Being Well With Dr. Rick Hanson

We all have good days and bad days. Our mood naturally trends up and down in response to the events of our constantly changing worlds. But some people change more frequently, and are hit harder by change than others. On today’s episode, Dr. Hanson and Forrest continue their series on “Who Am I” by exploring at a particularly intense, and surprisingly common, version of this: Borderline Personality Disorder. Today's episode is a bit longer and more technical than normal. I hope you stick with it, but feel free to skip around! Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 03:01: What is borderline personality disorder (BPD)? 18:09: How do people with BPD respond to everyday issues? 22:52: What are the traits of somebody who has “10% BPD”? 32:10: How can people with tendencies toward BPD learn to manage it more effectively? 40:40: If we are in a relationship with someone who has some level of BPD, what can we do to support them or otherwise make our re

We are so busy these days that it’s great to have just one thing to focus on: a simple theme each week to reflect on and be inspired by. On this short episode, Dr. Lyubomirsky shares the most important thing she does, each day, for her own happiness. Sign-up for Just One Thing from Dr. Rick Hanson here, and receive more simple practices for greater well-being.

To summarize and simplify a little bit, one of the major focuses of this podcast is the “how” of happiness – what we can actually do in our lives, practically speaking, to increase our natural foundation of happiness and well-being. There’s endless advice out there about how to become happier, but most of it is anecdotal in nature. That’s why we're so happy to be being joined today by one of the leading researchers on the scientific study of human happiness: Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Hanson's new online program Neurodharma, follow this link! Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price. Timestamps: 01:06: The “pie chart” of happiness. 04:52: What push-back have you received on your work? 06:49: What has a big role in the 40% of our happiness we control? 12:34: What can we do to handle “back-fre” effects? 14:26: Building the trait of happiness. 21:35: A message to your younger self.

Today we’re going to continue our series on “Who Am I” by looking at one of the most well-known personality disorders: sociopathy. We’ll explore what it is, where it comes from, and what we can do to interact more skillfully with people who possess it. We also spend a little time investigating how we can work with our own tendencies in that direction if we happen to possess them. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Hanson's new online program Neurodharma, follow this link! Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price. Timestamps: 01:05: Dr. Hanson's new online program: *Neurodharma*. 05:34: What are the attributes of anti-social personality disorder? 10:26: What does a person, showing a little bit of sociopathy, look like day-to-day? 18:12: Where does sociopathy comes from? 30:16: What can we do when in a relationship with a sociopathic person? 36:37: What can we do to make our relationships with "5% sociopaths" more positive? 44:30: Recap.

We made it to episode 101! On today's special episode, Forrest talks with Dr. Rick Hanson about his personal journey. If you would like to learn more about Dr. Hanson's new online program Neurodharma, follow this link! Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price. Timestamps: 01:30: What inspired you to become a psychologist? 05:34: What was it like to live through the hight of the human potential movement? 13:13: The influence of contemplative practice. 17:12: Becoming an author, and the process of writing Buddha's Brain. 24:02: What parts of your work are particularly exciting to you these days? 32:09: What have you found in your experience, on a day-to-day level, really makes the greatest difference?

We are so busy these days that it’s great to have just one thing to focus on: a simple theme each week to reflect on and be inspired by. On this short episode, Dr. Daniel Goleman and Michele Nevarez share the most important thing they do, each day, for their own happiness. Sign-up for Just One Thing from Dr. Rick Hanson here, and receive more simple practices for greater well-being.

