Clear the air

• 34: Developing Critical Thinkers with Steve Pearlman

  In an age overwhelmed by information, opinion, and polarization, the ability to think critically isn't just useful, it's essential. In this episode, we will learn how we can develop strategies to think critically and make smarter decisions, what it means to challenge assumptions, expose common thinking traps, and offer immediately usable strategies for clearer, more effective reasoning in everyday life.Steve’s biography:Steve Pearlman, Ph.D., is arguably the world’s foremost critical thinking expert. After founding the United States’ first academic department solely focused on researching critical thinking and how to teach people to do it, Steve subsequently shared his methods at educational institutions, conferences, and businesses. He is frequently featured in national and international media, and he’s the author of America’s Critical Thinking Crisis: The Failure and Promise of Education.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions: 00:00 – Introduction02:00 – Steve’s journey to becoming an expert in critical thinking04:00 – Critical thinking definition and how it is taught07:00 – What are default modes of how our brain functions10:00 – How to maintain critical thinking when there is an overload of information12:30 – How to assess whether a source of information is credible15:00 – How to ask the right question when you don’t know what you don’t know17:15 – Why reassessing the information and refining your initial question is key in critical thinking18:00 – Why critical thinking does not always need to take a lot of time19:30 – How to teach kids critical thinking by prioritising reasoning over authority (parenting example)25:30 – Why intellectual humility is the solution when two people are in disagreement29:30 – How to deal with someone who is rejecting reason and facts due to polarization in politics33:10 – Is it possible to maintain critical thinking in the context of time pressures35:15 – What training programs are available to develop critical thinking skills37:20 – Example of how leaders remove critical thinking at meetings39:45 – Example of how leaders can create an environment that fosters critical thinking42:35 – Can people maintain critical thinking when experiencing burnout45:30 – What resources are available to move from threat to a challenge that you can meet48:20 – How to deal with a person who is not receptive to your thinking51:10 – Why asking questions can cause someone to become defensive53:20 – Ways to foster critical thinking in virtual meetings55:15 – How to assess if someone has critical thinking skills57:45 – How to constructively handle naysayers in discussions59:50 – One tip to develop critical thinking skills01:00:55 – What is Steve’s one wellbeing practiceLearn more about the Critical Thinking Institute: https://www.thectinstitute.com/Learn more about Clearheadhttps://www.myclearhead.com/

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• 33: Understanding Autism in the Workplace with Larah and Chanelle

  As workplaces strive to become more inclusive, Autistic people are often misunderstood. However, when empowered they brings a unique perspectives and strengths that can greatly enrich a team. In today’s episode we will hear from an autistic person, Chanelle, share their lived experiences and from Larah what are the practical tools a workplace can implement to better support autistic individuals effectively —from recruitment all the way through to everyday communication and collaboration. Autism NZ’s biography:Larah van der Meer: Larah is the Research and Advocacy Manager at Autism NZ. She is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington. Larah is passionate about inclusion and making a positive difference to the autistic and autism communities, both at an individual level and in creating systemic change. Chanelle Moriah: Chanelle is neurodivergent (autistic, dyslexic and ADHD, along with pathological demand avoidance). She works as a Research and Advocacy Advisor and has written and illustrated two books on neurodivergence, one of which was listed for the New Zealand Book Awards. Chanelle was diagnosed in adulthood and is very passionate about creating more inclusive and understanding communitiesIn this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions.00:00 - Intro02:45 - What is autism03:45 - Understanding the autism spectrum05:50 - How to determine the level of support someone needs07:50 - Autistic people vs person with autism which is the right term to use09:50 - Strengths based vs deficit based terminology10:50 - What are the differences between an autistic person and a neurotypical person12:00 - What are the barriers to getting a formal diagnosis15:00 - Should people disclose their diagnosis with their employers16:40 - What are signs a workplace is safe to disclose17:45 - What should be on an employee checklist of accommodation21:30 - How to deal with an inflexible workplace24:00 - What are the barriers preventing employment of autistic people28:15 - What are the changes to a recruitment process to make it more inclusive32:00 - What are the benefits workplaces see when they are inclusive of neurodiverse employees34:25 - How do you deal with conflict that can arise from diverse teams38:15 - What do managers need to learn about their autistic employee4115 - What actions can be hurtful to an autistic person42:30 - What resources are available to support workplaces to create inclusive practices44:50 - How do you support individuals who are masking their autism47:10 - How can performance reviews be more inclusive49:25 - Should workplace set up support groups for neurodivergent employees?50:45 - How can employers prevent an autistic employee from experiencing burnout 53:00 - what is Larah and Chanelle’s one wellbeing practiceLearn more about Autism NZhttps://autismnz.org.nz/ Learn more about Clearheadhttps://www.myclearhead.com/

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• 32: Taming the Havoc Hormones Have on Your Mental Health with Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich

  Hormonal fluctuations are a normal part of a woman’s life—but for many, they can wreak havoc on our mood, cognition, and overall mental wellbeing. Despite the profound impact hormones can have on our psychological state, the conversation is often overlooked or misunderstood in the workplace.In this episode, we're joined by Caroline Gurvich to explore the powerful connection between hormones and mental health across the lifespan. From PMS to menopause, Caroline will unpack how our biology affects our brain function, emotional regulation, and mental resilience.Caroline’s biography:Caroline Gurvich is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry at Monash University. She is also the Deputy Director of HER Centre Australia, Head of the “Cognition and Hormones Group" and Chair of the Victorian College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. Caroline has over 120 publications that have contributed to a better understanding of cognition in mental health and mental illness.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions.0:00 - Intro02:45 - Caroline’s journey to become a clinical neuropsychologist03:45 - What are hormones and how do they affect the brain05:30 - What happened when hormones cause havoc on our bodies10:20 - Are the symptoms of hormone fluctuations the same in normal physiology and when things go wrong12:00 - The impact of contraceptive pills on our mental health14:30 - Do men experience similar effects from hormone fluctuations16:00 - How does menopause impact women in the workplace19:00 - What can women do to navigate the menopause transition more easily25:00 - what can workplace do to support the employee26:00 - how can a male manager support female employees28:32 - how does hormones impact pregnant employees or new mum.33:15 - what is the role of hormone replacement therapy36:45 - what is the role of diet and supplements to improve brain health38:45 - The evidence behind mindfulness and therapy to improve cognition46:00 - Can Menopause have a positive impact on women48:30 - Does hormone fluctuations impact neurodiverse individual differently53:30 - Are individuals with mental illness more vulnerable to menopause55:40 - What is the first step if you are concerned about hormones impacting your mental health58:10 - What is Caroline’s one wellbeing practice

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• 31: Embracing the discomfort of change with Anne Bonney

