Bettermental is wrapping up Season 2 with a question: are you limiting your own potential by trying to control your success?

Mike and Leanna discuss what success has meant for each of them: professionally, financially, and mentally. They describe the potential benefits and limitations of wanting to control things when it comes to your personal success, and how your definition of success might change over time.

You’ll learn:

• How the feeling of success or failure can relate to high functioning anxiety and high achieving tendencies [4:25] 
• What success has personally looked like for Mike and Leanna [5:00]
• How to define what success means to you [6:48]
• Examples of what we might tell ourselves regarding our success and what we must do to maintain it [9:50]
• The relationship between success and financial health [11:50]
• The balance between planning for success but not limiting your opportunities [19:50]

 Show notes at:  https://bettermental.fm/episodes/controlling-your-own-success 

Ambitious, goal-oriented, perfect. These qualities may sound like positives, but sometimes the person with which we label them, actually feels overwhelmed, burnt out, or not enough.

In this guest episode, Licensed Professional Counselor Tati Garcia joins Mike and Leanna again to explore the relationship between high-functioning anxiety and the need for control.

You’ll learn:

• What high functioning anxiety is and how it might look for a business owner [4:29] 
• The difference between “low functioning” and “high functioning” anxiety [7:35] 
• Tatiana Garcia’s personal struggles with high functioning anxiety [12:50] 
• Tatiana’s tips for establishing your non-negotiables for self-care [14:43] 
• The concept of burnout [18:25] 
• How common it is for people with high functioning anxiety to have difficulty relaxing [21:07] 

 Show notes at: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/anxiety-and-control

Are you a perfectionist? Do you appear to have it all together, but inside you feel worried, overwhelmed, and burnt out? In this special guest episode, Licensed Professional Counselor Tatiana Garcia joins Mike and Leanna to talk about high achievers, high-functioning anxiety, and her own mental health journey. 

You’ll learn:

• The typical characteristics of people with high-functioning anxiety [5:49]
• How Tatiana’s experience as a business owner impacts her relationships with clients who are struggling with high-functioning anxiety [13:26]
• The prevalence of feelings such as shame and loneliness associated with mental health [14:12]
• Tatiana’s own mental health history and experiences with anxiety [17:09] 
• Steps for prioritizing your mental health if you are a business owner or someone with high-functioning anxiety [27:08]

Show notes at: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/high-functioning-anxiety

Running a business with depression can be a huge challenge —and a never-ending one. In this episode, Mike and Leanna take a break from their scheduled episodes to share a spontaneous update on their mental health and work.

You’ll learn:

• About each speaker’s experiences with depression and what it’s like to continue working during a depressive episode [3:55] 
• How the symptoms of depression can change over time [5:32] 
• How the physical and behavioral symptoms of depression can vary from person to person [10:20] 
• What “masking” is and how it is used as a means for coping and surviving in the world during a depressive episode  [14:09]
• About budgeting your energy, especially when you have energy lows during a depressive episode [16:14]
• The relationship between money and mental health, and how having systems in place can mitigate anxiety and depression over cash flow [19:10]
• That the idea of “curing” depression is different for each individual [33:35] 

Show notes at: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/depression-mental-health

As business owners and freelancers, we rely on our client relationships to make a living. But managing them can sometimes be a struggle. In this episode, Mike and Leanna discuss defining your ideal client, setting expectations and having emergency protocols in place, and how to deal with difficult clients.

You’ll learn:

• That defining a target market is essential for successful client relationships [5:53]
• The importance of doing intro calls to learn about a new client’s values [14:47]
• Why you should set boundaries and expectations when you have a business relationship with a friend [18:00]
• The idea of a client relationship as a bank account [19:40]
• That having protocols for yourself and your business is helpful for when stressful situations arise [24:09]
• Leanna’s strategy for dealing with a client conflict: leave money out of it [26:48]
• Mike’s strategy for dealing with a client conflict: control the quality of your work [28:36]
• That having protocols and systems in place can help you objectively reflect on a conflict [33:09]

  Show notes:  https://bettermental.fm/episodes/manage-business-clients

Do you feel like you have enough money in your business bank account? In this episode, Mike and Leanna talk about the financial pressures of being an entrepreneur, hustle culture, and the impact money has on our mental health and self-worth. 

