We’ve talked on this show about lots of ways we can be happier over time, but one of the hardest things to do is to STAY happy as the events of life wash over us. On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore "hedonic adaptation" - our tendency to return to a stable baseline of happiness - and discuss how we can get off the "hedonic treadmill." Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction2:25: What is hedonic adaptation?6:25: Three factors of happiness9:45: Survey of various research on hedonic adaptation and subjective well-being19:55: Financial circumstances and relationships27:35: How to sustain happiness - loving, knowing, growing38:15: The single most effective intervention to fight hedonic adaptation41:30: Forrest’s take on how lasting change happens45:00: Antidote experiences and improving memory47:50: Can we actually become happier?51:00: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors:Visit athleticgreens.com/BEINGWELL to take ownership over your health, and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance!Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Take care of your long-term health, and get the probiotic rooted in the latest microbiome science from Pendulum. Visit pendulumlife.com and use code BEINGWELL for 20% off your first month of membership.Discover your full genetic potential by uploading your existing DNA test results at genomelink.io. No trial period, no credit card, and no hidden fees!Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the underlying threads that runs through many of our conversations on Being Well is our relationship with our “self”. On this episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk with neuroscientist, mindfulness researcher, and bestselling author Dr. Jud Brewer about where we can find the “self” in the brain, and the benefits of relaxing our attachment to it.About our Guest: Dr. Jud Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences at the School of Public Health and Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University. He is the executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare, and a research affiliate at MIT. His bestselling books include Unwinding Anxiety and The Craving Mind.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction1:45: What is a “self”?5:10: Distinguishing consciousness, person, and self7:25: Can there be a unified sense of self in an everchanging psychological process?11:50: Selfing and what triggers a sense of “me”15:20: Evolutionary speculations about the origins of selfing18:50: Predictive processing and personal associations21:55: How Jud responds to selfing28:10: The unicorn metaphor of self and relief in sensory experience36:45: The experience of addiction and anxiety40:50: Somatic markers and distinguishing healthy vs. unhealthy desires41:40: Letting go vs. straining to create a self45:40: Underlying neurological components of the self56:30: The fluidity of awareness without self58:30: When and how does the default mode network become functional?1:03:00: Neuro-psychedelic research and unlearning1:07:15: Having a self vs. taking ourselves personally1:11:00: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Have a question for us? Email: contact@beingwellpodcast.com to submit questions or potential topics you'd like us to explore in future episodes.Sponsors:Visit athleticgreens.com/BEINGWELL to take ownership over your health, and pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance!Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!Want to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Discover your full genetic potential by uploading your existing DNA test results at genomelink.io. No trial period, no credit card, and no hidden fees!Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, they discuss managing emotions during difficult times, including anxiety calming exercises, feeling your feelings, resourcing yourself, showing compassion, using humor, getting educated, making a plan, and taking action. They also highlight the importance of supporting Ukraine through donations to charities.

In this podcast, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss the concept of failure and disappointment, exploring its different forms and perspectives. They delve into the brain's response to loss and the cultural attitudes towards failure. They highlight the importance of managing expectations and developing resilience. They also discuss the role of family experiences and childhood narratives in coping with failure. The podcast emphasizes the value of failure as an opportunity for growth and learning, and provides strategies for managing the pain of failure and setting up feedback systems. Overall, it offers valuable insights on how to cope with failure and disappointment in a constructive way.

Todd Kashdan, a psychologist and Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, dives deep into the balance between conformity and authenticity. He discusses how we can express principled insubordination while upholding prosocial values. The conversation highlights the importance of curiosity in fostering societal change and the role of emotional complexity in self-awareness. Kashdan also shares strategies for navigating dissent, empowering listeners to stand up for what they believe while maintaining meaningful connections.

