#205: A Brain-Based Approach for Optimal Performance with Dr. Heidi Hanna

Are you a stressaholic? I was for a long time. And I can tell you that it’s no way to live.  Instead of managing stress you need to master it. Dr. Heidi Hanna is my guest on the new #RenegadeRadioPocast and she’s gonna show you how to do just that. 

Listen as Dr. Hanna reveals her brain-based solutions for improving your performance. She shows you how to use stress to fuel positive changes in your life.  You’ll learn the most effective methods to reduce anxiety and overcome depression. Dr. Hanna shares simple strategies to optimize focus, creativity, and resilience. We discuss fitness, nutrition, using humor to become happier, and much more.

Heidi is the CEO and founder of Synergy, a coaching and consulting company that specializes in customized health and wellness solutions for individuals and organizations.  She has trained thousands of people on practical ways to incorporate fitness, nutrition, and positive psychology strategies to improve productivity and performance.  Heidi is also the author of many great books including the NY Times best-seller “The Sharp Solution: A Brain Based Approach for Optimal Performance,” “Stressaholic: 5 Steps to Transform Your Relationships With Stress” (Jan 2014) and “Relax Your Fat Off”. 

Topics Include:

Brain based performance and the role that stress plays in peoples’ lives.  7:59 Heidi’s’ struggles with anxiety and depression at only 10 years old.  10:02 Are your high-stress levels genetically imprinted on you while in utero?  11:57 How Heidi’s struggles led to her current expertise and career.  15:57 The “ah-ha” discovery that became a game changer for Heidi.  17:39 Why you should STOP hacking and START healing.  20:04 How to use stress to fuel positive change.  22:29 How the words you speak can change everything.  23:12 Why “take a few deep breaths” isn’t always the best advice for dealing with stress.  26:04 How to keep negative people from bringing you down while lifting them up at the same time.  29:21 Why making your mind feel “safe” will help reduce stress and optimize your performance.  34:01 Techniques Heidi uses to deal with social anxiety.  38:20 Optimizing energy levels with “oscillation patterns” and proper nutrition.  40:07 Should you avoid intermittent fasting if you’re dealing with high stress, anxiety or other similar issues?  42:51 Why learning to relax is often more uncomfortable for people than going to the gym.  44:56 Meditation tips for newbies.  45:41 Why social support and accountability are so important for learning meditation and relaxation therapies.  47:56 The negative effects of stress on fat loss and overall health.  48:42 How to relax your off, and why less is more when it comes to exercise.  53:21 Heidi’s 3M fitness routine in “Prime Time”.  55:17 How humor can change your life and how to add it to your morning routine.  57:51 The 3 elements of her daily routine which she calls “medicine with no negative side effects”.  1:00:41 The Positive Psychology Movement for serving others and how adopting this mindset can radically change your brain chemistry for the better.   1:01:41

Connect with Heidi online:

Website

My Stress 360

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