Social connection and Dunbar's number

This week on Live Well Be Well, I’m joined by Dr Anders Hansen, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and bestselling author of The Real Happy Pill and Brain Blues, to explore how modern life is reshaping our mental health, focus, and emotional resilience.

In this conversation, Anders explains why anxiety, low mood, and restlessness are not failures of the mind, but evolutionary responses that no longer fit our current environment. We discuss how movement, boredom, attention, and social connection shape brain chemistry, and why understanding our evolutionary wiring can help us respond to stress with more compassion and clarity.

Here’s What We Dive Into:

- Why the human brain evolved for survival, not constant happiness or comfort.

- How modern environments amplify anxiety, low mood, and attention problems.

- Why physical movement is one of the most effective interventions for mental health.

- How boredom and mental rest support creativity, emotional regulation, and focus.

- What social connection does to the brain, and why isolation increases psychological distress.

- How dopamine, serotonin, and stress hormones respond to modern stimulation.

- Why chasing happiness can backfire, and what a healthier goal looks like.

- How understanding evolution helps reduce shame around mental health struggles.

Love,

Sarah Ann 💛

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This episode is sponsored by:

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The Compassionate Cure each week. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/What if many of the mental health struggles we face today are not signs that something is wrong with us, but signals from a brain designed for a very different world?

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If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:

The Uncomfortable Truth About Why We Can't Commit | Mo Gawdat

https://youtu.be/2WeffWLvdbo

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Why modern life feels mentally overwhelming (00:00:00)

The evolutionary purpose of anxiety and low mood (00:03:40)

Why the brain struggles with constant comfort (00:08:20)

Movement and its impact on brain chemistry (00:12:55)

Why physical activity reduces anxiety and depression (00:18:30)

Boredom, focus, and mental recovery (00:24:10)

Social connection and the brain’s safety signals (00:30:05)

Dopamine, stimulation, and emotional balance (00:36:40)

Why happiness is a poor long term goal (00:42:15)

Reducing shame through evolutionary understanding (00:48:30)

Practical ways to support everyday mental wellbeing (00:54:10)

The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health (00:55:31)

The Science of Happiness (01:09:00)

Curiosity: The Engine of Growth (01:17:57)

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