Author: Mayim Bialik

  • Angela Matusik: Reinvent Your Career, Creative Contentment & Branded Storytelling

    Angela Matusik, Head of Corporate Brand Content & Creative at Hewlett-Packard, breaks down the impact of brand storytelling on society’s capacity for mental wellness. She details her impressive trajectory from an unstable childhood to becoming an editor in the fascinating era of 90’s print media, and eventually reinventing her creative journalism to pivot into the world of corporate storytelling. Mayim and Angela discuss the ways in which brands shape societal values, behavior, and conversation and the responsibilities these corporations have to maintain integrity and address mental health. They examine the importance of young women having access to mentorship from successful women in corporate positions, the effects of isolation on adolescents created by the digital age, and how their hyper awareness as mothers shapes their views of the media. 

    Mayim and Jonathan explain the values in recognizing how your past impacts your present and finding creative trajectories for one’s unique skillset in another round of “You Might Need Help If…”

  • Timber Hawkeye: Work Less & Live More, Non-Violent Communication & Engraved Clocks

    Timber Hawkeye (best-selling author of Buddhist Boot Camp and Faithfully Religionless) details his life’s journey after having an enlightened experience. He explains why he left his solid corporate job and comfortable life to strip himself of all possessions, moved to Hawaii where he survived on just $7k per year, studied psychology and world religion, and built a world of being of service to others. Timber discusses how he was able to achieve freedom through simplifying his life and valuing time rather than following society’s recipe for happiness. Mayim and Timber examine the cognitive dissonance that stems from the vicious loop of internal conflict, the importance of aligning our actions with our values, using nonviolent communication to identify unmet needs, and ways we may identify as victims.  

    Mayim breaks down how the brain physically changes after having an enlightened moment and the isolation that comes with setting high standards for others. 

    Timber’s Website: BuddhistBootCamp.com

    Timber’s Buddhist Boot podcast: https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/podcast

  • Lindsey Stirling: Find Control in Creativity, Body Dysmorphia & Hair Hanging

    Lindsey Stirling (unique, futuristic electronic violinist, songwriter and dancer with over 13M YouTube subscribers) opens up about how seeking a sense of control developed into disordered eating and how honing her dancer’s physique affected her body image. She shares how the mindset she adopted through disordered eating manifested in other areas of her life, and how going through the motions gave her her power back. Mayim and Lindsey break down body dysmorphia, the feelings of isolation and unworthiness that stem from disordered eating, and the similarities these afflictions have with substance abuse. Lindsey shares her experience on the set of Dancing with the Stars and the Cirque du Soleil stunt she has finally been able to cross off her bucket list.  

    Mayim examines ways to regulate emotional eating, how to identify diet culture, and what healthy eating does to the brain in the latest installment of Ask Mayim Anything. 

    Lindsey Stirling’s YT Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyC_4jvPzLiSkJkLIkA7B8g

    Lindsey Stirling Tour: http://www.lindseystirling.com/tour

  • Kevin Sussman: Weighted Blankets, Actor Anxiety & the Science of Sobbing

    Kevin Sussman (actor, writer, comedian, The Big Bang Theory) discusses his anxiety surrounding performing and reveals his process for tricking his brain into redirecting anxious thoughts. Mayim and Kevin reminisce about their shared experiences on the set of The Big Bang Theory and examine the differences between Kevin and his character, “Stuart Bloom.” Kevin shares the advice George Clooney and Gary Shandling gave to him about combating anxiety and the body mechanics of the Alexander Technique he uses to manage habitual physical tension. Mayim breaks down the physiological symptoms and evolutionary advantages of anxiety, the science and cultural aspects of crying, and ways to avoid the trap of rumination. They discuss the benefits and side effects of anxiety medication and natural coping methods, and Mayim ends the episode with advice for managing anxiety when trying to fall asleep in the latest installment of Ask Mayim Anything.

  • Jackson Galaxy: Emotional Guardrails, Language of Empathy & The Social Anxiety Corner

    Jackson Galaxy (Host & Executive Producer of My Cat from Hell, animal advocate, cat behavior expert, author, musician) opens up about his struggles with social anxiety, substance abuse, and disordered eating. After an illuminating installment of “What Mayim Hears”, Jackson discusses growing up wanting to be a rock star and how playing guitar and busking at an early age helped him combat anxiety. He details his use of food as a comfort tool and alcohol as a social lubricant before he discovered the benefits provided by the structure of rituals. Mayim and Jackson break down how misdiagnoses and ineffective prescriptions can lengthen one’s mental health journey, the biological instincts tied to social anxiety, and navigating society as an empath. They bond over their shared love for the energetic minefield that is New York City, disordered eating as a public person, desires to be terminally unique involutes, and of course, their love of cats.

