Being Well With Dr. Rick Hanson

On this episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson take a deep dive into defining stress, how it functions, how it impacts our lives and bodies, and what we can do to repair from its effects.  We discuss how to distinguish stress from effort, the influence of the modern world on how stressed we feel, the various biological mechanisms involved in stress, and the challenges presented by chronic exposure to it. We then consider what we can do to increase resilience, including positively responding to stressors even in the midst of limitations and uncertainty. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:50: What is stress exactly? 3:30: Distinguishing stress from effort 7:25: Circles of concern and what we can actually influence 10:15: Zebras, and different levels of allostatic load 15:30: How the Endocrine System and Nervous System respond to stress 21:45: The amygdala response 23:20: What are the costs of stress? 35:30: The story so far 36:25: How

One of the most effective ways to change how we show up in the world is to identify and change our underlying personal narrative. On this episode, Forrest Hanson talks with Ian Cron about how we can use the Enneagram personality typing system to aid us in this process. About our Guest: Ian Cron is a therapist, master Enneagram teacher, best-selling author of The Road Back to You and his latest The Story of You, and host of popular Enneagram podcast Typology. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:30: Ian’s narrative and how it has changed over time 5:45: Overview of the Enneagram and its uses 11:30: A few examples of common limiting narratives 19:10: A quick primer of how the Enneagram works and each type 26:00: How people can push back on their unconscious narratives 35:25: Cultivating awareness of how your old story is playing out in the present 37:10: Ian’s inflection point 41:30: Integration and levels of development 43:15: The lin

We’ve talked on this show about lots of ways we can be happier over time, but one of the hardest things to do is to STAY happy as the events of life wash over us. On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore "hedonic adaptation" - our tendency to return to a stable baseline of happiness - and discuss how we can get off the "hedonic treadmill."  Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:25: What is hedonic adaptation? 6:25: Three factors of happiness 9:45: Survey of various research on hedonic adaptation and subjective well-being 19:55: Financial circumstances and relationships 27:35: How to sustain happiness - loving, knowing, growing 38:15: The single most effective intervention to fight hedonic adaptation 41:30: Forrest’s take on how lasting change happens 45:00: Antidote experiences and improving memory 47:50: Can we actually become happier? 51:00: Recap Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like

One of the underlying threads that runs through many of our conversations on Being Well is our relationship with our “self”. On this episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk with neuroscientist, mindfulness researcher, and bestselling author Dr. Jud Brewer about where we can find the “self” in the brain, and the benefits of relaxing our attachment to it. About our Guest: Dr. Jud Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences at the School of Public Health and Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University. He is the executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare, and a research affiliate at MIT. His bestselling books include Unwinding Anxiety and The Craving Mind. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:45: What is a “self”? 5:10: Distinguishing consciousness, person, and self 7:25: Can there be a unified sense of self in an e

The tone of this episode of Being Well is a bit different. For context, we recorded it four days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  It feels like we've had more than our fair share of difficult times over the last few years. Like many people, we wish there were more we could do to support those suffering around the world. Today Dr. Rick and Forrest focus on what we can do, in our mind and in our lives, to relate to the challenging emotions – fear, grief, anxiety, anger, helplessness, and so on – that naturally arise during these times.  The advertising revenue from this episode will be donated to charities dedicated to supporting the people of Ukraine. If you'd like to join us in donating, we’ve included links below to several charities. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 5:10: Anxiety calming exercise 12:40: Pause 18:55: Feel your feelings 23:45: Resource yourself 26:45: Compassion 29:55: Humor 32:00: Get educated 40:35: Make a

One of the most important skills we can develop is the ability to deal with disappointment and cope with failures big and small. On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss what it looks like to experience failure not as falling short, but as an opportunity for growth. They explore cultural narratives around "failure," individual variation in sensitivity, and how to manage the pain of failure, adapt expectations, and develop systems of feedback to allow for a greater sense of ease and purpose. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:00: What do we mean by failure? 5:55: How loss works in the brain and what makes us sensitive to losing 8:30: Managing expectations of success 10:30: Attributional styles 13:10: How some can handle failure with greater ease than others 22:30: Deconstructing old narratives and failure as an opportunity for learning 28:30: Managing the pain of failure and setting up feedback systems 34:2

