Listen in to learn some really practical tips to action to bring more happiness into your life. Find out what some great thinkers through the ages had to say about happiness. The episode finishes off with 8 things that really make us happy.

This is part 1 of a live talk we gave earlier this year. In this episode we bust some myths about happiness and play a bit of piano music.

Do you wish you could stop self-harm? “Just Don’t Do It!” is a good start, but it usually takes a whole lot more. These Five Steps out of self-harm could be just what you need. They take you from your decision to stop, through alternatives and techniques, to coping with waves of negative emotions almost as easily as catching waves at the beach (almost).

Do your emotions ever get the better of you? Knowing about your emotions – emotional self-awareness – can help you get out of self-harm, addictions, and anger outbursts. Once you NOTICE your emotions, LABEL your emotions with choice words and SAFELY EXPRESS them using those words, you will have the background skills to help you get out of self-harm and enjoy life more.

This podcast looks at some facts about self-harm and the reasons people feel the need to harm themselves. Often done secretly, it expresses and relieves emotional distress rather than seek attention. For most, it goes away, but others need to battle against it, often with a therapist. Dr Heim uses his clinical experience to prepare you for stopping it: being emotionally self-aware and finding better coping mechanisms, in the next podcasts.

We may not have the answers yet, but the mind is amazing to ponder. Dr Heim searches through his grandpa’s garage in search of an answer to one of our biggest mysteries and stumbles across something scientifically magic. Along the way he tips his hat to Pinker, Fodor, Descartes, the placebo effect and psychoneuroimmunology.

What makes your brain feel really good? The right DOSE of Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphin. It’s more complex but, evidence shows that dopamine pleasure, oxytocin love, serotonin calm & endorphin analgesia in your brain can be optimized when you relate well to people.

Ever wondered what goes on in your brain? Here we spend just a little time gasping in awe at the wonder of the universe contained inside your skull; some of what your brain can do, the numbers associated with the brain, the amazing things we don't understand.

OK. So how do you actually do it? maximize pleasure and prevent addiction? Here’s some techniques to understand, practice and do to connect pleasure and purpose to have more pleasure all your life, survive well, and be a decent horse-rider. After considering Golden Greeks, Great Gratitude and a Pleasure Plan, being Boss of your Brain may be as easy as ABCD.

Here we’ll connect your brain’s pleasure with your mind’s purpose by looking at how we experience pleasure in the brain. We’ll look at the brain chemical dopamine and the fun-loving limbic system. Why does nature give us pleasure at all? Food, drink, sex, shopping, it all feels good. Dr Heim takes us for a ride in the desert.