The Mental Fitness Podcast

ElizaChat
  • 5.0 (46)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Mental Fitness Podcast, powered by ElizaChat, is about building lasting mental strength in a fast-paced world. Hosted by Dave and Luke, tech entrepreneurs with decades of experience in AI and deeply personal connections to mental health, the show blends heartfelt stories, research-backed strategies, and expert interviews to make mental wellness accessible for everyone.  Each episode goes beyond awareness and stigma to uncover the real habits that drive resilience. From sleep science and nutrition to exercise, relationships, and mindset shifts, listeners learn practical ways to strengthen their “mental muscles.” Dave and Luke also share candid reflections on their own struggles and growth, creating a space that is both relatable and actionable. The podcast isn’t about replacing therapy or selling quick fixes. Instead, it’s about building the foundation of mental fitness, those everyday practices that prepare us to handle life’s challenges with strength, clarity, and compassion. Whether you’re a student, a parent, a leader, or simply someone seeking balance, The Mental Fitness Podcast offers tools, perspectives, and encouragement to help you thrive.

  1. 6D AGO

    The Emotional Intelligence Playbook | What Your Emotions Are Really Telling You

    (00:00:00) Defining Emotional Intelligence (00:04:19) Why Emotional Intelligence Matters (00:10:47) A Guided Exercise (00:16:35) Five Skills to Build Emotional Intelligence (00:31:35) Measuring Progress In this episode, Dave and Luke dive into emotional intelligence—what it really means and why it matters. They explain it as a trainable set of abilities that can significantly improve stress regulation, relationships, leadership performance, and overall mental health. Together, they unpack why emotional intelligence plays a central role in mental fitness and self awareness. Dave and Luke teach exactly how to identify emotions in ways that reduce their intensity and improve regulation, drawing on research around “emotion granularity”. They walk through five daily skills designed to help anyone strengthen their emotional awareness and build greater resilience. Progress isn’t about feeling fewer emotions—it’s about rebounding faster and responding with intention rather than reaction. Chapters [Start] Defining Emotional Intelligence: Dave and Luke define emotional intelligence and challenge common misconceptions about it. 04:19 Why Emotional Intelligence Matters: How emotional intelligence influences stress recovery, burnout, and overall performance. 10:47 A Guided Exercise: A practice for identifying and labeling emotions to engage the brain’s regulatory processes. 16:35 Five Skills to Build Emotional Intelligence: Five simple habits that can help develop awareness and control. 31:35 Measuring Progress: How to recognize improvement and progress in your own emotional intelligence. Links and Resources Mental Emotional Literacy Vocabulary Guide | 104 Words for FeelingsSign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness PlatformElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    39 min

  2. FEB 10

    Reclaiming Your Mental Focus | The Neuroscience Behind Screens with Dr. Dan Lathen

    In this episode, Dave and Luke sit down with neuroscientist Dr. Dan Lathen to explore how digital media is reshaping the way our brains function. Dr. Lathen explains how screens have become a common factor behind issues like poor sleep, reduced productivity, and strained relationships. Rather than framing technology as inherently harmful, he asks more nuanced questions: are our devices serving our goals or subtly manipulating our behavior? The conversation continues into the neuroscience behind attention, dopamine, and habit formation, revealing why heavy screen use can lower our brain’s baseline reward levels and make everyday experiences feel less satisfying. Dr. Lathen also outlines practical strategies you can use to start reclaiming your mental freedom. He offers a look at how early digital exposure may shape developing brains and what warning signs to watch for. It starts with awareness, and small changes can make a big difference. Chapters [Start] Reclaiming Mental Freedom: Dave and Luke introduce Dr. Lathen and talk about how digital habits influence our emotional health. 03:33 Screen Time Misconceptions: Dr. Lathen clarifies the purpose dopamine plays in attention and motivation. 06:18 “Digital Brain Rot”: A comparison between modern screen use and the early days of tobacco. 17:29 Healthy Digital Media: What a healthy use of digital media can look like. 44:02 The Digital Freedom Challenge: Dr. Lathen shares a seven-day experiment to help reset screen time and social media habits. Links and Resources Want more from Dr. Lathen? Check out his website: https://cortexevolution.com/Try the Digital Freedom Challenge from Dr. Lathen Mental Emotional Literacy Vocabulary Guide | 104 Words for Feelings Sign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness Platform ElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    54 min

  3. FEB 3

    Finding Connection in Loneliness | How to Navigate Growth Without Losing Yourself

