AN OPEN MYND

This is An Open MYND — MY(NDY's) blog where neuroscience meets real talk, and nobody's asking you to meditate on a mountaintop. I write about the messy, funny, human side of mental fitness and the science behind how you can make your brain work for you, not against you.

Prefer to watch instead of read? Catch me on YouTube at Your Brain, Explained, where I break it all down one episode at a time.

Improving Your Management Style via Organizational Fitness

Great management isn’t about working harder; it’s about building systems that actually work. This post introduces a powerful Organizational Fitness framework that helps leaders reduce friction, improve communication, and create environments where teams can thrive, grow, and consistently perform at their best.

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New Year, New You... Or Not? Decoding the "Haters" and "Goal Determinators"

“New Year, New You” sounds motivating—but it often sets us up for failure. This post breaks down the difference between external pressure (“haters”) and internally driven goals (“goal determinators”), showing how mental fitness helps you set meaningful goals, stay consistent, and build real, lasting change.

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Don't Let "Ghosts" Haunt Your Life: Making the Invisible, Visible!

We all have “ghosts”—the invisible thoughts, emotions, and communication gaps that quietly shape our lives. This post explores how mental fitness helps you make the invisible visible, so you can better understand yourself, improve relationships, and stop letting hidden patterns run the show.

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mindset, emotional wellness, psychology Lissy Alden mindset, emotional wellness, psychology Lissy Alden

The Summer Trap: Why Our Expectations Are Sabotaging Our Happiness (and What to Do About It)

Summer is supposed to be the happiest time of the year—but high expectations often lead to disappointment instead. This post explores how unrealistic standards can quietly sabotage your happiness, and how mental fitness helps you reset expectations, stay present, and actually enjoy the moments you’re in.

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If we’re doing life correctly, do we need vacation?

Do we really need vacations, or are they just a temporary fix for a life that’s out of balance? This post explores the real benefits of taking time off, from boosting creativity to reducing stress, while challenging the idea that a once-a-year break can replace a consistent mental fitness practice.

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