The Shift Show – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Endless scrolling, compulsive clicking, and dopamine-driven distraction—sound familiar? In this episode, Andrea McTague and Alberto Medeiros unpack the reality of internet addiction and how modern tech subtly hijacks our minds. They explore how screen time disrupts sleep, relationships, emotional health, and productivity—often without us realizing it. Drawing from neuroscience and real-life therapy insights, they examine the psychological mechanics behind our digital habits and offer actionable strategies to break free. Whether you're seeking focus and connection, or just want to understand your phone cravings, this is your wake-up call.

📥 Download our free Digital Detox Guide:
The-Ultimate-Digital-Reset-Guide-ShiftGrit.pdf

📺 Watch the full video version & read the extended summary:
shiftgrit.com/shift-show

🌐 Learn more about ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling:
shiftgrit.com

📘 Explore local Calgary counselling resources:
calgarypsychology.info

Summary

In this episode, Andrea McTague and Mateo Sestito explore the complexities of trauma, its impact on the brain, and how early experiences shape our responses to life. They discuss the difference between disturbances and trauma, the role of limiting beliefs, and the importance of social connections in coping with trauma. The conversation emphasizes the potential for trauma to be transformed into strength and resilience through understanding and therapy. Listeners are encouraged to embrace change and recognize that trauma does not have to define their lives.

Takeaways

Trauma can shape our identity but does not have to define us.
Understanding the brain's response to trauma is crucial for healing.
Disturbances can be just as impactful as major traumas.
Early experiences play a significant role in shaping our beliefs.
Coping mechanisms can be identified and transformed.
Social connections can buffer the effects of trauma.
Incremental exposure can help desensitize traumatic responses.
Therapy can facilitate the removal of limiting beliefs.
Empowerment comes from understanding the roots of our behaviours.
Trauma can lead to resilience and strength when processed effectively.

Titles

Navigating the Complexities of Trauma
Transforming Trauma into Strength

Sound Bites

"Can trauma be beneficial?"
"Understanding the why calms us down."
"Trauma is not a life sentence."

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Trauma and Its Storage in the Brain
17:52 Identifying and Coping with Limiting Beliefs
22:38 Factors Influencing Coping Mechanisms
32:36 Unexpected Outcomes of Removing Limiting Beliefs
38:25 Incremental Exposure and Desensitization
43:24 Understanding Avoidance and Its Impact
48:42 The Dual Nature of Trauma
53:49 Perfectionism and Its Consequences
58:59 Empowerment Through Understanding

In this podcast, Andrea McTague and Zac Erickson dissect the human brain to explain why we often act against our own interests and how to get back in the driver’s seat.

Solutions for Seasonal Affective Disorder to Grinch Like Grumpiness, and Everything in Between!

Why do we let diet and exercise sabotage our well-being? Zac and Sarah point some fingers and round up some solutions.

Ah, Halloween - the time our society brings our love of scaring ourselves to light, in the funnest possible way. Overgrown pumpkins, tricked out yards, and all-you-can-eat candy. A chance to slap on a wig, paint your face, and glimpse the horrors that lurk inside your neighbour's’ foyer.

Chime in to hear what we have to say!

Disclaimer:  Please note that this podcast is a re-release and that after this episode we will begin releasing our podcasts once a month!

Zac and Sarah Explain How the Great Outdoors Makes Us Happier -- and Why We Should Leave Our Phone at Home

In Andrea and Zac’s 360 on porn compulsion, they discuss what the real problem is (spoiler alert: it’s not the sexy bodies), how it’s compounded by modern-day society, and what to do if you or a loved one is struggling with it.

Defy Gravity, Embrace Yourself: Floating Entrepreneurs Matthew Smith and Jamie Phillips 

Twelve inches of water, half a ton of salt, 34-degree water, that’s all. No sound. No light. No sensory input. Just you and your thoughts.

Whether that sounds divine or demonic, this conversation with Modern Gravity founders Matthew Smith and Jamie Phillips, Shift Clinician Zac Erickson, and Shift Operations Manager [Name…?] offers new perspectives on the experience of floating -- the good, the weird and the downright trippy.

Smith and Phillips discuss the history of floating, its myriad health benefits, and the scientific studies supporting the glowing results they’ve witnessed first hand in their Edmonton center.

While many tout the physical benefits of floating that make it a go-to recovery treatment for athletes, its real power lies in the opportunity it offers for deep introspection. Like other forms of mindfulness-based self-care, such as meditation and yoga, floating offers a safe environment in which you can face your limiting beliefs, stressors and fears.

Plus: Hang around for the final segment and discover what it was like for Zac to experience his first float.

The Holy Grail of emotions, happiness is everywhere -- and yet so hard to see. Everything from a pleasant sunny afternoon to a once-in-a-lifetime winning lottery ticket could sit under the umbrella of happiness. The problem is, wanting to be happy without knowing what that means, is a recipe for unhappiness. 

In the first episode of this new series, Shift’s Zac Erickson, Andrea McTague and Sarah [...?] poke around under the blanket of happiness to demystify it from a physiological, psychological and evolutionary perspective. As they do so, they ask two questions that will recur throughout this upcoming series: What is happiness for you as an individual and what is happiness for humans in general?