Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Timothy I. Morgenthaler, MD, Sleep Medicine Specialist | Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine – Rochester, MN

The benefits of high-quality sleep are nearly limitless as it improves our mood, brains, performance, increases our joy, reduces sickness, and increases longevity. Getting high quality sleep is one of the biggest levers we can pull in order to become our best selves. But many of us are self-sabotaging our sleep without realizing it! There are many small habits and things we get wrong with our sleep environment that can have large detrimental effects on our sleep over time. We must fix this!

To help us with that, our expert guest today is Dr. Tim Morgenthaler, and the three big questions we are going to answer for you are:

How to start a Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project “Pod-Club”:

Discussion Questions for this Episode: 

1) Discuss your overall sleep status with your group.

- How much sleep do you get each night?

- When do you go to bed and when do you get up?

- Is it generally high-quality sleep?

- Do you feel well rested in the AM when you wake up?

- Do you need an alarm clock to wake up?

- How does that vary on your days off when/if you sleep in?

-How much sleep would you want to be your best self (not just, “I can get by on x hours of sleep.”)? 

2) How big of an impact does your sleep (or lack of) have on you on a daily basis?  

3) Take an inventory of your current sleep environment. Think about the lighting, temperature, and sound. Report back to the group to discuss what your current set up looks like (good and bad).

4) Now, discuss the other elements of your sleep environment such as bed partner, pets, kids, bedding, etc. How big of an impact do these things have on you? Have your group give you potential strategies for improving these things.

5) Discuss your current caffeine usage with your group. How much do you drink, when do you drink it, and when is the last time you consume caffeine during the day? What changes need to be made here?

6) What do the two hours before going to bed look like for you? Do you have a “wind down” routine that you use prior to bed? Have the group analyze your routine to help you spot simple changes you could make to improve it.   

7) Tell your group at least one new thing (action step) you are going to do or behavior you are going to adopt to improve your sleep environment. For this, focus on the “quick wins” discussed in section three of this episode.

8) After others list the "one new thing" of "action step" they are going to do, help them refine that to make it more: clear, objective, measurable, and simple. The more we can make our actions clear, objective, measurable, and simple, the more likely we are to do them and enjoy the process!

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Email: [email protected]

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Melanie J. Chandler, PhD, ABPP, Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist | Mayo Clinic – Florida

We all want to age well. This is true for our physical bodies, our mental sharpness, AND our social relationships. The social aspect of our lives is one that is often neglected, but this is a huge mistake. One of the greatest drivers of joy in our lives is having genuine and meaningful relationships with people we care about. So why is this often a challenge for us, and why does it get harder as we age? This is a question that we shouldn’t wait to answer until we are past our prime.

Our expert guest today is Dr. Melanie Chandler, and the three big questions are going to answer are:

1. What does “aging well socially” look like, and why is it important?

2. Why do so many of us struggle with our relationships and sense of purpose as we move through life

3. What practical steps can we take now to ensure we remain connected as we age?

How to start a Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project “Pod-Club”:

Discussion Questions for this Episode: 

1) After reviewing this episode, how do you define “aging well socially?”

 2) Discuss the concept of “social reserve” that was brought up in this session. Had you heard that before? What do you think about it? Is it fair to think about it similarly to financial, physical, or cognitive reserve?

3) What is your ideal make up of social connectedness? For some, this is having a large group of friends. For others, it may be a smaller group of very close friends. What does the ideal set up look like to you? How big do you want your circle to be, and what do you want these relationships to look like?  What interests or shared experiences can they be based on? 

4) Where have you struggled getting connected in the past? What are some of the barriers that have held you back from making new connections and joining new groups (try to think beyond just “lack of time)?

5) In this episode, we discussed how being socially isolated or lonely can have significant changes on joy, well-being, sense of purpose, physical health, and even mortality. Did that surprise you? Why or why not?

6) Think of an older person that you feel may benefit from improved social connectedness. What barriers do you think are holding this individual back? Are they mostly physiologic changes (decreased mobility, hearing, health, memory, etc.) or behaviors/attitudes (embarrassment, lack of awareness, lack of desire, etc.).   

7) After everyone talks though question 6, what are some strategies that you could use to help these individuals if they were open to it?

8) Tell your group at least one new thing (action step) you are going to do or behavior you are going to adopt to improve your social connectedness? What steps can you take NOW (regardless of your age) to help minimize your risk of feeling isolated later in life?

