Goldie Hawn: “I Had to See a Psychologist” Her 8-Year Journey in Combating Anxiety & Panic Attacks
In this episode of The School of Greatness, Goldie Hawn opens up about her personal journey with anxiety and panic attacks, and how she found healing through meditation and self-discovery. She shares her perspective on parenting, highlighting the importance of presence and nurturing strong family bonds.
The conversation also touches on Hawn's acting career and her approach to navigating fame. Hawn discusses her work with the MindUp Foundation, which teaches children about emotional regulation and mindfulness, benefiting their well-being and academic performance.
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1-Page Summary
Goldie Hawn's Personal Journey and Growth
Goldie Hawn experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks early in her acting career. Seeking therapy, she discovered meditation, which she found profoundly transformative in allowing her to connect with her emotions. Hawn's exploration of the mind and brain deepened her understanding of happiness. Despite insecurities about her appearance, Hawn maintained a strong sense of self-love and focused on being true to herself in her relationships.
Goldie Hawn as a Parent and the Importance of Family
As a dedicated mother, Goldie Hawn prioritized being present and connecting with her children daily. She understood the importance of love for healthy childhood development and worked to ensure her children felt included, even when new siblings arrived. In Goldie's view, her children are her greatest achievement, and she treasures her close relationships with them and her grandchildren in later life, seeing her family bonds as her true legacy.
Goldie Hawn's Acting Career and Navigating Success/Fame
Despite early discomfort with fame after "Laugh-In" and her Oscar win, Goldie Hawn remained practical about her career, aiming for fulfillment over stardom. She took a business-minded approach, producing projects that resonated. When her fame exceeded partners', Goldie recognized the need for boundaries and shared values to maintain balance. She valued flexibly switching roles to adjust relationship power dynamics.
Goldie Hawn's Work with the MindUp Foundation and Promoting Mindfulness
Observing distressed children motivated Goldie Hawn to create the MindUp program, teaching kids about their brains and emotional regulation skills. Research shows MindUp improves emotional well-being and academics. The globally adopted curriculum helps over 150,000 children, though Hawn stresses needing funding to sustain its impact. She derives immense satisfaction seeing MindUp positively change children's lives.
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Counterarguments
- While therapy and meditation can be transformative for many, they may not be universally effective for everyone struggling with anxiety and panic attacks.
- Emphasizing self-love is important, but it can sometimes be challenging for individuals to maintain this in the face of societal pressures and personal insecurities.
- Prioritizing family and being present for children is commendable, but it's also important to acknowledge that not all parents have the resources or circumstances that allow them to do this to the extent they might wish.
- While Goldie Hawn may see her children as her greatest achievement, others might argue that personal achievements should not be solely defined by one's role as a parent.
- Aiming for fulfillment over stardom is a personal choice, and some might argue that there is nothing inherently wrong with seeking fame if it aligns with one's goals and values.
- Taking a business-minded approach to an acting career can be successful, but it might also lead to compromises in artistic integrity or the pursuit of less commercially viable projects that could have significant cultural impact.
- The need for boundaries and shared values in relationships is important, but it's also worth considering that power dynamics in relationships can be complex and not always easily managed by setting boundaries.
- While the MindUp program has shown positive results, it's important to consider that educational programs should be continuously evaluated and updated to ensure they are effective and relevant.
- The claim that MindUp has been adopted globally and helps over 150,000 children might be true, but it's also important to critically assess the long-term impact and scalability of such programs.
- Stressing the need for funding is valid, but it's also crucial to ensure that funds are used efficiently and that non-profit initiatives have transparent and accountable financial practices.
Actionables
- You can foster emotional intelligence by starting a daily journal where you reflect on your feelings and reactions to events, similar to how therapy can help with self-awareness. Write down at least three emotions you felt throughout the day and what triggered them, then explore why you felt that way and how you responded. This practice can increase your understanding of your emotional patterns and help you develop healthier coping mechanisms.
