A Crossfit Gym for Your Brain with Cory Chadwick

Going from getting by living a 7, to thriving and living at a 10.

In This Episode

It should come as a surprise to no one that America is overdue for a discussion on how to combat the mental health crisis. To put mental illness into perspective, hospitals would be as filled up with mental health patients as they were with COVID patients during the worst days of the pandemic, if we had beds for everyone who needed mental health care.

But while the worst of COVID has passed, its long tail effect has just added to the urgency and tragedy of ignoring mental illness, especially in the workplace. The correlation between stressed out workers and escalating stress and burnout are at an all-time high. In fact, 75% of workers are reporting high levels of stress and 63% have signs of burnout. An exodus of 60 million workers who quit their jobs over the past 12 months is just the tip of a humongous iceberg.

Some companies are attempting to ease burnout with gym memberships and other exercise incentives. The impact on overall health and lower medical costs is significant. Why not approach mental health the same way and offer a “gym” for our mental health?

That’s exactly what Cory Chadwick has done and he sat down with the hosts of Geeks Geezers and Googlization Podcast Ira S. Wolfe and Jason Cochran to discuss this. He talks about how to take back control of your life, and stop living a default future, especially in the workplace.

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Cory Chadwick’s Story

Cory Chadwick is a proactive wellness and mental fitness expert. In high school, he identified that he had potential but didn’t know what to do with it. His mother suffered from mental health illness during a time when no one talked about it and it was a stigma. Unfortunately, she ended up taking her own life. As life went on for Cory, he worried about the genetics playing into his mental health and took a course of action where he wanted to take matters into his own hands and address it. Over time he started to rewire how he thought and behaved and slowly he ended up completely transforming himself and others started to notice his positivity.

When he became a dad he felt a sense of responsibility to make the world a better place. He started sharing his mental health transformation with others and saw the impact it was making and wanted to figure out how to scale it. Eventually, a light bulb ended up going off during a CrossFit class – group benefits, support, etc. Cory explains the full story of how the idea of the mental gym happened and got him to where he is today.

What is the Mental Gym?

For one hour a week individuals show up for class and workout together–they are working on minds and selves through personal and professional development. The idea is that choices and tools are presented, and you have the option to take away what works for you. 

The structure is one week at a time–not so overwhelming but as they add up over time, you’ll start to see real results. Cory explains that the class model is created to just jump in–very similar to CrossFit as it’s the same structure every week so the learning curve is quick. The classes are done over zoom and have some super light work to do away from class as well.  

Want to learn more about the mental gym?

Dealing with Anxiety by Focusing on Being Present

Stress and anxiety stem from our experiences in the past and worrying about the uncertainty of the future. When we do this, we ignore the present, which is where we can find happiness and gratitude.

Cory encourages his students and others to focus on who they want to be in the future and approach decisions this way. Focusing on what your future self would do in situations because in the future you always know the answer. Getting in this habit helps see past the past, and it’s great for stress and anxiety when it comes to making decisions.

What does it mean to be at a 10?

Living a 10 isn’t about leaving your life to go live on an island or in the lap of luxury. Sadly, that’s the dream of many people. But that’s not the reality and it rarely brings happiness. Living a 10 is about having a healthy mind in the life you were given, which is a decision that not everyone is going to make. 

The mental gym is geared towards like-minded people who are just getting by–but want to be great. Maybe they’re at a 7 on a scale of happiness, but they desire more than that. It’s a very personal decision, and it’s not for everyone. 

Sound like you?

Recipe for Living Your Full Potential

Cory dives into the reason people don’t follow through with self-improvement is that many just start by doing too much – losing weight, joining counseling, the typical New Year’s Resolutions. But changing your life starts with your mind, which is why we see so many people fall off the wagon come March of a new year. The mindset is the glue that holds everything together. 

Cory dives into his method of the three Ws on how to reach your full potential. It all starts with asking yourself what you want out of life? Once you determine this, the 3 W’s follow.

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Who: who can you be? Consistent personal growth is required. How do you improve every single day?

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Why: What are you doing it for? The contribution you get to make by living a purposeful life and impacting those around you.

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With: Who are you doing it with? Meaningful relationships, your kids, friends, spouse–how can you make those relationships the best they can be?

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With: Who are you doing it with? Meaningful relationships, your kids, friends, spouse–how can you make those relationships the best they can be?

Ready to make the shift?

After Listening You’ll Walk Away With

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Knowledge of what a mental gym is

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The most important questions to ask yourself to live your best life

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How to make small improvements over time

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The difference between living a 7 and living a 10

Ready to learn more?

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

[09:06] Cory’s Story

[17:25] Cory’s approach to mental well-being

[13:58] What is the Mental Gym?

[21:26] What you can expect from the class structure

[25:29] What does it mean to be at a 10?

[33:07] Recipe for living your full potential

[37:55} Why should someone want to be a 10?

[42:14] Rapid fire Q&A with Cory