The Motivation Mindset with Risa Williams: Doomscrolling - Dr. Scott Waltman

With the constant onslaught of fear-inducing news coming at us each day, how can we keep ourselves emotioanlly regulated and calm enough to do what we need to do? Risa Williams is joined again by CBT expert, psychologist, podcast host, and book author, Dr. Scott Waltman, to discuss how to notice when our doomscrolling tendencies might be derailing us from being present in our daily lives.They discuss-Self-compassion and why its non-negotiable right now-Using methods from grief therapy to navigate the emotions you might be experiencing from reading daily headlines-Figuring out different ways you can be more deliberate about when you're checking the news and when you're being more intentional about taking breaks from it-DBT Skills of "Participate" and "Opposite Action" and how they can be applied to daily doomscrolling habitsHost: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapyGuest: Dr. Scott Waltman, @socraticmethodcbt.com, www.newharbinger.com/author/scott-waltmanSupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

In this special episode, Risa Williams invites participants from the Tiny Wins Workshop to join her in a conversation about how tracking their small daily wins over four weeks led to meaningful, lasting change. Featured guests include author and educator Ezra Werb, author and tutor Judy O’Kelley, and her daughter, Kelsey O’Kelley.We discused:-How noticing and tracking tiny wins helps you recognize the real progress you’re making-Why breaking tasks into the easiest and smallest first step forward can make it easier to start when you feel really stuck in place-The unexpected benefits of starting to acknowledge the small steps you're taking each week-How to bring the concept of “tiny wins” into your work with others—and into the way you reflect on and talk about your week with friends and familyThank you so much, Ezra, Judy and Kelsey for taking the Tiny Wins Workshop, and for sharing all your insights and wisdom on the show today!  If you'd like to take the Tiny Wins Workshop, it's an online self-guided course, that you can take at 50% off today at risawilliams.com - just for listeners of The Motivation Mindset - use code: TINYWINS26 at checkout.**Big thank you to everyone who came to Risa's Find Your Calm Workshop this past weekend at The Huddle / Google Visitor Experience called Tiny Calm, Tiny Wins! And thanks to The Huddle for organizing the event. Risa Williams will be back at the Huddle on October 23rd doing a Find Your Creative Spark workshop with Mike Sonksen, hope to see you there!**Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapyGuests: Ezra Werb, Judy O'Kelley, Kelsey O'KelleySupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a rut, unable to motivate yourself to take the next step forward? Risa Williams talks with ADHD-ish host Diann Wingert about navigating ADHD inertia and finding the energy to start tasks. They also discuss: -Diann's START-STOP-SHIFT method that provides an easy method for figuring out where you need to go next- How to recognize when you’ve done enough on a project and how perfectionism often leads to procrastination-Why self-talk plays a crucial role in motivation-Where people with ADHD tend to struggle when they have to transition between different energy statesIf you're feeling stuck with things you have to do, this is such an important episode to tune into - even if you don't have ADHD.**Risa will be at The Huddle at the Google Visitor Experience in Mountain View on APRIL 12th at NOON doing a FIND YOUR CALM: FAMILY WORKSHOP! It's free and open to the public, there will be fun calming down art activties and free books and tote bags for the first 25 attendees. RSVP to reserve your spot here: https://rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/tiny-calm-tiny-wins-a-family-workshop-with-risa-williams****Congrats to Sharon Volner, winner of the Double Book Giveaway! Hope you like Dr. Mary Poffenroth's book, Brave New You, and Risa's book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress!**Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com @risawilliamstherapyGuest: Diann Wingert, diannwingertcoaching.comSupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you ever feel like your work is never quite “good enough,” so you keep pushing yourself until you’re completely burned out? Do perfectionistic tendencies sometimes make it hard to relax or try new things without worrying about mistakes? If so, this episode is for you. Risa Williams sits down with mental health counselor and DBT specialist Stephanie Van Schaick to talk about perfectionism and how to find the “Good Enough Zone” when approaching the tasks and projects in your life.They discuss:-Risa's tool: "The Good Enough Zone" from The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit and how to find what that is for you-Stephanie's "70% Rule" and how to remind yourself when you've reached this marker and let things go afterwards-How perfectionism is tied into self-esteem and self-talk about what we're doing-The DBT tool: "Building Mastery" where we allow ourselves to be beginners at things we're doing and build our skills slowly over time-How perfectionism affects our energy management and often takes our energy away from things that really need our focus and energy to manage-How perfectionism is often a really sneaky form of procrastination (as discussed in Risa's book, The Procrastination Playbook)!**NEW EVENT: Risa will be returning to The Huddle/Google Campus in Mountain View on April 12th at noon to do another FIND YOUR CALM: FAMILY WORKSHOP! She will read a copy of her new kids' book: What Calms You Down? and she'll guide kids through a "calm treasure box" art activity, and then, teach grownups her Tiny Wins Practice for tracking tiny wins towards goals. First 25 people receive a custom tote bag with two free books by Risa inside! Visit @risawilliamstherapy and @visitgoogle to RSVP. It's a free event!****NEW KIDS BOOK: What Calms You Down? Written and illustrated by Risa Williams, this early-learner picture book is great for teaching young ones calming down skills: https://www.amazon.com/What-Calms-Down-Risa-Williams/dp/B0GQZ896L9**Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapyGuest: Stephanie Van Schaick, StateOfBalanceMentalHealthCounseling.com, @stateofbalanceforlifeSupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

