Best Cognitivescience Podcasts (2025)

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Ready to Plan Your 2026 Goals? Join me on Dec 30 or Jan 5! 2:09

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12m ago2:09

2:09

I’m hosting a free training to help you plan your dreams for 2026 and to teach you about the four skills you need to be confident you can reach any goal. I’ll also be sharing about our signature coaching program, A Confident Life which closes just a few days after this training. There are two date options you can choose from for this call: December…

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452. How to Be Decisive (Greatest Hits) 26:32

6h ago26:32

26:32

Why is it so hard to make a decision? So many of us get stuck in a cycle of overthinking, second-guessing, or waiting for external validation before we can make a choice. So in this episode, I’m sharing why women often struggle with decisiveness and how our socialization shapes the way we approach decision-making and risk. You’ll learn why embracin…

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451. Coaching Hotline: Social Media Thoughts & Boundaries with Mom 10:28

2d ago10:28

10:28

In this Coaching Hotline episode, I’m answering two listener questions that are all too familiar if you’ve ever gotten sucked into social media comparison or felt like you’re constantly navigating emotional landmines with family. The first is about how to stop feeling awful about yourself every time you scroll through Instagram, comparing yourself …

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450. How to Create Self Trust 25:49

7d ago25:49

25:49

Most of us think self-trust means knowing we'll always make the right decision and that our future self will behave perfectly. But in this episode, you'll hear why this impossible standard actually sets you up to never trust yourself - and how that erodes both your confidence and your ability to create what you want in life. I share examples from m…

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In search of names 28:34

8d ago28:34

28:34

Alright, friends—we've come to the end of the 2025 run of Many Minds! Our final episode of the year is an audio essay by yours truly. This is a classic format for the show, one that we only do every so often. Today's essay is about names. It's about the question of whether animals have something like names for each other. And it's also about a deep…

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449. Coaching Hotline: Obsessing Over Sexual & Romantic Rejections 11:02

9d ago11:02

11:02

When you’re replaying a breakup, imagining a different version of yourself your partner might have loved more, or worrying that someone is “settling,” the problem isn’t the relationship, it’s the way your brain is using other people’s opinions to try to regulate your self-worth. In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer two listener questions abou…

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Let's Make 2026 Your Best, Most CONFIDENT, Year Yet! 3:03

13d ago3:03

3:03

Confidence isn’t a magic spell, and it’s not something you’re born with. Over the course of one year working with me and other smart dynamic women, you will learn how to deploy the four skills of confidence – self-knowledge, self-compassion, self-belief and self-actualization – to create any outcome you want in your life. From the incredibly concre…

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448. How Your Fantasy Self Can Lead You Astray 21:47

14d ago21:47

21:47

When you imagine yourself in the future, what do you see? Are you meditating at 5 a.m. before diving into the picture-perfect morning routine? Are you living by the beach with a business that makes money while you sleep? Are you making holiday cookies with your kids without ever spilling flour all over the floor? In this episode, I'm breaking down …

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447. Coaching Hotline: Frustration with Kids, Two Flavors 10:41

16d ago10:41

10:41

Playing with your preschooler should be fun, right? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer two listener questions that dig into common parenting frustrations. The first tackles how to show up authentically when your preschooler's bossiness during play triggers irritation. The second explores managing all those thoughts about how children "shoul…

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446. Borrow My Thoughts For Your 2026 Goals 39:21

22d ago39:21

39:21

If you have big goals for 2026 but no idea what thoughts your brain actually needs to think to create them, this episode will give you a much clearer map. I’m breaking down the kinds of thought patterns that keep you stuck in body insecurity, imposter syndrome, dating frustration, family tension, or money anxiety and how to use the four Confidence …

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The value of animal cultures 1:12:00

22d ago1:12:00

1:12:00

Not long ago culture was considered rare in nature, maybe even uniquely human. But that's changed. We now know that the tree of life is buzzing with culture—and not just on a few lonely branches. Creatures great and small learn songs, migration routes, and feeding techniques from each other. Many species build up reservoirs of knowledge over genera…

