The complex topic of psychological flexibility may seem daunting, but focusing on self-compassion will help most individuals inch toward a more fulfilling life. So, this week on Self-Improvement Atlas: The Personal Science Insights Podcast, host Sarah Stancombe is joined by psychology professor Dr. Miriam Liss to learn more about what it takes to be psychologically flexible.

Currently serving as professor and chair of the psychological science department at the University of Mary Washington, Miriam Liss is also a member of the university’s interdisciplinary women, gender, and sexuality studies program. In addition, Miriam is a clinical psychologist who received her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 2001. Among her long list of accolades are over 60 articles on an extensive range of topics, as well as co-authoring books such as ‘Balancing the Big Stuff: Finding Happiness in Work, Family, and Life’. 

In this episode, Miriam shares metaphors that can help us better understand the role our own thoughts play in our lives, and centers self-compassion as different to self esteem, encouraging speaking to oneself as one would a friend. She also shares her groundbreaking research on the gendered world of mental load. 

Together, Sarah and Miriam frequent the phrase ‘do it scared’, which has circulated online, and how this pertains to the idea of standing above the unhelpful thoughts, and not letting them control your actions. So, if you love metaphors, gender studies, and learning about the complex world of the brain, tune in this week for an enlightening discussion!

Follow Dr. Miriam Liss’s via the following link, and find her published works on google scholar: https://psychologyofwomenandgender.com/ 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

On how self compassion protects against the negative effects of self-objectification:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.02.006  

On the psychological benefits of psychological flexibility: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2019.09.007 

On the impact of mindfulness regarding adverse childhood experiences: 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/S12144-021-02003-Z 

Produced by the Personal Productivity Science Labs, a division of LMSL, the Life Management Science Labs. 

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