Episodes
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Dr. Rick and Forrest answer listener questions about perfectionism, performance anxiety, trauma, and relationships. They explore how early praise for being “gifted” can create a fear of failure and contribute to “failure to launch,” and share ways to shift from focusing on an idealized future to appreciating your actual self right now. They discuss learned helplessness, the freeze response, and practical ways to build agency and vitality to counter feelings of powerlessness. Other topics include the differences between borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder, overcoming performance anxiety, and how to decide which friendships are worth investing in.
Key Topics:
02:30: Gifted kid syndrome and fear of failure
08:00: Moving from potential to presence
15:50: Performance anxiety and perfectionism
18:50: Redefining success through process goals
22:30: Learned helplessness and the freeze response
29:30: Reclaiming agency and vitality
38:00: Failure to launch in adulthood
45:00: BPD vs. Bipolar disorder
55:00: Rethinking modern friendship advice
1:03:34: Recap
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Forrest is joined by associate therapist Elizabeth Ferreira to discuss parts work, psychological defenses, and how real change happens. They talk about the inner child work Forrest recently did during an episode with renowned therapist Terry Real, and how that led to meaningful changes in their relationship. Elizabeth and Forrest unpack the therapeutic process Terry led Forrest through, and discuss clinical technique, why small shifts can lead to big changes, the challenges of working with developmentally young material, and why insight alone is rarely enough.
The episode with Terry we refer to throughout this conversation is titled “Terry Real: Relationships, Trauma, and Inner Child Work.” Here’s the Spotify link.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
2:40: Elizabeth’s reaction to Forrest’s work with Terry
5:05: Avoidance vs. anxiety
7:21: Unpacking Terry Real’s therapeutic approach
14:37: Avoiding through “fixing”
20:54: What’s changed since then?
31:00: Elizabeth’s experience with inner child work
42:32: How does real change happen?
51:54: “You can’t make your partner change.”
55:15: Recap
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Life today is safer and more comfortable than ever before, so why do so many people feel unhappy, lonely, and anxious? Forrest talks with evolutionary psychologist Dr. William von Hippel about this paradox in light of our two core needs: autonomy and connection. He argues that modern life has pushed us too far in the direction of autonomy, and that we need to reclaim connection in order to find happiness.
They discuss how our evolutionary past shaped our needs for autonomy and connection, the tension between them, and why social connection matters so much for our well-being. They also touch on gender and cultural differences, common misunderstandings about evolutionary psychology, and what people can do to create more balanced and connected lives today.
About our Guest: Dr. William von Hippel is an evolutionary psychologist and former professor at the University of Queensland. He has authored over 150 scientific publications including his books The Social Leap and The Social Paradox.
Key Topics:
0:00: Why hasn’t modern life made us happier?
3:20: The evolution of autonomy and connection
10:15: How modern life favors autonomy over connection
18:10: “Sad success stories,” and the cost of competence
20:00: Competence vs warmth as social signals
26:00: Evolutionary mismatch, and its impact on well-being
29:00: How to understand evolutionary psychology
34:00: Evolved gender differences in autonomy and connection
42:00: Balancing sociocultural and evolutionary differences
49:00: What do those gender differences look like in practice?
55:50: Finding a healthy balance between autonomy and connection
1:08:55: Recap
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Forrest is joined by renowned therapist Terry Real and his son Justin for a frank exploration of modern masculinity. They talk about why so many men feel like they’re struggling these days, and how the traditional model of masculinity perpetuates this problem.
They discuss the appeal of red pill cultures, the cultural pushback against gender equality, and how to convince men that the answer is not more dominance but more connection. Other topics include emotional intelligence, creating fulfilling relationships, and how men can claim a healthier understanding of strength.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:50: Terry on patriarchy and male disconnection
7:56: Justin on being raised in an emotionally aware environment
11:34: The problem of male invulnerability
14:35: What do women actually want?
