The holiday season can often feel really stressful, even though we often feel like we should be feeling more gratitude at this time of year. So how do we slow down enough to notice the small things that are actually going right...especially when life feels busy, chaotic, or overwhelming? Author and podcaster Lori Oberbroeckling joins Risa Williams to talk about simple, actionable ways to build gratitude into your daily routine. She also shares her “Gratitude Questions List,” a tool she created to help make everyday appreciation feel easier for us all

They discuss:

-Learning to notice the tiny daily things around us as a way to work the "gratitude muscle"

-How to recognize moments as they happen to us as a daily gratitude practice

-How we can start sharing our gratitude with others more regularly

-How setting up daily "practices" helps us to notice the "happy little moments" with more consistent intention

***New Book: The Tiny Wins Journal by Risa Williams, illustrated by Dulcie Yamanaka, will go on sale next week just in time for the holidays! Risa will be giving away 10 free copies of the books to newsletter subscribers - sign up for her newsletter at risawilliams.com today ***

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Lori Oberbroeckling, secretsofsupermom.com, @secretsofsupermom

Support the show

For 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.

We often understand what it means to feel physically fit in our bodies, but what does "emotionally fitness" look and feel like? Dr. Tamara Soles, psychologist and keynote speaker, is back on the show to talk with Risa Williams about building up our "emotional fitness," one mental rep at a time. They discuss how families can work with these emotional regulation tools together, and how building these skills is so important to do to manage our daily stress levels.

They discuss:

-Learn a few components of Emotional Fitness: Awareness, Regulation, Flexibility, Curiosity and Humor

-How parents can model to their kids how to regulate their nervous systems and emotions by talking about these elements more regularly

-Simple everyday tricks for regulating your nervous system that don't involve a lot of time or money to do

If this is a stressful and chaotic time of year for you, take a minute to pause and listen to this extremely helpful episode that can help you find the calm again!

Host: Risa WIlliams, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Dr. Tamara Soles, drtamarasoles.com, @drtamarasoles

**Get news about Risa's newest goals planner, The Tiny Wins Journal, which comes out in a few weeks by signing up for her newsletter at: risawilliams.com***

Support the show

For 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 avoid trying new things sometimes because your inner critic really holds you back? On this special 100th episode of The Motivation Mindset, Risa Williams talks to podcast host and therapist, Wynn Helms, about how trying new things is so good for you to do - it helps our brains with cognitive flexibility, it engages our curiosity and helps us lean into life-long learning.

They discuss:

-How managing your inner critic is just part of the creative process and how it happens to everyone

-Why new things scare us into self-judgment and criticism

-How leaning into our sense of humor and childlike curiosity helps us get over the hard parts of learning a new thing

-Why it's important to try new things to avoid staying stuck or becoming too "rigid" in our thinking

**A big thank you to all the wonderful guests from the last 100 episodes and all the listeners around the world - we appreciate you!**

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Wynn Helms, wynnhelms.com, @wynn.helms.lmft1

Support the show

For 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, Host Risa Williams shares two of the top tools from her books: The Stress Ruler and The Time Containers. If you feel stressed out from having way too much to do, then you won't want to miss this episode!
 
The Stress Ruler tool (from The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit) can help us become more aware of stress as it's rising and can help us figure out how to lower our stress one notch at a time. The Time Containers (from The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit) helps us get more intentional about what segments of time are designated for in our schedule.  Time Buffer Breaks are also discussed as a way to bring stress down.
 
Books discussed in this episode: The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit and The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit by Risa Williams.
 
 Tools discussed: The Stress Ruler, The Time Containers, Time Buffer Breaks, Mindfulness techniques,  and Time Blocking.
 
 Host: Risa Williams, LMFT, (www.risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy).
Questions by Dulcie Yamanaka (MM Podcast Assistant).
 
 (All tools discussed on the show are for educational purposes only and not meant as a replacement for medical care or psychotherapy.)

Support the show

For 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 episode, Risa Williams interviews Andrew Lawston, an author and translator of multiple books, and they talk about how to increase your productivity by taking scheduled digital breaks, mapping out tasks by the best time to do them, and using timed sprints.  They also discuss how to provide accountability to yourself by tracking your goals each week over a long stretch of time.

Tools discussed: Pomodoro Method, Timed Sprints, and The Task Intensity Meter, Phone Time-Outs, and The Music Motivator from The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit.

Other Episodes Mentioned: Brain Boost - Music, Episode 12.

Host: Risa Williams,(risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy).
Guest: Andrew Lawston, (www.amazon.com/Andrew-Lawston/e/B007RCMTPS).

Support the show

For 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 Time Lab episode, listeners of the show test out tools from previous episodes. In this show, listeners Darrell Langolf, a writer from Los Angeles, Dulcie Yamanaka, a graphic designer and editor, and Cara Dolan, a public health administrator, test out two tools from Risa's book (The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit) called: The Task Intensity Meter and Task Rewards.  Find out which tool worked out well for them, and which tool they struggled with!

Tools discussed in this episode: The Task Intensity Meter, The Rewards Planner and The Brain Warm-Up from Risa's book, The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit.

Previous episodes mentioned: Episode 4 (Task Intensity Meter), Episode 5 (Rewards with Ezra Werb), Episode 3 (The Time Lab: The Brain Warm-Up).

Host: Risa Williams, LMFT, (risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy).
Guests: Darrell Langolf, Dulcie Yamanaka and Cara Dolan.

Support the show

For 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 called The Brain Boost, guest co-host Erica Curtis joins host Risa Williams to discuss how to use color more effectively in everyday life to find your focus, get creative, and get more organized. Have you ever wondered about the impact of color on your mood and motivation? Here's what science tell us about accessing color's power to transform our thoughts, feelings, and energy... 

Tools discussed in this episode:

The Color Coder (from Risa's book: The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit), Calm Colors (from Erica's book: The Innovative Parent), Time Blocking, and Mindfulness techniques.

Previous episodes mentioned: The Time Lab - Morning Pages & Appreciation Journal (Episode 6), Journaling with Mike Sonksen (Episode 2), Mind Modes with Erica Curtis (Episode 4).

