What if our brains simply aren't wired for how fast change happens today? Host Swati talks with executive coach Dr. Marcia Ruben about why our nervous system craves certainty, and why staying present during change is a learnable skill.

Marcia shares simple grounding techniques, like rubbing your fingers together or imagining roots into the ground, a stop-sign visualization for interrupting a spiraling thought, and why she recommends learning to live in the question instead of rushing toward an answer.

About the Guest:

Dr. Marcia Ruben is an executive coach and organizational consultant, and Professor Emerita at Golden Gate University. She is the author of The Neuroscience of Leadership, focused on how leaders navigate complex, emotionally charged change.

Key Takeaways:

• Our brains crave certainty, which is part of why change can feel threatening.
• Simple grounding techniques, like rubbing your fingers together, bring you back to the present.
• Visualizing a stop sign can interrupt a spiraling or catastrophizing thought pattern.
• Recalling past evidence of what you've already handled can counter a spiral of self-doubt.
• You don't need the answer right away, you can learn to live in the question.

Connect With Dr. Marcia Ruben:

Website: leadershiptangles.com

LinkedIn: Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC

Episode Chapters:

[00:00] Welcome to The Mindful Journey (approx.)

[02:00] Meet Dr. Marcia Ruben (approx.)

[06:00] Why Our Brains Crave Certainty (approx.)

[15:00] Grounding Techniques for the Present Moment (approx.)

[24:00] The Stop Sign: Interrupting a Spiral (approx.)

[30:00] Learning to Live in the Question (approx.)

[35:00] Where to Find Marcia (approx.)

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