Change Academy

Monica Reinagel

Learn how to cultivate a more productive mindset, form sustainable habits, and create a lifestyle that supports both your goals and your wellbeing with host, Monica Reinagel. Drawing on decades of expertise and experience, Monica provides guidance on navigating the challenging process of behavior change in a fun and accessible way. Learn more and find show notes for every episode at https://changeacademypodcast.com read less
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Episodes

Looking for happiness in all the wrong places, with Oliver Burkeman
4d ago
Looking for happiness in all the wrong places, with Oliver Burkeman
What if the pursuit of happiness is NOT the path to greater life satisfaction? What if being more productive and getting more done isn’t actually the way to get ahead?In today’s episode, I’m talking to author Oliver Burkeman about some of the ways in which we might want to re-examine our relationship to goals, happiness, and the things that are most important to us.This is sometimes a bit painful. because so much of it has to do with confronting some of the hard limits that we like to pretend don’t exist. But, as you’ll hear, there is ultimately a profound relief and freedom to be found in facing finitude. TakeawaysTry to find satisfaction in the journey toward your goals, rather than postponing fulfillment until they are achieved​​.Cultivating your ability to be present to everyday, even mundane, moments can lead to a deeper appreciation of life as it unfolds.Understand that every choice has its consequences, and it’s impossible to avoid negative outcomes entirely.Some of the most meaningful experiences in life are not the result of meticulous planning or pursuit but unexpected and unplanned.Being present is a skill that can be practiced in everyday situations like waiting in line or working in the office​​–and not just on the meditation cushion or yoga mat.Books and courses by Oliver BurkemanTime Management Video Course (BBC/Maestro) Use the discount code CHANGES30 to save 30%!The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking4,000 Weeks: Time Management for MortalsAlso Mentioned50K Mile Tune-up Listening Guide and Workbook ★ Support this podcast ★
How to stop complaining and find the path to positive change
Feb 26 2024
How to stop complaining and find the path to positive change
Is there something in your life that’s been driving you crazy for a while? Some situation at work that you find yourself venting to your spouse about every night at dinner? Or maybe a recurring conflict with your partner or your kids that never seems to be adequately resolved? Do you find yourself ruminating over a problematic situation every time you have a moment alone in the car?In this episode, Dr. Bethy Campbell and I are sharing a 4-step process that can help you exit that complaint loop and actually move toward positive change. Bethy is a clinical psychologist, a marriage and family therapist.The technique that we’re talking about today is taken from her book on Helping Skills, a book that would be a great resource if you are in a situation where you’re frequently called upon to provide guidance and emotional support.But this absolutely an approach that can (and should) apply to your own knotty situations.Key TakeawaysComplaining has its place. When done constructively, it can help us acknowledge and process pent-up feelings, and encourage self-awareness and self-compassion. Repetitive, non-constructive complaining–in addition to wearing out our friends and loved ones patience–increases our stress and hinders problem-solving. Reorienting the language we use to talk about the problem can help us see more possibilities for resolution or change. If you don’t have a trusted partner to help you reflect, journaling or recording voice memos can help you spot and reframe unhelpful language. Mentioned in this episodeConverting good intentions into action (Change Academy episode #129)Helping Skills Training for Non Professional Counselors (Enter the promo code ADC24 for 30% off)Dr. Bethy Campbell’s mailing list ★ Support this podcast ★
How to know when it’s time to make a big change
Jan 25 2024
How to know when it’s time to make a big change
Careers are one of the ways that we find meaning and purpose in our lives.  Not the only way, of course.  But what if you wake up one day and realize that your true purpose might be better fulfilled by doing something other than what you originally trained for.  Now what?!Design thinking offers tools and processes that can help us both imagine and then execute big shifts in our lives. Lisa Waltuch and her business partner, Jen Sullivan, are co-founders of Encore Retreats, where they host transformational getaways and events. Lisa also has her own practice as a Life Coach through Thrive Coaching, where she uses design thinking to help her clients imagine and then inhabit really big changes. I thought she'd be the perfect person to talk about this with.Takeaways-Your true purpose might be better fulfilled by doing something other than what you originally trained for. Instead of asking “What did I train to do?” ask “What impact do I want to have?”- You are never too old (or too successful) to choose a new path. You can make bold changes at any life stage.- Don’t let yourself be shackled by what has come before. Ask yourself, “How do I want my life to unfold or evolve from here?- Some of your values may have shifted throughout your life. Mind-mapping can help you explore your current values, which can help you design a life of great happiness and satisfaction.Mentioned8 Things You Need to Create Lasting Change (listening guide)Encore RetreatsMind Mapping Exercise ★ Support this podcast ★