There’s a tension we’ve all felt at some point between the benefits of conformity and the desire to be true to ourselves and stand up for what we think is right. On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson are joined by Dr. Todd Kashdan to explore how we can combine prosocial values with principled insubordination, so we can speak up for others (and ourselves) and maximize our chances of creating meaningful change even in the face of social pressure. About Our Guest: Dr. Todd Kashdan is Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. He is a leading authority on well-being, curiosity, psychological flexibility, and resilience. He has published over 210 peer-reviewed articles, and is the author of several books including Curious? , The Upside of Your Dark Side, and most recently The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:45: Combining skillful positivity

We explore a lot of big ideas on this show, and alongside them a lot of specific tactics and frameworks that can support people in growing and changing for the better. This includes everything from how to get the most out of therapy, to how to deal with traumatic experiences, to how to manage a variety of psychological conditions and individual tendencies. There’s a question that underlies all of these domains: how does personal healing actually work? On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss the fundamental strategies that allow us to become aware of and integrate all parts of ourselves–those we want to celebrate and expand, and those we’d like to heal and change. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 3:00: Overview of psychological patterns related to healing 7:25: Forrest’s personal journey as a case study 13:15: Rick assessing Forrest’s narrative from a psychologist’s perspective 15:45: Cognizing and othe

We’re incredibly lucky to have such an engaged and interested group of people listening to the podcast, and because of that we regularly receive a lot of interesting questions via email and social media (links below). On today’s episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson dive into a few of these questions, discussing topics such as: how to manage family relationships, principles for approaching life’s changes, and what kind of therapy Rick actually practices. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:00: Bringing up challenges with family when times are already hard. 11:25: What kind of therapy does Rick practice? 19:15: Taking financial risks to experience life vs. creating financial security 30:00: “Neurons that fire together wire together” explained 34:05: Developing a connection with your inner child/younger self if your childhood was filled with painful experiences 41:40: Managing challenges between your family and your partner 54:15: Reca

Kaira Jewel Lingo, a former Buddhist nun at the Plum Village community under the guidance of Thich Naht Han, joins Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson to explore how we can cultivate trust and equanimity in the face of uncertainty. They discuss the somatic experience of opening to the unknown, taking action as an antidote to anxiety, and how to have equanimity both when things work out...and when they don’t. About our Guest: Kaira Jewel Lingo is a Buddhist teacher who weaves mindfulness and meditation practice with social justice. At the age of 25, she became a Buddhist nun at the Plum Village community in France under the guidance of Thich Naht Han, where she stayed for 15 years. She became a Zen teacher in 2007, and is also a teacher in the Vipassana/Insight tradition through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Finally, she is the author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons for Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption. Recording Note: This episode was recorded before the passing of Thich Naht Han. Watch the E

So many forces in our brains, bodies, and culture move us toward the experience of scarcity – that something is missing, that we don’t have enough, and that we never will have enough. The feeling of scarcity both feels bad in itself, and is also the creator and amplifier of so many other challenges we face.  On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk about what a scarcity and an abundance mindset is, what some sources of scarcity are, and how we can move to an authentic experience of abundance. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:35: Defining scarcity and abundance  6:45: Why are we biologically predisposed towards scarcity? 17:05: When to relax and expand 20:20: Scarcity at the cultural level 26:20: Critique of promoting an “abundance mindset” and a practical definition 30:45: Orienting to a sense of abundance  38:05: Motivating with punishment vs reward 40:55: Abundance in objectively difficult times 47:15: Sp

Most people abandon their New Year's Resolutions by mid-January. This often occurs because people make resolutions based on what they feel like they should want, rather than what they actually do want. In other words, their goals and resolutions aren’t in alignment with their purpose. On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss how we can identify and pursue our purpose, and why it’s so valuable to have one in the first place. They explore questions and strategies that can help us develop clarity on what we find meaningful, what our core values are, and how we’d like to spend our time. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 3:00: Why spend time discussing how to have a purpose? 11:00: Nonverbal ways to establish yourself in your purpose 12:50: Ways to be flexible that make purpose accessible 17:45: Fresh starts help us retain freedom in the present 21:20: How to listen to yourself when it's unclear what you want 26