Hosts: Risa Williams (risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy) and Erica Curtis (therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis).

Support the show

For 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 episode, Risa Williams talks to Dr. Tamara Soles about setting time intentions for your to-do list as well as establishing clear boundaries throughout your day. If you've ever wondered about how to be more assertive when you're upholding your time boundaries, Dr. Soles has great tips and advice on how to communicate these needs to others. 

Tools discussed in this episode: Timers, Time Blocking, The Weekly Post-It  and Time Sinkholes (from Risa's book The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit), Reflective Listening, and BlockSite (Chrome Extension).

Guest: Dr. Tamara Soles (drtamarasoles.com, This Hour Has 50 Minutes Podcast).
Host: Risa Williams, LMFT (risawilliams.com, theultimatetoolkitbooks.com).

Support the show

For 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 MM Podcast called The Time Lab, listeners Dulcie Yamanaka, a copy editor, and Julissa Padilla, an archivist, test out journaling tools discussed in Episode 2. For three days, they test out Morning Pages (from The Artist's Way) in the morning, and The Appreciation Journal (from The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit) at night.

Episodes Referenced: Episode 2, Journaling with Mike Sonsken.

Books Referenced: The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit by Risa Williams.

Host: Risa Williams (theultimatetoolkitbooks.com, risawilliams.com).
Guests: Dulcie Yamanaka and Julissa Padilla.

Support the show

For 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.

Risa Williams talks to educational therapist and book author, Ezra Werb, about rewards and how to use them to motivate yourself and to help you feel proud of tasks that you accomplish in everyday life. Ezra Werb is the book author of "Teach for Attention: A Tool Belt of Strategies for Engaging Students with Attention Challenges" (Free Spirit).

Tools discussed: Planning Rewards, Executive Functioning, Delayed Gratification, "Non-preferred" Tasks, The Task Intensity Meter (from Risa's book, The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit), The First Step Finder, (from Risa's book, The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit).

Episodes mentioned: Episode 6 and Episode 2.

Guest: Ezra Werb, M.Ed. (www.freespirit.com/gifted-and-special-education/teach-for-attention-ezra-werb).

Host: Risa Williams, LMFT (risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy).

Support the show

For 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.

Risa Williams interviews Erica Curtis, art therapist and book author of "The Innovative Parent" and "Art Therapy Activities for Kids," about how to switch mental gears, what "mind modes" are,  and how to become more mindfully aware of how you're actually spending your time each day. They discuss how to transition from "work mode" to "rest mode,"  time blocking, and new ways to incorporate mindfulness as a way to regulate your emotions.

Guest: Erica Curtis, LMFT, Board-Certified Art Therapist and author of "The Innovative Parent" and "Art Therapy Exercises for Kids" (www.therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis).

Host: Risa Williams, LMFT, therapist and book author of "The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit" and "The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit" (JKP Books) (www.risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy).

Support the show

For 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 segment of the MM Podcast called The Time Lab, listener Cara Dolan, a public health administrator, tries out the two tools discussed in Episode 1: The Pomodoro Technique and The Brain Warm-Up.  She reports her results to host Risa Williams and they discuss how to apply these techniques in everyday situations. 

Tools tested:
-The Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo
-The Brain Warm-Up (from Risa's book: The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit)

Previous episodes referenced: Episode 1 - Time Tools with Trevor Stockwell.

Guest: Cara Dolan, (www.linkedin.com/in/cara-dolan-4145b89).

Host: Risa Williams, (risawilliams.com, theultimatetoolkitbooks.com).

For more info, visit: www.risawilliams.com/motivationmindset.

Support the show

For 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 episode, Risa talks to book author, professor, and poet, Mike Sonksen, about how to use daily journaling to tap into the present moment more. They discuss timed writing, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, Thich Nhat Hanh and mindfulness, and how we can break things down into small steps in order to find our way forward with projects.  Mike shares some wisdom and a brand new poem in this episode.

Guest: Mike Sonksen (@mikethepoetla).
Host: Risa Williams (www.risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy).
For more info, visit: www.risawilliams.com/motivationmindset.

Support the show

For 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.

What age were you when you learned how to cook for yourself, organize your home, fix household objects or manage your time? Some of us didn't learn these things from our parents or families, we had to teach them to ourselves as adults! And so what happens now, when we have kids, and we have to teach everyday things we weren't taught as kids? Risa Williams talks to Life Skills expert and Ted Talk Speaker, Katie Kimball, about learning and teaching life skills needed for thriving in everyday life.

They discuss:

-How to approach teaching life skills with curiosity and encourage collaboration from our kids  

-How to avoid teaching life skills in chaos and crisis mode

-How learning life skills increases resiliency and confidence 

-How to delegate tasks when you're at your stress capacity 

-How everyone these days can benefit from life-long learning of everyday skills

**For Motivation Mindset listeners, check out Katie's Life Skills Summer Camp for kids at: kidscookrealfood.com/motivationmindset***

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Katie Kimball, kidscookrealfood.com/motivationmindset, @katiekimballkidscook

Support the show

For 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 episode, Risa Williams talks to Trevor Stockwell, leadership coach and podcast host, about his favorite time management tools, including: The Pomodoro Technique, GTD Method, The Brain Warm-Up Tool (from Risa's book, The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit).

Guest: Trevor Stockwell (www.trevorstockwell.com).

Host: Risa Williams, LMFT (theultimatetoolkitbooks.com, @risawilliamstherapy).
For more info, visit: www.risawilliams.com/motivationmindset.

Support the show

For 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 argue with your partner a lot about clutter? Do you have different "clutter tolerance" styles? Sometimes, one person in a relationship doesn't even see the clutter sitting there, while another is very visually and emotionally triggered by it! So, what can we do? Risa Williams talks to organizational expert and author, Colette Roy, about her new book, Clutter and Couples, which addresses all these things that help couples communicate about clutter.

