Radio Headspace

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! We’re often so hard on ourselves for what we view as our “negative qualities.” Today, Dr. Shankar explores how to see the silver linings in our faults and learn to embrace those aspects. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” here. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here!

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Today, Dr. Shankar is shedding light on the science of human behavior and habits. She’ll explore how to make it easier to build new habits so you can achieve your long-term goals. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” here. Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here!

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Today, she discusses how we can forge a new (and maybe even better) path when obstacles get in our way. Dr. Shankar also shares her personal story of how she found a new passion after a sudden injury ended her career as a violinist, and how she later went on to become a senior advisor in the Obama White House. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya...

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Today is all about the impact that big changes can have on our self-identity. We’ll explore why we’re so attached to the labels we give ourselves and that other people give us. And how seeing our identities as more malleable can help us weather the storms that life inevitably sends our way. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal change and the science of human behavior, check out Dr. Maya Shankar’s podcast “A...

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Dr. Shankar hosts “A Slight Change of Plans,” a podcast all about who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Over the next several episodes, she’ll talk about how to work with change, instead of against it. Today is all about the illusion of control. When life gets in the way of our best laid plans, we don’t have to see it as a defeat. Instead, we can tap into our resilience and pivot gracefully. If you'd like to...

Sam explains how sensory awareness can affect our perception. For example, a cup of hot tea can evoke feelings of warmth and kindness, and help us feel more at ease. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here!

Studies show that greeting our shortcomings with self-compassion has proven to be more effective than being critical. When we speak to ourselves as a supportive friend, we greet our mistakes with a deep sense of safety and acceptance, feeling empowered to learn and grow instead of giving up. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here!

It’s hard sometimes to relate to each other, especially when there’s a big age and experience gap. But finding words to express how we feel can open the doors to understanding ourselves and the people around us. If you’d like to find words to identify your feelings or have a tool to communicate with others, peruse The Center for Nonviolent Communication Needs Words List here. And if you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free...

Sam talks about how her relationship to music has changed over the years, and how mindfulness can help us step back from the emotional reactivity that music can spark. This means we can still enjoy our favorite songs without overwhelming feelings of longing or nostalgia. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here!

It’s important to recognize the little things in life that bring us joy as it gives us the vital energy we need to do good in the world. We can find pleasure when we see a beautiful flower, drink a cup of tea, or practice a short mindfulness meditation. If you’d like to share how mindfulness has impacted your life, you can reach out to Sam on Instagram at @anchored_sam Try the Headspace app free for 30 days here!

Uncertainty can make us uncomfortable, so we often try to predict the future. But there can be beauty and even relief when we don’t know what’s going to happen. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam

Empathy and compassion are words that are closely linked, but often misunderstood. Sam breaks down these terms today, and shares some insight on how to draw boundaries while extending empathy and compassion to others. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam

Rocking your body rhythmically and syncing the movement to your breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system, putting us into “rest and digest” mode. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam

When you approach life with a growth mindset, you believe that your abilities can improve with practice. You see failure as a chance to learn and pivot. So how can we develop a growth mindset? For more information on the "four questions about a thought" mentioned in the episode, please refer to the book "Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life" by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell, and the website www.thework.com. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on...

If we think about cynicism’s true meaning, or what may be better captured by the term “skepticism” today, we realize that it encourages us to look deeply at our world, what we have accepted as the norm, and what needs to be changed and reimagined. If you’d like to connect with Sam, you can follow her on Instagram at @anchored_sam

Everything is interconnected and our lives are an opportunity to practice the skills and qualities that we learn in meditation. Join Eve’s weekly live meditation on Instagram @meditatewitheve

When we experience something that we enjoy, we want to hold onto it tightly and this can actually take us away from experiencing the joy of it. When we learn to let go of thoughts or feelings about things ending, we can be more present with the experience as it is.

Letting go of resentment is a journey. By learning to accept the pain we feel, we can begin to cultivate friendship towards ourselves and start to let go of the tight grip that resentment can have over us.

When we see suffering, our natural response is to want to do something about it. If we can apply that same logic to share in the joy of others, we can dramatically increase our ability to feel a sense of happiness.

When we practice mindfulness, we are cultivating more perspective. This extends outwards into our environment and can help us make more informed choices about the planet. Read Headspace’s article on climate anxiety here.