The Dr CK Bray Show

Hosted by Dr. CK Bray

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100

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Dr. CK Bray Show is a 20-minute science and research-based podcast that aims to provide the information you need to create a better life and career. Dr. Bray shares the latest research findings in the areas of business, personal excellence and achievement, resilience and thriving, career, learning, leadership, change, and health. He also provides a one-stop resource for actionable advice and tools to cover every aspect of your life. Be prepared to be simultaneously educated and entertained.

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60 recent

August 17, 2026Episode 63017 min

Episode 641: Sharenting: What Is It and What Are The Hidden Costs?

Every time we post a photo of our children, we're doing more than sharing a special moment. We're helping shape a digital identity they may carry for the rest of their lives. In this episode, Dr. CK Bray explores the growing phenomenon of sharenting, the surprising risks created by social media and artificial intelligence, and the thought-provoking question every parent should ask before hitting "post." You'll discover why this issue goes far beyond privacy, what we can learn from the heartbreaking story of a Utah family whose online fame had devastating consequences, and how small changes today can help protect your child's future. If you're a parent, grandparent, or anyone who loves a child, this episode will change the way you think about sharing life's biggest moments online. What Parents Need to Know Before Sharing Their Children's Lives Online. Efua Andoh. Monitor on Psychology, June 2026 QUOTES FROM DR. BRAY "Where's the line between celebrating our children and unintentionally taking ownership of a story that one day should belong to them?" "A like happens today. A comment from a grandparent happens today. But the consequences of creating a permanent digital identity for our children may not appear for another 10 or 20 years — and our brains simply aren't wired to give those future outcomes the same emotional weight." "Awareness doesn't necessarily change our behavior. We know the risks, yet we keep posting because the immediate rewards feel more important than the distant consequences."

August 10, 2026Episode 64013 min

Episode 640: What If Our Children Are More Capable Than We Think?

When four indigenous children survived 40 days alone in the Colombian Amazon after a plane crash, the world called it a miracle. But what if their survival began years before the crash? In this episode, Dr. CK Bray explores the remarkable story behind their resilience and what it reveals about raising children who are confident, capable, and prepared to navigate life's unexpected challenges. Discover why confidence isn't built by protecting children from every struggle but by gradually giving them opportunities to learn, contribute, solve problems, and grow. You'll walk away with practical parenting insights and a fresh perspective on how to raise children who don't just survive adversity, but thrive because they've been prepared for it. QUOTES FROM DR. BRAY "Confidence is not created through encouragement alone. Confidence is built through experience." "Children do not become capable because we repeatedly tell them they are capable. They have to discover it for themselves." "When we remove every obstacle, solve every problem, and rescue them from every uncomfortable experience, the very challenges we try to eliminate are the ones that help them build resilient, adaptable brains."

August 3, 2026Episode 6393 min

Episode 639: The Neuroplasticity of First Attempts

What if the hardest part of learning something new isn't the skill—but your brain? In this episode, Dr. Bray dives into the neuroscience of first attempts and explains why your brain naturally resists change, how new neural pathways are built, and why feeling awkward is actually a sign of growth. Discover why confidence doesn't come before action, it comes because of it. If you've ever wanted to try something new but hesitated, this episode is for you. And for once, Dr. Bray kept it under 5 minutes! Aditi Subramaniam, The Neuroplasticity of First Attempts. May / June 2026 Psychology Today QUOTES FROM DR. BRAY "Novelty, aerobic exercise, and repeated practice all act like fertilizer for new connections in the brain. Slow fertilizer, but fertilizer nonetheless." "Novelty, in short, rewires our brains. Each stumble and recovery forces the adult brain to reroute, reconnect, and revise." "Try something new at least every 30 to 60 days. Go out and do something totally different."

July 27, 2026Episode 63820 min

Episode 638: Find Your No!

