The Best Mind-Management Techniques When Dealing with Chronic & Mental Health Issues (with Mikhaila Peterson)

In this podcast (episode #313) and blog, I speak with Mikhalia Peterson, top podcast host and daughter of scholar and best-selling author Jordan B. Peterson, about her experiences with chronic mental and physical health issues like Lyme disease, junior rheumatoid arthritis, extreme depression and chronic pain, how food can heal the mind and body, why we all need to learn good mind management techniques, the importance of being an advocate for your own health, and so much more! 

Mikhalia has had to deal with a number of serious health issues since she was young. She has lived with a lot of mental and physical pain for many years, and she learned that she had to become an advocate for her own mental and physical wellbeing early on in life. She had to learn how to fight for her own survival, which she will be discussing in detail in her upcoming book. 

Some of the key life lessons she has learned through this process are: 

  • What you eat can really impact your overall mental and physical health, especially if you are someone who is sensitive to your environment.  
  • Don’t prioritize work. When you put work above everything else, this can negatively impact your mental wellbeing. Your health, not your career, should be your priority.
  • Be easier on yourself. Self-compassion is incredibly important. You should treat yourself like you would treat someone you are helping.
  • Be careful of people who say they have all the answers to your problems. We are all unique, and what works for some people may not work for others. We need to avoid the “cookie-cutter” approach when it comes to our health and wellbeing.
  • People are really good at helping themselves when they are told they can do so. Unfortunately, as a society, we often box people in and make them feel less empowered than they actually are. This, of course, doesn’t mean that if you don’t heal then you are at fault. Rather, it highlights the fact that, although we cannot always control what happens to us, we can still choose how we want to live our lives, often with the help of other people like therapists, health professionals and so on. 

For more on living with chronic health issues and taking care of your mental and physical health, listen to my podcast with Mikhalia (episode #313), and check out her website. If you enjoy listening to my podcast, please consider leaving a 5-star review and subscribing. And keep sharing episodes with friends and family and on social media. (Don’t forget to tag me so I can see your posts!).   

To learn more about how to manage your mental health and help others, join me at our 7th Annual Mental Health Solutions Retreat, December 2-4, 2021! The core focus of this conference is to give you simple, practical, applicable, scalable, and scientific solutions to help you take back control of your mental health, help others, and make impactful changes in your community. You will also learn how to manage the day-to-day stressors of life as well as those acute stressors that blindside us. Our goal is to address your most pressing mental health concerns, help you find answers, and equip you with the knowledge and resources you need to make the change from a life of barely surviving to one where you are thriving. Register today at drleafconference.com!  

This podcast is sponsored by: 

Bitty Baby by American Girl. So much of what we learn as a child has the ability to impact the way we treat ourselves and how we treat others, which is why it’s so important to provide your little ones with toys that foster those nurturing traits of love, kindness, and care. This is why I love Bitty Baby, which is one of the best ways for moms to introduce their little ones to the world of American Girl. It provides young children with a fun way to learn by enacting moments of nurture with a baby doll with perfect huggability and attention to detail. These dolls—and lessons—are designed to last! My listeners can get an exclusive, one-time offer of 15% off your order of Bitty Baby products with promo code DRLEAF at americangirl.com. Exclusions include 18” dolls, Courtney Arcade, and Bitty Baby Furniture. See americangirl.com/bbpodcast for details.

NED. Like many people these days, I have been struggling with uncertainty: what does the future hold? What will tomorrow look like? Where will I be a year from now? What will the world look like? All these anxieties have made everyday activities like sleeping a challenge, which is why I have started using CBD to help support my mental health and brain detoxing. I have found that CBD is a great to help with sleep and reduce pain, anxiety and inflammation. NED produces some of the highest quality CBD available in the world, using Full Spectrum Hemp Oil products extracted from organically grown hemp plants, which are all sourced from an independent farmer named Jonathan in Paonia, CO. All the products that Ned offers are science-backed, nature-based solutions that provide an alternative to prescription and over-the-counter drugs. If you want to check out Ned and try their Full Spectrum Hemp Oil or Sleep Blend for yourself, we have a special offer for the Cleaning Up the Mental Mess audience. Go to www.helloned.com/DRLEAF or enter DRLEAF at checkout for 15% off your first one-time order or 20% off your first subscription order. 

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Podcast Highlights  

3:15, 13:00, 41:00 Mikhalia Peterson’s incredible story  

5:00 What advice Mikhalia would give to her dad, Jordan B. Peterson? 

5:25, 44:00 How food can heal the mind & body  

5:45 Why you should prioritize your health, not work 

6:30 The importance of self-compassion  

8:40 How spirituality can positively impact mental health  

25:20, 1:00:10 The potential dangers of too many prescription drugs  

55:00 Why Mikhalia eats an all-meat diet 

58:20, 1:01:45 Be careful of people who say they have all the answers 

59:20 Jordan B. Peterson’s own struggles with prescription drugs 

1:03:20 Why we need to be careful of prescription drug withdrawal  

1:04:35 Why feeling empowered when it comes to your own health is so important  

This podcast and blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.   

Switch On Your Brain LLC. is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific viewpoint or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by our organization. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact info@drleaf.com. 

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