Being socially awkward is generated by social expectations and our own  worries and fears of what other people think of us. Being socially awkward  can prevent us from fully interacting with others out of fear of being ridiculed. In this episode we discuss the many different aspects of out lives that we are socially awkward and discuss ways you can regain your confidence, and practice self care. Once you realise that everyone is afraid of being socially awkward and that there are various different ways you can manage it,  so you can cope better, you'll be well on your way to embracing social interactions rather than dreading them.The Science Sectionhttps://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1030&context=psychhpResults suggested that the vast majority of individuals experience symptoms of anxiety in social situations from time to time. In addition, individuals who themselves reported elevated social anxiety were more likely than individuals less socially anxious to judge others who appear anxious to have less strength of character and to be less attractive and more compassionate compared to others who do not appear anxious.Little Kicker“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do” -  Eleanor RooseveltThank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!Our Socialswww.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickwww.adopaminekick.comEmail us: [email protected] 

We all know breathing techniques can make you feel more relaxed, but have you ever wondered about the other positive benefits it can have on the way you are feeling and your overall health? There are various different breathing techniques that you can use on a daily basis to help calm you down, become less stressed and help reframe your day, if you're struggling to stay positive.In this episode we discuss how breathing techniques can help you stay calm when stressed and  even improve your mood. Shell even walks Sparky though a step by step breathing technique called the 4-7-8 method, to see if it makes any difference to his state of being.The Science SectionA sample of university students, deep breathing improve the mood and to reduce the levels of stress.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10072-016-2790-8?correlationId=8806e3e9-7c91-4807-8462-792e593fc8a9&error=cookies_not_supported&code=daa444bd-df80-4b1e-b724-79afe9d38c99Breathing Exercises4-7-8 Method. Developed by Dr Andrew WeilClose your lips and inhale through your nose for a count of four.Hold your breath for a count of seven.Exhale completely through your mouth making a whoosh sound for a count of eight. This completes one cycle. Repeat for three more cycles.Counting backwards from 17Premise is, it takes 17 seconds to reset yourself. So the technique is to breath deeply (no particular pattern) and count backwards from 17. Little KickerThis week we have a challenge for you!Do the 4-7-4 method for 3 cycles when you wake up and before you go to bed every day for 7 days. Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!Our Socials www.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickwww.adopaminekick.comEmail us: [email protected] 

There is so much anxiety in the world right now with what is going on between Ukraine and Russia and all the horror stories of a possible World War 3. We thought we'd take to the mic in a special bonus episode to help in anyway we can. In this episode we discuss how you can help Ukraine and give you some tips and advice on how you can protect your mental health by managing your anxiety. Self care is needed now more than than ever with all this bad news.Read our whole post here:https://adopaminekick.com/war-related-anxiety-over-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/Reputable Charity Sources to donate to:https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appealHelp Irra and support local people from Ukrainehttps://www.sunflower.in.ua/Template to send to your MP drafted by the Ukrainian Institute(It also has a link to how you can find your local MP)https://docs.google.com/document/d/10TbVCVm5eWghVRWnDKJzBCXdNovePPXk8p8B6I4B2Dc/edit?usp=sharingCan you offer to host a refugee? https://www.shelter4ua.com/ is taking sign ups from volunteers who have a spare room to offer shelter. Other episodes you can listen to help manage negative thoughtsEpisodes 9-11Thank you so much for listening, if you feel someone would benefit from hearing this, please send them this episode!Our Socials www.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickwww.adopaminekick.comEmail us: [email protected] 

There are many reasons why we panic and worry in today’s modern society. In this episode we discuss, why we panic and offer various solutions that will help you remain calm in situations where panic starts to take a hold of us.  The Science Section: Fight or flight. We panic to keep us alivehttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/000579679390025PLittle KickerAdditional resource created by the NHS in recognizing and coping with Panichttps://www.mindmate.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Coping-with-Panic-Guide.pdfWe love hearing from you so send us a message on our socialswww.adopaminekick.comIG: www.instagram.com/adopaminekick FB: www.facebook.com/adopaminekickEmail us: [email protected] 

Do you ever feel like you're a fraud or do you downplay your achievements? Are you worried you are going to get found out for being a fraud or you believe only luck in your life has got you this far?  You might just be suffering from something called Imposter Syndrome. In this episode we discuss what imposter syndrome feels like and ways to help you combat it.The Science Section:https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/acm/2018/00000093/00000005/art00041Self-doubt variably affects clinicians at all career stages. Our Socialswww.adopaminekick.comIG: www.instagram.com/adopaminekick Facebook: www.facebook.com/adopaminekickEmail us: [email protected] 

In this episode we discuss the many times that we have spiraled into negative thinking patterns and give you some tips and advice on how you can recognize and change any negative thought cycles you might be experiencing. The Science Section 🧑‍How worry changes decision makinghttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1097-4679(199001)46:1%3C78::AID-JCLP2270460113%3E3.0.CO;2-RNegative thoughts can also impact how we perceive pain https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005789405803363ResourcesCheck out the episode we did on Decision Fatigue (Episode 4)and don't forget to check out episode 9 and 10 (Our episodes dedicated to thoughts, as they are super helpful in understanding the power and processes of your thoughts)Our Socialswww.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickEmail us: [email protected] 

Do you suffer from low self worth and negative thought patterns? In this episode we discuss how to make a conscious decision to increase your level of positive thoughts. The Science Sectionhttp://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1078.6530&rep=rep1&type=pdfLittle Kicker: Marissa Peer - I am enough Free meditation here : https://marisapeer.com/meditate/Our Socialswww.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickEmail us: [email protected] 

Thoughts are stories we tell ourselves about the world. They aren’t always true, but unless we check our brains we will believe thoughts are facts and this affects our actions.Join us on our three part thought block as we explore how to control our thoughts.The  Science  SectionCheck out the experiment we mentioned belowhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01786.xRecommended Reading: https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks16/1600681h.html One, No One and One Hundred ThousandBy Luigi PirandelloOur Socialswww.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickEmail us: [email protected] 

The pursuit of happiness is a good thing right? Well not exactly.... it's chasing happiness rather than living in the moment. Life is about the journey not just the destination. In this episode we discuss our tips to help you be happier, drawing conclusions from our own experiences and why we feel why chasing happiness usually leads to disappointment.The  Science  SectionCheck out the two studies we mentioned below!https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan-Schooler/publication/303158395_The_explicit_pursuit_and_assessment_of_happiness_can_be_self-defeating_study_1/links/0c96052ab61a60f39f000000/The-explicit-pursuit-and-assessment-of-happiness-can-be-self-defeating-study-1.pdfhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3160511/Our Socialswww.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickEmail us: [email protected] 

Fearing failure is so prevalent in this day and age, but why do we fear failing so much?In this episode we discuss how the fear of failure can cripple your success and how you can turn failure into a positive to make you more successful. Our Socialswww.adopaminekick.comFollow us on Instagramwww.instagram.com/adopaminekickLike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/adopaminekickEmail us: [email protected]