Why is it so hard to say "no" even when we know we should? Most of us believe we'd stand up for our values in difficult moments, yet research shows we often choose compliance over conviction. In this episode, we'll explore the fascinating psychology behind why we say yes when we mean no, why authority and social pressure are so powerful, and how understanding your values can help you make decisions you'll be proud of long after the moment has passed. QUOTES FROM DR. BRAY "In every workplace, home, and classroom, defiance is the exception and obedience is the rule. But it doesn't have to be that way." "That discomfort is the key to our power to defy. It shows up as tension in the back of your neck, a headache, a stomach cramp, general uneasiness. It's an internal compass guiding us back to our values." "Learning to say no isn't just about courage. It's about preparation." Sunita Sah, DEFY, The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes Sunita Sah, Psychology Today, January/February 2025 Issue If you need to speak with someone about sexual harassment, abuse, or any related topic, please call 1-800-656-HOPE or Text Hope to 64673. This is a free service operated in the US by RAINN to provide hope and healing.

July 20, 2026Episode 6358 min

Episode 637: The Quiet Cracks We Don't See

What if your best employee is not burned out or ready to quit, but is slowly losing the energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm that once made them exceptional? In this episode, Dr. CK Bray explores the emerging concept of quiet cracking, the slow and often invisible erosion of engagement and human potential that can occur long before performance begins to decline. Drawing on neuroscience and organizational psychology, he explains why it happens, why leaders often miss it, and what they can do to create workplaces where people do not simply survive the demands of work, but truly thrive. If you care about building healthy, high performing teams while helping people become the best version of themselves, this is an episode you will not want to miss. QUOTES FROM DR. BRAY "We stop asking what's possible and start asking what is only necessary. Curiosity quietly gives way to caution. Creativity is replaced by efficiency." "Many people quietly assume this is simply what success feels like — that adulthood or leadership or ambition inevitably requires living in a state of constant depletion. I don't believe they do." "Work should challenge us, but it shouldn't slowly diminish us."

July 13, 2026Episode 63612 min

Episode 636: We've Been Thinking About Thriving at Work All Wrong

In this episode, Dr. CK Bray explores a question every leader should be asking: If organizations have invested so much in employee wellbeing, why are so few people truly thriving at work? Drawing on neuroscience and organizational psychology, he challenges the idea that wellbeing is the ultimate goal and offers a different perspective: wellbeing is the doorway, but human thriving is the destination. You'll discover why thriving is about much more than happiness or work-life balance, what the brain actually needs to perform at its best, and how leaders can create workplaces where people have the energy, trust, purpose, and resilience to do their best work. If you want to build healthier teams, stronger leaders, and sustainable high performance, this episode will change the way you think about wellbeing and what it really means to thrive. QUOTES FROM DR. BRAY "Thriving isn't about making employees happier. It's about creating the biological conditions where people can do their very best work." "Recovery is not separate from performance. Recovery is actually a key part of performance." "Perhaps the opposite of quiet cracking isn't simply avoiding burnout. Perhaps it's creating workplaces where people feel engaged, valued, challenged, and supported enough that they become more of who they are, not less."

July 6, 202615 min

RERUN: The 80/20 Rule Should Rule Your Life

Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could cut down the work we do while still increasing our productivity? If we could discover what things we do in a day that have the most impact on our success and happiness! The answer has been around for more than 70 years—the Pareto Principle. Most individuals have heard of the Pareto Principle but don't understand the impact and influence it can have in our lives. Jump into this week's podcast with Dr. Bray and learn the history of the Pareto Principle and how it can quickly impact your life. Dr. Bray will also discuss how to discover the 20 percent of actions you take in a day that creates the most impact. Don't miss this episode on how to impact your life with the 80/20 rule quickly. QUOTES BY DR. BRAY "Live your life in 15 minute segments to find where you're spending your time." "Go for the big wins!"

