Daily Mindfulness Lab
46 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago -How do you reprogram what isn’t working if you can't get past your analytical mind? Too many men are weighted down by their opinions and get stuck. Without measurement, the weight of these opinions (unchecked) get in the way of what matters.
The Daily Mindfulness Lab is a measurement-based, mindfulness education that aims to improve men's emotional health. Because so many guys are unclear how to reliably improve their mental and emotional fitness they end up drifting into a state of indifference and frustration. Now more than ever, we need an ambitious mindfulness practice to help men inquire more accurately as to whether they're being an ally to the truth, or blinding themselves from it.
Host of the podcast and Daily Mindfulness Lab founder, Todd Brossart, LCSW, BCD discusses evidence-based insights of how the Lab helps men improve their ability to be mindful, psychologically flexible, and compassionate.
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Episodes
Owning My Naivete
May 11, 2022 20:06 - 14 minutes - 19.5 MBIf you could have a conversation with yourself back when you started your career in healthcare, what would you say? What does that person need to know in order to sustain their mental health over the arch of their career? Would you talk to them about naivete? Or how to approach one's naivete as it comes up in their career? Consider where you're at today in your career. Would you be willing to talk to yourself about owning your naivete? After 12 years of working in a large hospital setting,...
A New Direction
April 04, 2022 20:24 - 1 minute - 2.05 MBWhat happens to the healthcare industry as providers go home feeling like they could have done more to care for their patients? While at the same time struggle to care about things in their personal life that used to be important? My name is Todd Brossart, and over the past 15 years of my career as a clinical social worker, I’ve struggled with highs and lows, ups and downs, with compassion fatigue, moral injury, and a near-fatal injury while on the job that could have been prevented. Join me...
In Memoriam | Honoring Rachel
June 21, 2021 14:58 - 8 minutes - 12 MBIf you’ve listened to this podcast for a while, you’ll know that I hold a belief that there’s still someone out there who I haven’t met yet, that will change my life in profound ways. This episode is an attempt to honor someone who left a lasting impact on my life. In April 2019 during my lengthy stay in the hospital, I was privileged to have a very special person care for me. Her name was Rachel Petersen. Rachel was a nurse at the Anschutz Medical Center, in Aurora, Colorado. Sadly, Rachel ...
Getting to Live | A Mindful Reframe
June 01, 2021 01:43 - 9 minutes - 12.9 MBWe all have to do things. Some things we are excited about. Other things, not as much. Rarely do we consider what we get to do in our lives, taking it for granted. In this episode I offer a quick mindfulness reframe to help you shift your perspective to living with more presence and gratitude. Because when we get to do something versus have to do something, we show up more completely and openly. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journ...
Subtracting Self-Care | Moving Toward What Matters
April 26, 2021 01:20 - 22 minutes - 31.2 MBShould self-care always mean you get to feel calm? Should self-care be limited to feeling good? Let’s reimagine self-care for a moment. Instead of adding things to your life in the name of self-care, consider what you could subtract in order to practice better self-care. Continually adding activities of self-care could become exhausting, and may make you feel worse. What could you let go of today to make room for your health and well-being? . Looking to further your mindfulness practice?...
Post-traumatic Growth: Celebrating Year Two with Gratitude and Joy
April 12, 2021 01:15 - 1 hour - 120 MBWhat doesn't kill us, can make us stronger! On the two-year anniversary of a near death experience, I invite a friend of the podcast, John Evans to sit down for an extended conversation about post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth refers to the positive psychological changes that a person can experience as a result of adversity. John and I cover a lot of ground in this episode, referencing Stephen Joseph's book, What Doesn't Kill Us, Judith Herman's book, Trauma and Recovery, and Steph...
After Violence: Reflections on Boulder
March 29, 2021 03:16 - 15 minutes - 20.8 MBSo often we feel hopeless and powerless after tragedy and trauma. I know I've felt that way recently with the tragedies in Atlanta and Boulder. Both events serve as reminders of how violence can devastate community, trust, and desecrate the ideals, values, and freedoms we hold as sacred. In this week's episode, I discuss what moral injurious events are, and offer a mindful approach to touch feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check ...