They discuss:

-How people have different levels of clutter tolerance that can cause conflict

-How we can adapt a "data collection" mindset of discussing clutter  

-How praising new organizational habits can be the key to paving new pathways together

-What to do when clutter starts to affect your intimacy and starts to create communication conflicts

-How carving out "sacred areas" of the home together helps you find harmony while still maintaining "independent zones" for your own styles

-Using "pattern disruption" as a way to break out of cluttering habits

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Colette Roy, clutterandcouples.com, @clutterandcouples

Support the show

For 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 find the transition into summer to be really stressful to manage? You're not alone! The first few weeks of summer can often feel emotionally bumpy and chaotic to navigate for both parents and kids. Risa Williams talks to Lori Oberbroeckling about managing the start of summer break in a less stressful way so that you can find your fun as a family again.

They discuss:

-Why transitioning into summer can often feel so challenging for kids and parents 

-How kids tend to need some structure and some free time and how to find a balance that works 

-Why we need to bring our stress down before making plans so we don't wind up "defaulting" to things that didn't work last year

-How taking stock of what worked (and didn't) last year is important to review

-How making summer checklists can help everyone figure out a better balance between activities and free time

Risa will be speaking on June 16th at Lori's Supermom Summer Camp - a virtual productivity workshop for parents! Get your free ticket at this link, or by visiting https://www.risawilliams.com/writingmedia.

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Lori Oberbroeckling, secretsofsupermom.com, @secretsofsupermom

Support the show

For 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 sometimes wonder why you get to the end of the day and you haven't completed all the tasks you set out to do? Well, sometimes it's down to something called "invisible tasks" which are either tasks we don't really acknowledge we're doing each day, or invisible pieces of tasks we haven't even considered! Risa Williams talks to time management expert, Doctor Radio show host, and media psychologist, Dr. Jessica Stern, about the idea of invisible tasks and how they can sometimes lead to procrastination or stuck-points.

They discuss:

-How invisible parts of tasks might be holding us back because we're not acknowledging that they're really there

-How invisible tasks sometimes lead us straight into procrastination 

-Where we get stuck with perfectionism when it comes to invisible pieces of tasks we need to do

-How we can start to observe and collect data to become more aware of all the invisible pieces of tasks we might not even be seeing day-to-day

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Dr. Jessica Stern, drjessicabstern.com, @drjessicabstern

Support the show

For 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.

Are you feeling stuck and overwhelmed by the small space you're living in? Do you want to get more organized but there just isn't enough room to navigate it all? Risa Williams speaks to organizational expert and Small Spaces coach, Khrystyne Jaspers, about handling living in tight quarters and how we can cultivate gratitude and appreciation for the small spaces we're in.

They discuss:

-Shifting into a mindset that lets you feel appreciative of what the small space gives you

-Leaving empty spaces in rooms, drawers, and spaces to feel more freedom and calmness in everyday life

-Learning emotional regulation skills to navigate small spaces together as a family and to bring the stress levels down

-What to keep and what to let go of, going back to your values and what's important you in your space and in your life at this time

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Khrystyne Jaspers, khrystynejaspers.com, @khrystynejaspers

Support the show

For 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 unmotivated by the monotony of the work week and wish you could have a little more fun at work? Well, this episode is for you! Risa Williams talks to Dr. Alexis Hope, co-founder of Focused Space, about how to find the fun in your work week again. They discuss different tricks for getting yourself to focus in fun new ways when you're feeling unmotivated and stuck on what you need to do.

They discuss:

-Risa's Hats Method from Get Stuff Done Without the Stress: How to switch between roles you have to do intentionally to help you be more present in the moment

-Alexis' "Foot Bath Method" for focusing on computer tasks that sounds as funny/fun as it is

-How connection and body-doubling often help people focus and find accountability in finishing projects and tasks

-How working on things with people you like or in positive support groups can give you that fun boost to get through things

**Risa often partners with Focused.space to do workshops and talks, check them out for body-doubling sessions!**

**And if you're in Los Angeles this Saturday, come to Village Well Bookstore in Culver City on May 24th at 6 PM and say hi to Risa! She'll be part of a local authors' night book signing and she'll be signing copies of Get Stuff Done Without the Stress and her new kids' book, Max and The Imaginary Tree!**

**Congratulations to Stephanie Van Schaick, winner of the double book giveaway contest @risawilliamstherapy - Stay tuned for more giveaways soon!**

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Dr. Alexis Hope, www.focused.space, @focused_space

Support the show

For 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 your kids struggle to sleep and calm down at bedtime? Well, Risa's did too! That's why she came up with a story, Max and the Imaginary Tree, that she told her own kids when they were little to teach them how to relax by taking big deep breaths. Risa is joined by her co-author and friend, Erica Curtis, and they discuss their new kids book, Max and The Imaginary Tree, which is part of a book series they are launching called: The Calm Kids Collection. This collection teaches kids easy mindfulness tools to calm down that they can practice with parents, friends or in school settings.

In this episode, Risa and Erica discuss:

-Easy ways we can teach kids to use visualization to remember to breathe in and out

-Fun ways we can teach kids to calm down using colors they see around them

-How learning these skills as parents helps us co-regulate our nervous systems with our kids

-Everyday calming down skills we can teach our kids and remember to do ourselves more often!

**BOOK GIVEAWAY! Win a copy of MAX AND THE IMAGINARY TREE and Risa's new book, GET STUFF DONE WITHOUT THE STRESS by entering the book giveaway contest on instagram @risawilliamstherapy this week!**

***Celebrate today's book launch by picking up copy of MAX AND THE IMAGINARY TREE for kids in your life or by donating one to your local school and library so other kids can read it and learn about these simple tools. Buy at risawilliams.com, amazon, or your local bookstore today!***

Hosts: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, and Erica Curtis, therapywitherica.com.

Support the show

For 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 feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your own emotions? Do you feel like your emotions sometimes get out of control? Does fear, rejection, or guilt consume your thoughts to the point where it's very hard to move forward? Listen to this episode on emotional mastery to learn how your own perceptions are causing you to feel certain things, and how you can control these perceptions in practical ways. Risa Williams talks to psychologist and book author, Dr. Christopher Cortman, about his tools for mastering your "emotional dashboard." Dr. Cortman is the author of six books including his latest release: The Guided Imagery Cure: The Best Proven Methods for Quickly Resolving and Healing Trauma.

