When big feelings arise, it’s natural to want to shrink and shirk them - but these instincts can lead us into dangerous territory, ballooning into habits and compulsions that can dominate and destroy our lives.

In this episode, we welcome Mark Freeman, author of You Are Not A Rock. Together, we discuss:

• Building mental health skills like we develop physical fitness
• Approaching a ‘Values-Led’ life like we make good cookies
• And what sorts of communities are important in our growth and recovery

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Show notes:

• We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)
• Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
• https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv
• You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and TikTok
• Or reach us via email: ash@ashking.com.au & daron@daronlarson.com
• Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/
• Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop
• Jingle by @nikitakarmen

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• You Are Not A Rock: A Step-By-Step Guide to Better Mental Health - Mark Freeman (Book) https://www.markfreeman.ca/books/
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Film) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359950/

Big feelings can pull us here and there, but often in the direction of pleasure and away from discomfort. Dopamine has a part to play, but what exactly does it do for us and how can we be wise and mindful when following its pull?

In this episode, we welcome our first ever guest, Dr Anastasia Hronis, author of The Dopamine Brain. Together, we discuss:

• The horrible inevitability of sitting with discomfort
• Our pursuit of feeling good and where it might lead us astray
• And why values are essential on our path to live rich & meaningful lives.

——

Show notes:

• We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)
• Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
• https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv
• You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and TikTok
• Or reach us via email: ash@ashking.com.au & daron@daronlarson.com
• Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/
• Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop
• Music by @nikitakarmen

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• The Dopamine Brain - Dr Anastasia Hronis (Book)

More on Anastasia here: https://www.anastasiahronis.com.au/

Plot twist are an exciting feature of our favourite stories but can be the most harrowing experiences of our actual lives.

In this episode, we reveal:

• The major plot twists of our lives and how we survived them
• The painful exercise in pushing through when life shoves us into the unknown
• How to exist in the story before growth, closure or resolution
• And why resilience looks much messier, sloppier and tear-stained than we ever expected

——

Show notes:

• We love hearing from you! We’re active on Instagram @ashking & @daronlarson (find us, DM us!)
• Be part of the conversation via our Instagram Channel here:
• https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaBFH6hH-ALvmgB/?igsh=cHQwcDIwOWRidTZv
• You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and TikTok
• Or reach us via email: ash@ashking.com.au & daron@daronlarson.com
• Subscribe to Daron’s Substack: https://daronlarson.substack.com/
• Check out Ash’s shop (with mental health and mindfulness goodies. Heavy Mental merch and any upcoming courses or workshops): https://www.heavymental.com.au/shop
• Music by @nikitakarmen

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• The Plot - Jean Hanff Korelitz (Book)
• The Sequel - Jean Hanff Korelitz (Book)
• I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman (Book)
• "Yes---what the American public always wants is a tragedy with a happy ending." William Dean Howells
• “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Søren Kierkegaard
• "End Effects of Rated Life Quality: The James Dean Effect" by Ed Diener, Derrick Wirtz, and Shigehiro Oishi, published in Psychological Science in 2001. This research explores how the ending of a life influences the perceived desirability of that life.