Healthy and Unhealthy Discomfort
March 14, 2021 04:34 - 23 minutes - 31.7 MBLife serves up discomfort to us in many ways. At times we've all avoided challenges in order to escape the stress that goes with feeling uncomfortable. This week's episode examines how our struggle against discomfort can cause additional suffering in our lives. . Think of unhealthy discomfort as something you do to avoid coming into contact with what doesn't feel good. Healthy discomfort on the other hand tends to be a more open, willing, and engaging way of managing what is already pre...
Box Breathing
February 27, 2021 02:44 - 14 minutes - 20.4 MB“Just breathe.” Depending on how stressed you might be, hearing those words may not be well received. Enter box breathing! It's a proactive breathing exercise aimed to help you regulate your nervous system. . Box breathing is a common breathing technique used by Navy Seals, mindfulness practitioners, and recovery programs. During my time as the lead facilitator of the mindfulness group at the Veterans Administration, I would lead the group through box breathing. . If you can envisio...
The Just World Belief
February 15, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBDo good things only happen to good people? Do bad things only happen to bad people? And are all honorable actions eventually rewarded? The Just World Belief states that your actions are inclined to bring morally fair and just consequences to you, or others. But what happens when something unexpected and traumatic happens to you? . To be honest, I'm not so sure where I fall with this belief/hypothesis? Nonetheless, in this episode I try and make sense of the Just World hypothesis, while l...
Natural and Manufactured Emotion
February 01, 2021 09:00 - 21 minutes - 29 MBThere are two kinds of emotions. The first kind of emotions are those that happen naturally. We often experience natural emotions as they unfold after something happens. The second kind of emotions are the manufactured type. They're not based on the facts of an event, but on your interpretations of it. . Push play to learn more about how you might be manufacturing emotions, and how to stop adding kindling to the fire! . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Ment...
Being with Less Self | Remembering Mindfulness
January 18, 2021 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBOur human lives are inundated with the needs of the Self. The self (I/me/my) has many preferences, needs, biases, desires, and conditioned habits. While we're often unaware of how we are being controlled by the causes and conditions of our needs and wants, remembering mindfulness offers a path to greater awareness and choice. When remembering mindfulness we remember to come back to our present state. In this space of awareness we can be present-minded participants and live with more mindful ...
Setting Expectations for the New Year
January 04, 2021 09:00 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MBNew Year’s tends to bring about a newfound motivation for change. After a taxing 2020, I think we're all ready to turn the page! When making New Years resolutions we tend to hope for the best. Behind our desire for change there's a hope for the quick fix. Unfortunately, (myself included) we set ourselves up for disappointment, forgetting to update our expectations. With mindful living, we realize there are no quick fixes, only ways to simplify the over-complicated. . I mention several r...
2020 in a word
December 14, 2020 14:45 - 18 minutes - 26 MBWhat word would you use to describe the past year? I asked 70 people that very question and received many different responses. But I also asked a second question. What did you learn to value about the experience from the pandemic? Tune in to hear how the two questions elicited different responses, and why it's vital to reflect on difficult experiences. After all, you may not realize how the things you're saying to yourself could be impacting your mood and behavior! . Looking to further ...
The Ready-to-Experience Mind | Paying Attention with Perspective
December 08, 2020 02:09 - 24 minutes - 34.1 MBYou have the ability to focus your attention on just about anything! Yet sometimes we become so close to our worries that we struggle to see what’s beyond the thinking mind. This week I talk about our ready-to-experience mind, and three simple ways to pay attention more mindfully. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opport...
Giving Presence
November 23, 2020 01:58 - 17 minutes - 23.5 MBOne of the greatest gifts we can offer anyone is our true presence. Unfortunately this year, many of us won't be able to congregate for the holidays. Does this mean we won't be able to be present or thankful in other ways? Of course not. Tune in for this week's episode and learn how to practice presence whether you're congregating with others or not. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workabilit...
Committing to a Mindful Recovery and Breaking Patterns of Suffering |A Conversation with John Evans
October 26, 2020 01:48 - 1 hour - 131 MB“Don’t talk. Don’t trust. Don’t feel.” Rules that were taught early and often to my guest in this week’s episode. In this special interview, I connect with friend and colleague, John Evans, peer support specialist, musician, and Army Veteran. Looking inward and breaking the patterns of suffering was a path John fully committed to in July of 2007. John experienced many adverse events in his childhood, including the loss of his mother, and addiction in his family. After joining the Army in h...
