Happy Habit Podcast

Geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein and Marie Curie have always fascinated us, what are the traits that they have that make them so unique? In this episode I discuss the book The hidden habits of genius by Craig Wright PhD which delves into 14 traits that many of the greatest geniuses possess, some of which we can emulate ourselves so we can reach a higher level of achievement in our own lives.

in this episode I talk with Prof Dr Eva Peters from the University of Giessen in Germany whose area of research is that of psychosomatic illness and the relationship between the mind, body and stress. We hear about hairloss in young women sitting exams, the effects of childhood trauma on skin, the causes of acne and the role the immune system plays in skin conditions.

Today I am talking with another expert, his name is Prof Ted Dinan, he's Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at University College Cork here in Ireland. For decades he has had a particular interest in the bacteria that live inside us, our microbiome or mictrobiota as its called. In this episode we discover what the microbiota is. We hear about the nervous system in the gut, the vagus nerve and how the gut communicates with the brain. We learn that human beings have never been sterile and have always needed to live with bacteria in order to survive and thrive. We discover that when mice are grown in a sterile environment in a lab they become totally antisocial. We hear about the downside from a microbiota diversity perspective of a cesarian section birth in comparison with a vaginal birth. We also learn that depressed patients have a lower level of micriobiota diversity in their large intestines and those people who aren't depressed. We also discover you can radically alter your microbiota by altering your diet. In addition we will hear about how the poorly regulated health supplement industry is a minefield for consumers when seeking out good sources of probiotics. Prof Dinan's Website : http://psychobiotic-revolution.com/

Rich Roll one of the best podcasters out there believes in the need to constantly evolve, so too the Japanese who adopted the Kaizen philosphy which embodies constant improvement so that one sees tiny improvements everyday which over a long time yield massive results. In this episode I talk about the 6 step Kaizen philosophy which the Japanese have been using since after the second world war.

Mel Robbins has this billiantly sobering saying : 'No one is coming to save you', which basically means you had better accept that the only potential superhero in your life story is you, and the sooner you realise this, the sooner you can get on with living a life of purpose.

Empathy is central to the human condition, it is a pro-social imperative, that is it bonds people. It also provides health benefits, in this episode I discuss what these are and how to be more empathic.

In this episode I talk about Plato's allegory of the charioteer and the two horses, in an attempt to define what happiness is and how we can achieve it.

Practising gratitude brings a whole host of benefits, from physiological to psychological to social. I discuss the essence of gratitude and why we should be incorporating it into our lives as much as possible.

President Eisenhower was a man who knew a thing or two about getting things done, he was credited with the Eisenhower method / matrix that helps us distinguish between tasks using two critera: Importance and Urgency. When we define our tasks using this method we supercharge our productivity and time management and we get closer to our goals.

We inherently feel the need to grow, develop and progress. Its when these necessities are stifled that we feel frustrated and resort to coping mechanisms and undesirable behaviours. Having a growth mindset allows us to tap into our potential and abilities. It allows us to push ourselves beyond the restrictions that comfort and safety bring. When we foster this growth mindset, through awareness of ourselves, our language, actions and behaviours we make growth a real possibility.