Transcripts

Join Yael for Part 2 of a truly transformative two-part series with Dr. Hanson about his latest book, Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness. Continue to explore what’s happening in the brains of individuals who have made it their life’s work to develop a more grounded, calm and contented sense of being and learn more concrete and accessible practices from Neurodharma to develop your own unshakable core.

Listen and Learn:

How missing “the now” diminishes happiness

The neurological basis for how mindfulness increases wellbeing

Simple hacks to take things less seriously and amplify happiness

Concrete practices for increased awe, gratitude, and transcendence

Why play and exuberance help hardwire Neurodharma seven power practices

About Dr. Hanson:

Dr. Rick Hanson

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, senior fellow at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, and the founder of The Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. Dr. Hanson is also a meditation teacher and New York Times best-selling author of several books including his newest book, Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness.  Dr. Hanson’s other books include Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength and Happiness; Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom; and Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence.

Dr. Hanson has spent decades both researching and steeping himself in neuroscience, clinical psychology and contemplative practices and is deeply committed to teaching people scientifically-validated methods to help them take charge of changing their brains for the better, from the inside out. Dr. Hanson received a B.A. from UCLA and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute. 

Resources:

Neurodharma (affiliate link): Dr. Hanson’s 8-week online program in the practical science of a steady mind, kind heart and inner peace...SAVE $40: Promo Code: OFFTHECLOCK40

The Foundations of Wellbeing (affiliate link): Dr. Hanson’s yearlong online program in positive neuroplasticity...SAVE $40: Promo Code: OFFTHECLOCK40  

Being Well Podcast with Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson

The Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom

Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness, by Rick Hanson Ph.D.

Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength and Happiness, by Rick Hanson Ph.D. with Forrest Hanson

Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence, by Rick Hanson PhD 

Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, by Rick Hanson Ph.D. with Richard Mendius, MD 

Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time, by Rick Hanson Ph.D.

Mother Nurture: A Mother’s Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships, by Rick Hanson Ph.D., Jan Hanson, and Ricki Pollycove, MD

The Neurodharma of Love: Rewire Your Brain for Healthy Relationships, an audio CD by Rick Hanson Ph.D. 

Just One Thing, Dr. Hanson’s free online newsletter

139. Neurodharma with Dr. Rick Hanson (Part 1)

122: Taking in the Good with Dr. Rick Hanson

What if you could grow a little stronger, more loving, calmer, and clearer each day? Starting today? And what if you sustain these qualities even during times of stress? This is possible, according to Dr. Rick Hanson, a neuropsychologist and senior fellow at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. He offers a set of concrete practices to develop seven key qualities steeped in ancient wisdom practices and cutting-edge neuroscience. Join Yael for the first episode of a transformative two-part series with Dr. Hanson about his latest book, Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness.

During the episode, you'll hear a fascinating discussion about what is happening in the brains of individuals who have made it their life’s work to develop a more grounded, calm, and contented sense of being. Then you'll have a chance to try some of the very accessible practices recommended in Neurodharma to develop your own unshakable core.

Listen and Learn:

What are Neurodharma’s seven power practices? 

Why mindfulness meditation is so powerful

How savoring the good cultivates equanimity (and feels great!)

The neurological basis for taking in the good

The neurological basis for why suffering tends to stick in our brains

Dr. Hanson’s personal favorite compassion exercises

About Dr. Hanson:

Dr. Rick Hanson

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, senior fellow at the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center, and the founder of The Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. Dr. Hanson is also a meditation teacher and New York Times best-selling author of several books including his newest book, Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness.  Dr. Hanson’s other books include Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength and Happiness; Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom; and Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence.

Dr. Hanson has spent decades both researching and steeping himself in neuroscience, clinical psychology and contemplative practices and is deeply committed to teaching people scientifically-validated methods to help them take charge of changing their brains for the better, from the inside out. Dr. Hanson received a B.A. from UCLA and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute. 

Resources:

Neurodharma (affiliate link): Dr. Hanson’s 8-week online program in the practical science of a steady mind, kind heart and inner peace...SAVE $40: Promo Code: OFFTHECLOCK40

The Foundations of Wellbeing (affiliate link): Dr. Hanson’s yearlong online program in positive neuroplasticity...SAVE $40: Promo Code: OFFTHECLOCK40  

Being Well Podcast with Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson

The Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom

Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness, by Rick Hanson Ph.D.

Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength and Happiness, by Rick Hanson Ph.D. with Forrest Hanson

Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence, by Rick Hanson PhD 

Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, by Rick Hanson Ph.D. with Richard Mendius, MD 

Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time, by Rick Hanson Ph.D.

Mother Nurture: A Mother’s Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships, by Rick Hanson Ph.D., Jan Hanson, and Ricki Pollycove, MD

The Neurodharma of Love: Rewire Your Brain for Healthy Relationships, an audio CD by Rick Hanson Ph.D. 

Just One Thing, Dr. Hanson’s free online newsletter

122: Taking in the Good with Dr. Rick Hanson

Many therapists have had clients who question the purpose of existence, or who are waiting until things change to start living life fully. As Dr. Robyn Walser gently reminds us in her latest book, The Heart of ACT: Developing a Flexible, Process-Based, and Client-Centered Practice Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, each moment spent waiting is another moment of life gone by. In this episode, Dr. Robyn Walser, a frequent guest of the podcast, and Debbie explore the power of connecting with our own mortality and existence, in order to cultivate a greater sense of aliveness and remind us to do what’s most important today.  

“Since you're here anyway, you're here and you're conscious… What will you do? You can close down, and shut down, and hide and be afraid. Or you can take risks, and open up, and taste life as much as possible.”

Dr. Robyn Walser

Listen and Learn:

Why getting in touch with our own death can enrich life by giving purpose to our existence.

How ideas from existentialism can deepen therapy sessions 

How we can cultivate greater meaning and purpose during times of adversity (like COVID-19)

Wise words for those who are reluctant to consider their own mortality

About the concept of “Compassionate Immediacy”

Some tips to infuse more meaning into day-to-day life

How to build perspective-taking skills to increase freedom and choice

About Robyn Walser

Dr. Robyn Walser

Robyn D. Walser, Ph.D. is staff at the National Center for PTSD, co-director of the Bay Area Trauma Recovery Center and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. As a licensed clinical psychologist, she maintains an international training, consulting and therapy practice. Dr. Walser is an expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and has co-authored 5 books on ACT including Learning ACT, 2nd Edition, The Mindful Couple, ACT for Clergy and Pastoral Counselors: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Bridge Psychological and Spiritual Care, and The Heart of ACT: Developing a Flexible, Process-Based, and Client-Centered Practice Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Resources:

The Heart of ACT: Developing a Flexible, Process-Based, and Client-Centered Practice Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Robyn Walser

Debbie's blog post on how touching mortality can help us contact values and meaning.

COVID Coach: Free mobile app from the National Center for PTSD designed to help EVERYONE in the community cope with feelings of stress and anxiety in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Online course, Treating Trauma with ACT, with Dr. Robyn Walser

106. Therapy from “The Heart of ACT” with Dr. Robyn Walser

116. Building a Meaningful, Values-Based Life Episode with Dr. Jenna LeJeune

133. Mental Health in the Age of COVID-19 with Dr. Robyn Walser

37. Post-Traumatic Growth

If you’re anything like us, parenting—and most certainly parenting under quarantine—can feel tedious, exhausting, mundane, and sometimes downright maddening! Yet time and again parents say some of their deepest joys in life stem from the time shared with their children. In this rich episode, Yael speaks with parenting expert Dr. Daphne de Marneffe, author of Maternal Desire: On Children, Love, and the Inner Life. They discuss the challenges of parenting for women. They talk about navigating seemingly competing interests in a manner that allows you to manage the stressors more wisely and experience more pleasure, when and where you can.

Listen and Learn:

The value of parenting for our children and ourselves

How parenthood makes us more skillful in the workplace 

The value in being “around and there” (even if you are distracted)

The emotional complexity of childcare 

Making household tasks feel less chore-like

Why time is so important in our relationship with our children

How to value and honor the difficulties in parenting

And how to value, honor, and take advantage of the times when we make parenting mistakes.

Dr. Daphne De Marnefe

About Dr. Daphne de Marneffe

Daphne de Marneffe, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, couples and parenting expert, and author of Maternal Desire: On Children, Love, and the Inner Life and The Rough Patch: Marriage and the Art of Living Together. Dr. de Marneffe’s clinical work and writing are informed by developmental psychology and her decades of experience treating couples and parents. Her work has been published in academic journals and the popular press, including The New York Times, and she is a contributing editor to Parents Magazine where she writes a regular column on couple relationships. Dr. De Marneffe received a B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from U.C. Berkeley. 

