219 - Cultivating Mental Resilience as an Athlete and Student

Life Happens with Barb & Michelle

Michelle Maros & Barb Schmidt

Education, Society & Culture, Kids & Family, Religion & Spirituality, Personal Journals, Spirituality, Relationships, Parenting, Alternative Health, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Self-improvement

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 August 2025

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Your mental health is your competitive advantage. Learn how to integrate mindfulness and emotional wellness into your daily life—especially when you’re navigating high expectations, constant pressure, and a packed schedule. ⬇️

In this special episode, we sit down with former NFL athlete and children’s book author Brandin Bryant and sports psychologist Dr. Desaree “Dr. Dez” Festa to de-stigmatize mental health and share how mindfulness can become your greatest tool—whether you’re an athlete, student, or simply living in a high-pressure environment.

You’ll discover how to:

Build a mindfulness practice that actually works for you
Accept mistakes and move forward with confidence
Handle outside opinions from social media and your surroundings
Boost your mental performance under pressure
Let go of perfectionism and embrace a growth mindset

💬 Brandin opens up about learning mindfulness in college and how prioritizing mental health helped him thrive in the NFL.

💬 Dr. Dez shares powerful research and real-world strategies for building resilience and reaching your optimal performance zone.

✨ Pre-order Dear Friend — Michelle’s new book with 365 daily reflections for emotional well-being, clarity, and confidence. Get your copy here → https://amzn.to/3Us9eqg

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Moon & Skin and use my code LIFEHAPPENS for a great deal: https://moonandskin.com
* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code LIFEHAPPENS for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com
* Check out Washington Red Raspberries: https://redrazz.org

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The weather. Tomorrow, expect a biting cold front. Hmm, how naughty. I wonder what I'll be
0:06.8	wearing or taking off. The night will be wild and untamed. Expect heavy, lashing rain
0:13.0	that'll soak you to the skin. By Monday, temperatures will rise slowly but surely reaching
0:18.7	their peak in the afternoon.
0:23.0	Not in the mood for miserable weather?
0:25.6	Fly cheaply to Turkey with Sun Express.
0:28.7	Sun Express, non-stop sunshine.
0:32.9	Meet Brandon Bryant and Dr. Desiree Festa,
0:38.4	two inspiring voices at the intersection of sports, mental wellness, and personal growth.
0:43.4	Brandon Bryant is a first-time author and former professional football defensive end,
0:48.0	having played for multiple NFL teams before retiring with the Buffalo Bills.
0:55.2	He's on a mission to spread positivity and mindfulness to young readers using his platform to inspire the next generation.
1:02.0	Joining him is Dr. Desire Festa, known as Dr. Des, a team sports psychologist for professional athletes. With a deep commitment to mental wellness and performance, Dr. Des supports NFL players
1:08.1	and coaches with personalized strategies to enhance resilience and thrive
1:12.7	both on and off the field. Together, they offer a powerful conversation on mindset, motivation,
1:18.9	and what it truly means to lead with purpose. Hi, everyone. We are so excited to have some
1:25.7	very special guests for this week's episode of Life Happens.
1:30.4	Many of you might not know this about myself and my mom, but my mom particularly, that she is a huge, huge, huge sports fan sports.
1:43.3	She has so much sports and knowledge and just is a big sports freak. So it's
1:49.2	really exciting for both of us, but I think especially for my mom to have today's guests on
1:54.5	the show, we have Brandon Bryant, who is a former NFL athlete and also a college athlete.
2:02.1	And we have sports psychologist Dr. Des Festa joining us today.
	...

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