Change Academy

Hedonic self-care involves activities that we find pleasurable. A massage or a nap or time spent with dear friends. Eudaimonic self-care includes those things we do not necessarily because they are pleasurable in the moment, but because they support our goals and objectives.  Things like getting our teeth cleaned, or doing meal prep ahead of a busy week, or spending time and money on a therapist or hiring a health coach. You could easily get the impression that eudaimonic self-care is better or more virtuous than hedonic self-care. But this is not the case. And I don’t want you to forsake hedonic self-care as lesser than.Key TakeawaysTry to maintain a balance between those things you do because they make you feel good in the moment and those things you do because they contribute to your long term well-being. Both are important to a fulfilling life.Cramming in a lot of peak experiences doesn’t guarantee that you’ll look back on your life and feel it was well-lived. One way to waste time is to spend it doing things that don’t really matter. But another way to waste time is to spend it living for an imaginary future. Whether hedonic or eudaimonic, if it comes at the expense of your mental, physical, or financial wellbeing, it doesn’t qualify as true self-care.MentionedEpisode 80: Rescuing Self-care from Consumer Culture4000 Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman30 Day Nutrition Upgrade Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Earlier this month, I sat down with Kelly Howard of the Fit is Freedom podcast. You may remember Kelly from a Change Academy episode on how incorporating more fun and adventure can help you be more consistent about your fitness practice. Kelly invited me back to the Fit is Freedom podcast to share some tips with her listeners on how to enjoy the upcoming the holiday season without throwing all of our healthy habits and progress under the bus.  I thought you would be interested in hearing this conversation as well. So, with Kelly’s permission, I’m sharing that episode here with you. I share a couple of specific strategies that I find useful at this time of year…one is a mindset shift. The other is straight up tactical. We also talk a bit about the 30 Day nutrition upgrade that’s coming up on November 8th—because that program is part of my answer to the question of how to stay on track even with all the disruption and opportunities to indulge that come with the holidays. If you haven’t yet registered for the 30 Day Nutrition Upgrade, you can do that at changeacademhypodcast.com/upgrade (or just click on the link in the show notes).  Mentioned: Fit is Freedom podcast30 Day Nutrition Upgrade (starts November 8th) ★ Support this podcast ★

In the previous episode, I talked about some of the things that can go wrong when we put corporations in charge of our wellbeing. In this episode, I share an example of what it looks like when it goes right, and how corporate-sponsored wellbeing programs can actually have a very positive impact on individuals and workers as well as on the company’s bottom line. Lindsey Soroka is a registered dietitian and works as a health promotion specialist for a major national corporation, where she’s in charge of (among other things) engaging the employees in wellness education, services, and programming.  Lindsey and I first worked together when her company brought me in to offer the 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade program to their employees, Afterward, we sat down to talk about what she’s learned about motivating people and why major corporations want to invest in wellbeing programming. But there are valuable lessons for all of us in this conversation. In particular, I hope you catch the ways in which our efforts to enhance our own wellbeing can ripple out into our families, workplaces, and communities. Key TakeawaysCompanies are in business to be profitable, but the smart ones recognize that in order to thrive as a company, they need a healthy, stable and well-resourced workforce. If you are feeling burned out or overwhelmed at work, you may not feel like you have the bandwidth to explore your employers’ wellness resources but this is actually the time they may be most valuable (and your employer really does want you to use them).When trying to establish new behaviors, a short-term commitment can make it feel more doable.  But a good short-term challenge will be designed with the long tail in mind. Doing something as part of a group really helps to foster a sense of wellbeing and connection. And it helps you stick with it.Reaching out to someone who’s had a positive impact on you not only means the world to them but can also benefit your own mental and physical health.  Be on the lookout for opportunities to do that.Mentioned30 Day Nutrition Upgrade (starts November 8th)Contact Monica to discuss corporate wellness programming ★ Support this podcast ★

