It's time to level up our productivity! Bestselling author and professor, Cal Newport discusses how we can all tap into our potential in this New Year. He shares with Mercedes and Anastasia how we can all reduce distractions (from social media), the role of downtime in productivity, and his top hacks for studying and organizing our day.

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https://calnewport.com/

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(00:00) Intro(01:50) How Calvin Got Started (04:16) Calvin's Greatest Challenge(06:26) Why Do I Crave Instant Gratification?(07:49) Social Media's Role In Our Mindset(09:05) The Dip(11:39) How Can I Reduce My Urge To Be On Social Media?(18:01) How To Set A Social Media Boundary(18:50) Calvin's Top Three Tips(24:45) Productivity vs Downtime(26:04) How To Be A High School Superstar(27:29) Hacks To Downtime(29:41) How Can I Be Productive With Others? (34:00) Calvin's Top Hack For New Jobs(34:58) What Is Time-Blocking?(37:45) Calvin To His Teen Self(40:48) What Brings Calvin A Small Bit of Happiness?(43:00) Calvin's Motivational Quote(46:02) Key Takeaways

Tap into your inner leader! This week, Julie Baker Finck, President of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, joins Hack Your Happiness. She shares her story to becoming a leader in literacy, as well as the importance of reading + top book recommendations for leaders. In addition, Julie breaks-down her top leadership habits, and how we can all become better communicators.

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(00:00) Intro

Let's unpack happiness. World happiness expert, Sonja Lyubomirsky is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and bestselling author. Sonja shares tangible and practical hacks for boosting your happiness, her most fascinating findings, and the easiest ways for all of us to connect with loved ones (+ why we should!).

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(00:00) Intro

NASA Icon Ellen Ochoa sits with Mercedes and Anastasia, sharing her challenges and journey to becoming the first Latina to go to space. Ellen talks about the number of times she applied to NASA, and how she finally got in. She shares her experiences of being in space, and advice on managing and overcoming rejection. Ellen also breaks down the importance of + how to ask for what you need, and her take on imposter syndrome.

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From teen star to Hollywood powerhouse, Mercedes and Anastasia are joined by actress Rachael Leigh Cook. Rachael booked her first acting job at 15, in a hit film, She's All That. Rachael discusses the challenges of growing up in the public eye, takes us behind-the-scenes of being an actress, and shares her hacks for being true to oneself. Listen in for advice on pursuing actress and her most significant memory of her career, so far.

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Prepare for your future with psychologist, Meg Jay! The bestselling author of "The Twentysomething Treatment", and keynote speaker sits with Mercedes and Anastasia to discuss the navigation of changing friendships, managing the uncertainties of getting older, and her top hacks on preparing for the future.

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⁠https://www.instagram.com/drmegjay/⁠

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Step into the world of The Princess Diaries with author, Meg Cabot. With over 25 million copies sold worldwide, Meg walks us through writing The Princess Diaries, and her experience of watching her writing transform into a hit film series. She unveils her advice for overcoming criticism, eliminating distractions to focus on your passion, and how she finds inspiration.

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⁠https://www.instagram.com/officialmegcabot/⁠

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Healthy doesn't have to mean boring. Ellie Krieger joins Mercedes and Anastasia to discuss what a truly healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle look like. As a nutritionist, star of hit Food Network show Healthy Appetite, and bestselling author of seven cookbooks, Ellie de-bunks nutrition myths, provides fun and easy recipe ideas, and shares specific foods that bring feelings of happiness.

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From deep sea to outer space, this week Dr. Shawna Pandya, physician, astronaut, and aquanaut, joins Hack Your Happiness. Dr. Pandya takes us behind-the-scenes in space training and shares how she's feeling about her upcoming space flight. She'll also share her top tips for handling nervousness, becoming more resilient, and combating self-doubt. Best of all, if you are an aspiring astronaut, tune in for first-hand advice from Shawna!

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Ever wonder how your brain shapes your reality?  This week, Mercedes and Anastasia are joined by Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a groundbreaking psychologist, neuroscientist, and author. In this episode, we’re diving deep into Dr. Barrett’s journey, from her early days as a teen to becoming one of the most influential figures in understanding emotions. We’ll explore non-verbal cues, her most surprising research discoveries, and most of all, how we all (especially teens!) can better control our emotions. 

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