Today, I discuss the importance of living our lives through the lens of mindful self-compassion. I explain how compassion for others is similar to being compassionate to ourselves and how being aware of your thoughts and feelings is the first step toward improving your self-compassion skills. I explain how challenges, failures, and suffering are an inevitable part of being human and how accepting this inevitability puts us on a path toward growth.

This week, I discuss some of the life lessons we can learn from the great minds of ancient philosophers like Epictetus. I share how he learned by choosing how he responded to different situations, it gave him an inner sense of freedom despite his circumstances. I share how Epictetus teaches us to use adversity as a means to develop our sense of freedom and the importance of taking responsibility for our thoughts and beliefs.

Dr. Liana joins me this week to discuss the difference between feeling grateful and expressing gratitude and how to avoid habituation in your gratitude journal. We explain what the Grateful Comparison Exercise is and how it helps keep you become humble and appreciate the things and people you have in your life. We explain the difference between Upward Comparison versus Downward Comparison and why it’s critical to avoid the downward spiral of comparing yourself to others.

This week I discuss the paradoxes of happiness and why each individual’s definition of happiness differs. I explain the Buddhist philosophy on happiness and why they believe there can be no real happiness without experiencing pain and suffering. I discuss why it’s critical to avoid the illusion of creating the perfect, idealistic future and instead learn to embrace your flaws, make peace with your past, and choose to find happiness in the present moment. I explain sustainable happiness and how it boosts your health and well-being.

In today’s episode, I explain what visceral fat is and why having extra visceral fat can negatively impact your overall health and well-being. I explain the difference between subcutaneous and visceral fats, how to measure your fat stores, and the various factors influencing your visceral fat stores. I discuss how excess visceral fat can impact your long-term health, often increasing your risk of heart disease and insulin resistance. I also explain the F.E.A.S.T method and how it can help you reduce belly fat and visceral fat to improve your overall health.

In today’s episode, I take a deeper look at some of Confucius’ wisdom, teachings and quotes. I discuss the common themes found in his book, The Analects of Confucius, and how he lived his life by the Golden Rule of treating others the way you would like to be treated. I explain why Confucius’ followers were referred to as “The Rule School” and how they lived their life by committing themselves to learn and living in peace. I also share some of my favorite Confucius quotes and why they deeply resonate with me.

This week, I sit in the physiotherapist’s chair with David and Ciaran to share how I discovered my calling for lifestyle medicine. We discuss how happiness impacts your overall health and well-being and highlight strategies you can use to boost happiness in your day-to-day life. We explain the Leadership Triangle, the importance of getting crystal clear on your values, and how it helps you build resilience and improve your well-being.

We highlight why getting enough sleep is critical and how not getting enough can often lead to negative health issues. We explain the burnout epidemic, the difference between burnout and depression, and the three key features of burnout. We also discuss what stoicism is, the benefits of focusing on what you can change instead of what you can’t, and what the term ‘high-performance’ means to me.

Jane Abernethy is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Humanscale, an industry-leading designer, and manufacturer of sustainable, high-performance ergonomic workplace products. Since 1983, Humanscale’s award-winning ergonomic products have helped improve the health, efficiency, and quality of work life for millions of professionals.

Simon joins me today to discuss how relationships impact behavioral change. He explores the fundamental principles of health coaching and describes why it’s important to approach people’s values, motivation, and beliefs with openness and curiosity.

He outlines the main barriers to behavior change and explains why fear and shame are not good external motivators of change. Simon also highlights the power of sleep and underscores how building relationships is central to a resilient mind and effective coaching.