 3) Leaving your feedback on this post and sharing with classmates and loved ones how you have been growing in awareness of your pursuit of happiness with flow The Pursuit of Happiness with Flow American essayist Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Throughout the centuries, philosophers have queried the search for happiness for its own sake, and every other factor related to happiness as good health, beauty, power with influence, status, money, impact, and a lasting legacy are also valued and seen as products of the pursuit of happiness. In addition to geopolitical and civilian circumstances, our nation continues to experience heightened levels of depression. Not only impacting adults, current studies reflect that teens are also becoming impacted by these alarming rates of depression. Each year, the World Happiness Report reflects on global conditions of social stability and services; gross domestic product per capita; trust in government and institutions; levels of crime and corruption, etc. all contribute to the objective measure of happiness within the nations of the earth. Investigative journalist, Johann Hari, reflects that: Some one in five U.S. adults is taking at least one drug for a psychiatric problem; nearly one in four middle-aged women in the United States is taking antidepressants at any given time. You can't escape it: When scientists test the water supply of Western countries, they always find it is laced with antidepressants, because so many of us are taking them and excreting them that they simply can't be filtered out of the water we drink every day. Social psychologists of our era have started to engage with the great questions of life as we have entered the digital age: What is happiness? Who has it? Who does not? And why not? The research studies and their findings are sobering yet fascinating. People are unable to acquire happiness simply by desiring it, and waiting for it does not guarantee it. Hoping for happiness does not produce it, and we must know what exactly happiness is in order to pursue it overall. Many might retain the desire for happiness but end up going to the grave without having simple, realistic, and soulful approaches to obtaining it within a lifetime. More cars, more boats, more houses, and more possessions do not equate to a life lived in satisfaction and pleasure, causing our souls to become stretched into new depths of understanding, deepened insight, and heartfelt wisdom. Happiness emerges beyond the mere cosmetics of the mundane and meaningless, and it seeps through our personal histories to cause us to experience the fullness of life. Three main categories of happiness and satisfaction are identified based on recent research studies. The Pleasant Life: People in pursuit of the Pleasant Life seek happiness by looking for pleasure. They are good at savoring the moment and making their pleasures last. These people are often described as “thrill-seekers.” The Engaged Life: People in pursuit of the Engaged Life seek happiness by working hard at their passions. They immerse themselves so deeply in these that they sometimes come across as cold and uncaring; but for them, time seems to melt away as they experience a state of total engagement. The Meaningful Life: People in pursuit of the Meaningful Life use their strengths to work toward something they believe contributes to a greater good. This greater good motivates them deeply. Happy people are highly intentional and passionate to employ their strengths; the people that saw themselves with meaning and engagement were noted as the happiest. Renown psychologist and researcher on studies for happiness and pleasure, Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, highlights his findings here. He applies the term “flow” as a way of becoming completely immersed, with a heightened level of attention and focus, in various life activities - “flow” describes our love for what we are doing and being excellent in it. Gardening, cooking a full meal, bowling in a community league, writing a novel, or blogging a post all exemplify activities in which the focal point is not necessarily on the individual or the task, but the energized focus and full enjoyment of the process within the activity. Full concentration and effort on the task, absorption in the activity at hand, constant engagement, and maintaining a belief that the task and/or job matters to us are essential facets to being in a “flow” state. According to the latest research studies, only 20% of the general American public achieve a flow state each day at work whereas 15% typically never enter their flow state on the job. In my perspective, entering into the “flow” state daily is imperative if we are going to see the tides of depression change in the nature of our nation’s mental health crisis. Here are simple ways to buffer yourself and family members from the snares of depression and experience flow:
It becomes important to assess our own ideas of happiness, and if we are not attaining it in our search - to truly wonder why and what this means for us within the global community and digital age. We must become more expectant to look at the hidden parts and allow light to shine upon the inner horizons of ourselves. If we give ourselves the time and wisdom needed to desire, recognize, and possess happiness, then the pursuit of happiness will become a priority in which we pursue greatness for the soul. We learn what we are called to in this moment. That will carry us into the next moment as we discover how to live even more enriched in a flow state, becoming full of life. Recommended Resources: The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From the World's Happiest People by Dan Buettner Happiness by Joan Chittister Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Focus by Daniel Goleman Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari The Happiness Curve by Jonathan Rauch Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Martin Seligman  Mustangs, the world is currently rough out there! As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be widespread, one of the most frightening and frustrating aspects of the disaster is the fact that no one knows how long it will be before the crisis is resolved. Being humans, we are used to stories that have a beginning, a middle, and an end; it can be hard to make sense of an experience without knowing where you are in the story line. When life seems to lose its narrative structure, books can be a source of personal comfort. Jane Austen’s novels, for instance, are reassuring not only because of their happy endings but also because of the way they uphold social conventions, even while acknowledging their fallibility. Isaac Asimov’s works, from what has been known as the golden age of science fiction, presents optimistic visions of the future in which machines and the universe itself are governed by laws people can identify and understand. Commonly noted as a psychologist in the history of literature, Fyodor Dostoevosky's accounts are renown for his activity as a journalist that had prophetic vision of how Russian revolutionaries would behave if they came into power. Any direct quotes are from key literary enthusiasts from around the world. Here are some suggestions for your next book nook experience: “No other author goes with such casual intimacy as [Austen] … into the vulnerable spot where society touches the root of self. And few authors are at the same time so quietly fearsome and so intensely consoling.” Check out Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park!  Fyodor Dostoyevsky achieved great celebrity in his own time. Indeed, he frequently capitalized on his legend by drawing on the highly dramatic incidents of his life in creating his greatest characters. Even so, some events in his life have remained clouded in mystery, and careless speculations have unfortunately gained the status of fact. Check out Notes from the Underground, Crime and Punishment, and The Brothers Karamazov! 
