Perspective Shift with Dr. Robyne

On today’s episode, Dr. Robyne invites us to look at gratitude a little differently. Rather than simply naming the things we’re thankful for, she reflects on what happens when gratitude moves from something we think about to something we can actually feel, and how it can shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us. 

She explores why gratitude can be especially meaningful in difficult seasons, how it can help us move from a sense of scarcity toward sufficiency, and why the little things aren't always so little after all. From an unexpected expression of kindness to a morning cup of coffee, she encourages us to slow down enough to recognize the moments and gifts that remind us just how precious this big, beautiful life can be.

Have a question you'd love answered? Send us a DM, leave a comment, or email us at [email protected]. 

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd  
• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/  

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On today’s episode of Perspective Shift, Dr. Robyne unpacks a question so many parents, caregivers, partners, and leaders may have wondered: Am I allowed to be happy when someone I care about isn’t? She explores what happens when we become the “happiness coordinator” for the people around us, taking responsibility for everyone else’s emotions and trying to create lives free from frustration, disappointment, or discomfort. Along the way, she shares a memorable story about how a dog with its head out a car window helped her and her kids turn a difficult morning around and introduces a practical framework for unplugging from someone else’s emotional state so we can care deeply without taking on what isn’t ours to carry. 

This is a conversation about caring without carrying, being compassionate without trying to fix, and remembering that someone else’s feelings can be real and important without becoming ours to hold.

Have a question you'd love answered? Send us a DM, leave a comment, or email us at [email protected].

Continue the Conversation  

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to welcome you inside the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/  

Additional Resources: 

• Episode mentioned with happiness research: Four Questions for When You Don’t Know What to Do Next
• You might also enjoy this episode: The Truth About Happiness
• I Hope So by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd
• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

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On today’s episode, Dr. Robyne and social worker and psychotherapist Jake Ernst take a closer look at one of the questions many parents, educators, and adults are asking: Are screens actually the problem? What if the bigger question is what we’re doing on our screens, what we’re missing when we’re on them, and whether our relationships are still intact? How do we help kids practice sitting with discomfort, communicating face-to-face, managing their attention, and doing hard things in a world designed to keep us scrolling? Plus, a closer look at how dopamine-seeking plays a role in our attachment to devices, why the first and last seven minutes of the day matter so much, and why relationships may be the most important technology we have.

Continue the Conversation 

If you're looking for more just-in-time perspectives, join us inside the Perspective Shift community. There's a place for you here.   

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/ 

Additional Resources: 

• Jake’s Podcast: This Isn’t Therapy (co-hosted with Simon Paluck)
• Jake’s episode mentioned: Co-Regulation & Passive Aggressive Texts
• Connection Crash by Jake Ernst (Pre-order now – releases January 12, 2027)

Connect with Jake: 

• Website: www.mswjake.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mswjake
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jake-ernst-msw-rsw-8210548a

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd
• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

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Have you ever come up short on something you worked really hard for?

In this solo episode, Dr. Robyne shares a story from a recent ultra-endurance challenge that didn't unfold the way she had hoped. Drawing on neuropsychology and her experience on and off the mountain, she reflects on what it means to face disappointment, recognize where we may have dropped the ball, and still meet ourselves with radical self-compassion. She explores why harsh self-criticism can keep us from learning from our mistakes, while self-compassion creates the space to reflect, integrate, and grow. Along the way, she shares powerful lessons about choosing hard, the people who show up when we need them most, and why an experience can still be meaningful even when the outcome isn't what we expected.

Continue the Conversation

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to welcome you inside the Perspective Shift community.

It's a place for thoughtful conversations, practical perspective shifts, and a community of people committed to living with greater clarity, compassion, and intention.

There's a place for you here.

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/

Additional Resources: 

• 29029 

• Dustan Woodhouse – Be The Better Broker

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/  

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/  

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd  

• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

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In this episode, Dr. Robyne sits down with integrative spiritual consultant, chaplain, and bestselling author Catherine Duncan for a thought-provoking conversation about slowing down, awakening to the present moment, and reconnecting with what truly matters. Together, they explore what can happen when we quiet the noise enough to listen to our bodies, our intuition, and the wisdom that emerges in stillness, and how making space for grief can also create more room for love, joy, and peace.

Drawing on her own near-death experiences and years of accompanying people at the end of life, Catherine shares insights on spirituality, finding meaning, and what it means to be alive. They explore simple practices such as breath, nature, meditation, and curiosity, along with a powerful reminder: when we look back on a life, love and connection are often what matter most.

Continue the Conversation 

If you're looking for more just-in-time perspectives, join us inside the Perspective Shift community. There's a place for you here.

