Diana Hill | Effortlessly Adapt to Any Situation and Excel Under Pressure

In today’s episode, we cover psychological flexibility with Dr. Diana Hill. Diana helps her clients build a values-rich life and unpacks the science of acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) through the cutting-edge podcast Psychologists Off the Clock, online teachings, and her book ACT Daily Journal: Get Unstuck and Live Fully with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Life throws curveballs at us all the time, but if you have psychological flexibility you can be prepared for them—so what is psychological flexibility, why is it detrimental to our health and fulfillment to be psychologically rigid, and how do you start developing psychological flexibility?

What to Listen For
Why did Dr. Diana Hill pursue a career in ACT? – 0:00
What is psychological flexibility and why is it important for all of us to work on it if we don’t want to be crushed by the events and challenges in our lives?
What are the 6 processes involved in psychological flexibility and why is it more important to focus on the processes than the resulting outcomes?
Why does focusing on goals lead to disappointment in the long run?

What makes some of us psychologically rigid? – 4:42
What areas in your life does psychological rigidity prevent you from being the best version of yourself?
What can you do to identify the intrinsic values in your life so you can stop relying on future outcomes to bring you fulfillment instead of present processes?
What is integrative psychology?

What are the downsides of striving? – 15:25
What is experiential avoidance and how is it linked to unhealthy striving?
What is values-based striving?

How do you develop self-compassion? – 21:05
What practices can you start using today to develop self-compassion?
Why is self-compassion important if you want to be a top-performer?

Why does avoiding pain make life harder? – 36:20
How should we look at and deal with pain if trying to avoid it makes life more painful?
What are self-stories and how do they limit our ability to perceive the world around us and achieve our potential?

What can you do to help kids build psychological flexibility? – 43:58
Where should parents start if they want to help and encourage their children to build psychological flexibility so they are better able to deal with the challenges they will face in life?
What value can you expect to get out of the ACT Daily Journal?

What makes you resilient to the ups and downs of life? We all face challenges, but some are more flexible than others. Building psychological flexibility is a lifelong journey that requires self-awareness in your thoughts, emotions, behavior patterns, and relationships with others.

The difference between being psychologically rigid vs. having resilience may seem like an abstract concept—but it can have drastic implications for our health and well-being over time if we're not careful!

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Resources from this Episode

Dr Diana Hill’s website

Psychologists Off the Clock Podcast

ACT DAILY JOURNAL: Get Unstuck and Live Fully with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

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