The Verywell Mind Podcast Monsters and How to Tame Them With Comedian/Actor Kevin Hart By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. Learn about our editorial process Published on November 21, 2022 Print Verywell / Julie Bang Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Meet Kevin Hart Why Kevin Hart Is Mentally Strong What You’ll Hear on the Show What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength Quotes From Kevin More About the Podcast Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Meet Kevin Hart Kevin Hart is a world-famous comedian whose stand-up comedy tours sell out stages worldwide. He’s also an actor who has appeared in a lengthy list of movies, including "Jumanji," "Me Time," "Night School," "The Secret Life of Pets," "The Upside," "Ride Along," and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." He also starred in the Netflix limited drama series "True Story." He’s also a New York Times bestselling author of several books. His latest book, an Audible Original called "Monsters and How to Tame Them," discusses strategies for managing your inner critic. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015. Prolonged Focus on Negative Moments May Impact Mental Health Why Kevin Hart Is Mentally Strong Kevin often makes fun of himself in his comedy. But he makes it clear that mental health issues aren’t funny. Kevin Hart Gets Candid About His Mental Health He talks openly about some of the struggles he experiences. And while he could act as though his success comes easy to him, he describes the ongoing battle that plays out in his mind. How to Use Humor to Cope With Stress What You’ll Hear on the Show Why Kevin thinks that everyone struggles with the same inner monsters Why it’s so important to learn how to tame the monsters How to use your inner critic to your advantage What the ‘do-it-all’ monster tells you and how to tame it How to address the ‘can’t go backward’ monster How to use the ‘not-me’ monster to your advantage The one monster Kevin says he struggles with Why it’s so important for us to be able to laugh at ourselves How Kevin thinks humor has changed over the years The advice Kevin would give to his 18-year-old-self Self-Deprecation: Harmless Habit or Unhealthy Behavior? What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength Our brains tell us stories all day long. Our brain may try to convince us that we’re not good enough or that we’ve messed everything up. Our brain might also try to tell us that we have to achieve great levels of success if we ever want to feel good about ourselves. A big part of building mental strength involves learning when you don’t have to listen to your brain. It also involves recognizing how those negative thoughts can affect your behavior. Many mental health issues, like depression and anxiety, are linked to more negative thoughts. That makes building mental strength even more difficult. But it’s possible. Everyone Has 'Monsters' Kevin refers to those unhelpful thoughts we all struggle with as monsters. And he provides some entertaining ways to recognize those monsters and suggests strategies for taming them. Quotes From Kevin Battling Our Inner Monsters We all battle with ourselves. I don't care who you are. There's a battle that you have with yourself. Am I doing enough? Am I good enough? Is this enough? Am I going to make it? — KEVIN HART We all battle with ourselves. I don't care who you are. There's a battle that you have with yourself. Am I doing enough? Am I good enough? Is this enough? Am I going to make it? "What's good is that you're giving your all, you're applying 110% of you within your efforts to just make something good, and that's the big win. The big win is completion, the big win is loving what you do, and the big win is providing the world, in my business, with content, with feel-good content." "There's a lot of similarities and personality traits that we all have. There's a lot of things that we all suffer from." "We're not supposed to walk around angry. The world is not supposed to be dark 24/7. The sun shines for a reason. It goes from day to night for a reason, so we should match that energy." Is Looking on the Bright Side Actually Good for Your Mental Health? More About the Podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors. Thank you. For media or public speaking inquiries, contact Amy here. Download the Transcript Links and Resources Check Out Kevin’s Audiobook: "Monsters and How to Tame Them" Follow Kevin on Instagram: @KevinHeart4Real If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes Friday Fix: An Effective Tool for Dealing With Catastrophic Thoughts How to Detox Your Thoughts With Psychologist Andrea Bonior Friday Fix: 3 Ways to Declutter Your Mind Reflecting on Your Own Capabilities May Boost Resilience, Study Finds By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. 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