18:10: Strength, relationality, and loving power
27:50: Common patterns in therapy
35:20: The performance of masculinity
49:01: Parenting, gender literacy, and fatherhood
52:10: Selling this to men, and the need for new models
59:48: Recap
Rick’s Change Your Mind Course: Learn how to break old scripts, get some space around self-doubting thoughts, and act in a new way. Six-week course starts June 21, learn more about it at RickHanson.com/changing. Use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive 25% off.
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
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We’ve all had moments where we watch ourselves make the exact wrong choice: procrastinating on an important task, picking a fight in a good relationship, or pulling back just when things are starting to go well. This is self-sabotage, and in this episode Dr. Rick and Forrest explore why we do it and how to stop.
They talk about how self-sabotage often serves as a form of psychological self-protection, and why doing well can feel like a threat to our identity, before discussing avoidance coping, the conflict between aspects of who we are, and why we stay safe rather than stepping forward. Along the way, they offer practical strategies for updating outdated internal models, working with different parts of ourselves, and building the inner resources that make real change possible.
Change Your Mind with Rick: Learn how to break old patterns and change the thoughts that keep you stuck with Rick’s six-week online course on the science of changing your mind. Learn more at RickHanson.com/changing and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
2:05: What is self-sabotage, really?
6:10: Why self-sabotage is often a form of protection
10:20: Avoidance coping and the logic of “safe failure”
14:40: The identity cost of doing well
18:55: Internal conflict and the parts model
26:15: Challenge vs. threat: how the brain evaluates risk
32:05: Real-life examples of self-sabotage
37:30: How to begin working with self-sabotaging parts
45:45: Working with self-destructive parts
51:10: Creating safer conditions for growth
57:25: Building a feedback loop that reinforces trust
1:02:40: Recap and additional take-aways
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
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What gets in the way of truly intimate, healthy relationships…and what can we do about it? In this moving episode, Forrest is joined by renowned couples therapist Terry Real to explore how we can build deeper, more meaningful connections.
They unpack key concepts from Relational Life Therapy, including the shift from “me” to “us,” the difference between the adaptive child and wise adult, and how to stay grounded during conflict through relational mindfulness. Terry explains how individualism and patriarchal conditioning fuel disconnection, and how therapy can help couples move from power struggles to true collaboration. A highlight of the episode is a live experiential process, where Terry guides Forrest through some inner child work.
About our Guest: Terry Real is a family therapist, speaker, and bestselling author known for his groundbreaking work on men, masculinity, and relationships. He is the founder of Relational Life Therapy (RLT) and the author of several books including The New Rules of Marriage and Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:34: Systemic thinking in therapy, and the cultural forces that shape relationships
9:00: RLT and confrontation in therapy
12:58: The Adaptive Child, Wise Adult, and how internal parts shape how we relate
17:13: Relational mindfulness, and moving from 'me' to 'us'
27:12: Fierce intimacy: why telling the truth is more loving than being “nice”
30:16: Psychological patriarchy, and how it ruins our relationships
43:28: Experiential process: Terry guides Forrest through inner child work
54:07: How patriarchal norms distort emotional connection for men
1:06:24: Recap
Rick’s Change Your Mind Course: Learn how to break old scripts, get some space around self-doubting thoughts, and act in a new way. Six-week course starts June 21, learn more about it at RickHanson.com/changing. Use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive 25% off.
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Head to acornsearly.com/beingwell or download the Acorns Early app to help your kids grow their money skills today.
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Forrest is joined by therapist Kimberley Quinlan to explore one of the most misunderstood anxiety disorders: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Drawing from her clinical and personal experience, Kimberley breaks down what OCD is, how it differs from general anxiety, and the ways it’s often mischaracterized.
They discuss the core features of obsessions and compulsions, and how these can manifest across a wide range of themes, including harm, contamination, morality, and relationships. Kimberley explains how Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) works, what makes an exposure “good,” and how to build tolerance for distress rather than trying to eliminate it. They also touch on self-compassion, the role of medication, and the stigmas that can keep people from getting help.