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445. Coaching Hotline: Feeling Trapped at Work & Compassion for Other People's Brains 9:12

24d ago9:12

9:12

In this Coaching Hotline episode, you'll hear two listener questions that will feel familiar if you have ever wondered why your new thoughts seem to “stop working” or why believing you can handle future challenges feels harder than it should. I break down what is really happening underneath that experience so you can see it with a lot more clarity.…

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444. Acting on Possibility & The Purpose of Goals (Confidence Compass Skill 4) 18:43

29d ago18:43

18:43

If you could become the fullest version of yourself, what would that even look like? After coaching thousands of women for nearly a decade, I can tell you this is the real question beneath every goal, every dream, and every moment of frustration. We all want self-actualization, but most of us stay stuck not because we lack ambition, but because we …

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443. Coaching Hotline: Doing Something Bigger & A Complaining Diet 12:29

1M ago12:29

12:29

What happens when you’re stuck between wanting more for yourself but not knowing how to get there? In this week’s Coaching Hotline, I dive into how to break free from the confusion and indecision that come with craving something bigger, but not knowing what that actually means for you. I also address the all-too-common habit of complaining and why …

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442. Self Belief v Self Esteem (And Which One Wins) (Confidence Compass Skill 3) 20:50

1M ago20:50

20:50

We hear a lot about self esteem these days. Why it matters, how to get more of it, and what it means when you feel like you do not have enough. Most people think that improving their self esteem will automatically make them more confident, but to create real and lasting confidence, they are missing something essential: self belief. In this episode,…

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What is memory for? 1:24:05

1M ago1:24:05

1:24:05

Everyone loves a good evolutionary puzzle. Why do we have appendices? Why do we dream? Why do we blush? At first glance, memory would not seem to be in this category. It's clearly useful to remember stuff, after all—to know where to find food, to remember your mistakes so you don't repeat them, to recall who's friendly and who's fierce. In fact, th…

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441. Coaching Hotline: Thoughts That Made Me My First Million & Relationship Betrayal 15:46

1M ago15:46

15:46

When you're building a business, raising a family, or navigating relationships, those uncomfortable feelings of inadequacy, jealousy or betrayal feel like roadblocks. But what if they're actually signposts pointing you toward exactly what you need to examine? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer two listener questions that dig into the messy,…

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440. Self-Compassion Without Self-Pity (Confidence Compass Skill 2) 18:53

1M ago18:53

18:53

Do you worry that if you practice self-compassion, you’ll stop getting things done or start letting yourself off the hook? This is a common fear, and it comes from confusing self-compassion with self-pity. In this episode, I’m teaching the second skill of the Confidence Compass: self-compassion. You’ll learn how self-pity, self-criticism, and self-…

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439. Coaching Hotline: Making Thoughts Conscious & How to Stop Being Overwhelmed 10:12

2M ago10:12

10:12

Most of your thoughts are running on autopilot, shaping how you feel and act without you even realizing it. The good news is that you can learn to access those unconscious thoughts and bring them into your awareness, but only if you know how to look for them. This week, I’m answering two questions that get right to the heart of this work: how to un…

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438. Creating Accurate Self-Awareness (Confidence Compass Skill 1) 18:06

2M ago18:06

18:06

When I was in my twenties and early thirties, I thought I was deeply self-aware. I’d read the books, gone to therapy, and could explain all my patterns in perfect detail. But nothing was really changing. It wasn’t until I learned what self-awareness actually means and why understanding your story isn’t the same as understanding your mind that I fin…

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Of breeds and brains 1:07:44

2M ago1:07:44

1:07:44

It's hard to say exactly when, but some tens of thousands of years ago, our best friends were born. I'm referring, of course, to dogs. This didn't happen overnight—it was a long process. And it not only changed how those canids behaved and what they looked like, it also changed their brains. As wolves gave way to proto-dogs, and proto-dogs gave way…

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437. Coaching Hotline: Fear of Flying and Was Elizabeth Holmes Using Thought Work? 18:14

