Being empathetic with patients is important for their recovery but it has its limits. In this podcast, you will learn: - How empathy fatigue can lead to burnout. - How to recognize coping behavior strategies employed by clinicians to protect from patients’ suffering that become habits and contribute to exhaustion. - How to name the core elements of the process of reinforcement learning in habit loops. - To identify new strategies to step out of unhelpful habit loops. Empathy is all about feeling...
Jun 17, 2022•18 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Compassion is a way to feel patients’ suffering without being emotionally exhausted by it. In this podcast, you will learn: - How to differentiate between empathy and compassion. - How to stay with patients’ suffering without being consumed by it. A way to feel patients’ suffering and not be consumed by it is to not take it personally, by removing the “me” element: not getting stuck in their story (i.e. throwing them a rope instead of jumping in the river). Compassion allows us to be with the ex...
Jun 16, 2022•17 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Intrusive thoughts are distracting and can cause great distress. In this podcast, you will learn: - How our minds deal with intrusive thoughts. - To apply skills to manage intrusive thoughts in clinical settings and private life. We have no control over our thoughts. One thought can lead to another until we are overwhelmed by a train of thoughts. The harder we try to stop these thoughts, the more the mind fights back and keeps going. But we can control how we relate to our thoughts. By naming or...
Jun 15, 2022•10 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Self-judgement gets in the way of doing our own tasks and interacting with patients and it contributes to exhaustion. In this podcast, you will learn: -How to name the core elements of the habit loop of self-judgment. -New strategies to step out of habit loop of self-judgment. -How to practice kindness toward oneself and others. Self-judgment gets in the way of being grounded in the present moment, being connected with ourselves or patients like intrusive thoughts and it contributes to exhaustio...
Jun 14, 2022•16 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Our brain does not like uncertainty and this causes stress and anxiety. In this podcast, you will learn: - How the brain works with uncertainty. - How to reduce stress and anxiety for uncertainty Information is like food for our brain. Uncertainty is like that hunger signal telling us that we don’t have enough information, and need to gather it. Uncertainty can cause stress and anxiety. And these can be learned as habit loops. For example, anxiety tricks our brains into thinking that worrying is...
Jun 13, 2022•16 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Emotional contagion is unconscious and can be toxic when we interact with other people. In this podcast, you will learn: - How emotional contagion impacts on the interactions with patients and colleagues. - How to use curiosity against the maladaptive effects of emotional contagion. Emotions can be unconsciously spread from one person to another through facial expression, tone of voice and body language. Emotional contagion occurs everywhere, at any distance (e.g. through social media). Clinicia...
Jun 12, 2022•16 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Pain is subjective and several factors influenced the diagnosis and treatment of pain in patients. In this podcast, you will learn: - The complexities involved in diagnosing and treating pain. - How to recognize and deal with our own biases in the diagnosis and treatment of pain. Diagnosing and treating pain are not straightforward because pain is a complex and subjective experience composed of both physical and emotional dimensions. The way we perceive our own pain and others’ pain is influence...
Jun 11, 2022•18 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast In this podcast, you will listen to the summary of all we have explored in the course. To ask questions or suggest future topics, please comment below or connect with me on Twitter @judbrewer Click here to subscribe to my Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi6bQu-Df7Wh2x3gFT5a8aw Build your body awareness using mindfulness practices, like those in the free "Breathe by Dr. Jud" app, available on both Apple and Android devices. Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/breathe-b...
Jun 10, 2022•8 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast During this time of panic and uncertainty, it's critical to build good mental habits and practice mental hygiene. In this podcast, you'll learn: -What to do whenever you notice stress or anxiety, and how to nip it in the bud. All you need is your breath and your awareness. -How to respond to urges to check social media or to call someone -The power of this question: "What do I need right now?" and why that's more important than "what do I want?" -How to connect...
Aug 20, 2020•5 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode, you’ll learn the following: -Why people have been buying what seems like a decade’s worth of the toilet paper in the grocery store, and why when you see them, you suddenly feel the urge to buy toilet paper yourself. -The mechanics of reward based learning, which underpins all of our anxious thinking and behavior. -The role of the neocortex in anxiety. The neocortex is the part of the brain involved in thinking and planning. -Why a lack of information leads to anxiety, and how...