9) After others list the "one new thing" of "action step" they are going to do, help them refine that to make it more: clear, objective, measurable, and simple. The more we can make our actions clear, objective, measurable, and simple, the more likely we are to do them and enjoy the process!

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Email: [email protected]

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: John Poe, Chair, Education Administration - Education Shield | Mayo Clinic

Our world is fueled by FEEDBACK. Most people crave more, and it’s essential to helping others improve and achieve success. Despite this, most of us struggle to provide honest, meaningful, and actionable feedback to others. Accordingly, we are leaving a lot on the table by not getting the most out of one another. To help us improve at this, our expert guest is John Poe.

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Dona E. Locke, Ph.D., Neuropsychologist | Mayo Clinic – Arizona

How we think about ourselves and the world, is what shapes how we experience the world. Not only does it shape our experience, but our thinking is one of the main drivers that determines our success in every avenue of life. Much of our thinking can be helpful for propelling us forward towards our goals, but so much of our thinking is actually UNHELPFUL and prevents us from achieving our goals. To help us take charge of our thinking and use it for good, our expert today is Dr. Dona Locke.

The three big questions we are going to answer are:

1. What exactly are “thinking patterns”, and how do we distinguish between those that are helpful and unhelpful?

2. Why do we commonly default to unhelpful patterns of thinking?

3. What steps can we take to start using helpful thinking patterns and mental models to help us achieve our goals?

How to start a Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project “Pod-Club”:

Discussion Questions for this Episode: 

1) How do you personally define “helpful” and “unhelpful” thinking patterns? How does this relate to your prior conception of “positive vs. negative” thoughts?

2) What are some of the key characteristics that separate “helpful thinking” from “unhelpful thinking?”

3) What is an area of your life where you tend to experience “unhelpful thinking patterns?” Why do you think this is the case, and what are some of the negative impacts that result?  

4) If you were able to shift your perspective from “positive vs. negative” thinking to “helpful vs. unhelpful” thinking, what benefits do you think you would experience?

5) Do you think recognizing your thinking as “helpful” vs. “unhelpful” will be easy or challenging? Go around your group and ask everyone if this will be easy or hard for them. Then, ask why?

6) Once you are able to recognize certain thoughts as “unhelpful”, what strategies will you use to move on and not perseverate on them (think about the strategies offered in section three of this episode).

7) Tell your group at least one new thing (action step) you are going to do or behavior you are going to adopt to improve your thinking as a result of this episode?

8) After others list the "one new thing" of "action step" they are going to do, help them refine that to make it more: clear, objective, measurable, and simple. The more we can make our actions clear, objective, measurable, and simple, the more likely we are to do them and enjoy the process!

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Email: [email protected]

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Carly Anderson, Ph.D., LP, CMPC, Owner/Founder | Sport Psychologist - Premier Sport Psychology

Are you someone who tends to think improvement is too difficult, not achievable, or often out of your control? Do you tend to fear mistakes before you make them, and then loathe them afterwards? Those may be signs of a fixed mindset, and that can really be stunting your progress, confidence, and overall joy. We need to change that.

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Eric Cressey, MA, CSCS, President, Cressey Sports Performance - Palm Beach Gardens, FL and Hudson, MA

Director, Player Health and Performance - New York Yankees

Improving strength and gaining an appropriate muscle mass is critical for our overall health and function. And our strength and muscle mass are two of the greatest predictors of longevity. For those reasons, everyone is wondering, how do I get stronger and gain muscle in the most efficient and practical way?  Whether you are brand new to strength training or are a muscle-bound weightlifting maniac, this episode is for you. We are going to cut through the hype and misinformation to give you practical tips and knowledge, so you can become your strongest self. Our session is titled: “How to Build Muscle & Get Stronger: What Everyone Needs to Know and Do.”

Our expert guest is Eric Cressey, co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance and host of the “Elite Baseball Podcast”, and he is going to help us answer the following big questions:

1. What is meant by strength training and why is it so important?

2. Why do so many of us struggle to work out regular and gain muscle?

3. What are the core practices that everyone should incorporate to build muscle and get stronger?

To help you turn this knowledge into action, consider starting/joining a pod-club…

How to start a Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project “Pod-Club”:

Step 1: Find 2-30 friends who want to get better

Step 2: Choose your episodes (can be focused on specific themes or random)

Step 3: Listen to/watch the episodes

Step 4: Meet with your group to work through the provided discussion questions for each episode, and feel free to add your own!

