How to Change Your Life: Self-Efficacy, Learned Helplessness, and Growth Mindset

If you’re tired of feeling stuck, this one’s for you. Dr. Rick and Forrest explore how we can overcome learned helplessness and change our lives by developing self-efficacy: the ability to influence our environments and control our motivation and behavior. Key topics include why we get stuck, the science of learned helplessness, focusing on effort over talent, creating a growth mindset, and balancing acceptance and agency. You’ll learn how to improve self-efficacy, embrace who you are, and become truly confident in your ability to grow. 

Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:50: Why are we prone to feeling stuck?

4:45: Fear of failure and negativity bias

8:30: Learned helplessness and the dog study

18:05: Difficulties identifying patterns we’re close to

20:00: The biological function of shame

22:55 The connection between our emotions, our body, and our sense of self-efficacy

24:10: Chronic illness and pain, and recognizing what is and is not in your control

26:10: What is a growth mindset?

28:40: Nature and nurture, talent and effort, and our metrics of self-worth

35:00: Rick’s practical tips for improving self-efficacy (complete with soundtrack)

40:20: Creating a coherent self-narrative

42:35: An example from Forrest of claiming agency

46:20: Advice for someone in their late 20s when feeling stuck

51:40: Building on and reinforcing our successes

56:35: Determination

59:35: Recap

 

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