- Create a "Present Moments" jar to encourage being more present with loved ones, drawing inspiration from the importance of daily connections. Write down one activity each day that you can do with a family member or friend that requires your full attention, like cooking a meal together or playing a board game. Place these ideas in the jar, and each day, draw one to carry out, ensuring you dedicate time to nurturing your relationships.
- Develop a mini-curriculum for personal growth by selecting books, podcasts, and articles that cover topics like emotional regulation, happiness, and the science of the brain. Set a goal to learn and apply one new concept each week, creating a structured approach to self-improvement that mirrors the educational aspect of programs like MindUp. Share your insights with friends or family to create a community of learning and support.
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Goldie Hawn's Personal Journey and Growth
Goldie Hawn shares her personal experiences and growth, touching upon her struggles with anxiety, her discovery and practice of meditation, her journey towards self-love, and her commitment to authenticity.
Overcoming Anxiety and Discovering Meditation
Goldie experienced severe panic attacks early in her career, which led her to seek therapy and begin meditating.
Goldie Hawn had a very serious anxiety problem characterized by panic attacks, particularly during the period when she transitioned from dancing to acting—a change that was not part of the life she envisioned. Her panic attacks started around the same time, despite her being outwardly happy. This led Goldie to undergo Freudian therapy, where she practiced free association to explore her emotions deeply. This therapeutic journey revealed new emotional insights and perceptions.
Meditation provided Goldie with a transformative experience, allowing her to connect with her heart and emotions.
In 1972, Goldie started practicing Transcendental Meditation using a simple process that involved a mantra. She describes her initial meditation experiences as visceral and transformative, guiding her from being in her head to connecting with her heart. The practice unlocked profound joy and brought her to tears of happiness, as she flourished in the experience of nothingness.
Goldie's exploration of the mind and neuroscience deepened her understanding of emotions and how to cultivate happiness.
Goldie's involvement with meditation led her to learn more about the brain and the science behind emotions. This exploration deepened her understanding of happiness and how it can be cultivated through practices like meditation.
Embracing Self-Love and Authenticity
Goldie had insecurities about her appearance but maintained a strong sense of self-love.
Despite feeling insecure about her flat chest and not perceiving herself as pretty, Goldie maintained a strong sense of self-love. Her solution-oriented mindset was apparent ...
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Goldie Hawn's Personal Journey and Growth
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Counterarguments
- While meditation can be transformative for many, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution and may not be as effective for everyone in managing anxiety or connecting with emotions.
- The narrative of overcoming anxiety might inadvertently minimize the complexity of mental health issues, which often require a multifaceted approach beyond meditation and self-exploration.
- Deepening understanding of neuroscience and emotions through personal exploration is valuable, but it should be noted that professional research and studies are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of these topics.
- Emphasizing self-love in the face of insecurities is important, but it's also essential to acknowledge the role of societal pressures and the difficulty of maintaining self-love in a culture that often promotes unrealistic beauty standards.
- Priorit ...
Actionables
- You can start a "Joy Journal" to document moments that bring you happiness each day, fostering a habit of recognizing and appreciating small joys similar to how meditation can heighten awareness of one's emotions. By writing down three things that made you smile or feel grateful before bed, you'll train your brain to scan for positivity, which can improve your overall sense of well-being.
- Create a "Self-Love Reminder" system on your phone or computer that prompts you to engage in positive self-talk, especially regarding insecurities. Set up daily notifications with affirmations that focus on your inner qualities rather than your appearance, reinforcing a strong sense of self-love and authenticity.
- Develop a "Solution Sketchbook" where you draw or write ...
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Goldie Hawn as a Parent and the Importance of Family
Goldie Hawn’s approach to parenting emphasizes the importance of presence, love, and connection. Her reflections on raising her children and the joy she finds in her family relationships reveal the significance she places on these personal bonds.
Raising Healthy, Happy Children
Goldie was a dedicated mother who prioritized being present for her children and never took her eye off them, even while juggling a demanding career. She made a conscious effort to connect with her children every day, trying to be home before their bath time to be with them. Goldie believed that love is essential for children's development and builds healthier brains.