2M ago18:14

18:14

In this week’s Coaching Hotline episode, I’m answering two questions that get to the core of how we manage our minds. The first explores how to handle phobias, like the fear of flying, and panic attacks by changing our relationship with anxiety itself. The second dives into a meta question about thought work: could managing our thoughts turn us int…

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436. The Only Tool You Need for More Confidence in 2026: The Confidence Compass 17:52

2M ago17:52

17:52

You’ve hit the milestones: the degree, the dream job, the relationship that looks right on paper. But no matter how much you achieve, that deep sense of confidence still feels out of reach. That isn’t because you’re missing something; it’s because we’ve all been taught to think about confidence the wrong way. Tune in this week to discover what The …

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435. Coaching Hotline: Regretting Years in Therapy & Dealing with Romantic Rejection 11:28

2M ago11:28

11:28

You’ve done the therapy, read the books, and gained awareness, but the same anxious thoughts still run the show. This week’s Coaching Hotline episode dives into why understanding your patterns isn’t enough to change them and what’s really required to create lasting emotional shifts. I help one listener who’s been through years of therapy without re…

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434. What Everyone Gets Wrong About Confidence (Greatest Hits) 16:34

2M ago16:34

16:34

Most people think confidence is just about feeling good about yourself, but that is only the beginning. In this episode, I am revisiting one of the most important concepts I have ever taught: what true confidence actually is, and what it is not. When you stop thinking of confidence as a fleeting feeling and start seeing it as a mindset and a relati…

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Monsters and their makers 1:06:06

2M ago1:06:06

1:06:06

It seems we've always had monsters among us. We've long been enthralled by dragons and giants, by the likes of Frankenstein and Godzilla and Dracula, by witches and werewolves and countless others. They roam our maps and creation myths; they crop up in our dreams, in our children's books, in our political rhetoric. Where do these beings spring from…

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433. Coaching Hotline: How to Not Take On Other People’s Pain 15:09

2M ago15:09

15:09

In this week's Coaching Hotline episode, I answer two listener questions that get to the heart of managing our emotions and taking action despite resistance. The first listener struggles with guilt when their actions unintentionally cause someone they love pain. The second listener is trying to build a consistent thought work routine, but often doe…

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432. Creating Self-Confidence (Greatest Hits) 23:38

2M ago23:38

23:38

Confidence doesn’t come from promotions, degrees, or other people telling you that you’re impressive. In this episode, I revisit one of the earliest conversations on the podcast to break down the myths about where confidence comes from and why relying on external validation alone never works. You’ll learn why starting with your past accomplishments…

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431. Coaching Hotline: When To Speak Up and How 13:52

2M ago13:52

13:52

Other people are going to make choices you don’t agree with - your partner won’t go to therapy, your family says things that clash with your values, your friends act in ways that frustrate you. The real question isn’t how to change them - it’s how you’re going to show up for yourself when faced with choices you don’t like. In this Coaching Hotline …

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430. How to Embrace Friction and Grow From It 14:23

3M ago14:23

14:23

Friction feels annoying, stressful, and uncomfortable, but it is also where real growth happens. In this episode, I show you how to stop avoiding discomfort and start using it to build confidence, resilience, and stronger connections. You’ll learn why your brain resists effort and failure, how to reframe frustration as progress, and simple ways to …

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The age of social AI 1:24:19

3M ago1:24:19

1:24:19

AI therapists and caregivers. Digital tutors and advisors and friends. Artificial lovers. Griefbots trained to imitate dead loved ones. Welcome, to the bustling world of AI-powered chatbots. This was once the stuff of science fiction, but it's becoming just the stuff of everyday life. What will these systems do to our society, to our relationships,…

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429. Coaching Hotline: How to Handle “Bad Behavior” From Your Partner 14:37

3M ago14:37

14:37

We spend so much time telling ourselves how other people should act and it keeps us frustrated, anxious, and stuck. In this week's Coaching Hotline episode, I answer two listener questions that expose this trap. One caller is constantly angry about her partner’s availability, the other worries that her friends aren’t putting in as much effort as he…

