House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy

Produced together with Calm, we are sharing a 5-part series of Mindfulness Tools to offer support during stressful times. Guided by Dr. Murthy, these meditations are intentionally short, meant to fit into your day whenever feels right. We also encourage you to share these episodes with others. Also, we’d appreciate it if you took a moment to rate and review our podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. Email us at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback and ideas.

We all experience anxiety as an emotion. It’s part of being human. But can we transform that uncomfortable emotion into a positive? Doing so might require dispelling some common notions about anxiety and learning to counter our own gut reactions in those moments that induce sweaty palms or stage fright. Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, author of “Future Tense: Why Anxiety is Good For you (Even Though It Feels Bad),” and a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Hunter College, says harnessing our anxiety can help us shape the future, instead of making it, well…something to be anxious about. In this episode of House Calls, the Surgeon General and Dr. Dennis-Tiwary talk about concrete ways many people can get through anxious times with a slower pulse, and calmer mind, and a clearer vision. Dr. Dennis-Tiwary calls it “The Three L’s” and she says anyone can learn to do it. (3:09) Why does anxiety exist? (5:16) Stress, anxiety, or fear: What’s the difference? (6:32) Anxiety or anxiety disorder? (8:17) How does anxiety manifest? (11:38) Is mental health the health crisis of our time? (14:32) Managing anxiety with the Three L’s. (18:31) Why should we befriend our anxiety? (19:32) How can we help children with their anxiety? (31:46) Can you become an emotional ninja? (33:32) What are anxiety’s drivers? (39:30) Where do anxiety and social media intersect? (45:40) Can our society prioritize mental health? Help us get the word out about House Calls by rating and reviewing wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you! Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Professor and Founder and CSO of Wise Therapeutics Twitter: @tracyadennis Instagram: @dr.tracyphd LinkedIn: @tracydennistiwary About Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary Tracy A. Dennis-Tiwary, Ph.D. is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, Director of the Emotion Regulation Lab, and Co-Executive Director of the Center for Health Technology at Hunter College, The City University of New York. As Founder and CSO of Wise Therapeutics, she translates neuroscience and cognitive therapy techniques into gamified, clinically validated digital therapeutics for mental health. She has published over 100 scientific articles and delivered over 400 presentations at academic conferences and for corporate clients. She has been featured throughout the media, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, ABC, CBS, CNN, NPR, The Today Show, and Bloomberg Television.

What makes for a meaningful conversation? In an era where polarization, argument, and competition for attention have taken the place of real conversation, it can be hard to know what to say. Fred Dust, author of "Making Conversation," has spent his life thinking about and designing conversations. These days, he finds that people are struggling to connect, avoiding conversation, or even engaging in what he calls “toxic politeness.” In this episode, the Surgeon General and Fred Dust explore why conversation has become so difficult and how we can change that, in small ways and big ones. This episode also offers practical ways to approach conversations, especially the hard ones. (3:41) Why is having a conversation so difficult these days? (6:42) What is “toxic politeness?” (8:09) From grandma to neuroscience, conversation fascinates Fred. (11:48) Let’s not label conversations “hard.” (16:02) Are we actually listening? (18:07) How to commit to a conversation. (21:12) Side-by-side: activity as a conversation. (26:00) The art of intentional interruption. (32:08) What would a conversational world look like? (36:36) Music, art, and other non-conversation ways to bond. Fred Dust, Designer and Author Twitter: @f_dust Instagram (Fred Dust): @fdbrave  Instagram (Making Conversation): @makingconversationco About Fred Dust Fred Dust is the founder of Dust&Company and works at the intersection of business, society, and creativity. As a designer, author, educator, consultant, trustee, and advisor to social and business leaders, he is one of the world’s most original thinkers, applying the craft and optimism of human-centered design to the intractable challenges we face today. His work uses a combination of catalytic convenings, difficult games and micro curriculum to enable large scale change in institutions and across cultural, governmental, philanthropic, non-profit and for-profit organizations and strives to do so for the world at large. Using the methodology from his book “Making Conversation,” he also works as the Senior Dialogue Designer with The Rockefeller Foundation to explore the future of pressing global needs; with The School for Advanced Research, The New Museum, The Einhorn Collaborative and other foundations to host constructive dialogue with leaders. He is also proud to be faculty at the Esalen Institute.