They discuss:

-How our own perceptions cause our feelings

-How certain emotions can be cues to you about things that are important to you 

-How to learn to let go of internal blocks that are holding you back

-How people tend to self-sabotage themselves and where this stems from

**If you happen to be in Los Angeles on May 24th at 6 PM PST, stop by Village Well Bookstore in Culver City and say hello to Risa! She'll be signing copies of her latest. book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, along with other local authors at Local Authors Night there. Come get a copy of her book!***

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Dr. Christopher Cortman, srqshrink.com, @drchristophercortman

Support the show

For 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 wish you had a magic Patronus spell you could use to call upon an imaginary spirit animal to help you feel calm when you needed to? Well, we have just the visualization for you in this fun episode! Risa Williams talks to Marc Antonio, an EMDR therapist, about a Spirit Animal Visualization that people can use to feel calmer and happier feelings when they need to. They also discuss different visualization tools that can help people connect with their feelings and process them in a calmer way.

They discuss:

-Healthy forms of everyday dissociation vs. trauma triggers that involve dissociation 

-How we can use our imagination in calmer and more playful ways throughout daily life

-How using visualization can affect our nervous system, executive functioning skills, and emotional regulation

*Sign up for Risa's new subscription: Worksheets with Risa to receive a free worksheet each month from her books - patreon.com/risawilliams or @risawilliamstherapy!*

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Marc Antonio, nerdgeektherapy.com

Support the show

For 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.

So, you've learned how to set boundaries and effectively communicate your boundaries to people, but what do you do next? How can we go about managing and adjusting our boundaries as our relationships change, we grow, or new situations present themselves to us? Risa Williams talks to Stevon Lewis, therapist and book author, about how to figure out how much "access" you're allowing people to have to parts of you based upon information you're receiving from them across different situations over time.

They discuss:

-How boundaries can be on a scale and not an "all or nothing" concept

-How most people see boundaries as "punishment" instead of a "choice" that allows us to feel safe and thrive

-How to adjust how much access someone should have to you and your time based upon information you're given 

-Why we need to prioritize our own time with ourselves a little bit more intentionally for our own health and wellbeing

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Stevon Lewis, stevonlewis.com, @stevonlewismft

Support the show

For 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 push off taking care of yourself to the bottom of your to-do list each week? In this double podcast broadcast episode, Risa Williams talks to fellow podcast host, Gabby Sanderson (of The Happier Life Project) about how we can reduce our stress in regular ways and learn to take our self-care more seriously each day. For International Stress-Awareness Month, they talk about ways we can become more mindfully aware of our daily stress and what's stressing us out so we can take small and easy steps to bring our stress down in little notches.

They discuss tools from Risa's new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, including:

-The Calm Zone: Understanding your own capacity to feel calm, what this space feels like in your body, and steps you can take protect it a little more throughout the day

-Goal-Mapping: Using Risa's easy and practical three track system, how can you make your own daily self-care one of the mail goals you're working on each week?

-The Task Intensity Meter: How does knowing what tasks tend to stress you out help you form a better plan to get stuff done?

-Self-Kindness Mindset: Learning to talk to yourself in gentler ways about things you need to do...actually helps you do those very same things! Find out how...

Pick up a copy of Risa's new book at: getstuffdonebook.com, and if you happen to be in Los Angeles, stop by Village Well bookstore on May 24th at 6 PM PST to meet Risa and get a signed copy of her book! More info at: risawilliams.com.

Hosts: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy, and, Gabby Sanderson, @radiogabby, mypossibleself.com

Support the show

For 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 over-commit to social events only to find yourself avoiding what you've just signed up to do? Do you over-explain why you can't make something and then feel overly guilty afterwards? Do you wish you had a simple formula so you could just say no to something without all the stress? Then, check out our latest episode: Setting Boundaries!

In this episode, Risa Williams talks to psychologist, Dr. Michelle Chung, about setting healthy boundaries by learning how to use a "soft no". Sharing her practical boundary-setting formulas, Dr. Chung teaches us that we can learn to take care of ourselves and our own needs in a gentle way that doesn't confuse the listener.

They discuss:

-The Soft No formula: Learning the "validation sandwich" technique

-The DEARMAN Method: Derived from DBT, Dearman teaches us how to effectively communicate our needs in a mindful way that is easy to remember

-Learning to let others feel their feelings and to let ourselves feel our own feelings too

-Why self-care is so important for refilling your own cup so you can pour out to others

--If you're in Los Angeles on May 24th, stop by Risa's newest book signing at Village Well bookstore in Culver City! May 24th from 12-2 PM: Risa will be signing copies of Get Stuff Done Without the Stress at this friendly downtown Culver City bookstore!--

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Dr. Michelle Chung, drmichellechung.com, @dr.michellechung

Support the show

For 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 episode, Risa Williams talks to best-selling author, Jodi Wellman, about living a regret-free life. In her book, You Only Die Once, Jodi talks about practical ways we can start to look at our life from the point of view of the end of our lives, and work our way backwards to figuring out what we want to be doing right now.

They discuss:

-The Deathbed Regret Exercise: If you think about being on your deathbed, what regrets would you have about things you didn't do? And then, how can you start to move towards doing those things now?

-The Home from the Hospital Visualization: If you just returned home from the hospital after a brush with death, how would that change how you see today differently and what would this change about how you approached your everyday tasks?

-Jodi shares tools from positive psychology to help listeners start to cultivate tiny daily doses of happiness throughout everyday life more intentionally.

-How doing weekly and monthly reviews of what's important to you helps you avoid regret later.

Want to make sure you're living without regrets today? Listen to this episode and learn a few new ways of looking at your life right now...