You’ll learn:

• Cultural myths that have become accepted as common knowledge, such as the feast or famine cycle [5:49]
• That freelancers and business owners do not have to struggle to achieve, and should surround themselves with people of a similar mindset [8:23]
• Mike’s experience with overcoming bankruptcy [10:42]
• How to separate your self-worth from dollar signs [15:45]
• Advice for overcoming the fear of letting other people see your business finances [20:59]
• How anxiety about money inhibits the growth of your business [24:19]

Show notes:   https://bettermental.fm/episodes/business-finances 

How much of your work day is truly productive? Are you spending time on the right things?

In this episode, Mike and Leanna dive into the topic of time management, and how managing your time can improve your mental health as well as your productivity.

Learn strategies for tracking your daily activities, finding a work life balance, setting boundaries, and dealing with interruptions.

You’ll learn:

• Mike’s “brain dump” strategy to alleviate stress [0:48]
• How your chronotype affects when you will be most productive during the day [6:11]
• The meaning of work life balance and how it differs for everyone [9:49]
• The modern concept of work life integration, rather than work life separation [14:04]
• Why you should measure how you spend your time [16:10]
• The importance of pre-planning how to deal with interruptions [22:11]
• Advocating for yourself: setting boundaries and sticking to them [25:24

Resources mentioned: 
Work and Mood Tracker: https://zapier.com/blog/mental-health-productivity-tracker/

Show notes at: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/time-management

What happens when you feel an emotion? A common piece of advice is to “think positive thoughts. But is that enough if you struggle with mental health challenges? 

Listen to this episode to learn the difference between controlling and managing emotions. Leanna explores how emotions differ from mental health conditions, while Mike offers advice on how to check in with yourself each day, even during a busy schedule. 

You’ll learn:

• What emotional dysregulation can look and feel like [3:28]
• Is it possible to control your feelings? [5:27]
• The difference between an emotion and a mental health condition [11:46]
• How to check in with your emotions and their physical symptoms [13:36]
• Three questions to ask yourself each day [16:00]
• How controlling emotions is different from managing emotions [23:40]
• Managing emotions looks different for everybody [24:20]

Resources mentioned in the episode: National Institutes of Health and Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score

Show notes at:  https://bettermental.fm/episodes/control-your-emotions 
 

Do you consider yourself a manager? Or would you say you’re more of a control freak? 

We often can't control our emotions, but we can learn to recognize them. We can learn to notice how they feel in our bodies, understand what they are showing us, and try to move forward in a healthy direction.

In this episode, find out how to navigate the delicate dance between control and management.

You’ll learn:

• The importance of being flexible with yourself and your routine [1:49]
• What’s the definition of control? [3:55] 
• Two common ways control shows up for entrepreneurs [7:59]
• What control has to do with mental health and business [10:57] 
• How Mike manages anger and depression as an entrepreneur [11:16]
• How Leanna learned to work alongside her mental health struggles [12:47]  
• What are “gut checks”? [20:12] 
• 3 questions to ask yourself throughout the day [23:10] 

Bettermental is a mental health resource for small business owners. Your hosts are Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist®, Mike Veny and future of work and wellbeing writer, Leanna Lee. In each episode, they share their mental health ups and downs and practical solutions for healthy business growth.

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/control-vs-management
 

Bettermental is a mental health resource for small business owners. Your hosts are Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist®, Mike Veny and future of work and wellbeing writer, Leanna Lee. In each episode, they share their mental health ups and downs and practical solutions for healthy business growth.