    Jackson Galaxy’s Website: https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/

    Jackson Galaxy’s Books: https://shop.jacksongalaxy.com/collections/books

    Jackson Galaxy Cat Camp: https://www.catcamp.com/

    Jackson Galaxy Project: https://greatergood.org/jackson-galaxy

    Best Friends Animal Society: https://bestfriends.org/

  • Dr. Gary Small: Bolster Your Brain & Lengthen Longevity

    Dr. Gary Small, Professor of Psychiatry, Biobehavioral Sciences & Aging and Director of the UCLA Longevity Center, breaks down the biological causes and symptoms of aging and its impact on mental wellness. He discusses the effects of neurodegenerative memory disorders on patients and caregivers, his personal experiences with Alzheimer’s, and the toll his work with the difficult aspects of cognitive transitions takes on him. Mayim and Dr. Small examine the negative effects of stress and isolation on the aging process and how technology has the potential to help or harm it before delving into the ways we can strengthen our brains through meditation, sleep, therapy, social connections, learning a language or instrument, and even certain foods. They unpack the roles of the elderly in our society and the ways various cultures treat aging populations. Mayim opens up about her father’s degenerative condition, details common reasons we distract ourselves, and explains the Look-Snap-Connect techniques we can use to maintain and improve active brain health and memory.

    Dr. Gary Small’s Books: http://drgarysmall.com/books/

  • Melissa Bernstein: Achievement Anchoring & The Logic of Lying

    Melissa Bernstein, author, entrepreneur, and Co-Founder of the successful toy company Melissa & Doug, breaks down her existential journey through birthing art from divergent qualities. She discusses her disassociation from dark feelings and how her imagination allowed her to channel that sense of despair into creativity. Mayim and Melissa bond over being unable to relate to mainstream culture and how perfectionism can sometimes feel like a drug. They examine the science behind overexcitabilities, reasons why we lie, and how to accept and move through rejection. Melissa opens up about how her need for control led to a severe eating disorder at the age of 11 and how she found recovery through her relationship with her now husband. After years of self-depletion, Melissa reveals how logotherapy and studying philosophy guided her through her mental health journey.

    Mayim reminisces about her time hanging out with fellow misfits at Venice Beach, and ends the episode with advice for teachers on dealing with anxious students in the latest installment of Ask Mayim Anything.

    Melissa & Doug Website: https://www.melissaanddoug.com/

    Melissa Bernstein’s Book: https://www.lifelines.com/shop-book

  • Jennette McCurdy: Enmeshment, Individuating, & Coping Mechanisms

    Jennette McCurdy, writer, director, actor, and singer ( iCarly, Sam & Cat), inspires Mayim with her openness and vulnerability as she shares the harmful coping mechanisms and profound revelations she experienced following the death of her mother – leading to Jennette’s one woman show “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” Jennette discusses the pressures and anxieties she faced at an early age as a hugely popular children’s TV star and the source of financial support for her family. Jennette unpacks how her identity was tied to her mother’s perceptions of her and how the enmeshed relationship impacted her. Mayim breaks down the psychological concept of enmeshment, including the effects of removing an enmeshed relationship from one’s life, the reasons we tolerate emotional discomfort for so long, and the elements of the power struggles surrounding love. Mayim and Jennette deeply connect over their self-discovery journeys, including their respective paths to recovery from disordered eating. They also discuss their personal and professional plans for the future, and Mayim confesses her feelings about her upcoming feature directorial debut.

    In a new installment of Ask Mayim Anything, Mayim explains the origins of self-sabotage and insecurities in an otherwise healthy relationship.

    Jennette McCurdy’s website: https://www.jennettemccurdy.com/

  • Rabbi Steve Leder: Clearing out the Clutter, Nonlinear Grief & Finding Gratitude in the Mundane

    Rabbi Steve Leder, author and Senior Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, breaks down the beneficial and harmful aspects of religious structure on mental health and sense of community. He details his childhood in the midwest where he worked at the family junkyard under strict, religious parents, and how stealing Bob Dylan albums led him to the hippie rabbis who changed the course of his life. Mayim and Rabbi Leder reexamine the true meaning of sacrifice, the evolution of Judaism, and how religious extremism and radical secularism can negatively impact mental health. Mayim opens up about the role religion has played in her own life and sense of identity, and how Judaism’s structure of processing grief helped her to effectively mourn her father’s death. After analyzing the ways in which society can rebuild trust in its institutions, Mayim and Rabbi Leder discuss how impactful changes in our micro communities can lead to macro effects and the importance of learning from those with differing beliefs. Mayim explains how a disconnected marriage can affect mental health during an installment of Ask Mayim Anything.

    Rabbi Steve Leder’s books: http://steveleder.com/books/

  • Jenny Taitz: Self-Soothing Strategies, How to be Single and Happy & Ending Emotional Eating

    Dr. Jenny Taitz, Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at UCLA and licensed clinical psychologist board certified in cognitive behavioral therapy, outlines her custom, dialectical therapy approach to helping people meet their long term goals by utilizing evidenced-based tools. She breaks down the core issues of disordered eating and highlights the importance of recognizing hunger cues and triggers, forming intuitive eating habits, and finding nourishment through self-soothing strategies. Mayim expands upon the origin of her eating disorder and current relationship with food, and details the role food plays in culture and intimacy. Dr. Taitz discusses how mindfulness, distress tolerance, finding bite-sized doses of hope, and even dunking your face in ice water can lead to radical acceptance & willingness. After Mayim opens up about her history of serial monogamy, she and Dr. Taitz examine the importance of finding happiness and empowerment while living single rather than waiting to find the right person to be happy. Mayim and Dr. Taitz wrap the episode with indicators one might need help overcoming an eating disorder, and Mayim explains Binge Eating Disorder during an installment of Ask Mayim Anything.

    Jenny’s Books: https://drjennytaitz.com/books/

    Jenny’s Articles: https://drjennytaitz.com/media/

    Overeaters Anonymous: https://oa.org/