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428. How to Stop Emotional Outsourcing with Bea Albina 30:50

3M ago30:50

30:50

Ever feel like you’re constantly giving love, safety, or approval away, but never getting enough back? Today’s guest is Bea Albina, author of the brand-new book End Emotional Outsourcing: How to Overcome Your Codependent, Perfectionist, and People-Pleasing Habits. We’re breaking down emotional outsourcing, the habit of looking outside yourself for …

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427. Coaching Hotline: When You're Told to "Just Get Over It" 9:38

3M ago9:38

9:38

Ever been told to “just get over it” and felt like it made everything worse? In this week’s Coaching Hotline, I answer a listener who’s struggling with that exact phrase and the pressure to move on before they’re ready. We dig into why vague instructions like this don’t help your brain—and what actually does. I also tackle a question about imagined…

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426. Scientific Proof This Coaching Works Published in JAMA: A Conversation with Dr. Tyra Fainstad and Dr. Adrienne Mann (Greatest Hits) 41:20

3M ago41:20

41:20

In this Greatest Hits episode, we’re diving into the science behind why coaching works—and why it can completely transform high-pressure careers. I’m revisiting my conversation with Dr. Tyra Fainstad and Dr. Adrienne Mann about their groundbreaking research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and how structured coa…

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Brains of a feather 1:31:13

3M ago1:31:13

1:31:13

Birds do the darnedest things. They fly, of course. They sing. They hunt in pitch darkness. They hide their food and remember where they put it. They use tools and migrate over astonishingly vast distances—sometimes even sleeping while in flight. How do they do all this? What's going on in their brains that makes these and other remarkable behavior…

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425. Coaching Hotline: Resisting Pleasure or Not Enjoying It 10:46

3M ago10:46

10:46

Do you ever feel like you're chasing future happiness—only to miss out on the joy of right now? That nagging feeling that you should be doing something else or preparing for what’s next keeps you stuck in a loop of dissatisfaction. In this week's Coaching Hotline episode, I’m answering two questions about being present and actually enjoying life, i…

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424. Turning Compare & Despair Into Motivation & Inspiration 14:12

3M ago14:12

14:12

Ever felt that gut punch when you see someone else living the life you want? Maybe they’ve landed your dream job, bought your ideal house, or achieved the business success you’re chasing. It feels awful—like proof that you’ll never get there. In this episode, I’m showing you how to turn those painful feelings of envy and comparison into fuel for yo…

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423. Coaching Hotline: Are Moods Contagious & When Should We Share Our Feelings? 10:08

3M ago10:08

10:08

In this week's Coaching Hotline episode, I’m answering two listener questions that get right to the heart of emotional responsibility. First, I tackle the studies on mood contagion you’ve probably seen—and show why they don’t actually contradict thought work. The second question digs into a classic relationship trap: knowing when to share your feel…

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422. Achieving Big By Planning Small 15:40

4M ago15:40

15:40

What if the reason you haven’t reached your biggest goals isn’t lack of talent or effort—but the illusion that you need a perfect plan before you even start? In this episode, you’ll learn why chasing certainty keeps you stuck, how overplanning can become a sophisticated form of procrastination, and why the “next right step” is more powerful than a …

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How nature restores the mind 1:25:03

4M ago1:25:03

1:25:03

One afternoon you decide to snub your responsibilities and go for a hike. You spend a few hours in the woods or the mountains. You study the bark of trees, you bathe in birdsong, you let your eyes roam along a distant ridgeline. And you come back feeling better, restored somehow—like you have more energy, more patience, more bandwidth. We've all, I…

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421. Coaching Hotline: Are Some Circumstances Harder for Thought Work Than Others? 13:29

4M ago13:29

13:29

Ever catch yourself overthinking how you show up around men—or in any situation where you feel judged? In this Coaching Hotline episode, I answer a listener’s question about maintaining platonic friendships while married and unpack why women are socialized to take responsibility for other people’s thoughts—a burden that’s impossible to carry and do…