Hurricanes, droughts, forest fires, and other natural disasters make big news. While cameras show us the wreckage when disaster strikes, for communities on the ground, the story does not end there. The effects of these dramatic and scary events are scarring on our mental and emotional health. What does living in a world of worsening natural disasters mean for our mental health? How can we respond to the trauma that natural disasters inflict, especially on children? Psychologist and trauma specialist Dr. Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo is all too familiar with this scenario. Having grown up in Puerto Rico, she has helped train thousands of people on her home island in psychological first aid. In this episode, she and the Surgeon General also talk about why social connection is critical to recovery, especially when everything feels hopeless. (5:01) What is trauma? (7:36) Helping children through a climate disaster (10:03) “Honey, this one’s bad…” (14:09) How full are our emotional buckets? (21:14) What is Psychological First Aid? (25:56) Healing space for disaster victims. (29:19) What best predicts disaster recovery? (hint: Social connection). (33:31) How can we really help disaster victims from afar? (36:20) Building our mental health workforce for the future. (36:55) Our planet is reeling. (42:35) Hope for the future. Dr. Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, Clinical Psychologist & Trauma Specialist Twitter: @RosauraOrengo About Dr. Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She completed her BA in Psychology at the University of Puerto Rico, her MA and PhD at the University of Iowa, and a National Institutes of Mental Health postdoctoral fellowship in traumatic stress research at MUSC. Her research focuses on addressing mental health disparities among underserved populations (specifically Hispanic youth) through innovative implementation and dissemination methods. She has an active program of research on the cultural and linguistic adaptation and international dissemination of trauma-focused assessment and intervention, particularly within post-disaster contexts. Dr. Orengo-Aguayo directs the Puerto Rican Center for Intervention and Training in Trauma, a SAMHSA-funded program aimed at capacity building, resource sharing, technical support, and training in evidence-based trauma interventions. Her team has published several seminal publications on the impact of disasters on youth mental health (JAMA Network Open), and the implementation and dissemination of in-person and telehealth delivery of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) in Latin America and US (American Psychologist). She is a co-author in the first telehealth manual available in Spanish published in January of 2022 (Manual de Telesalud Mental). She is the 2022 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Program Chair and serves on the Executive Board of the American Professional Society on the Abuse on Children (APSAC). Dr. Orengo-Aguayo co-directs the World Changers Lab at MUSC & Puerto Rico, with Dr. Regan W. Stewart, whose mission is to “change the world, one child at a time.”

Missed school. Kids at home during working hours. Delayed social skills. Too much screen time. Did the pandemic do a number on your parenting? (Not that it was easy to begin with!) Dr. Becky Kennedy, known as the “parent whisperer,” burst onto the scene in the nick of time, with a book-load of theories and advice, as well as some U-turns on recent parenting practices. No more time outs and no more sticker charts, says Dr. Becky. Instead, she makes the case for starting by seeing the good inside our children through building connection. On a practical level, that includes looking past kids’ “bad behavior” to understand the struggles that lie behind it. Join Dr. Becky and the Surgeon General (also a parent) as they explore how we can help our children navigate their lives by teaching emotional coping skills and providing understanding, support, boundaries, and clarity. And it’s not just kid stuff. Dr. Becky finds the parents need parenting too. After all, nobody likes a time out, right? (4:13) Wiring children for adulthood (8:37) Why ‘Time Outs’ don’t work for anyone (16:17) How to change cycles of behavior (22:58) Seeing the kid behind the behavior (35:50) The downside to keeping the kids happy (41:06) How to develop coping skills in our kids (43:16) The key to managing meltdowns (48:31) Building confidence (56:29) Talking with kids about hard stuff Dr. Becky Kennedy, Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Mom Twitter: @goodinside Instagram: @drbeckyatgoodinside Facebook: @drbeckyatgoodinside About Dr. Becky Kennedy Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and mom of three. Named “The Millennial Parenting Whisperer” by TIME Magazine, she is rethinking the way we raise our children. She specializes in thinking deeply about what’s happening for kids and translating these ideas into simple, actionable strategies for parents. Dr. Becky's goal is to empower parents to feel sturdier and more equipped to manage the challenges of parenting. Dr. Becky is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be.” She continues to share her parenting insights through her weekly podcast “Good Inside with Dr Becky,” social media, and her newsletter, “Good Insider.” In spring 2022, she launched a game-changing, first-of-its-kind platform; Good Inside Membership is a dynamic parenting hub that offers Dr. Becky’s complete parenting content collection, a judgment-free, like-valued community, and access to Good Inside-trained experts––all in one place to learn, grow and connect. Her weekly podcast, Good Inside with Dr. Becky, immediately went to #1 on the Apple Podcasts “Kids & Family” chart upon launching in April 2021, was placed on the coveted "New and Noteworthy" list, landed the #26 spot on the iTunes “Top Podcasts” chart in June 2021, and made Apple Podcasts “Best Shows of 2021” list. Dr. Becky received a BA in Psychology and Human Development, Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude, from Duke University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. To learn more, visit: www.goodinside.com.