Today we’re exploring one of the most important topics when it comes to our personal happiness, achievement, and general social functioning: Emotional Intelligence. And we have the absolute pleasure of speaking with one of the most influential people in that very important field. Today we’re joined by two special guests: Dr. Daniel Goleman and Michele Nevarez. You can put Dr. Goleman's expertise into practice with one of his flexible online courses. Want to become more emotionally intelligent? Learn more about getting coached here! Are you interested in becoming certified as an emotional intelligence coach? Follow the link here to learn more about Dr. Goleman's certification program! Timestamps: 01:07: What is the definition of “emotional intelligence,” and how is it different from IQ? 05:55: What are the key things that people can do to develop EQ in general? 10:31: A practice a day for greater EQ. 12:15: Why do you think it so effectivefor personal development to practice warm-heartedness? 14:19: How can we

We all have tendencies in our relationships, and particularly our important ones. Some of these are good, while others can be destructive. And sometimes we might find ourselves in cycles where the trajectory of all our important relationships tends to look the same. Today we’re continuing our series on “Who Am I” by taking a look at where those tendencies come from, and how we can work inside ourselves to relate to them and others more effectively. Sign-up for Dr. Hanson's new monthly meditation program here. Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price: https://bit.ly/2NEnVU3 Timestamps: 01:48: Do we have repetitive patterns in our relationships? 10:12: Social learning and object relations. 21:16: What can we do to be more aware of those damaging patterns? 24:18: Once we’ve recognized those damaging patterns, how do we change?

In the second part of their conversation with Dr. Kristin Neff, Forrest and Dr. Hanson speak with her about how we can be compassionate under challenging circumstances. Particularly, how can we bring strength to compassion without tipping into anger? Learn more about Dr. Neff's Mindful Self-Compassion program here. Sign-up for Dr. Hanson's new monthly meditation program here. Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price: https://bit.ly/2NEnVU3 Timestamps: 01:52: Can we have too much mindfulness? And what do we need in addition to mindfulness to support self-compassion? 06:30: Is there a gender bias in the material on self-compassion? How do people of different genders respond to it differently? 12:22: How can a person be both forceful and compassionate? 16:31: So if you had the opportunity to go back and talk to yourself as a child or young adult, what is something that you would want to say to that person?

We all have a negative voice that lives inside our heads, and it’s very challenging to perform at our best when we’re not kind and supportive of ourselves. Dr. Hanson and I began our book Resilient with a chapter dedicated to compassion, and particularly self-compassion. It’s the fundamental building block on which our personal growth rests. On this episode, Dr. Hanson and I are joined by one of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion, Dr. Kristin Neff. Dr. Neff is the Associate Professor of Human Development and Culture in the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Texas at Austin, and she was the first to operationally define and measure the construct over a decade ago. In addition to her pioneering research into self-compassion, she’s developed a program to teach self-compassion skills in daily life, co-created with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer. In the first part of our conversation, we explore the nature of self-compassion, including why it's such an essential skill for personal g

Forrest and Dr. Hanson answer two questions from listeners related to our important relationships. In the first part, they explore how can we raise resilient children. In the second, they focus on challenging workplace relationships. If you’d like to submit a question to be answered during a future mailbag, use the form on this page. Sign-up for Dr. Hanson's new monthly meditation program here. Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price: https://bit.ly/2NEnVU3 Timestamps: 00:40: What can we do to raise resilient children? 18:38: How can we deal with aggressive colleges in the workplace?

Intuition and personal insight can be powerful tools for determining our individual paths toward well being. But sometimes it's nice to refer to some good, old fashioned empirical evidence, and check in with what the research has to say about a given question! On this episode Dr. Hanson and Forrest are joined by Jason Marsh, the founding editor-in-chief of Greater Good Magazine, published by the Greater Good Science Center. Together they explore key, research-based insights into living a meaningful life. If you would like to receive the GGSC's newsletter, you can sign-up for it here! Sign-up for Dr. Hanson's new monthly meditation program here. Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price: https://bit.ly/2NEnVU3 Timestamps: 03:37: What do you mean by "Greater Good"? 05:42: The top 5 take-aways from the research on well-being and resilience. 12:53: Where do self-help trends come from? 15:39: Is there a body of research that you see emerging right now that you think could be the next big thing? 17:50:

Dr. Hanson and Forrest continue their series on “Who Am I” by exploring narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. Specifically, how can we take in the healthy narcissistic supplies we need to become confident, effective individuals without falling prey to unhealthy narcissistic tendencies? Sign-up for Dr. Hanson's new monthly meditation program here. Use the code BEINGWELL for 10% off the purchase price: https://bit.ly/2NEnVU3 Timestamps: 01:22: How would you, as a clinician, describe the spectrum of narcissism? 04:03: What’s narcissism at the 1%, 5% or even 10% mark? 07:36: How is narcissism distinct from just being confident? 12:47: Where does narcissism come from? 27:48: How can we take in healthy narcissistic supplies without becoming narcissists? 31:32: Should people with 10% narcissism still take in narcissistic supplies?

