{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F8fa11ed9-9a52-4629-834d-18656f877cfc","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"How Can You Stay Calm Around Stressful People Without Burning Out? with Matthew Dickson","description":"On this episode of Inner Peace, Better Health, host Sayan sits down with global mental health advocate Matthew Dickson, founder of Mind Aid , to unpack what most of us never name but feel every day. people stress. Not deadlines. Not to-do lists. The emotional load that comes from tone, expectations, conflict, and just being around the wrong person at the wrong time.\nMatthew breaks down practical ways to stay calm in high-pressure environments, from using \u201cverbal judo\u201d techniques, to monitoring your tone like a pro, to building a stable emotional thermostat so you\u2019re not swinging between highs and crashes. He also shares simple nervous system resets so that stressful interactions don\u2019t hijack your entire day.\nIf you\u2019re tired of taking things personally, always replaying conversations in your head, or feeling like other people control your emotional state, this conversation gives you grounded, no-fluff tools you can use at work, at home, and with yourself. Highly relevant for professionals, leaders, caregivers, and anyone serious about mental health, resilience, and sustainable performance\u00a0\nAbout the Guest:\nMatthew Dickson is the founder of Mind Aid , a global hub that connects people to trusted organizations improving mental health care in developing countries. He is a mental health advocate, public speaker, and survivor who lives with schizophrenia and has spent over 20 years studying practical tools for better mental and emotional health.\nMatthew blends research, lived experience, and simple frameworks to help people lower stress, build resilience, and show up more steadily under pressure. Through Mind Aid and his content across platforms, he is on a mission to make mental health support more accessible worldwide.\nKey Takeaways:\n\n\nPeople stress is often bigger than task stress. It comes from tone, expectations, energy, and unspoken emotions, not just workload. Naming it is the first step to changing it.\n\n\nStaying calm starts with controlling your tone of voice. You do not have to like everyone, but you do need to drop the anger from your voice if you want real influence and less conflict.\n\n\nVerbal judo principles help you de-escalate. Stay calm, let people vent, read their body language, and speak from their frame of reference, not just yours.\n\n\nUse a \u201cone-second pause\u201d. Brief micro-pauses before reacting put you back in the driver\u2019s seat so you are not a puppet to other people\u2019s urgency or expectations.\n\n\nThink of your emotions like a thermostat in your chest. Keep monitoring if you are getting too \u201chot\u201d or \u201ccold\u201d emotionally and deliberately return to a baseline of steady joy, not extreme highs and lows.\n\n\nSchedule intentional \u201cdo nothing\u201d time so your brain can process stress, reset, and integrate. Quiet, stimulus-free breaks are performance tools, not laziness.\n\n\nYou will never reach 100 percent perfect mental health. The real game is reducing how often you are stressed and shortening how long it knocks you out of alignment.\n\n\nConnect with Matthew Dickson:\nListeners can connect with Matthew and access his curated mental health resources here:\n\n\nWebsite: Mind Aid - https://www.mindaid.ca/\n\n\nSocials: Search \u201cMatthew Dickson Mind Aid\u201d on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to find his latest content, talks, and resources\n\n\nRecommended starting point: The Mental Health Tips page on Mind Aid, where Matthew summarizes decades of reading into practical, vetted resources\n\n\nBe a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life?\nWant to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM. Send me a message on PodMatch\n\n\nDM Me Here. https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik\n\n\nDisclaimer\nThis video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik\u2122\ufe0f. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/9ff941b2-c1de-4621-8434-9d436107732d/ogy0os5qcgc.jpg"}