Aug 20, 2020•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know that your mindset has a big impact on how you deal with uncertainty, and may be affecting your reaction to not just the current crisis, but any life challenge you’re going to face? Resources: 1. Subscribe to the Dr. Jud channel (click the red SUBSCRIBE button) to be notified of future daily updates, and join a free weekly "office hours" anxiety Q&A session on Mondays at noon eastern US (12:00 EST) 2. Build your awareness using mindfulness practices, like those in the f...
Aug 19, 2020•10 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know that your eyes really are the window into your soul? Or at least, a window into your current emotional state? By understanding how your eyes connect to your emotions, you can learn to tap into curiosity to help you let go of anxiety and fear. Resources: 1. Subscribe to the Dr. Jud channel (click the red SUBSCRIBE button) to be notified of future daily updates, and join a free weekly "office hours" anxiety Q&A session on Mondays at noon eastern US (12:00 EST) 2. Build y...
Aug 19, 2020•7 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Ever wonder why tightness in your jaw and shoulder are linked to stress? Did you know that you can use curiosity to change your relationship to anxiety and fear? The Irish novelist and poet James Stephen’s wrote, “curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” Learn how to do this today. Resources: 1. Subscribe to the Dr. Jud channel (click the red SUBSCRIBE button) to be notified of future daily updates, and join a free weekly "office hours" anxiety Q&A session on Monda...
Aug 19, 2020•9 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Do you ever wonder why it’s so hard to stop scrolling Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter? That restless itch to see what’s next? Struggling with wanting to get all of the information you need? That itch is curiosity. But not all curiosity is created equal, and by understanding how curiosity works, you can use it to change habits and feel better — at any time. Resources: 1. Subscribe to the Dr. Jud channel (click the red SUBSCRIBE button) to be notified of future daily updates, and join a free weekl...
Aug 19, 2020•8 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast When you read the news, do you find yourself getting more afraid? Do you tend to read the headlines and articles that confirm your worst fears? Our brains are not set up to think critically in an environment of uncertainty, but there are ways to keep our rational brain in charge and think more clearly about the world around us… even during a crisis. Links to articles I mentioned in the episode: https://www.latimes.com/california/st... https://beachgrit.com/2020/04/fake-ne... Resources: 1. Subscr...
Aug 19, 2020•9 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast When you’re anxious, one of the best things to do is to slow down and focus on your breath. But what about when you’re so anxious or stressed that regular breathing exercises don’t seem to work? In today’s episode, I’ll teach you a simple but effective exercise that brings in more of your senses to help cut through the anxiety so you can be calm and focused in the present moment. Resources: 1. Subscribe to the Dr. Jud channel (click the red SUBSCRIBE button) to be notified of future daily update...
Aug 19, 2020•7 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Stress, anxiety and other emotions are running high for many people right now. But if you’re a parent with kids at home, trying to juggle work, homeschooling, and the overall uncertainty, your house may feel like an emotional minefield. Your kids are also trying to make sense of everything, and may not be reacting in “normal” ways. And even if you don’t have kids at home, your inner child probably isn’t feeling very safe or secure right now.
Aug 19, 2020•7 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever seen a doctor in a movie or on television taking a break from the emergency room to go to the bathroom? I haven’t. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, there was a growing epidemic of burnout and anxiety among doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals. It’s only going to get worse with the new demands on our health care system. But there is hope based on new research that health care professionals and everyday people can put into practice today. Press release for anxiet...
Aug 19, 2020•9 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast Emotions are running high these days, and that can lead to all sorts of negative habits, especially around food. Are you eating more than usual? Or maybe so worried that you’re forgetting to eat? Stress affects our appetite in major ways, but there is a simple approach to identify and change these behaviors so you can stay healthy and less anxious while dealing with the current crisis. Resources: 1. Subscribe to the Dr. Jud channel (click the red SUBSCRIBE button) to be notified of future daily ...
Aug 19, 2020•8 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Are you feeling stuck at home, unable to do anything but watch the current crisis from the sidelines? Maybe even feeling guilty or ashamed that there are doctors, nurses, and other first responders on the front lines of the battle while you’re safely at home? What you’re feeling is totally normal, but there are ways to keep from spiraling into negative emotions and recognize that we’re all doing our part. References from episode: Review of the neuroscience: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science....