  Many Americans are tasked with navigating multiple long-term goals within any 168-hour week. Time becomes the great equalizer for all that work blue-collar and white-collar jobs as well as the stay-at-home parent and campus student. As one task awaits accomplishment, another task arouses attention and catches our thoughts. For many, procrastination can be likened to a strange and opposing force similar to bringing like poles of a magnet together. It can cause its victims to fail out of school, perform poorly in the workplace, put off saving for retirement, and prevent the pursuit of medical treatment among many other life scenarios. A campus study from over two decades ago found that college-age procrastinators are more likely to experience more illness, higher stress levels, and more likely to drop out by the end of their fall semester. Blogger of Wait but Why Tim Urban engages this theme of extreme procrastination, and you can view his Ted Talk. Some perceive procrastination as a mode of failing to self-regulate behavior - bad behaviors that are an outcome of the lack of self-control. Others have stated that procrastination is not a matter of poor time management or being lazy, but a deeper reflection of how the brain works and perceptions of the self. Psychologists tend to see procrastination as an avoidance behavior, and it becomes a feel-good mechanism that attempts to alleviate the procrastinator’s negative feelings related to fear, dread, and/or anxiety of the task at hand with simple avoidance. Yet, the deadline might be more convicting and attacking for the procrastinator’s conscience, and it turns into a self-defeating cycle of shame and guilt. Rather than remaining focused on the long-term goal, this instant gratification gives the procrastinator “hedonic pleasure” and releases a form of immediate relief. In contrast, the long-term goals that are more challenging to realize but once achieved produce long-lasting satisfaction and emotional well-being, now termed as “eudaimonic pleasure.”
“When making long-term decisions, people tend to fundamentally feel a lack of emotional connection to their future selves,” says Hal Hershfield, a psychologist at UCLA Anderson School of Management who studies both the present and future self. “So even though I know on some fundamental level in a year’s time, I’ll still be me, in some ways I treat that future self as if he’s a fundamentally different person, and as if he’s not going to benefit or suffer from the consequences of my actions today.” Those who are emotionally connected and in touch with their future selves report fewer procrastination behaviors. Getting in touch with the future self can produce more long-term positive emotions about the present self. In one of Hershfield’s studies, those that were better emotionally connected with their future selves through virtual reality and digitally-aged photographs of themselves were twice as more likely to invest in retirement accounts than those who did not. Assisting the procrastinator to get in touch with the future self can support long-term vision and promote overall long-lasting happiness and satisfaction. DePaul University psychology professor, Joseph Ferrari, states that there are typically two distinct types of people that have problems completing chores on time: chronic procrastinators and task delayers. Underlying scientific conclusions pertain to the conditional problem of pervasiveness. Household chores can be overwhelming and might create a need for aversion to other activities that are more preferred, but they are not indicative of a chronic problem. Universally, all people have the capacity to procrastinate at times, but chronic procrastinators experience a negative impact on their personal health and relationships. Ferrari states in his research that this is a “lifestyle of avoidance” and this description applies to about 20% of the general public. Task delayers have the capability to acquire better lifestyle habits in contrast to their chronic counterparts. Social psychologist Roy Baumeister and his former colleagues from Case Western Reserve University established in their findings that the human body has a basic energy supply of glucose within the bloodstream, and eventual decision-making opportunities deplete the necessary energy required to be decisive and exercise self-restraint, especially while at work described through a phenomenon called “decision fatigue.” A component of why task delayers are lulled into their bad habits in the first place might be the time of the day or week when chores often occur. “Doing those tasks takes some self-control, and if you’ve made a lot of choices already that day, it’s harder to exert self-control,” states Baumeister. Negative emotions as guilt and shame contribute to chronic procrastination especially in light of how the procrastinator internalizes task avoidance as an outcome of a larger moral failure. The chronic procrastinators tell stories of that which could be if they simply buckled down and did that task at hand. Yet, accomplishing tasks into small, manageable steps and related efforts can still become thwarted if chronic procrastinators do not perceive their progress as dynamically changing or progressing quickly enough. These individuals attack themselves in an endless cycle of shame that calcifies negative behaviors into bad habits, instead of evaluating their procrastination more rationally. Task delaying and chronic procrastination researchers are continuing to plow into new frontiers in the last two decades as they have stated that decision fatigue already negatively impacts individuals that have a low willpower. People who expect themselves to fail often do, and this indicates more reason for people to be more conscious of their habits. Linda Houser-Marko, research psychologist of the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation, highlights in her recent findings that it can be better to measure progress toward larger projects in terms of smaller, incremental sub-goals - whether these are part of writing a small portion of a bigger research paper or a chapter within a book - rather than the larger objective itself. She counsels people who struggle with procrastination that, “The higher-level goal might give you more meaning, but the lower-level goal is better when you have setbacks or when you’re not making as much progress.” Getting the task started along with the small victories associated with task initiation are part of what it takes to experience some measures of success. It might take more trial and error to achieve a good stance on the productivity high wire, and many productivity experts agree that it can be easier to turn something into something better with an editing process and revisions rather than turning nothing into something. Here are several strategies for navigating the pitfalls of procrastination:
Recommended Resources: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity & Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World by David Allen The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior by Mark Goulston & Philip Goldberg Better than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love by Elizabeth Lombardo Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life by Judith Orloff |
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