    Hosts Dave and Luke talk about the epidemic of loneliness present in the world today. Even in this era of modern connection, many people still find themselves battling deep loneliness. Together, Dave and Luke explore how loneliness affects our health, both physical and mental, and how we can address it. Rather than offering quick fixes, they offer value-driven choices as solutions to loneliness throughout different eras of life. Using real-world examples and personal insights, Dave and Luke discuss how true connection often comes from slowing down, asking questions, and learning to trust internal signals. This episode offers a space for you to consider how these ideas might impact your own journey through change and navigating loneliness. Chapters [Start] Introduction: Dave and Luke introduce the topic of loneliness not as a personal failure, but as a biological signal. 02:22 The Modern Connection Paradox: A discussion on why we feel lonely despite being in the most connected time of human history. 06:10 Negative Impacts of Loneliness: The harmful effects loneliness can have on our health, as well as how to improve in these areas. 16:35 Three Types of Connection: Different areas of connection that help people feel fulfilled. 29:08 Closing Thoughts: Final reflections on finding connection and purpose with others. Links and Resources Sign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness Platform ElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    33 min

  4. JAN 27

    When Excellence Has a Cost | Performance, Pressure, and Identity with Brian Goodell

    Hosts Dave Barney and Luke Olson sit down with Brian Goodell, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former world-record holder, to explore what happens when excellence, pressure, and self-worth become tightly intertwined. Brian reflects on his journey from Olympic dominance to the emotional fallout of the 1980 Olympic boycott, a turning point that forced him to confront loss of control, depression, and a sudden identity shift. The conversation continues into the deeper realities of confidence, emotional suppression, mental toughness, and awareness. Brian shares how visualization, habit formation, and honest self-reflection helped him evolve from elite athlete to performance coach, and how mental fitness is choosing who you are becoming. Chapters [Start] Performance, Pressure & Identity: Dave and Luke introduce Brian Goodell and explore how elite performance can unintentionally become intertwined with self-worth. 06:08 The Olympic Boycott & Emotional Fallout: Brian reflects on the 1980 Olympic boycott, the sudden loss of control, and the depression that followed at the peak of his career. 14:06 Life After Gold Medals: Navigating identity shifts after sport, redefining success, and adjusting to life beyond elite competition. 18:43 Visualization, Habits & Mental Training: How visualization, goal-setting, and habit awareness help eliminate mental lapses and support sustained performance. 39:21 Being vs. Having Been: Brian shares his philosophy on awareness, “being” versus identity labels, and what it means to continue growing long after peak achievement. Links and Resources Sign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness Platform ElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    48 min

  5. JAN 20

    How to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene | A Practical Look at Sleep with Dr. Jade Wu

    (00:00:00) What is Sleep Hygiene?: Dr. Wu gives an evidence-based look at habits that support natural sleep rhythms. (00:02:10) Light and Stability: Why morning light and stable rise times matter more than perfect bedtimes. (00:11:01) Earning Sleep: How to build a healthy sleep drive with daily activity and short naps. (00:20:11) The Influence of Nutrition: Breaking down how different elements of nutrition can influence sleep quality. (00:26:59) Creating a Good Bedroom Environment: The benefits of different sleep tools like darkness, noise, and supplements. Hosts Dave Barney and Luke Olson welcome back sleep psychologist Dr. Jade Wu for a conversation about things that actually help people sleep better. Moving past rigid routines and “hacks,” their discussion reframes sleep hygiene as a set of flexible practices designed to support the body’s natural rhythms rather than control them. Dr. Wu invites listeners to focus less on perfection and more on building a healthier relationship with sleep; one that’s grounded in consistency, awareness, and self-compassion. Dr. Wu breaks down the everyday behaviors that shape your sleep quality; everything from light exposure to movement to caffeine use. Dr. Wu uses his clinical insights to show how small changes can improve your mood and energy over time. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all checklist, this conversation centers on understanding how the human body and daily habits work together to create sleep that feels calmer and more restorative. Chapters [Start] What is Sleep Hygiene?: Dr. Wu gives an evidence-based look at habits that support natural sleep rhythms. 02:10 Light and Stability: Why morning light and stable rise times matter more than perfect bedtimes. 11:01 Earning Sleep: How to build a healthy sleep drive with daily activity and short naps. 20:11 The Influence of Nutrition: Breaking down how different elements of nutrition can influence sleep quality. 26:59 Creating a Good Bedroom Environment: The benefits of different sleep tools like darkness, noise, and supplements. Links and Resources Want more from Dr. Wu? Visit her website: https://www.drjadewu.com/ Sign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness Platform ElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    43 min

  6. JAN 14

    Finding Confidence After Setbacks | The Mental Toll of Athletic Performance with Joshua Aruya