What is the feeling you get when a sad, familiar song tugs at you? Or the exquisite pain that comes with the awareness of passing time and loves lost? Best-selling author Susan Cain identifies the simultaneous mixture of joy and sorrow in life as 'bittersweetness'. In this conversation with the Surgeon General, we learn about harnessing the forces of sadness and grief as ways of connecting. Light and dark, birth and death, the bitter and sweet are forever paired. Accepting this balance can bring comfort and solace to the experience of loss, which Cain sees as part of life's journey. Join in to understand how we can transform pain into beauty and longing into belonging. (05:22)  Humans don’t like feeling sad. But joy and sorrow are forever paired. (11:34)  Compassion is to suffer with someone (16:21)  How effortless perfection keep us from sharing our struggles (21:06)  Our need for beauty (25:40)  Dr. Murthy’s son joins the conversation! (26:14)  Grief isn’t a detour; it’s part of the main road (31:56)  Moving On vs Moving Forward (39:45)  Helping kids with loss & disappointment (with the help of a couple donkeys) (46:12)  The story of the Shards of Glass (55:36)  Playlist favorites, laughs, and what gives Susan hope Susan Cain, Author and Speaker Twitter: @susancain Instagram: @susancainauthor Facebook: @authorsusancain About Susan Cain Susan Cain is the #1 NYT bestselling author of “Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole” and “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” which has been translated into 40 languages, spent eight years on The New York Times best seller list, and was named the #1 best book of the year by Fast Company magazine, which also named Cain one of its Most Creative People in Business. LinkedIn named her the Top 6th Influencer in the World, just behind Richard Branson and Melinda French Gates. Susan partners with Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant and Dan Pink to curate the Next Big Idea Book Club. They donate all their proceeds to children’s literacy programs. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Her TED talks on the power of introverts and the hidden power of sad songs and rainy days have been viewed over 40 million times. Cain has also spoken at Google, PIXAR, the U.S. Treasury, P&G, Harvard, and West Point. She received Harvard Law School’s Celebration Award for Thought Leadership, the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership, and was named one of the world’s top 50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc. Magazine. She is an honors graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School. She lives in the Hudson River Valley with her husband, two sons and golden doodle, Sophie. Visit Susan at susancain.net.

What do you do when who you want to be and who the world tells you to be are different? In a world of stereotypes and expectations, how do we figure out who we really are? Actor Kal Penn and the Surgeon General go deep on these questions as they compare notes on growing up as children of immigrants and discuss Penn’s experiences with discrimination, bullying, self-doubt, and societal pressure while launching his career. If you have ever wondered how to navigate being different, or wanting something other than what’s expected of you, tune in – Kal Penn has been there! Kal Penn, Actor & Author Twitter: @kalpenn Instagram: @kalpenn Facebook: @kalpenn About Kal Penn Kal Penn is an actor, writer, producer, and author. He is known for his starring roles in the “Harold & Kumar” series, “Designated Survivor,” “House,” and the patriotic immigration sit-com “Sunnyside,” which he co-created for NBC. Kal published his best-selling memoir “You Can’t Be Serious” in 2022. In it, he recounts a series of funny, consequential, awkward, and ridiculous stories from Kal Penn’s idiosyncratic life. His story reaches back to his grandparents who marched with Gandhi and growing up the son of immigrant parents, who came to this country with very little and went very far—and whose vision of the American dream probably never included their son appearing in the Ryan Reynolds movie “Van Wilder”…or getting a phone call from Air Force One as Kal flew with the country’s first Black president. In addition to acting, Kal has been engaged in the public sector. He served as an Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, where he served as President Obama’s Liaison to Young Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and the Arts community. In these roles, he worked on a range of issues, including the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the Affordable Care Act, Pell Grants, arts and culture programs, the DREAM Act, and rapid response to the BP Oil Spill and earthquake in Haiti. In 2012, he was a national co-chair for the Obama/Biden re-election campaign and served on the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities. Originally from New Jersey, he received his undergraduate degree in sociology, theater, film, and television at the University of California, Los Angeles, and received a graduate certificate in international security from Stanford University. He has been a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Penn has taught courses at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Los Angeles. Penn most recently wrapped production on the CBS Drama, “Clarice” (based on “Silence of the Lambs”), and Freeform’s late night youth election format show “Kal Penn Approves This Message.” He currently stars in the animated Disney Junior series “Mira,” “Royal Detective,” is an Executive Producer on the Viacom/Paramount + comedy, “Surina & Mel,” and can be heard in Nickelodeon’s “It’s Pony.” His culinary competition series “Money Hungry” aired on Food Network this winter.

