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.

 

 

Direct download: 082_PPP_161121.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:01pm CET

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

Direct download: 081_PPP_161112.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:17am CET

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

 

Direct download: 080_PPP_161031.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:24am CET

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

 

Direct download: 079_PPP_161015.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:42pm CET

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:

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

 

Direct download: 078_PPP_160903_170103.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:35pm CET

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

Direct download: 077_PPP_160831_170103.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:58am CET

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

Direct download: 076_PPP_160814.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:18pm CET

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

Direct download: Brainwash_Announcement_160813.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:21pm CET

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.

Direct download: 075_PPP_160801.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CET

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.

Direct download: 074_PPP_160801.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:15pm CET

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/

Direct download: 073_PPP_160713.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CET

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

Direct download: 072_PPP_160710.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:43pm CET

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

 

Direct download: 071_PPP_160615.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:53pm CET

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

Direct download: 070_PPP_160605.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:04pm CET

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.

Direct download: 069_PPP_160519.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:28pm CET

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?

 

Direct download: 068_PPP_160505.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:56pm CET

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.

 

 

Direct download: 067_PPP_160320.mp3
Category:Psychology -- posted at: 9:24pm CET

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:

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

Direct download: 066_PPP_160305.mp3
Category:Psychology -- posted at: 3:09pm CET

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

 

 

Direct download: 065_PPP_160205.mp3
Category:Psychology -- posted at: 5:16am CET

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

Direct download: 064_PPP_160205.mp3
Category:Psychology -- posted at: 6:14am CET

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

Direct download: 063_PPP_160121.mp3
Category:Psychology -- posted at: 6:26pm CET

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

Direct download: 062_PPP_160109.mp3
Category:Psychology -- posted at: 2:57pm CET

1