Resources:

Maternal Desire: On Children, Love, and the Inner Life, by Dr. Daphne de Marneffe

The Rough Patch: Marriage and the Art of Living Together, by Dr. Daphne de Marneffe 

Daphne’s website

Other Resources for Parents During Quarantine

A preprint of the article “First Things First: Parent Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion during COVID-19,” by Lisa Coyne, Evelyn Gould, Mikala Grimaldi, Kelly Wilson, Gabriel Baffuto, Anthony Biglan.

134. What to do When Work, Parenting, and Partnership Collide During Quarantine

92. Marriage in Midlife: The Rough Patch with Dr. Daphne de Marneffe

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be paralyzing and severely affect one’s life. Successfully diagnosing and treating OCD in the teen years gives young people their lives back by helping them meaningfully re-engage with friends, school, and life in general rather than losing hours a day to awful and unwanted thoughts. 

In this episode, Jill talks with OCD expert and clinical psychologist Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona, author of The ACT Workbook for Teens with OCD: Unhook Yourself and Live Life to the Full by Patricia Zurita Ona, Psy.D.about this new resource that combines the best of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to successfully treat teens who struggle with OCD. 

Listen and Learn:

What is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)?

Why combine ERP and ACT for teens with OCD?

Fun exercises like Scrambling and Singing Your Obsessions to engage teens  

Why this OCD expert adds “choice points” to every exposure session  

About Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona

Dr. Patricia E. Zurita

Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona, or “Dr. Z.,” is a licensed clinical psychologist, founder of the East Bay Therapy Center in Walnut Creek, California, and author The ACT Workbook for Teens with OCD. She is also a faculty member at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California and has authored Escaping the Emotional Roller Coaster: ACT for the Emotionally Sensitive and coauthored Parenting a Troubled Teen: Manage Conflict and Deal with Intense Emotions with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Dr. Zurita Ona specializes in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, anxiety and emotion regulation issues and works with children, teens, and adults. She is passionate about helping her clients unhook from fear to live the lives they were meant to live. Dr. Zurita Ona was born and raised in Bolivia and received her Psy.D. from the Wright Institute.

Resources

actbeyondOCD.com: Dr. Patricia Zurita Ona’s online class for people struggling with OCD

The ACT Workbook for Teens with OCD: Unhook Yourself and Live Life to the Full by Patricia Zurita Ona, Psy.D.

Living Beyond OCD: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for OCD by Patricia Zurita Ona Psy.D. (published in October 2020)

Parenting a Troubled Teen: Manage Conflict and Deal with Intense Emotions with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Patricia Zurita Ona Psy.D., Matthew McKay, Ph.D., and Kirk Stroshal, Ph.D.

Escaping the Emotional Roller Coaster: ACT for the Emotionally Sensitive by Patricia Zurita Ona Psy.D. 

108. Is Your Self-Control Out of Control? with Hope Arnold (Part 1)

79. Helping Adolescents Thrive with Dr. Louise Hayes

78. The Self-Driven Child with Dr. William Stixrud

54. Anxiety in Children and Adolescents with Dr. Veronica Raggi

Trying to drag people to change doesn’t work. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative approach that increases people’s inner motivation and commitment to positive change. Motivational Interviewing is used across numerous settings including weight loss, exercise, smoking, substance use, teaching, coaching and supports people in making change for themselves. In this episode, Diana interviews the co-founder of Motivational Interviewing, Dr. Stephen Rollnick. He discusses the power of empathy and open-ended questions as he demonstrates the spirit of Motivational Interviewing. He offers communication strategies you can use as a parent, teacher, coach, health care worker, partner or friend.

“The more we try to persuade people to change, tell them why it was a good idea, tell them how to go about it, the harder they seem to kick back.”

Stephen Rollnick

Listen and Learn

How to use empathy to respond to ambivalence and resistance

How you can speak with somebody to get the best out of them

Why being a problem solver isn’t always helpful

Why affirmation is more powerful than praise when it comes to change

How Motivational Interviewing is used in health care, pediatric AIDS and with athletes

Why being an expert can backfire

How even the co-founder of Motivational Interviewing falls into traps of pushing for change

About Stephen Rollnick

Dr. Stephen Rollnick

Dr. Stephen Rollnick is a co-founder of Motivational Interviewing.  He an Honorary Distinguished Professor in the School of Medicine in Cardiff University, Wales, UK with a research record focused on good practice in efforts to promote change and behavior change among patients, clients and the practitioners who serve them.

