Audiobooks are booming in popularity and they are a fun way to boost mental health.

A calm voice can actually lower your stress hormones just like meditation does.

Publishers Weekly reports the audiobook industry grew 13% in revenue last year, marking more than a decade of double-digit growth. Americans are listening more than ever while while commuting, working out, or just winding down at night.

Lonely?

An audiobook can be surprisingly comforting. There's something about having a voice in your ear, telling you a story, that is intimate. That sense of connection is can really impact your mood.

Need to improve focus?

Stop scrolling and start listening. Give your busy brain a break.

Stressed out? A recent Gallup poll shows one in two Americans is stressed out every day.

The poll found it's affecting how much and how well we sleep. And women are slightly more stressed than men.

Dealing with that level of negative emotion is exhausting. But it doesn't have to be.

You can lessen stress in just minutes with a few resets to your routine and lifestyle.

What would you do if your whole life changed in one moment? Robert Paylor can actually answer that question because it happened to him.

He's defying odds and inspiring people across the country.

His new book is called Paralyzed to Powerful. It's equal parts memoir and motivation and tells the story of what happened after he suffered a catastrophic injury in a televised college rugby match in 2017.

Robert Paylor was a rugby star at Jesuit High School who went on to play for Cal Berkeley. His injury happened during an illegal play during the 2017 National Championships.

It left Robert a quadriplegic.

Paylor says, "On day one, I was told I'd be lucky if I could feed myself, so what I'm doing today is just sort of miraculous. And I'm taking everything I can get."

Paylor went through years of grueling rehabilitation and credits his athlete's mindset, faith and support from family and friends for all that happened next.

Paylor graduated with a business degree at Cal, became a motivational speaker, got married and is expecting his first child.

Life looks a lot different eight years later.

"I can walk 500 yards in my walker now. I've had about 80% return in my upper body and it continues to progress here 8 years out," says Paylor.

Get ready for a mindset masterclass.

Want an instant pick me up? The simple phrase "tell me something good" can dramatically change your day.

What happens when someone tells you something great doing on in their life?

Unless you're the jealous type, it probably makes you feel good too. You get a little hit of dopamine just by hearing another person's excitement.

But why is that?

The answer is something scientists call emotional contagion. It's the idea that moods spread, for better or worse. Contagions typically aren't good. But, in this case, catching someone else's joy can actually lift your mood.

If you've ever been dragged down by a "Debbie Downer," you know how powerful negative energy can be. The flip side is true too: get around someone who's celebrating, grateful, or just genuinely happy, and you'll likely feel lighter yourself.

It's a concept called freudenfreude and you can read more about it at this article I reference in the episode.

That's the power of asking the simple phrase: "Tell me something good."

If you’ve ever felt a little anxious as summer winds down and routines ramp up, you’re not alone. You might have a case of the September Scaries.

My morning show partner, Teo Torres, is my co-host on this episode, where we talk about this end-of-summer phenomenon.

Think of it as the seasonal cousin of the Sunday Scaries.

The September Scaries are not an official diagnosis. But psychologists say they're the real deal, and re-framing your view of September can help.

Disclaimer: We also get off topic A LOT because, well, we're us. 

CLICK HERE to listen on iTunes

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Have you been walking wrong all your life? According to TikTok, the answer is probably.

If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or Instagram lately, chances are you’ve seen videos about the Japanese walking trend. Some posts call it a weight-loss miracle. Others say it’s the secret to why people in Japan live longer, healthier lives.

What's real and what's really just hype?

The Japanese walking trend is a combo of basic habits a lot of Japanese people share. It involves mindfulness, breathing patters and purposeful movement. People in Japan have been living that way for hundreds of years.

But TikTok has now discovered what a lot of people are calling the ultimate health hack.

Bottom line, giving the trend a try isn't going to hurt you. In fact, it will probably make you feel more calm, energized and happy.

The best part? You can try it anywhere. You don't need a gym or fancy equipment. You can even try it while pacing your living room!

Denise Austin is one of the original fitness influencers. And she's as passionate about getting America moving as she was in the early 1980s.

Denise got her TV start as the first fitness correspondent on the Today Show. She was a natural and quickly became a household name.

That led to a daily 30 minute exercise show that aired for more than 20 years. She went on to sell more than 25 million exercise VHS tapes and DVDs. She authored 12 best selling books.

More than 40 years later, Denise is still sharing workouts on social media and YouTube. And, her daughter Katie is a popular fitness influencer for Gen Z and millennials.

How'd she stay passionate about her job for more than four decades?

"You go to meet the people, you feel the love . You think, yeah, this is why I'm doing it. They tell you their stories, and how much better they feel," says Denise.

In this episode, Denise shares how she maintains her positivity no matter what obstacle life throws her way. We're going beyond fitness and getting advice on growing a business, growing a family and growing older with her community.

You are what you eat. And if you're stressed or depressed, you might be able to blame your lunch.

Dr. Candice Seti is the author of Shatter the Yoyo. She's a food psychologist. She studies the brain-body food link.

"It's the idea of nutritional psychiatry and the idea of connecting how food makes us feel. And there are certain foods that make us feel better than others," says Dr. Seti.

Omega 3 rich foods like salmon are great for brain health. Fruits, veggies and seeds? All good.

But other foods can be a torpedo to your mental health. No surprise, it's anything sugary or processed.

Dr. Seti says, "People don't always make the connection that when your brain is healthy your body tends to be healthy, and when you're lacking these things we're more likely to be depressed."

Understanding the why might be exactly what you need to make better choices. And shifting your behavior can really help in stressful times.

Need a pick-me-up? Skip the coffee and try a movement bite.

Jessica Schatz is a celebrity trainer and biomechanics and ProACTIVE Aging expert. She's trained professional athletes, Broadway stars and Hollywood actors for decades.

Those athletes and performers need to maintain energy to perform.

Jessica says the key to maintaining energy and aging well isn't destroying yourself in a two-hour gym workout. It's a lot easier than that. It's incorporating five-minute exercise breaks frequently into your day.

Even 30 seconds of jumping jacks, pushups or squats can go a long way.

Jessica calls them movement bites.

"They increase your blood flow. They increase your heart rate. And they start to release these proteins, these Myokines, and they also release a protein called BDNF, Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor. It's like fertilizer for your brain," Schatz said.

It's good news for anyone not crazy about chasing the elusive runner's high. Creating a positive neurfeedback loop doesn't have to leave you exhausted. It just needs to be consistent.

"You're literally teaching yourself to foster a relationship with movement that's positive," Schatz said.

Follow Jessica:

Facebook: @thecoreexpert

Instagram: @TheCoreExpert

YouTube: @TheCoreExpert

CLICK HERE to listen on iTunes

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A summer bucket list is like a personal manifesto of fun in the sun. 

It's a list of ideas, big and small, of things you'd like to do or accomplish over the summer. 

The goal is to collect your thoughts in one place so you can seize the day when you find free time.  

Writing down your list improves the likelihood you'll actually follow through on those activities and not just scroll Instagram!

And it's a great way to spend time with your family and friends while ditching your screens.