Difficult & challenging conversations are one of the best ways to use our minds and brains, develop stress resilience, increase creativity and problem solving, and prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers. But they are not easy. In this episode I chat with Coach Yeamah on how to have these difficult conversations, why they are vital, and how these conversations can improve mental & physical health if done correctly.   

Special offers from our sponsors:  
-BetterHelp (the best online counseling app): To get 10% off
BetterHelp counseling during your first month see: https://trybetterhelp.com/drleaf   
-BLUblox (the best glasses to reduce your exposure to harmful blue and green light): To get 15% off your BLUblox glasses use the code LEAF15 at checkout: https://BLUblox.com    

Podcast Highlights 
2:28 How Coach Yeamah went from being afraid to go out her home to living with purpose 
4:47 Why we should celebrate our differences, and focus our attention on what we need to change now 
5:27 Why yes, all lives do matter, and why we are focusing on the terrible treatment of the black lives and how we can make a difference  
6:20, 49:00 How the church has failed to celebrate our differences 
7:00, 15:50 Why education is the foundation of anti-racism work  
7:23 Why conformity in the church is not helpful  
10:16 Why denying our differences creates cognitive dissonance in the brain  
11:00 How we can celebrate the beauty of difference 
13:05 Why relationship and representation is important 
 14:51 How we are all unique representations of God’s love 
16:00 Why identity is integral to mental health  
20:00 How to deconstruct our toxic beliefs about ourselves 
25:33 How to face and process our “triggers” 
26:50 Why you should educate yourself before you have tough conversations 
28:10 Why we should not try control the people we are talking to  
30:00 Why we all have willfully ignorance, and why we all need to acknowledge our prejudices and do the work of educating ourselves  
31:47 Why being open-minded and learning is so important for our mental and brain health 
32:11 How to have difficult conversations, and how to listen and respond in love 
39:00 Why it will take time and hard work to eradicate racist mentalities from our society  
45:33 How to talk to your family and church about race 
53:20 Our differences are divine reflections of God 
57:50 Why we need to stop making the bible an idol and demonizing difference  
1:08:55 How spirituality and sexuality are related 
1:12:00 At our most fundamental level we are waves of love   

For more info on Coach Yeamah:  Website: www.yeamah.com 
Read the podcast blog here: https://drleaf.com/blogs/news/how-challenging-conversations-and-an-open-mindset-boost-mental-brain-health-tips-on-how-to-have-difficult-conversations-correctly-and-effectively

 
Additional resources:  
-Sign up to join my free text program and receive mental health care tips and strategies, exclusive offers and more! Just text DRLEAF to 1 (833) 285 3747 (*Only available for U.S numbers at this time)
-Visit my website at https://drleaf.com for more free resources, tips, and tools to help you improve and heal your mental health! And be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get even more mental self-care tips delivered to your inbox weekly and to see my upcoming events (you can sign up at drleaf.com!)


---

This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app