Between the two of us, who calls themself a bit of a control freak, and how does that come into play with planning a podcast together? Find out all this and more in this trailer of Bettermenal Season 2.

In this trailer, we’ll cover:

• Two things Mike and Leanna have in common [2:03] 
• A behind-the-scenes look at the podcast planning process  [2:35]
• Why it can be difficult to be fully present  [4:01]
• What control has to do with business and mental health  [6:50]
• Season 2 sneak peek [8:23] 

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/bettermental-season-2

Running a business isn’t easy. Whether you work one-on-one with clients or lead a product-based business, being an entrepreneur means a lot of hard work and stress. There’s always another fire to put out or another project that’s falling behind. How do you keep yourself from burning out? How do you prevent stress from holding you back? 

While you can’t remove stress completely from your life, you can learn how to manage your response and protect your mental health. Do you need to advocate for yourself? Do you need to reset or practice grounding? No matter the technique, stress management is a continual learning process that takes time and practice. What works this week may not work next week—and that’s okay! 

Listen to this episode to hear  Mike and Leanna share their favorite stress management lessons to apply in your business.

You’ll learn:

• The highlights and lowlights from this season [3:59] 
• Why you need to advocate for yourself [8:43] 
• How to center yourself when life gets chaotic [11:47] 
• The importance of being flexible with your systems [14:06]
• What happens when you prioritize fun (and stop taking life so seriously) [20:02] 
• Some big news from the Bettermental team [22:10] 

Resources mentioned in this episode: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/008-stress-management-for-entrepreneurs

Freelancers and business owners know too well: time is a precious resource. You have a finite amount of time each day to manage client relationships, do your work, and juggle everything in between. But what about your mental health? Do you have to choose between mental health and your business? 

In today’s episode, Mike interviews Leanna about her anxiety and depression and how she manages her energy throughout the workday. Together, they also share their number one strategy for prioritizing mental health (hint: plan for your hardest day). 

Bettermental is a mental health resource for small business owners. Your hosts are Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist®, Mike Veny and future of work and wellbeing writer, Leanna Lee. In each episode, they share their mental health ups and downs and practical solutions for healthy business growth.

Listen to this episode to learn strategies to understand your energy level and how to implement intuitive scheduling in your workday. 

Resources: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/007-manage-energy-at-work

How can you talk about mental health with your clients? What’s the difference between indirect and direct disclosure? In today’s episode, Leanna and Mike meet with Chrissy Kozol to discuss how to navigate client relationships and your mental health. 

As a freelancer or small business owner, there’s a delicate balance between managing client expectations, oversharing your struggles, and submitting your best work. Chrissy shares her strategies for communicating with clients while holding space for herself. 

If there’s anything to take away from this episode, it’s Chrissy’s two client-vetting questions: “How do you handle disappointment? And how would you communicate that with me?”

Bettermental is a mental health resource for small business owners. Your hosts are Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist®, Mike Veny, and future of work and wellbeing writer, Leanna Lee. In each episode, they share their mental health ups and downs and practical solutions for healthy business growth.

Show notes and resources at: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/006

Whether you’re working remotely, in the office, or somewhere in between, mental health isn’t something you can leave at the door. In today’s episode, Mike and Leanna walk through how leaders can create a mentally healthy work culture with empathy, compassion, and practice. 

Listen to this episode to find out how to build rapport with your teams and take meaningful steps towards protecting and supporting mental health.  

Show notes and resources at:  Bettermental.fm/episode05

And we’d love to keep in touch. Connect with us on Twitter @leannalost and @mikeveny.

Happy New Year! 2021 is FINALLY over, and if you’re thinking it’s time for some changes to your business, you’ve come to the right place. Continuing the season’s theme of stress management, Mike and Leanna ring jump into January with ideas for starting a new business year off right both personally and professionally. 

Don’t miss Bettermental’s very first acronym (courtesy of Mike!), RESET: Recalibrate, Evaluate your business, Stop doing stuff, Exercise your mind, body, and spirit, and Track your time moving forward.