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/

Additional Resources:

• Everyday Awakening by Catherine Duncan

• Catherine’s Podcast: Everyday Awakening

• Dr. Robyne on Everyday Awakening

Connect with Catherine:

• Website: https://www.catherineduncan.org/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherineduncanmabcc/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rev-catherine-duncan-ma-bcc

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatherineDuncanmabcc/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@catherineduncanmabcc

Connect with Dr. Robyne:

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd

• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

Disclaimer

This special episode continues the live conversation from the tea party celebrating the launch of Dr. Robyne's latest book, I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It's Hard. In this audience Q&A, Dr. Robyne responds to thoughtful questions about self-compassion, belonging, routines, ADHD, overwhelm, and what it really looks like to choose hope in everyday life.

Together, they explore simple practices for navigating hard seasons, caring for ourselves without guilt, and creating more space for what matters most. Plus, two simple questions that can become a permission slip to hope, for yourself and for the people you care about.

Continue the Conversation 

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to welcome you inside the Perspective Shift community. 

It's a place for thoughtful conversations, practical perspective shifts, and a community of people committed to living with greater clarity, compassion, and intention.

There's a place for you here. 

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/

Additional Resources: 

• Listen to Part 1 of the conversation: A Spot of Tea and a Dash of Hope (Part 1) 

• I Hope So by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Connect with Natalie Davison: 

• Website: https://nataliedavison.ca/  

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalie_i_davison/  

• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/natalie-davison

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/  

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/  

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd  

• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

Disclaimer 

In this episode, Dr. Robyne explores the tension between everything and enough, and what happens when our drive to achieve, grow, and do more turns into a perpetual game of chase. Drawing on a journal entry she wrote a year ago, she reflects on the pressure to keep reaching for “the next thing,” the ways we can begin to tie our worth to achievement, and how the finish line can keep moving. She invites us to consider what it might look like to decide what is enough for this season of our lives, creating space for contentment, agency, and what truly matters.

Continue the Conversation 

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to welcome you inside the Perspective Shift community. 

It's a place for thoughtful conversations, practical perspective shifts, and a community of people committed to living with greater clarity, compassion, and intention. 

There's a place for you here. 

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/ 

Additional Resources: 

• Calm Within the Storm by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe 

• Stress Wisely by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe 

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/  

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/  

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd  

• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/  

Disclaimer

In this episode, Dr. Robyne welcomes the original Phillie Phanatic, Hero of Happiness, keynote speaker, author, and brand consultant Dave Raymond for a conversation about finding lightness, connection, and joy, even when life feels its heaviest.

As the man inside the giant green costume for 16 years, Dave shares how creating moments of joy for millions revealed the deeper power of fun and ultimately helped him find his way back to hope.

Together, they explore what it means to make room for laughter and play when the world feels unwell, how joy and hard things can coexist, and why sometimes the next right thing is simply reaching for the tiniest “finger hold” to help us move forward. 

Continue the Conversation 

If you're looking for more just-in-time perspectives, join us inside the Perspective Shift community. There's a place for you here.   

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/ 

Additional Resources: 

• The Power of Fun by Dave Raymond

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd

• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

Disclaimer 

In this episode, Dr. Robyne explores how our genetics, circumstances, and habits influence our capacity to experience happiness. She also shares a four-step framework she uses in coaching to help navigate sticky situations, solve problems, and figure out what to do next. Plus, what becomes possible when we tap into the perspective, insight, and collective wisdom of a community. 

Continue the Conversation 

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to welcome you inside the Perspective Shift community. 

It's a place for thoughtful conversations, practical perspective shifts, and a community of people committed to living with greater clarity, compassion, and intention.

There's a place for you here.

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/

Additional Resources: 

• First Year, For Real – a live conversation for parents and families navigating the transition to post-secondary. August 19th. Use code ROBYNE to save 15%. 

• Dr. Arthur Brooks

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd

• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

Disclaimer 

Sometimes one idea, one question, or one new way of seeing a situation can change everything.

In this episode, Dr. Robyne introduces the next season of the podcast and explores why perspective is one of the most powerful tools we have for navigating stress, relationships, leadership, and everyday life. Through relatable stories, psychology-backed insights, and practical perspective shifts, she shares how broadening the way we see ourselves, others, and the situations around us can help us manage expectations, reduce unnecessary suffering, and create more space for clarity, compassion, and possibility. 

Continue the Conversation 

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to welcome you inside the Perspective Shift community. 

It's a place for thoughtful conversations, practical perspective shifts, and a community of people committed to living with greater clarity, compassion, and intention.

There's a place for you here. 

Join the Perspective Shift community → https://drrobyne.ca/perspective/  

Additional Resources: 

• Stress Wisely by Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe 

• Dr. Arthur Brooks

Connect with Dr. Robyne: 

• Website: https://drrobyne.ca/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_robynehd/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobynehd/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr_robynehd

• Newsletter: https://drrobyne.ca/newsletter/

Disclaimer