June 29, 2026Episode 63513 min

Episode 635: Increase Your Surface Area for Opportunities

Increase Your Surface Area for Opportunities with Dr. Bray What if opportunity isn't random? What if it's something you can actually influence? In this episode, Dr. Bray breaks down a simple idea with powerful implications: increasing your surface area for opportunities. It's not about waiting for the right moment. It's about changing your exposure so your brain has more to work with. Most people stay in the same routines, talk to the same people, and operate in the same environments. That makes life efficient, but it also limits what you notice. From a neuroscience perspective, your brain is constantly scanning for patterns and filtering out what doesn't fit. When nothing changes, neither do the opportunities. But when you introduce novelty, even in small ways, your brain shifts. You become more alert, more engaged, and more open to possibility. You start seeing things you would have missed before. In this episode, Dr. Bray walks through: Why dopamine is more about seeking than feeling good How routine limits opportunity by narrowing what your brain notices Why small changes in environment create disproportionate results The difference between chasing opportunities and creating the conditions for them You'll also hear how a simple shift, like saying yes to more conversations or stepping into new environments, can lead to opportunities that feel like luck but are actually exposure. This is not about doing something dramatic. It's about making small, consistent changes that expand what your brain can see and what becomes possible. Quotes by Dr. Bray "Luck is not just something that happens to you. It is something that you create exposure to." "If you go to the same places, talk to the same people, and follow the same routines, your brain becomes efficient — but it also becomes narrow." "When you expand your world, you expand your luck."

June 22, 2026Episode 63412 min

Episode 634: You Are Winning at Life When the Goal Is Experience

Most people assume they'll remember the big moments. The promotion. The achievement. The breakthrough. But years later, it's often something else entirely that stays with us. A conversation that lasted longer than expected. A wrong turn that became an adventure. A laugh you'll never forget. A quiet afternoon that seemed ordinary until it became a memory. In this episode, Dr. CK Bray reflects on a simple idea that has changed the way he thinks about success: everything is a win when the goal is experience. Through stories, insights, and a few unexpected observations about work and life, you'll discover why the experiences we often overlook may be the ones that matter most, and why a meaningful life may have less to do with achievement and more to do with participation. I was inspired to record this podcast after reading an article by an individual who goes by the name Sentimental Being. The title of the article was Everything is a win when the goal is to experience. https://yearlyblues.substack.com/p/everything-is-a-win-when-the-goalI Quotes by Dr. Bray "The things that we think matter, and the things that actually stay with us, are often very different things." "Growth rarely announced itself while it's happening. Most of the time it feels awkward, uncomfortable, uncertain, or inconvenient." "Modern life quietly trains us to become managers of our existence rather than participants in it."

June 15, 2026Episode 6339 min

Episode 633: When You Feel Stressed, Stuck, or Completely Overwhelmed… Start Here

Is your belly full? Have you had water today? Can you take a slow breath and fully exhale? What if you're okay? In this episode, Dr. Bray breaks down a simple but powerful reset: 10 questions that help you regain clarity when you feel stressed, stuck, or overwhelmed. Most people try to think their way out of stress. That's the problem. From a neuroscience perspective, stress is not just a thinking issue. It's a state issue. When your brain perceives threat, the part responsible for clear thinking and decision making becomes less active. You push harder, think more, and get more stuck. These questions interrupt that pattern. They shift you out of overload and back into a state where you can think clearly, regulate your emotions, and take effective action. In this episode, Dr. Bray walks through: Why your brain defaults to stress and overthinking How simple physical inputs like breath, posture, and movement reset your nervous system How awareness and identity bring your thinking brain back online Why the question "What if I am okay?" is more powerful than it sounds This is not about doing more. It's about getting your brain back online. If you're feeling overwhelmed, start here. Quotes by Dr. Bray "When your state changes, your thinking changes." "The fastest way forward is not doing more. It's getting yourself back to a place where you can think clearly again." "Your brain is constantly asking one question — am I safe? Am I under threat? And it answers that question largely based on signals from your body."