About our Guest: Kimberley Quinlan is a licensed marriage and family therapist, author, host of the popular Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast, and the founder of CBTschool.com.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:19: Kimberley’s personal experience with OCD
3:36: What is OCD? Obsessions vs. compulsions
8:18: The relationship between trauma (PTSD) and OCD in Kimberley’s experience
11:12: ERP and approaches to treatment
17:14: Differences between clinical ERP and informal exposure practices
24:30: Imaginal exposures for fears that can’t be physically enacted
28:52: Resourcing for exposure
30:26: What if exposure goes poorly?
34:38: Role of self-compassion in OCD treatment
37:02: Considering medication: benefits, stigma, and SSRIs
42:52: Unhooking from intrusive thoughts: ACT, mindfulness, DBT
53:59: “How can I make this my bravest day?”
57:45: Recap
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
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In this very fun episode, Dr. Rick and Forrest open the mailbag and answer questions from listeners about people pleasing, the potential (and pitfalls) of using AI as a therapist, and what to do when you develop strong feelings for your therapist. They discuss existential themes like aloneness and agency, whether Gandalf would have made a good therapist, and close with some heartfelt thoughts about what supports a long and loving relationship.
Rick’s Attachment Course: Rick is offering a 5-week course on healing insecure attachment that helps people work through attachment issues and improve their relationships. All the sessions are up now, and there's a live Q&A event on May 27, 2025 at 12pm PT via Zoom. You can learn more at RickHanson.com/attachment and get 25% off with coupon code BeingWell25.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction and Opening Banter
2:50: Question 1: People-Pleasing vs. Prosocial Advice for Depression
6:10: Follow-Up: Do We Train Others to Ignore Our Needs?
11:20: Creating Reciprocal Relationships
12:23: Question 2: AI as a Therapist
31:16: Question 3: Sexual Transference in Therapy
39:56: Question 4: Is Remembering That We’re ‘Ultimately Alone’ Helpful?
56:55: Question 5: What’s the Secret to a Long and Happy Marriage?
1:07:13: Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
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Dr. Rick and Forrest explore disorganized, or “fearful,” attachment. This complex style occurs when emotional intimacy and distance both feel uncomfortable, and typically arises based on difficult life experiences. They unpack why this attachment pattern forms, what it feels like on the inside, and how it can change over time. Dr. Rick explains how to break the Catch-22 of disorganized attachment, and how fully embracing and expressing your needs can be the key to finding stability. Topics include hypersensitivity, repression, experiencing out, self-regulation, and why "boring" relationships can be transformative.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
2:20: How attachment theory developed, and how it has evolved
11:20: How attachment styles shift based on life experience
15:25: Social environment and internal reliability
23:55: The catch 22 of healing disorganized attachment
29:35: Leveraging coping mechanisms for healing
32:20: Hypersensitivity and embracing your need for attunement
39:50: Repression, and experiencing out
45:45: Recognizing what’s true, and how reality is reliable
48:25: Caring for the body, and innate self-love
53:45: Unique therapeutic approaches to disorganized attachment styles
55:25: Embracing what you really want, and creating a coherent narrative
58:40: Bottom-up self-regulation, self-trust, and internalizing positive feedback
1:04:20: When stable relationships are “boring”
1:06:55: Self-respect and freedom in communication
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Head to acornsearly.com/beingwell or download the Acorns Early app to help your kids grow their money skills today.
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Forrest is joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Scott Eilers to explore how he both treats and lives with chronic depression. They discuss anhedonia, the catch-22 of treatment resistance, how to build new practices when it’s the last thing you want to do, acceptance, and how a values-based approach can help someone move forward even when they’re feeling stuck. The conversation touches on some of the existential aspects of depression, the therapeutic relationship, and finding some humor along the way.