And a big-shout out to everyone who showed up at Risa's book signing of Get Stuff Done Without the Stress at Barnes & Noble in Fullerton on Saturday - it was so wonderful to see such a happy crowd there, enjoying books!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Jodie Wellman, fourthousandmondays.com, @fourthousandmondays

Support the show

For 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 episode, Risa Williams talks to ADHD-ish podcast host and business coach, Diann Wingert, about time horizons, and stretching our time perspective so that we can actually accomplish what we set out to do. They discuss ways that adults with ADHD can unintentionally "shrink" their time horizons and sometimes set themselves up to feel stressed out by their own goal expectations.

They discuss:

-The idea of "time horizons" for different people, including those with ADHD

-Diann's tool, "The Reality Bridge" for forming a more reasonable time frame to do things in

-Why having a "default yes" can set our "future selves" up for stress, burnout, and overwhelm

-What a "digital parking lot" is and how to use it when your mind generates too many ideas to actually do!

-Why having a "Future Self" date is important to do consistently 

You can access Diann's time horizons worksheets here:

https://bit.ly/time-horizon-stretching-strategies

And a big congrats to Tatum Rangel from LA, winner of the Double Book Giveaway! You will be receiving Risa's new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, and Colette Roy's book, Clutter and Couples in the mail! Enjoy! You can find out about the next book giveaway at instagram.com/risawilliamstherapy.

If you happen to be in LA, stop by Barnes & Noble - Fullerton on March 29th at 2 PM - Risa will be signing her new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, there and giving away freebies. Stop in and say hello!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Diann Wingert, https://bit.ly/ADHD-ish, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adhd-ish/id1513039926

Support the show

For 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.

It's book launch month of Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, Risa Williams' new book, and on this episode, Risa is joined by organizational expert/author, Colette Roy, to delve into the concept of "self-kindness" as discussed in the book.

They discuss:

-Why being mean to ourselves stops us from getting things done

-The challenge of becoming addicted to the "productivity of life"

-The difference in how we talk to ourselves vs. how we talk to other people

-How to walk towards big goals by taking consistent tiny steps forward

If you'd like to win a copy of Get Stuff Done Without the Stress by Risa Williams and Clutter and Couples by Colette Roy, enter our double book giveaway on instagram @risawilliamstherapy before March 17th, 2025!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Colette Roy, www.clutterandcouples.com, @clutterandcouples 

Support the show

For 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.

--Recorded live at Book Soup bookstore in LA on Feb. 21st, 2025 --

Are you tired of feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and like nothing on your to-do list is ever done? This is the episode for you! Live from Book Soup, it's Risa Williams' talk with Mike Sonksen about tools from her latest book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress! Recorded during the event last Friday, Risa talks to Mike about approaching time management and goals from a self-kindness mindset that allows us to befriend ourselves as we work on taking steps forward with things we want to do.

They discuss:

-Making a map of your goals

-The Small Steps Journal

-The Task Intensity Meter

-How to keep different areas of your life in balance while still working towards big goals 

-How to develop a better and healthier relationship with yourself throughout all stages of progress on goals

A big thank you to Dan and Asha at Book Soup and to Mango Publishing for facilitating this book event, and to Mike Sonksen for being such a wonderful host for the evening! Thanks to everyone who came from far and wide to hear the talk - what a great crowd - thanks for a truly wonderful event!

Hosts: Mike Sonksen, @mikethepoetla and Asha at Book Soup

Guest Speaker: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, getstuffdonebook.com, @risawilliamstherapy 

Support the show

For 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.

So many of us are feeling so tired of "hustle-culture" telling us to work and work until we fall over from burnout...so, what's our newer, healthier, and happier definition of productivity going to be from now on? And, how do you even start to go about redefining productivity for yourself?

Joining Risa Williams to celebrate the book launch of her new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress (in stores today), are co-hosts Erica Curtis, Trevor Stockwell and Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, who share their own personal definitions of what "healthy productivity" means to them.

They explore:

-The difference between "healthy productivity" and "unhealthy productivity"

-How to do a "restart" of your day to get back on track again

-A more flexible version of productivity that allows you to see self-care as a priority and balance as a goal

-How picturing what "Future-You" would do and how they would go about daily life can help you stay more motivated and positive about where you are now

-Why taking breaks and resting is so productive to do!

And a big congratulations to Lucy Zhang of Irvine, winner of the Double Book Giveaway on instagram! Hope you like the books!

Check out Risa's new book here: getstuffdonebook.com and tell her what you think!

Hosts:
Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Erica Curtis, therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis
Trevor Stockwell, trevorstockwell.com, @tsleadershipdev
Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, hustlingwriters.com

Support the show

For 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 find yourself losing valuable time to scrolling each day? Do you often compare yourself to others on your social media feed or get distracted by watching things that drain your energy and focus?  Risa Williams talks to CBT psychologist and book author of The Stocism Workbook, Dr. Scott Waltman, about learning to use daily social media in a more intentional way.

They discuss:

-How social media influences discussions about mental health topics

-Separating your purpose for social media from social media's purpose for you

-Learning to find the best time to be on social media for your own wellbeing

-What it's like to navigate social media these days as a clinician

Enter our DOUBLE BOOK GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of Dr. Scott Waltman's book, The Stoicism Workbook, and Risa Williams' brand new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress (in stores Feb. 11th), by going to @risawilliamstherapy and finding the contest post - leave a comment on the giveaway post before 2/10/25 to enter - winner will be announced on the show on 2/11/25!

Attend one of Risa's upcoming book launch events here: https://bio.site/risawilliams

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest; Dr. Scott Waltman, www.sanantoniodbtcbt.com/dr-scott-waltman-psyd/, @socraticmethodcbt

Support the show

For 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.

Is hustle culture burning you out right now? Are you feeling anxious, exhausted, and overwhelmed by work on a weekly basis? Risa Williams talks to DJ, podcast host, and journalist, Gabby Sanderson, about navigating burnout recovery from hustle culture. Gabby shares her experiences working in diverse industries in different countries. They discuss growing your own awareness and understanding of what burnout feels like to you, so that you can catch it before you get lost in it for too long.

