173 Dr. Amy Johnson - Why Does Your Brain Keep Getting in the Way of Your Performance?

06/23/21 • 56 min

The Purple Patch Podcast is all about performance in sport, but also in broader life. We work with people who are seeking to improve and evolve their relationships or behavior patterns, ideally for the better. Our guest today is Social Psychologist and Coach, Dr. Amy Johnson. She, too, helps people who are seeking to improve their lives, mostly around freedom from and anxiety and unwanted habits. She also hosts a podcast called, “Changeable.”

Today, Matt and Amy discuss the parallels and similarities of their work and clients.

The Ways We View Change and How to Navigate Change and Adversity
Why We View Certain Actions in our Life as Pass/Fail and How to Release that Tension
How to Build a Healthy Relationship with Failure
Why our Brains Seemingly Keep Getting in the Way of Performance

The goal? Both Matt and Dr. Johnson assist their clients in developing a mindset to not take the thoughts that fill our brains quite so personally. As Dr. Johnson says, “Your brain gets in the way because it loves you. It’s trying to protect you, but you don’t have to worry about every thought that passes your way. The less we do, the more we bounce back to find everything you’re looking for.”

About Dr. Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson, PhD is a psychologist, coach, author, and speaker who shares a groundbreaking new approach that helps people find true, lasting freedom from unwanted habits via insight rather than willpower. She is author of Being Human (2013), and The Little Book of Big Change: The No-Willpower Approach to Breaking Any Habit (2016). In 2017 she opened The Little School of Big Change, an online school that has helped hundreds of people find freedom from anxiety and habits and live a more peaceful life.

Johnson has been a regularly featured expert on The Steve Harvey Show and Oprah.com, as well as in The Wall Street Journal and Self magazine. Learn more at www.DrAmyJohnson.com.

Episode Timestamps

00:00-02:25 - Welcome and Introduction to the Episode

02:25-07:25 Squaddie Update - Join our Global Squad Community

07:25-12:00 Word of the Week - Santa Barbara Triathlon

12:05 - The Meat and Potatoes - Dr. Amy Johnson - Your Brain is Always Trying to Protect You

Episode Resources

Santa Barbara Triathlon - https://santabarbaratriathlon.com/

Dr. Amy Johnson- Website and Information - https://dramyjohnson.com/

Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/squad

Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/strength-1

Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events

Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/upcomingevents

Today, Matt and Amy discuss the parallels and similarities of their work and clients.

The Ways We View Change and How to Navigate Change and Adversity
Why We View Certain Actions in our Life as Pass/Fail and How to Release that Tension
How to Build a Healthy Relationship with Failure
Why our Brains Seemingly Keep Getting in the Way of Performance

About Dr. Amy Johnson

Johnson has been a regularly featured expert on The Steve Harvey Show and Oprah.com, as well as in The Wall Street Journal and Self magazine. Learn more at www.DrAmyJohnson.com.

Episode Timestamps

00:00-02:25 - Welcome and Introduction to the Episode

02:25-07:25 Squaddie Update - Join our Global Squad Community

07:25-12:00 Word of the Week - Santa Barbara Triathlon

12:05 - The Meat and Potatoes - Dr. Amy Johnson - Your Brain is Always Trying to Protect You

Episode Resources

Santa Barbara Triathlon - https://santabarbaratriathlon.com/

Dr. Amy Johnson- Website and Information - https://dramyjohnson.com/

Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/squad

Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/strength-1

Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events

Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/upcomingevents

Previous Episode

172 Lars Tandrup - His Purpose? To Find Opportunity in Unthinkable Adversity

Matt welcomes longtime Purple Patch athlete, Lars Tandrup, back to the podcast.

In 2018, Lars and his wife lost everything in the Santa Rosa fires. He was left, quite literally, with only his pajamas - and even those were on fire as he escaped through acres of flames to safety.

A few months after this tragedy, Lars came on the podcast to discuss how he hoped to emerge from this adversity. He sought purpose, clarity, and a fresh start with gratitude.

Now, almost three years later, Lars returns.

What actually happened in the aftermath? How did he do? How has his perspective changed, and how has he used adversity to help others, especially in a year when we've all faced the unthinkable?

Lars did, in fact, set his lens forward and developed key elements for an arsenal of performance that he continues to share often in work presentations. This toolbox is paramount to his personal health and has certainly been a catalyst to growth for those he works with on a daily basis.

What Are A Few of the Lessons He Carries With Him?

Finding Purpose in Tragedy - Helping others by sharing your experience, being a lighthouse for those in need.
Embracing Adversity as Opportunity - What can you learn from adapting to stress? Is this a chance to grow and learn? Adversity is not unique, but your response is critical to your path ahead.
Developing Tools to Help Deal with Adversity - Learning to react to stress in a more productive way, getting to the root cause of problems, controlling negative self-talk

Ultimately, says Lars, living the Purple Patch Pillars of Performance have helped him emerge stronger from this tragedy, and the integrated training, recovery, nutrition, and strength have provided him with the confidence and fortitude to help others.

And, when you help others, you use adversity as an opportunity for good.

Episode Timestamps

00:00-03:15 - Welcome and Introduction to the Episode

03:15-06:25 Squaddie Update - Join our Global Squad Community

06:35 - The Meat and Potatoes - Lars Tandrup on Setting the Lens Ahead Through Adversity

Episode Resources

Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program

https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/squad

Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming

https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/strength-1

Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events

Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events

https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/upcomingevents

Next Episode

174 High Performance from Within - from "The Changeable" Podcast

Matt is on holiday this week, so we're releasing a recent interview he did on "The Changeable" podcast hosted by Social Psychologist, Dr. Amy Johnson.

Dr. Johnson was Matt's guest last week when they discussed our brain's tendency to "get in the way" and take things that happen to us personally - sabotaging success and happiness.

In this interview, Matt and Amy discuss failure, resilience, and the importance of being change-able.

They also talk about the equation performance = potential – interference, and how he takes the seriousness out of things to help his clients have their best possible performance.

Show Notes from Changeable Podcast

About Dr. Amy Johnson

Johnson has been a regularly featured expert on The Steve Harvey Show and Oprah.com, as well as in The Wall Street Journal and Self magazine. Learn more at www.DrAmyJohnson.com.

Episode Resources

Dr. Amy Johnson- Website and Information - https://dramyjohnson.com/

Learn more about Purple Patch Squad High-Performance Training Program - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/squad

Learn more about Purple Patch Strength Programming - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/strength-1

Stay Up-to-Date with Purple Patch News and Events

Purple Patch Upcoming Webinars and Events - https://www.purplepatchfitness.com/upcomingevents