Our Core Human Yearnings & The Impact of Trauma
October 13, 2020 02:40 - 25 minutes - 35 MBWe all have core yearnings that make us human. In today’s episode I'll introduce you to six core human yearnings that stem out of the therapeutic approach of acceptance and commitment therapy, and how trauma can impact these essential core yearnings. Coherence Feeling Orientation Belonging Self-directed Meaning Competency Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s propose...
The Long Hike | Committing to What Matters
September 08, 2020 02:52 - 20 minutes - 28 MBI recently summited my 21st different 14er mountain (14,000 ft.) in my home state of Colorado. The 12 mile trek was a grueling experience that lasted over 8 hours. It was a commitment. If I wasn't clear about my values, it's safe to say I likely would have never gone! In this episode I introduce the the therapeutic aspect of committed action - a step-by-step process of acting to create a life of integrity. Committed action is about the qualities of chosen actions, not the speed with which ...
Will I Remember This?
August 25, 2020 02:38 - 14 minutes - 19.6 MBTo practice mindfulness means to bring a direct awareness to what you are experiencing as you experience it. It’s purposely tuning into what’s going on with your mind and body, and the outside world, without trying to change whatever is present. In this episode I share a mindfulness practice called "Will I Remember This?" and provide context of how it can transform our relationship with the present moment, and the ever-evolving process of change. Looking to further your mindfulness prac...
Bonus Time | A Stoic Mindset
August 04, 2020 12:37 - 15 minutes - 21 MBAssuming today was your last day, what would you do to live now, while you still had time? Today's episode dips into the stoic mindset of living our life as if it were bonus time. "We are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it." Seneca Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opp...
Trauma & Recovery
July 21, 2020 03:03 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MBA friend once told me that trauma is like a shape-shifter. I couldn't agree more. In this episode I share a few insights that I recently stumbled up on in my ongoing recovery from a near-death experience. Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opportunity to step back from giving over your life to negative thoughts. . Wanting to...
Saying No to Say Yes to What Matters
July 07, 2020 02:48 - 10 minutes - 13.8 MBIt goes without saying moving is both time consuming and exhausting. This weeks episode is a quick one. I talk about the importance of saying No, in order to say Yes to what matters. Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opportunity to step back from giving over your life to negative thoughts. . Wanting to integrate mindfulness...
Catastrophic Thinking | Stepping Back from Thought
June 30, 2020 03:07 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBCatastrophic thinking is more common than you might realize! In this episode I talk about what catastrophizing is, and seven ways to step back from distorted thinking. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opportunity to step back from giving over your life to negative thoughts. . Wanting to integrate mindfulness into your ...
Fatherly Love
June 23, 2020 03:04 - 12 minutes - 17.3 MBHappy belated Father's Day to all the dad's out there. It's extra special for me with the recent birth of our son. This week I share a note to my son and reflect on the current state of the podcast. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opportunity to step back from giving over your life to negative thoughts. . Wanting to i...
For Mike
June 16, 2020 01:07 - 7 minutes - 9.78 MBIt was another difficult week. Unfortunately there's further need to hit the pause button. A family member of mine passed from COVID-19. See you next week! . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opportunity to step back from giving over your life to negative thoughts. . Wanting to integrate mindfulness into your life? Sign u...
Black Lives Matter
June 09, 2020 02:19 - 8 minutes - 12.1 MBBlack Lives Matter. A note to self. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers an opportunity to step back from giving over your life to negative thoughts. . Wanting to integrate mindfulness into your life? Sign up to receive my six-day At Ease: Mobilizing Mindfulness mini-course for FREE . Watch this video to learn more about ...
Time for Pause
June 01, 2020 00:29 - 2 minutes - 3.48 MBLike you, this past week I saw images and videos of the senseless killing of George Floyd. This week, putting a podcast out there didn't feel right. So I'm taking a break from regularly scheduled programming to do the right thing, pause, reflect, and honor George. Stay safe, and take care. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examining the workability of the mind’s proposed solutions to problems, and offers a...
In Remembrance Of | Honoring Those We've Lost
May 24, 2020 20:58 - 18 minutes - 26 MBMemorial Day is a special day! It’s a day of remembrance for all the men and women who died while serving in the military. Today’s episode is about the power of remembrance and how important people from our lives not only shape us, but can continue to guide us. In this episode I’ll take you through a perspective taking, values-facing exercise to connect with people who've touched our lives. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. I...
