Everyday Better with Leah Smart

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school… but should have. This week on the show, Gretchen Rubin—best-selling author of The Happiness Project—lets us into one of her secrets of adulthood: how to make decisions.  We’re all constantly making decisions, big and small. As we get older and become the “adults” in the room, we’re more often the ones who have to choose one way or another on some big life decisions. So when the stakes feel high, how are we supposed to pick the right thing? Is there even a “right” and a “wrong?” And how do we make sure we have no regrets and make a decision that will make us happy?  Spoiler alert: we can’t.  But! There are things we can do to make better decisions. In this episode, Gretchen shares some of her hard-won wisdom and helpful tips on how to make decisions that are right for us. If you’ve ever wondered how all the other adults are choosing their paths, and whether or not you’re on track, this conversation is for you.  If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Case Kenny: How to Become an Optimist. Follow Leah Smart and Gretchen Rubin on LinkedIn.

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, mindfulness educator Case Kenny explains how we can change our mindsets and find a more optimistic outlook. If you watch the news, you won’t find much to be optimistic about. To realists, optimism might seem like denying reality. But in this conversation, you’ll hear why optimism isn’t about burying our heads in the sand; instead, it’s a learnable skill you can use to find more agency amidst chaos and build trust in yourself, your community, and the world. In this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Case shares what optimism really is and how we can authentically cultivate it in ourselves. He explains why changing our mindsets starts with addressing our self-talk and how we can learn to challenge negative beliefs. You can find Case’s new book The Opposite of Settling here. If you liked this episode, check out our conversation with cognitive scientist Maya Shankar on navigating life’s biggest transitions. Follow Leah Smart and Case Kenny on LinkedIn.

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, Maya Shankar, reveals what happens to us when we encounter unexpected and unwanted changes in our lives.  Finding a way to deal with disappointment, shock and unwanted change is one of the most quintessential skills of adulthood. So why do so few of us know how to do it? Even Maya—who studies change—found herself at a loss when she realized that her lifelong dream of becoming a mother might never be realized.  In her conversation with Leah, Maya shares the psychological reasons why we all resist change and how we can learn to navigate events that stir up grief, shake our identities and change our realities.  Pre-order May’s forthcoming book The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans here. Follow Leah Smart and Maya Shankar on LinkedIn. 

In honor of Back-to-School season, throughout September, Everyday Better is sharing conversations inspired by the essential life skills we didn’t learn in school, but should have. This week on the show, world-renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel diagnoses our cultural obsession with work and offers a path forward. As children, we’re taught to measure ourselves by gold stars and report cards, and many of us carry those lessons into adulthood. For countless Americans, work has become the center of our identities, communities, and our source of meaning and belonging. In a time of uncertainty and shifting priorities, Leah and Esther sat down to explore how, in a culture that worships our careers, we can cultivate a healthier relationship to our work. Esther shares how major life transitions like becoming a parent can reshape our ambitions and offers practical tools for navigating conflict at work and building stronger human connections in an increasingly contactless world. If you’ve ever felt like your worth is tied to your work performance, or if you’re struggling to balance career ambitions with other life priorities, this conversation will help you rethink what success truly means. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: How to Stop Fighting About Work With Dr. Alexandra Solomon. Follow Leah Smart and Esther Perel on LinkedIn. 

Bea Chestnut is a psychotherapist, consultant and globally-recognized expert on the enneagram, a personality typing system based on ancient spiritual traditions. For the past 27 years, Bea has studied, written about and taught the enneagram in both therapeutic and business settings. She uses it as a map for guiding her clients towards a deeper understanding of themselves and others. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, we are bringing back one of our favorites: Leah and Bea’s deep dive into the enneagram – what it is, where it comes from and how it can be used to raise your level of awareness. Bea describes each of the nine enneagram types, including each type’s growth path for reaching a higher level of consciousness. She also shares how she discovered the enneagram and explains why she thinks it’s one of the most powerful personal development tools in the world. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: The Enneagram at Work: Leveling Up Your Leadership Skills. For more on the enneagram, check out Bea’s book The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up: Find Your Path, Face Your Shadow, Discover Your True Self. Follow Leah Smart and Bea Chestnut on LinkedIn.

Amber Rae, a writer and best-selling author, shares her journey from a seemingly perfect life to embracing authenticity. She discusses how living for others' expectations led to her disconnection and the pivotal moment she decided to dismantle that facade. Rae emphasizes the importance of learning to disappoint others as a key skill for personal growth. She shares personal anecdotes on self-discovery, setting boundaries, and the transformative power of prioritizing one's true desires over societal pressures.

In this insightful discussion, Kimberley Quinlan, a therapist and anxiety specialist focusing on self-compassion, explores how our self-talk shapes our mental health. She recounts how harsh self-criticism can paralyze us and offers practical exercises to assess self-compassion. They dive into the transformative power of recognizing our shared humanity, emphasizing vulnerability and connection. Kimberley also shares strategies for managing negative thoughts, advocating for a kinder inner dialogue, and embracing imperfections for a more fulfilling life.

Explore the power of storytelling and how the narratives we create shape our identities. Discover a simple exercise to help you reframe unhelpful stories, turning fear and regret into narratives of growth. Leah shares personal experiences, from navigating grief to finding positivity in life's challenges. Learn how acceptance and reflection can lead to healing, and gain insights on transforming adversity into resilience. Journaling and self-reflection emerge as vital tools in this journey toward a more empowering self-narrative.

Join Nick Ortner, an author and entrepreneur renowned for popularizing tapping, as he shares his incredible journey with this technique that helps millions address stress and anxiety. Discover the science behind Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), including how it targets the brain's stress response by acknowledging negative emotions. Nick even guides listeners through a short tapping exercise, highlighting its synergy with meditation and therapy. Embrace new methods of emotional release for improved well-being and personal growth!

In this engaging discussion, Alex Edmans, a Professor of Finance at London Business School and author of 'May Contain Lies', explores our mental biases and the misconceptions they create. He highlights how confirmation bias clouds our judgment, emphasizing the need for critical thinking and diverse perspectives. Alex shares insights on parenting advice, illustrating the importance of nuanced understanding over rigid guidelines. He encourages embracing doubt and vulnerability as crucial steps toward personal growth and greater understanding in a complex world.