Step 5: Celebrate the fact that you are turning passive knowledge into action!

Discussion Questions for this Episode:

1) What is your “why” or reason for wanting to get stronger? If you have more than one, rank them in order of priority.

2) In the past, what have been the biggest hurdles that prevented you from achieving your strength goals? Separate these out by factors that are directly in your control vs. those that are not. 

3) We mention the 4 factors that contribute to strength are genetics, nutrition, sleep, and training program. How has your nutrition and sleep positively or negatively influenced your strength goals? 

4) After listening to this episode, did you discover any new reasons as to why you haven’t seen the strength gains you seek?

5) Do you currently have any sort of accountability in your training program (writing down your workouts, working with a coach, having a training partner)? If so, how has that helped? If not, how could you practically implement some accountability? 

6) Are you willing to consistently commit to a program that appropriately challenges you for 6 months? If so, what benefits do you expect to see (think about benefits along the way as well as the end result). If not, what would it take to improve your motivation to do so?

7) What is one change you are going to make this week to get the first win in your quest to improve your strength? Make this very clear and concrete. 

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Chrissy Holm Haider, Ed.D., MSc, MS, LPCC, CMPC, Athletic Counselor, Certified Mental Performance Consultant | Premier Sport Psychology

We all need to improve our emotional intelligence, and one of the main pillars of that is learning to manage ourselves. We’ve said before that first step of Emotional Intelligence is “Understanding Ourselves.”  After that, the next step is “Managing Ourselves.” This concept of self-management is critical to improving our emotional intelligence and interacting with the world. Our expert here to help us with this today is Dr. Chrissy Holm Haider.

The three big questions we have for her are: 

1. What is “Self-Management” and how does it fit into “Emotional Intelligence?”

2. What makes self-management so challenging in our modern lives?

3. What are the actual steps I can take to finally master my ability to manage myself?

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Erica Martin, PhD, SPHR, Development Programs Director – Department of Development – Mayo Clinic

Conflict is a universal experience. Anywhere two people are present, conflict is likely to occur at some level. This conflict can be devastatingly harmful, but it can also foster growth and progress. Given how ubiquitous conflict is, it’s critical for us to learn how to identify it, work through it, and use it for good.  To help us get started in this process, our expert guest is Dr. Erica Martin.

The three big questions she is going to answer for us include: 

1. What is conflict and what is its impact?

2. Why do we find ourselves in conflict so often, and why is it hard for us?

3. What can we do to turn conflict into progress— at work and in our everyday relationships?

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Dennis E. Dahlen, Chief Financial Officer – Mayo Clinic – Rochester, MN

We are all busy and have a lot of tasks that need to be accomplished. And those tasks need to be accomplished somewhere! Whether you are working at home, in an office, or on the road, your physical surroundings play a surprising large role in how you do your work, how much you get done, and the level of quality of that work. In this episode, we are going to talk about some of the science behind how your surroundings impact you, and what you can do to optimize them.  

Our expert guest here to teach us more is Dennis Dahlen, and the three big questions we are going to work through are: 

1. How do our physical and mental surroundings influence productivity?

2. What common obstacles keep people from creating productive environments and what is secretly sabotaging our productivity?

3. Which practical strategies can anyone apply to optimize their physical and mental spaces for sustained high performance?

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize

Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Guest: Roshanak (Roshy) Didehban, FACHE, Chief Administrative Officer | Mayo Clinic – Arizona,

Interim Chief Information Officer – Mayo Clinic

If you interact with others, then you influence others. Whether you like it or not, we all influence the people around us. Hopefully this is mostly in a positive way, but if you aren’t thoughtful and intentional, that may not always be the case. Knowing that you are going to have an impact on the people around you, you might as well invest the time to figure out how to influence them positively. This is obviously true for leaders, but it really applies to all of us in all relationships, no matter our position.  

Our expert here to discuss this topic with us is Roshy Didehban, and the three big questions we are going to tackle are:

1. What exactly is positive influence and why does it matter?

2. Why is it often hard for us to positively inspire ourselves and others?

3. What practical steps can we take to positively influence others so they can be their best selves?

Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize