Do you feel burned out? Or, maybe it feels like depression. Which begs the question, what's the difference between the two? Burnout and depression have a lot of similarities, but also a lot of differences. We'll highlight the nuances between burnout and clinical depression and also touch on the extensive impact of burnout across various forms of labor, from professional roles to caregiving. Listen in for valuable strategies to combat burnout and stay tuned for a guided meditation in the next epi...
Mar 05, 2025•18 min•Ep. 199
Do you feel like your attention is fractured? Maybe you move through the day scattered, only to realize that you missed some good stuff along the way. In this episode, we'll talk about the practice of savoring, a simple skill that can help us regain control of our attention amidst the constant distractions of modern life. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program : Take the next leap in your wellbeing ...
Feb 26, 2025•22 min•Ep. 198
It's really easy to fall into a deprivation mindset. It's a common message we hear in our lives that can burrow deep into our body and mind, tricking us to believe that there's not enough to go around and we're not enough either. We'll dig into this destructive mindset and how we can weed it out with the help of savoring. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program : Take the next leap in your wellbeing ...
Feb 19, 2025•27 min•Ep. 197
Feeling overwhelmed or even just "meh?" In today's episode, we have a special zooming out meditation to help you find and foster joy, even in challenging times. You'll experience a calming visualization practice, encouraging relaxation and broadened perspectives inspired by the overview effect (we talked about this effect last episode). Enjoy this soothing experience to help you release unnecessary stress and reconnect with a sense of global connection and support. If you enjoyed this episode, p...
Feb 12, 2025•12 min•Ep. 196
Tis the season of failed resolutions and unaccomplished goals. So, how can we turn that bummer and those defeats into growth? Dive deep with us as we explore why many resolutions fail: unrealistic goals and a lack of meaningful connection. Learn about the 'Overview Effect,' a concept borrowed from astronauts who experience profound shifts in perspective while gazing at Earth from space. We'll also discuss how to zoom out from the messy details that can keep us overwhelmed, connect more deeply wi...
Feb 05, 2025•19 min•Ep. 195
The science is clear that we humans are wired to tap into something deeper than just the surface layer of our day-to-day activities. It doesn't matter your beliefs, this drive for meaning and purpose is universal. That's why we practice having a conversation with our soul or wisest self in the Joy Lab Program. It's a practice we do every month as we work to build our Elements of Joy. If you're not part of the Program, this will likely be a new practice for you. The practice is designed to help y...
Jan 29, 2025•14 min•Ep. 194
What do courage, inspiration, burnout, and the soul have in common? A lot, actually. We'll dig into the 'Courage Work' framework developed by author and teacher Parker Palmer and how it can help us navigate out of burnout and create space for inspiration and renewal. We'll also get into some important details about the causes of burnout, the importance of deep listening and soul work, and how some of the most powerful aspects of our courage show up in surprisingly quiet ways. Joy Lab Program : T...
Jan 22, 2025•23 min•Ep. 193
Can inspiration really fuel motivation, connection, and a sense of purpose? The simple answer is yes. Inspiration may seem like a special, rare occurrence, but, it is something that we can prepare for and open up to in a variety of different ways. And that process of preparing for inspiration is surprisingly... well, inspirational. Listen in as we dig into some scientific insights and practical tips on how to invite more inspiration into your life and make it a reliable partner in your journey t...
Jan 15, 2025•28 min•Ep. 192
The 'Happiness Paradox' describes how the relentless pursuit of happiness can lead to poorer emotional and long-term health outcomes. That's an important paradox to know about when there's so much pressure to just "suck it up" or "put on a happy face." We'll talk about how to avoid this by contrasting happiness with joy (short story: happiness is fleeting and dependent on external factors, joy is a more enduring internal state that can coexist with negative emotions like grief and sadness). We'l...
Jan 08, 2025•23 min•Ep. 191
How have your New Year's resolutions worked out in the past? If you're the majority of us, then they haven't worked out too well. We've got an idea for you this year... it's a resolution that is empowering and nourishing... one that goes beyond self care and supports your mind and body in big ways. Here it is: Join us for the Joy Lab Program! It's open and ready to support you as you build more resilience and uncover more joy in 2025. Join us: https://www.joylab.coach/ Sources and Notes: Joy Lab...
Jan 01, 2025•2 min•Ep. 190
This episode is our holiday card to you... we're so grateful you're part of this community and have put in the effort to grow from your innate goodness. Helping you nurture your unique gifts, embrace your full self, and grow in an empowering way is why we're here at Joy Lab. We're excited to be with you in 2025! Sources and Notes: More on these updates in episode #184: You're Gonna Love This News... Pathways North (the new home of Joy Lab) Join the Natural Mental health Newsletter Joy Lab Progra...
Dec 25, 2024•4 min•Ep. 189
We've got more exciting updates for 2025! First, if you don't already know, Joy Lab is joining the nonprofit Pathways North. Second, we're launching a new podcast next year over at Natural Mental Health... the Natural Mental Health podcast. The new podcast will focus on mental health concerns and lifestyle medicine, covering topics like sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress management. We think listening to both podcasts will be a perfect combination of science, soul, body, mind, and heart. Loo...
Dec 18, 2024•5 min•Ep. 188
In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, we're digging into the fallacy of scarcity and its impact on mental health and decision making. Scarcity mentality can make us believe we lack sufficient resources, leading to anxiety, poor cognitive function, and decisions that leave us worse off. We'll talk about how to shift toward practicing sympathetic joy, which fosters a deeper sense of joy and a sense of enoughness. Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program : Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey w...
Dec 11, 2024•12 min•Ep. 187
In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, we're digging into a key obstacle of Sympathetic Joy (our element for December). This is important because Sympathetic Joy, or the practice of finding joy in someone else's good fortune or joy, is powerful. It's a quick mood boosting strategy, it can foster a deeper sense of connection and belonging, it can serve as an antidote to envy and jealousy, and can fuel our own motivation to get out of ruts that can keep us down. A key obstacle to sympathetic joy ...
Dec 04, 2024•22 min•Ep. 186
In this episode, we'll highlight some exciting updates before we share an encore episode. In the encore episode, we'll dive into the profound power of gratitude and its impact on mental health. We'll mainly focus on the first part of our three-part mindfulness process: see what is, accept what is, and choose wisely. We'll use that process to help explore emotional resilience, the role of gratitude in building connections, and how to persist through life's challenges. Sources and Notes: Joy Lab P...
Nov 27, 2024•25 min•Ep. 185
We have really exciting news to share with you all! The Joy Lab podcast and program will be transitioning into a new nonprofit organization called Pathways North, starting January 2025. Despite the move away from the National Mental Health Organization, you won't need to do anything differently. You can still find the pod wherever you've been listening, you can still head to JoyLab.coach to join us in the program, and most of all, you can be sure that this change is fully-focused on keeping this...
Nov 20, 2024•8 min•Ep. 184
In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, we explore how gratitude can be a powerful tool in managing fear and worrying. We'll touch on the evolutionary roots of fear, its impact on our lives, and how nurturing gratitude can lead to a more purposeful and fulfilling life. Most importantly, we'll illustrate how identifying and addressing fear with gratitude can bring about positive emotional shifts and meaningful actions. Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program : Take the next leap in your wellbeing jour...
Nov 13, 2024•19 min•Ep. 183
In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, we explore the complex emotions of envy and gratitude. We'll discuss how practicing gratitude can serve as a powerful antidote to the corrosive effects of envy, and delve into the evolutionary purpose and varieties of envy, including benign and malicious forms. We also take a quick (and hopefully helpful!) detour into the concept of counterfactual thinking and its role in both fueling and easing envy, with a focus on the use of mindfulness and gratitude to...
Nov 06, 2024•26 min•Ep. 182
In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, we explore Dr. Gabor Maté's fifth and final level of compassion: the compassion of possibility. We'll dig into how we can see beyond suffering and dysfunction to recognize the good within ourselves and others. This is a skill we can all practice and get better at. And importantly, this isn't some toxic positivity exercise. This is a skill that helps us see the whole picture, the full truth of whatever we're looking at. Seeing that full picture allows us to...
Oct 30, 2024•20 min•Ep. 181
The poet Rumi shared this wisdom: "Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, Your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom." The poetry of Rumi makes that process sound like a smooth and blissful journey. But, the reality is that the work of being open amidst tough stuff, seeing our suffering, accepting our pain, and moving on can be messy and difficult. AND, no matter how many times we try and fall short, it's stil...
Oct 23, 2024•19 min•Ep. 180
We're focusing on the third level of compassion, as conceptualized by Dr. Gabor Maté—compassion of recognition. This level emphasizes realizing the shared nature of suffering, highlighting that we are not alone. We'll highlight the 'illusion of separation' and how breaking through it can deepen our connections and ease our struggles. The episode introduces the 'Judge, Mirror, Bridge' exercise to help listeners practice compassion by identifying judgments, finding similarities within oneself, and...
Oct 16, 2024•18 min•Ep. 179
In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, we'll explore the 'compassion of understanding'—the second level in Dr. Gabor Maté's five levels of compassion. We'll first highlight the power of moving beyond judgment and into curiosity and understanding, using depression as an example. We'll then get into the practice of deep listening, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh and Parker Palmer’s work, to help cultivate compassion both for ourselves and others Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program : Take the next leap...
Oct 09, 2024•20 min•Ep. 178
In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, we're not just defining compassion, but we're really getting into how it shows up in our daily life. We'll start by highlighting the important difference between pain and suffering and then get into how compassion, especially self-compassion, serves as a powerful antidote to ease stress responses. This episode also sets the stage for a 5-part series examining Dr. Gabor Maté's five levels of compassion, starting with ordinary human compassion. We'll dive in...
Oct 02, 2024•26 min•Ep. 177
In this episode, we're digging deeper into imposter syndrome. First, a reminder from last episode that you do not have a syndrome if you have these imposter feelings. You are not broken. Further, imposter feelings are not just a problem with self-esteem. This is a common misconception. Self-esteem is actually just a small contributor to these very real and uncomfortable feelings. That's why we'll focus on six key factors that can contribute to imposter feelings and some practical advice for addr...
Sep 25, 2024•24 min•Ep. 176
Imposter syndrome is a myth. Well, mostly anyway. We'll unpack this concept of imposter syndrome, or rather, imposter phenomenon, emphasizing that the common perception of it as a 'syndrome' is misleading. In this first part of our two-part series, you'll get a historical overview of this phenomenon, which starts with the work of Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes' research in the 1970s. Most importantly, we'll bust some myths around the "who" and "why" of this phenomenon, hitting on the fa...
Sep 18, 2024•9 min•Ep. 175
Love is a skill that takes daily practice. And if you're feeling a bit out of practice... well, you're not alone. In this episode, we're diving into our Element of love by focusing on the wisdom of James Baldwin as he encourages us all to find light within darkness. We'll talk about the relationship of love and mental health, love as a tool for behavior change, the importance of spotlighting positive actions, and the transformative power of kindness in practical situations. Joy Lab and Natural M...
Sep 11, 2024•25 min•Ep. 174
We're diving into our Element of love in this episode; those genuine, deep connections that feed every aspect of wellbeing. We'll focus on five key lessons of loving well: loving oneself, seeing the innocence in others, embracing vulnerability, listening deeply, and creating a House of Belonging. Joy Lab and Natural Mental Health are community-supported. When you buy through the links below, we may earn a commission. That support helps keep the Joy Lab podcast free for all! Sources and Notes: Jo...
Sep 04, 2024•26 min•Ep. 173
Too often mental health conversations get stuck in a focus of dysfunction, uncomfortable symptoms, and focusing on "fixing" what feels off. But, mental health is not simply about trying to rid ourselves of things like negative thoughts. So much of mental health has to do with the day-to-day infusion of positive practices. Which leads us into the importance of fun, pleasure, play, and flow as essential elements of mental health and a joyful life. We'll talk about some simple ways to embrace your ...
Aug 28, 2024•27 min•Ep. 172
Do you have a 'Third Place?' If you don't (or don't know what that is), be sure to take some notes for this episode. We'll talk about a Third Place (a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg) as a an accessible, often public space that invites a diversity of folks to gather. In this episode, we'll get into the simple ways we can all deepen our connections and foster joy through Third Places and also by 'Building a House of Belonging.’ Joy Lab and Natural Mental Health are community-supported. W...
Aug 21, 2024•17 min•Ep. 171
Obliger rebellion... it's an intriguing term, right? Gretchen Rubin introduced it in her book, 'The Four Tendencies.' The idea here is that when our external expectations exceed a threshold, then we can become exhausted or rebel. We'll talk about the pros and cons of this phenomenon and how we can listen to our body and make more nourishing, skillful decisions before frustrations reach a boiling point. Joy Lab and Natural Mental Health are community-supported. When you buy through the links belo...
Aug 14, 2024•15 min•Ep. 170
