{"podcast":{"title":"People Soup","slug":"people-soup-971297","podcast_index_feed_id":971297,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/peoplesoup/","website_url":"http://www.rossmcintosh.co.uk","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/eebaa3b3-5751-47de-9587-a887391f7481/1.png","author":"People Soup","episode_count":200,"summary":"A podcast exploring work, leadership, and being human through real conversations — grounded in behavioural science and full of practical ideas you can apply straight away.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-13T12:19:45.177907+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-soup-971297"},"episode":{"title":"How to Stay at Your Best When Life Is at Its Worst with Dr Eric Goodman","slug":"how-to-stay-at-your-best-when-life-is-at-its-worst-with-dr-eric-goodman","published_at":"2026-04-29T05:15:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-soup-971297/how-to-stay-at-your-best-when-life-is-at-its-worst-with-dr-eric-goodman","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-soup-971297","url":"https://peoplesoup.captivate.fm/episode/how-to-stay-at-your-best-when-life-is-at-its-worst-with-dr-eric-goodman","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/f1dcb33f-f510-4efe-830c-329a668fd60a.mp3","summary":"Learn how to regain agency when your biological threat system takes over during high-stress moments. Dr. Eric Goodman shares practical strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to move from reactive autopilot to values-based action.","meta_description":"Discover how to manage stress, handle difficult colleagues, and move from reactive autopilot to intentional action using practical behavioral science.","key_points":["Main idea: Your threat system is a biological survival mechanism that can hijack your rational mind during perceived danger","Practical takeaway: Use the question, 'If I were at my absolute best, what would I want to do now?' to pivot from reaction to values","Failure mode: Avoidance—trying to escape painful emotions through distractions like phones—actually reinforces the brain's perception of threat","Practical takeaway: Check in with your physical body to identify where you are 'at war' with your emotions, such as clenched teeth or hunched shoulders","Main idea: Compassion for difficult people is a tool for your own nervous system regulation, not just a moral stance"],"chapters":[{"start_ms":60000,"title":"A Personal Crisis","summary":"Dr. Goodman shares a vulnerable account of facing a life-threatening medical emergency and the sudden onset of intense fear."},{"start_ms":160000,"title":"The Inner Critic","summary":"How the internal critic attacks us during moments of vulnerability and the importance of self-compassion."},{"start_ms":270000,"title":"Finding Peace in Fear","summary":"The transition from being overwhelmed by fear to finding a sense of calm and commitment to being helpful."},{"start_ms":380000,"title":"The Threat System on Autopilot","summary":"Understanding how our biological 'threat system' drives reactive, often regrettable, behaviors in social and personal conflicts."},{"start_ms":500000,"title":"Misperceived Threats","summary":"The danger of the threat system reacting to non-lethal stressors as if they were physical dangers."},{"start_ms":620000,"title":"Grounding in the Present","summary":"Techniques to bring the mind back from racing thoughts of the past or future to the present moment."},{"start_ms":740000,"title":"The Myth of Being Emotion-Free","summary":"Why the goal shouldn't be to eliminate anxiety or grief, but to learn to experience them without being consumed by them."},{"start_ms":850000,"title":"Breaking the Cycle of Avoidance","summary":"How checking in with physical sensations can help break the cycle of experiential avoidance."}],"topics":["Behavioral Science","Acceptance and Commitment Therapy","Stress Management","Emotional Regulation","Leadership","Self-Compassion","Resilience","Mindfulness"],"duration_seconds":1499,"processing_state":"processed","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/people-soup-971297/episodes/how-to-stay-at-your-best-when-life-is-at-its-worst-with-dr-eric-goodman/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-soup-971297/how-to-stay-at-your-best-when-life-is-at-its-worst-with-dr-eric-goodman.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}