Ep 152 - The dark side of goals

In this episode, Richard is joined by friend of the podcast Dr. Rachael Skews. They discuss a recent coaching psychology conference they both presented at, the nature of coaching research, the importance of evidence-based practice and ask the killer question: will your coach be replaced by a bot?  Full show notes for this episode can be found on our website at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/162  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Richard and Ross take a look at another important skill for increasing our psychological flexibility: acceptance. This doesn't mean a passive acceptance of the status quo, or simply pushing through difficulties with gritted teeth. It means authentically accepting the discomfort and other stuff we don't like in situations, while taking helpful action to get through it. Once we make room for it, we don't have to struggle with it, or delay action until the discomfort has gone. We explore the various ways we raise this topic with our clients in coaching contexts, discuss how we bring acceptance to life in our own lives, and share some simple tips on how to develop this skill in your own life. Do get in touch with your questions and comments - we love to hear from our listeners. You can email us: podcast at worklifepsych dot com. Thanks for listening! Resources for this entire series on psychological flexibility can be found on this dedicated page on the WorkLifePsych website.

In this episode of 'My Pocket Psych', Richard and Ross turn to the next skill in our psychological flexibility toolkit: committed action. This is all about taking our values and putting them into action. Doing more of the stuff that matters, not because it's easy or fun, but because it's important. You can find all the resources we mention in this episode on our dedicated series page at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility 

In this video, we continue our series focused on the skills that boost our Psychological Flexibility. This time round, Richard and Ross discuss the benefits of being clear on what really matter to us in life - our values. We look at what values are (and importantly, what they're not!), ways that we use values in our coaching practices with clients, and some simple ways to bring additional clarity to your own values. Remember, you can find all the resources for this series in one place, including all previous episodes, on the WorkLifePsych website: https://www.worklifepsych.com/PsychologicalFlexibility  Thanks for listening!

This is the third part in our series exploring Psychological Flexibility. Richard and Ross look at the skill called 'Cognititve Defusion', where we learn to see our thoughts in a different light.  You can find show notes and all the resources we mention at our dedicated online resource page: worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility  Thanks for listening!

In this second part of our series on how to develop your psychological flexibility, we look at the importance of being in the present moment, and minimising 'mental time-travel'. Richard and Ross look at some of the unhelpful ways our attention and focus are pulled from the here and now, along with some simple ways you can start to develop your capacity to just notice. We make the distinction between day-dreaming and all the benefits this can bring, and unwanted mental time-travel, where we can get taken to worrying imagined futures. It's the unwanted mental time-travel that takes us away from the present moment, and the opportunities for action it offers us. Don't forget, you can join us for a free online Q&A session on April 30th. Simply sign up for the WorkLifePsych online community to find all the details and RSVP for the event. It's free to join! All the resources for this series can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility  Thanks for listening!

This is the first of a new series of the podcast where we focus on the skills that develop our psychological flexibility. Richard is joined by fellow psychologist Ross McIntosh, the host of the excellent People Soup podcast.  In this episode, they discuss what psychological flexibility is, what it feels like to experience psychological inflexibility, and what you can expect from the remainder of this series.  You can find the full show notes for this episode at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/156 and discover more about psychological flexibility at https://www.worklifepsych.com/psychologicalflexibility  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Richard is joined by fellow coaching psychologist Lucie Ilbury for a look at the common pitfalls to avoid when it comes to our values.  Shownotes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/155  Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we take a look at deadlines and how to handle them effectively. Whether it's a deadline we've been given, or one we've decided upon ourselves, they can either be a motivating target or a mark in the calendar that fills us with dread. So we look at some of the ways we can make our deadlines actually work for us.  Full show notes can be found at: https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/154 Thanks for listening! 

In our last episode. Richard and Rachael explored some of the reasons goals and goal-setting can work against us and make behaviour change even more difficult.  This time round, Richard outlines some of the common reasons we can find it hard to stick to new habits. Full show notes for this episode can be found at https://www.worklifepsych.com/podcast/153  And if you'd like to watch this episode as a video, you can find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/RiRhu1hrC48  Thanks for listening!