The Problem with Toxic Positivity
May 17, 2020 16:11 - 23 minutes - 32.1 MBGood Vibes Only - is a saying and a belief that, "life can only be lived well by having good feelings." Unfortunately, living by this strategy makes people feel worse off in the long run. What if the problem of painful emotions and difficult thoughts you experience isn’t actually the problem? Toxic Positivity is a strategy we all mindlessly engage in from time to time. It's a stance of non-acceptance and inflexibility toward life. . Tune into this weeks episode to learn how to live the ...
Quarantine Questions | 25 Prompts for Self Reflection
May 11, 2020 16:37 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBMay is Mental Health Awareness Month! Sometimes we don't know what questions we should be asking ourselves. We leave it to the mind to help us get by. And when has that ever gone awry? Jokes aside, slowing down to ask ourselves the larger questions is often avoided. Considering the "bigger questions" can help us begin to regain some control in life. . To guide your journey along, I’ve compiled a list of 25 questions to help your self-reflection within – to disrupt and decondition the unh...
At Ease Mindfulness Framework
May 05, 2020 03:29 - 23 minutes - 31.7 MBTo honor Mental Health Awareness Month, I'll be sharing different insights and approaches to help you cultivate greater mental and emotional awareness. Because it's not what we think and feel that's necessarily troublesome, it's how we relate to what we think and feel. In this week's episode I talk about the importance of incorporating mindfulness into our day-to-day life, and offer you a framework to practice bringing a conscious awareness to your experience. And if you want to learn more...
Little Did He Know | A Different Kind of Hope
April 28, 2020 13:09 - 22 minutes - 31.5 MBOften we think of hope as having a specific outcome in mind. But when our hopes don't come to fruition, our dreams are dashed. We may feel helpless - and hopeless - and potentially give up on what matters. . In this episode I share a few thoughts on how to re-orient yourself to a more expansive, and less restrictive version of hope. My hope (pun intended) is that you’ll be able to see past specific outcomes to experience the joys of life that are currently present, and those that are sti...
Seeing From the Heart | A Love Letter
April 21, 2020 04:00 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MBWhat gets in the way of seeing and speaking from your heart? What keeps you from saying what you need? Throughout our lifetimes, we're repeatedly confronted with solving the problem of how to overcome our loneliness. Going inward to solve the problem of feeling alone, we may find ourselves withdrawing from others, and giving up on cultivating deep connections. With the heart in mind, we can recalibrate our sight and see where a deeper connection lies. I share from my experience of how seei...
What's Essential is Invisible to the Eye | A Life-Saving Mindfulness Practice
April 12, 2020 14:57 - 18 minutes - 25.1 MBMost of our lives we pay attention to what's physically present in front of us. But there's something essential that's invisible to the eye that we forget about. In this episode I take you through a life-saving mindfulness practice that I used one year ago while in the hospital. By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to re-orient yourself to a life of compassion, courage, and love even when it feels difficult to do so. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Me...
One Year To Live | Recovering From Trauma
April 07, 2020 13:06 - 26 minutes - 36.7 MBOne Year Later! Recovering from a traumatic, near-death experience feels like a long and winding road. In this episode I speak from my experience of what it feels like to grieve a near fatal accident one year ago, and the physical and emotional difficulties of a one month hospitalization. I share lessons learned, what I've struggled with, and what I'm thankful for. . Looking to further your mindfulness practice? Check out the Mental Events mindfulness journal. It’s dedicated to examinin...
The Value of Acceptance | Opening Up to Life
March 28, 2020 22:17 - 22 minutes - 31.5 MBOften we don't see the value in acceptance. We think of acceptance as giving up, or giving in to the things we don't like. But that's not the case! . Think of acceptance as a skill that'll help you keep your feet moving through life's difficulties. You don't have to like what's upsetting you, but you do have a choice with how you'll be with what you don't like. When we accept the reality of what's present, we find ways to be more open and flexible with our pain and suffering. . By t...