Do we understand what makes us happy? And if we do, can we make ourselves happier? These are the questions Yale Professor Laurie Santos has been studying for years. As students navigate back to school, Dr. Santos and the U.S. Surgeon General explore how we can help our kids, and ourselves, find greater happiness through changing our behavior and shifting our mindset. In a world in which our happiness might feel driven by externalities, creating our own happiness is within our reach, says Dr. Santos. Tune in and see if you can figure out where your happiness lies. The answer might surprise you. Dr. Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and Host of the podcast, “The Happiness Lab” Twitter: @lauriesantos Instagram: @lauriesantosofficial Facebook: @DrLaurieSantos About Dr. Laurie Santos Dr. Laurie Santos is Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of the podcast The Happiness Lab. Dr. Santos is an expert on human cognition and the cognitive biases that impede better choices. Her course, “Psychology and the Good Life,” teaches students what the science of psychology says about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. The class is Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years and has been adapted into a free Coursera program that has been taken by over 3.9 million people to date. Dr. Santos has been featured in numerous news outlets including the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, NPR, GQ Magazine, Slate, CNN and O, The Oprah Magazine. Dr. Santos is a winner of numerous awards both for her science and teaching from institutions such as Yale and the American Psychological Association. She has been featured as one of Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10” young minds and was named TIME's “Leading Campus Celebrity.”

What is the difference between loneliness and being alone? The Surgeon General and mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn delve into the complexities of the modern human experience, including the ways technologies that have the power to both bring us together and drive us apart. Embodied wakefulness, says Kabat-Zinn, is the key to showing up whole for a planet-wide renaissance in which everyone leads a life of dignity and authenticity together. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Author, Professor, Mindfulness Pioneer Twitter: @jonkabatzinn About Jon Kabat-Zinn Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. did his doctoral work in molecular biology at MIT, in the laboratory of the Nobel Laureate Salvador Luria. Jon is Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its world-renown Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic in 1979, and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, in 1995.  He is the author of 15 books, currently in print in over 45 languages. His most recent is Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief (April 2023). He is also the author of a series of research papers on MBSR dating back to 1982. In a 2021 study of trends and developments in mindfulness research over 55 years (1966-2021), three of his empirical studies figure among the ten most cited articles on mindfulness (nos. 3, 5, and 9) in the scientific literature; and a review article he authored is number two among citations of the top ten review articles on mindfulness. His work and that of a global community of colleagues has contributed to a growing movement of mindfulness into mainstream institutions such as medicine, psychology, health care, neuroscience, schools, higher education, business, social justice, criminal justice, prisons, the law, technology, the military, government, and professional sports. Over 700 hospitals and medical centers around the world now offer MBSR. Jon lectures and leads mindfulness retreats around the world and on line. In early 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic was growing exponentially, he offered a three month “mitigation retreat” online, consisting of 66 consecutive weekdays of live 90-minute sessions that included guided meditations, talks, and dialogue, with several thousand people joining live each day. Those sessions can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqkYJfT8gsw. www.jonkabat-zinn.com

Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness pioneer, discusses the evolution of mindfulness in America post a Surgeon General's report. They delve into the value of meditation for personal and global healing during the pandemic, the importance of self-acceptance, interconnectedness, and mindfulness in improving overall well-being. Tips are shared on cultivating peace and navigating the digital world with mindful awareness.