A lot of employers and health insurers are now offering wellbeing apps and portals. They're obviously hoping that giving people tools to help them manage their health conditions and nudge them toward healthy behaviors will reduce health care costs. I recently checked out the wellbeing app offered by my own health insurance company. I actually think that some of the well-meaning but poorly-conceived prompts could be doing more harm than good. To be fair, figuring out how to nudge people to adopt healthier habits is a hard nut to crack. In this episode, I share five ideas on how we can design behavioral interventions that are more effective as well as more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable. I also have an opportunity for you to see these principles in action. Key TakeawaysPeople not only need to believe that what you’re asking them to do will benefit them, they also need to feel confident that they can actually do it.People cannot pay attention to everything. Therefore, you need to help them pay attention to the right things.Don’t just discourage the negative; promote positive behaviors.All-or-nothing approaches (or mindsets) rarely lead to long-term change. We tend to over-estimate the impact of our most extreme behaviors. In fact, it is your most typical behavior that determines your results. Focus on those.MentionedNutrition GPA appRegister for the 30-Day Nutrition UpgradeMore info for Coaching Partners ★ Support this podcast ★

The podcast discusses the habit of using food as a treat or reward and the potential harm it can cause. It highlights the importance of being intentional and thoughtful about treats, planning them in advance for increased enjoyment and improved restraint. The episode also explores the concept of reward systems, breaking old habit cycles, and discovering new rewarding activities. It emphasizes enhancing the experience of treating oneself and choosing better treats. Additionally, it mentions a program on Body Image Repair and Resilience and provides support options for listeners in need.

How we see ourselves has an enormous impact on our mental health and wellbeing, how we function in our relationships, even what sort of goals we set for ourselves. Often, we believe that achieving those goals will improve our self-image and make us feel better about ourselves. But usually, it happens the other way around.Our self-image is often very distorted. Others may barely notice “imperfections” that are all we can see when we look in the mirror. And, by the same token, we can also take steps to heal poor self-image without actually changing anything about the way we look. Often it starts by examining our beliefs about how we SHOULD look. Joining me today to talk about all of this is Cassie Christopher, whom you know from several past episodes. Cassie is a registered dietitian, workplace wellness expert, speaker, and coach. Repairing body image is a big part of Cassie’s work. She and I are also teaming up to offer a special program this October focusing on on Body Image Repair and Resilience.  Key Takeaways:We form our self-image by comparing ourselves against cultural ideals, which often reflect groups with more power and/or money.Even those whose outward appearance conforms to the cultural ideal often suffer from poor self-image. Even if we don’t have the power to change the system, seeing how it operates gives us more power to decide how we engage with itSelf-worth that is based largely on how we compare to others is never as solid as self-worth that is based on our own intrinsic values. We are often completely unaware of the degree to which negative self-perception is impacting our quality of life. Accepting and celebrating the ways in which we diverge from the “ideal” can be an empowering first step. Mentioned:Body Image Repair & Resilience programBeing good enough (Change Academy Ep. #28)Body Image Self AssessmentMore about Cassie Christopher’s work Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

If you’ve been listening to the Change Academy for a while, you’ll remember Molly Watts from several previous episodes. But if you’re newer to the Academy, let me quickly tell you who she is. Molly is the host of the top-rated Alcohol Minimalist podcast and author of the book Breaking the Bottle Legacy.  Molly’s work focuses on helping people create a more peaceful and sustainable relationship with alcohol. And the approach that Molly takes is very consonant with our philosophy here on the Change Academy. Molly has graciously agreed to let us share an excerpt from her podcast in which she shares the three things she had to stop doing in order to finally change her drinking habits. You can substitute just about any unwanted or  problematic behavior or habit for “drinking” and Molly’s advice would be just as valuable. She's also generously offered a free digital copy of her book to any Change Academy listeners who would like one. (See below).  As you listen, think about how Molly’s insights about changing her drinking behavior might apply to a behavioral pattern or habit loop that you’ve struggled to change.Key TakeawaysWe often make change harder than it needs to be by setting unrealistic expectations and then beating ourselves up for failing.Failure is not proof that you cannot succeed…unless you choose to make it that.Small consistent effort ultimately gets us to our goals sooner than big dramatic gestures that fizzle out. Self-judgment is toxic to the process of growth and change. Instead we need to approach ourselves and our behavior with curiosity and compassion. If the behavior we are trying to change is one that we are using as a coping mechanism, we’re going to need to address whatever it is that are using it to cope with.MentionedDownload a free copy of Breaking the Bottle Legacy, by Molly WattsAlcohol Minimalist podcastChange Academy Ep 11: the Attention Intention Action Cycle Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