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson are joined by James Baraz, a meditation teacher for over 40 years and cofounder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, to explore how we can find still find joy during difficult times. We discuss how to balance a sense of equanimity with compassion for the suffering of the world, and how cultivating joy at an individual level can support healing at the collective level. About our Guest: James is the coauthor of Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to True Happiness, and leads the popular online course of the same name. He is also the guiding teacher of One Earth Sangha, a website devoted to expressing a Buddhist response to climate change. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 1:45: Why joy is important in Buddhism 5:05: James’ journey to prioritizing joy 11:40: How to practice awakening joy without turning away from suffering 17:20: Putting yourself back together after cultivating awareness of suffering 24:10: The 10 Steps of

On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk with Dr. Zindel Segal about Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), an eight-week group therapy program designed to help those who suffer from chronic unhappiness and prevent relapse after episodes of severe clinical depression. About our Guest: Dr. Segal is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto at Scarborough, and one of the creators of MBCT. He specializes in mood disorders, particularly depression, and has had an enormous influence on the clinical adoption of mindfulness-based practices and their addition to more traditional forms of cognitive therapy. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:00: Origins of MBCT 4:30: Why Segal prioritized studying mindfulness as an intervention to depression 7:10: Comparing MBCT with traditional CBT 10:20: What about

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson reflect on 2021, and explore how to maximize what we get out of 2022. We discuss how to rest in our aspirations, claim identity-based change, reframe personal narratives, and form the habits that lead to a more grounded, meaningful life. Thank you for listening over the last year, looking forward to much more! Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:20: How was 2021 for you? 5:35: Gratitude for listener support 8:25: Rick’s yearly reflection process 12:45: Collaging practice 18:35: Language, and keeping a positive orientation toward desires and resolutions 26:55: Sentence completion exercise 31:10: Identity-based change 35:

We’ve received a substantial number of questions from our listeners regarding familial estrangement: when one family member distances themselves from the others, or chooses not to interact with them at all. It’s a common and extremely challenging situation, and the pain related to it can be particularly intense during the holidays.Today on Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss family estrangement, particularly between parents and children, and how the questions we engage in this territory apply more broadly to how we balance our own boundaries with the responsibilities we have toward other people. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Key Topics: 0:00

Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson expand their conversation focused on finding a long-term partner to include what traits to look for, and how to navigate early sticking points. They discuss life growth curves, how to manage early conflict, healthy approaches for dealing with rejection, and how to support those still navigating a difficult search. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:45: Green and red flags to look for in a partner 8:50: Pursuer-distancer dynamic 9:45: Shared growth curves--relationship as a process, not a person 12:50: Riding the river of practical daily life 19:25: Someone who brings out the best parts of you  25:2

We’ve spent a lot of time on Being Well discussing how to improve our relationships - how to navigate conflict effectively, communicate more skillfully, and create a romantic relationship that’s truly fulfilling - but we’ve spent very little time talking about how to get into one of those relationships in the first place. Today, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk about how to maximize your chances of finding a fulfilling long-term relationship. They explore how to develop a clear intention of what you want, the key psychological skills that invite a healthy relationship, and how to market yourself authentically while dating. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Our holiday sale is going on now, and podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25  for another 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need.  Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

It’s natural to have moments – even in the course of a generally happy, mostly fulfilling life – where we question our meaning, value, and purpose. This "existential dread" sometimes culminates in an "existential crisis." Today Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson consider how we can confront these basic questions with acceptance and curiosity, and find the meaning and purpose that can help us live good lives. If you're in crisis, are thinking about suicide, or are concerned about a loved one, please call 1-800-273-8255. The Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching to listening? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00 Introduction 2:35 Meaning and purpose as the basis for Existentialism 5:20 Four basic issues of existence 7:00 Practical reasons for exploring Existentialism 10:50 Forrest’s childhood acceptance of death. 12:00 Four approaches to confronting existential frailty 13:45 Rick’s orientation to existential dread and its three psychological

How can we aim high, achieve our goals, and get what we want out of life without falling prey to unhealthy striving and excessive perfectionism? Dr. Diana Hill joins Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson to explore the costs of perfectionism, productivity anxiety, psychological flexibility, calming the threat system, and how we can go from striving to thriving.  About Our Guest: Dr. Diana Hill specializes in evidence-based and compassion-focused approaches to living well. She has a thriving private practice in Santa Barbara, CA, is the author of the ACT Daily Journal, and is one of the hosts of the Psychologists Off the Clock Podcast. Diana is also the host of a new podcast called Your Life in Process launching in Jan 2022, where she offers practical teachings and conversations on becoming psychologically flexible from the inside out. Watch the Episode: Prefer watching to listening? You  can watch this episode on YouTube. From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practi