How can we learn to better navigate and manage the fears that arise in everyday life? Risa Williams speaks with fear expert, biopsychologist, TED Talk speaker, and author Dr. Mary Poffenroth about how to recognize fear as it begins to surface and how to use neuroscience based tools to calm ourselves more effectively in the moment.They discuss:-Learning The R.A.I.N. Method for developing an awareness of what fear looks and feels like in our bodies-The difference between fictional fear and factual fear-Subtle cues your body might be showing you that you're feeling more fear than you think-How to recognize what type of fear you're feeling using an easy tool-Neuro-hacks for calming yourself down in the moment based on evidence-based research that you can practice today!**Double book giveaway: Win a copy of Dr. Mary Poffenroth's book, BRAVE NEW YOU, and Risa's book, GET STUFF DONE WITHOUT THE STRESS by entering our book giveaway TODAY at:https://kingsumo.com/g/m44669m/win-a-signed-copy-of-brave-new-you-get-stuff-done-without-the-stress Winner will be announced on the March 13th episode of The Motivation Mindset. Good luck!**Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapyGuest: Dr. Mary Poffenroth, marypoffenroth.com, @marypoffenrothSupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Where do couples tend to get stuck and bogged down in their daily communication with each other? How do we fall into the trap of criticizing and nagging when we actually just want to create positive change and grow together? Risa Williams talks to DBT expert, Dr. Marcus Rodriguez, on validation and communication skills people can use when they're in long term relationships.They discuss:-How to use positive reinforcement to influence positive changes in behavior-Where we tend to get stuck in our requests and demands with others-Tools to try when direct communication isn't working and accepting things "as is" isn't working either-How validation is one of the most important tools for developing understanding and awareness of each other**Congratulations to Jess Fiedler winner of our Double Book Giveaway! Jess will be receiving Dr. Scott Waltman's book, The Stoicism Workbook, and Risa's new planner, The Tiny Wins Journal - thanks to everyone who participated on instagram!****Check out Risa's new online self-guided digital class: The Tiny Wins Workshop! It's on patreon now at a discounted price and there are 9 slots available at the early bird price: patreon.com/c/risawilliams. You can also take the class on Skool and at risawilliams.com***Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapyGuest: Dr. Marcus Rodriguez, youthandfamilyinstitute.com, @drmarcusrodriguezSupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Do you tend to fall into the role of "rescuer" in your relationships? Or are you the one who tends to need the rescuing? Risa Williams talks to Dr. Scott Waltman about the ideas of "rescuing" and "people pleasing" and how we can get stuck playing roles that we might want to change in relationships.They discuss:-How people can fall into the roles of "rescuer", "persecutor" and "victim" in relationships and the conflicts that can stem from this triangle-When "people pleasing" crosses a line into playing the role of "chronic rescuing"-How to meet people where they're at and start to teach them the skills they need to grow -Understanding your own circle of control and when you're overextending yourself-Embracing awareness, balance, and a growth mindset to help create positive changes in your life***DOUBLE BOOK GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment on our double book giveaway post @risawilliamstherapy to win a copy of Dr. Scott Waltman's book: The Stoicism Workbook and Risa's new book: The Tiny Wins Journal. Winner will be announced on the 2/19 episode of The Motivation Mindset***Host: Risa Williams, @risawilliamstherapy, risawilliams.comGuest: Dr. Scott Waltman, @socraticmethodcbt.com, www.newharbinger.com/author/scott-waltmanSupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