About Our Guest: Dr. Scott Eilers is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and mental health coach specializing in severe, treatment-resistant mood and anxiety disorders. He is the author of For When Everything Is Burning and hosts the podcast The Psychology of Depression and Anxiety.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:25: Scott’s personal experience of depression
5:45: Distinguishing sadness from depression, and depression vs. a depressing life
9:25: Choosing action, and emotional budgeting
19:10: Symptoms as obstacles, and when to establish new practices
24:45: Navigating emotional numbness, and creating rewarding experiences
31:30: Loneliness, and the struggle to be witnessed
37:45: Accepting how things are, and aiming for better instead of perfect
48:35: AI therapy
54:30: Finding out who you are and what you care about
59:15: Humor, sarcasm, and snarkiness
1:02:50: Recap
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Head to acornsearly.com/beingwell or download the Acorns Early app to help your kids grow their money skills today.
Get Notion Mail for free right now at notion.com/beingwell, and try the inbox that thinks like you
For a limited time, get Headspace FREE for 60 days. Go to Headspace.com/BEINGWELL60.
Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell.
Go to ZOE.com and find out what ZOE Membership could do for you. Use code WELL10 to get 10% off membership.
Go to Zocdoc.com/BEING to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.
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Forrest is joined by poet and author Diego Perez - better known as Yung Pueblo - for a live conversation recorded at City Arts & Lectures in San Francisco. They reunite the sensitive boys club to talk about how inner work transforms our relationships, what it means to love with an open hand, and the difference between attachment and commitment. Diego shares how his meditation practice reshaped his life and partnership, how he and his wife built a new culture of honesty together, and why real love always shows you what you need to work on.
About our Guest: Yung Pueblo is a poet, meditator, and the bestselling author of five books, including How to Love Better: The Path to Deeper Connection Through Growth, Kindness, and Compassion.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
4:55: Diego’s personal background, and how he came to meditation
9:25: How meditation affects your relationships
13:40: Attachment vs. commitment, and developing comfort with receiving love
20:50: The student mentality, spiritual arrogance, and ‘don’t know mind’
26:45: Preventative communication
30:40: Being in a relationship when both partners are constantly evolving
35:55: What happens on a silent retreat
40:45: How “advanced meditators” argue, and how to have a low stakes relationship check-in
47:45: Rebuilding after past hurt
54:50: Diego’s relationship with the internet, and why he goes by Yung Pueblo
59:35: RecapSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Head to fastgrowingtrees.com/BEINGWELL to get 15% off the best deals for your yard. Use BEINGWELL at checkout, and take advantage of their Alive and Thrive Guarantee!
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Can we really change our personalities? In this episode, Forrest is joined by someone who’s actually tried most of the things we talk about on the podcast: journalist and author Olga Khazan. Olga shares the personal experiments that led to her becoming more extroverted and agreeable, and less neurotic. They discuss the Big Five personality traits, how behavior shapes identity, the role of self-concept, authenticity, and some of the common challenges people face when trying to change a core aspect of who they are.
About Our Guest: Olga Khazan is a writer at The Atlantic, where she covers health, culture, and the complexities of human behavior. She's the author of Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World and her new book Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:15: Olga’s personal background with personality change
5:20: Age, extroversion, self-concept, and Olga’s improv classes
10:10: Unconditional positive regard, meditation, and mindfulness
20:55: Trying on different traits, and acceptance vs. change
24:25: Conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, and individualism
36:20: Changing at the ‘trait level’, and the changes Olga has embraced most
43:50: Psychedelics, non-self, and identifying what’s really true
53:50: Nature vs. nurture and the aspects we can’t change
56:30: Parenting and personality change
1:02:05: Recap
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
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Dr. Lindsay Gibson joins Forrest to explore emotional immaturity, the consequences of growing up with emotionally immature caregivers, and what we can do to change those patterns in adulthood. They discuss the key signs of emotional immaturity, including egocentrism, low empathy, and affective realism. Dr. Gibson then shares how having an emotionally immature parent affects children, often by leading to emotional disconnection and people-pleasing, and the consequences of these patterns in adult life. Topics include the problems with “just be more compassionate,” estrangement, balancing competing desires, and how to heal in adulthood by reconnecting with your feelings, letting go of old fantasies, and setting healthy boundaries.