  Change is inevitable and universal. Whether you’re moving countries, going through a breakup, experiencing a restructure at work, or living with grief, one thing is for certain: making big leaps can be daunting and anxiety-inducing if we aren’t ready to face them. However, it’s also important to recognise that change can also be huge opportunity to bring positivity into our lives, alongside hope, new experiences, and personal growth. In this episode, we are joined by change leadership expert Anne Bonney, who will share with us how we can embrace the discomfort of change and push through towards bigger and brighter opportunities.Anne Bonney is a two-time author and host of the hit podcast Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, to help overwhelmed professionals build resilience in the discomfort of change. After 20 years of crushing it in corporate and nonprofit leadership positions, she now uses her hard-earned experience in the workplace and fiery passion to help leaders tackle tough conversations, and lead with emotional intelligence.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions. 0:00 - Intro 01:55 - Anne’s journey to becoming a champion for change 03:15 - Why do we find change uncomfortable? 04:00 - How do we override our risk-adverseness to change 05:25 - How do you develop confidence to try something new 07:45 - How do you shift from a pessimistic to an optimistic mindset 10:55 - How to use gratitude as a tool for working through our discomfort to change 12:40 - What are the 4 pillars to becoming mentally tough 14:55 - What are the common characteristics of resilient people 17:30 - How do you work through the sunk cost fallacy 19:35 - What is the 3 step process to manage change when it happens to you rather than when you initiated it 25:03 - Why is it important to be careful who you ask help from 26:25 - How do you make life decisions that is not overly influenced by social pressures 28:55 - What’s your advice for HR or managers to help employees cope with a restructure 30:50 - What did Anne learn as an early employee at Under Armour during a period of massive change 33:50 - How do you build trust with your employees before a change in the workplace happens 36:05 - What are tips for leaders to provide constructive feedback that employees can be receptive to rather than feeling defensive about 39:20 - How do leaders build employee trust when there is a low trust environment 42:00 - How can our communication styles unwittingly lose an employee’s trust 45:25 - What is authentic and open communication 46:35 - How do you manage employee expectations without creating false hope 49:50 - How being vulnerable builds employee trust in an environment of uncertainty 52:25 - How do you support those who’s mental health are more likely to be negatively impacted to change 54:24 - What is the definition of an emotionally intelligent leader 57:10 - How to develop self-awareness on whether you are risk adverse to change 58:25 - What is Anne’s one wellbeing practiceLearn more about Clearhead: https://www.myclearhead.com/

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• 30: Discover your relationship attachment style with Serafin Upton

  As the saying goes, “Love is a verb,” and healthy relationships require intention, attention, time, and care. However, from our Clearhead data, we can see out of all of the people on our platform who said they were struggling with mental health challenges due to personal reasons, “General Relationship Struggles,” “Family Difficulties,” and “Partner Difficulties” were the top 3 issues people were dealing with. To help us grasp a greater understanding of what a fulfilling relationship should look like, how we can find them, and more importantly how to maintain them, our expert guest today is Serafin Upton.Serafin’s biography:Serafin Upton has worked in New Zealand and Australia as a family, couples' and sex therapist for over 20 years. On top of her extensive experience and qualifications, she has also trained under world-renowned sex and relationship therapists Esther Perel and Terry Real.In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions:00:00 - Intro01:55 - Serafin’s journey to becoming a couples, child, family, and sex therapist03:25 - What is the common fear that everyone has regardless of their stage of life04:40 - What are the skills you need to develop to have healthy relationships06:20 - What is one thing you can do to become more attuned to someone you care about08:30 - How can you stay present for your romantic partner when you are really busy10:40 - How reflecting back and following up with your partner is key12:30 - Can your attachment style change depending on the relationship?14:05 - How to develop a secure attachment style if you have an avoidant attachment style16:15 - How to develop a secure attachment style if you have an anxious attachment style17:45 - How does emotional intimacy vs physical intimacy change over time in long term relationships22:20 - Tips on how to create space for romance and connection in long term relationships24:05 - Should making time for fun in a relationship be scheduled or spontaneous 26:10 - Advice for developing connection for people who are single27:35 - How to deal with rejection in online dating such as ‘ghosting’29:15 - Are we meant to be single or in relationships33:15 - Is there a difference between being lonely vs being alone35:45 - How your fear of being judged or misunderstood prevents you from developing meaningful relationships37:05 - How to build your tolerance to being vulnerable when sharing in a relationship38:45 - Tips on conflict management in relationships43:30 - Do the type of fights you see in movies happen in real life45:20 - How do you get someone who is conflict avoidant to express their needs47:30 - When is the best time to raise issues you have with your partner49:00 - How do you not get defensive when someone raises an issue with you50:50 - Why is it important to let someone know if you think they are in an abusive or toxic relationship53:40 - How does Serafin assess if someone is in an abusive relationship55:35 - What are examples of psychological violence in a relationship57:00 - What are the red flags that signal you should leave an abusive relationship58:25 - What is the impact of relationship on our mental health59:50 - What is Serafin’s one wellbeing practiceLearn more about Serafin: https://serafinupton.co.nz Learn more about Clearhead: https://www.myclearhead.com/

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