In this special episode of The Motivation Mindset, Risa shares a tiny sample of her new online workshop, The Tiny Wins Workshop, which is live today! What if making progress didn’t have to feel SO stressful and overwhelming?What if you counted every tiny win from now on and actually allowed yourself to  feel proud of each one?Risa explains how to:- Notice your tiny daily wins (even on hard days and slow days)- Acknowledge each small win and emotionally connect with it-  Track your tiny wins using a simple and easy system  - Feel genuinely good about every small step you take- Practice the feelings you want to feel each week!If you're feeling inspired after hearing this tiny sample of The Tiny Wins Workshop, head on over to risawilliams.com to take the full course! You can start at any time. Reach out and let us know what you think!**THIS THURSDAY, January 15th, Risa will be a featured speaker at THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE SUMMIT which features self-help superstars from around the world and you can attend for free by visiting: https://bestyear.krtra.com/t/OIEbYLZn9PXc*** See you there!***Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapySupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

Happy 2026, everyone! If you're listening to this episode, you made it to the new year, and that's a wonderful thing! Risa Williams talks to fellow therapists, Erica Curtis and Darrin Kagele about new tools they're going to try in the new year ahead.They discuss:-How the words we're using with ourselves are so important to become mindful of-Darrin shares a few phrases he tells himself whenever he feels stuck or anxious-Erica shares a useful tool where you turn a phrase you're saying into a question, which changes our emotional reaction to the phrase-Risa shares the one journaling prompt she's been using to stretch her imagination and cognitive flexibility-Other ways you can gently move into the new year ahead while remembering to be kind to yourself along the way!A great episode to feel more motivated and inspired in 2026... Happy New Year, everyone!**Risa will be launching her TINY WINS WORKSHOP, a 4 week online class, in January - sign up here to be one of the first to get in: https://www.risawilliams.com/tinywinscourse.html**Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com @risawilliamstherapyGuest Hosts: Darrin Kagele, darrinkagele.com, and Erica Curtis, therapywitherica.com.Support the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.

When someone's behavior or emotional state is bothering us, how do we take a pause and validate what they are feeling without judgement? This can be tricky to do! Dr. Marcus Rodriguez, founder of the Youth and Family Institute and an expert in teaching validation, talks to Risa Williams about some practical ways to practice validating the emotional experience of others.They discuss:-What validation really means and how you can start to practice it-One easy sentence that can start to build your "validation skill set"-Understanding what's happening when communication goes awry and gaining awareness as to the validation needs of others-Teaching others emotional validation by learning do it more regularly throughout everyday life***New Book out: The Tiny Wins Journal: Your Year of Small Steps and Big Changes - buy one for the holidaysSupport the show: If you've enjoyed any of the 100+ episodes we've made on this show, please consider supporting the show by doing a tiny action here: risawilliams.com/support, so that The Motivation Mindset can continue next year!***Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapyGuest: Dr. Marcus Rodriguez, youthandfamilyinstitute.com, @drmarcusrodriguezSupport the showFor info on books, workshops, guests, and future episodes, please visit: risawilliams.com.*All tools discussed on the show are meant for educational purposes only and not as a replacement for therapy or medical advice.