About our Guest: Dr. Lindsay Gibson is a clinical psychologist and the author of the Emotional Immaturity series of books, including her bestseller Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:15: How Dr. Gibson defines emotional immaturity
6:45: Markers of emotional immaturity in parents
11:05: Emotional intelligence in children, loneliness, and regulating parents
19:05: The arc of recovery, responding to feelings with thoughts, and healthy guidance
31:00: Repeating patterns in relationships
36:15: Letting go of the healing fantasy, and when to take space
42:45: Estrangement, compassion, boundary setting, and becoming more authentic
58:45: When healthy change creates social pressure
1:01:55: Common misconceptions about emotional immaturity
1:06:05: Recap
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Head to fastgrowingtrees.com/BEINGWELL to get 15% off the best deals for your yard. Use BEINGWELL at checkout, and take advantage of their Alive and Thrive Guarantee!
Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell.
Go to ZOE.com and find out what ZOE Membership could do for you. Use code WELL10 to get 10% off membership.
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Connect with the show:
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Forrest and Dr. Rick explore how self-concept, the invisible architecture of who we are, shapes our lives. They discuss how identity can become a cage, the unconscious beliefs we have about who we are, and how loosening those beliefs might be the key to lasting change.
Forrest and Rick talk about the science of psychological flexibility, how to challenge limiting self-beliefs, and why a little more “don’t-know mind” can go a long way. They share insights from Carl Rogers, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Buddhist philosophy, and focus on practical ways to update your self-concept without losing who you are.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:40: What is self-concept?
8:25: Stories, frameworks, and expectations
13:30: ‘I’ vs. ‘me’, and feeling misunderstood
16:55: Carl Rogers’ framework of self-concept and congruence
24:20: Common tropes for defending identity
30:45: Applying principles of biological evolution to your sense of self
34:50: Resistance to change, and misguided beliefs
40:35: Don’t-know mind, affirmation, and taking in the good
47:30: The Buddhist conception of the self
53:40: Living in direct experience, and basic trust
56:50: Recap
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
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Forrest and Dr. Rick explore one of his most powerful psychological tools: linking. Over time, linking can help us rewire the brain, softening the impact of painful memories. They discuss the neuroscience behind this process, the role of memory reconsolidation, and the importance of matching positive experiences to our original pains. Rick shares personal examples, practical tips, and a few important cautions so you can apply this technique safely. This is a grounded, hands-on episode focused on one of his most high-impact ideas.
Warning: There is a brief mention of SA toward the end of the episode.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:45: What is linking?
5:30: The relationship between linking and memory, and coherence therapy
12:20: The challenges with linking, and making the positive stronger than the negative
20:40: How to practice linking
31:00: How to disentangle our adult selves from our ‘parts’
39:30: The “erasure protocol”
53:15: How long it takes for linking to help, and key questions to ask yourself
1:02:05: Recap
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Dr. Rick and Forrest answer questions focused on navigating common relationship conflicts, focusing on situations where people need to find a middle path between different needs. The discussion covers balancing sensitivity with directness, bridging differences in emotional processing speeds, setting healthy boundaries without anger, and understanding how childhood patterns influence adult relationships. Throughout, they explore how couples can move from seeing issues as "me problems" to "we problems," emphasizing the importance of being on the same team and strengthening connection.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:50: How do I know if I’m being too sensitive or my partner’s being too harsh?
13:30: I need space to process; my partner wants to resolve things immediately. How do we bridge the gap?
20:55: How do I determine whether or not a relationship problem is a dealbreaker?
33:00: How can I discern between rumination and useful anxiety?