Stages of change: what they forget to tell you
Nov 14 2023
Stages of change: what they forget to tell you
If you’ve ever taken an introductory psychology class or done some reading on human behavior and development, you’ve probably stumbled across the Transtheoretical Model, better known as the Stages of Change. It offers some insights into how behavior change happens, why it sometimes doesn’t (or seems like it doesn’t) and how we can better support behavior change efforts–both our own and those of people around us. But there are some nuances to this that I think deserve a little more exploration and who better to do that with than clinical psychologist and friend of the podcast, Dr. Bethy Campbell?We have also created an assessment for you to get a read on where you are in relationship to any change you are working on or contemplating, along with a playlist of Change Academy episodes targeting that particular stage of change. Key Takeaways- By aligning our helping strategies with the helpee's readiness, we enhance the effectiveness of our support,- The stages of change are not linear.  It's normal to move back and forth as you progress through your behavior change journey.- Before a change is ever expressed in someone's actions, there's actually a lot of change that has taken place. - Change is a complex process and may involve being at several different stages of change simultaneously.MentionedLifeRAFT Model , by Dr. Elizabeth CampbellAttention Attention Action Cycle (Change Academy episode #11)Assessment: How ready are you? ★ Support this podcast ★
If it feels good, it must be bad for me…and other fairy tales
Nov 6 2023
If it feels good, it must be bad for me…and other fairy tales
Hedonic self-care involves activities that we find pleasurable. A massage or a nap or time spent with dear friends. Eudaimonic self-care includes those things we do not necessarily because they are pleasurable in the moment, but because they support our goals and objectives.  Things like getting our teeth cleaned, or doing meal prep ahead of a busy week, or spending time and money on a therapist or hiring a health coach. You could easily get the impression that eudaimonic self-care is better or more virtuous than hedonic self-care. But this is not the case. And I don’t want you to forsake hedonic self-care as lesser than.Key TakeawaysTry to maintain a balance between those things you do because they make you feel good in the moment and those things you do because they contribute to your long term well-being. Both are important to a fulfilling life.Cramming in a lot of peak experiences doesn’t guarantee that you’ll look back on your life and feel it was well-lived. One way to waste time is to spend it doing things that don’t really matter. But another way to waste time is to spend it living for an imaginary future. Whether hedonic or eudaimonic, if it comes at the expense of your mental, physical, or financial wellbeing, it doesn’t qualify as true self-care.MentionedEpisode 80: Rescuing Self-care from Consumer Culture4000 Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman30 Day Nutrition Upgrade ★ Support this podcast ★
How community and connection build healthier habits
Oct 26 2023
How community and connection build healthier habits
In the previous episode, I talked about some of the things that can go wrong when we put corporations in charge of our wellbeing. In this episode, I share an example of what it looks like when it goes right, and how corporate-sponsored wellbeing programs can actually have a very positive impact on individuals and workers as well as on the company’s bottom line. Lindsey Soroka is a registered dietitian and works as a health promotion specialist for a major national corporation, where she’s in charge of (among other things) engaging the employees in wellness education, services, and programming.  Lindsey and I first worked together when her company brought me in to offer the 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade program to their employees, Afterward, we sat down to talk about what she’s learned about motivating people and why major corporations want to invest in wellbeing programming. But there are valuable lessons for all of us in this conversation. In particular, I hope you catch the ways in which our efforts to enhance our own wellbeing can ripple out into our families, workplaces, and communities. Key TakeawaysCompanies are in business to be profitable, but the smart ones recognize that in order to thrive as a company, they need a healthy, stable and well-resourced workforce. If you are feeling burned out or overwhelmed at work, you may not feel like you have the bandwidth to explore your employers’ wellness resources but this is actually the time they may be most valuable (and your employer really does want you to use them).When trying to establish new behaviors, a short-term commitment can make it feel more doable.  But a good short-term challenge will be designed with the long tail in mind. Doing something as part of a group really helps to foster a sense of wellbeing and connection. And it helps you stick with it.Reaching out to someone who’s had a positive impact on you not only means the world to them but can also benefit your own mental and physical health.  Be on the lookout for opportunities to do that.Mentioned30 Day Nutrition Upgrade (starts November 8th)Contact Monica to discuss corporate wellness programming ★ Support this podcast ★