“It’s not just about managing your mindset. It’s not just about positive thinking your way through it. That’s not how it all works. It’s a piece of it. But it’s not the entirety of the pie. It’s about being able to understand the context, what you’ve been through trauma-wise, and how your brain affects all of that going forward.“
Episode summary:
In this episode, Nick talks about how trauma affects our mindset as well as how managing our mindset is ONLY a piece of the equation. If we only try to manage our mindset and don’t take into account our past traumas then we’re really only masking the situation and trying to bypass what’s actually happening and why we’re reacting the way we are.
What to listen for:
How trauma affects our brain, body, and overall mindset
What Nick has experienced that has shown hoow managing our mindset is really only a piece of the puzzle
Learn what areas of the brain are affected by trauma and how that shows up in stressful or heightened situations
“I’ve heard people say that, where it’s, if you can just manage your mindset if you can just maintain the mindset, then everything else will be alright. That’s not really true, your mindset is only a piece of it.”
We tend to lock onto ideas and allow them to sink in but sometimes they actually do us harm because they bypass our feelings and true experience
Your body keeps the score and your trauma plays a major role in how you handle situations
A story about the trauma that stems all the way back to infancy
“It’s not just about managing our mindset through everything. It’s about understanding the context of what we’ve been through and the situation that we have in front of us.”
We must understand context is crucial… in mostly every situation but especially in your pursuit of self-mastery
We never know when and how someone can be triggered
Small things can actually be very very big things to people
Trauma shows up later in life and our bodies feel like we’re back in that moment
“Something I’ve learned is how the brain is affected by trauma. I’ve really been interested in how my organic being handles my subconscious and how the two of them work either hand in hand or in fisticuffs in a sense, and being able to fight against each other, I don’t ever want that. So I want to be able to work through that and understand how things work.”
Three areas of the brain that are affected by trauma and how that affects your body
How there are actions in motion that you’re consciously unaware of even when you’re trying to “think positive” or “manage your mindset” in a stressful situation
How childhood is a traumatic experience for all of us and how that affects us later in life
How our body is absolutely incredible and does what it needs to keep us alive
About Nick McGowan
I’m Nick McGowan, entrepreneur, podcaster, and mental health advocate, and I've been on a 20+ year journey of personal development, learning to master my mindset, emotions, and the art of living with purpose.
As a Mindset and Self-Mastery Mentor, I work with ambitious men and women who want to live their most authentic and joyous life, by helping them master their mindset, emotional awareness, and authentic communication. My mission is to empower people to lead lives that feel aligned, grounded, and truly their own.
Throughout my career, I’ve built teams, streamlined systems, and improved client experiences across SaaS, media, marketing, and personal development spaces. Whether I’m leading cross-functional projects, optimizing SEO, Podcasting, designing strategies, or guiding clients through transformation, I bring a hands-on, solution-focused approach to everything I do.
I’m also the host of The Mindset and Self-Mastery Show, where my guests and I unpack the stories that shape us, challenge us, and ultimately guide us back to who we are at our core. On this show, we uncover the secret gems others have discovered through trial, error, and breakthroughs so you can fast-track your growth,