    Hosts Dave Barney and Luke Olson sit down with Division I athlete Joshua Aruya for a conversation about the mental side of elite performance. Josh shares how his journey into men’s volleyball began unexpectedly and evolved rapidly, leading him to compete at the highest national and international levels. Josh shares how confidence is built not through external validation, but through preparation, discipline, and self-belief. Josh talks about the reality of getting cut from teams, navigating identity, and facing serious injury at pivotal moments. He talks about setbacks that reshaped his perspective and forced him to develop mental habits that supported both performance and well-being. Josh’s story shares the confidence to stay steady, even when circumstances feel unfair, uncertain, or out of their control. Chapters [Start] Discovering Competitive Drive: Josh shares how he found men’s volleyball and what drew him to elite competition. 08:15 Learning Through Setbacks: Being cut from national teams and how adversity reshaped Josh’s mental approach. 20:20 Injury, Identity, and Mental Health: Josh recounts a major ankle injury and the fear of losing identity. 31:32 Faith and Rebuilding Confidence: How prayer, mental fitness tools, and relationships helped Josh recover mentally and emotionally. 43:29 Daily Mental Fitness Habits: Josh shares the daily practices that build resilience and well-being. Links and Resources Sign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness Platform ElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    48 min

  7. JAN 6

    A Smarter Way to Start the Year | How to Make Goals That Sustain Long-Term Change

    As a new year begins, Dave Barney and Luke Olson look at why most New Year’s resolutions don’t stick. They show that failure is rarely a discipline or willpower issue. Together, they challenge the idea that goal-setting is a character test, reframing it instead as a design problem. Through research and lived experience, they explain how vague goals can undermine even the most motivated people. Their conversation introduces mental fitness as the missing foundation for sustainable change. By exploring the three pillars of mental fitness, Dave and Luke show how small, repeatable behaviors outperform big, ambitious resolutions over time. Rather than pushing harder, they encourage listeners to build capacity first. It’s an optimistic reset for anyone who has ever felt discouraged by past goal failures, offering a smarter way forward. Chapters [Start] Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail: Reframing goal failure as a design and capacity issue, not a discipline problem. 04:02 The Brain, Burnout, and Internal Capacity: Why vague or overly ambitious goals often collapse. 09:22 The Three Pillars of Mental Fitness: How self-awareness, connection to others, and health and vitality support goals that actually stick. 25:10 The Importance of Micro-Goals: Breaking down goals into small, repeatable processes that shape over time. 33:24 A Practical Reset: Three reflective questions to help listeners regain momentum. Links and Resources Sign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness Platform ElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    39 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    Health and Vitality | The Third Pillar of Mental Fitness

    The Third Pillar of Mental Fitness | Health and Vitality Dave Barney and Luke Olson explore the third and final pillar of mental fitness: health and vitality. Rather than framing physical health as a fitness trend or lifestyle goal, their conversation grounds it in capacity. Dave and Luke explain how sleep, movement, and nutrition form the physical foundation that makes emotional regulation and clear thinking possible. They reframe things like anxiety, irritability, and low mood not as personal failures, but as signals that your body may be under-supported. Dave and Luke connect research and lived experience to show how small, consistent changes can dramatically improve mental well-being. They help to reframe sleep and redefine movement as mood regulation and food as fuel for the brain. As the final installment in their pillars of mental fitness, they help to remind listeners that mental fitness isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about building habits that carry us forward with steadiness and care. Chapters [Start] The Third Pillar of Mental Fitness: An introduction to the connections between mental fitness and physical health. 03:47 Why Sleep Comes First: A discussion on how sleep is the single most powerful tool for emotional regulation and resilience. 06:23 Movement as Mood Regulation: Reframing exercise as daily movement that stabilizes stress and improves mental health. 09:56 Nutrition and Brain Chemistry: How food fuels the brain and why blood sugar swings can mimic anxiety and low mood. 20:25 Consistency Beats Intensity: Dave and Luke pull all three pillars together and offer small challenges listeners can start this week. Links and Resources Sign up for early access and get 3 months free with NUE - Your Mental Fitness Platform ElizaChat - Responsible and Ethical AI Solutions

    23 min
See All (25)

Trailer

5
out of 5
46 Ratings

About

The Mental Fitness Podcast, powered by ElizaChat, is about building lasting mental strength in a fast-paced world. Hosted by Dave and Luke, tech entrepreneurs with decades of experience in AI and deeply personal connections to mental health, the show blends heartfelt stories, research-backed strategies, and expert interviews to make mental wellness accessible for everyone.  Each episode goes beyond awareness and stigma to uncover the real habits that drive resilience. From sleep science and nutrition to exercise, relationships, and mindset shifts, listeners learn practical ways to strengthen their “mental muscles.” Dave and Luke also share candid reflections on their own struggles and growth, creating a space that is both relatable and actionable. The podcast isn’t about replacing therapy or selling quick fixes. Instead, it’s about building the foundation of mental fitness, those everyday practices that prepare us to handle life’s challenges with strength, clarity, and compassion. Whether you’re a student, a parent, a leader, or simply someone seeking balance, The Mental Fitness Podcast offers tools, perspectives, and encouragement to help you thrive.

Information