Finding Hope in Uncertain Times | 7 Ideas to Manage Your Stress
March 24, 2020 05:02 - 21 minutes - 29.2 MBFeeling uncertain? Not sure what to do about it? Remember that in times like these we have to live our way into a new way of thinking and being. We don’t think our way into a new way of living. . Uncertainty is the only certainty guaranteed in our lives! "Making friends with uncertainty," is allowing one's self to feel the discomfort of not knowing, while getting active in our own recovery. In this episode I share a few thoughts on the current pandemic and 7 ideas on how to manage your...
Coping with Emotional Contagion | Staying Present During a Crisis
March 17, 2020 02:43 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBDuring times like these we need to slow down and check in with what matters. In this podcast I share five thoughts on how to cope with emotional contagion from a mindfulness perspective: 1. Welcome everything, reject nothing. 2. There is always more than one way to see a situation. 3. Everything and every person are connected in some way. 4. Change is the only constant. In each new moment, reality itself changes. Eventually we will recover. 5. Remain flexible and adaptable to chang...
Your Mind is Not Your Friend | F.E.A.R.
March 10, 2020 14:35 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBYour Mind is Not Your Friend! It's not your enemy either. Think of it as a constant companion. It's something you live with. There are plenty of benefits of having a mind. It problem solves, makes plans, and uses logic and judgment to help you navigate your world. But the mind also judges us harshly too! . Often, we make no distinction between ourselves and what we’re thinking. From that viewpoint, our minds aren’t exactly to be trusted, or taken literally at every step of the way. Learn...
Identify Your Values | The Hero Within
February 25, 2020 23:14 - 23 minutes - 31.8 MBValues are extremely important. They help us make choices among many alternatives. When we feel lost, disconnected, or confused, values can reorient us back to what matters. By clarifying our core values, we have a clearer sense of who we truly want to be, and what we want to stand for. Values are the selection criteria for action. . In this episode I walk us through a values clarification exercise by sharing an example of someone I admire, Pat Tillman. By identifying the personal quali...
It's Not the Reason that Chooses, it's You!
February 25, 2020 08:00 - 27 minutes - 37.5 MBFor many of us, managing our emotions (anxiety, depression, fear, doubt, shame, anger) is rarely viewed as a choice; we jump right into giving reasons to justify why we need to avoid them without realizing we have other options. . For many of us, the choice to change our lives for the better is never easy. When we fuse with the thoughts happening within our mind and the reasons we give for our mindless behavior, it’s almost as if we’re reading from a script. . Tune in to this weeks e...
Automatic Pilot Mode | From Mindless to Mindful
February 16, 2020 17:07 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MBWhat might happen if you believed each thought you had over the course of one day to be true? . Automatic Pilot Mode is the human experience of being lost in thought, and not realizing that you're in the process of thinking about thoughts. While on Automatic Pilot Mode, our lives become narrow and cage-like, and inflexible patterns of behavior are the unavoidable result. Often, when someone defines their identity by the content of their mindless thoughts, it will drive their actions – e...
Contacting The Present Moment
February 11, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 35.8 MBHow present were you with yourself and surroundings yesterday? When we purposely choose to make contact with the present moment, we offer ourselves a way to be fluid with the world and with ourselves, versus nailing ourselves down to the contents of our thoughts and feelings. Building a mindfulness practice that lasts starts by simply remembering to remember to make contact with what is presently happening. . Tune in, and learn how to make contact. . Looking to further your mindfulne...
Listening For Connection
December 29, 2019 23:16 - 19 minutes - 27.8 MBThoughts aren't facts, they're MENTAL EVENTS! Here one moment, and gone the next. . If you've ever found yourself caught up in unpleasant thoughts and feel powerless then you've come to the right place. This podcast is dedicated to helping you reshape your relationship to how you relate to your mind. Instead of viewing the world as something that happens to you, it’s beginning to realize in the most subtle ways that it’s happening for you. . If you're interested in starting, or fur...
Getting Started
December 29, 2019 23:16 - 19 minutes - 27.8 MBThoughts aren't facts, they're MENTAL EVENTS! Here one moment, and gone the next. . If you've ever found yourself caught up in unpleasant thoughts and feel powerless then you've come to the right place. This podcast is dedicated to helping you reshape your relationship to how you relate to your mind. Instead of viewing the world as something that happens to you, it’s beginning to realize in the most subtle ways that it’s happening for you. . If you're interested in starting, or fur...