The Better Mental Health Show

It is so hard for all of us, but in particular children, to do something that does not involve a digital device. On today's episode we talk about why that is so bad for kids and some strategies to help them find non digital hobbies.

We spend so much time talking about our kids as it relates to cell phone usage. But how much of that problem is actually our, the parents/adults, fault? We are more addicted to cell phones than them. So are we the cause of the problem, or at a minimum, making the problem worse? We discuss on this episode.

Routines are habits, and not all habits are good for you. When we get in a routine, we are basically on autopilot and therefore remove real emotional and physical pleasure from our lives. On today's episode we discuss how routines can be detrimental and ways to shake it up.

With all of the digital devices our kids have available to them, life void of digital inputs is just plain old boring. How do we combat this? How do we get our kids to love and be pleasured by life outside of the phone, ipad, TV, social media, etc? So glad to be back for another episode to talk about this topic.

I have been away for 3 months, and I am so sorry for that. But in that time, I looked inside myself, and learned. On today's episode I share my learnings and hope you resonate with what I found.

So many times we might hear our kids, or even ourself say "I'm nervous" about something we are doing. On this episode, we talk about a different way of looking at being "nervous". Rather than being nervous, be excited! In fact, I argue we should get rid of using the word nervous all together. Take a listen and let me know what you think!

Humans need healthy relationships to help them through the challenges of life. One concept younger kids have a hard time understanding is with friends, less is more. It's not the number of friends we have, but it's the quality of the friendships that really make the difference. Today we discuss the value of having just a few, true friends and how to talk kids about this concept.

The digital, online word kids grow up in can cause real problems as they are constantly being critiqued and compared. How can we counter this? Today we discuss the the only true answer to this question. On this episode we discuss the following article.

As humans and parents in particular, we want to immediately address feelings of confusion for our kids. The idea of them struggling with something should worry us, but would should not rush to fix the problem. What should we do? Take a listen as we discuss.

So many of us post the details of our life on social media for the world to see. Why do we do it, what does it mean for your mental health, for your kids? Join me as we answer these questions.

Communication is key to living a healthy, mentally strong life. On Episode 116 we talk about why communication is so important and ways to improve yours.

Kid's can have panic attacks just like adults. Recently my son suffered a panic attack at his summer camp and we spent some time working through it. On Episode 115 I talk about this experience, what I learned, and how we talked him through it.

Life is all about learning from your past to help you in your present and future. In other words, you have to be Ok going back before forward. In order for an arrow to fly it must first be drawn back, held with strength, and let go. On today's episode we discuss what other lessons we can learn from the arrow.

School shootings are here to stay and we need to start focusing on how we will harden our schools for when another happens. Not only will this help save lives, it will help us reassure our children that serious measures are in place to keep them safe. On today's episode I talk about how this will help kids, teachers, and parent's anxieties.

Sexting is something all kids will have to deal with and it's our job as parents to talk to them about it. Lately there has been a rise in "Sextortion" where kids are being blackmailed by strangers after they send pictures of themselves. The anguish and shame this causes has led to many kids ending their life by suicide. We discuss this and practical ways to talk about this with our kids.

Over 40% of teenagers surveyed reported feeling depressed or persistent sadness. This is a trend that has been on the rise even before the pandemic. Why is it happening? On this episode I discuss an article written by Derek Thompson that cites possible explanations for this crisis.

Anxiety is a normal response to a potentially dangerous or threatening situation. While we typically think about anxiety as a bad thing, numerous studies suggest that anxiety has many benefits to humans. What are they? We discuss on Episode 110, Anxiety Benefits. On this show we discuss the following articles: Article 1 Article 2 Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

A new study recently showed how addicting TikTok is on young brains. The result of this addiction is the wiring of brains to think the world exists as a fast paced, loud, bright, pleasurable place. The problem is, the world does not work that way. Today we discuss TikTok brain, the repercussions, and strategies to help kids limit this. On this show we discuss this article.

Our world today is saturated with pleasures. The problem? Our brains are designed to handle very limited, fleeting amounts. Things like sugary foods, social media, TV binging, and other additive substances all leave us in constant state of pleasure. On today's episode why talk about the problem this causes and the anxiety it can create. On this show we discuss this article.

Last week Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, and all I kept reading were debates as to who was wrong. For me, I saw something completely different. I saw two humans suffering and their mental health disease manifest in violence in front of millions of people. To me, this is an excellent teachable moment, and on this episode I discuss what those lessons are.