Goldie understood the necessity of a loving male figure in her children's lives. She hoped for someone to love her children as deeply as she did but did not allow anxiety over finding such a person to consume her. "The only thing that I did right in my diary was I wonder if I'll ever find a man that will love my children the way I do," Goldie reflected.
While working, Goldie occasionally felt regret for not being able to give more time to her children, signaling her dedication to being a present parent. She emphasized the importance of good listening and managing emotions in raising children.
When a new baby arrived, Goldie was particularly attentive to ensuring the older children felt involved and not neglected. "They are the most important pieces of my life," Hawn expressed, indicating her profound love and connection to her children, and her dedication to raising them as healthy, happy individuals.
Goldie's children have remained close with her as adults, a testament to her parenting approach.
Goldie treasures her close relationship with her family, particularly enjoying her children's company. They desire to spend time with her and be close, which she views as a sign of their strong bond. While Goldie doesn't provide specific details regarding her children's closeness as adults, the overall impression is one of a loving, tight-knit family.
The Legacy of Raising a Family
Goldie's identification of her children as her greatest achievement reflects the depth of value she places on her family relationships over her professional successes. "Your kids don't want to hang out with you and they want to spend time w ...
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Goldie Hawn as a Parent and the Importance of Family
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Counterarguments
- While Goldie Hawn emphasizes the importance of presence in parenting, it's important to acknowledge that not all parents have the privilege of being able to prioritize presence due to economic or other constraints.
- The belief in the necessity of a loving male figure in children's lives could be challenged by the perspective that children can thrive in various family structures, including those with single parents, same-sex parents, or other guardians who may not fit the traditional male role model.
- The regret Goldie felt for not giving more time to her children while working might imply that a successful career and effective parenting are mutually exclusive, which could be countered by the argument that working parents can also raise happy and healthy children.
- The idea that Goldie's children remaining close to her as adults is solely a testament to her parenting approach might overlook other factors that contribute to adult children's relationships with their parents, such as individual personalities, life circumstances, and mutual effort.
- Valuing family relationships over professional successes might not resonate with everyone, as some individuals may find their sense of fulfillm ...
Actionables
- Create a "presence jar" where you write down moments you were fully engaged with your children on slips of paper and drop them in the jar. This tangible reminder encourages you to be present and attentive. For example, note the times you listened to their stories without distractions or actively participated in their playtime.
- Start a family tradition of "one-on-one dates" with each child, where you spend quality time individually with each of your children. This could be as simple as a walk in the park or a special breakfast, fostering a unique bond and ensuring they feel valued.
- Develop a "family achievements album" w ...
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Goldie Hawn's Acting Career and Navigating Success/Fame
Goldie Hawn shares her journey through the cinema world and the wisdom she has garnered in balancing her personal life with the demands of fame.
Adapting to Sudden Stardom
Goldie's initial discomfort with the attention and expectations that came with success in Hollywood.
Goldie Hawn recalls the intense and sometimes uncomfortable attention she received during the "Laugh-In" period and after the release of Steven Spielberg's "Sugarland Express." She describes the sensation as aligned but fraught with discomfort due to the lack of balance it introduced into her personal life. Despite winning an Academy Award early in her career—a feat she found "completely crazy"—Goldie remained detached from the Hollywood star-making machine, emphasizing a more humble, practical approach to her career instead.
Goldie's focus on maintaining her sense of self and happiness, rather than chasing fame.
Throughout her ascent in Hollywood, Hawn’s priority remained happiness. She sought to learn from any unhappiness and let those lessons guide her decisions instead of fame. She advocated for remaining open to life’s possibilities rather than adhering to rigid plans, a philosophy that would ground her amid the whirlwind of her career.
Goldie's practical, business-minded approach to managing her career.
Hawn, describing herself as a "worker bee," chose to produce movies to gain control over her career trajectory. She focused on projects that spoke to societal issues, especially concerning women. Goldie viewed her proactive steps in managing her career as a sensible way to find fulfillment in her work. She pointed to audience love and support, rather than industry machinations, as the true barometer of success, citing advice her mother gave her to focus on her craft.
Balancing Career and Relationships
The challenges Goldie faced in maintaining healthy relationships while experiencing different levels of success and fame.