Aug 19, 2020•9 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Scientists are working furiously on testing therapies and vaccines to treat the coronavirus, but it will take time and focused effort before they’re ready. Did you know that there is already a vaccine against panic, anxiety, and selfishness? It’s called loving kindness, and you can get vaccinated today. References and links from this video: -See Anderson Cooper's brain unwind anxiety on camera (1 minute clip from CBS' 60 minutes): https://drjud.com/dr-jud-on-60-minutes/ -Sharon Salzber...
Aug 19, 2020•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Feeling news fatigue or even losing hope in knowing who to trust? In this episode, I’ll show you how having too many options plus bursts of excitement tricks your brain into spreading false information and leaves you burnt out. And I’ll give you one simple thing you can do about it. Here's what you'll learn: -Why NPR stopped broadcasting Trump's daily briefings -How humans spread the virus of misinformation -Why misinformation is so much more contagious than accurate information -...
Aug 19, 2020•9 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Have you been on an emotional rollercoaster this past week, irritable one minute and full of worry the next? Getting angry at the news but still addicted to knowing the latest information, and perhaps even panic buying more supplies than you need? I'll show you how to step out of these behaviors in this episode. Here's what you'll learn: -The one simple ingredient that you can add to help you work with ANY emotion that you are experiencing -Why using self talk and willpower does n...
Aug 19, 2020•9 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Could some of what you’re feeling right now be grief? Do you have a sense of loss about being able to spend time with a loved one, or your job being disrupted, or just loss of close connection with other people? Here's what you'll learn in this episode: -A little known type of grief, and how to work with any of the stages of grief you might be feeling right now -The normal human response to loss -Why grief is normal right now -The definition of anticipatory grief -How to work with feel...
Aug 19, 2020•8 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast In this podcast, I talk about worry and control: Why we feel like we need to be in control, how trying to gain control over things beyond our reach can cause problems, and of course what we can do to balance all of this. Here's what you'll learn in this video: -What is going on in our brains when we worry or attempt to control things -The times when this behavior is helpful, and the times when it is not -How the need to control increases anxiety -The science behind why we worry -Why wo...
Aug 19, 2020•8 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode you'll learn: -What to do when you feel the fire of anger flare up inside of you. -The seeds of anger and where it comes from -Why Coronavirus is creating more anger -How to create glowing embers of warm connection, and spread these by kindness, instead of pouring gasoline on the fire and burning everything around us -the 2 types of anger: Gasoline and Diesel. What the difference between these two is and how to recognize them -The common emotion behind all types of anger -Ho...
Aug 19, 2020•8 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Anxiety makes it difficult to sleep, and lack of sleep makes you more anxious. This episode will show you how it affects your nervous system, and 3 simple tips to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Here's what you'll learn: -My own journey with interrupted sleep (I and my wife have been experiencing difficulty sleeping) -The two types of interrupted sleep that i see at my clinic -Why anxiety is a "doubly whammy" in terms of hurting your sleep -The questions that the Nation...
Aug 19, 2020•7 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast In this podcast, you'll learn the science behind why panic buying spreads, and four things you can do to help. Here is a preview of what's in the video: -Panic is driven by the "old" part of the brain -Why lack of information leads to sudden and uncontrollable anxiety -How to get the "new" part of the brain back online during moments of panic -What somebody can say to you when you are panicked to help you calm down -Why prior experience with an event can help allevi...
Aug 19, 2020•6 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast This podcast teaches you to leverage your brain’s reward system to use the energy of crisis to replace division and separateness with unity and connection. Inspired by Kitty O’Meara’s poem gone viral (Oprah’s magazine dubbed her the “poet laureate of the pandemic”), Dr. Brewer explains the psychology behind shifting old entrenched mindsets to new ones based in kindness. He gives three actionable tips to practice kindness today, and how doing this “short moments, many times” throughout the day ca...
Aug 19, 2020•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today's podcast, you'll learn how to balance your need to plan for the future in the midst of massive uncertainty. Here's what you'll learn: -Why our brains are set up to plan for the future -What happens when there isn't enough information to plan (like right now, since the Coronavirus and socioeconomic situation is rapidly changing) -Why your brain is similar to a computer, and what happens when it gets overloaded -What causes the "what if" spinout and wha...
Aug 19, 2020•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
