Science journalist Florence Williams shares her journey through divorce and how heartbreak reshapes our bodies and minds. Topics include rebuilding trust, the healing power of touch, therapeutic practices like EMDR, and the importance of beauty and awe in healing.

In this episode, Florence Williams shares the profound benefits of being outdoors and in nature, offering you a fresh perspective on self-care and a path toward increased well-being. Discover the scientific evidence that proves how spending time in nature makes us happier, healthier, and even more creative. In this episode, you'll be able to... Recognize the many benefits of spending time in nature and how they're backed by scientific evidence That 15 minutes in a forest environment can reduce our cortisol levels Understand the concept of Nature Deficit Disorder as we are consumed with modern-day conveniences Understand why being in nature can be better than meditation for some people Learn why it's important to pay closer attention and connect to our surroundings Discover why spending time in nature affects different parts of the brain Understand the potent effects that being in nature has on your emotional and mental well-being. Learn new ways to engage in nature, even in urban landscapes To learn more, click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the last episode in our four-part series where we’re counter-programming against the way Valentine’s Day is often celebrated, and examining different kinds of relationships including romantic, friendship, and family. Today we’re probing a mystery: Why, from an evolutionary standpoint do we take heartbreak and rejection so hard? It can send the body and mind into a vicious spiral. As one genomics researcher has said, “heartbreak is one of the hidden landmines of human existence.“ There are countless pieces of art dedicated to heartbreak. Songs, movies, poems, the list is pretty much endless. But what does science say? Why does this happen to us? How exactly does the body react to a bad break up, from a romantic partnership, or a friendship or even a job? And what can we do to get over it?These are the questions the writer, Florence Williams decided to tackle after her own 25 year marriage fell apart. And the answers are fascinating.Florence Williams is a science journalist and author, and a contributing editor at Outside Magazine. Her latest book is called, Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey. It is just out in paperback, and has been nominated for the PEN/Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing. In this episode we talk about:The passage of time as a way to heal all woundsThe role purpose plays in recovery William’s three part heartbreak recovery toolkit (calming down, connecting to other people and finding purpose)The connection between openness and resilienceHow to become more open to a lack of closureThe good and bad news about heartbreakAnd, rejecting some of the conventional approaches to heartbreakFull Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/florence-williams-562 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Florence Williams (@flowill) is a journalist and the author of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, and Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey. What We Discuss with Florence Williams: How "real" is heartbreak? Real enough that our brains react to the emotional pain of heartbreak in the same way they react to physical pain. The chronic loneliness brought about by heartbreak can increase the risk of early death by as much as 26 percent. Just as you wouldn't expect results from "wishing" a toothache away, ignoring the distress caused by heartbreak can exacerbate existing medical problems and create new ones — from inflammation to diabetes, heart disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Differences between the causes and symptoms of heartbreak as typically experienced by women and men. What we can do to mitigate the pain if we find ourselves suffering from heartbreak. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/790 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Miss our conversation with evolutionary social psychologist Dr. Sarah Hill? Catch up with episode 280: Sarah Hill | This Is Your Brain on Birth Control here! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Writer Florence Williams, grieving the loss of a long marriage, finds herself in Tulsa, Oklahoma; she's come to sit with Penny, her former mother-in-law, who is dying of cancer. Drawn together by the gravity of needing and being needed, the two women sit in the quiet house, in a space between life and death, between rootedness and uncertainty – and yet surrounded, always, by love. As Penny begins to withdraw from the world, she has one final question for Florence, and one final piece of advice.Florence Williams explores more about this story – and the many ways that we humans respond to and recover from a broken heart — in her new book, Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific JourneyEach episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story: meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: https://meditativestory.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.