They talk about:
-Hustle culture and how it affects our mental health
-Anxiety and panic attacks that can happen from burnout
-How to step back and get perspective of what's happening to you
-How money and loneliness are sometimes tied to burnout
-When it's time to take stock of your own wellbeing and balance

Gabby also shares valuable lessons she's learned from interviewing hundreds of wellness experts on her successful UK podcast, The Happier Life Project.

Risa discusses the subject of burnout which she takes on in her new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, which is in stores worldwide Feb. 11th! If you're in LA, come to a book talk and signing at Book Soup with Risa on Feb. 21st at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy, https://www.amazon.com/Get-Stuff-Done-Without-Stress/dp/1684816874

Guest: Gabby Sanderson, https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-the-happier-life-project-99687698/, @radiogabby

Support the show

For 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 want to find more creativity in everyday life but get stuck figuring out what to do or how to start? This is the episode for you! Risa Williams and Hilary Kern discuss easy ways you can start to embrace creativity throughout regular life, especially for those out there who feel like they've lost touch with creativity or don't think of themselves as "artistic types." How can we begin to use art as a way to get inspired and find the playful and fun sides of ourselves more intentionally?

They discuss:
-Self-reception and self-expression
-Using creativity as a way to "get into the present moment"
-Finding inspiration in daily life
-Risa's Inspiration Journal tool from The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit
-Connecting with parts of yourself that were creative when you were a little kid again

You can also hear a sample of Risa's audiobook, The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit: The Inspiration Journal at the end of this episode.

And check out Risa's upcoming book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress - and if you're in LA on Feb. 21st, you can hear her speak and get your book signed at Book Soup in Hollywood. Find out more at risawilliams.com.

A big thank you to all the first responders and firefighters in Los Angeles right now - thank you for all your heroic efforts - and please stay safe, everyone in LA!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Hilary Kern, hilarykern.com, @hilarykerncreates

Support the show

For 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 feel like there's just work and free time but you never quite get everything done during your free time? You're not alone! On this special episode of the show, "Reader Questions" - I invited a reader of my books, Ksenjia Sabic, a technical project manager in NYC, on the show to ask questions about "Get Stuff Done Without the Stress" and to share her experience of using the tools in the book.

We discuss:

-How trying to "wing it" with free time each week may not be helping you do the fun things you want to do

-Why adulthood tends to leave most people feeling lost about the path to their goals and how they can start to map things out for themselves

-How perfectionism leads us to have harshly different rules for ourselves than we have for other people

Thank you so much, Ksenjia, for being brave and coming on the show! I appreciate you reading the book and all your wonderful questions and feedback! I am sure listeners will benefit from hearing your experience as well.

**Check out the Sept/Oct issue of Therapist Magazine because Erica Curtis and I wrote an article in it about our kids' book: Max and The Imaginary Tree, and skills parents can use for calming down each day**

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Ksenjia Sabic, linkedin.com/in/ksenija-sabic/

Support the show

For 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 have trouble decluttering because you can't decide what to get rid of or where to start? Do you get stuck on organizational projects because all those little decisions are just way too overwhelming? Risa Williams welcomes back influencer/organizer Deanna Yates to the show, and they discuss easy and practical ways we can learn to navigate overwhelm and decision fatigue when it comes to decluttering and organizing our stuff.

They discuss:
-How decision fatigue wears us down and what we can do to re-focus our attention on what's in front of us
-Deanna's FREEDOM technique; a three step process you can use when you're stuck making decisions
-Tools from Risa's new book, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress, which you can preorder now and comes out in February!
-How remembering the emotional place we want to get to can motivate us to make decisions in an easier way

Next week on January 13th, Risa will be speaking at Deanna' summit, The Chaos to Calm Summit, and she'll be discussing tools from The Procrastination Playbook and how to overcome everday procrastination. Get your free ticket here: https://www.chaostocalmsummit.com/ticket?sa=sa01592826756fbabd0477060921a9af3e95e9f43c

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Deanna Yates, wannabeclutterfree.com, @wannabeclutterfree

Support the show

For 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 New Year, everyone! We made it to 2025 - and that's just wonderful! Joining Risa Williams are special guest co-hosts: Erica Curtis, Trevor Stockwell and Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, and they dive deep into figuring out how you want to spend your time and energy during the new year ahead.

In this conversation, they discuss:
-How to get intentional about who you want to be this year
-How to connect the dots by looking back across last year to see what you've learned and gained
-How to say goodbye to old goals and versions of yourself that aren't reflecting who you are any more
-How to get appreciative about those little happy moments and collect them throughout the year more deliberately to boost you up

Find out our best tools for getting in that motivated mindset in 2025! You won't want to miss this inspiring episode and start the year off in a happier mood!

To get you started in your goal-setting in 2025, check out Risa's brand new books: Get Stuff Done Without the Stress and the Get Stuff Done Goals Journal! Available at risawilliams.com and also at: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Risa-Williams/author/B00FC0MMIQ. Easy, practical, goal-setting methods that can keep you on track with things you want to do in 2025!

Hosts:
Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Erica Curtis, therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis
Trevor Stockwell, trevorstockwell.com, @tsleadershipdev
Tšhegofatšo Ndabane, hustlingwriters.com

Support the show

For 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 do we find the strength and focus to get through creative projects without giving up? Risa Williams speaks to author and actor Andrew Lawston about creative persistence and different tools we can use when we want to give up halfway through creative projects. They discuss their work together on the new audiobook, The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit, the process of making it together, and they. also share a short excerpt from the book.

In this episode, they discuss:
-Finding accountability and support to navigate the creative process
-Ways both of them use tracking and pacing during long creative projects
-How to "trick your brain" into doing creative tasks it doesn't want to do
-How to "prime your brain" to get ready to be creative each day

If you sometimes feel all on your own and lost in your own head with big projects you're working on, then this is the episode for you!

And a big congrats to our audiobook giveaway winners: Miguel Lee, Darrell Langolf, and Michelle Jones! You will be receiving free copies of The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit - audiobook version! Buy the book here and check it out, hope you like the excerpt we shared on the show today. Also, Get Stuff Done Without the Stress and The Procrastination Playbook by Risa Williams are now available in stores worldwide, check them out at risawilliams.com.