Dr. Hanson and Forrest answer questions from listeners that explore how we can release our attachment to different experiences, and learn to let go. If you'd like to submit a question, use the form on this page! Timestamps: 1:25: Dealing with a hoarding addiction. 15:23: The difference between chemical and natural states of mind. 24:11: Should we bring pharmaceuticals into our mindfulness practice?

Author and mindfulness teacher Oren Jay Sofer shares the one thing he does each day for his own well-being. Get more Just One Things from Dr. Rick Hanson here.

So much of our happiness and well-being comes back to how effectively we’re able to communicate with others – particularly in our important relationships. But how often are we our best selves? Are we able to hear others and speak our mind in a clear and kind way, without either becoming defensive or being excessively punishing and prosecutorial? To help us learn how to do just that, Forrest and Dr. Hanson are joined today by Oren Jay Sofer, the author of Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication. Learn more about Say What You Mean here Oren's website Timestamps: 1:38: What is Nonviolent Communication? 5:12: The true nature of Nonviolent Communication. 9:25: How this style of communication changes us. 15:08: Why should we communicate this way when other people don't? 20:26: How can we make demands of other people nonviolently? 32:13: If others don't communicate with us in good faith, should we still be nonviolent? 37:32: Lessons for your younger self.

During today's special mailbag episode, Dr. Hanson and Forrest answer questions from listeners related to things that can hijack our attention, specifically hysterical and violent forms of media. If you'd like to submit a question, use the form on this page! Royal Society Open Science Study Statement from the Society for Media Psychology and Technology of the American Psychological Association Consortium of Scholars Open Letter PNAS Metaanalysis Timestamps: 2:00: "I feel like our culture bombards us with hysteria. What can we do to stop it from influencing us?" 12:50: "Do violent video games, or other forms of media, cause children to become violent?" 24:45: "How much exposure to intense media would you allow your child?"

In part two of their conversation with Dr. Christine Carter, Dr. Hanson and Forrest explore the "Sweet Spot," that place of effortless effectiveness where we can be both productive and relaxed. Our relationships with other people are one of the major influences that can pull us out of that sweet spot, so they are once again a major focus during this episode. Support the Podcast: We're on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Key Topics: 0:25: What is the "sweet spot?" 3:30: What pulls us out of the sweet spot? 6:10: How can our important relationships pull us out of the sweet spot? 8:00: How can we know when we've stuck around in a relationship too long, or, on the other hand, when we're leaving too quickly? 10:00: What are things we can influence others on? And what things are unchangeable in our relationship? 14:35: How we can stand up for ourselves. 16:40: How fulfilling our duties fits into the sweet spot. 19:30: How we can find the sweet spot. 21:30: What would you say to your

Christine Carter shares the most important thing she does each day for her own well-being: finding the time to meditate and accept herself as she is. Sign up for Dr. Rick Hanson's free Just One Thing Newsletter here.

Parenting and forming strong intimate relationships can be challenging under the best of circumstances, and life is rarely perfect. In this episode Dr. Hanson and Forrest speak with Dr. Christine Carter, author of Raising Happiness and The Sweet Spot, about how we can form strong intimate relationships with our children, parents, and partners. This is the first part of two with Dr. Carter, the second episode in this series will be coming later this week. We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. If you'd like to start making real, positive changes to your brain and your life, but you don't have a lot of extra time, then you may want to check out Rick Hanson's new program: Just One Minute. Use the code BEINGWELL at checkout for 10% off the purchase price. Sponsors: Reset and rebalance with Recess, a sparkling water infused with hemp extract and adaptogens. Take 15% off your first order by using code BEINGWELL at checkout. Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the worl