We explore a lot of big ideas on this show, and alongside them a lot of specific tactics and frameworks that can support people in growing and changing for the better. This includes everything from how to get the most out of therapy, to how to deal with traumatic experiences, to how to manage a variety of psychological conditions and individual tendencies. There’s a question that underlies all of these domains: how does personal healing actually work?On today’s episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss the fundamental strategies that allow us to become aware of and integrate all parts of ourselves–those we want to celebrate and expand, and those we’d like to heal and change.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction3:00: Overview of psychological patterns related to healing7:25: Forrest’s personal journey as a case study13:15: Rick assessing Forrest’s narrative from a psychologist’s perspective15:45: Cognizing and other stories we tell to avoid parts of ourselves20:40: Showing appreciation for our defenses, completing patterns26:50: Catharsis and ways to reach it39:15: Practical ways to reclaim and reconnect with parts of yourself43:45: Playing with the nature of identity/ego47:00: Self-forgiveness and celebrating what you’re good at50:05: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Have a question for us? Email: contact@beingwellpodcast.com to submit questions or potential topics you'd like us to explore in future episodes.Sponsors:Get the probiotic rooted in the latest microbiome science from Pendulum, and use code BEINGWELL for 20% off your purchase.Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re incredibly lucky to have such an engaged and interested group of people listening to the podcast, and because of that we regularly receive a lot of interesting questions via email and social media (links below). On today’s episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson dive into a few of these questions, discussing topics such as: how to manage family relationships, principles for approaching life’s changes, and what kind of therapy Rick actually practices.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction2:00: Bringing up challenges with family when times are already hard.11:25: What kind of therapy does Rick practice?19:15: Taking financial risks to experience life vs. creating financial security30:00: “Neurons that fire together wire together” explained34:05: Developing a connection with your inner child/younger self if your childhood was filled with painful experiences41:40: Managing challenges between your family and your partner54:15: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Have a question for us? Email: contact@beingwellpodcast.com to submit questions or potential topics you'd like us to explore in future episodes. Sponsors:Find the new CBD+ performance gummies and the whole dosist health line-up today at dosisthealth.com. Use promo code BEINGWELL20 for 20% off your purchase. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kaira Jewel Lingo, a former Buddhist nun at the Plum Village community under the guidance of Thich Naht Han, joins Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson to explore how we can cultivate trust and equanimity in the face of uncertainty. They discuss the somatic experience of opening to the unknown, taking action as an antidote to anxiety, and how to have equanimity both when things work out...and when they don’t.About our Guest: Kaira Jewel Lingo is a Buddhist teacher who weaves mindfulness and meditation practice with social justice. At the age of 25, she became a Buddhist nun at the Plum Village community in France under the guidance of Thich Naht Han, where she stayed for 15 years. She became a Zen teacher in 2007, and is also a teacher in the Vipassana/Insight tradition through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Finally, she is the author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons for Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption.Recording Note: This episode was recorded before the passing of Thich Naht Han.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction1:45: Kaira Jewel’s background2:35: Trust in times of major change9:10: Two kinds of uncertainty14:10: Store consciousness and trusting the unknown18:50: Somatic contraction and expansion23:05: Responding to the truth of suffering with joyful engagement30:50: Practicing equanimity42:10: Defining equanimity43:30: How to return to center in unstable moments48:20: Body-based equanimity exercise50:50: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors:From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. Find the new CBD+ performance gummies and the whole dosist health line-up today at dosisthealth.com. Use promo code BEINGWELL20 for 20% off your purchase. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So many forces in our brains, bodies, and culture move us toward the experience of scarcity – that something is missing, that we don’t have enough, and that we never will have enough. The feeling of scarcity both feels bad in itself, and is also the creator and amplifier of so many other challenges we face. On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson talk about what a scarcity and an abundance mindset is, what some sources of scarcity are, and how we can move to an authentic experience of abundance.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction2:35: Defining scarcity and abundance 6:45: Why are we biologically predisposed towards scarcity?17:05: When to relax and expand20:20: Scarcity at the cultural level26:20: Critique of promoting an “abundance mindset” and a practical definition30:45: Orienting to a sense of abundance 38:05: Motivating with punishment vs reward40:55: Abundance in objectively difficult times47:15: Specific ways to shift from scarcity to abundance58:45: A sense of wonder and groundedness1:01:25: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors:From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. Find the new CBD+ performance gummies and the whole dosist health line-up today at dosisthealth.com. Use promo code BEINGWELL20 for 20% off your purchase. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people abandon their New Year's Resolutions by mid-January. This often occurs because people make resolutions based on what they feel like they should want, rather than what they actually do want. In other words, their goals and resolutions aren’t in alignment with their purpose.On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson discuss how we can identify and pursue our purpose, and why it’s so valuable to have one in the first place. They explore questions and strategies that can help us develop clarity on what we find meaningful, what our core values are, and how we’d like to spend our time.Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.Key Topics:0:00: Introduction3:00: Why spend time discussing how to have a purpose?11:00: Nonverbal ways to establish yourself in your purpose12:50: Ways to be flexible that make purpose accessible17:45: Fresh starts help us retain freedom in the present21:20: How to listen to yourself when it's unclear what you want26:05: Getting feedback from others and abandoning doomed pursuits32:10: Moving past the inner critic and fear of letting others down38:10: Five questions to ask yourself48:15: Soul work and sacredness50:30: Doing what helps you look at things differently54:10: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.Sponsors:From Dr. Hanson: The Foundations of Well-Being brings together the lessons of a lifetime of practice into one year-long online program. Podcast listeners can use the code BEINGWELL25 at checkout for an additional 25% off! Please don't hesitate to apply for a scholarship if you're in need. Find the new CBD+ performance gummies and the whole dosist health line-up today at dosisthealth.com. Use promo code BEINGWELL20 for 20% off your purchase. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Want to sleep better? Try the legendary Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices