Dr. Luana Marques, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Bold Move, joins us to discuss her life-changing journey. She shares how facing conflict and avoiding avoidance enabled her to understand the anxiety spectrum. We learn how low levels can improve performance. Moderate levels can be managed with cognitive behavioral therapy and severe levels where fight or flight responses take over. She emphasizes the significance of mental health and physical well-being as they directly impact success.

Tune in for an inspiring journey from poverty to success and practical ways to manage Anxiety!

[00:00 - 07:55] Opening Segment

• Introducing Dr. Luana to the show
• The motivation behind her book, Bold Move, was to help as many people as possible learn the skills that she used to get out of poverty and adversity in Brazil
• Her mother and grandmother taught her how to approach instead of avoid, think differently, and open the door to a different life
• Anxiety can be misused in modern life - it has physical symptoms

[07:55 - 15:35] Unpacking the Fever vs. Infection of Anxiety

• Anxiety is a fever, and psychological avoidance is an infection
• The ability to pause our brain is a superpower
• TEB Cycle: Thoughts, Emotions, and Behavior Cycle
• Approach not Avoid: Opposite action to push back against Anxiety
• Values-Driven Life: Align daily activities with fundamental values

[15:36 - 23:41] Achieving Balance and Reducing Stress Through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Audit your week ahead to see if it aligns with your stated values
• Don't put activities on your calendar that are not value-driven
• Brain health deserves the same attention as physical health
• If you wake up with dread, work on your thinking or do some exercise

[23:42 - 33:49] Overcoming Cognitive Distortions and Dissonance to Achieve Success

• Mental health and physical wellness directly impact one's ability to be successful in professional and family life
• Cognitive distortions are caused by the brain creating categories for things and interpreting them as fast as possible
• Successful people often dismiss their success due to dissonance between their beliefs and reality

[33:50 - 35:38] Closing Segment

Quotes:

"Although Anxiety is debilitating, it's a fever. The infection is avoidance, and avoidance is really what robs us of a meaningful life." - Dr. Luana Marques

"What we say to ourselves is shaped by our history and how we are programmed in our brain. And so once you identify what you're saying to yourself, it may not be a hundred percent accurate or helpful." - Dr. Luana Marques

Connect with Dr. Luana!

Website: www.DrLuana.com

Connect with me on LinkedIn!

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