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Andrew Lawston, @andrewlawston

Support the show

For 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 sometimes lose control of your emotions? Do you often feel overly frustrated or angry about little everyday things? Then, this episode is for you! These days, who doesn't need a little help with emotional regulation? Dr. Catherine Smith talks to Risa Williams about practical skills from DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) that anyone can use to start to become more aware of how to regulate their emotions and frustration each day.

They discuss:
-The STOP technique for gaining awareness in the moment
-Parts work - how our "inner parts" feel neglected sometimes and what we can do show ourselves more compassion when we're having big and intense feelings
-How our childhoods might have affected the way we express our emotions
-How learning how to radically accept our emotions can help us navigate them more easily

Books discussed: Get Stuff Done Without the Stress by Risa Williams (new book coming out -preorder today), The Whole-Brain Child by Dan Siegel, Build a Life Worth Living by Marsha Linehan, The Polyvagal Theory by Stephen W. Porges

Also, enter to win our new audiobook giveaway - three lucky winners will receive the audiobook version of The Ultimate Self-Esteem Toolkit! Enter on instagram (@risawilliamstherapy) by Dec. 22nd to win!

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Dr. Catherine Smith, drcatherinesmith.com, @catherinelistens

Support the show

For 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.

Does perfectionism sometimes hold you back from getting things done? In this episode, Risa Williams talks to classical pianist superstar, educator and performer, Alpin Hong about the role that perfectionism plays in procrastination, especially when it comes to the creative and performing arts. They also discuss how high-achievers can sometimes get in their own way with tasks they need to do.

They discuss:
-How we get in our own way with our self-talk
-The roots of perfectionism
-How to start to pivot out of perfectionism
-How sometimes we make ourselves stuck with our own expectations

Alpin also discusses his own journey with navigating his own roadblocks and career path as a performing artist. If you're feeling stuck on a task you need to do because you sometimes get in your own way, you won't want to miss this episode!

Congrats to Liz Stuck - the winner of our double book giveaway! You'll be receiving The Procrastination Playbook by Risa Williams and Working with Anger Creatively by Erica Curtis! Thanks to everyone who participated and check out Risa's instagram for more giveaways coming up.

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Alpin Hong, alpinhong.com, @alpinhong

Support the show

For 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.

We're celebrating the release of "The Procrastination Playbook" today - it's in stores now! Erica Curtis and Risa Williams discuss super sneaky ways procrastination and task avoidance can catch us off-guard in everyday life such as, "Halfway Drift," "Procrasti-breaks," "Waiting for Motivation," "Avoidance Cleaning," and "Prioritization Problems" from Risa's new book.

They talk about:
-Things we tend to do when we are avoiding doing tasks
-Procrastination "warning signs"
-Getting nuanced about noticing our internal cues of avoidance
-How to "neutralize" everyday tasks you don't want to do
-Questions you can ask yourself to determine if you're taking a "procrasti-break" or a "real break" from a project or goal
-Asking yourself what the real consequence is of your procrastination

We're hosting another last double book giveaway on instagram: You can win a copy of The Procrastination Playbook by Risa Williams and Working with Anger Creatively by Erica Curtis - by leaving a comment on the contest post on instagram (@risawilliamstherapy).

Congratulations to Dr. Olivia Ariyo - the winner of our last book giveaway! We hope you enjoy the book!

Buy a copy of The Procrastination Playbook and leave a review on amazon today!

Support the show

For 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.

Does procrastination sometimes sneak up on you and catch you off-guard? Do you find yourself wondering how so much time has gone by and meanwhile, you haven't even started that project that you really wanted to do? In this episode, Risa Williams and Trevor Stockwell discuss "Sneaky Forms of Procrastination" from Risa's upcoming book, The Procrastination Playbook. How does procrastination affect us in subtle ways throughout everyday life that we might not even be aware of?

They discuss:
-Staying "overly busy" as a form of procrastination
-Losing motivation and focus
-Overloading ourselves into burnout
-Ways you can start to help "Future-You" out a little more today

Enter our double book giveaway by visiting @risawilliamstherapy on instagram and leaving a comment on the post by November 20th, 2024! The winner will receive a copy of Risa's brand new book, The Procrastination Playbook, and Trevor's new audiobook, You Lead You. The Procrastination Playbook is in stores November 21st - help Risa celebrate by buying a copy today at risawilliams.com, or on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Procrastination-Playbook-Adults-ADHD-Sneaky/dp/1805012290/.

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Co-Host: Trevor Stockwell, trevorstockwell.com, @tsleadershipdev

Support the show

For 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, book author, Stoicism expert, and psychologist, Dr. Scott Waltman, discusses Practical Stoicism, and ways we can adopt stoic principles into our everyday lives. Risa Williams and Dr. Waltman discuss Socratic Questioning as a therapy tool, where Stoicism and mindfulness intersect, and how we can find ways balance with our own judgement and emotional states.

They discuss:
-The teachings of Socrates and Epictetus
-Where people tend to get confused with Socratic Questioning
-The four main principles of Stoicism and how you can apply them
-How to find your emotional balance in everyday situations
-How you can apply Stoicism to navigating your own self-talk and thoughts

Books discussed: Dr. Scott Waltman's books: The Stoicism Workbook and Socratic Questioning for Therapists and Counselors

Congratulations to our book giveaway winner: Amy Federman! We hope you will enjoy your copies of The Stoicism Workbook and The Procrastination Playbook - and a big thanks to everyone who entered the contest at @risawilliamstherapy! More books will be given away in the next month, so stay tuned...

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Dr. Scott Waltman, @socraticmethodcbt

Support the show

For 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.

ADHD and procrastination tend to go hand in hand, and on this episode, Ryan Muldoon and Risa Williams discuss the subtle ways procrastination can sneak up on people with ADHD. Self-protection can be a sneaky type of procrastination where we feel like we're protecting ourselves from a particular outcome, whether that's failure or success, and perfectionism is a subtle way we keep ourselves from trying or starting something new.