His work has included support to programs for pregnant teens, children with HIV-AIDS in Africa and medication adherence in different areas.  He is a co-founder of PATA (Paediatric Aids Treatment for Africa) and the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), an international network for trainers.  He is the co-author of Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (Miller and Rollnick, 1991; 2001 & 2012), Health Behaviour Change: A Guide for Practitioners (Rollnick, Mason & Butler, 1999) and Motivational Interviewing in Health Care (Rollnick, Miller & Butler, 2008), Motivational Interviewing in Schools (2016) and Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best: Motivational Interviewing in Sports (2020).

Resources for Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change by Willaim Miller and Stephen Rollnick

Motivational Interviewing in Health Care by Stephen Rollnick, William Miller, and Christopher Butler

Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best: Motivational Interviewing in Sports by Stephen Rollnick, Johnathan Fader, and Jeff Breckon

101. The Complete Family Guide to Addiction with Thomas Harrison and Dr. Hilary Connery

66. Helping People Change Using Motivational Interviewing With Dr. Nadine Mastroleo

72. Committed Action with Dr. DJ Moran

3. The Science of Self-Compassion

We are facing an unprecedented challenge of how to work, parent, homeschool, and partner in the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic. During this tragedy, many of us have felt overwhelmed by the nuts and bolts of maintaining our most important life roles. In this episode, Yael and Diana draw from psychology research, personal experience, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). We discuss strategies to keep our heads above water in each of our life roles while keeping an eye towards finding slivers of possibility to support our work, parenting, and relationships during this quarantine.

Listen and learn:

How to soothe your nervous system when stressed-out

Strategies to engage self-compassion and psychological flexibility 

How to take breaks, find meaning, and explore the possibility

Perspective shifting so that you can manage expectations, mistakes, and challenges

To look for opportunities for growth and joy in our parenting, work, and relationships

Ways to make room for complex emotions 

How to support positive connections between work, parenting, and relationships while quarantined

Resources:

Blessings of a Skinned Knee: Raising Self-Reliant Children, by Wendy Mogel

Learn more about self-compassion and resilience:

75. Mindful Self-Compassion with Christopher Germer

22. Taking in the Good with Rick Hanson

Ideas for Parenting Effectively and Compassionately:

78. The Self-Driven Child with Dr. William Stixrud

113. Self-Compassion for Parents with Dr. Susan Pollak

Ideas for Managing Work Under Difficult Circumstances

42. Strategies To Increase Focus And Work More Effectively

58. Balancing the Big Stuff with Drs. Miriam Liss and Holly Schiffrin

73. Essentialism With Greg McKeown

83. The Tao of Work and Family Balance

130. Working Less with Dr. Alex Pang

Ideas for Maintaining Healthy Partnerships

21. Fostering A Connected Partnership

61. Becoming Our Best Relationship Selves By Identifying Core Values And Schemas With Dr. Avigail Lev

92. Marriage in Midlife: The Rough Patch with Dr. Daphne de Marneffe

Learn about Values and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):

116. Building a Meaningful, Values-based Life with Dr. Jenna LeJeune

121. Be Mighty: An Episode for Stressed Out, Worried Women with Dr. Jill Stoddard

We all know we “should” move our bodies but some of us struggle with wanting to or get caught up in complicated, negative and rule-bound messages about how to move our bodies. Join Jill for an uplifting and motivating discussion with Dr. McGonigal, author of The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage about the intrinsic power of movement for everybody, and ways to change your relationship with physical exercise so your brain comes to actually like, want, and need it!

Listen and Learn:

Tips to train your brain to find joy in movement

The surprising upside of lactic acid

How exercise improves and enhances social connection/community

The power of moving in synchrony. 

About Dr. Kelly McGonigal:

Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. is a health psychologist, a lecturer at Stanford University, and best-selling author of The Upside of Stress and The Willpower Instinct. She also helped design the Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training, a course originally developed for the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism, that is now offered worldwide to help individuals cultivate greater empathy, compassion, and social connection. Dr. McGonigal has spent decades researching and steeping herself in neuroscience, health psychology, and movement practices and is deeply committed to translating the latest research from these fields to help others experience improved health, happiness, and wellbeing. Dr. McGonigal received her Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University and a B.A. in psychology and B.S. in Communications from Boston University. 

Resources:

Kellymcgonigal.com

The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage by Kelly McGonigal, PhD 

The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good for You and How to Get Good at It by Kelly McGonigal, PhD

The Willpower Instinct: How Self Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It by Kelly McGonigal, PhD

Yoga for Pain Relief: Simple Practices to Calm Your Mind and Heal Your Body by Kelly McGonigal, PhD

43. Willpower With Dr. Kelly McGonigal

124. Nutritious Movement and Why it Matters with Katy Bowman, M.S.

129. Yoga for All and Body Kindness with Dr. Jennifer Webb

Stress and anxiety levels are high right now due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In this episode, Dr. Stephen Porges offers us a model of our physiology of threat and strategies to boost feelings of safeness, especially with COVID-19 anxiety. Through the lens of Polyvagal theory, Dr. Porges and Diana explore what it means to be human in the face of infectious disease, trauma, and global uncertainty.

“To be able to be supportive to those who are around us if they're feeling anxious or uncomfortable, we can't just say to them, ‘forget it, it's not important.’ Polyvagal Theory says our goal, our responsibility, is to support those around us so that they feel safer.”

Dr. Stephen Porges

Listen and Learn:

How Debbie and Diana are responding to current their own COVID-19 anxiety.

What “prosocial distancing” is, and how you can participate.

Debbie and Diana’s tips for refocusing on values, improving mental health, and maintaining social connection.

How the Vagus Nerve regulates our response to stress.

The heart-face connection and its role in feeling safe.

Why your eyes and voice matter in co-regulating others. 

How the Polyvagal Theory informs our current understanding of trauma and treatment.

The benefits of chanting, singing, and breathing together!

Stephen Porges

About Dr. Stephen Porges

Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is a Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland.  He served as president of the Society for Psychophysiological Research and the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences and is a former recipient of a National Institute of Mental Health Research Scientist Development Award. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers across several disciplines including anesthesiology, biomedical engineering, critical care medicine, ergonomics, exercise physiology, gerontology, neurology, neuroscience, obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, psychometrics, space medicine, and substance abuse. In 1994 he proposed the Polyvagal Theory, a theory that links the evolution of the mammalian autonomic nervous system to social behavior and emphasizes the importance of the physiological state in the expression of behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders. The theory is leading to innovative treatments based on insights into the mechanisms mediating symptoms observed in several behavioral, psychiatric, and physical disorders. He is the author of The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation (Norton, 2011), The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe, (Norton, 2017) and co-editor of Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory: The Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies (Norton, 2018).  He is the creator of a music-based intervention, the Safe and Sound Protocol ™, which currently is used by more than 1400 therapists to improve spontaneous social engagement, to reduce hearing sensitivities, and to improve language processing, state regulation, and spontaneous social engagement.

Resources:

The Safe and Sound Protocol by Stephen Porges

More information about Stephen Porges 

Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation by Stephen Porges

The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe by Stephen Porges

Santa Barbara Song Circles Facebook group: Community Singing Network of the Central Coast

Worldwide Song Circles: singworldwide.org

Sponsor: 

Praxis Continuing Education

Save $25 off registration for live training events! Promo Code: Promo Code: OFFTHECLOCK

In this episode, Dr. Alex Pang is back on the podcast to discuss his new book, Shorter: Work Better, Smarter, and Less - Here's How. Last time he came on the show (Episode 45. Rest with Dr. Alex Pang), Alex told our listeners about the surprising benefits of deliberate rest on productivity and creativity. In his new book, he takes his ideas to a new level by exploring how organizations can help prevent burnout and dissatisfaction, and even increase profits, by shifting to shorter workweeks. 

In an era where overworking has been the norm, many of us feel we have to put in long hours at the office, and then go home to work even more. With modern technology, many feel the pressure to be working constantly. But a culture of overworking can be costly to individuals, leading to burnout and dissatisfaction. For organizations, a culture of overwork can lead to high turnover and employees who are less productive and creative than they could be. 

By taking a fresh perspective on how we structure our work into shorter workweeks, Dr. Pang offers a hopeful alternative, backed up by research and successful examples, of a new workplace culture that supports a better work-life balance for all. 

Listen and Learn:

How shorter workweeks can lead to…

Increased retention 

More creative and focused work

Sustained productivity and profitability

Reduced office stigma 

About Dr. Alex Pang

Dr. Alex Pang is the author of four books, including Shorter: Work Better, Smarter, and Less - Here's How, and Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less. He is the founder of Strategy and Rest, a consultancy devoted to helping companies and individuals harness the power of rest to shorten our workdays while staying focused and productive. He has given talks and workshops around the world about the 4-day week and the future of work, and how deliberate rest makes creative careers more productive and sustainable. 

Related Psychologists Off The Clock Episodes:

Episode 45. Rest with Dr. Alex Pang