41:40: How can I honor my need for self-protection while maintaining my naturally open heart?
49:15: If parents have certain problematic traits, are their children more likely to develop those traits as well?
56:00: Recap
Rumination Course: Rick’s 5-week online course Breaking Out of Rumination starts on March 29th. Rumination is a big pain point for many people, and this course will help you learn how to break repetitive patterns of thought. Learn more at RickHanson.com/ruminating, and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount.
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
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Go to ZOE.com and find out what ZOE Membership could do for you. Use code WELL10 to get 10% off membership.
Field of Greens from Brickhouse Nutrition is a superfood powder packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Use the code BEINGWELL at fieldofgreens.com for 20% off your first order.
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In one of my favorite conversations, bestselling author David Epstein joins the podcast to explore how to find your path in life, the problem with 10,000 hours, and why generalists triumph in a specialized world. David and I discuss why sampling different paths before specializing tends to lead to more fulfillment. David explains why feeling "behind" is actually normal for successful people who take non-linear paths, and how "fit looks like grit" when you find something that genuinely connects with your strengths and interests. We then detail how to identify good fits, a practical process for getting good at almost anything, and what helps create a breakthrough moment.
About our Guest: David Epstein is a bestselling author, science writer, and investigative reporter known for challenging conventional wisdom about peak performance. His books include Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and The Sports Gene.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction and summary of David’s work
1:25: The benefits of generalism and an unusual background
4:15: Feeling behind, and David vs. Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours
11:40: Curiosity, transferable skills, and comfort with failure
21:40: Problems with specialization, and the value of consistent learning
27:10: Beginner’s mind and the eight lane highway
31:35: Finding what you want to do, and the value of constraint
41:35: Doing what’s in front of you, and Frances Hesselbein
45:55: How to actually get good at something
54:20: More on getting comfortable with failure
1:00:10: Autonomy, flow, and just picking something
1:04:00: What creates the “breakthrough moment”?
1:11:30: Recap
Rumination Course: Rick’s 5-week online course Breaking Out of Rumination starts on March 29th. Rumination is a big pain point for many people, and this course will help you learn how to break repetitive patterns of thought. Learn more at RickHanson.com/ruminating, and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount.
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Zocdoc helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care you need. Head to zocdoc.com/being and download the Zocdoc app for FREE.
Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell.
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BEINGWELL at https://www.oneskin.co/
Go to ZOE.com and find out what ZOE Membership could do for you. Use code WELL10 to get 10% off membership.
Field of Greens from Brickhouse Nutrition is a superfood powder packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Use the code BEINGWELL at fieldofgreens.com for 20% off your first order.
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Self-awareness is a good thing…right? In this episode, Forrest and Dr. Rick Hanson explore how we can stop overthinking and break the self-awareness trap: when knowing ourselves becomes an obstacle to change. They discuss the difference between reflection and rumination, the pitfalls of being "an expert on yourself," and why overthinking is often an avoidance mechanism disguised as problem-solving. Dr. Rick shares practical strategies for managing attention, setting boundaries around decisions, and cultivating an experimental mindset.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Rumination Course: Rick’s 5-week online course Breaking Out of Rumination starts on March 29th. Rumination is a big pain point for many people, and this course will help you learn how to break repetitive patterns of thought. Learn more at RickHanson.com/ruminating, and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:40: When self-awareness gets in the way
8:15: Rumination vs. reflection
13:25: Developing passion for the ‘useful truth’, and working with obsession
16:45: Beginner’s mind and self-concept
25:15: The 90/10 approach to overthinking
31:15: Seeing what’s liberating, naming what’s important, seeing your full self
35:05: Managing your attention, and self-trust
42:00: Thinking vs. taking useful action
50:35: Letting yourself experiment
54:00: Self-acceptance, and having a spirit of openness
58:10: Avoiding the unknown
1:00:35: Recap
I am now writing on Substack, check out my work there.