Goldie Hawn candidly shared the imbalance created in her relationships when she became more famous than her partners. She recounted the difficulty in maintaining a sense of normalcy in relationships when one partner is bathed in the limelight, underscoring the need for self-awareness and the setting of boundaries in intimate partnerships.
Goldie's insights on the importance of sha ...
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Counterarguments
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Actionables
- Create a personal values statement to stay true to yourself when faced with external pressures. Write down your core values and refer to them when making decisions, especially when you feel external success might be overshadowing your personal beliefs. For example, if you value creativity over recognition, choose projects that fulfill your creative desires even if they might not bring you fame.
- Develop a "relationship charter" with your partner to foster mutual understanding. Sit down with your partner and discuss what values you both share, how you view the role of money and power in your relationship, and how you can support each other's growth. This could be a living document that you both revisit and adjust as your relationship evolves.
- Enga ...
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Goldie Hawn's Work with the MindUp Foundation and Promoting Mindfulness in Children
Goldie Hawn’s dedication to child development and education is deeply connected to her work with the MindUp Foundation, focusing on promoting mindfulness and emotional regulation in children.
Addressing the Need for Emotional Regulation in Children
Goldie Hawn's commitment to children's emotional well-being led her to create the MindUp Foundation.
Goldie's motivation to create a program that would help children develop skills for managing their emotions and cultivating happiness.
Hawn wanted to provide children with the means to gain more control over their emotions, understand their brains, and discover pathways to joy. This motivation was partly inspired by her plans to produce a documentary "in search of joy." Observations of distressed children and the tragic fact that even 10-year-olds were committing suicide pushed her to take action.
The research-backed success of the MindUp program in improving children's emotional well-being and academic performance.
The MindUp program, which educates children about different parts of their emotional brains like the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, has been proven successful by research from the University of British Columbia. Students reported they could make themselves happier, an extraordinary testament to the program's effectiveness.
Goldie emphasizes the importance of teaching kids how their brain functions to better understand and regulate their emotions. Daily brain breaks have been introduced to classrooms, enhancing emotional regulation and cognitive processes such as thinking and memory.
Goldie's passion for empowering children with tools for self-awareness and self-regulation.
Goldie links emotional regulation with relationship success, arguing for the need to be careful with words and the importance of thoughtful communication. She asserts that learning how to self-regulate emotions can significantly reduce personal strife and enhance happiness.
Expanding the Reach of the MindUp Program
The MindUp curriculum is now reaching a global audience, adopted by schools around the world.
The widespread adoption of the MindUp curriculum in schools around the world.
The program has been embraced in countries such as China, Hong Kong, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and especially the UK. Published by Scholastic, MindUp has impacted over 150,000 children, pointing to its growth and international acceptance.
Goldie's tireless efforts to ...
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Counterarguments
- While the MindUp program is research-backed, some critics may argue that more diverse and long-term studies are needed to fully validate its effectiveness across different populations and cultural contexts.
- There may be concerns about the scalability of such programs and whether the quality and integrity of the program can be maintained as it expands globally.
- Critics might point out that while teaching about the brain is beneficial, it should not oversimplify complex neurological concepts, which could potentially lead to misunderstandings about how the brain works.
- Some educators and psychologists might argue that mindfulness and emotional regulation are just parts of a broader set of skills needed for child development, and they should be integrated with other educational initiatives rather than focused on exclusively.
- There could be skepticism about the potential for bias in reporting the success of the program, as positive outcomes may be more likely to be reported or published than neutral or negative ones.
- The emphasis on securing fundin ...
Actionables
- You can foster emotional intelligence in your family by starting a "Feelings Journal" where each member, regardless of age, shares daily entries about their emotions and the triggers behind them. This practice encourages open communication about emotions, helping everyone to understand and regulate their feelings better.
- Create a "Brain Buddy," a simple homemade toy or character that represents different parts of the brain, to teach children in a fun and engaging way about how their brain works. By assigning characters or symbols to parts like the amygdala or prefrontal cortex, children can learn to visualize and comprehend their emotional processes.
- Organize a "Happiness Project" in your community ...
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