They discuss:
-How people with ADHD sometimes avoid doing things they actually like doing
-Where people tend to get lost with creative procrastination
-How our inner critic can keep us from starting tasks and projects  
- How having a daily routine helps us from getting too lost in procrastination for too long

Books discussed: Risa's new book, The Procrastination Playbook for Adults with ADHD, in stores for preorder now!

Win a free signed copy of The Procrastination Playbook, along with Dr. Scott Waltman's new book, The Stoicism Workbook, by following @risawilliamstherapy and leaving a comment on the Double Book Giveaway Post before October 29th! You will be automatically entered in the contest if you follow the rules on the post.

Host: Risa Williams, @risawilliamstherapy, risawilliams.com
Guest Host: Ryan Muldoon, @rydoon, ryanpsych.com

Support the show

For 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 do you know if the procrastination you're doing is healthy or unhealthy? On this episode, Risa Williams and Trevor Stockwell discuss healthy procrastination vs. unhealthy procrastination. When is procrastination a form of healthy task prioritization and when does it tip over into task avoidance instead?

It's "Overcoming Procrastination" month on The Motivation Mindset to help celebrate the launch of Risa's new book, The Procrastination Playbook, which is in stores November 21st and you can preorder it today.
 
Risa and Trevor discuss:
-Different types of procrastination
-Procrastination warning signs: Internal and external cues that you might be starting to procrastinate
-When "getting too busy" is a warning sign that you might be avoiding doing something
-Practical ways you can start to move yourself out of feeling overwhelmed and stuck with something you have to complete

They also answer questions about procrastination sent in by listeners of the show. Check out Risa's new book and help her celebrate the launch of the book by leaving a review on Amazon on November 21st.

Books discussed: The Procrastination Playbook for Adults with ADHD: How to Catch Sneaky Forms of Procrastination Before They Catch You by Risa Williams

Hosts: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy and Trevor Stockwell, trevorstockwell.com, @tsleadershipdev.

Support the show

For 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 try to set goals but then beat yourself up if you're not working on them every single day? Or, do you want to move forward with many new goals but find yourself stalling out at the starting line? Risa Williams talks to Debra Eckerling, book author, goals coach, and podcaster, about how we can set goals in a much easier and less stressful way! 

They discuss:

-Deb's 5 of 7 Rule for working on goals each week

-Why writing down all the small steps you're taking each week is so important to do to motivate you to keep going

-How one simple journaling technique can show you patterns about yourself that can help you figure out what to do next

**Big thanks to everyone who showed up at Risa's workshop this past weekend at The Huddle/Google Visitor Experience and thank you to Isabella and Vic for hosting the event!**

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy

Guest: Debra Eckerling,  thedebmethod.com, @thedebmethod

Support the show

For 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.

Does your work/life balance need some adjusting so you can connect more with feeling done and taking a real break? Risa Williams talks to time management coach, Georgie Bryant, about balancing out work, life, family, and rest times each week. We look at how people can burn themselves out by forgetting what's fun to them and things that they are looking forward to on their calendar ahead, and how to take small steps to bring things back into better balance.

They discuss:
-George's Work/Life Balance calculator tool
-Risa's Hats Method tool from her new book: Get Stuff Done Without the Stress (preorder now on amazon, the book comes out in 2025)
-How stress affects our brains and tires us out
-How we can pick which mode of focus we need to go into next

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Guest: Georgie Bryant, wherethelightplays.com, @georgiebryantcoaching

Support the show

For 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.

Are you feeling a lot more stress now that it's September? Is the Fall cranking up the work stress, the school stress, the family stress for you? You're not alone! Risa Williams & Erica Curtis look at September Stress in this episode, and practical ways we can navigate the fall months ahead.

They discuss:
-Normalizing and acknowledging the stress we're all feeling this season
-Showing yourself more compassion for all the different layers of stress you might be feeling right now
-Ways to look at regulating your stress in easier ways
-How the words you tell yourself about things you need to do change how you do them and how you feel about doing them

Book discussed: The Ultimate Time Management Toolkit and The Procrastination Playbook (Risa's books) available on amazon or at risawilliams.com.

Hosts: Risa Williams, LMFT, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy and Erica Curtis LMFT, therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis

Support the show

For 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.

Are you looking for ways to bring down the stress in your everyday life? Have you been wanting to try out meditation but it just seems too "hard" or "intimidating" to quiet down your mind for long stretches of time? Meditation expert Jeff Patterson, author of The Yielding Warrior, talks to Risa Williams about the different types of meditation we can learn to do, and how to start in an easy way with developing your own meditation practices.

We discuss:
-Different types of meditation practices
-Getting back into the present moment
-How different types of breathing yield different outcomes
-How we can use what our body is telling us and what our body is doing as ways to practice active meditation throughout the day

Host: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com @risawilliamstehrapy
Guest: Jeff Patterson, www.theyieldingwarrior.com, @theyieldingwarrior

**Buy Risa's new book, The Procrastination Playbook, on Amazon/Target today!
And check out Jeff's book, The Yielding Warrior, you can receive a free copy by visiting his website: theyieldingwarrior.com.**

Support the show

For 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 it comes to getting organized or tackling organization projects, do you freeze up with overwhelm? Do you feel shut down, do you start to procrastinate, or do you feel that avoidance starting to take over?

Risa Williams and Erica Curtis are here to help with some simple strategies to navigate our nervous systems when they go into "fight or flight" mode over everyday tasks we need to do.

We discuss:
-Different states of nervous system activation
-Executive functions and what happens when we're stressed out
-How to calm and soothe ourselves into starting a hard task
-How we can help ourselves out a little more by breaking things down
-Why writing things out is so important to do for our brains
-Using Risa's gear shifter tool to figure out what energy you need to get into next

**Come to Risa's free talk on Monday, August 26th at 9 am PST, about procrastination, sponsored by Focused.space:https://www.focused.space/procrastination-playbook
Bring your time management questions to the talk!**

Hosts: Risa Williams, risawilliams.com, @risawilliamstherapy
Erica Curtis, therapywitherica.com, @ericakcurtis

Support the show

For 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.