And remember, “frustrations really show us where our values lie and can help lead to better systems and better solutions.” A big shoutout to business coach Lacy Anderson (Grit ‘N Grace Consulting) for inspiring this episode!

Show notes and resources: https://bettermental.fm/episodes/004

And we’d love to keep in touch. Connect with us on Twitter @leannalost and @mikeveny.

Welcome to Bettermental! To kick off their season on stress management, Mike and Leanna have introduced a three-part mini series on stress, exhaustion, and burnout. The last part of this mini-series (Part 3), is all about burnout, which is what happens when you’re exhausted from stress and haven’t managed it effectively. AKA the “crisis mode” of stress.

In this episode, Mike and Leanna get really personal about the part that burnout has played in their lives and businesses, both before and during the pandemic. They share some of their biggest lessons learned, and thoughts on managing burnout with chronic mental health.

Listen in to learn things like the role dissociative episodes can play in burnout and why “getting enough sleep” isn’t going to work.

Show notes at: https://bettermental.fm/episode3

And we’d love to keep in touch. Connect with us on Twitter @leannalost and @mikeveny

Welcome to Bettermental! To kick off their season on stress management, Mike and Leanna have introduced a three-part mini-series on stress, exhaustion, and burnout. 

Part 2 focuses on the next stage of stress: exhaustion. According to Mayo Clinic, exhaustion or fatigue is “a nearly constant state of weariness that develops over time and reduces your energy, motivation, and concentration.”

In this episode, Mike and Leanna talk about how they identify and experience exhaustion symptoms with multiple mental health conditions. They share some of their best strategies for exhaustion management, like scheduling low-brain work, short and long breaks, and tips for sleep and exercise.

Show notes at:  https://bettermental.fm/episode2

And we’d love to keep in touch. Connect with us on Twitter @leannalost and @mikeveny

Welcome to Bettermental’s first episode! Mike and Leanna are excited to be back recording together again in person. In this episode, they introduce a three-part mini-series on stress, exhaustion, and burnout. 

Starting with stress, they dive into exactly what it is, what it looks like for business owners (and themselves!), and several in-depth tips for recognizing and managing it. You’ll leave this episode with questions to ask yourself, strategies like brain dumps, worry lists, and gut checks to try, and a list of further resources to check out.

In this episode, we discuss:

• “So what exactly IS it [stress]?” [2:00]
• “Some examples of stimuli as a business owner…” [07:46]
• “Tips for you to manage your stress...first is, do your best to identify it” [17:29]
• “It’s good to have symptoms of stress...keep them in mind (Tip #2) [20:38]
• “Once you have a better idea...of what kind of feeling it is...then you can start to find the source of the stress (Tip #3).” [23:12]
• “Quick pro tip if you’re listening that you can use if you’re beyond overwhelmed…” [30:32]

Prefer to skim? Here’s our episode transcription!

Mentioned in the episode:

The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel A. Van der Kolk

Getting Things Done by David Allen

Gut Checks by Leanna Lee

Want to hear more from Mike and Leanna? Every month, we’ll be sharing our own content based on each Bettermental episode. Don’t miss Mike’s latest videos and Leanna’s mental health and business articles!

And we’d love to keep in touch. Connect with us on Twitter @leannalost and @mikeveny.

Meet the hosts of Bettermental: Mike Veny and Leanna Lee! In this trailer for their upcoming podcast, they discuss how managing mental health has impacted their lives and careers and talk about what they each hope to bring to the arena of mental health.

In this episode (trailer) we discuss...

• “The name of the show is Bettermental...and it’s all about your mental wellness as a business owner.” [1:30]
• “...I call them disabilities; Mike...doesn’t necessarily agree with the term...” [4:10]
• “Let’s quickly...do a summary of what we’re planning for Bettermental.”  [10:02]

Follow Mike and Leanna for Bettermental updates on Twitter (@mikeveny and @leannalost)