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Zocdoc helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care you need. Head to zocdoc.com/being and download the Zocdoc app for FREE.
Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell.
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BEINGWELL at https://www.oneskin.co/
Go to ZOE.com and find out what ZOE Membership could do for you. Use code WELL10 to get 10% off membership.
Field of Greens from Brickhouse Nutrition is a superfood powder packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Use the code BEINGWELL at fieldofgreens.com for 20% off your first order.
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There’s never been more information out there about psychology, self-improvement, and mental health, making it easy to get lost in the details and lose sight of what matters. In this special episode, Forrest and Dr. Rick apply the 90/10 rule to psychology and self-help: what are the small handful of things that tend to make the biggest difference for people?
You’ll learn why most self-help advice should probably be ignored, how to simplify your approach to happiness and personal growth, and what actually moves the needle when it comes to feeling better, getting unstuck, and building a fulfilling life.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Rumination Course: Rick’s 5-week online course Breaking Out of Rumination starts on March 29th. Rumination is a big pain point for many people, and this course will help you learn how to break repetitive patterns of thought. Learn more at RickHanson.com/ruminating, and use coupon code BeingWell25 to receive a 25% discount.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
2:00: Putting the big rocks in first
8:40: Root factors of well-being
15:15: Satisfaction, and what helps us rest easy
26:05: Avoidance, and responding to our own objections
32:35: Finding what matters to you, spirituality, and creative expression
36:25: Small, consistent action
39:50: Relationships and the power of repair
43:00: Stress, self-regulation, and creating space around your thoughts
48:55: Identifying your broken link, and the role of integrity
53:30: Allostatic load, and acknowledging when you’ve done your best
1:00:00: Being on your own side, pursuit mindset, and benefiting others
1:03:40: Self-concept, and joining the defense
1:06:00: Bottom up regulation, and taking one thing at a time
1:10:35: Recap
I am now writing on Substack, check out my work there.
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Field of Greens from Brickhouse Nutrition is a superfood powder packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Use the code BEINGWELL at fieldofgreens.com for 20% off your first order.
Head to acorns.com/beingwell or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future
Zocdoc helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care you need. Head to zocdoc.com/being and download the Zocdoc app for FREE.
Use promo code hanson at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan at incogni.com/hanson.
Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell.
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BEINGWELL at https://www.oneskin.co/
Go to ZOE.com and find out what ZOE Membership could do for you. Use code WELL10 to get 10% off membership.
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Dr. Rick and Forrest explore how we can improve focus and fix our attention spans in a world that is constantly trying to distract us. They discuss common reasons it’s hard to focus and three key interventions that can help most people. Rick teaches approaches from mindfulness practice, and Forrest explains how we can improve focus motivation and distress tolerance. Topics include ADHD, the role of dopamine, expanding the “Goldilocks Zone,” the practice of doing hard things, and how we can become less reliant on willpower.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
5:25: Three key areas where we seek focus
9:10: Self-belief and inner turmoil
14:10: Three factors for sustaining focus
20:50: The goldilocks zone, physical health, and emotional preoccupation
24:40: Difficulties with meditation and mindfulness
32:40: Willpower vs. motivation
40:20: Quieting the mind
41:25: Decreasing the reward value of our distractions
48:35: Being present with others
54:05: ‘Going wide’, self-compassion, and other tactics for completing tasks
1:02:10: Choice and rumination
1:06:15: Recap
I am now writing on Substack, check out my work there.
Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.
Sponsors
Field of Greens from Brickhouse Nutrition is a superfood powder packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Use the code BEINGWELL at fieldofgreens.com for 20% off your first order.
Head to acorns.com/beingwell or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future
Zocdoc helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care you need. Head to zocdoc.com/being and download the Zocdoc app for FREE.
Use promo code hanson at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan at incogni.com/hanson.
Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell.
Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BEINGWELL at https://www.oneskin.co/
Transform your health with the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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