All of us occasionally struggle with negative or overwhelming emotional reactions.  But few of us have been taught to handle difficult feelings effectively. In this episode, Dr. Bethy Campbell returns to the Change Academy to share techniques for working with our most challenging emotions–enabling us to handle stressful situations with greater resilience and to access healthier emotional responses. Dr. Bethy Campbell is a clinical psychologist, a marriage and family therapist, with special expertise and certification in career development counseling.  During her academic career, she also pioneered a curriculum on Helping Skills, a process that people who are not trained therapists can safely use to support others (or help themselves) when dealing with psychologically or emotionally challenging situations.Key TakeawaysOur emotions can be a powerful source of information, but we need to learn how to recognize and interpret the signals they are sending. Although our feelings are neither good or bad, the way we express those emotions may be healthy or unhealthy. Our primary emotional responses may be buried under several layers of secondary emotions that need to be explored first.Simply labeling and rating the intensity of our emotions is often enough to dissipate their intensity.The goal is not to eliminate emotions but to foster a healthier relationship with them, leading to improved self-understanding and emotional well-being.Lab Experiment(adapted from Helping Skills Training for Nonprofessional Counselors)Consider how primary and secondary emotions and emotional signals apply to your own life. Can you think of a time when secondary emotions clouded your awareness and expression of your primary emotions? Write down your recollections of that time, highlighting primary and secondary emotions.What do you believe your emotions were signaling and motivating you to do?How might talking (or writing?) about these feelings help you access primary emotions and adaptive signals?MentionedEp. #107: Designing your future: How to make a successful career or life pivotHelping Skills Training for Nonprofessional Counselors by Elizabeth L. Campbell, PhDFeelings Wheel Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Late breaking news! Kelly is giving Change Academy listeners an electronic copy of her new book for free!  Scroll down for the link to that I met Kelly Howard a few months ago, when she invited me to be a guest on her podcast. I loved the concept of her podcast, which is that fitness is not just another chore that we’re supposed to do. It is a gateway to more freedom. Kelly takes that message beyond her podcast and into the real world, where she runs a company that offers hiking, biking, backpacking, and kayaking adventures, as well as fitness coaching programs to help people prepare for those adventures.  In other words, fitness is not the real goal. Fun and freedom are the goals, and fitness makes those possible. It’s a perfect example of something we talk about all the time here, which is how important it is to have a compelling why, and to align our goals to our larger objectives.In this conversation, you’ll hear how Kelly applies those principles to the work that she does. But these insights apply just as well to any other goals that you may be working on. Takeaways:For most of the things we want to achieve, being consistent is more important than achieving mastery.The value of creating a detailed plan always has to be balanced with the flexibility that allows us to pivot when plans go awryWe need to be just as intentional about rest and recovery as we are about effortSpecific events can be great things to work toward. But don’t forget to think about–and plan for–what comes next. Mentioned:Fit is Freedom podcast Episode #95Brock’s morning warm upFit: Active and Ageless for Life, by Kelly Howard(Free copy for Change Academy members!) Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★

Part of living your best life involves thinking–at least a little–about how you can set yourself up to live a good life in the future. If you’re of a certain age, you might keep track of things like your cholesterol or your blood pressure. Or, you might keep an eye on your 401K balance, with an eye toward ensuring future well-being. But there’s another lesser-known metric that can also be predictive of both your current and your future health and longevity. Just like those other markers, it’s a number you should know.  Key TakeawaysMentionedLife Satisfaction AssessmentEp 48: Wisdom to Know the DifferenceHappiness Curve, by Jonathan Rauch50K Mile TuneupBuy us a coffee Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event?  Learn more. ★ Support this podcast ★