The Dream Catcher Podcast

[Interview] The Keys to Managing Stress and Burnout (feat. Dr. Greg Hammer)

Stress has become a universal experience as well as a rising public health concern in modern society. People today are dealing with stressors that are greater in number and severity than in the past and this is taking a toll on our collective wellness.

Dr. Greg Hammer, my guest today, joins us on today’s show to shed more light on this topic. Greg is a pediatric intensive care physician, anesthesiologist, and professor at Stanford University Medical Center. He is a A member of the Stanford WellMD initiative and has been a visiting professor and lecturer on wellness at institutions worldwide.

During our conversation, Greg talks about the medical impact of stress on our bodies and how we can overcome them with his unique antidote called GAIN. He also talks about coping strategies that we can tap into specifically during the covid-19 global pandemic.

How to Change Your Attitude When You Can't Change Anything Else

A simple shift in our attitude can change how we experience life. The way we decide to respond to our circumstances determines how much satisfaction it brings. But what if the reality we face is exceptionally hard and pushes us to the edge?

The only source of liberation for us at this point our thoughts. I was subconsciously aware of this, but living through the current global pandemic has given me a deep, visceral understanding of what it means. What’s happening right now is a hard pill to swallow, but complaining and scapegoating will make it harder than it needs to be. 

What will help us get through it is changing our perspective on it. In this week’s episode, I’ve outlined four ways you can do this.

[Interview] Curating Your Life to Focus on What Truly Matters (feat. Gail Golden)

We’ve all struggled with finding time to do the things that matter most to us. For years, experts have told us that the only way to manage our time and organize is by finding the perfect work-life balance. However, according to my guest today, trying to establish work life balance is ineffective and there is another more effective approach.

Gail Golden is the founder of Gail Golden Consulting, LLC, an international management psychology consulting firm. She utilizes her experience as an entrepreneur and consultant to leaders of both Fortune 1000 and non-profit organizations to help businesses navigate rapid change by accelerating the development of senior leaders and their organizations. Gail has extensive experience as a public speaker at corporations and colleges.

During our conversation, Gail outlines the steps we can take to begin curating our life to become more productive and satisfied by our end results. She also gives advice on how we can manage burnout and feelings of being overwhelmed by a heavy workload.

5 Things to Keep in Mind When Setting Your Priorities

It is now, more than ever, that we have to learn the art of prioritization. Based on how things evolve around us, we need to adjust our lives and choose different priorities on which to spend our time and energy on. Even though we can’t control what’s happening around us, we can control what’s going on within and adjust our focus.

It’s through simple, everyday actions that we can find meaning. Our priorities define our lives and how we spend our time, whether it be at home, work, in our relationships, our community, or even when we’re alone.

When you choose priorities that are aligned with who you are and who you want to become, it will be easier to plan your day in a way that is congruent to things that hold importance and value to you. This week, I outline five important things to keep in mind every time you set your priorities.

[Interview] Make Better Decisions by Overcoming Blind Spots (feat. Dr. Gleb Tsipursky)

We’ve all made decisions we’re not so proud of. Perhaps we made them prematurely or we relied on some half-truths or incomplete knowledge or we got side-tracked from seeing the whole truth. 

According to my guest today, one of the biggest obstacles when it comes to good decision-making, both in our professional and personal lives, is our unconscious biases and blindspots.

Known as the Disaster Avoidance Expert, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky (see-PUR-skee)  is on a mission to protect leaders from dangerous judgment errors known as cognitive biases by developing the most effective decision-making strategies. He has over two decades of consulting, coaching, and training experience as CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and over 15 years of experience in academia as a cognitive neuroscientist and behavioral economist.

During our conversation Gleb and I talk about the different types of thinking errors, known as cognitive biases, and how we can become more aware of them. Gleb also shares why he thinks that gut decisions are almost always inaccurate and what we should do instead.

[Interview] The Art of Decoding Body Language (feat. Dr. Jillian Pierson)

Body language refers to the gestures a person's face or body uses to communicate nonverbally either consciously or unconsciously. Becoming skilled at reading non-verbal cues can be invaluable to us in our personal and professional life and make us better communicators. To teach us more about the art of interpreting body language, I invited Dr. Jillian Pierson.

Jillian, or professor Pierson, has a psychology degree from UC Berkeley and a masters and doctorate degrees from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Jillian works to engage students in an ongoing conversation about communication as a social science and to encourage them to make their own unique contributions.

Join us for this fun conversation during which Jillain offers a basic framework for understanding non-verbal behavior and advice on how we can become better at reading people. She also debunks some common myths and gives tips on spotting liars.

Why Details Matter (and How to Become Detail-Oriented)

If you see anything that you deem perfect - whether it’s a beautiful work of art, a stellar dance performance, a breakthrough scientific study, or the embroidery on a favourite cushion- you can be sure that there was someone who labored for hours to make sure that they got it ’just right’.

A person who pays attention to the details clearly communicates to the world that they care. People view them as trustworthy, intelligent, resourceful, and quality-conscious. Those who produce half-hearted projects and make no effort to notice are seen as lazy and incompetent.

Fortunately, detail-orientation is a trait that we’re all capable of cultivating. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn five things you do to build on your effort to pay attention to the details.

The Different Stages of Emotional Intimacy

In a society where everything is set up to be high-speed and instantaneous, we have developed an expectation that everything, including our relationships, should be realized as quickly as possible.

In this way, many singles miss out on the depth, magic, and beauty that comes from moving at a slower pace and focusing on that one special person.

Getting to know someone does not occur in a single sweep of events. It unfolds in stages over a period of time. According to writer David Brooks, couples experience seven stages of intimacy. This week, we’ll dive into what it takes to develop healthy intimacy through the seven stages.

[Interview] How to Tap into Our Authenticity and Develop Deeper Self-Awareness (feat. Dr. Patti Ashley)

Authenticity is about being true to yourself. It’s about presence and living in the moment. When you’re around an authentic person, you feel at ease and comforted by their presence. But being authentic is a challenge when you lack self-awareness and you have unresolved past issues.

To tell us more about what it means to be authentic and how we can connect with our authenticity I invited Dr. Patti Ashley.

Patti is a psychotherapist, author, and international speaker with over 35 years of experience counseling individuals, couples, families and groups in various settings. Her signature Authenticity Architecture model breaks through barriers to personal freedom and authentic growth, and helps her clients experience self-love, belonging and connection.

During our conversation Patti shares the key traits of an authentic person, the common blocks to getting in touch with our authenticity. She also shares some tools such as Mandalas and exercises that she uses in her own heart-centered model of creativity called “Authenticity Architecture.”

5 Limiting Beliefs That Are Blocking Your Abundance

Our beliefs are the roadmap we consult when making choices in virtually every aspect of our lives, from the type of food we eat to the political party that we choose to support. All the decisions you’ve made thus far have been based on the beliefs you have.

Most people don’t realize the extent to which deep-seated beliefs in their minds control the direction of their lives. When we fail to question the beliefs that limit us, we may miss out on things that we want most, and it can blind us from seeing opportunities for growth and success.

This week, we’ll look at how we develop limiting beliefs and the five most common limiting beliefs that people have. You’ll learn to recognize when these limiting beliefs dominate your thoughts and have you can shift and replace them with empowering beliefs.